Liliana Bustos Garcia currently serves as the Chief Instructional Officer for Bright Star Schools, where she leads the strategic vision, design, and direction for teaching and learning across all nine campuses. She is concluding her second year in this role, grounded in a deep commitment to equity, academic excellence, and ensuring every child has access to high-quality instruction and meaningful support. Bright Star Schools serves three regions within Los Angeles County—Koreatown, Baldwin Hills/West Adams, and the Valley—spanning grades TK–12.

Liliana earned her bachelor’s degree in education and her master’s degree in school leadership and administration from Loyola Marymount University. Early experiences working with children as young as six weeks old solidified her passion for educational advocacy.

A daughter of immigrants and one of six children, Liliana was raised in northeast Los Angeles, where she witnessed firsthand the transformative power of education. She began her career at Aspire Public Schools, where she spent 15 years serving in roles including TK–5 teacher, reading specialist, dean of culture, interim principal, and elementary school principal in the Huntington Park community. As Aspire’s Director of Language and Culture, she led English Language Development programming across 38 schools in three regions throughout California and oversaw the organization’s Pro-Black programming.

Prior to joining Bright Star Schools, Liliana served as the Interim Chief Academic Officer for Extera Public Schools in Boyle Heights/East Los Angeles, where she developed a rigorous and equitable academic program that strengthened systems of support, built team capacity, and increased academic achievement.

Outside of her professional work, Liliana is married to her high school sweetheart, is the proud mother of three children, and shares her home with two energetic dogs. Her personal and professional experiences continue to fuel her dedication to building schools where all students can thrive.