Nubia Peña is a nationally recognized advocate, attorney, and public servant who recently concluded her service as Utah’s Senior Advisor on Access and Opportunity and Director of the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs.
An immigrant from Puebla, Mexico, Peña was raised in Philadelphia and later moved to Utah, where she earned her JD from the S.J. Quinney College of Law. Her career spans over a decade of advocacy for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking, and marginalized youth, including time as a law enforcement victim advocate and juvenile public defender.
She also served as co-chair of Utah's Multicultural COVID-19 Advisory Committee and helped lead equity-focused state responses recognized both locally and nationally. A 2023 Presidential Leadership Scholar, Peña is the architect of the “Utah Thriving” framework, a statewide strategy to improve service delivery through data-informed, people-centered approaches. Her efforts have focused on bridging divides, cultivating hope-centered leadership, and expanding civic engagement opportunities for underserved populations across Utah. Her work is deeply informed by her lived experience, her legal background, and the example of her mother, whose resilience and service to others inspired a lifelong commitment to justice and equity. Peña now serves as Director for External Engagement at Gilead Sciences.