Kristina Scott is the Alabama Poverty Project’s executive director. A seasoned coalition builder and attorney, Kristina brings a unique mix of communications and analytical skills to APP.
Before joining APP in August 2008, Kristina served as the Managing Attorney for External Affairs at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. Her accomplishments there included partnering with children’s health professionals and housing advocates to fight childhood lead poisoning. Kristina’s efforts resulted in the nation’s first criminal charges brought against property owners for exposing children to dangerous levels of lead. In addition, she launched the Freedom of Information Unit to improve public access to government records and spearheaded a multi-agency effort to expand elder abuse prosecutions that resulted in a 100 percent increase in cases filed.
Kristina has also designed communications and voter contact strategies for candidates and ballot initiative campaigns across the country. She was a senior strategist for The Strategy Group and served as a top staffer on Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo's campaign. In 2001, Delgadillo became the first Latino elected to citywide office in Los Angeles in 125 years in an upset, come-from-behind victory made possible by a unique coalition of Latino, African American and conservative voters.
During the 2000 election cycle, Kristina ran statewide communications operations as the Communications Director for the California Democratic Party's Coordinated Campaign. Kristina also worked in press and field for the Gore campaign in California, Illinois and Iowa during the primary and caucus season.
Kristina earned her bachelor's degree in history from the University of Florida, where she was a member of Florida Blue Key, and her juris doctor with distinction from Emory University. She is a member of the California, Georgia and New York Bars.
Kristina is an active community volunteer and currently chairs the board of directors of Catalyst, a nonprofit organization that empowers emerging leaders to make Birmingham a better place to live. Scott and her husband, Gardendale native Jason Yarbrough, live in Homewood.
You can email Kristina at kscott@alabamapoverty.org.
(205) 939-1408