Meet Susanna Ledesma-Woody
Susanna Ledesma Woody is a proud central Texan, a devoted mother of three, a respected public servant, and a passionate advocate for equity and opportunity.
For over a decade, Susanna has been deeply rooted in public service—as a Del Valle ISD Trustee, community coalition president, political organizer, and advocate for Southeast Travis County. With lived experience and a strong voice for justice, she knows what it takes to work alongside the community and deliver real solutions—because she’s lived the challenges of being from an overlooked neighborhood.
Rooted in Resilience
Susanna Ledesma Woody was born in Austin, Texas, and raised near the Travis and Bastrop County lines in a working-class family of eight. Her mother was a nurse’s aide and her father worked in construction. Growing up in a trailer with limited access to electricity and running water, Susanna learned early what resilience looks like—and how powerful community can be when resources are scarce.
“There were times growing up we didn’t have running water or electricity. We had to carry buckets of water from a neighbor’s house for cooking and bathing. Winter Storm Uri reminded me of when we used the oven to heat our home.”
These early experiences lit a fire in Susanna to fight for the basics—housing, water, education—as human rights. Her commitment to service and advocacy is rooted in her lived experience and her belief that no one in Travis County should go without the resources they need to live with dignity.
Family, Career & Community
Susanna is a longtime resident of Southeast Travis County, where she and her husband Roy have raised their three children. She has spent her professional life working at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), where she has built a successful career in project management, bringing leadership, collaboration, and innovative thinking to complex challenges. These skills have directly informed her advocacy, helping her balance family, work, and public service.
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​Over a Decade of Governance, Educational Leadership and Community Advocacy
Her experience as a school board trustee and community leader has given her a firsthand understanding of how decisions about education, infrastructure, economic development, and public services directly affect students and families.
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As a trustee, Susanna has been a strong voice for:
- Strong and equitable public school funding
- Competitive pay and support for teachers and staff
- Safe, modern, and welcoming schools
- Career, college, and workforce opportunities for students
- Mental health and student support services
- Responsible use of taxpayer dollars
- Transparency and accountability in district decision-making
- Infrastructure and long-term planning for a rapidly growing district
- Stronger partnerships between schools, families, and the community
- Ensuring every student has access to opportunities, regardless of their ZIP code
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As President and a founding member of the Del Valle Community Coalition (DVCC), Susanna has also worked to address challenges outside the classroom that affect a child's ability to succeed in school. Her community work has included advocating for food access, healthcare, transportation, infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and resources for underserved families.
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Susanna believes effective school board leadership requires more than attending meetings and casting votes. It means listening to families, asking difficult questions, holding the district accountable, planning for the future, and consistently showing up for students and staff.
Fighting For Us
Since joining the Del Valle ISD Board of Trustees, Susanna has focused on ensuring students especially those in historically underserved communities, have access to the opportunities, resources, facilities, and support they deserve. Her leadership is grounded in accountability, transparency, fiscal responsibility, and making sure decisions made at the board table reflect the needs of students, educators, families, and taxpayers.
Susanna understands that school board leadership extends beyond the classroom. Decisions about economic development, housing, infrastructure, transportation, and corporate tax incentives can directly affect a school district's ability to serve its students and manage growth.
That is why Susanna was the only elected official in Travis County to vote against Tesla's tax incentive agreement. She refused to support a corporate tax break that she did not believe adequately protected taxpayers or prioritized the long-term needs of the community.
Her record reflects the same approach she brings to the school board: ask tough questions, demand transparency, protect public resources, and put people before powerful interests.
Susanna believes public dollars should strengthen public schools and communities. As a trustee, she will continue advocating for students, supporting educators and staff, responsibly managing taxpayer dollars, and ensuring that Del Valle ISD families have a strong voice in the decisions that affect their schools and their future.