Bernice E. Rivera diligently advocates for education, students, the community and for justice.

After graduating from UAlbany, she worked as a Program Director for a business incubator in Troy that recruited and supported women and people of color to start their own businesses. After earning her Master of Arts in Teaching from Union College, she became a secondary classroom teacher for approximately 10 years.

Bernice earned her School Building Leadership (SBL) certificate from the College of St. Rose and served as acting assistant principal at Schenectady City School District. Currently, she works for New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Educational & Learning Trust (ELT); her role consists of developing professional learning programs, training, supervising facilitators, partnering with districts, and coordinating professional learning for NYSUT members and districts across the state. She has served on the Schenectady City School Board since 2017 and has been president of the board since 2023.

Bernice strongly advocates for working environments that foster strong educational systems for all students. She has dedicated her life to education for more than 20 years and continues to dedicate her professional and personal life to improving the educational experiences and outcomes for all children, their families and the community.