Josephine C. Garcia is a community and educational leader in the City of Newark who has spent much of her professional career serving the residents of the city as an aide to numerous elected officials. She recently answered the call to service by running successfully for an elected position on the Newark Board of Education.

Garcia launched her career as a legal secretary before joining the administration of former Mayor Sharpe James in 1998. She held several positions in the James administration, including serving as the assistant supervisor of the mayor's administrative staff.

Since 2006, Garcia has worked as a legislative aide for Newark Councilman-at-Large Carlos M. Gonzalez, where she works closely with the councilman to provide up-to-date research on a variety of municipal issues and serves as his official representative at conferences and engagements.

Garcia has long been interested in education, serving as a volunteer for the parent teacher associations for Science Park High School, Robert Treat Academy and Technology High School, where her three children attended.

In April 2017, she was elected to the Newark Board of Education, garnering the most votes in a crowded field, and was immediately elected president of the board, a position she continues to hold. She also serves as the chair of the governance committee and vice chair of the legal committee.

Garcia has served as the President of the Essex County New Jersey School Board Association since May 2019.

In May 2019, she was also President of the Puerto Rican Day Parade of Newark, NJ, a nonprofit organization that celebrates Puerto Rican culture and the contributions of Puerto Ricans to the City of Newark.

Garcia takes great pride in her three children, Donavin, Brandon and Michael, who are now young men. Donavin graduated from Technology High School, and now is a United States Marine, Brandon is a Science Park graduate and is now attending William Paterson University as a double major in Biology and psychology and Michael is a current senior in St. Peter's Preparatory School and will soon be attending a University.

Garcia is a graduate of Barringer High School and attended Essex County College. She lives in the North Ward of Newark.