Elba has over 12 years’ experience as an evaluator, researcher, facilitator, trainer, organizational coach, and project leader. Since joining LFA in 2011, Elba has been a strategic learning partner to nonprofit organizations, philanthropic organizations, and government agencies tackling complex challenges in the areas of education, youth development, housing, community development. Elba brings expertise working with complex, systems change efforts and has partnered with organizations and collaboratives engaging in advocacy/policy change, culture change, and power building efforts.
Elba is an effective project leader with a strong project performance and success record. Clients express high satisfaction with Elba’s communication and management skills, as well as the delivery of high-quality, accessible, and actionable products such as reports, presentations, and learning resources. Elba has extensive experience with participatory methods, and deeply enjoys partnering with community members to define success and shape the process.
Prior to joining LFA, Elba held positions with the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the Office of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, USC/UCLA Southern California Environmental Health Science Center, and the Center for Civic Education.
Elba is adventurous with her food palate – trying out a new food at the farmers’ market or an ethnic dish she cannot pronounce – and enjoys learning languages; she speaks Spanish and Portuguese, and dabbles in Mandarin, French, Maya-K’iche’, and many more languages.
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Anthropological Sciences, Stanford University
Master of Public Policy, University of Southern California
Selected Project Experience
Strategic Planning for the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development
Evaluation of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation’s Home-Based Childcare Grantmaking
Evaluation of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s Connecting for Success Initiative
Landscape Study of Mental Health Support in California Public Higher Education for the College Futures Foundation
Retrospective Evaluation of the Fair Chance Campaign for the National Employment Law Project
Evaluation and Learning Framework Development for the Center for Cultural Power
Evaluation of the HOPE SF Initiative, a public-private partnership led by the San Francisco Foundation, Enterprise Community Partners, and the City and County of San Francisco.