Elba has over 10 years of experience as a researcher, facilitator, and project leader. Since joining LFA in 2011, Elba has put her skills to work for nonprofit organizations, philanthropic organizations, and government agencies tackling complex challenges in the areas of education, housing, transportation, and environmental justice. 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.

Elba is a leader in LFA’s Equity Leadership Team, an internal work group dedicated to ongoing organizational learning to help our staff consider, explore, and challenge power, privilege, and bias in our projects and interpersonal experiences. As LFA’s Technology Strategist, Elba champions and directs efforts to advance technological solutions and innovations to support collaboration and learning for our firm and clients.

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

• Evaluation of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s Connecting for Success Initiative

• 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.

• Community Needs Assessment of the Sunnydale Public Housing Site for Mercy Housing

• Strategic Planning and Research for the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, & their Families

• Strategic Planning and Evaluation Technical Assistance for the Silicon Valley Community Foundation