PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

Elaine’s professional career included roles in risk management, research, strategic planning, project management, and information technology. Early in her career, she served as Risk Manager for a national restaurant chain before spending nearly 30 years with a major insurance company, where she worked primarily in research, strategic planning, operational analysis, and project management.

In addition to her professional work, Elaine has significant experience leading complex volunteer-driven community initiatives. She managed a downtown farmers’ market in Illinois for 13 years, while working to strengthen local food systems and build community engagement. She later organized a community-based development project to launch Green Top Grocery, a community-owned cooperative grocery store. She served on the cooperative’s founding board, which oversaw the development process—an entirely volunteer-led effort until the first store manager was hired shortly before the store opened in 2017.

COMMITMENT TO NEIGHBORS FIRST!

Elaine joined Neighbors First! because she believes communities have a responsibility to ensure that every one of their residents has access to safe, decent, affordable housing. She is passionate about collaborative, community-based approaches that combine accountability, dignity, and meaningful pathways toward long-term stability.

OTHER INTERESTS

Outside of her community work, Elaine enjoys traveling and cooking for friends and family. She has long been drawn to projects that bring people together to solve problems collaboratively while strengthening local communities.