On behalf of ELACC staff and our Board of Directors, I am thrilled to announce that, after an intense search, we have hired Monica Mejia to be ELACC’s next President & CEO. Monica comes to ELACC with over 20 years of experience working in affordable housing, including developing both ownership and rental housing models. Currently, she is Senior Director of Housing Development at Linc Housing. We are eager to welcome her to the Eastside.
Monica has developed housing across the state, bringing more than 2,500 affordable housing units to completion through new construction and preservation projects in Northern and Southern California. Before Linc Housing, Monica worked for Abode Communities, the Community Corporation of Santa Monica, Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation, Chinatown Community Development Center, and Peninsula Habitat for Humanity. Throughout her career, Monica has covered all stages of the development process. She loves the teamwork she has found in the affordable housing industry and the complex efforts that ultimately lead to homes for people in need.
“I am so thrilled to be moving to ELACC to be its fourth President. ELACC is a non-profit that has accomplished so much good for Los Angeles County residents, and I am so proud to be the new leader for this team. I know that together we will continue to serve residents and businesses with housing and commercial development opportunities. I feel we are very lucky to be able to work for a cause and to have that cause match our hearts and hopes.”
Monica attended law school at the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law and completed her undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley. She loves to garden in her free time, with a growing collection of native Californian and Mediterranean plants, so her backyard garden is drought tolerant, colorful, and in bloom all year round.
Her first day will be January 19, 2021, although some onboarding will begin before. Until then, I will continue to serve as ELACC President. Furthermore, I am committed to partnering with Monica during her first few months as she settles into the new role. Since 1995, there have only been two permanent transitions at our highest level of leadership: the first in 2000 when my fellow co-founder, Maria Cabildo, succeeded me, and again in 2016 when Isela Gracian—an ELACC leader with 12 years of experience in the organization—took on the position. Monica represents the first time in our history that we have recruited our President from outside of our walls, and I could not be more pleased with her enthusiasm for our community and the critical importance of our work.
If you have any questions about this transition or would like to extend your congratulations to Monica and the rest of the ELACC team, please contact Abigail Wood, Director of Fund Development & Communications at awood@elacc.org or (323) 374-3438.
Onward!
Manuel Bernal
President
East LA Community Corporation