Today is International Women’s Day, a global day dedicated to celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. At ELACC, we feel honored to be led by a group of talented women who work hard everyday to make a difference in the lives of our community members on the Eastside. We’re honored to be spotlighting the women of our senior management team! We thank them for their continued leadership and dedication to our mission. Read more below.
Monica Mejia, President and CEO
Monica joined ELACC in January 2021, bringing with her two decades of affordable housing development experience. Monica has developed housing across the state, bringing more than 2,500 affordable housing units to completion through new construction and preservation projects at several California nonprofits, including Linc Housing, Abode Communities, Community Corporation of Santa Monica, Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation, Chinatown Community Development Center, and Peninsula Habitat for Humanity. Monica has worked on rental and ownership projects, rehabilitation, and new construction developments covering all stages of the development process. She loves the teamwork found in the affordable housing industry and the complex efforts that ultimately lead to homes for people in need. Monica attended law school at the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law and completed her undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley.
Adalia Rodriguez, Vice President of Human Capital and COO
Adalia joined ELACC in 2018 as Vice President of Human Capital and COO. She oversees and provides direction to ELACC’s programming as it pertains to professional, programmatic, and campaign development. Adalia came to ELACC with nearly 15 years of experience in office management, including over a decade working at Enterprise Community Partners, bringing with her the capacity to effectively carry out multiple projects simultaneously. She has been instrumental in maintaining stable and efficient operations by improving our everyday processes and procedures, and implementing systems for ongoing assessment and evaluation. Adalia received her BS from California State University, San Bernardino.
Elba Serrano Schildcrout, Director of Community Wealth & Services
Elba joined ELACC as a Housing Counselor in 2010. In her current role, she oversees ELACC’s asset-building programs, including its first-time homebuyer program, financial education and counseling, free tax preparation through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, peer lending circles, and ELACC’s work supporting local small businesses and street vendors. Elba also oversees the services provided at ELACC’s affordable housing portfolio. As an immigrant born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, she has used her lived experience to relate to community members seeking ELACC’s services and to develop culturally competent programs. Since joining ELACC, she advocated for consumer protections through her involvement in many coalitions such as the Stop the Debt Trap campaign. Elba currently serves as Board Secretary for the California Reinvestment Coalition (CRC) board of directors.
Jacqueline Monterrosas-Figueroa, Director of Real Estate Development
Jacqueline’s passion for affordable housing and community development began in her teens when she volunteered with her mother to revitalize her community, fight displacement, and get out the vote. Jacqueline worked at ELACC for over ten years in different capacities before her current role, including as a Project Manager where she was responsible for acquisitions, entitlements, funding, community support, and monitoring construction for over 300 units of affordable housing. Prior, she oversaw our Property & Asset Management Department, managing leasing, marketing, compliance, and maintenance while supervising staff and coordinating with 15 property managers at our third-party sites that included over 800 housing units. She also spent two years at the Cesar Chavez Foundation, holding the title of Project Manager II, responsible for overseeing two construction projects and three other flagship projects for the foundation. Jacqueline holds a BA in Urban and Regional Planning.
Abigail Wood, Director of Fund Development & Communications
Abigail is a macro-practice social worker with nearly 20 years of nonprofit experience in various community settings. For the first half of her career, she worked with Chicago youth in both after-school and in-school settings, specializing in violence prevention and behavior change. In 2013, she moved to Los Angeles and began working at ELACC, overseeing all aspects of the organization’s grant management. In 2016, she left ELACC for Philadelphia to earn her Masters in Social Work, researching and practicing at the intersection of gender, poverty, and housing policy. She returned to ELACC in 2019 after spending time in electoral politics and policy advising. Abigail has a BA in Latin American & Latino Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a MSW from the University of Pennsylvania.
About ELACC
East LA Community Corporation (ELACC) is a non-profit community development corporation based in Boyle Heights. Our mission is to advocate for economic and social justice in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles by building grassroots leadership, developing affordable housing and neighborhood assets, and providing access to economic development opportunities for low and moderate-income families. Our vision is to see community members thrive, by creating environments that support a productive, healthy, and fulfilling life. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. www.elacc.org