New COO tapped to lead key initiatives at Public Allies, the country’s only national service program to center BIPOC leaders from an asset-based community development model.
Milwaukee, Wis, May 4, 2023 – Public Allies, a 30-year-old national nonprofit dedicated to social justice and racial equity, is honored to announce the appointment of Lauren Elfant to the position of Chief Operations Officer. Ms. Elfant comes to Public Allies with over a decade of management experience in values-driven social justice organizations. She most recently served as Deputy Director of U.S. Programs at the Center for Reproductive Rights, and prior to that as Chief of Staff at the NYC Commission on Human Rights.
“It is with deep gratitude and humility that I join this values-driven leadership team to support a path forward that leads with empathy and leverages the passion, expertise, and unwavering commitment of the entire Public Allies community,” says Ms. Elfant. “In a country where inequities permeate every sector of life and society, cultivating local leadership and supporting emerging leaders within communities is critical to culture change and meaningful policy reforms.”
Ms. Elfant joins Public Allies’ all-women Leadership Team at a time when the organization’s mission is more relevant and critical than ever before. Public Allies began as an AmeriCorps program 30 years ago. It has, since then, grown into a powerful network of nearly 10,000 equity-centered and social justice-oriented leaders from across sectors and across the country. In an increasingly divided nation, America needs the kinds of diverse, democratic leaders that Public Allies fosters to be the bridge builders to systemic change.
“I am grateful and excited to have a proven, passionate, experienced leader like Lauren Elfant on our team,” says Jenise Terrell, CEO of Public Allies. “I look forward to partnering with her and the broader network to reimagine, build and sustain an anti-racist organization of the future.”
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About Public Allies
Public Allies is a 501c3 national nonprofit committed to advancing social justice and racial equity by engaging and activating the leadership of all people. Our mission is to create a just and equitable society and the diverse leadership to sustain it. Since 1992, we have been a pioneer in recruiting and developing equity-focused change-makers. We have built a powerful network of nearly 10,000 proximate leaders who bridge races, ethnicities, socioeconomic levels, and cultures. Holding roles ranging from elected officials to heads of foundations and organizations, they reflect system re-designers, policy shapers, builders of inclusive cultures, and transformers of cultures – ones that accept, value, and view differences that we all bring to the table as strengths.