Elisa Villanueva Beard

Elisa Villanueva Beard began her journey with Teach For America as a 1998 corps member in Phoenix. She joined staff in 2001 to lead the organization’s work in her hometown in the Rio Grande Valley. Four years later, she became chief operating officer, overseeing field operations as Teach For America expanded from 22 to 48 regions. Today, under her leadership as CEO, Teach For America fosters a network of more than 66,000 corps members and alumni working inside and outside education to ensure that all children have the access and opportunity to learn, lead, and thrive.

Elisa holds a B.A. in sociology from DePauw University. She sits on the boards of the Holdsworth Center, City Fund, and Leadership for Educational Equity, and on the advisory board for the AT&T Aspire Accelerator program. Elisa was named in 2021 to ALPFA's 50 Most Powerful Latinas list. She lives in Houston with her husband, Jeremy, and their four sons.