Elisa Villanueva Beard

Elisa began her journey with Teach For America as a 1998 Phoenix corps member. She joined staff in 2001 to lead the organization’s work in her hometown as executive director of the Rio Grande Valley region. Four years later, she became COO, leading TFA’s field operations as the organization expanded to more than 300 communities, growing its network from 12,500 to more than 43,000 leaders while improving student outcomes each year. In 2015, Elisa became CEO. Under her leadership, TFA corps members reach hundreds of thousands of students each year in nearly 2,000 schools across 37 states and DC. The TFA network of nearly 70,000 leaders is working from every sector to ensure that all children have the access and opportunity to reach their full potential and achieve their dreams.