Meet Elijah

My story begins in Bakersfield, where education changed the course of my family’s life long before it became my career.

When my parents could not afford to send me to preschool, my grandmother, an educator and member of the California School Employees Association, taught me how to read and write. My mother also instilled in me the importance of education. She dropped out of high school after having my brother, but after I was born, she enrolled in adult school, earned her GED, and secured a union job with the pay and benefits she needed to support our family. Her example showed me that education can open doors not only for one person, but for an entire family.

Finding My Path

In 2012, my high school became part of the public debate over California High-Speed Rail when a proposed alignment intersected part of the campus. As editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, I followed the debate and began reading the project’s environmental impact report and proposed mitigation measures.

It was the first time I learned what a planner was. I became fascinated by how planning decisions shape communities and how public participation can influence those decisions.

Growing up openly gay in a conservative part of California, I saw San Francisco as a place where I could find community and build a future. At 18, I moved here to attend San Francisco State University and study urban planning. I became the first person in my family to earn a college degree.

San Francisco gave me both an education and a sense of belonging. Its parks, neighborhoods, and public spaces also inspired me to continue my studies and earn a master’s degree in landscape architecture from Cornell University.

Planning Stronger Colleges

After beginning my career designing parks and plazas, I returned to San Francisco and built my career around planning and transforming college campuses.

I have worked with seven colleges nationwide and three California community college districts to create long-term plans and guide campus improvements. My work has included student centers, housing, academic buildings, and other facilities that directly support teaching and student life.

As a campus planner, my job is to help college leaders, faculty, staff, and students turn a long-term vision into practical decisions. That means thinking carefully about how institutions can increase enrollment, modernize aging facilities, use limited resources responsibly, and align their campuses with their educational missions.

I have also advocated for landscape architecture programs to receive STEM designation. Today, I serve on the advisory council for Cornell’s Department of Landscape Architecture and was selected as an Emerging Leader by the Society for College and University Planning.

Giving Back to San Francisco

Beyond my professional work, I have dedicated much of my time to giving back to the city that gave me a sense of belonging and opportunity.

I serve on the board of the Lower Nob Hill Neighborhood Alliance and as an appointed member of San Francisco’s Park, Recreation and Open Space Advisory Council, where I have advocated for more open space in one of the city’s densest neighborhoods.

I have also served as District 3 Director for the Eastern Neighborhoods Democratic Club and as a board member of the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club. Through these organizations, I have organized and moderated public discussions about issues including Downtown San Francisco’s recovery and the financial challenges facing Muni.

Why I’m Running

Education changed the direction of my family’s life and made my own journey possible. City College provides that same opportunity to thousands of San Franciscans.

City College is entering an important period. In the coming years, it will renew its accreditation, update its campus master plan, and make difficult decisions about its financial future. These challenges require careful planning, clear priorities, community involvement, and leadership focused on the institution’s long-term mission.

I’m running for the City College Board of Trustees because I believe these challenges are solvable. I will bring the perspective of a first-generation college graduate, a campus planner, and someone deeply committed to the city I call home.

With a clear vision and a plan, we can make City College one of the best community colleges in the country!