Candidate for
Board Member; Hartnell Community College District; Trustee Area 4

As a Trustee for Hartnell Community College since 2007, Elia represents District 4. Since serving on the board, Hartnell College has seen the highest graduation rates and entrance to universities and colleges, and just recently graduated the largest class in the history of Hartnell College. In her first term and during tough economic times, Hartnell has also been able to expand programs to include the k-16 bridge program and the Academy for College Excellence (ACE). Additionally, they have opened another campus in East Salinas with a world class NASA lab to encourage students in the fields of math and science.

Elia is also a councilmember of Western Stage in Hartnell, the theater arts council at the college. She oversees all aspects of the professional plays and performances that Western Stage produces. In addition, she serves as a board member for the Alisal Education Foundation.

Elia was born and raised in Mexico City where she attended the National Mexican University, obtaining a degree in Communications with a minor in Theater. Before moving to the United States she was a news reporter for the National Council of Science and Technology magazine in Mexico City. Prior to moving to the Salinas Valley, Elia worked for the Department of Health and Human Services, and for the International Association of Machinists, where she won several awards as Editor for creating their first ever bilingual newsletter. Later she was hired by the AFL-CIO to be the Communication Coordinator for the United Farm Workers (UFW) bringing her to Watsonville, California, and then to Monterey County as a news reporter for The Californian and El Sol covering Latino stories and Education.

Currently, Elia works as a nutrition network bilingual parent educator with the Alisal Union School District. She works with parents from various groups in the district conducting nutrition and physical activity classes. She participates in general migrant meetings offering healthy food demonstrations and teaching the benefits of fruits and vegetables and physical activity. As part of her job with the Network for a Healthy California she helps students learn about nutrition through mediums such as puppets shows, keeping it fun but informative. She also teaches nutrition to English as a Second Language classes, and to parent classes held at Healthy Start. Additionally, Elia participates at health fairs and community events throughout the City of Salinas, spreading the word about healthy lifestyle practices.

Elia is married to Orlando Castro, has two grown children, Orlando Jr. and Erimm, and is the proud grandmother of her first grandchild Dylan. With both of her children currently attending college, Elia has a great understanding of the challenges affecting the college system.