Elise Buik became the first female president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles in March 2005. Under her leadership, UWGLA raised $59 million in its 2004/2005 campaign year.
Joining the organization in 1994, Ms. Buik has been instrumental in transforming UWGLA from its historical fundraising role into a community impact organization that identifies social issues, convenes experts, partners with other organizations and crafts innovative solutions. Ms. Buik has shepherded UWGLA’s highly-praised social reports, including A Tale of Two Cities, Latino Scorecard, Diverse Face of Asian Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles County, and the latest, The State of Black Los Angeles, that shine a spotlight on pressing-and common-social problems in Los Angeles County and offer action plans to solve them.
A native of Atlanta, Ms. Buik served as co-convener for the President’s Summit for America’s Future and as project leader of the 1996 Los Angeles Olympic Torch Relay and Torchbearer selection. Prior to joining UWGLA, Ms. Buik spent seven years in the private sector as the marketing manager for a medical software company.
Ms. Buik recently served on Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s transition team and previously served on the board of the Center for Non-Profit Management.
Ms. Buik, her husband David, and their two sons reside in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.
