Erika Gaitan is an Associate Director of Community Impact at Health Resources in Action (HRiA).
In her role, she collaborates with public and private partners to strengthen community influence in neighborhood, municipal, and state-level decision-making, and has led statewide advocacy and implementation efforts to support the equitable distribution of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in Massachusetts. Her work spans youth advocacy, participatory research, and equitable evaluation, including co-leading Boston’s first citywide community health assessment, which engaged more than 100 community organizations and 2,500 residents. More recently, Erika has supported public sector teams as they begin to encounter artificial intelligence in policy, data, and communications work, helping organizations align emerging technology use with equity, transparency, and accountability goals. Originally from the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, she holds a master’s degree in social work from Boston University and is a Leaders in Equitable Evaluation and Diversity (LEEAD) fellow.
