Erika Gaitan is an Associate Director of Community Impact on the Health and Racial Equity team at HRiA. In her role, she collaborates with public and private partners to bolster community influence in neighborhood, municipal, and state level decision-making. Most recently, Erika led HRiA’s advocacy efforts to support Massachusetts community groups, residents, and local governments in the equitable distribution of funds through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). With deep roots in youth advocacy, participatory research, and equitable evaluation, she has co-led significant assessment and evaluation projects nationwide, including the first city-wide community health assessment for the city of Boston–which engaged over 100 community organizations and 2,500 residents using a participatory approach. Originally from the Rio Grande Valley in deep South Texas, Erika holds a master’s degree in social work from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree from Texas State University. In 2021, she was selected for the Leaders in Equitable Evaluation and Diversity (LEEAD) fellowship, a rigorous training program aimed to advance the field of evaluation through culturally responsive and equitable practices.
Recent blog posts
- Building Power to Achieve Healthier and More Just Communities
- Community Engagement, Mental Models, and Systems Transformation
- The ARPA-tunity of a lifetime
