Erika Gaitan is a Senior Manager of Community Impact on the Health & Racial Equity team at HRiA. In her role, she collaborates with public and private partners to support the adoption of methods to increase community power in neighborhood, municipal, and state level decision-making. She has extensive experience in community based participatory research, training and facilitation, and culturally responsive and equitable evaluation. Previously, she was a Senior Research Associate for the R&E team where she led comprehensive assessment and evaluation studies across the U.S.  She has a masters degree in social work with a concentration in community practice from Boston University School of Social Work and a bachelor’s degree from Texas State University. In 2021, she was chosen as a Leaders in Equitable Evaluation and Diversity (LEEAD) Scholar, a rigorous evaluation training program designed to develop a pathway for diverse leaders committed to advancing the field of evaluation through culturally responsive and equitable practices.