Dr. Elda Stanco Downey brings over 20 years of professional experience in education, business, government, and non-profit work to the Board of Directors of CHIP Roanoke Valley. Currently, Elda is on staff for the U.S. Senate, where she serves as Regional Director and Grants Coordinator. Prior to government work, Elda was the Founder + CEO of Roanoke Spanish, a bilingual and bicultural intelligence solutions firm. She was also a professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, and has been on the faculty at Hollins University, Roanoke College, and Brown University. Elda has been actively involved in numerous boards and commissions, including appointments by two Virginia Governors and by the Roanoke City Council. In 2021, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine presented Elda with the United States Senate Certificate of Special Recognition for her exceptional commitment and many contributions to Virginia’s Hispanic/Latino Community. Elda holds an Honors Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Romance Languages & Literatures from The University of Chicago. She also holds an M.A. and a PhD in Hispanic Studies from Brown University, and she has been a visiting scholar at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain and at Harvard University. Elda is married to Dr. James Downey, and she is the proud mother of two awesome teenage sons and their bilingual dog, Augustus.
Why CHIP?
I believe that once you become a mother, you are a mother to all children – whether it is in care, advocacy, company, warmth in meeting their needs. As a teenager I volunteered at a children’s hospital and the experience left a mark in my goals to work towards fair and equitable healthcare and human rights. It also highlighted the deep divide between scarcity and abundance, and how one ought to make eliminating that divide a guiding principle in life. I am honored to bring experience and expertise in service of CHIP and the communities served by the CHIP team.
