Elissa was born in the Bronx, New York and has lived all over the United States. She earned her undergraduate degree in Planning, Public Policy and Management with a minor in Nonprofit Administration from the University of Oregon in 2013, and a Master’s of Education from Western Washington University in 2015. Much of her career has centered around outdoor experiential learning in the summer camp and outdoor school realms. She served as a backcountry ranger at North Cascades National Park, and an interpretive ranger for Oregon State Parks. She also was certified in backcountry emergency medicine for 23 years and has a passion for enhancing and streamlining risk management procedures. In her free time, Elissa enjoys hiking, kayaking, hot yoga, and gardening; as well as hanging out with her cats, Otis and Roo. She enjoys good coffee and good conversation. She is also a moose expert and was a presenter at the 48th North American Moose Conference in Girdwood, Alaska. She can often be found providing facts about natural and cultural history to complete strangers, whether they asked for it or not.