Elaina Houser

Director of Housing, Homelessness, and Economic Development

Elaina Houser serves as the Director of Housing, Homelessness, and Economic Development for LABC. She has more than a decade of experience working for federal and local elected officials, with a focus on economic policy. Prior to joining LABC, she served as Legislative Director to LA City Councilmember Mike Bonin, where she collaborated with state and local officials to develop policy primarily around housing and homelessness issues. She previously served as Legislative Director to Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., a senior member of the Committee on Ways and Means in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she specialized in tax and trade policy, including leading his work overseeing the Subcommittee on Trade and authoring several key pieces of tax legislation; previously, she worked on economic policy issues for Senator Sherrod Brown, Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee; and she began her Congressional career in the Office of Senator Al Franken. She also led GOTV efforts in north-central Ohio for the 2012 Obama presidential campaign and has volunteered for numerous political campaigns, including the Biden-Harris 2020 policy team. An Ohio native, Elaina attended American University in Washington, DC. 

Ralica Mladenova

Communications & Events Associate

Rali is the Communications and Events Associate for the Los Angeles Business Council. She assists in the communications, outreach, organizing, planning, and execution of all events. She also creates and designs marketing pieces, as well as collaborates on various social media platforms and campaigns. Born and raised in Bulgaria, Rali has been an artist since the age of 7, attending schools throughout Bulgaria that focused primarily on Art and Design. In 2005, she moved to Los Angeles to study Graphic Design. Rali has over 10 years of experience in Graphic Design, Marketing, and Social Media. Rali gives back to the Los Angeles community as an Art Mentor. She helps to empower youth and young adults who have suffered from abuse and trauma. As an Art Mentor, she provides healing, as well as builds confidence and self-esteem for our youth and young adults. Rali received her Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from California State University, Northridge.

Pamela Zane

Executive Assistant

Pamela is the Executive Assistant to President Mary Leslie, and the Office Manager at the LABC.

Pamela began her career on the east coast where she successfully owned and operated two businesses, one in which she built from the ground up. In addition to being an entrepreneur, she has over 10 years of experience in both office management and property management, having managed residential and commercial properties throughout Los Angeles.

Pamela is an enthusiastic volunteer, helping to provide Los Angeles housing assistance to organ transplant patients. She also volunteers on a national level, providing support to the elderly and disabled. During the devastating Surfside Condo collapse and the Mayfield Kentucky tornadoes, Pamela personally organized three programs in which the families and the first responders received emotional first aid.

Pamela graduated from Rider University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

David Fink

Sustainability Policy Director

David Fink is the Sustainability Policy Director for the Los Angeles Business Council (LABC). He has almost 20 years of experience in campaigns, organizing, and policy. He began his career working on consumer rights, healthcare reform, and civil rights before leading campaigns for voting reform and raising the minimum wage. For the last 14 years, his work has focused on climate change in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, and resilience as it relates to extreme heat mitigation and preparedness.

Arielle Lopez

Policy & Programs Associate, Sustainability
Los Angeles Business Council Institute

Arielle Lopez is the Sustainability Policy and Programs Associate at LABC. She assists with policy initiatives, coalition building, grant implementation, outreach, event planning and program development in the areas of sustainability and clean energy. She also works as an independent consultant for The Hispanic Access Foundation and is helping write the RFP for Congressional Conservation Toolkit 2021; explaining the health, economic, public opinion, and cultural implications of various conservation policies to the Latino community. Prior to LABC, she worked at The River Project, helping retrofit underserved communities to become climate resilient and better prepared for a changing climate. Other sustainability experience has been gained from her work at Clean Initiative solar company and by continuing to run a sustainable farm with her father in her home country of Guatemala. Arielle graduated from Humboldt State University and received her Bachelor of Science in environmental science ecological restoration.

Harris Rosenblum

Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Fellow, Policy & Programs Associate
Los Angeles Business Council Institute

Harris is the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Fellow for the LABC Institute. He is responsible for expanding the Institute’s housing and homelessness policy initiatives. Previously, he worked at the City of Los Angeles Office of the CAO, identifying city-owned surplus property and analyzing each site’s potential for affordable or permanent supportive housing. He also gained experience working at LA County’s Office of Diversion and Reentry; Community Intelligence, a public health consulting firm; USC’s Center for Social Innovation; and Global Environmental Health Lab. Harris graduated from the University of Southern California with Dual Master’s degree in planning and public health. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Tulane University.

Deana Mesa

Business Development & Events Director

Deana Mesa is the Business Development & Events Director for the Los Angeles Business Council (LABC). Prior to the LABC, she worked in nonprofit development for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Alzheimer’s Association. Deana received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Emily Ortiz

Business Development & Events Associate

Emily has been with the LABC for almost 3 years, starting out as an Events and Communications Intern. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Political Science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Leilani Sinclair

Development Consultant, LABC Institute

Leilani Sinclair has served as Development Consultant at the LABC/LABCi for the past 16 years. Currently, she oversees LABCi’s grants portfolio, assisting the organization in securing and stewarding support from leading philanthropic corporate and foundation companies and organizations including the 11th Hour Project, the Rosalinde and Arthur D. Gilbert Foundation, JP Morgan Chase Foundation, Bank of America Foundation, Wells Fargo & Company, California Community Foundation and more.

In the political arena, Leilani has operated as finance director for campaigns that include LA’s most effective and outstanding public servants including former California Senate pro Tempore Kevin de León, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn and LA City Council President Herb Wesson. She has also raised millions of dollars for ballot measures and independent expenditure campaigns for term limits, ethics reform and reduced gang violence in the City of Los Angeles.

Leilani received a Bachelor of Arts in History from University of California, Los Angeles and a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute.

Carla Marsh

Membership and Administrative Director, LABC

A Los Angeles native, Carla Marsh has served as the Membership and Administrative Director at The Los Angeles Business Council for the last 5 years.  In her position, her focus is on renewing and identifying new LABC members, as well as supporting the financial, personnel and the administrative matters for the office. Prior to the LABC, Carla worked in Human Resources for Providence Health Systems in Torrance, California, for 5 years.

Kandace London

Business Development & Events Manager, LABC

Kandace London is the Business Development & Events Manager for the Los Angeles Business Council (LABC). In this role, Kandace is tasked with strengthening strategic business and organizational relationships, as well as planning and executing LABC’s marquee events including the Los Angeles Architectural Awards, attended by more than 500 leading building owners, architects and developers together with city officials and international partners in LA County and abroad. She also manages the Architectural Awards and International Trade committee.

Kandace manages the LABC’s International Trade arm, helping organize and oversee trade delegations with LABC partners including Mexico City, Mexico; Auckland, New Zealand; and Guangzhou, China.   

Kandace received her Bachelor’s degree and her Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California

Rachel Levy

Communications Director, LABC

Rachel Levy is the Communications Director at Los Angeles Business Council.  She has been with the LABC for almost 5 years working her way up to Communications Director.  Prior to the LABC, Rachel interned as a Legislative & Research Aide for a Wisconsin State Assemblymember.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Rachel received her Bachelor degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Adam Lane

Vice President, Programs, LABC

Adam Lane is the Vice President of Programs for the Los Angeles Business Council (LABC). In this role, he oversees the LABC’s government affairs strategy and public policy priorities in the areas of clean energy, economic development environmental sustainability, homelessness, housing, and transportation. He also manages the LABC’s Legislative Affairs, Energy & Environment, and Housing & Transportation Committees.

Adam leads implementation of grant initiatives around increasing solar deployment for building owners and improving economic and environmental equity in disadvantaged communities throughout Los Angeles.

He also plans and manages the annual Mayoral Housing, Transportation & Jobs Summit and the Sustainability Summit, both events drawing over 500 attendees in-person and 1,000 via livestream.

Adam received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from California State University, Northridge and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the University of Southern California.