Elsa Morales-Roth, a nonprofit executive and community leader, was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the Board of Directors of the 22nd District Agricultural Association in recognition of her leadership advancing access to healthcare, access to education, cross-sector collaboration, and community-centered solutions across California.
Morales-Roth brings more than 19 years of experience across the government, business, and nonprofit sectors. She is known for building cross-sector partnerships that align public, private, and philanthropic resources to address complex regional challenges. With a strong business mindset, her work focuses on addressing the social drivers of health, including economic development, access to education, healthcare, and housing, to improve outcomes for underserved communities and strengthen pathways to shared prosperity.
She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Emilio Nares Foundation, where she has built and scaled an internationally recognized, culturally responsive model of care supporting children facing cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Under her leadership, the organization drives a comprehensive continuum of care that improves access to treatment, strengthens family stability, and addresses systemic barriers within healthcare systems. This work has gained global recognition, including features by CNN, BBC StoryWorks, and the World Health Organization Foundation, positioning the model as an example of innovative, community-centered care and informing models of care and community engagement beyond the region.
Morales-Roth brings extensive expertise in philanthropy, communications, program design, coalition-building, advocacy, and community engagement. She serves as Chair of the International Community Foundation, where she helps guide philanthropic investments that impact communities across the Americas, further strengthening her global perspective and leadership. She is also a member of the Board of LEAD San Diego and serves as co-chair of the Cancer Committee of the Health Consortium of the Californias, advancing collaboration to improve health outcomes for underserved populations.
A strong advocate for education and leadership development, Morales-Roth co-designed the Colibrí MX Scholarship in partnership with the Mexican Consulate in San Diego, supporting Latino students in becoming first-generation college graduates. She actively mentors emerging leaders through MANA de San Diego, San Diego State University, and California State University San Marcos, among other institutions.
Morales-Roth is a graduate of the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality Leadership Institute and has been recognized as a Health Champion by Molina Healthcare, a San Diego Business Journal Latino Leader of Influence, one of San Diego’s 40 Leaders Under 40, and a recipient of the County of San Diego Latinx Leadership Award. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications with an emphasis in Corporate Communications from Universidad Autónoma de Baja California and a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the University of San Diego.