After a thorough search led by the Directions For Our Youth Board of Directors, with assistance from Molnar Consulting, we are excited to welcome Elisa Istueta to Directions For Our Youth (DFOY) as our new Executive Director. The Directions For Our Youth Board of Directors voted to tap Elisa because of her 15 years of leadership experience at youth-focused direct service organizations.

Elisa joins DFOY at an exciting time: Directions For Our Youth will soon celebrate 30 years of service, and the start of this school year also marks another year of strong relationships with program site partners. For Elisa, DFOY’s existing programs and relationships with stakeholders, along with the DFOY staff and leaders, many who have been with DFOY for over 5+ years, attracted her to the organization.

As an organization, DOFY is thrilled to have Elisa on board to expand our network of supporters and resources, as well as facilitate new relationships. Through the development of staff and implementing strong organization-wide systems, Elisa has been able to improve outcomes and secure funding for new initiatives in her previous leadership roles. During the search process, families, students and staff praised Elisa for her direction and vision. Elisa is an accomplished change manager with success leading organizations through periods of critical transition and growth, and as DFOY approaches an important 30 year anniversary, the entire DFOY community believes the future is bright with Elisa guiding Directions For Our Youth moving forward.

Prior to joining DFOY, she served as Executive Director of Chances For Children – NY and Storefront Academy, as well as leading youth programs at BronxWorks. Elisa serves on the board of Yspaniola, an education non-profit organization based in Batey Libertad, Dominican Republic. She received her B.A. from Weselyan University and an M.A. in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University Teachers College.