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Soraya Elcock
Chief Strategy Officer

Soraya Elcock has worked in the social justice and human rights field for over 30 years. She spent 20 of those years fighting for the rights of people of color living with, or at risk for, HIV and AIDS. Responding to the epidemic in the 1990s, Ms. Elcock began her work as an HIV/AIDS Educator for immigrant populations, and developed into a prevention, policy, and strategic leader. Soraya is proud to have created and implement innovative HIV Prevention and Policy strategies and interventions on behalf of People Living with and impacted by HIV and AIDS, women and LGBTQ communities, with a focus on improving access to care.

In 1999, Ms. Elcock joined Harlem United Community AIDS Center’s leadership team as the Deputy Director of the Prevention Education and Policy Division. In that capacity, she developed and expanded the prevention portfolio from a $200,000 budget and 5 person staff to more than $7 million dollars and a staff of 40. From 2005-2010, Soraya served as Harlem United’s Vice President, for Policy and Government Relations, where her work included representing the agency on city, state and federal policy issues. She implemented a 2‐year mobilization, advocacy and policy plan to change New York State’s antiquated HIV testing law, in order to increase early detection of HIV. That initiative resulted in the passage of a new HIV testing bill in New York State in 2010.

In December 2010, Ms. Elcock left Harlem United to become a principal and founding member of Creating Access Consulting Group (CACG) in order to focus on a broader social justice impact. Soraya views her CACG work as a natural extension of her commitment to serve disenfranchised and marginalized communities, with a focus on strategic positioning, government relations, policy and community development.

Soraya is currently working with the Hetrick-Martin Institute as the Chief Strategy Officer. In that role she leverages the organization’s expertise, builds new political relationships, secures and strengthens partnerships with New York City Council, increases discretionary funding and expands HMI’s program model throughout NYC with community and government organizations. Over the past seven years, Ms. Elcock has secured more than $7 million dollars in funding for HMI, and defined key strategic initiatives that have increased HMI’s visibility, leveraged their expertise and helped to expand the organization’s reach.

Ms. Elcock was a Mayoral appointee and Community co-chair of the New York City HIV Health and Human Services Planning Council — responsible for setting priorities and determining how $110 million in federal Ryan White funds is spent. Soraya has participated on several local planning bodies including serving as the Community Co-Chair of the New York City Prevention Planning Group. She served as Vice Chair of Communities Advocating for Emergency AIDS Relief (CAEAR) — a national membership organization established to advocate for the critical care, treatment and supportive service needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS– and as Vice President of the Paul Rapaport Foundation’s board of directors

Ms. Elcock has presented at many local, national and international conferences. A graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, she holds degrees in Political Science and Theater Arts..