Elsa Quezada has been Executive Director of the Central Coast Center for Independent Living (CCCIL) located in Salinas, California since 1993. She manages an annual budget of $1.5 million and 20 employees. Elsa has been working in the independent living field since 1982 beginning her career as Executive Director of the first bilingual/bicultural CIL in California located in East Los Angeles. She has served on numerous local, state, and national advisory committees with a special interest in developing IL services for Latinos with disabilities. Elsa has served as Chair of the Statewide Independent Living Council and the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers. She has worked on numerous disability rights issues including housing and community integration for people with disabilities with emphasis on the needs of the most unserved/underserved members of the community.
