Elena launched her career in 2000, implementing North America’s first urban wind turbine. She led this high-profile green energy campaign in Canada and was responsible for the development of the first urban-sited wind turbine constructed in North America. This included the management of preconstruction and zoning issues. This turbine took 260 homes of the energy grid. She also created and developed the first feed-in-tariff program. 

Elena was the first female Energy Program Manager for the second largest bond program in the US. This $6.2B Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) Sustainable Building Program included the analysis and review of complex emerging renewable energy systems with the overall goal to reduce the District’s impact to the energy grid and to ensure 90+ buildings meet or exceed LEED certification standards. Project budgets ranged from $15M to $120M with a construction cost total budget of nearly $1.5B. Elena investigated, evaluated, and prepared recommendations of Sustainable Energy Systems for review by the LACCD Executive Director, Bond Energy Oversight Committee and the LACCD Board of Trustees. She also prepared and presented Sustainable Energy Analysis Reports to nine Campus Presidents and Shared Governance Committees.