Today we’d like to introduce you to Elána R. Frazier.
Hi Elána, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I began my career in event marketing and planning where I designed and managed special events ranging from conferences to trade shows, and retail store design installations. Although I’ve always organized or participated in community service projects, I wanted a career that was more fulfilling and focused more on influencing social and public policy.
In January of 2017, I moved to Columbia, South Carolina from New York City and began to change the trajectory of my career. I joined the Columbia Urban League Young Professionals to get acquainted with like-minded young professionals who knew the city a bit more than I did. I still straddled the fence on whether I should stay in Columbia or move back to New York because of the culture shock. In 2019, I decided to stay, and a month or so later, I was appointed President of the Columbia Urban League Young Professionals. Currently, I am in my second term as Chapter President and it’s been amazing for me.
Professionally, I am a Project Manager at Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA) where I consult with government agencies and private entities across the United States to improve strategies on workforce development, economic development, broadband expansion, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Prior to joining the TPMA team, I worked for the South Carolina Institute of Medicine & Public Health (IMPH) where I managed the development of policy briefs to inform legislators and influence policy decisions at the state level. Prior to joining the IMPH team, I managed special projects and initiatives sustained by the Governor’s State Workforce Development Board.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not been all bells and whistles. Learning a new region and not having generational roots in the Columbia presented itself as a win and a barrier. A win because being an implant in the city allowed me to approach opportunities with a different perspective and implement visions otherwise unseen. A barrier because I was looked upon as an outsider. I didn’t have the generational relationship or family ties that other individuals had.
As you know, we’re big fans of Columbia Urban League Young Professionals. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Our history, our foundation has shaped our brand. The Columbia Urban League Young Professionals serve as a volunteer arm for our affiliate, the Columbia Urban League, and have been doing so since 2000. The Columbia Urban League has been advancing the community, since 1967. That’s 3 years after the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act became law. That’s powerful. That’s significant. That’s impactful when you think about what our trailblazers have fought so hard for, the paths that were pioneered as a result, and the opportunities provided over the decades. CULYPSC is privileged to stand on great shoulders and contribute to the footprint in the Midlands community and surrounding 12 counties that we serve.
CULYPSC seeks to become the leading and premier non-profit organization and community center in the Midlands Area dedicated to enabling under-served communities to secure economic empowerment and self-reliance, advocacy & civic engagement, and education. And we’ve done just that! During the height of the pandemic, our service didn’t stop. We continued to provide information and resources to people in need, we continued to register individuals to vote and provided educational resources on civic engagement, we continued to provide means for families to complete their Census count, we continued to mentored students, we continued to provide food boxes for families that didn’t have food security, we continued to provide PPE and bus passes to individuals who took public transportation during the public health emergency, we continued to support small businesses, and we continued to hold real-life conversations with change agents and community leaders about the future.
CULYPSC is not a social club, the Young Professionals were organized to become the new generation of the civil rights movement. We are here to guide the Urban League movement to a new generation, advance our community and galvanize others to do the same. If our generation doesn’t take ownership and become leaders then who will?
What’s next?
My goal as President of CULYPSC is to create a sustainable succession of change agents and leaders in the community. We find that there are organizations that work in silos, our chapter wants to build those bridges. We find that there are students transitioning to real-life professionals, our chapter wants to assist in developing skillsets needed and providing opportunities for our students. The Young Professionals want to continue to grow our membership base, advance personal networks, provide professional opportunities and prepare a new generation of young leaders that are passionate about equity and guaranteeing the rights of the underserved.
Contact Info:
- Email: culyp@culsc.org
- Website: www.culypsc.org
- Instagram: @culyp_sc
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/culypsc
Image Credits
Columbia Urban League Young Professionals
