Hello! I'm Elleka Yost, ASBO International's Director of Advocacy & Research. I am responsible for managing ASBO International’s federal advocacy program, PR/media relations, and supporting our team with various research, education, and communications initiatives. When I’m not providing federal policy updates for members or fielding media inquiries on school finance issues, one of my favorite projects is curating content for School Business Leader, our bimonthly leadership newsletter.
I am a lifelong learner, an avid world traveler, and a proud nerd! At George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, I studied political science, public policy, business, and Chinese language. During my college career, I lived abroad in China and attended Beijing Language and Culture University for a year, and I taught English as a second language to PreK and 4th grade Chinese students. I fell in love with traveling since then and have explored many other areas in China as well as Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, Turkey, and the Republic of Georgia. In my spare time, I enjoy gaming with my husband (PS4, PS5, XBOX, Switch, or PC – we don’t pick favorites in our household).
Even though I’ve been with ASBO for over nine years, I am still amazed at how much there remains for me to learn about school finance and education policy (there is never a dull moment in the world of school business)! I love working with our members and helping them advocate for their schools so that our students have the resources they need to learn, grow, and become successful, engaged citizens of our global community. Please reach out if you need anything. I am always happy to help!