KATHLEEN ELIE

Born and raised in Queens, Kathleen Elie is the Chief Operating Officer of Urban Arts. With a passion for empowering youth, Kathleen has focused her career on serving organizations that open pathways for BIPOC students. With a strong educational background in finance, Kathleen has honed her skills at various education-based nonprofits, such as Prep for Prep, where she was the Assistant Director of Finance, and Bronx Community Charter School as the Founding Director of Finance.

Building on her expertise, Kathleen has held several key leadership roles and successfully steered organizations through diverse financial challenges, such as rebuilding finance departments after prolonged deficits and implementing internal controls and processes. When Kathleen isn’t crunching numbers, you can find her exploring new cuisines because this COO has an unapologetic love for good food! Kathleen holds a BA in Sociology from the SUNY at Stony Brook and a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College.