Alisa Finsten

Alisa Finsten currently serves as Chief of Staff for The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. Prior to this role, since July of 2016, Alisa served as the Federation’s Senior Vice President of Community Engagement and oversaw the organization’s civic engagement, Israel advocacy, and Board of Rabbis portfolios. Previously, Alisa worked as the Director of Grants and Finance in the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security and Public Safety under Mayors Antonio Villaraigosa and Eric Garcetti. In that capacity, Alisa facilitated multi-agency governing bodies, developed relationships with grantors, and managed projects and budgets for federal Homeland Security and public safety grants totaling upwards of $300 million.

Alisa currently serves as a member of the Board of Animal Services Commission for the City of Los Angeles. Before joining the Mayor’s Office, Alisa spent 10 years working for educational nonprofits in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles focusing on program administration and fundraising. She began her career in public service as an AmeriCorps member in Boston, participating in an intergenerational program with youth and seniors. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Brandeis University and a Master’s in Public Administration from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, where she served as President of the Wagner Student Association.