It was tough for Elise Buik to adapt to L.A. when she first came here in 1991. An Atlanta native, she had the accent. And in the tradition of her hometown, she would hug people when she greeted them. Nevertheless, she eventually fit in and made local history in March 2005 by becoming the first woman to serve as chief executive of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. In her current role, she’s shepherding the organization’s transition from its emphasis on funding programs into a new focus on social issues. In February 2007, the organization launched a 10-year plan, Creating Pathways Out of Poverty, designed to address the core issues of the city’s neediest population in regards to homelessness, hunger and health care. Buik started her career as a marketing manager for First Data Corp. Health Systems, a computer software developer serving the medical industry. But after learning that the North Carolina-based company was going to bring her to Charlotte, Buik decided to stay. She joined the United Way of Greater Los Angeles in 1994 as vice president of marketing, and began overseeing the chapter’s resource development, community investment, and gift processing and technology departments. While in Los Angeles, Buik met her husband, a copywriter who wants to break into the screenplay world. The couple has two sons, ages 4 and 6.
Question: You’re the first woman to head up the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. What took so long?
Answer: It feels like it’s too late. It’s shocking to me that in 2005, we are still having the first female. But it feels great. I was the chief operating officer before I became the chief executive, and I never really had any aspirations to be a chief executive because I didn’t like the limelight.
Q: So how did it happen?
A: I was new to non-profit and I thought that I would be here a couple of years and go on to do something else in the marketing field. And then I started overseeing other departments in the organization and somewhere along the lines it became clear that I had a passion for the organization and wanted to stay. So my goal was set on becoming chief operating officer because I had always been the behind-the-scenes person.
Q: What changed your mind?
A: The chief executive before me, Joe Haggerty, went to the United Way of America and he said, “I think you should throw your hat in the ring.” I went into it with very mixed emotions. And then in the process, I said, “Well, I’ve put over a decade of my heart and soul into the place, and I don’t want someone else to come in and screw it up.”
Q: How did you conquer your fear of public speaking?
A: The first year it was a big deal because I had not done it before and it made me really nervous. But I had been upfront with my board members about it, so they brought in a coach to work with me. It was a big transition for me and it still feels surreal when I do it. I much prefer to be one on one with people or with small groups.
Q: What was your first job?
A: I was a waitress at Denny’s. The experience was a turning point for me because it exposed me to all kinds of people. As a waitress, you have to learn how to connect with people, and so that job has been very pivotal to me in a lot of different ways.
Q: Is there a particular challenge about that first job that stands out in your mind?
A: On one of the shifts I was working, I was 18 years old and most of the other women had worked there for 20 years, and they hated me on sight. I said to myself, “I am going to have to find a connection point with them.” And that has really served me well my whole life, because I think that if I was able to find a connection point with these women and win them over, then I can do anything.
Q: You have two young sons. How have you balanced workplace responsibilities and family time?
A: My sons are 4 and 6, and so when I took the job I was worried about the toll it would take on my family. You can’t have it all without tradeoffs. My husband, who is a writer, is home with the kids quite a bit now because of this job. But my kids become the ultimate guide for me in prioritization. I limit my evening events to no more than two per week, so if there are five, than I pick the two most important ones.
Q: What have you taught your sons about giving back and charity?
A: A great byproduct of the job is seeing them learn about these issues, and some of it just through osmosis. Last year, we launched a big homeless walk and there were about 4,000 people there. They are very concerned about homelessness and are concerned about kids who are poor. I didn’t have that exposure growing up, so I’m really excited that they have it.
Q: You said your husband is a writer. What does he write?
A: He’s a copywriter for a living, but he is always working on a screenplay. He has one in the mix right now, a psychological thriller, and we are crossing our fingers because it’s a tough business.
Q: Does he let you read his scripts?
A: When he gets to the finished product I get to read them, which is a special treat. I have always been more in the business world and he has been more creative, which, I think, rounds us both out.
Q: So how did you two meet?
A: We’re both from Atlanta. We went to the same college, the University of Georgia, and we worked at the same marketing firm in Atlanta but we met in Los Angeles. Some mutual friends of ours introduced us. So, I had to come to Los Angeles to meet my husband from Atlanta.
Q: How did you end up in Los Angeles?
A: I was transferred out to L.A. in 1990s by the company I worked for. I really thought I would come out to L.A. for a couple of years and go back to Atlanta. But after I was here a few years, the company wanted to transfer me to Charlotte, N.C., and I didn’t want to go there so I started to job hunt. Also, at that point in my life I felt this pull of wanting to give back and do something more rewarding.
Q: Was it difficult adjusting to life in Los Angeles?
A: When I first moved here I felt like a fish out of water. I have this Southern accent and I’m a hugger and I would always say hello to everybody. On the other note, the connections I have made here have been just amazing, and so it makes up for it. But there is something about Atlanta’s Southern charm and hospitality that is very comforting.
Q: What was your childhood in Atlanta like?
A: It was a great place to grow up, but I always knew that I wanted to go out and see the world. I lived in a very homogenous community. I love Los Angeles and I want my boys to grow up here. I want them to experience the exposure to all kinds of people, food and issues. Now, if I could just import all of my family to L.A.
Q: Why did you choose Silver Lake?
A: I think it may have to do with our Southern roots, but we like a community feel. It’s eclectic, and that’s important to us since we both grew up in these homogenous neighborhoods. That’s why you live in L.A., to experience all kinds of people.
Q: What do you do in your spare time?
A: Besides sleep you mean? I like to read, it’s kind of my escape. I also do yoga and love to hike. There are so many great museums in Los Angeles, so my husband and I try to take advantage of what the city has to offer.
Q: What’s been the response to the organization’s new emphasis on social issues?
A: So far the response to the new direction has been positive. I think that for too long the United Way was all things to all people. But, people are beginning to understand the intersection of social issues, quality of life and economic vitality. We do a survey of top business leaders, and we are increasingly seeing social issues come to the top of their concerns. They are concerned about a lack of affordable housing and health care for their employees, and the lack of an educated work force, because they see the dropout rates and they know that a lot of their baby boomer employees are getting close to retirement.
Q: How was that decided?
A: When I was going through the interview process, the board was clear that they wanted to become a mission-based organization. I was interested in launching a plan that would be responsive to where Los Angeles was heading. So I felt very strongly, and the board did as well, that we couldn’t just fund good programs anymore. We had to take more of a leadership position and start taking on some of the bigger issues, like ending homelessness or improving the graduation rate.
Q: And has it been effective?
A: We have seen changes happening in the communities we are targeting. We are making sure that low-income families are accessing the earned income tax credit, and we have seen more people take advantage of the credit.
Q: How has the involvement of Los Angeles’ wealthy businesspeople made an impact on the organization?
A: We don’t have a lot of corporate headquarters in Los Angeles, so we need these folks to drive some of the changes and champion the issues the United Way is supporting. People like Dominic Ng of East West Bank and Jay Wintrob of AIG SunAmerica give money personally, but they also make sure their employees are giving and exposed to the issues going on in Los Angeles.
Elise Buik
Title: Chief Executive
Organization: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Born: 1964; Amarillo, Texas
Most Influential People: Her husband, David; Dominic Ng, chief executive of East West Bank and United Way board member; Joe Haggerty, former chief
executive of United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Career Turning Point: Taking her current position at United Way in L.A.
Hobbies: Yoga, hiking and reading
Personal: Lives in Silver Lake with
husband and two sons
