Elena Thomas Faulkner is the CEO of the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement (NIMAA). She brings over 20 years of experience in organizational leadership, management and development to her role at NIMAA, in which she is responsible for advancing NIMAA’s dual mission of providing high quality, accessible medical assistant training in historically excluded communities, and meeting a critical workforce need for MAs prepared to support integrated team-based primary care. Elena has worked with community health centers in a variety of capacities, including as a CHC Chief Strategy Officer, PCA staff, and consultant. Through this work she has gained a deep appreciation for the critical role of medical assistants in primary care delivery. Elena has a passion for working alongside underserved communities to achieve increased equity and opportunity. She holds a MA from American University, and a BA from the University of Colorado, Boulder.