Lelia Elliston has served since 2018 as Co-Chair of State Street PRIDE, one of the firm’s first and most significant Employee Resource Groups. Through social events and monthly activities, Lelia has worked to drive increased visibility around LGBTQ+ issues. Lelia has taken State Street Manager’s Pledge Against Racism and Inequality and offers monthly discussions within her unit. Lelia also has managed non-profit sponsorships, educational trainings, firm-wide learning paths, networking, and professional development initiatives. Lelia champions the firm’s Self-Identification Program, promoting the initiative among new hires and emphasizing it in her unit’s onboarding materials. Since coming out as a teenager and later leading the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Student Center at UMass Boston, Lelia has long “had social justice in [her] DNA.” Today, Lelia remains a stalwart supporter of and contributor to countless LGBTQ+ organizations and causes, contributing to over ten non-profit organizations in either consultative or executive board capacities, and is currently very active on two non-profit boards. Most recently, Lelia participates in the UK PRIDE “Reverse Mentoring for Senior Executives” program and hopes to pilot a similar program in the US in collaboration with UK Pride.
