Elena Brokaw
Barbara Barnard Smith Executive Director, Museum of Ventura County
For the past seven years, Elena Brokaw has brought the spirit of innovation to the Museum of Ventura County, a 110-year-old institution that is the official repository of historic artifacts, cultural objects, and documented stories of the region. Before joining the Museum in 2016, Brokaw served as the Director of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Partnerships for the City of Ventura, and has held numerous positions in cultural agencies across the state of California.
Brokaw earned her bachelor’s degree in art history from Harvard University. As a cultural consultant, Brokaw completed and implemented Cultural Plans for the cities of Reno, Nevada; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and San Diego, California. In these broad-based community cultural planning efforts, Brokaw facilitated campaigns that brought representatives of disparate and diverse community groups together and led arts advocacy campaigns on a local level. By working directly with community members while overseeing the bigger picture, Brokaw succeeds in bringing seemingly competing interests to consensus, resulting in successful and actionable cultural planning efforts.
Brokaw believes deeply in the innovative and enduring spirit of Ventura County: “Telltale threads run through the history of our county and its communities. Over and over, there are examples of ingenuity, creativity, resourcefulness, grit, and compassion. Over and over, Ventura County has lived through seemingly devastating events—and has emerged stronger and more resilient.”