Elsa Jones is a Child Development Specialist, Early Childhood Consultant, and lifelong Activist with nearly 40 years of experience dedicated to strengthening the early childhood education field. She is the Project Director for the Lab Schools Investments Initiative—a collaboration between the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood and Connecticut State Colleges and Universities.

As a former Post University Program Chair and Professor of the Practice, she played a key role in securing the institution's first NAEYC accreditation of the Associate in ECE and Bachelor of Child Studies degree programs. Since 2022, she has served as a Commissioner for NAEYC Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs.

Elsa’s career began as a Head Start Lead Teacher and Center Director. She has been at the forefront of innovative programs and research holding positions of Project Director for the Children’s Defense Fund Summer Freedom School® at the Women’s League Child Development Center, Federal Early Head Start/Head Start Program Reviewer, Assistant Researcher on national, longitudinal studies with Columbia University Teachers College and Yale University’s Bush Center in Child Development and Social Policy, Research Consultant for the National Parent Leadership Institute, Administrator for the Help Me Grow National Center at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Program Associate for the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving's Brighter Futures Initiative, and Board Member of the Connecticut Association for the Education of Young Children and New Haven LULAC Head Start Inc.

Elsa earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Wellesley College and a Master of Arts from Tufts University's Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study. A fourth-generation civil rights activist, she is a fervent advocate for social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Elsa believes in the power of authentic partnerships with families – ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive! Mother of two adults, she cherishes her roles as their lifelong nurturer, educator, and advocate.