SOAR - La Cañada Chapter

lacanada@soar-us.org

P.O. Box 4
La Cañada, CA 91012

Nestled in the picturesque Crescenta Valley, La Cañada-Flintridge is situated between the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest to the north and San Rafael Hills to the south. The city is home to Descanso Gardens and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

La Cañada-Flintridge has been home to many celebrities over the years, including Vince Vaughn; Angela Bassett; Mark Geragos; Ron Howard; Chris D’Elia; Diane Farr; Haley Joel Osment and Emily Osment; Kevin Costner; Bill Plaschke, Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus and Steve Priest. Three of Walt Disney’s top animators, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and Eric Larson, as well as Academy Award winner Chris Buck, settled in this community. It is also a popular filming location, where portions of “American Pie,” “Date Movie,” “Old School,” and the 1946 Frank Capra / James Stewart holiday classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” were filmed.

The Crescenta Valley is heavily populated with an expanding Armenian community and has numerous Armenian organizations and centers. SOAR La Cañada brings SOAR’s important mission to the region, continuing to raise awareness of the needs of orphaned Armenians around the world.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Elina Gasparyan
President

With ten years of experience in Human Resources, Elina has cultivated a profound understanding of organizational dynamics, employee relations, and hiring. She’s a results-focused person who delivers talent acquisition, retention, and motivating solutions that help her company Pacific Clinics harness the full power of one of their most valuable assets – their people. Her expertise lies not only in talent acquisition but also in fostering an inclusive workplace culture. Passionate about empowering individuals, she believes in the transformative power of support and guidance in both professional and personal development, making her a strong believer in the power of positive thinking in the workplace.

She has always had a passion for helping others and Ioves the idea of being considered a dependable person. Elina appreciates being able to provide people with feedback or helpful advice when they approach her with the hardships they’re facing. She strongly believes that, when we help others, we are not only making a positive difference in their lives, but we are also building a strong sense of community and connection with those around us.

Elina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry and has obtained HR certification in the US from HRC institute. Born in Artsakh, she relocated to Yerevan in 2008 and moved to the United States in 2014, where she built upon her initial interests.

Outside of work, Elina enjoys hiking and volunteering for Armenian community.