Ariana Elezaj

Arjanita Elezaj is a former journalist and community activist with 30+ years of experience in program development, advocacy, diversity and inclusion, and community building. Her expertise includes human rights, women’s and children’s rights, geriatric care, and nonprofit leadership. She is a pioneer of innovating new programming for New York City older adult centers and Albanian-American women’s organizations.

At the United Nations, Ariana serves on the board of directors for the NGO Committee on Ageing, as well as the NGO Committee on Human Rights, and has been an active member for many years of the Women’s Guild Secretarial Chapter. She is a member of the International Federation of Settlement Houses and Neighborhood Centers, a global organization with full ECOSOC consultative status. For several years she has been a board member of the Albanian American Women’s Organization “Motrat Qiriazi,” which is one of the oldest organizations serving Albanian Women in the U.S. as well as a Board Member of the Community Research Fellowship Training Program at NYU School of Global Public Health. She is a former journalist of the People’s Voice Newspaper, based in Tirana, Albania and continues her freelance writing in the U.S. highlighting issues that impact the Albanian-American community, as well as the NYC population she serves.

Currently, Ariana works at the New York City Department for the Aging in the position of Director of Direct Services, after serving for several years as deputy Director of Older Adult Services at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, a 129 years old Settlement House supporting New Yorkers in need. She is a public speaker and through her charitable work she continues to work with Albanian American organizations based in New York to empower people to run for political positions and build community relationships. In addition, she is a researcher providing support on a ground breaking study addressing intimate partner relationship experiences amongst Albanian Women in the US.

Ariana holds a Master of Public Policy Administration (MPA) degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, a bachelor’s degree from Tirana State University in Economics and Business Reporting, as well as certificates in NonProfit Leadership from Baruch College and Empowered Aging from Columbia Law School Advocacy Institute. She is a fellow of New York University’s Center for Anti-Racism, Social Justice and Public Health. Ariana resides in Manhattan with her two children and mother, and through her activism and charitable work, she continues the legacy of her late husband. Along with Christopher Hanway she has co-chaired United Nations International Day of Older Persons (UNIDOP 2023 & 2024).