Elizabeth Jones Valderrama, Executive Director | Pronouns: she, her, hers
Elizabeth Jones Valderrama is the daughter of Johnny Jones Williams and Gladys Valderrama Valencia, she has been married for 14 years and has a community of kitty fur babies. Elizabeth has been an integral member of the OAR of Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church Collective for more than 20 years, including the last ten years as OAR’s Executive Director. At nine years old, Elizabeth moved with her family from Costa Rica to Arlington, Virginia, where she graduated from Washington-Liberty High School in 1998 as the high school’s first Hispanic/Latina Valedictorian. She earned a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies with a minor in History from the University of Virginia, a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management and Development from the University of Phoenix, a Post Masters Certificate in Organizational Leadership and Decision-making from the University of Phoenix, and will be earning a Doctorate in Management in 2026. She is a 2009 graduate of the Leadership Center of Arlington’s LEAD Signature Program. Elizabeth was honored in 2014 as one of the 40 Emerging Community Leaders under 40 years old in Arlington County and in 2019 in the City of Alexandria. She also won the Center for Nonprofit Advancement’s Excellence in Chief Executive Leadership (EXCEL) Award in 2020. She currently serves on the Alexandria Community Criminal Justice Board and Arlington County Community Criminal Justice Board. Elizabeth is a facilitator for Encore Learning’s Public Safety, Justice, and Reentry course and a faculty member of the Leadership Center of Arlington’s LEAD Public Safety & Justice Program Day. In addition, she has worked to shape statewide reentry programs through the Pre and Post Incarceration Services Coalition (PAPIS: Virginia Reentry Coalition) since 2009. Jones Valderrama is Elizabeth’s birth last name, and it comes from the Latin American tradition of combining the father and mother’s first last names, and it is not hyphenated. Elizabeth enjoys being a virtual fitness instructor specializing in working with individuals who are ages 55 and better, starting out, recovering from an injury or surgery, and working out while sitting or lying down. She teaches Zumba Gold, Zumba Chair, Zumba Step, Jetti Fitness, CIRCL Mobility, BOOSTfit, Strong Nation, and POUND.