2024 BWJP Rising Stars – Amalfi
As we recognize Women’s History Month, we are highlighting some of the Rising Stars of BWJP: members of our staff who are rising through the ranks and actively impacting the movement. These young women are continually striving for excellence and building on the legacy that our foremothers have built. Today, we are highlighting Rising Star, Amalfi Parker Elder, Esq.
Amalfi Parker Elder, Esq., is BWJP’s first Director of the National Center on Reimagining Coordinated Community Response (NCRCCR). Amalfi’s leadership set the course to establish the NCRCCR as a cornerstone in the field’s efforts to engage marginalized survivors more thoughtfully and effectively in their pursuit of safety and justice. Amalfi graduated from the Tulane University School of Law and holds a certificate in Admiralty and Maritime Law. It is no surprise that she can successfully traverse uncharted waters and find new directions to help survivors successfully navigate established systems that are often rocky and pose unexpected challenges.
Amalfi is a very supportive supervisor and peer. She listens attentively and uses what she learns from listening to help others gain insights into their experiences and translate them into actions or to help you figure out your next steps. She is generous with her time and on a personal note, has been very supportive of me during difficult times. Before I was promoted to General Counsel, she was my supervisor and she became very involved in helping me figure out what I wanted to do at BWJP after my previous project didn’t work out. She was my lead advocate on how to position myself in the best way to achieve both BWJP’s goals and my interests and goals. She is discrete and takes being a loyal co-worker and friend very seriously.
Amalfi’s education includes a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from George Washington University. Her concentrations in International Development and Conflict and Security help her lead the NCRCCR with an understanding that policy and systems cannot reflect the multi-faceted needs of individual communities without addressing the big-picture realities that impact everyone throughout the United States and the world. She has committed herself to understanding the complexities faced by survivors and their families in systems that do not contemplate the unique challenges they face because race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and other identities are either misunderstood or overlooked.
Amalfi’s personal and professional experiences have many roots with New Orleans playing a pivotal role in her personal, academic, and career achievements. Her family has a long history of serving the New Orleans community and Amalfi followed the same path. From her time as President of the Board of Directors of the New Orleans Family Justice Center to her tenure as the President of the Tulane Black Law Student’s Association, and her engagement as Director of the Criminal Clinic of the Tulane Legal Assistance Program, Amalfi established herself as a visionary who understands the connections between injustice, systemic fragilities, identity, and marginalization. As a sexual assault survivor, Amalfi knows the impact of trauma and that resiliency is a struggle that must include fair and equitable access to support systems designed to understand unique cultural and community identities.
After moving to Southern California in January 2023, Amalfi and her family spend time getting to know their new community and enjoy the many opportunities that SoCal offers for self-care and discovery. She is the mother of four children and loves to pass down family traditions and share her joy for traveling the world. Most recently, Amalfi trekked with her husband to the Amazon jungle in the Peruvian village of Libertad at the Arkana Spiritual Center for ancient indigenous ancestral healing ceremonies. We can’t wait to see where she lands next! More importantly, can we go with her?!!! :)
written by Ken Noyes, BWJP's General Counse