ELIZABETH ACOSTA

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United Way of Central Maryland

Elizabeth Acosta serves as associate vice president of Governance for United Way of Central Maryland, where she leads an advisory board network of 89 regional leaders and oversees corporate governance policies and procedures throughout the Central Maryland region.

Acosta has dedicated her career to breaking barriers and expanding opportunities for Hispanic communities. She made history as the first Hispanic female to serve as executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington in D.C., where she testified before Congress to secure federal funding for Targeted Outreach programs. These programs assist Hispanic teenage ex-gang members in reintegrating into society after release from juvenile justice detention centers.

Her leadership in faith-based communities proved equally groundbreaking when she became the first Hispanic female to serve as Campus Pastor at Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, a 200-year-old megachurch in Harford County. During her five years of pastoral service, Acosta established sermon translation services at two campus sites and led outreach efforts for several Spanish-speaking service groups.

At United Way, Acosta has transformed Hispanic community engagement through strategic initiatives that increase cultural accessibility. She has spearheaded efforts to recruit Spanish-speaking volunteers for service events, diversify staff and board representation, and expand Spanish-language resources.

Her philosophy that “when you speak to someone in their language, you speak to their heart, and that’s where change begins” guides her approach to community building. During a recent Project Connect event in Harford County, which provides essential services in one location, Acosta successfully recruited sufficient Spanish-speaking volunteers to serve Hispanic participants.

Acosta envisions a future where Hispanic voices hold greater influence in regional decision-making. She focuses on diversifying United Way’s advisory and governing boards while elevating the Latinx community through social media outreach, business networking events, Spanish-language materials, one-on-one mentorship for emerging Latinx leaders, and promotional videos distributed through United Way’s network.

Honoree profiles were written using an artificial intelligence program and supported by honoree nominations, applications and letters of recommendation. Each profile was reviewed, fact-checked and edited for accuracy by The Daily Record’s editorial staff.

This is an honoree profile from The Daily Record's Hispanic Leadership Awards for 2025. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree.