Urban parks like this one in San Diego illustrate the kind of green space that Elektra Fike-Data works to nurture. Elektra Fike-Data is a California environmental leader and the Executive Director of Tree San Diego, a nonprofit dedicated to growing and sustaining the region’s urban forests. Under her leadership, Tree San Diego has expanded beyond its tree-planting roots into a full suite of education, workforce and planning programs to make San Diego cooler, greener and more climate-resilient. In this comprehensive biography, we explore Elektra’s background, her impact on urban forestry, and the programs she has helped build for healthier communities.
Education and Early Career
Elektra’s passion for sustainability began in her studies. She earned a Master’s in Sustainable Tourism from Arizona State University, graduating in 2014. In her graduate work and early career, she traveled widely – completing sustainability projects in Europe, Oceania, and Central America – which fueled her desire to educate communities about sustainable development. After finishing her degree, Elektra was selected as a CivicSpark Climate Fellow for the Local Government Commission. In that role (circa 2017) she worked with California cities like Vista on climate action planning, helping local governments update their climate strategies.
Following her fellowship, Elektra joined the environmental consulting sector. There she managed urban planning and sustainability projects, focusing on climate resilience and green infrastructure across Southern California. In these roles she supported efforts ranging from urban design and climate-adaptation planning to sustainable business management. This background – blending policy, planning and outreach – set the stage for her next step leading a nonprofit. She also earned professional credentials along the way: Elektra is an EcoDistricts Accredited Professional and completed a Certificate in Artificial Intelligence Strategy at Cornell University, reflecting her commitment to innovative, data-driven solutions.
Leading Tree San Diego
In her current role, Elektra Fike-Data steers Tree San Diego toward its mission of “enhancing the quality, density, and sustainability of the region’s urban forests”. Since taking the helm (as noted in her bio), she has overseen an expert field team implementing projects that bring natural solutions to urban challenges. She emphasizes teamwork and optimism: as Elektra explains, the organization’s success comes from “collective determination” and finding “positivity in every situation”.
Under Elektra’s direction, Tree San Diego’s work goes well beyond planting saplings. The nonprofit collaborates with governments, businesses and communities to “plant the right trees in the right places with the right care”. It now offers a wide range of programs and services – including tree canopy mapping, eco-benefit analyses, forest management planning, and community education – to ensure long-term impact. As she notes, the organization “now provides our communities with a Tree Steward education series, paid workforce development training, inventory and mapping data, eco-benefits analyses, research, and forestry management planning”.
Elektra also prioritizes equity and local input. From Tree San Diego’s founding, she points out, efforts have been made to give space for “equitable representation and local voices” in urban greening projects. For example, in outreach programs the team engages diverse neighborhood groups and tribal communities to ensure everyone benefits from urban trees. This inclusive approach is a core part of Elektra’s vision: she often reminds her team to remember the “why” behind their work and to create solutions that serve all parts of San Diego.
Tree-lined urban pathways like this exemplify the kind of canopy Elektra Fike-Data works to expand. She has led San Diego nonprofits in planting and caring for such street and park trees.
Key Programs and Initiatives
Under Elektra Fike-Data’s leadership, Tree San Diego has launched or expanded many innovative programs. Major initiatives include:
- Plan & Plant (Regional Urban Forestry Plan) – A countywide project developing San Diego’s first Regional Urban Forest Master Plan while training a paid urban forestry workforce.
- Treejectory+ (Workforce Training) – A paid education and job-placement program training underserved and low-income residents in urban forestry skills. In 2023 it enrolled 30 new participants and aims to graduate dozens of new tree-care professionals.
- Tree Treks (Community Tree Walks) – Guided walking tours hosted by Tree San Diego arborists at parks and neighborhoods, raising public awareness of tree benefits.
- Leafing Our Legacy – A community tree-giveaway program that recently distributed 1,000 trees to San Diego residents. (As Elektra celebrated, this effort came “just in time” to coincide with the nonprofit’s 10th anniversary.)
- Tree Steward Training – Hands-on workshops open to anyone who wants to learn tree care and become a community “steward” for their neighborhood’s trees.
Through these programs and others (including citywide planting, tree inventory projects, and repurposing downed trees), Tree San Diego is making measurable impact. In fact, a recent report noted that the organization has already planted over 12,000 trees and inventoried more than 41,000 existing trees in San Diego County. These trees help cool streets, improve air quality, and build climate resilience. Elektra’s team also works to analyze data and share “eco-benefit” findings – such as how much energy and money a shaded building saves – to make the case for more trees in hot, underserved neighborhoods.
Vision and Community Impact
Elektra Fike-Data often speaks about why urban trees matter. In interviews she emphasizes that trees are a natural solution to climate change: they cool cities, filter air, reduce flooding, and even lower home energy bills through shading. She points out the personal side of trees too – how everyone has a story tied to a favorite tree – and uses that to connect people with her mission. By blending science and storytelling, Elektra has helped make urban forestry a visible part of San Diego’s sustainability agenda.
Her work has also gained public recognition. Community leaders and media have praised her efforts to put Tree San Diego “on the map” of regional sustainability. For example, a local profile highlights that she has worked “exhaustively” to elevate the nonprofit at the forefront of Southern California’s green living movement. Neighbors describe her as “remarkable” and “people first” – qualities she brings to building trust and partnerships across the city. She has even delivered keynote talks (such as at the TALTalks 2025 conference) to share Tree San Diego’s journey of impact, underlining her role as a leading urban forestry advocate.
Achievements and Recognition
Over roughly a decade with the organization, Elektra Fike-Data has led Tree San Diego through significant milestones. Besides nearing 10,000 trees planted (as of 2024), she has overseen new program launches and partnerships every year. Under her watch, the nonprofit celebrated its 10th anniversary, trained its first cohort of certified tree workers (Treejectory+), and earned grants for canopy expansion projects. She sits on boards like the Verdani Institute for the Built Environment, further spreading her expertise in sustainable cities. Elektra’s contributions have been highlighted in regional media, community awards (such as Patch’s “Community Leader” spotlight), and environmental networks, reflecting her growing influence in climate and equity circles.
Elektra credits her achievements to her team and a relentless positive attitude, but the results speak for themselves. By pursuing data-driven planting strategies and inclusive education, she has helped ensure that San Diego’s forests benefit all communities – from dense neighborhoods to coastal canyons.
Conclusion
Elektra Fike-Data’s biography is the story of a dedicated environmental organizer who has transformed an ambitious idea (planting city trees) into a thriving movement for sustainable urban forests. Her blend of technical training, on-the-ground leadership, and community spirit has allowed Tree San Diego to flourish. Today, thanks to her work, San Diego is planting smarter, training new green workforce members, and moving toward its tree-canopy goals.
For readers inspired by Elektra’s journey, there are concrete ways to take action: volunteer with Tree San Diego, attend a Tree Trek walk, or simply plant a tree in your neighborhood. Supporting urban forestry organizations or advocating for green city planning are also great ways to join the cause. As Elektra Fike-Data’s story shows, every tree planted is a step toward cooler, healthier communities – and anyone can help the legacy grow.
