James Elia

James brings over 15 years of business development and operations leadership, including 10 years in the parking industry and five years at the executive level. At Metropolis, he leads strategic growth initiatives, operational performance, and partnership development across key markets. Prior to parking, he spent five years as a Political Director working with high-profile national figures, including Bernie Sanders, Gavin Newsom, Karen Bass, Joe Biden, and Kevin de León, developing campaign strategy, stakeholder engagement, and grassroots infrastructure. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of California San Diego in Political Science, sat on his local planning board, and previous board member at the Minority Humanitarian Foundation and the Neighborhood Market Association in San Diego.