Elisabeth I. Ward
Executive Director
Elisabeth Ward grew up in Southern California and spent her summers with family in Iceland. She holds a Master’s degree in Anthropology with a concentration in Museum Studies, and a PhD in Scandinavian Languages and Literature from University of California, Berkeley. Before coming to Los Altos History Museum, she worked at the Smithsonian Institution’s Natural History Museum and at Pacific Lutheran University.
Sophia Abarca
Curator of Collections
Sophia Abarca oversees the Museum’s over 16,000 objects, artworks and paper archives. Native to the Bay Area, she grew up in South San Francisco. She earned a BA in Anthropology from San José State University and an MA in Museum Studies with an emphasis in Collections/Registration from San Francisco State University. Before coming to Los Altos, Sophia worked as the registrar for the Hayward Area Historical Society. She enjoys hiking, reading, and playing with her Labradoodle.
Jordan Grealish
Exhibits Specialist
Jordan Grealish is responsible for the Museum’s Changing Exhibit program, which oversees two gallery spaces: the Main Gallery and the J. Gilbert Smith Gallery. A Texas native, she received a BA in History with a minor in Museum Studies from Baylor University, where she worked with Waco’s Dr. Pepper Museum. She has worked with the Museum’s Collections in varying roles since 2020. She and her husband reside in San Jose, where she enjoys attending the theatre, hiking, and their two cats Brie and Peaches.
Diane Holcomb
Director of Communications
Diane Holcomb generates all publicity, manages communications and oversees the membership database. Previously she managed programs for Music for Minors and Hidden Villa, and was the book buyer for East West Bookshop in Mountain View. She also freelances as a copywriter for entrepreneurs and nonprofits. Diane has an AA degree in Theater Arts from Foothill College, and attended the American Conservatory Theater training program.
Lisa Porter
Rental Events Marketing Manager
Lisa Porter is the point person for weddings and external rental events, with additional support in marketing and volunteer recruitment. Previously, she worked as the Marketing Manager for an e-commerce company, and was the Publications Specialist for the Milpitas Unified School District Adult Ed. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Lisa recently spent almost a decade living on the East Coast. She is a painter and creator and shows her art at venues and events throughout the area and online.
Janna Land, originally from Sweden, holds an MA from Emerson College and an MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics. Her work has given her the opportunity to live in Germany, India and Boston. Prior to joining the Museum, Janna founded an eCommerce company. Passionate about museums, art and history, she has completed Museum Management classes at the Harvard Extension School, serves on the board of San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, and was on the Public Arts Commission of Los Altos.
Lillie Moore
Assistant to the Executive Director
Lillie Moore assists the Executive Director while also managing the Teen Docent Program. She holds a BA in History from Virginia Tech, along with a minor in GIS/Remote Sensing. Originally from Georgia, Lillie spent four years volunteering at the Fernbank Natural History Museum in Atlanta. She now resides in Santa Clara where she worked as a private history tutor before joining the Los Altos History Museum staff.
Janna Land