Inna Yelisevich

My name is Inna Yelisevich, my life journey has been unique. I am a former immigrant from the USSR, who settled in Queens NYC, one of the most diverse places in America.

My family arrived in the US in the summer of 1991, right before the collapse of the Soviet Union. I was born in Frunze, Kirgizia, or what is now Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. My grandparents were from Ukraine and Belarus. Our family of four, and my paternal grandparents, arrived as refugees, with absolutely nothing, and we had to start over in the new country. For the first few months, we lived with my uncle's family, they were a family of five - 11 people fit into a one-bedroom apartment.

My parents were both engineers but had very limited English language skills. They immediately started taking English lessons and looking for work. At first, they both had odd jobs in moving and cleaning and in about a year, my father found a good job working for the NYC Department of Design and Construction. My mother went to Touro College, to receive an additional degree in medical billing, and found work in that field.

When we arrived, I was nine years old and I started 4th grade in Rego Park, Queens, with no English skills, and learned the language fast because I had to. I graduated Forest Hills High School in 2000 and went on to Queens College, City University of New York where I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Accounting and Information Systems, and a minor in Economics.

I got married and had my first child and soon after moved to Livingston, we had two more kids, and then our family was affected by divorce. I was not sure if I would be able to stay in town, as a single mother of three small children, but thankfully we pulled through. I then met and married a wonderful man, Slav, who also had a son, and we became a blended family of six. All four kids are siblings, and we did not use the word 'step' in our house. We had two more kids together, and now we are a family of eight. Merging families is definitely challenging, and there is a lot of strategy involved to keep all on track, but we would not have it any other way.

After becoming a mom, I found myself looking for the right place to raise my family and provide great education for my children. This search led me to Livingston, where I have worked hard to become a member of our vibrant community. My family and I have been privileged to call Livingston home for the past 15 years.

I have had a successful career in corporate America for the past 18 years where I have learned to never become complacent. That's why over the last year, I have transitioned into real estate, driven by a commitment to invest more of my time, passion, and energy into ensuring my community's positive growth.

I have been committed to spearheading local initiatives, such as the establishment of the Livingston Ski Club and organizing Chess & Bagels events held at our Community Center. I’m also proud of my work to bring the Scripps Spelling Bee to Riker Hill Elementary School where my kids attend as well as volunteering for the MLK Day of Service event.

Being deeply involved in various roles as a Livingston School Mom. I have participated in fundraising for HSA, volunteered for Art Appreciation classes, Media Center and Multicultural Nights. I have been a class mom and actively participated in Board of Education and DEI meetings.