Elaine was once employed as a cruise director for a river cruise line that traveled the rivers and waterways of the northeastern United States and Canada, as well as the Virgin Islands. “Working as a cruise director was a wonderful experience. Most of our passengers were older folks and it gave me an appreciation for the elders,” she says. “They had experienced everything and seen everything and were fun to be with.” 

Elaine has driven for Dial-A-Ride for almost a year. “I feel grateful doing this because it’s helping people who needs assistance,” she said shortly after she strapped a disabled rider into the wheelchair-equipped DAR van. “The people I work with here at Dial-A-Ride are enjoyable and the riders are so appreciative.” 

A native of Providence, Rhode Island who spent most of her earlier years in the Ocean State and in Massachusetts, Elaine moved to Jacksonville in 2015 because she tired of shoveling snow every winter. She has a daughter, Amanda, and grandson, Connor, who still reside in Rhode Island. 

Elaine has also worked as a wedding planner – “my advice is to get married, come back home and have a small party because weddings are so expensive” – a truck driver, bus driver and the manager of a pet store. 

An animal lover, she’s a member of a local herpetology Society, a conservation group that studies and protects reptiles. She’s toured the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, volunteered at the Jacksonville Zoo and visited reptile sanctuaries.