Zarra Elias

Director

Contact Candidate by Email

Candidate Statement

Leading one of NAPABA’s affiliates, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Tampa Bay (“APABA Tampa Bay”), in various roles, including as president from 2019 to 2021, served as a meaningful gateway for me to become more involved with NAPABA. The APABA Tampa Bay leadership roles created avenues and opportunities for me not only to revive and lead a local affiliate, but it also allowed me to engage in various efforts to connect more with NAPABA, NAPABA leaders / Board members, and other NAPABA affiliates. In the two years that I led APABA Tampa Bay, the affiliate quadrupled its membership; but more importantly, APABA Tampa Bay now stands as a dynamic and dominant local bar association in the Tampa Bay area.   

In 2020, I ran for and was elected to serve as the Alternate Regional Governor for the Southeast Region. Serving as the Alternate Regional Governor provided me with invaluable insight into the internal workings of NAPABA and how it supports its local affiliates and members.  Upon learning learn more about the intricacies of NAPABA and NAPABA leadership, it became apparent to me that I wanted to do more and further support NAPABA.  Hence, I continued to serve NAPABA in my current role as the Regional Governor for the Southeast Region. It has also certainly been a gratifying experience to chair NAPABA’s Administration, Policy, and Programs Committee.   

The continued opportunities to serve NAPABA, particularly in my prior role as the Alternate Regional Governor and current role as the Regional Governor for the Southeast Region, have kept me in tune with NAPABA’s membership’s needs and challenges.  Indeed, enhancing collaborations and connections amongst our local affiliates have been two of the primary items on which I focused in my NAPABA leadership roles, as both areas go to the heart of NAPABA’s Strategic Plans. NAPABA’s affiliates are comprised of talented and fierce leaders who dedicate countless hours to pursue common goals, and by amplifying these connections and collaborations, I believe that we are able to better serve our Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (“AANHPI”) community and NAPABA. 

For over a decade, I have remained actively involved in the local AANHPI community and have assisted in various efforts by local entities and bar associations, including the City of Tampa and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, to champion AANHPI and AANHPI representation. To this end, I aim to focus on assisting NAPABA in its relentless efforts to engage and collaborate with affiliates in finding more ways to serve the AANHPI community, including through mentorship programs in educational institutions and advocacy in building more pipelines for AANHPIs to serve on the bench. 

In my view, it is critical to learn the “ins” and “outs” of an organization to effectively lead it and before tackling a more substantive role. I also do not shy away from tackling challenges – once I commit, I commit.  Indeed, I have fully embraced and valued the continued opportunity to serve NAPABA. In doing so, I deeply value and practice servant leadership at all times, as it fosters growth and empowerment.  With the NAPABA Director position and the continued opportunity to serve NAPABA, I aim to continue to lead as a servant leader.   

Candidate Bio

Zarra R. Elias is an Assistant General Counsel II with the Office of General Counsel.  Zarra is responsible for all aspects of labor and employment law for Moffitt. She works closely with Moffitt’s Human Resources Department and renders assistance and guidance on various employment matters. She also supports and collaborates with other departments, including Enterprise Equity (formerly Moffitt Diversity), Corporate Compliance, Risk Management, and Security & Safety. 

Before joining Moffitt, Zarra was a partner at Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm, where she practiced labor and employment law and commercial litigation. She represented local, national, and international entities in employment matters and litigated before federal and state courts and government agencies.
Zarra is an active member of the legal and local communities – both locally and nationally. She is a past president and current board member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Tampa Bay. She is also a board member for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and the City of Tampa Mayor’s Asian American Pacific Islander Council and a Fellow of the Labor & Employment Section of the American Bar Association. She has held leadership positions in other bar and professional non-profit associations, including the Hillsborough County Bar Association and the Tampa Bay International Business Council. 

In 2021, Zarra was recognized as one of the six “Asian-American leaders” in the Tampa Bay area and one of the “40 Under 40” by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. In 2022, Zarra was award “Best Under 40” by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. She has also been recognized as Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, Benchmark Litigation “Labor & Employment Star”, and Super Lawyers “Rising Star.”
Zarra has authored multiple labor and employment law related publications and served as a contributor and editor of a labor and employment law treatise. A champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Zarra has also authored publication, and frequently presents and serves as a panelist, on DEI matters and initiatives. 

Zarra earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, summa cum laude, from the University of South Florida. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, and graduating high school in Hong Kong, Zarra is fluent in Tagalog and Chinese.

Endorsements | Now Closed

NAPABA Affiliate Endorsements

• Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Tampa Bay
• Alabama Asian Bar Association 

Individual Endorsements

*All work or organizational affiliations disclosed are for identification and disclosures purposes only, and do not constitute endorsements by those institutions.