A Strong Voice for
Our Community.

Jeffrey Elder was born in Niagara Falls, New York. He attended LaSalle Sr. High School where he lettered in football, wrestling, and track and field, graduating in June 1980. Jeff enlisted in the United States Air Force in August 1980 and attended Basic Training at Lackland AFB, Texas. Upon graduation, he began technical training as a Fire Protection Specialist. His service took him from Sembach Air Base in Germany to acting Base Fire Chief at Hancock Field, Syracuse, and later to Homestead AFB, Florida.

Seeking a career change, Jeff was selected as an In-flight Passenger Service Specialist at Andrews AFB. He upgraded to instructor and evaluator roles before being specially chosen for Air Force One (AF-1). During his time on AF-1, Jeff flew on five Presidential campaigns, two secret missions to war zones in Baghdad, and was present during the September 11th attacks. He has served Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George H.W. Bush, along with numerous foreign heads of state. He logged over 6,000 flying hours and authored the first-ever Specialty Knowledge Test for the flight attendant career field.

After retiring from the military, Jeff continued his service as a Disaster Preparedness Specialist with Northrop Grumman, at the Pentagon, and for FEMA. He served as an Operations Analyst Tracking Officer at the Department of Homeland Security's National Operations Center and later as a Program Manager at the Department of State.

Longing to return to the town he loves, Jeff moved back to Niagara Falls. He served as the Community Support Specialist Lead for New York State’s Contact Tracing Initiative and later for the Pennsylvania Department of Health. In November 2021, Jeff was elected to the Niagara County Legislature, 4th District, defeating a ten-year incumbent. He was recently sworn in for his third term and now serves as the Minority Leader.

An avid athlete, Jeff is a six-time Maryland State racquetball champion and former #1 ranked Masters player in the Air Force. He serves on boards for the NAACP, VFW, NYSAC, CCE, and NOAH. Jeff holds a BA in Emergency Management from the University of Maryland. He is married to the former Vicki Fontaine of Cheektowaga, mother to the late Eric Fontaine. Jeff has two daughters, Brianna, and Danielle, and four grandchildren, Gianna, Aiden, Giovanni and London.