Emily Yaffe

Emily Yaffe

Emily Yaffe is a civil servant with over a decade of experience advancing collaborative community development. She currently serves as the City of San Antonio’s first Language Access Manager, guiding departments in making services accessible to residents of all language backgrounds. In her role, Emily advises City departments on removing language barriers, manages language services contracts, oversees compliance with language access regulations, and facilitates staff training on best practices and legal responsibilities. Her work centers on intentional engagement strategies.

Prior to San Antonio, Emily managed Immigrant Integration programming for the City of Charlotte, North Carolina, where she launched and led the City’s Language Access Program and welcoming initiatives. She is a co-founder of the Municipal Language Access Network, a national community of more than 600 language access practitioners working to strengthen local government practices nationwide.

Emily is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, having served in the Dominican Republic, an experience that continues to shape her approach to public service, inclusion, and community engagement.