Elvis Taska is a Tempe native, community builder, and longtime advocate for creativity, sustainability, and public service. Born and raised in Tempe, he grew up in a household centered on service and education. His mother served as Director of Disability Resources at Arizona State University and his father has spent his life teaching and mentoring students with visual impairments and retired from Scottsdale public schools. Both of his grandfathers were Purple Heart veterans, and values of compassion, inclusion, and civic responsibility shaped Elvis from an early age and continue to guide his work today.
Elvis has spent the last decade with The Walter Project, a Tempe/Scottsdale/Phoenix based arts and events organization, where he currently serves as Shop & Fabrication Manager at The Walter Hive, the organization’s non profit makerspace. In this role, he leads welding and fabrication programs, develops arts-based curriculum for youth and at-risk communities, and supports hundreds of local artists, students, and volunteers each year. His work emphasizes hands-on learning, creativity, mentorship, and economic opportunity, particularly for young people and underserved groups.
Beyond the Hive, Elvis is a creative professional who spans multiple disciplines from public art, fabrication, sustainability consulting, festival production, youth education, and community partnerships. His collaborations include ASU’s School of Sustainability, Local First Arizona, Pensar Academy, Walter Productions, and numerous Tempe businesses and nonprofits. He is widely recognized for bringing people together across backgrounds, turning ideas into community assets, and building programs that leave lasting impact.
A lifelong environmental advocate, Elvis has spearheaded sustainability initiatives across multiple Walter Project venues, focusing on waste reduction, composting, reusable systems, and circular-economy approaches. His work has led to partnerships with local recyclers, emerging businesses, and sustainability coalitions, helping reduce landfill waste and expand sustainable practices at large events.
Elvis is also an endurance athlete, rock climber, fisherman, and Ironman-distance triathlete who believes in pushing both body and mind. Outside of athletics, he drives a vintage VW bus, and loves to travel to remote places in the state to enjoy the outdoors.
His decision to run for Tempe City Council in 2026 stems from a lifelong commitment to his hometown and a deep belief in local democracy. Elvis’s platform prioritizes affordability and common sense reasoning, support for public schools, sustainability and climate resilience, community safety rooted in compassion, and expanding transparency and access to voting. He brings a practical builder’s mindset, two decades of leadership, and a collaborative approach grounded in lived experience.
Elvis continues to live on the same street as his parents near ASU, surrounded by the community that raised him. He believes Tempe’s greatest strength is its people and that when neighbors come together with care, honesty, and creativity, there is nothing the city cannot build.