As a drafter, Elke assists the project managers with all phases of a project. Drafting suits Elke well, she says, because "my brain is more math oriented," and so she enjoys the exact measurements and the precision of the drawings as well as the tools involved. She was raised in a small town in northern Germany, where her father was a bricklayer, her uncle a cabinetmaker, and her cousin a plumber, sparking her interest in building and architecture. After moving to the US, she obtained an AA degree from a Bay Area college. Today, Elke is not afraid of power tools or a sledgehammer if they help accomplish her goal of beautifying her home. She will not hesitate to lay a few bricks, pour concrete to fix a fence, or remove it to create more garden space.