Leadership and Impact

An undergraduate of Southern Methodist University (SMU) and a graduate of the University of Houston’s Executive MBA program, Liz has 27 years of experience in marketing communications and strategy, with a focus on leadership and change management. Over the past decade, she has expanded her expertise to include community relations, nonprofit leadership, and advocacy. Her professional background includes work with Texaco, Chevron, BOK Financial, and Northern Trust, as well as with the Houston Chronicle, ASP Westward (the former parent company of Houston Community Newspapers), and the University of Houston. She also previously served as Executive Director of the KNOWAutism Foundation.

When her son Jack was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in 2015, Liz launched a special-needs financial-planning seminar through a partnership between Bank of Texas and the Children’s Museum of Houston. In 2017, she founded Music Knows No Boundaries, a fundraising concert benefiting middle-class families raising children on the autism spectrum or with complex medical needs.

Her advocacy deepened after Jack’s diagnosis of focal cortical dysplasia and epilepsy, when she experienced firsthand the challenges of delayed emergency response. That experience led her to partner with the Bellaire Fire Department to strengthen EMS staffing, helping the city acquire an additional ambulance and reduce reliance on neighboring municipalities.

In 2019, when Jack wandered away from home and was unable to communicate his address to first responders, Liz created regional special-needs registries – including Home Safe Bellaire and West U Cares – that have since been replicated across the Greater Houston Area. She also collaborated with the Texas Center for the Missing and Senator Ted Cruz’s office to raise awareness about the Endangered Missing Persons Alert, a system similar to an AMBER Alert but designed for individuals with developmental disabilities who wander or go missing.

Her previous volunteer service includes membership on the Autism Society of America’s Public Safety Taskforce, which addressed water safety and wandering risks and established national first-responder training protocols. Liz currently serves as a volunteer committee member for the City of Bellaire’s “We Are Evergreen” project, helping lead the renovation of Evergreen Park and Pool with a focus on adaptive and inclusive design for neurodiverse families. She is also active with Texas Children’s Hospital, serving on several advisory boards focused on patient experience, emergency-center care, and family support for children with special needs.

Whether leading major campaigns or shaping community programs, Liz brings the same compassion and authenticity to her professional life that she brings to her role as a mother and advocate. She values time with her daughter, Brooke, and continues to champion inclusion, empathy, and joy both at work and at home.