Meet Elizabeth Howley
Getting out and Culture Shock
Elizabeth grew up in Houston, and after high school, she wanted to go to a place that would be culturally different and ended up going to college in Pennsylvania to study international relations. There, she was one of a handful of people from Texas. Everyone was from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. It was culture shock, but she loved it.
She took a geology class and really enjoyed it, so she decided to study geology, but still wanted to study abroad. So, she spent her junior year in France. She had an amazing experience, but it, too, was quite a culture shock.
Work, Kids and Giving Back
After college, Elizabeth came back to Houston wanting a job in oil and gas, but oil was in a bust cycle, so instead she found a position in environmental consulting. After a few years, she went to grad school to study environmental management and business. The market in Houston had completely turned around. After graduating, she and her fiancé (now husband) found jobs in Houston. It was the place to be.
They had their first child in 2001, and then 9/11 happened, and the company Elizabeth worked for was facing many problems. She was supposed to go back to work, even had a spot at a daycare close to work, but she couldn't do it. She’ll tell you that she freaked out and quit. She decided to stay home, and then questioned her decision.
When she decided to stay home with the kids, she knew she wanted to be active in volunteering. So, to easily get involved in a lot of different things around Houston, she joined the Junior League. She first did the placement at the Museum of Natural Science. After that, she served as membership treasurer, then the next year as community treasurer, really enjoying her work. She enjoyed working for community programs that were truly helping those they served, like CPS Child Advocates, Juvenile Detention, The Museum of Fine Arts, and the Museum of Natural Science.
When her kids were older, she found a job with a nonprofit called EarthShare of Texas. It gave her flexibility to work, keep up some volunteer work, and be home when the kids got out of school. Now, she works for SPARK School Park Program, and she loves what they are doing for Houston by creating more community parks.
She looks back at that which has significantly impacted her - traveling, 9/11, the Enron collapse, the 2008 recession, the dot com bubble. And, when she thinks of how she’s gotten to where she is now, she’ll be the first to tell you she’s grateful to be in Houston.
