“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
– Jane Goodall
Elizabeth “Liz” Billings Schafer is serving as the Nominating Committee Chair. In accordance with JLNO's Bylaws and Standing Rules, the Nominating Committee matches organizational needs and individual strengths to produce a leadership team which will most effectively forward the organization's mission, goals and strategic plan. Liz's capacity for teambuilding, forward-thinking and social awareness enables her to guide the Nominating Committee in selecting an outstanding group of women who will collaborate well to lead JLNO in the 2019-2020 year. She hopes to ensure that all members realize the importance of nominating themselves and others to leadership positions. She notes that the Nominating Committee cannot do its work without input from JLNO members about whom they would like to see leading our League and why.
Liz joined JLNO in 2009 and has primarily served on the Membership Council, overseeing Staffing and Placement as well as filling as the organization's Corresponding Secretary position. What she appreciates most about her Junior League membership is the opportunity to spend time with a group of women who are not only like-minded but who are also incredibly impressive. She is continually inspired by JLNO members' talent, intellect, innovation and dedication. Whether it be at the incoming board retreat, a general meeting, a shift, or a lunch with League friends, she always finds herself feeling proud to know the women she's around. Her service to the League has taught her the importance of spending her time on things she truly values. In the past, she often volunteered to help with things just because it seemed like the natural step to take. She has learned, however, that if she focuses her energy on what really matters to her, she is a far more engaged and effective volunteer.
As a student of the College of William and Mary and University of New Orleans, Liz received her Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and Master of Education in Higher Education Administration, respectively. She is the Director of Fraternity and Sorority Programs at Tulane University, working with the 40% of Tulane students who are fraternity and sorority members on issues of organizational management, leadership and academic development, membership recruitment, risk management and finances. She previously worked in student affairs positions at the University of New Orleans in both fraternity and sorority advising and in career services.
Liz is an active volunteer, particularly in development/annual giving roles, at both her children's schools. She is currently co-chairing parents annual giving at Louise S. McGehee School and the fundraising campaign to honor St. George's longtime head of school who is retiring at the end of this school year. She volunteers for her sorority Alpha Chi Omega, which helped her find her career path, and she currently serves as an extension specialist, researching and connecting with campuses where the organization could potentially open chapters in the future. Liz is also active in her faith as a Sunday School teacher at St. Martin's Episcopal Church and a former Board Member for Episcopal Community Services of Louisiana.
Residing near City Park, Liz and her husband Greg have two children, Andrew (13) a rising 8th grader at St. George's Episcopal School and Charlotte (6), a rising 2nd grader at Louise S. McGehee School.
As the daughter of a retired history professor, she loves the British monarchy, likely because she was a child who went to historical sites rather than Disney World on vacations. She gains inspiration from her mother, who Liz views as an example of a woman who has always balanced her family, career and community commitments equally well. Liz admires her mother’s talent for asserting herself in a way that doesn't slight or demean others, and Liz tries – she admits sometimes with more success than at other times – to emulate that.
