Changemakers

About Dr. Elizabeth Brands: Elizabeth R. Brands, Ed.D., is a dedicated, strategic, and passionate leader. She brings a wealth of organizational leadership experience from occupying key roles in education institutions, nonprofits, and foundations across the region. Elizabeth’s early career experience as a classroom teacher informed her approach that successful community investment must coordinate systems that children and families intersect with to spark impact and demonstrate empathy and respect for others’ lived experiences. As a foundation program officer, she evaluated community organizations to inform allocation of resources and coordinated diverse groups of local, state, and regional stakeholders to develop systems-level change. In her role as Executive Director of Reading Partners in Oklahoma, Elizabeth oversaw a high growth organization, driving towards common city-wide goals and leading the organization to triple in scale within four years. Under her leadership, she created and implemented a city-wide