Parent board of the Texas Observer
In 1994, Ronnie Dugger, founding editor and the publisher of the Texas Observer for 40 years, transferred ownership to the Texas Democracy Foundation, which was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to publish and promote the Observer.
Current board members
LIZE BURR, Board President
Lize Burr is president of the Texas Democracy Foundation. (It’s pronounced “Lizzie.”) She holds two advanced degrees in theology, the first from Seminary of the Southwest, the second from Union Theological Seminary in New York. Her theological writing explores the ethics of bearing witness. Prior to entering seminary, Lize spent a decade in Texas politics, including two years as president of Capital Area Democratic Women and five long years blogging as “Prematurely Grey,” where she tracked the influence of her haircuts over the fate of Tom DeLay. She lives in Austin with her husband Chris Hyams and has two daughters, Emma and Mazie.
CARLTON CARL
Carlton Carl, former CEO and Publisher of the Texas Observer, is a native of Houston, longtime resident of Austin, and owner of downtown Martindale, Texas. He is a graduate of Columbia College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He reported for the Houston Chronicle, the New York Times, and other publications. His experience in Texas Democratic politics and state and federal governments includes stints as a Texas gubernatorial press secretary, chief of staff to a Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, director of tax information for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, press secretary to a Texas Member of Congress, campaign manager and/or media consultant in numerous local, state, and federal campaigns. He also worked in non-profit advocacy as vice president of media affairs/policy and strategy for the American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America).
Mark Horvit
Mark Horvit is a professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, where he teaches investigative reporting, and is director of the school’s State Government Reporting Program. He previously served as executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR), where he conducted training in investigative reporting and data journalism throughout the world. Horvit worked as a reporter and editor for 20 years before joining IRE.
Terri Burke
Terri Burke was the executive director of the ACLU of Texas for nearly 13 years. Prior to that, she had a long career as a journalist, first as a reporter at Texas newspapers and later as a political and investigative reporter and eventually as a senior editor at The Hartford (Ct.) Courant. A native Texan, her career included stints as a senior editor at The Dallas Morning News, the Austin American-Statesman, and Albuquerque Tribune before becoming editor-in-chief of the Abilene Reporter-News in Texas. An industry leader in recruiting news staff that looked like the communities they served, Burke consulted with newspapers large and small about how to do likewise. Her tenure at the ACLU of Texas was marked by a dramatic increase in both budget and staff sizes, as well as recruiting and retaining one of the most diverse nonprofit staff in the state. She continues to work in the nonprofit sector.
Kathleen McElroy
Kathleen McElroy is a professor in the School of Journalism and Media at The University of Texas at Austin. She received her Ph.D. from the School of Journalism in December 2014, after nearly 30 years as a professional journalist. At the New York Times, she held various management positions, including associate managing editor, dining editor, deputy sports editor, and deputy editor of the website. She previously worked for The National, an all-sports daily, and Newsday on Long Island as well as the Austin American-Statesman, The Huntsville Item, and the Bryan-College Station Eagle in Texas.
Skye Perryman
Skye Perryman is the President and CEO of Democracy Forward, a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress. Perryman previously served as General Counsel of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the nation’s leading association of physicians dedicated to the health of women, and has held litigation roles in two elite law firms. Ms. Perryman has developed and led groundbreaking legal and policy strategies, including those that have enhanced access to Medicaid for millions of postpartum women, enabled the distribution of mifepristone (abortion pill) by mail during the COVID-19 pandemic, and restored federal funding to evidence-based community programs. She is presently representing the generic manufacture of mifepristone in a number of matters aimed at preserving and expanding access to reproductive health care post-Dobbs. Skye grew up in Texas and is a proud product of its public schools. She holds a Juris Doctor with honors from the Georgetown University Law Center and a Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Baylor University.
Ashley Thomas
Ashley Thomas is a corporate attorney of 22 years who started her career at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP and has since moved on to found her own law firm. She advises clients in all manner of corporate matters from board governance, executive compensation, mergers and acquisitions, and capital raising activities. She has a passion for serving on boards of directors, and she currently serves on the boards of LifeWorks (Past Chair), Zach Theatre (Executive Committee), in addition to the Texas Democracy Foundation, as well as several other for-profit boards of directors. When not busy serving her clients or engaged in board service, Ashley likes to spend time with her wife and sons. They like to spend time sailing, scuba diving, and surfing. On her own, Ashley is a competitive tennis player and flyfishing addict. Ashley and her wife enjoy nice wine, and they are avid travelers and art collectors. If that’s not enough, she also enjoys sneaking off to a mid-week University of Texas baseball game to cheer on the Longhorns.