By TJJD Communications —
This year TJJD leaders attended the Association of Women Executives in Corrections (AWEC) 29th Annual Membership Training Institute in San Antonio, with an especially exciting session where TJJD’s Human Resource Director, Liz Boston, took the stage to discuss leadership in criminal justice.
Since its founding in 1996, AWEC has offered opportunities and support to women executives and senior managers in corrections. Now in 2025, AWEC is over 600 members strong, with strong leaders throughout the country in public and private, institutional and community correctional facilities.
With this year’s conference being in the agency’s backyard, TJJD was honored to have our Executive Director, Shandra Carter invited to present the opening remarks. Although she had to decline due to competing priorities, we are blessed with many strong woman leaders at the agency and ultimately Liz volunteered to represent TJJD on the panel.
Liz participated in The Currents of Leadership: Texas Voices in Criminal Justice panel with Amanda Hernandez from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Danielle Rudes from Sam Houston State University, and Kim Nugent from Harris County Health for a conversation on innovation and perseverance. Liz said, “I was honored to speak at the AWEC Conference on the Currents of Leadership panel. It was a powerful dialogue on resilience, equity, and collaboration across systems.” She expressed gratitude for the opportunity to meet and collaborate with so many inspiring leaders shaping the future of justice in Texas.
Other TJJD officials who attended the conference were Chief Strategy Officer Rachel Gandy, State Facility Operations Director Tamu Steptoe, and Director of Research Claire Boudrot. The attendees reflected on the impact these conferences have, mentioning the similar yet varied experiences giving insights into the field that inspire them to constantly strive for improvements in their respective areas to change lives. The sense of community and feelings of passion for the field is palpable at conferences like this and the women at TJJD were thankful to get to experience it.
Although Executive Director Carter was unable to attend, she reflected on the importance of these collaborative experiences with other leaders in the industry for our professionals. “TJJD attendees gained valuable perspectives and relationships at the AWEC conference and for the agency to be so well-represented at professional conferences like this, especially with Liz speaking on a panel, speaks to our credibility and ambition to be the best juvenile justice in the country.”
TJJD’s vision is to be a team of difference-makers working together to transform lives. From the work staff does to care for colleagues, to caring for the youth in the facilities, to partnering with county leader and other stakeholders, the women who represented TJJD at AWEC exemplify what it means to be a dedicated leader at TJJD. We are thankful to have such an outstanding team of professionals on our side as we continue our efforts to create a safe ad impactful juvenile justice system in the state of Texas.