Emilee Dawn Whitehurst is the President and CEO of the Houston Area Women’s Center.
Emilee is only the fourth person to lead the Houston Area Women’s Center in its nearly 45-year history. She brings over 25 years of experience leading non-governmental organizations at the grassroots level, in faith communities, the arts, and health care. Emilee has spent her career championing human rights, addressing poverty, homelessness, and abuse. She is a recipient of the Echoing Green “Social Entrepreneur” Fellowship and received the William Kennedy Public Service Fellowship from Harvard Divinity. Emilee holds a Masters of Divinity from Harvard and is an Ordained Presbyterian Minister. She serves on the General Council of New Covenant Presbytery, is an alum of Leadership Houston, and an American Leadership Forum (ALF) Senior Fellow. Most recently Emilee served on the Mayor’s Police Reform Task Force. She originally hails from Austin but considers herself a Houstonian. She has dedicated her life to seeking justice. For the sake of her community and, especially her two daughters, she believes in a future free from domestic abuse and sexual assault and will work until it stops.
