by Richard S. McAlister 

The American Red Cross Hill Country Chapter is introducing Lizi Riley as its new Executive Director, bringing to the role a longtime Hill Country resident with a passion for service, young people, and strengthening communities before and after disaster.

Originally from the Austin-Georgetown area, Riley is a graduate of the University of Texas and an enthusiastic Longhorn sports fan. She and her husband, David, a Kerrville native, have made Kerrville their home for nearly two decades. They have two teenage children, and much of Riley’s time away from work revolves around their football and baseball activities. She also enjoys home repair and renovation, an interest she sees as fitting naturally with the Red Cross mission of helping people rebuild their lives after disaster.

Riley began her professional career in education, serving approximately 20 years as a teacher, including about 10 years teaching at the elementary level and another 10 years teaching biology. Her career also included one year as a collegiate softball coach. More recently, she spent four years with a foster care and adoption agency, helping families become licensed for foster care while also working in community engagement, marketing, and fundraising. There, she developed a program designed to expand outreach throughout the Texas Hill Country.

Her connection to the Red Cross mission became particularly personal during the catastrophic Hill Country floods of 2025 and 2026. Riley volunteered in the community alongside other local organizations and witnessed firsthand the extensive role of the American Red Cross in disaster response and recovery. She was especially moved by the outpouring of generosity and the willingness of neighbors and organizations to share their resources with those affected.

That experience helped shape Riley’s vision for the Hill Country Chapter. She wants the American Red Cross to be among the first organizations people think of when disaster strikes or when they need disaster-related assistance. At the same time, she is focused on developing the chapter’s volunteers and staff and strengthening the local relationships that make the Red Cross mission possible.

Youth engagement will be another priority. Drawing on a career spent working with young people, Riley hopes to expand opportunities for young adults through Red Cross Clubs and programs such as Prepare with Pedro, which introduces children to emergency preparedness.

Riley is also committed to strengthening the chapter’s support for the region’s substantial veteran and military community through Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces. She intends to become more involved with Red Cross Biomedical Services and hopes to expand opportunities for blood drives in Kerrville, building on previous experience helping organize blood drives at the University of Texas.

As she begins her new role, Riley says she has already gained a deeper appreciation for the complex systems operating behind the scenes to make the Red Cross mission possible. She is particularly grateful for the donors who make disaster services possible and for the volunteers who comprise approximately 90 percent of the Red Cross workforce.

And there has been little time for a quiet introduction to the job. With the Hill Country once again facing the possibility of heavy rainfall and flooding, Riley is already working alongside Red Cross volunteers and staff to prepare the chapter for whatever the coming days may bring.

For Riley, that readiness reflects both the mission she has joined and the community she calls home: neighbors helping neighbors, preparing before disaster, and standing together when help is needed most.