|
|
Elizabeth "Liz" McCartney '94 is co-founder and director of the St. Bernard Project (SBP), a community-based non-profit organization that assists families seeking to return to their communities in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, damaged by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Since its founding in 2006, SBP has rebuilt more than 220 homes—at no cost to their residents and with the help of more than 14,000 volunteers—and has expanded to include a community wellness and mental health clinic in partnership with Louisiana State University.
In recognition of her outstanding work, McCartney was named CNN’s national "hero of the year" in 2008. She and SBP co-founder and director Zack Rosenburg have received other honors, including an award for social entrepreneurship from the Manhattan Institute.
After studying elementary education and Spanish at the Lynch School of Education, McCartney served in the Peace Corps in Lesotho and then became a middle-school teacher in San Francisco. In 2000, McCartney moved to Washington, DC, where she was the executive director of a non-profit organization that provided after-school and summer programs for at-risk children. She also received a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from George Washington University.