IT specialist to World Traveler

Liz was born in Odessa, Texas, but at five years old her life shifted to Tennessee, where she grew up in a small town in Robertson County. She attended high school in the next town over and was one of just 69 teenagers in the Class of 1969.

She headed to UTK, had a little too much fun, and decided not to return for a second year. Instead, she enrolled in a business college in downtown Nashville and moved into the YWCA—paying $7 a week for a room that even included weekly maid service. At the time, the YWCA was a haven for young women from small towns, offering a safe and affordable place to begin city life.

After finishing business college, Liz worked as a data entry clerk in several Nashville businesses. Before long, she realized she wanted more and enrolled at Nashville State Tech to deepen her knowledge of information technology. That decision shaped the rest of her career.

She went on to become a skilled programmer at Ingram Book Company, quickly building a reputation for doing the job well—and that reputation followed her. Over the years, she worked with numerous Nashville companies including Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nortel Networks, and American General Insurance, navigating decades of change in a rapidly evolving industry.

In the mid-1980s, Liz became actively involved in a technical user group that supported educational events both locally and internationally. Through her work on the board of the International DB2 Users Group, she connected with IT professionals around the world. Those connections opened an unexpected door.

In 1997, Liz made a bold decision: she moved to Switzerland for what became an eight-year adventure. Hired as an independent IT consultant, she led a team of men at a time when women in leadership roles were still uncommon. She did it anyway—and along the way, she learned German and built lifelong friendships across the globe.

Those years shaped her love of travel, and today she still enjoys visiting friends scattered across countries or meeting them somewhere new. She has explored more than 30 countries, including Egypt and Jordan, with upcoming trips to Northern Ireland and Croatia already on the calendar.

In 2005, Liz returned to Nashville, where she worked with HCA and the State of Tennessee before retiring from full-time work in 2016.

These days, Liz is the proud grandmother of six, ranging in age from nine to twenty-five. When she’s not spending time with family, she’s either traveling or planning her next trip. She also continues to volunteer, often helping others with IT support or bringing order to a space that needs organizing.

Fun fact: Liz loves live music and has been to more concerts than she can count—seeing the Rolling Stones five times, along with Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Whitney Houston, Santana, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, and many more.

Liz was a joy to photograph—warm, adventurous, and full of stories from a life that continues to embrace new experiences.

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40 Over 40: Liz's Story

IT specialist to World Traveler

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