ANNE WHITLOCK has lived and worked in five countries, starting in the Peace Corps in Mali, West Africa and then moving to Chad, Costa Rica, Mexico and back to the US. She speaks fluent Spanish, some French and a smattering of Bambara. These experiences gave her a sense of what it’s like to be pulled from one’s roots and transported to a new land with cultural and language barriers._She has served as Founding Director of Connect Community since 2016, a holistic revitalization effort in Gulfton/Sharpstown based on the Purpose Built Communities model. The model focuses on building great communities by wrapping around schools to build aligned health and wellness infrastructure, a cradle through career education pipeline, economic vitality and mixed income housing options. She has the privilege of working with newcomers from all over the globe who have landed in Houston to seek better opportunities for themselves and their families. Prior to Connect Community, she worked as the Program Director for the Community Clinic Funders’ Collaborative at the Harris County Healthcare Alliance working to improve sustainability and collaboration in the Houston healthcare safety net system. She worked at the Baker Institute and led the America’s Project seminar for “Young Leaders” from throughout Latin America. She also rode the dot.com boom and bust wave in the mid-90’s and survived her husband’s congressional campaign in 2008. She currently serves on the boards of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Brazos Bookstore, and UT Children’s Learning Institute and served on the boards of Vecino Health Centers and the East End Foundation. She is married with three adult children and lives in a converted fire station in the East End of Houston.