Karen Ranus has served as the Executive Director of NAMI Central Texas (previously NAMI Austin) since 2014. She sits on the Travis County Behavioral Health & Judicial Advisory Committee, the Travis County Psychiatric Stakeholder’s Group and the Steering Committee for the Austin State Hospital System Redesign. Karen has developed and implemented mental health programs to address the needs of faith communities, law enforcement, workplaces and parents of teens. She believes in the power of storytelling to engage people in important conversations on mental health, and often shares her own family's story to help others overcome the shame and stigma still prevalent in the community and to help create systemic change.