Elizabeth A. Castro, MS Ed.

Elizabeth is a career educator with a lifetime of service to others. A native Tejana with a taste for adventure, she became part of the extended military family when she married her Marine and hometown sweetheart, Sammy. Her journey has enabled setting roots “in every clime and place” from Santo Domingo to Okinawa. She is an avid reader and a breast cancer survivor. A Folklorico dancer and mother of two jiujiteiro sons, Liz loves wine almost as much as she loves coffee.

A stalwart champion for military family readiness over the past 20+ years has resulted in her leadership and service in numerous organizations in the U.S. and overseas. She is a natural bridge between the LGBTQ+ and military family communities.

Her advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community became personal when her son shared his heart with her. As one of few but proud openly gay children in a military high school overseas, the scarcity of information on how to best support her son inspired her to action. Her desire to ensure that others in similar circumstances receive the necessary resources and support inspired her connection to PFLAG.

Elizabeth is currently serving as the Administrative Officer with the Deputy Assis. Sec. of Def. for the Military Community & Family Policy Office. She holds a B.S. in Bilingual/ESL Elementary Education and an M.S. in Educational Leadership from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

Elizabeth was recognized as the 2019-21 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year® for Camp Courtney in Okinawa, Japan.