Meet Liz

Administrative Coordinator. English Specialist.

"I love being part of a community where every teacher brings a unique culture, perspective, and story, and helping those connections reach our students."

— Liz Launer

Elizabeth Launer

Elizabeth (Liz) Launer has been helping English learners succeed for more than three decades. A native of Saratoga Springs, New York, she holds an M.A. in English from Hunter College and a B.A. in Comparative Religion from New York University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Before joining Speak! in 2012, she taught English and ESL at colleges and universities in North Carolina and Virginia, including more than twenty years at Piedmont Virginia Community College.

Today, Liz serves as Speak!'s Administrative Coordinator and is the organizational heart of the school. She oversees student-teacher matchups, coordinates schedules and classrooms at the Vault, and works closely with Christina on everything from new programs and partnerships to community events and day-to-day operations. If a student finds the perfect instructor, there's a good chance Liz helped make that connection happen.

Liz also leads Speak!'s English and ESL program, supporting curriculum development, mentoring instructors, and helping build partnerships that bring high-quality language instruction to individuals, businesses, and organizations throughout the community.

What she enjoys most is working with Speak!'s extraordinary international team of teachers. Every day offers the chance to learn about another language, another culture, and another perspective, making her own work a continuous learning experience as well.