What keeps Elizabeth Tisdale up at night — and what keeps her going
South Carolina’s Child Abuse Response Protocol requires the use of Children’s Advocacy Centers, yet provides no guaranteed funding for them. That’s what keeps Elizabeth Tisdale, executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union, up at night. Earlier this year, Elizabeth was named the Mary Black Foundation’s 2026 Newby Fellow for her commitment, leadership, and service to Spartanburg County.
Before she was the executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center and her uninterrupted 30-year career with South Carolina’s Department of Social Services, Elizabeth dreamed of being a pediatrician. While she decided not to pursue medical school or serve children in a clinical setting, she has helped countless vulnerable children throughout her career, removing barriers for them and their families, and guiding them towards life-changing hope and healing.
We are so proud to honor Elizabeth as the 2026 Newby Fellow and to walk alongside her. We had the opportunity to ask Elizabeth some questions about her story, her perspective, and the experiences that continue to shape her work. Modeled loosely after the Proust Questionnaire you may have seen in Vanity Fair, these questions offer a glimpse of the person behind the work.
What is the best part of working for/leading a nonprofit?
Seeing the impact we have on our community and having the privilege of working alongside an incredible team of women who are completely dedicated to our mission of healing and giving voice to abused children.
Who is on your personal “board of directors” — who do you go to for advice when facing decisions or transitions in your life?
My husband of 34 years! We have been together for more than half of my life, and I trust and value his opinion tremendously. He knows me better than anyone and is always the person I turn to when I need perspective.
What is the most important piece of advice you have ever received?
“It is better to be lonely than in bad company.” I have carried that advice with me for many years.
What is the toughest thing you have ever had to face?
Losing my father when I was 15 years old. It shaped me in ways I probably did not fully understand until much later in life.
What song feels like the soundtrack of your life right now?
Probably “Brave” by Sara Bareilles. The message of finding your voice, speaking up, and moving forward with courage really resonates with me both personally and in the work we do every day helping children feel safe, supported, and heard.
What smell brings you back to your childhood?
Freshly cut grass and the smell of leaves burning in the fall. Either one can instantly take me back to childhood.
When do you feel most like yourself?
When I am out on the water in a boat, surrounded by the sounds of nature. Boating has always been part of my life. I grew up on the Alabama River, so being on the water has always felt a little like coming home.
What is a small act of kindness someone once did for you that you never forgot?
When I was young, one of my teachers stepped in to care for me during a time when my parents were unable to do so for personal reasons. I have never forgotten her kindness. It taught me how much one caring adult can mean in the life of a child.
What is something you strongly believed five years ago that you no longer believe?
That Spartanburg was an undiscovered, sleepy little Southern town! It certainly does not feel undiscovered anymore.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Binge-watching Hallmark+! Sometimes you just need a happy ending.
