LEADERSHIP

Teresa Lucher
President
Teresa Lucher became interested in Lyme disease after finally obtaining a diagnosis for her numerous health problems. She has had Lyme and co-infections since 1973 and was diagnosed in 1999. She is the Founder and Leader of the Houston Lyme Support Group, which was established in 2004. They meet the second Saturday of each month at the Kindred Hospital, 3-5pm, in the cafeteria. She can be contacted at Teresa Lucher. Teresa has also been instrumental in establishing Austin, South Texas, and Clear Lake Lyme support groups. She is a tireless patient advocate, and her passion to educate the public about Lyme/tick-borne diseases has made her the primary contact for the Houston area for anyone looking for information and support. She lives on the west side of Houston with her husband of 23 years. She has a son who lives less than a mile away, which makes her very happy. Her son has been a member of the CyFair VFD for 18 yrs.

Libby Watts
Vice-President for Development
Libby Watts became very passionate about raising awareness for Lyme disease after being misdiagnosed by several doctors for over a year and told there was no Lyme disease in Texas. Libby was infected on her family ranch near Uvalde, Texas. Before being infected with Lyme disease, she owned and operated a boutique and salon in Houston. Libby continues to enjoy the outdoors with her husband and four children while being treated by a Lyme expert in Los Altos, California. Libby spearheaded the first major TXLDA fundraiser in Houston in preparation for the first Lyme disease awareness walk in Texas. With these efforts, Libby hopes more Texas families will be educated about the disease, and that better treatment will follow.

John Pike
Treasurer
John became interested in Lyme disease after having been misdiagnosed multiple times then finally correctly diagnosed with the disease in 2002. He was subsequently treated successfully over a period of several years with an antibiotic protocol. John became interested in raising awareness for Lyme disease due to the difficulty that patients have in obtaining the proper diagnosis and treatment. He had to travel out of state for proper treatment and was fortunate to fine a LLMD that took insurance. John has obtained much information through involvement with the Houston Lyme Support Group going back to its inception in 2004. John is an Independent Geologist in the Houston area with a B.S. and M.S. degrees from Texas A&M University. He resides in Conroe, Texas with his wife.

Jill Justiss
Volunteer Coordinator
Jill Justiss is a stay at home mom living in Katy, Texas, with her husband and three children. She received a diagnosis for Lyme disease and tick-borne co-infections after being ill for nine years. She and her twin sister were both infected with Lyme while living in east Texas and she has undergone treatment with a Texas physician who specializes in treatment for Lyme. She is the volunteer coordinator for TXLDA and is working to raise awareness of this disease with the hope of improving diagnosis and  treatment options for future patients.

Beth Black
Member-at-Large
Beth Black became a part of the Lyme community in 2008, when her daughter was diagnosed with Lyme and Babesia while living in Connecticut. The family returned to Houston that summer and was frustrated by the lack of LLMDs in the city of Houston. Her daughter continues to be treated out of state. Beth has a degree in Education from Texas A&M University. She enjoys spending time with her husband, two daughters and their chocolate lab, Beaux who has been recently treated for a tick borne illness.

Patricia Ricks
TXLDA Founder
Patricia Ricks has a B.A. from Rice University, Houston, with a masters degree from the American Graduate School of International Management in Glendale, AZ. Formerly in international commercial banking in Chicago, Chicago, she is the published author of 14 books and the owner/publisher of Pemberley Press, a small publishing company founded in 2001. She served on the board of the Texas Lyme Coalition and testified at hearings held by the Texas Senate Committee on Administration to investigate issues related to tick-borne diseases in Texas. Along with other members of the TLC, she formed the Texas Lyme Disease Association and obtained its 501(c)(3) status to affiliate with the national LDA. She also owns and moderates an online support and education group, txlyme@yahoogroups.com.