State Representative Ellen Cohen—Ellen Cohen is the State Representative for District 134, which includes Bellaire, West University, River Oaks and parts of Meyerland and Montrose.

Advocate

While a singular event doesn’t define an individual, the event’s impact can shape the future. Such was the case when Ellen Cohen was diagnosed with breast cancer before she was 30 years of age. Living in her late husband Lyon’s hometown of Montreal at the time, she had questions her doctors could not answer. The support of her family, an instinct for survival, and an inquisitive mind sustained her. In fact, as soon as she was able, she determined that no other woman would endure the diagnosis of breast cancer alone, and she founded Reach to Recovery of Canada, a self-help post-mastectomy group. The program was in all Montreal hospitals when the Cohen family left Quebec.

Ellen could have returned to her native Ohio when the family – including daughter Marcie and son Eric — relocated to the U.S. in 1977. Instead, she and Lyon chose Texas, in part, because “things were settled with a handshake.” With its black gold under the ground and intellectual black gold above, the state was on the move. Ellen’s administrative acumen fit right in. Houston offered unlimited possibilities resulting in yet another advocacy role as executive director of the American Jewish Committee (AJC). There she worked with the leadership from Houston’s diverse religious and business communities to foster mutual understanding and tolerance for one of the nation’s premiere human relations organizations.  View Ellen’s Family Photo Album.

After a decade with AJC, she served as President and CEO of the Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC) for 18 years. Dedicated to eliminating domestic and sexual violence, the Center again allowed for the blending of her executive leadership abilities with her compassion. In that capacity, she managed a $6.2 million budget and a 120-person staff, serving over 6,000 women, children, and men yearly.

Now a member of the Texas House of Representatives, Ellen continues to be an advocate as she:

• shares her story as a 40-year breast cancer survivor,
• raises her voice against discrimination,
• supports pro-choice efforts and medically accurate sex education,
• promotes the Texas Medical Center (TMC),
• addresses the needs of both the business community and the non-profit world,
• ensures personal life decisions are made by individuals, not the government,
• and removes obstacles so that exceptional students are able to enter our Texas universities and not lost to out-of-state institutions.

Houstonian & Community Leader

For more than 30 years, Ellen has called Houston home. A “got-here-as-fast-as-I-could” Texan, she embraced the city immediately and “rolled up her sleeves” to be an active Houstonian and member of her adopted community.

Ellen serves or has served on the boards of Park Plaza Hospital; American Leadership Forum; Congregation Beth Israel; Faith Trust Institute; the Police Advisory Board; American Jewish Committee; Cool Globes Houston Programming Advisory Board; and Houston Area Adult Protective Services. She is also a former President of Leadership Houston and the board of the Medical Center Hospital.

When the Legislature is not in session, Ellen works out of the District Office, meeting with constituents, researching upcoming legislation, and speaking at schools, civic associations and various community groups. In her time outside the office, she consults with businesses and nonprofits on enhancing executive leadership and works with candidates on their public speaking and presentation skills.

State Legislator

On November 7, 2006, Ellen Cohen was elected to the Texas House of Representatives with the largest margin of any challenger to an incumbent in Texas at that time. Ellen pledged in her first campaign to work diligently to restore balance and integrity to the Texas Legislature and her work and voting record continues to reflect her commitment.

During the 2007 legislative session, Ellen served as the first House sponsor of the bill creating the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) that funds grants addressing cancer research, clinical trials, and laboratory facility construction in Texas. In addition, she authored and passed legislation with the goal of providing $25 million for adult and child survivors of sexual assault through an Adult Entertainment Fee. During her first term, she served on the Public Health, Urban Affairs, and Rules & Resolutions Committees. She was recognized by Capitol Inside, an online publication, as the Best Freshman as a Bill Sponsor 2007 and the Best General Election Challenger Campaign.

In the 81st Legislative Session, Speaker Joe Straus named Ellen to the Appropriations and Higher Education Committees. She helped craft a $182 billion budget for the next biennium which unanimously passed the House. She was also the joint author on the bill reforming admission procedures – with regards to the Top Ten Percent Rule – at the University of Texas at Austin and the bill which set the stage to create more Tier One research universities across Texas. Speaker Straus also named Ellen to the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission as well as the House Select Committee on Federal Legislation.