Meet Our 2026 TSGC President
By Kirsten Murray
Every year the Texas Society of Genetic Counselors (TSGC) provides individuals with new and exciting opportunities to get involved, including volunteering as a board member. Volunteers elected as president for TSGC serve a three-year term starting as President-Elect their first year, serving as President during their second year, followed by their last year as Past President.
TSGC’s 2026 President is Heather Lucas, MS, CGC, and we’re thrilled to feature Heather and get to know more about her vision for TSGC this year.
When and where did you earn your MS? Where do you currently work?
I earned my MS as part of the inaugural Baylor College of Medicine GC class in Houston, TX. I currently live in Tyler, TX (east of Dallas) and work as a patient education liaison for Sanofi, the pharmaceutical company that makes enzyme replacement therapies for lysosomal storage disorders.
What has been a valuable learning experience in your career path or journey?
My first job out of grad school was with the CHRISTUS system in Tyler where I was working as a solo GC with no geneticist. Being on my own taught me to use my network and not be afraid to just randomly reach out to someone in a different department/institution or use a weak connection from LinkedIn when I needed information or resources. I also learned how to build protocols and SOPs while working with different types of providers. The experience came with a lot of growth in confidence, humility, and grit.
Tell us a little bit about your plans and goals for 2026 as TSGC President.
When I think of TSGC, what I want to see is growth in community and support. As Texas GCs navigate challenging legislative changes while also moving into more non-traditional and standalone roles to support our population, I want TSGC to be a place where Texas GCs can get useful information and resources. I would like to see TSGC continue to grow our continuing education offerings, and I am super excited about the many tools rolled out last year, including the discussion forum. Additionally, there are some great ideas currently being worked on. I’m also hoping that people see TSGC as a safe space for GCs that supports our membership and patients and puts our weight behind causes that align with our goals.
What part of this new role gets you excited to get out of bed in the morning?
I’ve been on the TSGC board in various capacities for the last three years and have had the opportunity to see this organization grow and navigate our space. That tenure has also allowed me to understand the resources and frankly, the collective power of our membership. Knowing what all we have in our membership and the resources the organization has grown and developed, I’m excited to work on leveraging those strengths and resources into programs and policies for our community. I hope to get to be a “yes (wo)man” for new ideas and to be a strong voice of support for Texas GCs when they need back-up.
What is something you would like to share with the TSGC community?
Reach out to me! My literal, virtual, and proverbial doors are always open. I want to hear your thoughts and ideas and welcome feedback as we go along, and of course, I would love to chat.
Outside of your career, what brings you joy?
My family! I have a handsome, intelligent husband and two ADORABLE sons who are hilarious and a blast. Literally anything could happen in my home at any given moment with this crew. I also love gardening and traveling, and I have been known to show weakness and collect kittens from the pound.
Tell us about a recent experience that made you feel grateful to be a genetic counselor.
I recently had the opportunity to talk to a patient about direct-to-consumer (DTC) results, which is not something we usually see and can be a frustrating conversation. As we were going through what was on these reports, we ended up having a deeper conversation about why they had pursued them in the first place and the feeling of helplessness, fear, and frustration in the diagnostic odyssey that were themes in their journey. We were able to talk about what their real life looks like and how they are moving forward and getting support. To me, those conversations were every bit as valuable as my knowledge of variant interpretation and testing methodology. The ability to approach a patient holistically is what makes genetic counselors different from any other profession and why I’m grateful I get to be one.