Renée Wizig-Barrios

President & CEO , Jewish Federation of Greater Houston

Renée Wizig-Barrios is the President & CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, the area’s leading Jewish philanthropic organization.

A native Houstonian, Renée joined the Federation in 2021 after more than two and a half decades rising through leadership positions in Texas nonprofits, including as the Senior Vice President & Chief Philanthropy Officer for the Greater Houston Community Foundation (GHCF).

Renée serves as the Federation’s lead ambassador as she works to fulfill the Federation’s core role as the connector, innovator, convener, and funder of the Houston Jewish community.  She spearheaded the “Hineni Houston” initiative, a listening campaign that engaged with over 1,200 Houston-area Jews to hear their concerns and desires for the community; successfully led a community effort to secure multi-year funding to support Jewish Community Security Program; raised $20 million for the Israel Emergency Fund to support humanitarian organizations in Israel; and is presently serving as Co-Chair of JFNA’s Rebuild Israel: Mental Health Working Group. She has also been instrumental in growing Jewish Federation of Greater Houston’s philanthropy by more than 50%.

Renée has an extensive work history focused on community organizing and individual and community philanthropy. She is known for initiating growth and enacting transformative change. At the GHCF, she assisted in nearly tripling the foundation’s assets; guiding the foundation’s disaster response fundraising and allocations; building philanthropic advising services; and developing the vision for the nationally recognized GHCF Next Gen Institute and Center for Family Philanthropy. Wizig-Barrios also previously held the position of Lead Organizer for The Metropolitan Organization. She began her career as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Nicaragua.

Renée is a summa cum laude graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. She and her husband, Alvaro Barrios, have lived in Houston for more than 20 years and have two children. They are members of Congregation Beth Israel.