An exclusive interview with Liliana Rambo

Liliana Rambo, Chief Executive Officer of SERJobs, shares her people-first leadership philosophy, emphasizing trust, communication, service, and opportunity. Drawing from her extensive experience managing complex operations at the Houston Airport, she discusses how strategic leadership, financial stewardship, and mission-driven teamwork are helping shape SERJobs’ future. In this insightful conversation, she highlights her long-term vision of making SERJobs a leading force for economic stability, workforce development, and community impact across Houston.

A People-First Leadership Philosophy

We started the interview by asking, “What defines your leadership approach as Chief Executive Officer of SERJobs?”

Liliana Rambo replied, “For me, leadership has always started with people really seeing them, understanding what drives them, and painting a picture of what’s possible together. I don’t believe in leading from a distance. Whether I’m sitting with a team member who’s navigating a tough challenge or meeting with a community partner, I want them to know I’m genuinely invested. My job is to hold the vision clearly enough that everyone around me can feel it and move toward it. At SERJobs, that vision is rooted in something deeply personal to me the belief that access to opportunity can change the entire trajectory of a person’s life, and that our work here is part of that story every single day.”

Operational Experience to Community Impact

The Worlds Times: How has your experience managing large-scale airport operations prepared you for leading SERJobs?

Liliana Rambo replied, “Running operations that touched millions of passengers and thousands of employees, leading and managing large budget, overseeing multiple terminals, and leading major initiatives taught me how to stay grounded in mission even in the middle of enormous complexity. What people don’t always realize is that the airport work wasn’t just about logistics. We were constantly asking, “Who are we serving, and are we doing right by them?” I built workforce development programs there, focused on access, equity, and training values that feel right at home at SERJobs. The operational experience I gained over those years is what helps me make sure our programs run well so that our participants actually get what they come here for.”

Purpose and Accountability

The Worlds Times: You’ve overseen organizations with significant budgets and revenues. How do you approach financial stewardship?

Liliana Rambo replied, “I’ll be honest, I’ve never seen a budget as just numbers on a page. Every dollar represents a choice about who or what we’re prioritizing. At the Houston Airport System, managing over $120M in annual budget meant that every decision I made had a downstream effect on people’s livelihoods, services, and community outcomes. I carry that same mindset into SERJobs. We’re a nonprofit, yes, but we operate with the same level of discipline and intentionality you’d find anywhere. Responsible stewardship here means our programs stay open, our staff is supported, and we can say yes to more people who walk through our doors looking for a way forward.”

Purpose-Driven Communication

The Worlds Times: What role does communication play in your executive decision-making?

Liliana Rambo replied, “It’s everything, honestly. I’ve sat in rooms where the strategy was brilliant, but the execution fell apart-not because people didn’t care, but because no one translated the “what” into the “why.” I am someone who wants to cut through the noise and get to what matters. When my team understands not just what we’re doing but why it matters to the person we’re serving, something shifts. People make better decisions, they take more ownership, and they don’t need to wait for permission to do the right thing. That kind of clarity is what I work hard to create every day.”

Building Trusted Teams

The Worlds Times: How do you build and sustain high-performing teams across diverse operational environments?

Liliana Rambo replied, “Trust is the foundation. You can have all the talent in the world, but if people don’t trust that you have their back, you won’t get the best out of them. I’ve built teams in environments that were fast-paced and high-stakes. Airports don’t slow down, and I’ve learned that what keeps people engaged isn’t perks or titles. It’s knowing their work matters and that someone sees them. At SERJobs, I’m working with a team that genuinely believes in this mission, and my role is to protect that culture, nurture it, and make sure we never lose it as we grow.”

Core of Leadership Values

The Worlds Times: With decades of experience in public-sector and private-sector leadership, what has remained constant in your professional values?

Liliana Rambo replied, “Service. That’s the thread that runs through everything. Whether it was my 35+ years in municipal government, serving on the board of the Texas USO, leading the International Parking and Mobility Institute, or walking the halls here at SERJobs, I’ve always believed that the point of leadership is to make things better for the people you’re responsible to. Houston has been great to me and my family and everything I do professionally is, in some way, my way of giving that back.”

A Long-Term Vision for Growth

Lastly, we asked, “What is your long-term vision for SERJobs under your leadership?”

“I want SERJobs to be the organization that Houston thinks of first when someone needs a real shot at economic stability. Not just a place you go when you’re in crisis, but a trusted partner throughout your career journey. We’re already doing incredible work with adults, veterans, youth, and people returning from incarceration. My vision is to deepen that with more employer partnerships in construction, stronger job-readiness pathways, and outcomes we can stand behind. SERJobs’ 60-years legacy deserves to be built on, and I intend to make sure the next chapter is one of growth, impact, and hope for this community.” Liliana Rambo concluded

Connect with Liliana Rambo on LinkedIn
For more information visit SERJobs

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