Erica Lee Carter has committed her life to service to support a better future for all children inspired by her mother, the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.  Erica has worked in federal, state, local government and the non-profit sectors in positions that focus effective change through policy-making. She previously served as an elected Trustee for the Harris County Department of Education from 2013 to 2019.

Since 2020, Erica has led on economic equity, voting rights and budget for Commissioner Rodney Ellis' Policy Division in Harris County Precinct One. She was proud lead the development of the County’s first ever funding commitment to afterschool programming countywide through County Connections which led to the funding being doubled in the summer 2022. She provided the research and review to develop a resolution for the passage of the CROWN Act which became countywide employee policy in March 2022. Most recently, she supported the design of a $18 million Revolving Loan Program  to support minority  and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) which will launch September 2024.

Erica began her career teaching First Grade in Houston ISD. After earning her Masters Degree, she served the Governor of New York as a Budget Analyst where she helped craft policies to increase equity in education statewide. She then worked in the Governor’s federal advocacy office to address federal tax policy through Congress.  She moved from budget policy to maternal public health in her role at Nurse-Family Partnership where she supported quality improvement and expansion efforts for the Mid-West region. In Texas, she helped expand Nurse-Family Partnership through state funding allocations and a successful advocacy effort with the Texas legislature.

Erica is a proud product of the Houston Independent School District, and graduated  with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a Master of Public Policy degree from Terry Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. Lee Carter is married to Dr. Roy L. Carter, Jr. from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Erica & Roy lives in greater Third Ward Houston with their wonderful twins children. 

Erica Lee Carter is also the proud daughter of the Late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who served Texas' 18th Congressional District from 1995 to 2024 and Dr. Ewlyn C. Lee.