Join the Excitement at SHE Mentors

 Laurie Canepa began her career in Finance and Accounting in 1997, and transitioned into recruiting in Texas in 2006, earning notable accomplishments throughout her career. Her 18+ years of expertise within the Texas market and her network of top Finance and Accounting talent are key attributes Laurie brings to the Managing Director of Finance and Accounting Search role at StevenDouglas for the State of Texas. 

Laurie has been featured in Austin Woman Magazine and the Austin Business Journal, is a committee member for 50/50 Women on Boards, a member of ACG, Texas Wall Street Women, the Texas Society of CPA’s, a ProVisors Group Leader, and is an ongoing panelist for multiple organizations. She is active with non-profit organizations, such as United Way Women, the Job Seekers Network, and the Buccaneer Bridge Mentoring Program. Laurie earned her Bachelor of Science degree at Charleston Southern University, in South Carolina, with a minor in Spanish and has attended the Masters of Science in Taxation program at San Jose State University. 

Veronica Seever has a passion for creating a space where women can just be women. After high school, she embarked on a career in hospitality. Her tenure at Hyatt Hotels culminated in a role in Human Resources, where she served as the training manager, igniting her enthusiasm for business education. In 2014, Veronica transitioned to the position of Human Resources Director for Leaf Landscape Supply and held the role of President of Texas Nursery & Landscape Association. There she was honored to receive the TNLA Young Leader Award in 2020.

Veronica embraced a career shift in 2022 when she was appointed President of the Elgin Chamber of Commerce. Leveraging this role, she initiated a women in business community called SHE: Women in Business. Through this platform, she has gone full time with this endeavor, where hundreds of women have gathered for events such as International Women’s Day Conference, Mentor Luncheons, Sip, Shop & Splurge, and self-defense classes.

Veronica is one of those women you will find at all the women’s events, cheering the ladies on, offering insights, and connecting women to grow and learn together. She serves as an Austin Business Journal Mentor, on the Biz Women Leadership Council, and was named in the top 30 Businesswomen of Central Texas at the 2024 Austin Business Journal’s Women in Business Awards. Veronica is also the proud mother of her 21-year-old son, who is a junior at Texas A&M University.   

 Norma Mercado, Executive Director of Bastrop County Cares, has over 24 years of experience in education and social services. Formerly the Family and Social Services Coordinator for Bastrop ISD, she led the social work department and developed the Family Resource Center to support highly mobile students and families. Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and raised as a migrant worker, Norma’s experiences with homelessness, teen pregnancy, and poverty fuel her passion for advocacy. A Master of Social Work graduate and Ph.D. student at Texas State University, her work has been featured in the New York Times and Univision’s Aquí y Ahora.  

 Norma Mercado, Executive Director of Bastrop County Cares, has over 24 years of experience in education and social services. Formerly the Family and Social Services Coordinator for Bastrop ISD, she led the social work department and developed the Family Resource Center to support highly mobile students and families. Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and raised as a migrant worker, Norma’s experiences with homelessness, teen pregnancy, and poverty fuel her passion for advocacy. A Master of Social Work graduate and Ph.D. student at Texas State University, her work has been featured in the New York Times and Univision’s Aquí y Ahora.