Suzii Paynter

Co-director, Pastors for Texas Children

Suzii Paynter was the third executive coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), serving from 2013 to 2019 as chief executive for this 1,800-congregation network. A longtime advocate for children, Paynter now serves as co-director of Pastors for Texas Children. She also serves on the executive committee of the Baptist World Alliance and chairs its Human Rights Advocacy Committee. She has been recognized by numerous national religious and secular organizations, such as the Council on Foreign Relations, Religion and Public Policy Project, Sierra Club, American Association of Retired Persons, Samaritan Counseling Centers, and the National Immigration Forum. She has twice been recognized as the outstanding nonprofit lobbyist at the Texas Legislature for her effective work on multiple issues. She is a graduate of Baylor University and Stephen F. Austin University. Paynter serves on the Advisory Council of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.