Her Story
About Audra
Audra Hitz is a leader currently serving as Chief of Operations at Elevate ABA, an applied behavior analysis (ABA) healthcare organization supporting children and families in the autistic community across King County, Washington. In this role, she oversees the full scope of administrative operations. She approaches her position not simply as a leadership role, but as a support role—focused on equipping the team with the tools, structure, and encouragement they need to thrive. Before stepping into her current leadership role, Audra built a diverse professional foundation in multiple fields. She was an Operations and Systems Analyst in construction management, where she strengthened her analytical and process improvement skills, focusing on systems and IT. Earlier in her career, she worked as an Executive Assistant in real estate in the Washington DC metropolitan area, focusing on contracts and transactions. Prior to this, she had the honor of working and volunteering for years in the memory care division of a senior living community, where she would lead life enrichment activities for residents with Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. Her early work in memory care, along with years spent in her personal life caring for her ill grandmother, shaped her people-centered approach and deepened her commitment to service. By entering college early, Audra earned her Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems from Western Washington University in 2018 at just 20 years old - reflecting both her academic drive and early ambition. Rather than pursuing success defined by status or financial gain, she has consistently been guided by a desire to lead with empathy, kindness, and purpose. She views leadership as an opportunity to positively impact others’ lives—both within the team and in the communities they serve. Grounded in values of compassion, balance, and meaningful contribution, Audra measures success by serving others and fostering a workplace where people feel valued and empowered.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Audra
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to self-discipline. If there was just one thing, I would say definitely self-discipline because it's so easy to give up when things are hard, and things will get hard. If you have the self-discipline of just buckling down, riding it out and being resilient, you get stronger and stronger. That’s really what I think builds success.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best pieces of advice I’ve ever come across are about empathy and complacency. Always prioritize empathy, and never become complacent.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Believe in yourself. And remember that all of us get rejected, so be strong and resilient if that happens. Facing rejection is hard, especially when starting out. What needs to be pointed out and isn't pointed out enough is we all face this - you're not abnormal. Don't let rejection or things not working out the way you planned make you feel that you're not worthy or valuable, or that you're not going to get the career you dreamed of. You can absolutely get the career you want - it just takes a lot of resilience, hard work, and believing in yourself.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
In the industry as a whole, it seems there are just not enough ABA providers to meet the demand of how many families are interested in services. I hope to see more people pursue careers in this field, as there are so many great jobs this industry offers that are very fulfilling and allow you to make a difference in the lives of others. I’m very proud of and grateful for the people I get to work with. They are doing an amazing job of improving lives.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Work-life balance is a huge priority in my own life and career, as well as in my leadership role; I always try to respect this for everyone I work with. The best decision I ever made in my career was prioritizing caring for my grandmother when she needed me and altering my schedule at work to do so. I’m very grateful to Elevate for allowing me the flexibility and support to prioritize time with her. Caring for her while balancing my career at the same time was hard, but it helped me grow and become more patient, efficient and compassionate. My career is a blessing I’m grateful for, but family always comes first. A good company celebrates work-life balance and family. Life is short. You can still do a great job at your job while recognizing it's just one part of your life - it's not healthy if it's your whole life. My other value is having a heart for serving others - regarding family, friends, teammates, families Elevate serves, and community. I want to make a difference in the world with my time here.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.