Elizabeth “Liz” Brey

Roots in Northeast Kansas

I'm a sixth-generation Kansan and a Fairview native. I grew up here, graduated from Sabetha High School, and never strayed far from home. Today my husband Roger and I live on our family's farm near Fairview. Our twins, Nicole and Nolan, are grown now, and we have two grandchildren nearby. When I'm not meeting with clients, you'll usually find me in the garden, keeping up with Jayhawks basketball, or out with Ziggy, our Cavapoo.

Practicing law in the community I come from isn't an accident. I know these towns, these courthouses, and the people who keep them running — and I'd rather help my own neighbors than anyone else.

Law as a second career

Law is a second career for me, and I think that makes me a better attorney for it. For more than thirty years I worked in health information management — the field that sits at the intersection of medicine, privacy, and the law. I built and directed the medical coding program at Highland Community College for over a decade, growing it into a respected program recognized well beyond Kansas, and I contributed a chapter to a national coding textbook along the way.

That career taught me three things I use every single day: how to take something complicated and explain it in plain terms, how to handle sensitive and private information with care, and how to stay organized when the details really matter. It's also part of why elder law and healthcare questions come naturally to me — I spent a career on the medical side of them before I ever went to law school.

Education

• Juris Doctor (JD) Washburn University School of Law
• Bachelor of Science Kansas State University — emphasis in rural society
• Associate of Arts Highland Community College

I'm licensed to practice law in the State of Kansas and a member of the Kansas Bar Association. From my background in health information management, I also hold the RHIA (Registered Health Information Administrator), CHPS (Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security), and CCS (Certified Coding Specialist) credentials.

Giving back

I've always believed you owe something to the place that raised you. When my kids were young I coached youth soccer and led a Girl Scout troop, and over the years I've taught Sunday school and served on the board of my township's cemetery for more than fifteen years — including a fundraising effort that brought in more than twenty thousand dollars to replace the cemetery's fence. In my prior career, I also volunteered with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) on advocacy and policy work at the national level.

Different work, same instinct: show up for your community, and do the unglamorous things that keep it whole.