Inspired by her personal journey of loss at an early age it was destiny that Lisa Nussbaum would develop a desire and passion with a purpose to merge her diverse education and life experience to design and build spaces that promote hope and healing.
Lisa and her husband Gary own Bobeche & Branch Construction, a Fort Worth-based build-design firm that constructs upscale custom homes. She is a licensed interior designer who partners with her husband in all design aspects and construction management with their business.
Gary, a third-generation custom homebuilder, serves as the President/CEO and oversees the construction process. Together, they have designed and constructed custom homes for over 30 years.
Gary and Lisa share their passion for giving back to the community with their time and talent for designing and building. Their first opportunity to partner with a nonprofit organization was in 2013.
Jerri Watt, a volunteer and board member of Make a Wish Foundation, asked Lisa to be the honorary chair for the annual fundraising event, “Delicious Wishes.” Lisa convinced Gary that they should become wish grantors.
Their first wish grant was to construct a “tiny house-art studio” and they later remodeled a two-bedroom “smart” master suite for a child’s wish to stay at home while recuperating from a life-threatening illness.
Lisa was invited to be on the board and she was a board member from 2014 to 2023, continuing to grant wishes and serve on multiple committees.
Her next opportunity to promote hope through design came in 2014. Lisa’s daughter-in-law Pamela Gilchrist, who serves on the advisory board for the nonprofit organization Wings of Hope Equitherapy, suggested that they partner with the organization to build a chapel.
The chapel, appropriately named “Hope Sanctuary,” was a longtime vision of the organization’s co-founders Margaret McKinley Dickens and Patti Pace. They envisioned a place where the participants and their families could gather comfortably and enjoy community fellowship.
Wings of Hope Equitherapy is a nonprofit organization that partners horses with children and adults who face unique mental, emotional, and physical challenges. They also serve veterans who suffer from PTSD and adults with multiple sclerosis.
Their mission is to provide hope, healing, and discovery through horse-assisted activities.
The Nussbaums were eager to get involved as they matched a local grant that was received by the nonprofit. Working together, they completed the chapel in 2015 for a total project value of $125,000. The project represented a truly hands-on commitment.
Lisa shares that Gary “literally built the entire facility with his own hands from the moving of dirt to the finish details.” Bobeche Branch Construction called on its team of vendors and subcontractors to provide building materials.
“I was so proud that everyone included was as excited as we were to get involved in the project in such a spirit of giving,” she says.
In 2015, Lisa was asked to be the honorary chair for the annual fundraising event, “Roundup for Riders.” Her success with the many sponsors and donors led the fundraising to exceed expectations. In 2021, she co-chaired the “Roundup for Riders” and once again surpassed the fundraising goal.
The funds were matched by a generous anonymous donor to bring them to a record number of $500,000 raised in a single event. Lisa became a member of the board for Wings of Hope from 2016-2022, and in 2023 she was elected as president to serve a two-year term.
Lisa and Gary proudly support Wings of Hope through various roles. In 2023, they matched another local grant for a two-phase, two-year project to upgrade the facilities with an office renovation. They also designed and built the Discovery Studio for the growing campus and to meet the needs of the Wings of Hope programs for students and riders – a project that would have cost $250,000 without the Nussbaums’ volunteer services.
The dedicated indoor space for equine-assisted learning and equine-assisted discovery programs provides access for area school districts and other types of educational entities that partner with Wings of Hope.
The design objective for the Discovery Studio was to create a space that has an inclusive classroom, art studio, and gathering space. The spirit of the Studio is to promote wellness through learning, creating, and interacting with nature and horses.
In addition, the studio was purposely positioned to be near the discovery trail, the existing arena, and the chapel, which allows the organization the opportunity to increase partnerships with the community for “field trips with a purpose.”
The triangular-shaped Discovery Studio is located at a fork in the road near the entrance to the Wings of Hope property. It is the first building guests see as they enter the campus.
On Jan. 18, the Discovery Studio was recognized by the Fort Worth Chapter of AIA (American Institute of Architects) along with sponsors and donors in a celebration event to showcase the achievements of Lyn Flynn, AIA, and Bobeche and Branch Construction.
Lisa explained that being a part of this two-year, two-phase project gave her a renewed appreciation for the possibilities of how designing and building can affect the outcome of people facing challenges in their environment.
Lisa describes seeing the potential for people who are struggling with a disability to be able to rise above their challenge when they are partnering with a horse in a therapeutic environment as a powerful connection to witness: “It is truly amazing how confident and empowered they feel in that moment!”
This past year, Lisa was approached by Lena Pope to furnish the offices and reception area inside the Moncrief Counseling Center. It was an opportunity for her to utilize her education in both counseling and interior design.
She was asked to create a palette of color and furniture arrangement that would facilitate the most welcoming and functional atmosphere for counselors and their clients to promote thoughts of serenity and peace, thereby instilling hope and healing.
Lisa called on local artist and board member Sarah Gentry with the hope that she would participate in helping with art in the reception area. While collaborating on what might be the best art for the space, Lisa created the idea of having a “Wall of Hope,” a dedicated wall space in the reception area of the Moncrief Counseling Center.
She requested that the students of Lena Pope’s Chapel Hill Academy participate in painting images of what hope looks like to them. The students painted butterflies on canvases to be displayed on the “Wall of Hope” in the reception area.
The students completed their project in time for the annual fundraising event where their works of art will be auctioned in April and then placed in the Moncrief Counseling Center “Wall of Hope” to enjoy.
It is truly the culmination of a community-driven project that benefits both the students and counselees at the center.
Lisa and Gary Nussbaum take pride in the multiple roles that women have played in these nonprofit projects:
- Two women – Margaret McKinley Dickens and Patti Pace – established Wings of Hope in1997.
- Lisa Nussbaum’s daughter-in-law Pamela Gilchrist introduced her to the Wings of Hope organization.
- Local artist and Lena Pope Board member Sarah Gentry donated her art to Moncrief Counseling Center.
- Respected Fort Worth architect Lyn Flynn worked with Lisa to create the concept for the Discovery Center and Chapel. Flyn also designed the architectural concept of the tiny house/art studio wish grant.
- Lisa provided the design services and worked with her husband Gary on the actual construction of the chapel and the Discovery Studio at Wings of Hope.
- Missy Ruby at Ferguson Enterprises and Joey Whalen at Pella Windows led the way as vendors donating products and services.
- Numerous women who have a heart for giving – donors and sponsors – supported the organizations.
Lisa Nussbaum has a diverse background. After graduating from North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interior Design, she earned a Ph.D. in psychology and a dual master’s degree from Southwestern Theological Seminary in Marriage and Family Counseling and Christian Education.
Professionally, she has designed both residential and commercial projects throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area, throughout Texas, and in New Mexico. Her projects have ranged from one-room makeovers on a budget to the complete design and finish selection process of multi-million-dollar estates.
D Magazine recognized her in 1989 for her achievements as the interior designer for the J.D. Murchison Estate in Highland Park, which was selected as the 1989 Dallas Symphony Showhouse for the opening of the Morton Meyerson Symphony Center. Lisa served as a liaison for the Murchison Family and the Dallas Symphony Board.
The Fort Worth Business Press honored Lisa Nussbaum as a 2013 Woman of Influence at the FWBP Great Women of Texas event.
Lisa says her greatest honor has been to endow the Janie Branch Endowed Music Scholarship at West Texas State A&M University in Canyon in honor of her late mother, who was passionate about the arts. Lisa was just 17 when her mother was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer; she passed away four years later.
The endowed scholarship is part of the University’s “One West” $125 Million Fundraising Campaign.
“I have searched for ways to merge my education in a manner that would benefit my business and my passion for nonprofit work,” Lisa says. “I am moved by the use of color, fabric, furnishings, lighting, and space and the profound effect it can have on a person’s senses in relation to place. By understanding the impact of these design elements, we can create spaces that support the needs and enhance the experience specific to the individual. Health and wellness is becoming more central to our designing and building for clients.
“When I see how interaction with horses and humans brings peace and calm, or seeing elements of nature displayed in art causes people to feel a sense of hope and creating a sense of empowerment, I believe I have accomplished the goal of enhancing a person’s ability to experience confidence in their places of work, play, and life.”
