Laura Draper Bellows

Laura Draper Bellows serves as President and Chairman of the Board of W. S. Bellows Construction Corporation and is the majority-controlling owner.  Family-owned and led for 104 years, with the fourth generation now working for the company, Bellows Construction has experience constructing buildings in many market sectors including hospitals, performing arts theaters, museums, office buildings, churches, schools, specialized nonprofit facilities, hotels, tenant build-outs and complete building renovations.

When her husband of 27 years, Tom Bellows, passed away unexpectedly in 2007, Laura took over leadership of the company.  Personally dedicated to continuing Bellows Construction’s reputation for integrity and excellence, Laura is committed to client service in her leadership role, as well as supporting the loyal, expert personnel who are the foundation of the company.  She especially enjoys her regular visits to jobsites to visit with superintendents and field personnel as she continues to emphasize Bellows’ high standards of safe operating practices and executing quality projects with precision.  Bellows Construction was awarded the prestigious 2017 National Award for Safety Excellence by the Associated General Contractors of America.

Laura graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Fine Arts and also achieved certification in Technical Writing at Houston Baptist University.   Laura has previous experience in public relations and writing, including working at the Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston and as a staff writer for a local magazine. 

She also draws on years of experience serving the Houston community in numerous volunteer leadership and organizational roles.  Laura currently serves on the boards of the DePelchin Children's Center, the American Heart Association, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and on the advisory board of the Houston Arts Alliance.  She also serves as a co-chair of the Construction Sector Council of the GHP's UpSkill Houston workforce initiative which is focused on closing the "middle skills" careers gap in Houston.  In March of 2017, she chaired DePelchin Children’s Center 125th Anniversary celebration.