Shahin Alvi
James Bradbury, PLLC
After spending many years in large law firms, Jim Bradbury left to form his own practice focused on environmental, land, water and regulatory matters, including the imminent water policy issues facing rural Texas. Mr. Bradbury is an adjunct Professor at Texas A&M Law School. He regularly speaks on landowner rights and water issues as they affect Texas public policy. He serves as Chair of the Board of the Texas Land Trust Council and is a past chairman for the Nature Conservancy’s Northwest Texas Advisory Board. He has also served as chair of the Forestry Board for the City of Fort Worth and also served on the City of Fort Worth Urban Gas Drilling Task Force and the Fort Worth Air Quality Committee, which developed a unique comprehensive evaluation of the contributions of shale gas production to air quality. Jim is a fly fisherman who is passionate about the outdoors and lives in Austin with his wife Elizabeth and two boys Sam and Jack.
Savy Buoy
Savy is the owner of Savy Realty and Acquisition, a certified women business enterprise, located in Travis County Precinct 1 who is a contributing member of her community, actively engaged in numerous Asian business organizations and real estate associations. Savy is a knowledgeable and trusted realty specialist with a decade of experience in the real estate industry. Licensed as a broker, she has gained a reputation for exceptional customer satisfaction, dedicated follow-through and quality service.
Socar Chatmon-Thomas
Top producer with more than 17 years of real estate experience. Has received several honors for her work in real estate, including OMEGA TAU RHO Award. As NAR Director, chosen as the Federal Political Contact (FPC) for Congressman Lloyd Doggett. Served on various boards: TAR Housing Initiative Committee; TAR Financial Services Task Force, Advisory Member; TREPAC Trustee; has participated in TAR Hill Visits in Washington, D.C. since 1996. Chairman of Energy Conversation Subcommittee (ABOR). Assisted Katrina Victims relocating to Austin in 2005-06.
Barbara Ciley
Rick Cofer
Mr. Cofer is a Travis County prosecutor and community activist. He is a City of Austin Parks Board Member, Austin Central Labor Council Delegate and Vice Chair of the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition. He has previously been Chair of the City of Austin Zero Waste Advisory Commission and led Austin's efforts to ban single use plastic bags. He has lived in Austin since 2000.
Judy Cortez
Ms. Judy Cortez serves as the first woman President of the Austin Central Labor Council (ACLC). The ACLC is a professional organization comprised of 24 union affiliates in Central Texas (Bastrop, Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties) under the mandate of the Texas AFL-CIO which represents over 235,000 members in Texas. Judy also proudly serves as President for one of the three largest public sector employee labor organizations in Austin and Travis County; AFSCME Local 1624.
Judy recently completed 10-year tenure as a Commissioner of the City of Austin Human Rights Commission which she chaired for four years. Judy also serves on the KLRU Community Advisory Board. She was a Leadership Austin Alumni class of 2002 and a Hispanic Austin Leadership Inaugural Class Alumni of 2000. Judy holds a Graduate Degree in Political Science-Legal Studies along with a Paralegal Certification and a Mediation Certification.
David Courreges
Mr. Courreges is the founder of the Austin-based law firm Courreges, PC, where his practice includes government, administrative, and association law. He currently serves as a Director on the Austin Bar Association Board of Directors, as well as the Austin Young Chamber Board of Directors.
Martha Dickie
Martha is a named partner with law firm Almanza, Blackburn, Dickie and Mitchell, LLP. She is a graduate of the University of Texas (BA Plan II: 1977 and JD UT Law: 1980) and has practiced law in Travis County for 36 years. She has served as President of the Austin Bar Association, President of the State Bar of Texas, President of the Austin Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and is currently President of the Lochridge Inn of Court. She has previously served on numerous committees relating to the need and planning processes for a new Travis County Courthouse.
Patricia Dixon
Scott Dukette
Mr. Scott Dukette, PE, serves as Vice President in the Austin office of RPS Klotz Associates, a civil engineering firm that provides analysis, design, permitting and construction support services for both public sector and private clients.
Mr. Dukette received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1980 and a Master of Business Administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1985. He joined Klotz Associates in 2002 and his 35-year career has spanned all aspects of civil engineering including design, planning and construction of transportation, public infrastructure, and retail, residential and land development projects.
Mr. Dukette has been active in a number of local and state business and technical organizations, many times serving as Director and/or chairing committees. He is also an alumni of Leadership Austin Class of 2004.
Bryan Hardeman
Kendel Martin
Mrs. Kendel B. Martin, CPA, serves as Vice President, Accounting for Luminex Corporation, a public company that develops, manufactures, and sells proprietary biological testing technologies and products for the diagnostics, pharmaceutical, and life sciences industries worldwide. In this capacity, Mrs. Martin has responsibility for Finance and Accounting, Financial Planning and Analysis and Tax. Prior to joining Luminex Corporation, Mrs. Martin held management roles as External Reporting Manager at Freescale Semiconductor, Internal Audit Manager at Cirrus Logic and Audit Senior Manager at Ernst & Young LLP. Mrs. Martin holds a B.A. in Economics from Rhodes College and is a Texas Certified Public Accountant. Mrs. Martin serves as Vice Chair, Finance on the Board of the Austin Chamber of Commerce, on the Finance Committee of Impact Austin and the Business Advisory Board at Westwood High School in Round Rock ISD.
Herbert Martinez
Lou McCreary
Mr. McCreary received his Doctor of Jurisprudence and Political Science from the University of Texas and has practiced law in Travis County for more than 50 years. He is a trial attorney and mediator and is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law. Mr. McCreary has broad trial experience on both sides of the docket in many areas of law. He has initiated, planned and presented Attorney General Conferences on Administrative Law and Liability, Eminent Domain, Highway Preservation, Crime Victims Compensation and Worker’s Compensation Job Safety.
Richard Moya
Stephen Nagle
Stephen Nagle was raised in Houston, and worked in radio before going to law school at the University of Texas. He graduated with his Juris Doctor in 1978, and has worked as a trial lawyer ever since. Mr. Nagle is married to Chef Quincy Adams Erickson. They have two grown children, and live in Central Austin.
Dewitt M. Peart
Dewitt (De) Peart became the President and CEO of the Downtown Austin Alliance in February 2015, where he leads the team in fulfilling its mission of preserving and enhancing the value and vitality of downtown Austin. He guides the DAA’s vision and strategy and ensures the organization’s fiscal health. He also leads its advocacy efforts, acting as head liaison to the DAA board of directors and informing public officials and the community of our priorities.
Patricia Ramirez
Clark Richards
Ken Rigsbee, P.E., retired
Mr. Rigsbee is a native of South Austin, Travis County, Texas. He is a graduate of Becker Elementary School, Fulmore Jr. High School, and Wm. B. Travis High School. Mr. Rigsbee earned an engineering degree from The University of Texas and went to work for Phillips Petroleum Company – stayed for 36 years in 15 technical and management assignments in 8 different locations around North America. He is a licensed professional engineer in two states, elected a Fellow of both the National Society of Architectural Engineers and the National Society of Professional Engineers. Now retired, lives with his wife, Sharon in Circle C Ranch and at Inverness Point on Lake Travis.
Rosa Rios Valdez
A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Rosa is certified in development finance by the National Development Council of New York. She has 30 years experience in business development and commercial real estate lending. She has served as Executive Director for BCL of Texas since 1997. Prior to joining BCL of Texas, Rios Valdez served as manager of business finance in the Texas Governor’s Office of Economic Development where she focused on business and manufacturing expansions throughout the state. She also worked regionally in central and southeast Texas as a former Director of Economic Development for the Lower Colorado River Authority. Rios Valdez serves on the Economic Development Board of the Capital Area Planning Council of GovernmentShe also serves on the Board of the NeighborWorks America Community Capital Corporation, and sits on their Loan Committee. She recently completed an Executive Management program at the Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government and this August completed an appointment the Travis County Bond Advisory Board.
Julia Spann
Basic Needs Coalition of Central Texas, Past Chair, current member; One Voice Central Texas, Past Chair, current member; I Live Here, I Give Here, Advisory Committee member; Austin Community Foundation Women’s Fund, Past co-chair, Membership Committee Downtown Austin Alliance, 2005 Board Member; Security and Maintenance Committee member; Austin Area Human Service Association, Executive Committee member; Ending Chronic Homeless Organizing Committee (ECHO); Envision Central Texas, Social Equity Committee member; Texas Council of Family Violence, Member of Public Policy Committee.
Robert Thomas
After 20 years of practicing complex commercial litigation in a variety of law firms, including his own successful firm, Mr. Thomas transitioned full time into entrepreneurial and business ventures. He subsequently founded the Thomas Consulting Group, a business strategy consulting and advisory firm to Fortune 500 and startup companies. Governor Greg Abbott appointed Mr. Thomas Chair of the Texas Facilities Commission in 2015. He has also worked to strengthen communities all across Texas as a former gubernatorial appointed board member of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. A partial list of Mr. Thomas’s local community engagement includes service as the former Tri-Chair of the Austin ISD Community Bond Oversight Committee, member of the Austin Community College Bond Oversight Advisory Committee, and former board member of the Austin African American Cultural Heritage District. Mr. Thomas is a Rotarian, a member of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, the Real Estate Council of Austin, and a former Chairman of the Board of SafePlace. Robert is married to Amy Shaw Thomas and they have two second generation Texas Longhorns. Robert holds bachelor's degrees in Political Science and German from Loyola University, a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business.
Ward Tisdale
Ward Tisdale is responsible for developing RECA’s overall strategy and managing its day-to-day operations. He oversees the administration of the organization, including its annual budget and goals. Tisdale was selected to lead RECA in October 2013. Prior to taking the reins at RECA, Tisdale was director of global community affairs at Advanced Micro Devices. His tenure at AMD ran from 1999 to 2012. Prior to AMD, Tisdale was communications director for the Texas Association of Health Plans and deputy press secretary for the Texas Attorney General’s office. He was also a reporter at The Monitor Newspaper in McAllen, Texas. Tisdale has a master’s degree in journalism and a bachelor’s degree in history, both from the University of Texas.
Salvador Valdez
Salvador “Sal” Valdez is an experienced public and private sector Executive Management professional. Sal has consulted both as a business and marketing development professional as well as in the areas of community and economic development across the State. His Texas Legislative experience includes serving as the Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for the former Dean of the Texas Senate Carlos Truan. He also served as the Senior Legislative Analyst for the Senate Committee of the Whole for redistricting, Director of the Senate Committees of: International Relations Trade and Technology, Senate Committee for Military Installations and Veterans Affairs and the Senate NAFTA Committee.
Mr. Valdez has served in numerous appointed and volunteer capacities. He has provided both support and leadership vision in addressing community issues of juvenile justice, homelessness, hunger and health disparities as well as community and economic development specific to the minority and small business sectors.
Mr. Valdez has both undergraduate and graduate degrees (BA / MSW) from Our Lady of the Lake University at San Antonio, Texas. He is a graduate of the Governor’s Executive Management Program at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, Sal and Vicky (Eduvigen) Primera Valdez of Marathon, Texas, have been married for 38 years. As Austin residents for over 33 years, Vicky and Sal have raised four children in South Austin.
Robert Wright
Mr. Wright is President and Owner of R.L. Wright, REALTORS®, a real estate firm established in 1998 which serves the Austin metro and surrounding communities. Robert is a Texas native, graduating from George Washington Carver High School and the University of Maryland majoring in Business Administration and Management. He served over 29-years in the US Air Force, retiring at the highest military enlisted rank. After retiring with a highly decorated and distinguished career, he went directly into real estate. Prior to starting his own company, he was an agent and manager of a very large Century 21 company in the Austin area. Robert serves his community as a member of the Masonic Lodge, NAACP, Urban League and Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce. At the chamber he serves on the Entrepreneurship and Business Development Committee. His real estate designations are, CRS, GRI, GREEN, TAHS and TRLP. He currently serves on Texas Association of Real Estate Brokers Board of Directors as well as President and foundering member of Austin Association of Real Estate Brokers; black professional real estate association of central Texas.
