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Andy Brown

Judge Brown headshot

Andy serves as the Travis County Judge. The County Judge presides over the Travis County Commissioners Court which oversees the county’s $1.4 billion annual budget, acts as the County’s chief administrator, and is the Director of Emergency Management for the County.

Read Andy’s Full Bio

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Meet the County Judge Staff

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Chief of Staff

Kate Garza
(512) 854-9555

Kate Garza serves as Judge Brown's Chief of Staff. A lawyer, Kate started her career as a second-grade teacher in the Cabrini Green housing projects in Chicago where she saw firsthand how our broken social safety net impacts our communities and can push working families into crisis. She believes that together we can fix it.

Kate has spent the past twenty years working in health, education, and labor policy to give voice and build power to improve the lives of working people, children, and communities of color. Kate has worked for the United States Senate HELP Committee, House of Representatives Education & Workforce Committee, and the Departments of Education and Labor, where she served as an official in the Obama Administration. In Austin, Kate served as senior counsel to Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza and then as Director of Advocacy & External Affairs for the Ascension Seton Hospital System.

Kate lives in Austin with her husband José, two kids, and dog, Bizzy.

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Agenda Coordinator

Elizabeth Medina
(512) 854-9229

Elizabeth currently serves as the Agenda Coordinator in Judge Brown's office. She has over 17 years of experience working for Travis County. Elizabeth started her career at the District Clerk’s office where she served as the Training and Education Coordinator and Liaison to the Family and Civil District Courts. A proud St. Edward’s graduate, she will receive her MBA in December 2021. She has deep ties in our community and has demonstrated servant leadership though her many volunteer efforts which include the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas, Austin Chapter, where she previously served as Chair and where she received the prestigious Estrella award.

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Policy Counsel

Emma Hilbert
(512) 854-9555

Emma Hilbert serves as Policy Counsel to Judge Brown. Prior to coming to the Travis County Judge’s Office, Emma worked as an attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project, where she used litigation, advocacy, and community lawyering to defend voting rights and advance racial and economic justice. Emma came to Texas after a fellowship with the Legal Aid Justice Center in Virginia, where she advocated for clients in the organization’s economic justice and youth justice programs. She is a graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law and Haverford College, where she majored in anthropology. Emma lives in Austin, and is excited to continue a career in service to the community with Judge Brown’s Office.

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Communications Advisor

Jacqueline Arias-Bryant

Jacqueline Arias-Bryant serves as the Communications Advisor to Judge Brown. Before joining Judge Brown’s office, Jackie served as the Legislative Director to Texas State Representative Ram​​ón Romero, Jr. She previously worked on state and federal campaigns in South Texas, including serving as Michelle Vallejo’s field director for her 2022 congressional run.

Jackie is a proud Rio Grande Valley native and passionate about community organizing as she began her career with La Unión Del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), a nonprofit that serves to empower farmworkers and colonia residents on the Texas-Mexico border. She graduated from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and received her MA in Political Science and her BA in Mass Communications and Broadcast Journalism. Jackie enjoys spending time with her husband Cody and two dogs, watching sports and exploring Austin’s food scene and outdoors.

Cynthia Valdez portrait

Administrative Coordinator

Cynthia Valdez

Cynthia Valdez serves as the administrative coordinator to Judge Andy Brown. She has more than 14 years of experience working for Travis County, first in the Tax Office as a compliance officer, and then as a financial and administrative aide for the District Judges’ Office.

Cynthia graduated from St. Edwards University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, is fluent in Spanish, and helps manage the day-to-day operations in Judge Brown’s office. Cynthia likes to spend time outside with her husband going to concerts, hiking, and enjoying Travis County’s many greenbelts.

Connect with Judge’s Office

General Contact

Press Inquiries

Public Information Requests

  Phone

 (512) 854-9555 

  Street Address

700 Lavaca
Suite 2.300
Austin, TX 78701
(Map)

  Mailing Address

P.O. Box 1748
Austin, TX 78767

  Social Media

 

TAX RATE: TRAVIS COUNTY ADOPTED A TAX RATE THAT WILL RAISE MORE TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS THAN LAST YEAR’S TAX RATE. THE TAX RATE WILL EFFECTIVELY BE RAISED BY 3.5 PERCENT AND WILL RAISE TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS ON A $100,000 HOME BY APPROXIMATELY $9.12.