Qualifications
What training, experience, and characteristics qualify you for this position?
I’ve spent over 25 years as a teacher, mentor, and education leader, work that taught me how policy either opens doors for families or closes them. As Alief ISD Board President and a Master Trustee with the Texas Association of School Boards, I’ve managed real budgets, passed bonds serving every student, and grown CTE programs. I also served as Director of the Texas Education Policy Institute and founded my own consulting firm helping organizations navigate change. Raised in a working-class family that valued hard work, I bring both the lived experience and the governing experience District 149 deserves in Austin.
Healthcare
Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation. What steps would you take as a state representative to ensure access to affordable healthcare, including mental health services, for residents who are currently uninsured or underserved in your district?
I’ll push for expanded coverage options that reach the working families in District 149 currently falling through the gaps, and support my Texas Coverage and Community Care priorities to protect and strengthen community health centers that serve as a first line of care in underserved neighborhoods. Mental health access can’t be an afterthought, so I’ll advocate for parity in coverage and expanded telehealth options so care isn’t limited by transportation or cost. Healthcare access shouldn’t depend on your zip code or your job, and I’ll treat it as a core priority, not a side issue.
Education
What measures would you support to ensure adequate state funding for public schools and accountability for taxpayer funds used in voucher or education savings account programs?
Public schools come first. I’ll fight to fully fund our neighborhood schools, and I won’t support expanding voucher or ESA programs without the same accountability standards public schools are already held to, including transparent reporting on outcomes and taxpayer dollars spent. Every dollar diverted to a program with less oversight is a dollar not reaching the classroom teachers and students who depend on it. I believe in choice that doesn’t come at the expense of the public system serving the vast majority of Texas kids.
Issues
What are the two most pressing issues unique to your district, and what specific, measurable actions would you take to address them during your term?
First, chronically underfunded public schools facing growing enrollment needs. I’ll work to pass legislation fully funding our public school formula and file it within my first session, not wait years to act. Second, rising costs are squeezing renters, homeowners, and small businesses in a district this apartment-heavy and entrepreneur-driven. I’ll advocate for renter protections, targeted property tax relief, and reduced permitting barriers for small business owners, with the goal of moving at least one of these measures through committee within my first term.
