LIBRARY | LUCA | March 2024
LUCA Library: From the Academia
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Legislative Consultant
John Cyrier (SEER-ee-ay) served in the Texas House of Representatives for District 17. This district included Lee, Bastrop, Caldwell, Gonzales and Karnes Counties. As the former Chairman of the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, he led the commission that reviews state agencies to make government more effective, efficient, and responsive to the needs of Texans. He previously chaired the House Committee on Culture, Recreation, and Tourism. This committee directly works with industries and activities that manage billions of dollars in economic impact annually to the State of Texas and the oversight committee for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
John, was Founder and Managing Director of Sabre Commercial. Through his leadership, Sabre was consistently ranked in the Austin Business Journal’s top-10 “Best Places to Work” and “Fast 50” list of the fastest growing companies in Central Texas. Sabre was also a five-time winner of the Aggie 100 award, given to the 100 fastest growing Aggie-owned companies in the world. John has been nominated three times for the Austin Business Journal’s Best CEO award. By March of 2020, John sold his commercial construction firm that employed over seventy-five employees and operated out of two offices in central Texas.
Prior to his four terms representing the sprawling house district East of Austin, John was appointed and served as a Caldwell County Commissioner and County Judge Pro Tem. During his service he worked to improve transportation, overhaul outdated subdivision and development regulations, and promote local business development and jobs growth.
John is a 1995 graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology and he served as Commander of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. John remains an active member at the university and of his local A&M Club. As a leader in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, John was a member of the Ross Volunteers, Air Force ROTC, earned the Wofford Cain Boot and Sabre Award, Outstanding Major Unit Commander, and Outstanding Freshman A-Battery honors. John is also an Eagle Scout with a Bronze Palm.
John’s strong belief in service to his country and community has been a beacon throughout his life. John joined the Texas State Guard in 2016 and was promoted to the rank of Captain. He was a founding board member of the Lockhart ISD Education Foundation and has served on the board of directors for the Central Texas Food Bank and was board chair of Caritas of Austin, a nonprofit with over 80 staff members that works to end homelessness by fostering self-reliance and wellbeing. John’s service also includes leadership boards for the Real Estate Council of Austin, Capital Area Housing and Finance Corporation, Austin Area Research Organization, Greater San Marcos Partnership, and chair of the San Marcos Airport Advisory Commission. He is also past Chairman for the Austin Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America.
John and his wife, Rachelle, live on their ranch just outside of Lockhart. John is an avid outdoorsman and a commercial, multi-engine, seaplane and instrument pilot with over 2,700 hours of flight time in mostly antique and WWII warbirds. John’s passion is aviation history and flying. He maintains his personal collection of aircraft at his ranch including his pride of over 18 years, a 1941 WWII Stearman biplane. John also enjoys adventure. That is why he is SCUBA certified, rides adventure motorcycles and holds a Skydiving A License with over 35 jumps.
Senior Research Associate
Francisco is an economist and data scientist with a Ph.D. in Public Policy and an M.Sc. in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. Over his career, his work has applied economic theory in academia and government. He served as a Lecturer at the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University from 2020 to 2023. In Mexico, he worked on performing different types of evaluations of public and budget programs, constructing economic development plans, designing competitive public agendas, creating indexes, identifying strategic economic sectors, and teaching several undergraduate and graduate courses at Universidad del Valle de Mexico. Francisco also holds a B.A. in Economics from the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon and an M.A. in Economy and Public Policy from Tecnologico de Monterrey.
Community Partnership Fellow
Manny is a passionate individual who is skyrocketing in his role as a pre-law student, and in his role as community partner fellow at Texas Census Institute. En route to graduation, Manny is a Criminal Justice & Political Science Major, with a concentration in criminal law. As an active individual within the RGV, he is quite involved in many organizations. He is the Vice-President of the RGV Model United Nations, the Liaison Officer for his Mock Trial Competition Team and an active member in several community events. Due to his interests in the community and in justice, Mr. De Leon has been exposed to diverse educational settings and several intellectual debates. He has worked as an academic tutor and has helped high school students pursue an education. In assessing the world around him, Mr. De Leon has an analytical approach that has garnered him recognition. He has a high G.P.A., excellent research & writing skills, and a personable nature. Not only is he dedicated to his intellectual growth, he also is an entrepreneur with his own pastry business. As a lifelong student, Mr. De Leon is constantly exposed to a wide array of sectors related to U.S. legal institutions, social justice causes, and education.
Salesforce Lead
Shawn Clement is an experienced and certified Salesforce Admin with nearly a decade of expertise in the platform. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Intervention from Winthrop University and a Master’s in Higher Education from the University of Virginia. Throughout his career, Shawn has been dedicated to the nonprofit sector, with a focus on education, student development, and advocacy.
Shawn’s professional journey has been marked by a strong commitment to human rights, compassion, meditation, mindfulness, and social justice. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his role, with a particular passion for creating equitable and inclusive environments. Shawn’s dedication to these values is evident in his work, where he strives to leverage technology to drive meaningful change and support the missions of the organizations he serves. His three Salesforce certifications underscore his expertise and dedication to staying at the forefront of the field.
His work is characterized by a deep sense of empathy and a commitment to making a positive impact in the world.
Operations Manager
Jacqueline Menjivar is a dedicated and passionate professional currently serving as the Operations Manager at the Texas Census Institute. She brings a diverse range of experience in managing operations across retail, museums, and interior design. Jacqueline is deeply committed to human rights and civil rights work, with an extensive background in advocacy for equity and diversity. She is currently pursuing a degree in Political Science at Texas Woman’s University, driven by her passion for understanding the critical role of policy in promoting human rights. Throughout her career, Jacqueline has demonstrated a strong commitment to social justice, actively working to advance equity and inclusion in various sectors. At the Texas Census Institute, she leverages her operational expertise to ensure efficient and effective management of the Institute’s projects and initiatives, supporting its mission to promote fair and equal representation for all communities.
Business Systems Intern
Brian is a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Political Science and Statistics. While in school, he worked for several years as an undergraduate research assistant, combining quantitative and qualitative research methods on projects studying global development and political economy. He is interested in using data analysis for social impact and public policy changes to improve the quality of life of Texas citizens.
Founder & Executive Director
Through her extensive start-up experience in the B2B, retail and marketing industry, Angela brings expertise in strategy, process development, and financial planning for startups as well as growth-stage organizations. She has a history of simplifying complex business processes, positioning businesses as customer-centric, forward-thinking performers, along with extensive experience building focused teams, and inspiring collaboration.
In addition to her work in the business sector, Angela is an experienced social-sector change agent. Hired by Communities Foundation of Texas to manage the Texas Counts Pooled Fund to support the 2020 Census, Angela became engaged in efforts across the state and gained a deep understanding of the importance of census data. Her passion for this work led her to launch the Texas Census Institute to ensure the planning, collaboration, and research needed to elevate the importance of the census and the American Community Survey continues to ensure Texas remains the best place to live and work.
Angela has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Chief Strategist
Amy is the Founder and Principal of B. Partners, a consulting group that specializes in strategy, fundraising, communications and events. Her passion is helping organizations optimize resource development by leveraging unique communications, technology and marketing strategies while streamlining processes to accelerate impact.
Passionate about the importance of the census, Amy works to connect and align the Texas Census Institute with stakeholders across the state and nation.
Human Systems Design Strategist
Regina is a human-centered design strategist and collaborator and an experienced change agent for equity and community building. In addition to her current role with the TxCI team, Regina is the founding director of Human Systems and Strategies Design Group, and she is the co-founder of The Budd Center: Engaging Communities in Education at Southern Methodist University where she led its keystone project, The School Zone for more than a decade. In addition to her work in human systems and strategies, Regina has more than thirty years of experience in a variety of community development settings including the practice of architecture, micro-lending, affordable housing, and PreK-12 education. Regina received her B’Architecture from Texas Tech University and a Master’s in Design and Innovation from Southern Methodist University.