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.She's a proud Bel Air Highlander and Southwest Texas (Texas State) University graduate.
Wells Dunbar is the social media host/producer for Texas Standard. “The National Daily News Show of Texas,” Texas Standard is a one-hour news magazine broadcast on nearly two dozen public radio stations across the state. In two signature segments each show, Wells breaks news and curates reactions to trending topics by sharing what people are saying on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and other sites on the social web. He also develops the social media messaging for Texas Standard and oversees content on the show’s website, texasstandard.org. Wells has been in radio for six years; prior to the launch of Texas Standard in 2015, he was the web editor for Austin’s NPR station KUT, where he reported extensively on Austin culture and politics. Prior to that, he was the “City Hall Hustle” columnist for the Austin Chronicle, where he attempted to demystify local politics through DIY YouTube videos and hosting political debates at music venues like the Mohawk. He has lived in Austin for more than 20 years and is a graduate of St. Edward's University. During his stint at St. Edward's, Wells was part of an underground rap outfit called the Town Drunks, and collaborated with an indie group named Lovetron. Wells and his wife Pam Ross are the proud parents of Charlie and Margot. Wells is a proud graduate of Radford School and St. Edward's University.
Ana Jordan was born and raised in El Paso. She graduated from Ysleta High School and came to Austin in 1986. She earned two degrees from the University of Texas: a Bachelor of Arts and a Doctorate of Jurisprudence. Before going to law school, she was a Legislative Research Assistant in the Texas House of Representatives, and she interned for a congressional subcommittee in the United States House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. After graduating from law school, Ana practiced law for 17 years. During that time, she served as a state prosecutor and worked as a criminal defense attorney in state courts. She later joined the Attorney General’s Office where she represented the State of Texas and many of its state agencies, including the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and the Texas University System in both state and federal courts. In 2011, she represented the State of Texas during the last redistricting cycle. Ana has seen the law from all perspectives. She is a deep believer in due process and fairness, and she possesses a deep understanding of government and the law. Ana lives in Barton Creek with her husband, Sean, of 16 years and their two children Connor and Sophia.
Mando Rayo is CEO and Engagement Strategist at Mando Rayo + Collective, a multicultural advertising agency based in Austin, Texas. Mando is an award winning Texas blogger and co-author of Austin Breakfast Tacos: The Story of the Most Important Taco of the Day and the upcoming book, The Tacos of Texas to be published by University of Texas press in the Fall of 2016. Mando’s work is deep rooted in multicultural experiences and works on campaigns with such brands as Whataburger, KLRU-TV, PBS Austin, Texas Beef Council, Austin Film Society, People en Español Magazine y más. Mando’s work has been featured on Bon Appetite Magazine, The Food Network, NPR, The New York Times and SXSW As a grassroots cocinero and taco aficionado, Mando shares his Latino perspectives onTacoJournalism.com and canvasses Texas to explore all things tacos. While most food bloggers focus on trendy foods and fancy trailers, Mando focuses on the richness of the culture, history and traditions. From Al Pastor to Puffy, Breakfast Tacos to Discada, Mando chows down on the tastiest tacos Texas has to offer.
Joel Salcido is a photographer in Austin Texas healing from El Paso. He has been published in so many magazines Texas Monthly, Texas Highways, and the Austin American Statesman. His works have been in galleries nationally and internationally. He graduated from El Paso High and the University of Texas-El Paso with a Bachelor of Arts. Joel began working professionally in photography as an intern for the El Paso Times in 1979. As a staff photographer for the newspaper he documented the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, covered the 1985 Mexico earthquake and traveled extensively in Latin America for USA Today. He received multiple awards, amongst them several for his coverage of life in Cuba and inhalant abuse on the U.S.-Mexican border. In 1991 Salcido left as photo editor of The El Paso Times to pursue commercial and editorial photography. Eight years later he moved his family to Spain for a year to work on his fine art photography. His fine art photographs are now in the permanent collections of the Wittliff Gallery of Southwestern and Mexican Photography at Texas State University-San Marcos, The El Paso Museum of Art, the Harry Ransom Humanities Center at UT Austin and other institutions. Joel Salcido continues to work as an editorial and fine art photographer in Austin and produces work for galleries and publications like USA Today and Texas Highways. In 2004 he was one of three Fulbright scholarship finalists for a Bolivian photography project and was nominated for the 2005 Arthouse Texas Prize. Visit his website for a view of his artwork - http://www.joelsalcido.com/