The Advisory Board

The Ann Richards School has an advisory board whose mission is to support and advocate for the students and the school. Hand picked by Ann Richards, the members of the Board are from diverse backgrounds and bring terrific expertise to the school. The Board is chaired by Governor Richards' youngest daughter Ellen Richards.

The Ann Richards School Advisory Board will be raising funds to provide opportunities and programs above and beyond what is provided by the Austin Independent School District. The additional money will pay for supplemental teacher training, academic field trips, foreign exchange programs and other activities that provide exposure to career and leadership activities. Funds will also be used for a college bound program including a full-time college counselor position.

Advisory Board Members

Sylvia Acevedo

Founder, president and CEO of CommuniCard, which provides bilingual communications products and consulting solutions for a diverse workforce.

Jenny Ahearn

Certified Athletic Trainer; Serves on the board of the Posey Family Foundation.

Erol Akdamar

Chief Executive Officer, St. David’s South Austin Hospital.

Cathy Bonner

President and CEO, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship; Founder and president, Austin advertising firm Bonner Incorporated; former director of the Texas Department of Commerce in the Richards administration; founder of The Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future, affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution; founder of Leadership Texas, Leadership America and Power Pipeline.

Sandra Bullock

Accomplished actress, producer and philanthropist.

Pat Forgione

Superintendent of the Austin Independent School District (AISD); ex officio member.

John Hall

President, John Hall Public Affairs in Austin; former chair of Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.

Janet Harman

Founder and President, KDK-Harman Foundation.

Rebecca Lightsey

Executive director of Texas Appleseed; former Texas Commissioner of Insurance.

Lora Livingston

Judge, 261st District Court of Travis County; first African-American woman to serve on a district court in Travis county.

Michele Moore

Retired vice president of corporate communications for Dell, where she founded the corporate communications department as the company’s first female executive; consultant.

Eva Muñoz

Director of external affairs for AT&T; former assistant in the Texas House of Representatives.

Carmyn Neely

Executive director, Foundation for the Education of Young Women.

Nona Niland

Physician co-founder and vice-president of Pharmaco; president, Niland Foundation.

Chula Reynolds

Private investor; a director of the Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation.

Ellen Richards

Chair of the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders Advisory Board; community volunteer.

Catherine Robb

Special counsel at the law firm of Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold, LLP; founder and chair of LBJ Library Future Forum.

Eddie Safady

Chairman for the Austin area of Prosperity Bank; also serves on board of directors and executive committee.

Ingrid Taylor

Consultant and former member of AISD Board of Trustees.

Brenda Thompson

President of Austin public relations firm Brenda Thompson Communications.

Doyle Valdez

President of Valco Resource Management, Inc.; former president of AISD Board of Trustees.

Mary Yancy

Doctor of educational psychology; experience in social/psychological services in school and community settings.

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