What I work on
I co-lead Texas Book Festival with eight other amazingly hard-working, creative, and talented professionals. My focus is on organizational strategy and structure while building a sustainable fundraising model. Almost everything I do is in partnership with my colleagues on the staff, Board of Directors, Board of Advisors, volunteer leaders, and community stakeholders.
Why I work here
The word “excellence” feels overused these days, but I’ve always aligned myself with organizations that truly embody it. It’s clear that Texas Book Festival’s north star is excellence, and my goal is to leverage my skills to further that pursuit. To me, excellence means ensuring that every aspect of our work strikes the perfect balance between impact, creativity, collaboration, sustainability, and the high logistical standards needed to deliver the highest quality programs.
My education and experience
I hold a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree from Southern Methodist University where I documented the story of my family’s immigration experience from Cuba. Early in my career, I dedicated over three years to full-time volunteer service in the United States Peace Corps (Republic of Moldova from 2000-2002) and AmeriCorps VISTA (Dallas, Texas from 2002–2003) where I developed a passion for fundraising for mission-driven organizations. I have since spent the last two decades developing my skills as a leader. Most recently, I served as the Chief Revenue Officer for Pease Park Conservancy, where I am so proud to say I helped finalize the $15M capital campaign to revitalize, operate, and maintain Austin’s beloved Pease Park. I currently serve on the boards of Raasin in the Sun, Laboratorio Arts, and the Jolly Greens.
More about me
I have a teenage son at McCallum Fine Arts Academy, who is the brightest star in the sky 🤩😍.