Board of Directors Immediate Past Chair

Anna Near is an attorney at Saunders, Norval, Pargaman & Atkins, LLP. Her practice consists of estate planning and probate work, and she’s involved extensively in philanthropic planning. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors for the Austin Community Foundation and the Texas Book Festival. She’s a former member of the Boards of Directors for Explore Austin and Tarrytown United Methodist Church Child’s Day Out and the Consultants’ Council for Breakthrough Austin.  American Gateways, Any Baby Can, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, JDRF Austin, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas, and Meals on Wheels are some of her other favorites for volunteer work and community involvement. She has a B.A. in English from Rice University and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law. When she’s not working or spending time with her husband Jason and their two boys, chances are she’s reading or writing fiction.