Around the Capitol / On the Move

Aaron Moncibaiz has left the Lieutenant Governor's Office and his role as Criminal Justice Policy Advisor and has joined he executive team at Goodwill Central Texas as their new General Counsel.

Former Rep. Michelle Beckley has announced she will run against Rep. Ben Bumgarner in HD 63.

Former Rep. Alex Dominguez has announced he's running in HD 37, currently represented by Rep. Janie Lopez.

Faith Villarreal has been promoted to Sr. Policy Analyst in Sen. Charles Schwertner's office.

Sydni Mitchell Gaitan has started a new position as Higher Education Budget and Policy Advisor in the Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott. She previously served as the K-12 Budget and Policy Advisor for the Governor.

Julia Crusius recently has been promoted from Legislative Director to Chief of Staff in Rep. James Frank's office.

Fawaz Anwar, Chief of Staff to Rep. Terry Meza, has left to be Campaign Manager for Cassandra Hernandez, who's running in the district currently represented by Rep. Mihaela Plesa.

Natalie Marquez is the new District Director for Rep. Salman Bojani. She previously acted as GOTV Director for Zo for Austin City Council, District 9.

Brianna Menard has been appointed Executive Director of the Texas House Early Childhood Caucus under Chairman Rep. Diego Bernal.

Lucy Tiblier was promoted from Sr. Policy Analyst to Deputy Director of the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services.

Rep. Steve Toth recently announced he is leaving the House Freedom Caucus.

Longtime House staffer Suzanne Bowers recently retired. She worked for both former Rep. Jodie Laubenberg and for Rep. Candy Noble. Cassie Daniel Howell is moving from Legislative Director to Chief of Staff in Noble's office, replacing Bowers.

Marina Hench has received a promotion and will assume a new role as a Senior Policy Advisor at the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services.

Texas Politics Today is produced and sponsored by Arnold Public Affairs, an Austin-based public affairs and lobby firm working with corporate and non-profit organizations. Jim Arnold, Ellen Arnold and Taylor Aycock

Be sure to send us news of departures, promotions, births, marriages and other milestones, so we can share it with the Capitol community!

Information can be sent to jim@arnoldpublicaffairs.com or text at 512-431-5385

Lobby/Associations/Other

Stephanie Mace has joined AARP Texas as an Associate State Director of Advocacy and Outreach. She previously worked at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.

The Mach 1 Group hired Haley Hutcherson as a new account executive. She was a former staffer for former Speaker Tom Craddick.

Laura Stromberg Hoke started a new position as a real estate agent at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Texas Realty. but continues to own and operate Laura Hoke Public Relations.

Former Sunset Commissioner, Joey Longley, has started his own firm, Outrider Z, Sunset Solutions. He most recently worked as a Director at HHSC.

Micah Cavanaugh has been appointed as the new Republican Party of Texas Political Director. Cavanaugh previously was Chief of Staff to the late U.S. Rep. Ron Wright as well as two state representatives.

Wendy Foster is the new Director of Government Relations for the Texas Independent Bankers Association, replacing Steve Scurlock. She was previously the Director of Government Affairs for the Texas General Land Office.

Matt Burgin joins ConocoPhillips as Director of State Government Relations in Texas. He previously served as the Director of Government Relations for the Texas Food & Fuel Association.

Karina Erickson joins Energy Workforce and Technology Council as its new Communications Director. She was previously worked at The Monument Group and for the General Land Office.

Amber Pearce has left Pfizer after 13 years to join Exact Sciences as Director of State Government Relations.

Andrea Pee was recently appointed the Executive Director and CEO of the Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists after serving as Chief Operating Officer.

Lauren Cook recently launched her own communications firm, Connecting Our Stories, LLC. Before that she was at the Charles Butt Foundation and also worked at Raise Your Hand Texas.

Smiley Garcia received a promotion from Senior Director of Government Relations to Assistant Vice President of Government Relations at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

Leah Rummel recently opened her own Medicaid Consulting firm, Leah Rummel Consulting. She previously served as Vice President of Strategic Account Development for United Healthcare Community Plan of Texas.

Jenifer Sarver is now a part-time faculty lecturer at The Moody College of Communication at UT.

State Agencies

DFPS Commissioner Stephanie Muth has made the following personnel changes at the agency:

Marta Talbert was promoted from Acting Associate Commissioner to Associate Commissioner for the Child Protective Investigations Program.

Trina Ita is the new Chief Strategist for Behavioral Health. Before joining DFPS, she was the Associate Commissioner of Behavioral Health Services at HHSC.

Alyssa Jones joins DFPS as the Chief of Staff. She previously served as the Article II Budget Analyst for the Senate Finance Committee.

Finally, Lea Ann Bigger has been promoted to chief financial officer after serving as acting CFO.

ERCOT is undergoing a strategic leadership organization. Woody Rickerson has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Kristi Hobbs has been promoted to Vice President of System Planning and Weatherization. Betty Day, Vice President of Security and Compliance and Chief Compliance Officer, adds Business Continuity to her duties. Rebecca Zerwas will now be the Director of State Policy and run Public Utility Commission Relations.

The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission has recently appointed Eric Beverly as the agency's new Executive Director. Most recently he served as deputy executive director for Licensing Services at the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation,

HHSC Inspector General Sylvia Hernandez Kauffman is stepping down from her position as of October 2nd.

Mary Jane Wardlow, who worked at the Employees Retirement System for two decades, recently retired from the agency.

Birthdays

Note: If you'd like your birthday listed and we aren't friends on FB, email me and I'll make sure its included.





September

1- Sen. Roland Gutierrez

4 - Luis Moreno

6 - Former Sen. Sylvia Garcia, Sid Miller

7- Rep. John Smithee

8- Former Rep. Garnet Coleman

10- Ryan Poppe, Billie Hopson, Mark Strama

11- Erin Hornaday, Casey Magnuson

12- Billy Millwee, Fmr. Sen. Carlos Uresti, Lara Laneri Keel, Rep. Nicole Collier

13- Elizabeth Ross Hadley

14- Don Comedy, Rep. Brad Buckley, Rep. Jacey Jetton

15- Chris Sanchez, Todd Olsen

16- Russell Farabee, Camille Miller, Lawrence Olsen

17- Linda Eissler, Sen. Donna Campbell

18- Rep. Ron Reynolds, Fmr. Rep. Chuck Hopson, Sen. Mayes Middleton, Speaker Dade Phelan, Former Sen. Beverly Powell

19- Oscar Aguilar, Rep. Tom Craddick

20- Lauren Wied Fairbanks

21- Dennis Speight, Nancy Fisher, Fmr. Rep. Ron Simmons

22- Jim Dow, Shannon Ghangurde, Rep. Valoree Swanson, Rep. Erin Zwiener

23- Debi Williamson Sheeran, Fmr. GLO Comm. Jerry Patterson

24- Amanda Thomas List, Will Newton

25- Rep. Gary VanDeaver, Jason Smith, Lisa Lucero, Fmr. Rep. Debra Danburg

26- Stacy Toomey, RR Comm Wayne Christian, Rep. Rafael Anchia, Sen. Royce West

27- Jacob Cottingham, Rep. Jarvis Johnson

28- Josh Houston, Joe Dyer

29- Fmr. Rep. Terral Smith, Rudy England

30- Gerardo Interiano, Michael Kelley, Glenn Smith

Shout Outs

Congratulations to Ellen Arnold for being this year's recipient of the Henna Award from Goodwill Central Texas, "...as someone who has made a difference in countless lives through her tireless work in education and criminal justice legislative initiatives."

Congratulations to Luis Soberon and his wife as they welcome daughter, Eliana Theresa Soberon.

Congratulation to Kelsey Bernstein and her husband as they await their first child in December 2023.

Congratulations to Chris Miller and his wife on the recent birth of their son, Townes Grayson Miller.

Congratulations to Chandler Ludwick on his recent marriage to Sierra Helterbrand.

Congratulation to Kory Curtis and Jordyn LeBlond on their recent wedding.

Congratulations to RG and Debbie Ratcliffe on the recent birth of their grandson, Theodore Lucas Bachrach.

In Our Thoughts

Our thoughts and prayers are with Rep. Donna Howard and her friends and family after the recent passing of her father.

Condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of former Rep. Mary Denny, who passed away recently.

Our thoughts are with Andrea McWilliams and Annette Graves on the passing of their mother, Carolyn Scogin Beynon, who also worked in and around the Capitol.

Please keep Ron Hinkle and his wife Debbie in your thoughts as Debbie battles Multiple Myeloma and is now in the process of stem cell harvesting for her future stem cell transplant.



Please keep Rep. Tom Oliverson and his sister, Angela Oliverson Pinto, in your thoughts after she underwent surgery recently and is on life support.

We send our condolences to the friends, family, and colleagues of former Rep. David Counts who passed away last month.

Condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of former Sen. Robert Glasgow, who passed away recently.

We are keeping the friends family and colleagues of Mickey Moore in our thoughts after his recent passing.

Incumbents running for re-election (this is not a comprehensive list -- for that check out the SOS or the political parties' websites):

Rep. Christian Manuel

Rep. Ryan Guillen

Rep. Fredrick Frazier

Rep. Giovanni Capriglione

Rep. Charlie Geren

Rep. Ana-María Ramos

Rep. Eric Zwiener

Rep. Charles Cunningham

Rep. Charlie Geren

Sen. Chuy Hinojosa

Sen. Angela Paxton

Sen. César Blanco

Incumbents not running for re-election (this is not a comprehensive list -- for that check out the SOS or the political parties' websites):

Rep. Four Price

Rep. Julie Johnson

Rep. Tracy King

Rep. Lina Ortega

Rep. John Raney

Rep. Ed Thompson

Rep. Matt Schaefer

Rep. Carl Sherman (running for the US Senate)

Rep. Doc Anderson

Rep. Rhetta Andrews Bowers (running for Congress)

For inquiries regarding sponsorship opportunities for this newsletter, please reach out to Jim Arnold at jim@arnoldpublicaffairs.com.