ACC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Secretary
- Vice Chair
- Vice Chair ( Term Ending 2018 )
- Vice Chair, Sept. 2010 - June 2011 ( Term Ending 2012 )
Job Titles:
- Founder, Modern Fuel Design
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Secretary
- Vice Chair
Job Titles:
- Director
- Public Affairs, Elections, and Voter Registration
Dana Walker was elected for Place 1 on the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees in 2020. Her term will end in 2026.
Dana believes in empowering people and is passionate about helping others realize their own potential. She is an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion and sees opportunity everywhere to recognize the inherent worth and dignity of all people.
In her current role at Facebook, Dana leads a team that plays a critical role in supporting the Oversight Board, a review body that ensures respect for free expression. Prior to Facebook, she worked as a management consultant for Top 100 financial institutions and for multiple U.S. Federal Government agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Her varied employment background also includes roles in research for The Economist, statistics, fashion, and as an international Flight Attendant.
Dana received her Master's in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy - National University of Singapore and her B.A. degree in International Relations (minors in Business and Economics) from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.
Dana Walker Dana Walker was elected for Place 1 on the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees in 2020. Her term will end in 2026. Dana believes in empowering people and is passionate about … Continue reading →
Job Titles:
- Teacher & Educational Video Game Designer
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Program Director
- Vice Chair
- Chairman ( Term Ending 2012 )
- Chairman ( Term Ending 2018 )
- Chairman ( Term Ending 2024 )
- Clinical Professor With the Department of Educational Administration
- Founding Member of the Austin Community College District
- Secretary ( Term Ending 2018 )
Dr. Barbara P. Mink is a founding member of the Austin Community College District and today serves the college as chair of the ACC District Board of Trustees. Mink was the subject of a chapter in "Indelible Austin: Selected Histories" by Michael Barnes titled ‘Behind Austin Community College from Day 1.'
Mink was first elected to the Board of Trustees in 2000. She was re-elected in 2006, 2012, and 2018. She served on the Board as: Vice-Chair, 2002-2004; Chair, 2004-2006; Secretary, 2008-2010; Chair, 2010-2012; Secretary, 2015-2017; and Chair, 2017-2019. She also served two terms on the Board of Directors of the ACC Foundation (2009-2011 and 2002-2004).
Mink is a program director and graduate professor in the School of Leadership Studies at Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, California, where she supervises doctoral students. Her teaching areas include organizational change, leadership, team development, and adult learning and motivation. Mink has served twice on the Board of Trustees of Fielding where she was a member of the Board Executive Committee and Chair of the Board Committee on Diversity and Social Justice.
Mink has been a clinical professor with the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Texas-Austin. She also developed the Innovation and Service Management graduate program for the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia.
Mink has more than 45 years of international consulting experience in the areas of leadership development and the design and implementation of organizational change. She has worked with clients in manufacturing, health care, education, government, communications technology, and finance. Barbara is the author or co-author of 10 books on leadership and organizational effectiveness and has won poetry and creative writing awards in Texas writing competitions.
Mink has also served on the boards of the Human Resource Planning Society, the ARC of the Capital Area, and the Texas Association of Community College Trustees and Administrators. She is a lifetime member of the Austin Area Urban League and the Austin Rodeo Association. As co-founder of the group, Elected Women of Central Texas, she brought together elected women to address issues facing Central Texas. As a volunteer with Global Austin, Mink hosts State Department visitors studying educational and human rights issues. In collaboration with the Navajo Nation, she convenes yearly conferences of educators to advance educational sovereignty of the Navajo Nation.
Dr. Barbara P. Mink Board Chair Dr. Barbara P. Mink is a founding member of the Austin Community College District and today serves the college as chair of the ACC District Board of Trustees. Mink … Continue reading →
Job Titles:
- Vice Chancellor
- Community and Public Affairs
Dr. Manny Gonzalez was appointed as Trustee for Place 5 in April 2022. He was re-elected in November 2022. His term ends in 2028. He currently serves as Board Secretary.
Dr. Gonzalez serves as Regional Director for Western Governors University (WGU), a nonprofit, online university established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors to expand access to higher education across the nation. As Regional Director, Dr. Gonzalez leads strategic initiatives and education partnership efforts in the South Region which includes Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Through this work, Dr. Gonzalez expands access to higher education and builds pathways to careers in the high-demand, high-need workforce fields of education, nursing/healthcare, IT, and business.
Prior to joining WGU, Dr. Gonzalez served as Executive Director for the Community College Association of Texas Trustees, a membership organization representing more than 400 elected trustees and regents across the state's 50 public community college districts. Dr. Gonzalez built trustee and regent capacity through professional development, supporting board leadership committees, and engaging trustees with legislative advocacy strategies. Dr. Gonzalez's career also includes work for the University of Texas at Austin, the Texas House of Representatives, and the White House Domestic Policy Council.
Dr. Gonzalez holds a baccalaureate degree in Management from Trinity University, an M.Ed. in College & University Personnel Administration and Ph.D. in Education Leadership & Policy, both from the University of Texas at Austin. During his higher education academic career, Dr. Gonzalez focused his research efforts understanding and address issues related to college access, student success, adult learners, and college affordability. For his work, Dr. Gonzalez received several graduate fellowships to support his studies, along with various recognitions commending his scholarship.
Dr. Gonzalez currently serves on the Board of Directors for Friends of the Children - Austin, the Trinity University National Alumni Association Board, and the Austin Community Foundation Somos Austin Steering Committee. In his free time, Dr. Gonzalez enjoys spending time with his wife Andrea and their three young children, coaching/watching their respective games at Town & Country Sports, serving as Pond Springs Elementary PTA Vice President, and trying to keep up with his "pile" of podcasts and audiobooks.
Dr. Manuel Gonzalez Dr. Manny Gonzalez was appointed as Trustee for Place 5 in April 2022. He was re-elected in November 2022. His term ends in 2028. He currently serves as Board Secretary. Dr. Gonzalez serves … Continue reading →
Job Titles:
- Secretary of the Board
- Secretary ( Term Ending 2028 )
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Vice Chair
- Chairman ( Term Ending 2026 )
Dr. Nan McRaven was originally elected to the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees in 2002 and has retained her seat in multiple elections. Her current term will end in 2026. She has served as Chair and Vice Chair during her tenure.
She is the owner of McRaven Consulting, Austin, Texas. Her former positions include: Texas State Director of The Trust for Public Land, Austin; Senior Director, Freescale Semiconductor; Vice-President of Communications and Public Affairs at Motorola Inc; Vice-President of the Austin Chamber of Commerce; and Director of Personnel and Budget for Travis County. She has taught at ACC as an adjunct teacher and at the University of Texas at the LBJ and business schools. She served on the ACC Foundation Board and on the St. Edward's University Business Council. Dr. McRaven has a bachelor's degree in government from Sam Houston State University, a master's degree in public affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, and a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin in Higher Education Administraton/Community College Leadership.
Dr. Nan McRaven Dr. Nan McRaven was originally elected to the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees in 2002 and has retained her seat in multiple elections. Her current term will end in 2026. … Continue reading →
Job Titles:
- Secretary ( Term Ending 2022 )
- Vice Chair ( Term Ending 2022 )
Job Titles:
- Chancellor for Austin Community College District
Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart serves as the ninth Chancellor for Austin Community College District. Russell, as he prefers to be called, is dedicated to improving student success by building a dynamic community that "LOVES" its students to success.
Job Titles:
- Coordinator, Board Affairs
Job Titles:
- Chairman ( Term Ending 2020 )
- Member of the American Association of University Women
- Vice Chair ( Term Ending 2020 )
Gigi Edwards Bryant was elected to the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees in December 16, 2014 and was relected in 2020. The six-year term will end in 2026. Ms. Bryant has served as Chair and Vice Chair during her tenure.
Bryant is a sixth generation Austinite. She is a public speaker, community volunteer and business owner. She speaks with passion, vision, and clarity about her life's journey and the importance of education, community and family. She believes that through faith, hope, and forgiveness, we can learn to be inspired when an ordinary opportunity thrusts us into extraordinary events and experiences.
Bryant serves her community through organizations that address issues surrounding family, education, youth in the foster system, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Some of her immediate past public service includes, Chair, Texas Department of Child Protective Services, Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Council, Downtown Rotary Club of Austin, and Chairman, Texas School Safety Center and Saint Edward's University New College Advisory Board.
Bryant also has served as a member of the American Association of University Women and, the Executive Women in Golf Association. She is a -Texas Exes - Life member. Her community honors include: Distinguished Austinite, Outstanding Texan Award, CASA-Inspiring Leader and Fierce Advocate for Children, Campfire Promise, Girl Scouts Woman of Distinction, Ma Ferguson - Award of Excellence Finalist, Dedicated Volunteer of the Year, Outstanding Citizen for Leadership.
Bryant started GMSA Management Services, an Austin based business development consulting firm in 1993 after a 20-year career in information systems within the State of Texas. The firm, recognized as one of Texas' outstanding small businesses, focuses on community outreach/involvement, employee engagement and business development.
Bryant earned an undergraduate degree in business and computer science from St. Edward's University in Austin, and an MBA in Global Leadership from the University of Texas at Dallas. She started her education at Austin Community College in 1977 and is a 1992-1993 Graduate of Leadership Austin.
Gigi Edwards Bryant Gigi Edwards Bryant was elected to the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees in December 16, 2014 and was relected in 2020. The six-year term will end in 2026. Ms. Bryant … Continue reading →
Job Titles:
- Secretary ( Term Ending 2016 )
Job Titles:
- Secretary
- Vice President
- President ( McClellan Resigned )
Job Titles:
- Owner, Hulk Automotive Service
Job Titles:
- Chairman ( Term Ending 2016 )
- Vice Chair, July 2011 - December 2012 ( Term Ending 2016 )
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Secretary
- Vice President
Job Titles:
- Secretary ( Term Ending 2014 )
Job Titles:
- Founder, House of Torment
Julie Ann Nitsch Ms. Julie Ann Nitsch was first elected for Place 9 on the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees in 2016. Her term will end in 2024.
Job Titles:
- President
- Vice Chairman
- Vice President
March Chancellor's Virtual Employee Town Hall recap
Job Titles:
- Secretary ( Term Ending 2020 )
- Vice Chair ( Term Ending 2020 )
Job Titles:
- Owner, Minja'Sound Recording Studio
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair of the Board
- Secretary ( Term Ending 2022 )
- Vice Chair ( Term Ending 2028 )
Stephanie Gharakhanian Ms. Stephanie Gharakhanian was elected on December 4, 2018 in a runoff election for Place 8 on the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees. The six-year term will end in 2024.
Job Titles:
- Secretary ( Term Ending 2022 )
(Trustee Nicole Eversmann resigned from the Board effective January 25, 2022. Dr. Manuel Gonzalez was appointed on April 11, 2022 to replace her in Place 5)
Job Titles:
- President
- Secretary
- Vice President
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder, Higher Ed Path
Job Titles:
- Oil Electronic Technician
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair
- Term Ending 2010
* Veronica Rivera served as Board Secretary from June 5, 2006-June 4, 2007, and did not seek re-election by Trustees as Board Secretary. James McGuffee was elected to the post on June 4, 2007.
Job Titles:
- Chairman ( Term Ending 2016 )
- Vice Chair ( Term Ending 2016 )
Job Titles:
- President
- Founding Board President, December 1972