Our Team

Dedicated listeners who can connect you in any industry

MEET OUR TEAM

More than anything, we listen.

Our team members hail from diverse backgrounds and a wide variety of industries, and have many accomplishments. But ultimately, our most important skill is listening. We do not claim to know your business better than you do, rather, we listen to what you want to accomplish and connect you to the people you need to know to get it done.

CO-FOUNDER, CEO/PRESIDENT

Judge Jim Powers

Judge Jim Powers founded the firm to help his clients develop the relationships required to help them accomplish their business objectives. Since 2006, he has continued to build a team of consultant experts who carefully listen and help forge those critical connections.

CO-FOUNDER

Maripat Powers

As the co-founder of J.L. Powers & Associates, Maripat played an important role in the early development of the company. Today, she contributes through her writing and editing skills, helping ensure that what goes into print accurately represents the mind and heart of the leadership team. Maripat is also the principal and founder of Eastcreek Designs, LLC, a custom window treatment company that began in November, 2000.

JL POWERS SENIOR CONSULTANTS & LEADERSHIP TEAM

Jeffrey Richard
Senior Consultant

Dr. Daniel Guerrero
Senior Consultant

Mark Roberts
Consultant and CFO

Mickay Welch
Administrative Assistant

JL POWERS CONSULTANTS

Allen Kaplan
Consultant

Dr. Paul Cruz
Consultant

Jerry Patterson
Consultant

Ed Garza
Consultant

Ray Hernandez
Consultant

Steven Rivas
Consultant

Mitch Fuller
Consultant

Douglas Gibbins
Consultant

William H. “Kirk” Kuykendall
Consultant

Isaac D. Turner
Consultant

JL POWERS ASSOCIATE CONSULTANTS

Sylvia Muzzy
Associate Consultant

Judge Jim Powers, Co-Founder, CEO/President

Judge Jim Powers, President of J.L. Powers & Associates, has a distinguished background, with experience in both the public and private sectors. The goal of his company is to bring people and businesses together to maximize the potential for his clients’ success.

Jim has always understood the power of relationships and their central role in business and politics. Building relationships with the right people can make the difference in cost, speed, and quality.

Judge Powers applies the business acumen he has cultivated over 40 years as a thriving entrepreneur to J.L. Powers & Associates. Jim started his business enterprise with one store in Dripping Springs and within three years, grew it into a diversified food corporation which generated annual revenues of as much as $20 million dollars.

During this time, he began to feel the need to contribute more to his community and decided to run for public office. He was elected to serve two terms as Hays County Judge.

Judge Powers’ ability to develop relationships with various groups and organizations has made him an effective and influential leader.

Some of his many accomplishments as Hays County Judge include the increase in county budget reserves from $3 million to $14 million, procuring the second largest grant in the nation to create the Habitat Conservation Plan, and spearheading the communications system upgrade for Hays County Emergency Services. He also created a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone and implemented aggressive economic development policies.

In his eight years as County Judge, Jim developed strong relationships with officials in the Governor’s Office, The Executive Branch of Texas Government and key leaders in many state and local government agencies across Texas. In 2008, he was appointed by Governor Perry to serve on the Board of Directors for the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority.

In 2019, Powers was re-elected to the Board of Directors for the Pedernales Electric Cooperative, the largest electric distribution co-op in the United States.

Judge Powers is uniquely positioned to help his clients develop new business strategies and partnerships. He has successfully positioned many of his clients to procure both public and private projects. In addition, he gives ongoing support to his clients to facilitate the success of their projects.

Jim and his wife, Maripat, live in Dripping Springs and have been married since 1977. They have four grown children, five grandsons and one granddaughter. Together, they are co-founders and investors in a thriving, popular restaurant group in Austin known as Jack Allen's Kitchen and Salt Traders Seafood.

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Maripat Powers, Co-Founder

Maripat is also the principal and founder of Eastcreek Designs, LLC, a custom window treatment company that began in November, 2000. Her goal for the company has always been to provide products for their clients that consistently exceed expectations for quality and style. Today, working alongside son and Co-Owner, Joshua Powers, Eastcreek Designs has both Residential and Commercial Divisions, with a dedicated team of professionals who have helped them become a successful, thriving enterprise.

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Jeffrey Richard

Jeffrey Richard, a Senior Consultant at J.L. Powers & Associates, brings over 35 years of professional expertise in engaging with senior policy makers and business leaders at various government levels. He currently serves as the Board Chair of the influential Austin Area Research Organization (AARO), reflecting his extensive involvement in Central Texas leadership and community initiatives. With a background in economics and as a Christian minister since 1989, Jeffrey's dedication extends beyond his consultancy role. A former elected official for over a dozen years, he holds lifetime memberships with the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), NAACP and Urban League – embodying his commitment to social justice and advocacy. Jeffrey, along with his Bride of 30 years, Naomi, admire their daughter Rebecca, a recent law school graduate who has begun her career in law.

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Hon. Dr. Daniel Guerrero, MSLE, Ed.D.

A native of San Marcos, Dr. Daniel Guerrero is a Distinguished Alumnus of San Marcos High School, holds multiple certificates from Austin Community College, a Bachelor of Mass Communications from Texas State University, a Master of Organizational Leadership and Ethics, and a Doctor of Leadership and Higher Education from St. Edward’s University.

Dr. Guerrero previously served as the Assistant Dean of Students for Student Development and Leadership Programs and taught Global Business and Leadership as an adjunct professor at Texas State University. Daniel is now the MBA Program Chair and an Assistant Professor of Business at Concordia University - Texas.

In addition to his role in higher education, he is a Senior Consultant for J.L. Powers & Associates, serving clients in industries focused on Environment, Sustainability, and Governance (ESG) as a Certified Zero Waste TRUE Advisor. Dr. Guerrero is also a Senior Consultant with AXIOM Learning Solutions focused on organizational development, team dynamics, and executive leadership.

Dr. Guerrero previously served the City of San Marcos as a city council member and then as Mayor from 2004 – 2010. He is currently a gubernatorial appointee to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy and serves on numerous boards of directors throughout Texas.

Dr. Guerrero is a 40-year cancer survivor, an avid world traveler, a Blue October fanatic, a certified NAUI scuba diver, and enjoys spending time with his rescued pets, Winter (dog), Diego (tortoise), Chiquito (tortoise), and Poquito (tortoise).

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Mark Roberts

Mark Roberts has 30 years of experience in public and private sector revenue planning, management and accounting functions. His skills include federal revenue maximization and grants management, project management, state development, negotiations and contract administration. Mark has served as chief financial officer in the staffing industry for over a decade, overseeing both financial and operational duties. He is a graduate of the University of Texas with a B.B.A. in accounting.

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Allen Kaplan

Allen Kaplan is a 40-year veteran of Public Affairs, Marketing and Business Development consulting and has specialized in public/private ventures while representing both public and private clients.

Prior to affiliating with JL Powers & Associates, LLC, Kaplan was Managing Principal/CEO of Allen Kaplan Consulting and Regional Collaborative Consulting, Inc., a full service public affairs and marketing consulting firm representing public, private and non-profit clients.

Kaplan was elected to the Austin Community College (ACC) Board of Trustees in 1994, and re-elected in 2000, 2006 and 2012. He served three terms as Vice Chair of the Board and previously served two years as Secretary of the Board. He also served on the ACC Foundation Board of Directors. He is a founder of the Community College Association of Texas Trustees (CCATT) where he served a Chair and served for 14 years as the Texas State Coordinator for the national Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), having previously served on the ACCT Nominations and Awards Committees. He was honored to be awarded a lifetime membership in ACCT. Through his work as Trustee on the Austin Community College Board and as State Coordinator, Kaplan is well versed in planning issues, state demographics, growth profiles and the role of education in moving forward economic development agendas for both rural and urban areas.

Kaplan has served on numerous community and professional boards including, among others, serving as Chair of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Cap Metro) in the Austin, Texas region, Chair of the Cedar Park Community Foundation and as a founding Director of the Downtown Austin Alliance.

Kaplan is the creator of the Center for Public Policy and Political Studies at ACC, the only center of its kind at a community college in the country. The Center for Public Policy & Political Studies is an innovative program created to enable ACC students to gain practical experience in learning how government policies are created and executed, and to improve communications between public entities and the people they serve. The Center for Public Policy & Political Studies (CPPPS) is a non-partisan, non-profit center dedicated to expanding knowledge of, and participation in political processes and public policy for ACC students and their communities.

Kaplan has made numerous presentations to community groups including various Rotary and Lions clubs, Central Texas Chambers of Commerce and various Real Estate and Development Associations. As a founder of the political action group, Friends of ACC, he presented numerous times during the election campaigns that successfully added seven jurisdictions to the ACC taxing district almost doubling the ACC tax base and more the doubling the College taxing district’s geographic size. Kaplan also has authored columns for local magazines on ACC and community college issues and as a statewide Trustee officer he authored several statewide guest editorials on community college financial and budget challenges.

Allen and his wife Maxine are very active members of the Austin Jewish Community and he has served on the Boards of Congregation Beth Israel and the Austin Jewish Day School as well as the Jewish Community Association’s Strategic Planning Committee. Allen and Maxine are founders and active members in Congregation Shir Ami in Cedar Park where he has served twice as President and for 16 years on the Board of Trustees of the congregation. Allen and Maxine are also founders of the Leander Educational Excellence Foundation (LEEF), which supports the students and faculty of the Leander Independent School District (LISD), one of the fastest growing school districts in the nation. They have two adult children Ileene, a Pre-K teacher, and Scott, an Executive Chef, and two grandchildren Rachel, a graduate of the University of Oregon and Candace, a Senior at Glenn HS in the Leander District, and a Terrier Chloe.

Kaplan received his BA in Political Science with minors in History and Theater from the Brooklyn College, City University of New York and attended American University, Washington College of Law.

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Dr. Paul Cruz

Dr. Paul Cruz serves as a professor of practice with the University of Texas at Austin and as co-director of the Cooperative Superintendency Program (CSP), which prepares future superintendents and executive school leaders to serve in leadership roles to meet the ever-changing needs in the public education system.

Prior to joining the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Cruz served as the superintendent of schools for the Austin Independent School District from 2014 to 2020, overseeing a district of 80,000 students and 11,000 employees in 130 schools. In this capacity, he regularly met with C-level decisionmakers throughout Texas and the nation. Under Dr. Cruz’s leadership, the Austin ISD graduation rate reached an all-time high, outperforming the state and nation, with two-thirds of graduates enrolling directly into college. Under his leadership, the district passed more than $1.5 billion of bonds to build additional schools and to provide needed improvements to all facilities.

Dr. Cruz developed, implemented and expanded a number of district initiatives, including the Creative Learning Initiative; dual-language programs in Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese; Early College High Schools; Family Resource Centers; Pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds; Social and Emotional Learning; STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math); Career Launch (Technology and Health Science); Montessori school; and a Facility Master Plan.

Dr. Cruz chaired the Texas Urban Council, comprised of the state’s major urban districts, and he served on the Executive Board of the Council of Great City Schools, a coalition of the largest urban districts in the nation. He served as a board member for the Austin Area Research Organization, Austin Ed Fund, and Austin Partners in Education.

Dr. Cruz began his career in education in 1987 ,working as a teacher, campus administrator, central office administrator and superintendent in Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Laredo. He also served as deputy commissioner for Dropout Prevention at the Texas Education Agency. He earned his undergraduate degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin, his master of science in Educational Administration from Corpus Christi State University, and his Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Cruz brings a wealth of experiences and relationships to his client, helping to position them for success in the PK-12, higher education and municipal sectors.

Jerry Patterson

After a career of outstanding military and public service, including twelve years as Texas Land Commissioner, Jerry Patterson joined J.L. Powers & Associates in 2015. Patterson is a Marine Vietnam veteran with 24 years of active and reserve service, retiring as a reserve Lieutenant Colonel in 1993. He was elected to the Texas Senate in 1992, and 27th Land Commissioner of Texas in 2002, serving in that office through 2014.

As Land Commissioner, Patterson headed the state agency responsible for managing the state lands and mineral resources constitutionally dedicated to public and higher education. Under his leadership, the Texas General Land Office set historical records for real estate and oil and gas income, and maintained a double-digit rate of return on its multibillion-dollar portfolio. As chairman of the Texas Veterans Land Board, he presided over the greatest expansion of state veterans benefits in the history of the TVLB.

Patterson was responsible for balancing the public access v. private property interests along 367 miles of Texas coast, as well as managing disaster recovery operations after Hurricane Ike. He was president of the Western States Land Commissioners Association and selected as the 2007 Texan of the Year for his efforts to preserve and promote Texas history. Now, as a consultant with J.L. Powers & Associates, Patterson is bringing his knowledge and experience to the private sector.

Ed Garza

Garza has served over 20 years as an elected public official in San Antonio. In 2001 at the age of 32, he became San Antonio’s youngest mayor in the city’s history. He served two terms as Mayor, and had previously served two terms as the District 7 City Council representative. In May of 2009 Garza was elected to the San Antonio Independent School District Board of Trustees, and served as the board’s President from 2012-2015.

Garza’s intuitive depth in human relations and built environments has translated into a legacy of achieving results in the areas of community regeneration, strategic partnerships, public education advancement, public-private investments, public policy, vision implementation and economic development in Texas and throughout the world.

He has over two decades of experience working for private planning, design, and development firms as well as local, state and national government entities. He is currently a Managing Partner at Chile Media in San Antonio, and previously served as Principal for the Texas Region at engineering firm AECOM. In addition, Garza has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio and at St. Mary’s University.

Garza has an extensive speaking portfolio in the United States and around the world, and has served on numerous for-profit and non-profit boards in San Antonio and nationally. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture and a Master’s in Land & Real Estate Development.

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Ray Hernandez

Ray currently serves as the president and CEO of the Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce just north of Houston.

He served in the US Army in defense of our country as his dad before him and his eldest son after him. Ray is a graduate with honors from Southwest Texas State University. He received his Economic Development training from Texas A&M-College Station, is a graduate with honors (Innovation 88) at University of Texas-Austin LBJ of Public Affairs.

He has served as a board regent and advisor for the US Chamber of Commerce’s four-year leadership program, a vice president of communications for the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives, board member for the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and currently serves as a board member of the Center for Community Engagement at Sam Houston State University and serves as chairman of the Huntsville Memorial Hospital Board of Directors.

He has been married to his college sweetheart, Belinda and they have four children, Michael, Jennifer, Maya and Joaquin and their rescue named Willow.

Steven Rivas

Steven Rivas is an Austin-based consultant specializing in digital media, policy, and crisis communications.

With more than 20 years of experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors, Rivas has a unique perspective on what it takes to affect change at all levels by developing forward-looking strategies, building consensus and partnerships, or mobilizing grassroots outreach.

Rivas jump started his career as a municipal government intern. After college, he served in his local police department before earning a medic certification and transferring to the fire department. Rivas held key roles in emergency management and a new combined 9-1-1 center. Technical by nature, he helped with the design and construction phase of a new Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) alongside deployment of a new trunked Motorola radio system, an enterprise Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, and Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) program. He is credited with implementing one of Texas’ first so-called “Reverse 911” public alerting systems. Rivas became a frequent speaker at state and national public safety-oriented conferences. He was recruited away from public service by a vendor to join a systems integration project management team. His first private sector project was the ambitious City & County of San Francisco's new 9-1-1 Center. From there, Rivas’ career took him into project management and consulting throughout the U.S. & Canada.

Rivas briefly left consulting to join the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate in the President George W. Bush administration. At the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Rivas fostered relationships with public officials in Texas to disseminate $103.6 million in federal disaster aid along Gulf Coast areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Rivas has advised numerous political candidates and organizations with big picture initiatives, crafting policy and strategies, messaging and media relations. He has served as a consultant for numerous local, state, congressional, issue-based political campaigns, and winning bond elections. Rivas has held senior strategy roles in nine highly competitive Texas statewide campaigns – including two gubernatorial and two presidential primary campaigns.

Rivas has served on numerous national and international accreditation boards and advisory councils focused on public safety, emergency management, and homeland security policies. He has previously served as a technical committee member on two National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) committees including NFPA 1061: Standard for Public Safety Telecommunications Personnel Professional Qualifications and NFPA 1221: Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems. His role at the Partnership for Public Warning (PPW) helped lead the way for mobile phone emergency alerting.

An avid Dallas Cowboys and San Antonio Spurs fan, Rivas is known for shaking paradigms and achieving winning results.

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Mitch Fuller

Mitch currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the Leander Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and represents Williamson County as an Ambassador for the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). Former Governor Rick Perry appointed Mitch to the Commission on State Emergency Communications (commonly known as the 9-1-1 Commission) on December 21, 2010. The Texas Senate confirmed this appointment on February 16, 2011, and he served as a Commissioner until August 2016. In 2012, the LCRA Board of Directors appointed Mitch to its Central Basin Regional Council, which consists of Blanco, Burnet, Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties. Mitch served as Chairman of the 30-member Central Basin Regional Council from January 30, 2013-January 29, 2014. The readers of the Hill Country News selected Mitch as the “Best Elected Official” in its western Williamson County circulation area for 2010 and 2011.

Mitch Fuller served on the Cedar Park City Council from August 2007-May 2014. During his time on the Cedar Park City Council, he served as Mayor Pro Tem twice: from December 2012-June 2013 and from May 2010-May 2011. He was heavily involved in water and transportation policy and projects while serving as a City Councilmember. He also represented the City of Cedar Park on the Board of Directors of the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority (BCRUA), a regional governmental body created to acquire water from Lake Travis for the cities of Cedar Park, Leander, and Round Rock. He served as President of the BCRUA twice, from June 2013-May 2014 and from March 2009-June 2011. He represented Cedar Park on the BCRUA Board of Directors from July 2008-May 2014.

Mitch’s other community and volunteer service includes the Board of Directors of the Cedar Park Community Foundation from July 2009-July 2010; the Board of Directors of Cedar Park Economic Development Corporation (4A) from December 2006-August 2007; the Board of Directors of the National Guard Association of Texas from March 2007-March 2010; the Board of Directors of Heroes Night Out, an advocacy organization for Veterans, from 2011-2015; and the Board of Directors of Honor Flight Austin from 2014-2015. Mitch is a Life Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post # 10427, Leander, TX; the Reserve Officers Association, and is also a Charter Member of the Hunter-Morris American Legion Post #911 in Cedar Park and a member of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). Mitch is also a Mason and is a graduate of Leadership Leander, Class of 2016 and Leadership Cedar Park, Class of 2007.

Mitch has more than 17 years of enlisted and commissioned service in the Army Reserves and Texas Army National Guard, including 10 years of active duty service. He is a Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom (January 2005-January 2006). His military decorations include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Combat Action Badge.

Prior to his military and public service, Mitch was a college professor. He taught political science at Ottawa University and Johnson County Community College in Kansas and at the University of Oklahoma. Mitch earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma, and completed his Ph.D. coursework (ABD) in Political Science from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. During his time in graduate school at the University of Oklahoma from 1997 to 2000, Mitch served as the Special Assistant to former United States Ambassador Edward Perkins, who was appointed to five Ambassadorial posts by Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton.

Mitch works as a Senior Consultant for J.L. Powers and Associates, advising clients on gaining access to public sector projects, strategic planning, public-private partnerships, and military and veterans’ issues. He has two children: daughter Madison, age 17, and son Braxton, age 15.

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Douglas Gibbins

Douglas Gibbins is adept at connecting professionals and institutions, expressing complex issues in meaningful terms, and negotiating large business deals. In his 25-year career he worked as a top tier management consultant and Wall Street investment banker providing counsel and advice on matters of strategy and operations to some of the world’s largest corporations. He successfully led teams with hundreds of senior level professionals dispersed around the globe tasked with mergers and acquisitions. His services ranged from start to finish – initial analysis to deal consummation to post merger rationalization and integration of divisions, plants, property, and human capital.

Stepping back from this high intensity and travel saturated professional life to reconnect with Central Texas, friends, and family, Douglas deployed his deal making and finance talents as a commercial real estate broker for more than a decade. Additionally Douglas was appointed by Secretary of the State of Texas to be an arbitrator for property appraisal appeals.

He is active in the community serving as Chair of Austin Community College Highland Campus Advisory Committee, is a graduate of Leadership Austin class of 2002, and served on the board of Texas Alpha Education Foundation of Phi Kappa Psi for eight years including as Vice President. Additionally he was honored as volunteer of the year for Launch Leadership, a prominent leadership training organization for youth. Douglas is an Eagle Scout and is an active member of the Austin Symphony BATS. He is happily married to Paulette Gibbins who is a rising civic figure in her own right. They are raising three school age children. Their hobbies and free time are fond memories.

Douglas is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, a Master of Science in Engineering and a Master of Business Administration.

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William H. “Kirk” Kuykendall

William H. “Kirk” Kuykendall is an accomplished Austin attorney and community leader with a well-established network of business and professional relationships across Texas. Kirk has a diverse history of public service through a variety of community organizations and governmental agencies.

In 2013, the Austin City Council and Travis County Commissioners Court jointly appointed Kirk to the Travis County Health District Board of Managers (d/b/a Central Health), where he served through December of 2016. During his term as a member of the Board of Managers, the Board moved to improve access to care, operational efficiency, quality of patient care outcomes, and reduction of costs within the publicly supported healthcare delivery system through transformative innovations and collaboration. Kirk chaired the agency’s Strategic Planning Committee and led the development of its 2017-2019 strategic plan. Kirk’s leadership as chair of the Audit and Compliance Committee produced an overhaul of compliance policies and the adoption of a Board code of conduct and ethics. Kirk completed his term as Board Secretary.

Kirk has also served as Vice-Chairman of the CommUnityCare Board of Directors, and chaired multiple standing committees of the community-based safety net clinic system; Chairman of the Austin Hospital Interim Authority Board of Directors, and led the negotiation of an operational lease of Brackenridge Hospital between the Authority and the City of Austin; and Chairman of the Texas State Board of Barber Examiners, under appointment by Governor George W. Bush and Governor Rick Perry. Kirk led the Board of Barber Examiners through the sunset process and consolidation under the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Additionally, he served as a member of the Brackenridge Hospital Board of Directors, St. David’s Health Care Foundation, Capital City African American Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and Occupational Industrialization Center of Austin Board of Directors.

Since 1998, Kirk has engaged in the private practice of law, specializing in the areas of health law, medical liability, administrative law, personal injury, mediation, and general civil litigation. He has earned a reputation for managing complex cases and obtaining outcomes that satisfy both plaintiffs and defendants while protecting institutional relationships. Before entering private practice, Mr. Kuykendall held administrative and litigation positions with the University of Texas System Office of General Counsel State, Texas Office of the Attorney General, and Galveston County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.

Kirk is the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award for service to the City of Austin Community. He is a graduate of the Southern University Law Center and father of four children.

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Isaac D. Turner

Isaac Turner has a career of over three decades serving in municipal government in Texas and Florida. Turner’s municipal government service began working for the City of Fort Worth, Dallas and Longview in the City Manager’s Offices. Over his career, Isaac has served as city manager in the Texas cities of Taylor and McKinney, as well as the Florida cities of Ormond Beach and Venice. Most recently he has served as interim city manager in the cities of Bridgeport and Hutto, TX. He is a Lifetime Member of the Texas City Management Association, TCMA.

Isaac has extensive experience in visioning and goal setting for city organizations, as well as managing development services (planning, zoning and permitting), economic development, growth management, capital projects, budgeting and staff development. He describes himself as a process-oriented, calming, relationship-builder.

Turner earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Kansas and a bachelor of science degree in Political Science from Kansas State University. He is also a graduate of the Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
As President of ID Turner Solutions, LLC, Mr. Turner is providing assistance to entities navigating development processes, specifically with municipal governments.

Sylvia Muzzy

Sylvia Muzzy has over a decade of private sector business experience and over nine years of experience working in the public sector for Hays County. She is a native of San Marcos, Texas, and holds a degree in Applied Arts and Sciences from Texas State University.

Sylvia has extensive experience overseeing marketing strategies, managing budgets, planning events and managing a variety of business development initiatives. As a community leader, Sylvia holds several board positions in local non-profits. She is a member of the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce, and is currently President of a local women’s political organization. She has also been sought out to serve in several San Marcos CISD committees that directly impact teachers, parents, and administration.

Sylvia has built many relationships with public officials and private business leaders across a variety of industries. She was a nominee for Hays County Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace during the 2016 election cycle, broadening her sphere of influence to include a diverse group of individuals and companies throughout Hays County and the surrounding regions. Sylvia is also a Licensed Realtor®.

Jose Beceiro

Jose Beceiro is the Director of Corporate Relations for Energy and Technology at the University of Texas at Austin. Jose’s role within the UT Central Development Office will be to engage energy and tech companies in major interdisciplinary initiatives, such as the Planet Texas 2050 grand challenge and other Bridging Barriers programs.

Most recently, Jose served as the Director of Strategic Corporate Partnerships at Texas State University, and the Associate Director for Research Relations for the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Jose’s professional background also includes serving as the Director of Clean Energy Economic Development at the Austin Chamber of Commerce and as an economic development consultant for Austin-based AngelouEconomics.

Additionally, Jose was a founding board member of the Pecan Street, Inc. organization. Pecan Street is the nation’s most advanced smart grid research consortium initiative focused on energy usage data collection, energy data analytics, and smart grid research trials.

Jose has served as the Board President of the Center for Austin’s Future (CAF – www.centerforaustinfuture.org). CAF produces the annual ATXelerator program, which aims to recruit, train, and promote new future-focused candidates for City of Austin City Council elections, boards, and commissions.

Jose has served as the Board Chair of the CleanTX organization (www.cleantx.org). CleanTX is an Austin regional clean energy ecosystem development and trade organization that produces over 30 clean energy networking events, educational forums, and conferences annually.

Jose is a native Texan from Lubbock, Texas, has resided in Austin, Texas for 20 years, and also has family roots in Spain.

Jose has a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and a Master’s Degree in Energy and Earth Resources from the University of Texas at Austin.

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