CO-CHAIR

Pat is the mother of four adult children and several grandchildren. Pat has ben a lifelong dedicated advocate on criminal and social justice issues that include abolition of the death penalty and alternatives to mass incarceration. As the executive director of a peace and justice organization, Pat worked on programs that included racial and economic justice and peaceful resolution of conflicts. From 2004 to 2006, Pat served as a commissioner with the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission which modeled challenging hate violence and seeking healing justice. She currently works in philanthropy funding organizations working to reform the criminal justice system, support the advocacy of marginalized communities and elevate the principle of non-violence. Pat is graduate of Smith College.

CO-CHAIR

Linda has more than 25 years of nonprofit experience in the Austin area through both staff and board positions. Much of that experience was at Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center, where she held key positions in education and development and served as Westcave’s Associate Director for 10 years and Interim Executive for -1 years. She played instrumental roles with Westcave as it grew from a two-person to ten-person staff and has also worked collaboratively with organizations as they deepened their focus on equity. Lind has also served on several nonprofit boards, which includes experience as a board chair. Linda has a Nonprofit Leadership and Management certificate and isa graduate of Texas Tech Univesity and Brown University. She is the mother of two adult children.

TREASURER

Levi was born and raised in Amarillo, Texas. He attended Southern Methodist University and received M.S. degrees in Accounting and Engineering Management. Levi worked in public Accounting in Dallas, where he specialized in the real estate and energy industries as well as individual and nonprofit taxation. He is a Certified Public Accountant and now works in Amarillo in the energy industry.

SECRETARY

Cathy grew up in a family of seven children and later, in Montgomery, Alabama, collaborated with mothers in prison to maintain ties with their children, and advocated for justice policy changes in the state legislature. While welcoming refugees in Maine, Cathy partnered with community groups and local agencies to expand and provide equitable services. Most recently, Cathy retired after 25 years as the Executive Director of the New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association during which she trained lawyers, coordinated a successful campaign to repeal the death penalty and organized against police violence.

PROGRAM COMMITTEE CHAIR

Orleana is the mother of two elementary school-aged children. Orleana became involved in racial an social justice activities as a young person volunteering with organizations such as the Fellowship of Reconciliation, an interfaith peace fellowship focused on human and civil rights issues through advocacy, activism, and educational programs and the American Friends Service Committee, an organization that works worldwide to challenge injustice and build a sustainable peace with justice. As an adult, Orleana has worked with organizations serving youth and as a home healthcare worker for the elderly. In addition to her service on the Equity Kids board of directors, she has worked with her church’s youth ministry.

MEMBER

Lynn has been a licensed attorney in Texas for over 35 years. Prior to retiring from the City of Austin in 2022, the majority of her practice was in the public sector as an assistant city attorney for the City and an assistant attorney general for the State of Texas. For over 25 years, Lynn’s practice focused on civil litigation and appeals. In her last five years at the City of Austin, Lynn served in the Open Government, Ethics & Compliance Division where she advised City officials and employees on government ethics, open government, First Amendment law, and lobbying regulations. She also served as executive liaison for the Ethics Review Commission and as Law Department liaison for the Intergovernmental Relations Office. In 2022, Lynn received the Government Service Award from the Travis County Women Lawyers Association. She obtained her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law and Masters of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Lynn graduated magna cum laude from Texas Tech University with a major in English and a minor in women’s studies.

MEMBER

Jaenie was born in New Jersey, and raised in Sugar Land, Texas. She began her journey with Equity Kids in the Fall of 2024 as a facilitator while in her final semester of Graduate School at Texas State University, where she received her Master's Degree in International Studies. In 2020, she received her Bachelor's degree in International Studies with a sub concentration in Politics and Diplomacy from Texas A&M University. While pursuing her education, she has worked with nonprofits and organizations around Austin and College Station to help vulnerable/at-risk communities through education and mentoring. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, traveling, bouldering, and spending time with her two cats, Milo and Rin.

MEMBER

Sherrie Raven is a native Texan who has worked in education for the past 45 years. She taught school for 9 years in Texas, Japan, and New York, starting her career in Austin in bilingual education. She has a bachelor's degree in education from TCU and a master's degree from UT Austin. After completing administrative certification, she was a campus and district administrator for 13 years. 

Sherrie was the founding director of the department of social and emotional learning in Austin. In the five years that she led the department, SEL work began in all of the schools in the district. In 2016, she retired from the district and moved to work for the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, working with districts across the country to implement systemic, high-quality social and emotional learning in all schools.

Sherrie is married and has two adult children and one granddog. She spends her time in Austin and Pewaukee, Wisconsin.

MEMBER

Ernest Rodriguez-Naaz brings more than 18 years of management experience and has dedicated his career to mission-driven organizations committed to public service and community engagement. He recently retired as Chief Executive Officer of the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation. Previously, Ernest served as Chief Development Officer for the New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation. Earlier in his career, Ernest served as Vice President of Development for Adelante Development Center, Storehouse New Mexico, and New Mexico AIDS Services. In these roles, he provided strategic leadership for all fundraising initiatives, including major gifts, grants management, estate planning, and event execution. He also spearheaded community-based campaigns such as One for 5, forging partnerships with regional brewers, Albertsons Market, and iHeartMedia.Ernest earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Public Administration from Baruch College of the City University of New York and holds a Master of Public Administration in Finance and Advanced Management from Columbia University.