Person Type: Board

Abby Mellott, Market President and Publisher of the Austin Business Journal, has been with American City Business Journals for 20 years, holding various roles in cities throughout the country. Mellott leads ABJ’s team to support local executives and entrepreneurs, managing editorial, advertising, events, administration, and audience development functions of the business. Her role involves strategic communication, brand management, budgeting, editorial oversight, talent development, revenue generation, and community engagement. She serves on several boards including the Better Business Bureau, Habitat for Humanity, and United Way for Greater Austin. Mellott, an Ohio Wesleyan University graduate, lives in Dripping Springs with her family.

Ingrid Taylor, CEO of United Way for Greater Austin, has more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership with roles at Ascension Texas and The University of Texas at Austin, as well as the Texas Comptroller’s Office and the United States Senate. She also served as an elected member of the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees for four years.

In her latest role with United Way, Ingrid led the effort to secure United Way’s future home and Early Learning Advancement Center at Austin ISD’s Pease Elementary, a project that exemplifies her vision and fortitude.

Taylor has degrees from The University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is married to James S. Taylor, a partner at Vianovo, and they have lived in Austin for 30 years. They have two grown children, both of whom also live in Austin.

Curtis is Vice President for Cities & Places at Jacobs, focusing on strategic partnerships and pipeline growth in multiple markets while delivering world-class solutions for public and private clients.  He has direct involvement with clients through business development and executive project oversight.  Curtis previously served as the Operations Lead for Central Texas where he was responsible for P&L for the business unit.  Prior to joining Jacobs, Curtis served as Lead Power Engineer for the Process Technology Organization at URS Corporation.  He began his career with Motorola where his primary focuses were data center design, site infrastructure, and energy management.

Curtis is passionate about inclusive and inspirational leadership, growing business through vested relationships, and connecting with the community in meaningful ways.  Curtis is a Board Member for United Way for Greater Austin and the Austin Chamber.  He is engaged in the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, the National Society of Black Engineers, and the Texas Association of African American Chamber of Commerce.  Curtis is an advisor to The Think Tank Tutorial Services focused on after-school STEM programs.  He previously served as advisor for Galena Park ISD Career & Technical Education and a mentor at Travis Early College High School.  Finally, Curtis led Jacobs’ participation in the University of Texas System Mentor Protégé Program.

Curtis is a Texas native.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University and is a Registered Professional Engineer.  Curtis enjoys traveling, sports, and most importantly, spending time with family.

Danielle, an assurance partner at Ernst & Young LLP, has more than 20 years of experience serving public and privately held high-growth companies, with a focus on the technology, consumer services, and life sciences industries.

Danielle is active in the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® program, working with entrepreneurs in all industries in Central Texas, recognizing their innovation, courage, and leadership in building and growing successful businesses.

A champion of diversity and inclusion, Danielle has been instrumental in driving inclusive growth in the Austin EY Office as the Austin Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness Leader. As a mentor in the EY Counseling Network, she helps employees navigate their professional growth at the firm. She is also involved in the firm’s recruiting efforts at Texas State University, her alma mater.

Danielle earned a BBA with a focus in Accounting and Marketing. She is a CPA in Texas and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She served on the Breakthrough Central Texas Board of Directors as Treasurer from 2013 to 2019.

Heidi currently serves as the Sr. Director of Public Affairs for Central Texas with H-E-B. In this capacity, she shepherds strong relationships with local community partners, government officials and the media, in addition to supporting the 58 stores and over 24,000 H-E-B Partners in the region.

Heidi joined H-E-B after seven years as the Chief Executive Officer at The Trail Conservancy, an Austin-area nonprofit that helps oversee the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake. She led the organization through a period of tremendous growth, working with local leaders, media, and donors to develop a strategic plan for the organization, helping it achieve important milestones and implement capital projects among other key efforts. With over 30 years experience in the nonprofit sector, Heidi’s previous roles in Texas and Oklahoma focused on marketing, development, and public relations for a diverse range of organizations.

Monica Muñoz Andry serves as President and Chief Executive Officer for the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GAHCC) and is responsible for providing strategic direction, vision, and management for the programs and personnel of the Chamber. Monica is an accomplished and goal-driven professional with over 21 years of experience in leading operations within private and nonprofit organizations, encompassing business development and financial health program management.

In her long tenure at University Federal Credit Union, she managed a broad range of operations and people resources, including the the call center, business development, and most recently, representing and leading UFCU in the effort to create, sustain, and grow financial solutions with the intention to measurably improve member’s lives. In both her professional and community work, Monica has specialized in developing and implementing focused programs and advocacy; backed by outstanding commitment and leadership skills in supporting diverse community initiatives and heading multiple projects that supported the growth and development of various communities.

As an effective public speaker and an empowering community leader, Monica’s exceptional skills in cultivating and strengthening partnerships with different agencies as well as working with diverse individuals have forged win-win relationships to achieve the organization’s missions and goals.

Monica received a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Business Administration from Concordia University Texas. In her spare time, Monica and her husband, Robert, are avid Salsa dancers and instructors. Although her mommy duties for her 10-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter have temporarily retired her dancing shoes, she looks forward to dancing around the challenges of family work life.

Dave Porter was born in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas. He has spent 35 years in economic development in cities like Austin, TX, Raleigh, NC, Orlando, FL, Wichita, KS, and Asheville, NC. His goal is to bring prosperity through high-wage jobs to Williamson County.

Dave spent 11 years at the Austin Chamber of Commerce as the Senior Vice President of Economic Development encouraging businesses like Samsung to make Austin their home. He is currently Executive Director for the Williamson County Economic Development Partnership. He is an avid golfer.

Dave has extensive international experience in Asia and European markets. He is known for his depth of cultural knowledge and as a relationship builder. Dave received his degree in Business Administration from Wichita State University and Economic Development certification from Oklahoma University.

Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart will serve as the ninth Chancellor for Austin Community College District. Russell’s leadership is centered around the concept of LOVE, with a dedicated focus on enhancing student success through systemic and cultural transformation.

As he prefers to be called, Russell previously served as president of Amarillo College in Amarillo, Texas, from 2014 to 2023 before beginning his tenure as ACC Chancellor. He also served as vice president of academic affairs for Amarillo College.

Under his leadership, Amarillo College was named co-winner of the prestigious 2023 Aspen Prize, a Community College Excellence award. The award recognizes community colleges demonstrating high-quality and equitable outcomes for students. Other accolades under his leadership include:

• 2021 Top Five Institution and Rising Star for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence
• Leah Meyer Austin Award for Achieving the Dream
• Bellwether Award
• Membership in the inaugural class of the Aspen Institute Presidential Fellowship
• Recognition from the American Association of Community Colleges

Russell received a bachelor’s degree in speech communication and rhetoric from West Texas State University, a master’s degree in communication studies from Texas Tech University, and a doctorate in interpersonal communication (with an emphasis on gender and diversity) from Ohio University. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Kody Hodge Foundation.

Amanda Luther is the Office Leader of BCG’s Austin office, which she co-founded in 2020. At BCG, she leads the AI Transformation topic globally and is a core member of the Consumer and Technology & Digital Advantage practice areas. Over her 18 years of consulting experience, Amanda has built expertise in strategy and implementation across digital, data, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence, with a recent focus on Generative AI.

After getting to know the United Way organization through pro bono work, Amanda is excited to join the Board, where she brings deep experience in strategy, with a particular focus on driving impact via data and analytics.

Amanda received an MBA from Stanford University, where she was recognized as a Siebel Scholar. She also holds degrees in Computer Science and Economics from Stanford. Amanda is a proud second-generation Texan and lives in Austin, where she enjoys hiking, playing pickup basketball, and constantly searching for the best burger in town.

Jennifer Wu is a capital markets partner in the Austin office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, an international law firm that serves a broad range of clients around the world in private equity, M&A and other corporate transactions, litigation, restructurings, and intellectual property matters. Jennifer counsels issuers across the technology and energy industries in public offerings, including IPOs and follow-on offerings. In addition, she advises companies on federal securities law compliance, ongoing corporate governance and SEC reporting, and disclosure issues.

Jennifer has consistently been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Texas Super Lawyers and served on Law360’s Capital Markets and Texas Editorial Advisory Boards. Jennifer is passionate about serving our Greater Austin community and has been an active member of the Junior League of Austin for over a decade. She previously served on the Board of Directors for the Junior League of Austin and has also supported the United Way for many years, serving as a longtime Women United Executive Committee Member. Jennifer is also a proud member of the Leadership Austin Emerge Class of 2016 (BCE!).

Jennifer received her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, earned a Certificate in Business and Public Policy from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and graduated with a B.A. from Rice University. Before pursuing her law degree, Jennifer taught pre-algebra at YES Prep Public Schools in Houston, where she developed her lifetime passion for education and community.