Staff

Ray Martinez serves as the President & Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC), a comprehensive membership association comprising a diverse mix of 48 community colleges across Texas. Public community colleges in Texas play a critical role in supporting the continued growth of our state’s economy by expanding access to high-quality and affordable academic programs, workforce education training, and continuing education instruction. As President and CEO of TACC, Martinez provides leadership to advance state policy, institutional practice, research, and developing meaningful multisector partnerships in support of Texas community colleges.

Before joining TACC, Ray served as Deputy Commissioner for Academic Affairs and Workforce Education for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, where he led the agency’s critical functions in academic programs, workforce education, and postsecondary readiness and success. Martinez brings a deep understanding of higher education to TACC. He previously served as President of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas and Chancellor of Western Governors University (WGU) Texas, and he has held senior government affairs positions at Rice University and Texas A&M International University. Ray has also served as the director of the Committee on Higher Education in the Texas Senate.

In addition, Ray has substantial federal policy experience, having served in the Clinton Administration as regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and on the White House staff as deputy assistant to the president for Intergovernmental Affairs. Ray returned to federal service in 2003 after being nominated by President George W. Bush – and confirmed by the United States Senate – to serve as a commissioner on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, a bipartisan federal agency responsible for assisting state and local governments to improve the process of election administration.

Beginning in 2007, Ray served as an adjunct professor of public policy at The University of Texas School of Law and the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, where, over a seven-year period, he taught a course on election administration, redistricting, and campaign finance. Ray has also served on the Board of Trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), which implements the accreditation process for public and private higher education institutions in an eleven-state region, including Texas. 

A native of Alice, Texas, Ray received his bachelor’s degree from Southwestern University and his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center, and he recently completed postgraduate studies at the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Ray and his wife, Beth, a clinical social worker, reside in Austin.

Kimberly M. Lowry serves as the Vice President of the Texas Association of Community Colleges and Executive Director of the Texas Success Center. In this leadership role, Kim spearheads initiatives aimed at enhancing student success and community college leadership across Texas.

Prior to joining TACC, Kim was the Director of Leadership and Impact at The Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program. There, she played a pivotal role in developing strategies and executing initiatives that significantly advanced student success and community college leadership nationwide. Her leadership substantially contributed to the professional growth of numerous community college presidents and the overall enhancement of community college education standards.

Dr. Lowry's career is distinguished by her dedication to fostering educational excellence and her ability to lead impactful programs. As a nationally recognized expert on community college student success and a published author, Dr. Lowry has made substantial contributions to the field through her research and thought leadership. Before her tenure at The Aspen Institute, she held several key positions, including Vice President of Instruction and Student Services at Lone Star College-Houston North and Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Engagement and Success at Houston Community College. Her efforts have consistently led to significant improvements in student retention, graduation rates, and overall student engagement.

Kim graduated from Antelope Valley Community College before transferring to California State University, Long Beach, where she earned both her M.S. in Counseling with an emphasis on Student Development in Higher Education and her B.A. in Psychology. Dr. Lowry then received her Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of North Texas, where her research focused on community college choice, high-achieving African American students, and student athletes.

Dr. Lowry remains actively involved in numerous professional associations. She has served as the Director of the Community College Division for NASPA, as well as a board member for the National Council of Instructional Administrators and the Southern Region of the National Council on Black American Affairs.

Lara Brand serves as the Grants Manager for the Texas Success Center (TSC). In this role, she supports the TSC mission by securing and managing funding that advances key programs and initiatives. Lara ensures that the TSC’s work aligns with stakeholder goals, remains compliant, and delivers measurable impact.

Prior to joining the Texas Success Center, Lara spent ten years in nonprofit development, supporting initiatives in education, health, social justice, and conservation across the United States and Africa.

Brand earned her bachelor’s degree with honors from Texas State University in under three years and was selected to present collaborative, published research at the Southwestern Psychological Association regional conference.

Outside of work, Lara enjoys reading, going to the gym, spending time outdoors, and cuddling with her cat.

Rachel Brasell serves as the Texas State Coordinator for Kids on Campus, a project that focuses on increasing the number of Head Start child care centers on community college campuses within the state. The initiative aims to provide solutions to the chronic shortage of affordable on-campus child care for student parents through a collaborative partnership between Head Start programs and community colleges.

Prior to joining the TACC team in November 2024, Rachel worked most recently at the University of South Carolina where she served as their first Basic Needs Coordinator, managing a caseload of basic needs clients, fostering campus and community partnerships, and overseeing basic needs resources for students, faculty, and staff. She has a background in early childhood education as an early childhood educator and a project director for a statewide pay supplement program aimed at improving wages and increasing educational attainment for early childhood workers.

Rachel holds a bachelor of social work from New Mexico Highlands University and a master of social work from the University of South Carolina. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring Texas, embroidery, and spending time with family and her cat, Falafel.

Art Cook serves as the Office Manager at the Texas Association of Community Colleges. In his role, Art is responsible for the organization and supervision of all contracts and work orders pertaining to the upkeep and maintenance of the TACC building. He also provides member support and services to facilitate strong relationships with community college CEOs and administrators.

Mr. Cook has more than 30 years of leadership experience in varying industries including property management, hospitality, financial services, and logistics. Prior to joining the TACC team, Art was office manager for RunLab medical clinic.

Outside of the office, Art enjoys running ultra-marathons, adventure racing, and spending time outdoors with his family.

Jacob Cottingham serves as the Senior Director of Government Relations at TACC. Mr. Cottingham develops and implements legislative policy goals and strategies for the association, as well as monitors legislation and regulatory changes relevant to Texas community colleges. As a key member of TACC’s advocacy team, Jacob builds critical relationships between TACC member colleges and policymakers.

Before joining TACC, Jacob Cottingham spent six sessions working in the Texas House of Representatives. During his time at the Capitol, he staffed the House Appropriations Committee, with a focus on education finance, as well as the House Higher Education Committee, where he concentrated on affordability and student support policy. Prior to working at the Texas Legislature, he honed his policy skills working in city government and as Policy Director for a County Commissioner.

Mr. Cottingham has a long and varied history within higher education. He graduated from Bard College with a degree in Language & Literature, including time spent studying in Qing Dao, China. He credits additional coursework at his local community college for paving his way to graduate school and he obtained a master’s in public affairs from the LBJ School at the University of Texas in Austin. On occasion, he serves as a guest lecturer for classes at UT Austin.

When he’s not working, Jacob enjoys spending time with his family and two children, smoking meats, and taking advantage of the many natural swimming holes in Central Texas.

As the Director of CCATT, Nicole builds trustee and regent capacity through professional development, board engagement, and connecting CCATT members to ongoing legislative issues and strategies coordinated by TACC.

Prior to this role, Nicole served on the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees and CCATT Board of Directors. She participated in the CCATT Legislative Committee and the Joint Legislative Committee between TACC, CCATT, and TCCTA for the 2021 legislative session. Additionally, Nicole served on the Austin Community College Foundation Board.

Eversmann graduated from Austin Community College with an Associate of Arts Degree in General Studies and transferred to the University of Texas at Austin (UT) to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Government with a minor in Educational Psychology. In May 2022, Nicole graduated from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT with a Master’s in Public Affairs and earned the Dean’s Certificate in State & Local Finance. 

Chelsea Laughrun serves as the Associate Director for Advocacy & Policy for the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC). In her role, Chelsea provides support to TACC's policy work and also coordinates events that actively engage various stakeholders, including association members, partners, and external organizations. Through effective communication and relationship building, Chelsea fosters collaboration and encourages participation in the programs. 

Before joining TACC, Ms. Laughrun worked at the Texas State Capitol for both the Texas House and Texas Senate during the 88th and 87th Legislative Sessions, respectively. 

Laughrun holds a B.A. from the University of Texas with a double major in Government and International Relations & Global Studies. She also graduated with a certificate in Security Studies. During her time at UT, Chelsea was named a Distinguished Liberal Arts Honors Scholar and graduated magna cum laude on the Dean's List. 

Outside of the office, Chelsea enjoys exploring Austin, listening to podcasts while walking at parks, and traveling as much as she can!  

Ellie serves as Chief of Staff & Senior Director at the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC), where she provides strategic leadership on organizational priorities, oversees communications and advocacy initiatives, and works closely with college presidents, state policymakers, and industry partners to advance the role of Texas community colleges in workforce and economic development. With extensive experience in communications, she specializes in developing strategies that amplify impact and strengthen organizational voice.

Before becoming Chief of Staff, Ellie served for two years as TACC’s Director of Communications, leading statewide campaigns to elevate the role of community colleges. She has been with TACC since 2018, beginning as an intern and advancing through multiple roles that gave her a deep knowledge of the organization and its mission. Prior to joining TACC, she worked at the Office of Adult and Continuing Studies at St. Edward’s University.

Ellie earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Advertising from St. Edward’s University, graduating magna cum laude and serving as treasurer of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). She is also a certified Adobe Creative graphic designer.

Outside of work, Ellie enjoys musicals, keeping up with new theories from Swifties, and chasing new adventures with her husband, Rodrigo.

Amber Silva serves as the Communications Associate for the Texas Success Center (TSC). In her role, she helps to conceptualize and provide communications collateral for the TSC. Mrs. Silva also assists in website management and coordinating audio-visual production for our Texas Pathways Institutes and Board of Trustees Institutes. 

Amber joined TACC with 5+ years of graphic design experience working for various design agencies and non-profit organizations. She holds an associates of applied science degree in visual communications specializing in graphic design from Austin Community College.

Outside of TACC, Silva enjoys spending time with friends and family, trying new restaurants, and paddle boarding on the lake.

Francelia Serrano serves as the Accountant for the Texas Success Center (TSC), where she advances the organization’s mission by managing the accounting process for grant funding. In this role, she focuses on strengthening operations by streamlining processes, producing strategic reports, and implementing systems that support long-term growth and sustainability.

She spent over a decade in the insurance industry, where she learned the importance of building efficient workflows, serving customers with care, and presenting information clearly to guide decision-making. These skills laid the foundation for her transition into nonprofit work, where she shifted her focus to strategy and organizational effectiveness. In the nonprofit sector, she worked closely with leadership teams to support programming, planning, and development while managing grant financials and ensuring resources were stewarded effectively.

Francelia began her educational journey at San Antonio Community College before transferring to Texas A&M–San Antonio, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Business Management. She also holds an Associate degree in Business Management and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Accounting at Texas A&M–San Antonio. In her spare time, she teaches yoga across Austin and remotely nationwide, and she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and her dog, Chicago.

Lori Stalheber is the Director of Finance at TACC. She oversees accounting, payroll, maximizes the return on financial assets and is responsible for human resource management. Ms. Stalheber ensures the association remains fiducially responsible and provides accurate reporting to TACC’s members and CEO.

Before joining TACC, Ms. Stalheber lived in Houston, Texas and was the Director of Finance at the St. Martin’s Episcopal Church— the largest Episcopalian church in the country. Prior to this, she contributed to various non-profit organizations.  

Having graduated in 2003, Ms. Stalheber holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. While attending St. Thomas, Ms. Stalheber was a member of the accounting honor society along with various other clubs within the university.

Beyond TACC, Ms. Stalheber enjoys cooking, a variety of outdoor exercises and spending time with her family.  

As the Associate Director of CCATT, Sway Youngston works to improve member communication, lead logistics for events, and support professional development for trustees/regents and board liaisons. She worked with board members for four years with the Texas Success Center through their Board of Trustees Institutes and is excited to deepen her understanding of their unique needs in her new role with CCATT. 

 Sway brings more than 20 years of experience across project management, administration, events, and stakeholder engagement, with a passion for supporting Texas community colleges. She’s also a former community college student herself, giving her a unique perspective and a genuine connection to our mission. 

 Sway has a BA in communication with a minor in English from the University of Houston. She enjoys bicycling, social dancing, and spending time with her six cats.