TCRP BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Susan Hays
Board Chair
​Susan Hays is an appellate lawyer and lobbyist based in the Big Bend and Austin, Texas, who has worked on a variety of civil rights and public policy issues over the decades. Dedicated to fighting for a better Texas for all, she has served on a variety of non-profit boards over the years, including as the founding board President of Jane’s Due Process, Inc., a legal services nonprofit for Texas minors
Carlos Carrasco
Board Vice Chair
​Carlos Carrasco is a partner in the Energy, Power and Natural Resources Practice Group in the San Antonio office of Haynes Boone. He represents electric cooperatives, retail electric providers, renewable energy generators, and energy storage developers in a variety of energy transactions and electric power regulatory matters in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas market, with a focus on proceedings before the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT). Prior to joining the firm, Carlos worked at the PUCT in the agency’s Commission Advising division. Carlos is a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Texas School of Law.
Jessica Cisneros
Board Secretary
​Jessica Cisneros is an attorney specializing in immigration and human rights law. Since graduating from law school in 2018, she has provided pro bono legal services to low-income families and asylum-seekers facing detention and changing border policies. She has supervised removal defense teams and worked with families in detention. Drawing on her experience in removal defense, community advocacy, and her upbringing on the U.S.-Mexico border, Jessica focuses on developing projects and coalitions to educate communities and improve immigration policy.
Kris Beaulieu
Board Member
​Kris Beaulieu is the owner and senior financial planner with Clarity Financial Group in Ft. Worth. Kris has over 20 years experience working with a variety of families and individuals to help them identify and clarify their financial goals and take their next steps to get them where the want to go. Kris grew up in the Ft Worth area and is a graduate of UT Austin (BBA Finance, 2000). He has also obtained his CFP® (Certified Financial Planner) as well as CPWA® (Certified Private Wealth Advisor). Kris lives in Ft. Worth with his wife Jessica and their 2 daughters. When not working or serving, Kris enjoys reading, traveling, good food, golf, and watching college football.
Ina Minjarez
Board Member
​Ina Minjarez is an accomplished attorney and former Texas State Representative. Licensed to practice law since 2000, she has served as an assistant district attorney, represented clients in private practice, and advocated for children and families in the foster care system. During her tenure in the Texas House of Representatives, Ina authored and championed legislation to strengthen communities and protect vulnerable Texans. She currently represents local business clients, where she leverages her legal, legislative, and leadership experience to drive growth and build strategic partnerships.
James Hurd
Board Member
​James Hurd retired from the practice of law in 2013, after a distinguished 38 year career. After four years of military service, Hurd joined the Denver District Attorney’s Office as a trial lawyer right out of law school. He was then recruited by the United States Department of Justice as a prosecutor four years later. His eighteen years with DOJ included stints in Washington, D.C. as the head of the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute and several supervisory positions in the department. His government service culminated with an appointment by President Clinton as the United States Attorney for the United States Virgin Islands. Upon retiring from the federal government, Hurd joined the private sector as a litigator defending corporations in major product
liability lawsuits.
His clients included major pharmaceutical, chemical, electronic, and oil and gas corporations. Hurd holds an undergraduate degree from Howard University and a law degree from the University of Maryland. He remains active in several legal and civic organizations and is past president of the Virgin Islands Bar. He is married to Cisselon Nichols Hurd, Esq. and they are the proud parents of Shelby Nichole Hurd.
Ana Ramon
Board Member
​Ana Ramon was born and raised in San Antonio, TX. She began her legislative career with Texas State Rep. Joe Farias who represented the southwest and northeast portions of Bexar County. Starting as a district aide she eventually became his chief of staff and served two sessions working on behalf of Texas House District 118 and its constituents. She managed the legislative agenda for Rep. Farias with a focus on public education, veterans and criminal justice.
After Rep. Farias retired in 2015, Ana was named Executive Director of the Texas House Democratic Campaigns Committee where she worked with Texas Legislators and allied organizations to elect more democratic members to the Texas House of Representatives. She then had the privilege to lead the Texas Legislative Study Group, where she managed a team of 10 Masters of Social Work students who analyzed legislation and its potential impact on Texans. Ana was then named the Executive Director of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus. There she worked with Chairman Jose Rodriguez and members of the caucus to fight for a progressive legislative agenda and prioritize Texas working families. Including, working with the Senators and allies to keep Greg Abbott's nominee for Secretary of State from being nominated after an attempt to purge voters from the rolls. This was the first time a nominee of Governor Abbott's was not nominated by the Texas Senate.
Prior to joining Annie's List, she was the Texas State Advocacy Director for the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA). There she led a coalition of more than 100 organizations to defend against the "anti-critical race theory" attacks meant to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion in our classrooms. Ana is now proud to serve as the Executive Director of Annie's List and Annie's List Training and Engagement Fund. She is proud to bring her over 12 years of experience to the organization and is committed to changing the face of power in Texas. Ana Ramon is the eldest of four children to Rick and Patty Ramon and lives in Houston with her two cats, Oscar and Chip.
Dr. Ana Margarita “Cha” Guzmán
Board Member​​
Dr. Ana Margarita “Cha” Guzmán has spent more than three decades opening the doors of higher education to students who have been excluded. A nationally recognized education leader, she has built her career on the belief that access to quality education is a civil right, and that institutions must be measured by how well they serve Latino students.
Dr. Guzmán has been at the forefront of the fight for educational equity for Latinos. As president of the Texas Association for Bilingual Education (TABE) and of the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education (TACHE), she championed bilingual education and expanded opportunity for Latino students and faculty across the state. She carried that advocacy to the national level as chair of the White House Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (1993–2000).
As president of Palo Alto College in San Antonio for 12 years, Dr. Guzmán grew enrollment by 61%, raised student retention from 62% to 84%, and increased continuing education revenue by 400%. She secured millions in federal and state grants and launched 14 new academic programs. She also submitted 28 certificate programs for Pell eligibility, widening
financial aid access for working students. Under her leadership, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation selected Palo Alto College to establish the first recovery high school in Texas. As president of Santa Fe Community College (2012–2014), she increased enrollment and retention by 12% each and graduation rates by 47%. She also led the effort that won legislative approval for a Higher Education Center giving Santa Fe students access to bachelor and graduate programs from public universities across New Mexico. In 2015, she
served as Interim President of Blinn College, guiding the institution through a critical transition. She has led three successful institutional reaccreditations.
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Her national service also includes a U.S. Senate–confirmed term on the National Security Education Board. She has served on the Board of Trustees of the College Board and the Board of Directors of AVANCE, the national early childhood and family support organization.
She began her career as a public school teacher and has taught at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. She has also served as Associate Vice Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System and as Executive Vice President at Austin Community College.
Her honors include the Ford Salute to Education (2005) and induction into the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame (2006). Dr. Guzmán holds an Ed.D. from the University of Houston, an M.A. in Sociology from Texas Southern University, and a B.S. in Education from the University of Wisconsin–Stout. She is an alumna of Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management.