Looking ahead

Dear friend:

As we approach the end of January 2014, we are reminded of how fast time flies!

Since the moment I was elected in 2010, my pledge has been to work hard on local, regional, and state issues for the constituents of Senate District 29.

We’re already looking ahead to the 84th Legislature, which will be under way this time next year. In the meantime, we’re working on constituent issues and following the implementation of laws passed by the 83rd Legislature.

Here in District 29, I’m making my office more accessible for constituents. To that end, I have opened two new district offices. One office is located in Fabens and serves the constituents in the Mission Valley area of El Paso County as well as those living in Culberson and Hudspeth Counties. The second office is located in Marfa and will serve the Trans Pecos region, which includes Jeff Davis and Presidio Counties.

The details are as follows:

  • The Trans Pecos office is, according to locals, the first state Senate office to be located in Marfa. It is roughly equidistant from Presidio and Fort Davis, the two other large communities in that region of District 29. The Senator’s office temporarily is located at the Presidio County Courthouse (301 N. Highland, Marfa, TX 79843). The telephone number is (432) 729-4800, and fax number is (432) 729-4803. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1105, Marfa, TX 79843. The office is staffed by Daniel Hernandez, who can be reached via email at [email protected].tx.us or in the office during the following hours: Mondays 8am-1pm, Tuesdays 3-5pm, Wednesdays 8am-1pm, and Fridays 8am-5pm.
  • The Fabens office is located at 206 S.E. 8th Street, Suite 201, Fabens, TX 79838, at the same location as the Texas Health and Human Services Commssion. The telephone number is (915) 765-2000, and the fax number is (915) 765-2031. Please note that we do not receive mail delivery at this address; please send any mail to the El Paso office: 100 N. Ochoa, Suite A, El Paso, TX 79901. Hours are by appointment only until mid-February.

We’ve had some recent staffing changes, so I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to my staff.

Capitol Office in Austin:

  • Sushma Jasti Smith (Chief of Staff) has worked for Senator Rodríguez since he was first elected to the Texas Senate in November 2010. She manages the Senator’s offices in the district and Austin and spearheads the Senator’s legislative and policy efforts. Sushma has worked four regular sessions and several special sessions during her time at the state Capitol, including as a policy analyst and legal counsel for former Senator Eliot Shapleigh from 2007 until his retirement. Before she began working for Senate District 29, Sushma worked as a Health Law & Policy Legislative Fellow for State Representative Garnet Coleman of Houston and as a judicial intern at the U.S. District Court in Houston (Southern District of Texas) and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin. Sushma earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin and her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center, where she was the Editor in Chief of the Houston Journal of Health Law and Policy.
  • Allison Brooks (Scheduler and Office Manager) was raised both in San Antonio and Mexico City where she developed a love for traveling and experiencing different cultures. She is a graduate of St. Edward’s University where she received Bachelor’s degrees in Communication and International Relations. Allison began working in the Texas Senate during the 81st Legislative Session – initially as a Senate Messenger and then for Senator Carlos Uresti of San Antonio for two years. She then pursued a career in public relations for a Hispanic marketing agency and several downtown Austin restaurants. With a background in communications and hospitality, she’s an essential part of Senator Rodríguez’s team, creating a warm and inviting environment in the Capitol and District Offices as the Office Manager and Scheduler.
  • Luis Figueroa (General Counsel) was born and raised in El Paso and attended Cathedral High School. He is a graduate of Trinity University and the University of Texas School of Law. Luis spent nearly nine years working to protect and promote the civil rights of Latinos as an attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), where he worked in the areas of immigrant rights, voting rights, and education reforms. Prior to his work at MALDEF, Luis worked on consumer issues with the Consumers Union and had internships at Texas Rural Legal Aid, the White House, and Texas Watch, and he is honored to work on behalf of Senator Rodríguez and the community where he was raised and where his family still lives.

Main District Office in El Paso & Satellite Office in Mission Valley:

  • Andrés Durá (District Director) grew up on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border in the cities of Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua and El Paso, Texas. As a University of Texas at El Paso student, Andres, the son and brother of two UTEP professors who also attended the school, taught Italian and Spanish conversation classes at UTEP’s Tutoring and Learning Center. He also discovered his passion for advocacy and public service and became a founding member of Students Against ASARCO. These experiences prompted Andrés to attend the University of Texas School of Law, during which he worked for then-Sen. Eliot Shapleigh during the 81st Legislative Session and received a University of Texas School of Law research grant to carry out original legal historical research at the National Archives in London, England. Immediately prior to joining Senator Rodríguez’s office, Andrés practiced business and immigration law in diverse matters ranging from renewable energy development to cross-border licensing and trade.
  • Corinne Chacón (Director of Community Initiatives) works with the constituents, agencies and organizations of Senate District 29. Strategic projects that have evolved from Senator Rodríguez’s various district advisory committees include working to achieve greater integration at Hueco Tanks Historic Site for El Paso families, students, and indigenous communities; working with the community to preserve the historic Lincoln Center; organizing and co-hosting the Mano y Corazón Binational Health Care Conference in 2012 and 2013; and two upcoming events related to sustainable energy and heritage tourism. Her professional background includes experience in network technology and communications, which she developed over three decades of nonprofit service. Corinne attained a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) designation from Southern Methodist University Advanced Computer Center.
  • Luis “Sito” Negron (Communications Director) has a broad knowledge of media platforms informed by almost 25 years of award-winning, professional hard news reporting and editing in daily newspapers, television, radio, weekly and monthly news magazines and periodicals, and Internet publishing. Sito has worked in both corporate and independent media environments, has freelanced for operations ranging from Reuters to Texas Monthly, and has consulted on messaging, outreach, and web development for professional and organizational clients who use websites, electronic newsletters, social media and other digital communication. The 83rd Legislature was his first session, and he is looking forward to putting that experience to use for District 29 in the 84th Legislature in 2015. Sito is a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso.
  • David Stout (Binational Affairs & Media Relations) has been on Senator Rodriguez’s staff for the last 2.5 years. He oversees Spanish language media relations and binational affairs, and managed veterans affairs, transportation, economic development, labor and government organization issues in the District Office and in Austin during the 83rd Legislative session. David spent 8 years in media, including work as an award-winning reporter with Univision, Noticias 26, and he also served as communications coordinator for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and their campaign for immigration reform. David attended the University of New Mexico, where he received his undergraduate degree in Latin American Studies and Spanish and his Master’s in Latin American Studies with major concentrations in Brazilian Culture and Literature and International Business. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, David has traveled extensively in Latin America, and lived and studied in Mexico and Brazil. He recently lectured in the Portuguese Department at UTEP, and is also the proud father of a 5 year old boy, David Philip, or as we know him, Davey.

Satellite District Office in Marfa:

  • Daniel O. Hernandez (Constituent Affairs) was born and raised in Marfa, Texas. A 2010 graduate of Marfa High School, he is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication at Sul Ross State University. Before working for Senator Rodríguez, he was employed as a dispatcher at the Presidio County Sheriff’s Office. Daniel is a parishioner at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Marfa and is an active community member, who volunteers as the leader of the Marfa Shorthorn Community Fan Band and serves on the Marfa ISD District Educational Improvement Council.

On a final note, we’re in the process of hiring a new Constituent Services liaison that will work out of the El Paso and Mission Valley offices. We’ll announce this new staffer and introduce you to the interns currently working in my El Paso and Austin offices soon!

As always, I invite you to contact my office with your questions, comments, or concerns.

Sincerely,

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