meet our steering committee
Resha Thomas – Chair, Political Director, SEIU - Texas
Reverend James Caldwell – Founding Director, Coalition of Community Organizations (COCO)
Reverend James Caldwell – Founding Director, Coalition of Community Organizations (COCO)
For the past four years, Resha Thomas has served as the statewide political director for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) - Texas. Since 2010, Resha has focused on creating and implementing field programs geared towards increasing the vote of the rising American electorate communities. Resha is a native Houstonian who enjoys spending her weekends exploring Houston’s diverse food scene.
Reverend James Caldwell – Founding Director, Coalition of Community Organizations (COCO)
Reverend James Caldwell – Founding Director, Coalition of Community Organizations (COCO)
Reverend James Caldwell – Founding Director, Coalition of Community Organizations (COCO)
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Reverend James Caldwell is a native of Fifth Ward, a historically African American community and one of the oldest neighborhoods in Houston. In 2008, his passion for the community led him to birth COCO and develop a community network that builds sustainability within the community through dissemination of information and community events. In partnership with groups like Texas Southern University professor Dr. Robert Bullard, COCO puts on environmental justice community meetings that educate the community on a variety of resilience issues.
Mary Anne Piacentini – President and Chief Executive Officer, Katy Prairie Conservancy
Mary Anne Piacentini – President and Chief Executive Officer, Katy Prairie Conservancy
Mary Anne Piacentini – President and Chief Executive Officer, Katy Prairie Conservancy
Mary Anne coordinates the Conservancy’s land protection programs and conservation assistance to private landowners, establishes community partnerships and relationships with diverse stakeholders, and oversees the agency’s operations and programs. She expanded the land protection program from 1,300 acres in 1999 to nearly 23,000 acres today; implemented a conservation buyer program to support additional conservation; and formed joint venture partnerships to restore habitat while also increasing earned income using stream and wetlands mitigation projects.
She received a Master of City Planning from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of New Hampshire. In 2014, Ms. Piacentini was one of four women to receive the inaugural Terry Hershey Texas Women in Conservation award.
Alex Birnel – Advocacy Manager, MOVE Texas - Texas
Mary Anne Piacentini – President and Chief Executive Officer, Katy Prairie Conservancy
Mary Anne Piacentini – President and Chief Executive Officer, Katy Prairie Conservancy
Alex Birnel (He/Him) is the Advocacy Manager at MOVE Texas. In his role with MOVE Texas, he leads issue-based campaigns affectIng the lives of young people, building power across the state of Texas. Alex helped found MOVE San Antonio during his time studying anthropology and political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio and is also an experienced community advocate and organizer. In his personal organizing efforts, he helped found the local San Antonio DSA chapter. He also served a year term on the National Political Committee of the Democratic Socialists of America, a 16 member body and the highest political arm of that organization.
MEET THE CEER TEAM
STEFANIA TOMASKOVIC, Coalition Director
CARMEN CAVEZZA, Climate Justice Community Organizer
CARMEN CAVEZZA, Climate Justice Community Organizer
Stefania Tomaskovic, Ph.D., (she/her) serves as Coalition Director for the Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience. She believes that a strong, resilient Texas is possible: one where every person can access safe, affordable housing, where every neighborhood has healthy air, water, and soil, and where our economy is strengthened
Stefania Tomaskovic, Ph.D., (she/her) serves as Coalition Director for the Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience. She believes that a strong, resilient Texas is possible: one where every person can access safe, affordable housing, where every neighborhood has healthy air, water, and soil, and where our economy is strengthened by meaningful work opportunities that support healthy livelihoods without doing harm to each other or the environment.
Prior to joining CEER, Stefania worked with Public Citizen, a national nonprofit group dedicated to representing the people’s voice in the halls of power.Stefania has also worked as a chaplain and a geologist.
CARMEN CAVEZZA, Climate Justice Community Organizer
CARMEN CAVEZZA, Climate Justice Community Organizer
CARMEN CAVEZZA, Climate Justice Community Organizer
Carmen (she/her/ella) is a foreign medical graduate who has experience working to educate and engage communities around health equity. Carmen worked with epilepsy patients in Corpus Christi and along the Southern border of Texas. She relocated to Houston from California, where she worked for community health centers in risk management, p
Carmen (she/her/ella) is a foreign medical graduate who has experience working to educate and engage communities around health equity. Carmen worked with epilepsy patients in Corpus Christi and along the Southern border of Texas. She relocated to Houston from California, where she worked for community health centers in risk management, patient relations and conflict management. Prior to emigrating to the US, she worked as a physician in community health centers in Mexico in primary and public health. Carmen has lived in several states and seen the impact humans and industry are having on our environment.
ANDY ESCOBAR, Senior Regional Community Organizer
STEPHANY VALDEZ, Water Justice Community Organizer
STEPHANY VALDEZ, Water Justice Community Organizer
Andy (he/they | el/elle) is a born and raised Houstonian from the northwest Cypress suburbs & identifies as a bisexual man of non-binary/gender non-conforming experience. They come from a working class disabled Tejano Mexican American household and became a First Generation college graduate from The University of Texas at Austin. Passiona
Andy (he/they | el/elle) is a born and raised Houstonian from the northwest Cypress suburbs & identifies as a bisexual man of non-binary/gender non-conforming experience. They come from a working class disabled Tejano Mexican American household and became a First Generation college graduate from The University of Texas at Austin. Passionate about anti-oppression, he has over ten years of facilitation, public speaking, volunteering, fundraising, community organizing/building, social justice advocacy, and progressive political activism. As board member of the Houston chapter of Impulse Group International, Andy works to create a brave space to engage, support and connect gay men as well as lesbian, bi, trans, & other queer folks in a stronger & healthier community. He is a Taurus dog parent to two daughters, stereotypical millennial, watches way too much TV, and has not eaten meat since 2007.
STEPHANY VALDEZ, Water Justice Community Organizer
STEPHANY VALDEZ, Water Justice Community Organizer
STEPHANY VALDEZ, Water Justice Community Organizer
Stephany (she/her/ella) is a multilingual professional from Laredo, TX and relocated to the Houston area in 2016. She comes from a working class Mexican household and is a First Generation immigrant. She has comprehensive knowledge of Spanish and English, which she has been using as an interpreter in the medical and legal fields helping b
Stephany (she/her/ella) is a multilingual professional from Laredo, TX and relocated to the Houston area in 2016. She comes from a working class Mexican household and is a First Generation immigrant. She has comprehensive knowledge of Spanish and English, which she has been using as an interpreter in the medical and legal fields helping be a voice for the Spanish speakers in her community. In addition to her political advocacy & community organizing, Stephany enjoys cooking, learning about plants, nature walks & hanging out with her nieces and nephews.