Meet the Staff
Tracy Ginsburg, Ed.D., CAE
Executive Director
Before leading TASBO, Tracy was CFO for Round Rock ISD, and then Fort Bend ISD. She also served as TASBO Board President. In 2013, ASBO named Tracy as its Eagle Award Recipient and, most recently, was honored by the Texas Society of Association Executives with its Distinguished Executive Award.
Becky Bunte, CAE
Deputy Executive Director
Becky leads the professional development, membership, and communication teams. Prior to joining TASBO in 2006, Becky worked in public school business and operations for more than 30 years. In 2020, she was the recipient of the Texas Society of Association Executive’s Professional Excellence Award.
Amanda Brownson, Ph.D.
Deputy Executive Director
Policy & Research
Amanda utilizes her deep knowledge of the Texas school finance system to help members understand the impact of the school finance formula on their district. She previously worked at Moak, Casey & Associates and Raise Your Hand Texas. She also served as Director of State Funding for the TEA.
Aliza Smith
Education Manager
Professional Development
Aliza began her professional journey as an elementary school teacher. She then became an association professional at the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association, specializing in education, membership, and event planning. She's a graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi.
Ashley Franco
Director of Education
Professional Development
With a decade of association experience, including a previous stint at TASBO, Ashley is thrilled to have the opportunity to bring engaging events to life. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and most recently served as the Membership Analyst for the Retired Teachers Association of Texas.
Becky Estrada, RTSBA
Chief Certification Officer
Certification
Becky uses her extensive experience in school finance and operations to enhance the quality of education. She recently retired as CFO at Lackland ISD. She has served as TASBO Board President and was the 2014 Commitment to Excellence Recipient and was named Outstanding Volunteer in 2021.
Becky Faulk
Chief Engagement Officer
Membership & Sponsorships
Becky leads member engagement activities, including TASBO Connect, affiliates, & the mentoring program. After growing the membership department, she now leads sponsor relationships. In 2021, the Texas Society of Association Executives awarded Becky with the Young Professional Leadership Award.
Bob Hart
Chief Financial Officer
Accounting & Finance
Bob manages TASBO’s finances, including the budget, external audit, accounting, employee benefits, and the member liability insurance program. He has a BBA in Accounting and is a CPA. Prior to TASBO, he worked at several school districts and the Texas Education Agency.
Christina Orellana
Member Services Lead
Membership (Bilingual)
Christina joined TASBO in Fall of 2022 as a Member Services Specialist. She provides exceptional member support, including assistance with registrations and renewals. Prior to joining the team, she worked Austin ISD for five years where she received the RAVE Award at Walnut Creek Elementary. *Bilingual: Christina is happy to assist you in Spanish!
Delia Macias
Member Services Coordinator
Membership (Bilingual)
Delia joined TASBO in 2021 as a Member Services Specialist. She provides members support with registrations and renewals. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Student System Support for Austin ISD, where she received the 2018 Staff of the Year award at Becker Elementary. *Bilingual: Delia is happy to assist you in Spanish!
Esmeralda Gonzalez, CAE
Director of Member Services
Membership
Working with volunteer leaders to build valuable and relevant training is where Esmer shines. After leaving TASBO to spend three years working for the Independent Bankers Association, she has returned to once again enthusiastically serve members.
Janét Spurgin
Chief Research Officer
Policy & Research
Janét joined the team as a Policy & Research Associate in 2018. She has a long history of developing school finance data models used to calculate state aid and developing tools to evaluate education funding proposals. This includes work she did for the Legislative Budget Board and the TEA.
Jason W Meek, CAE, CPTD, RTSBA
Chief Learning Officer
Professional Development
Jason leads the professional development team's efforts in creating engaging experiences at conferences, academies, and workshops. Previously, he was Coordinator of Administrative Services in Child Nutrition for Frisco ISD. He has a Master’s in Organizational Learning and Instructional Technologies.
Jamie Spiegel, RTSBA
Director of Certification
Certification
Jamie has retired after more than 30 years in governmental procurement in Texas, including 22 years in the K-12 arena. He has served as a TASBO board member, mentor, and committee chair (twice). Throughout most of his K-12 career, he has also been actively involved in training, instructing TASBO courses. Additionally, Jamie is a graduate of Concordia University's MBA program in School Finance and Operations.
Justin Ables, CAE
Director of Marketing
Marketing & Communications
With ten years association management experience, Justin builds engaging educational experiences. He formerly served as an Account Manager for Strategic Association Management, where he worked with the Science Teachers Association of Texas and the Fast Growth School Coalition. In 2023, he was a Rising Lone Star Award Recipient, given by the Texas Society of Association Executives.
Karen Wilson, CTSBO
Policy & Research Associate
Policy & Research
Karen brings a wealth of experience as a CFO and can provide our members with practical, real-world advice. She recently retired from Spring Branch ISD where she served as Associate Superintendent for Finance. Karen was a TASBO board member and also received TASBO’s Commitment to Excellence Award.
Kathryn McGinness
Certification Manager
Certification
Kathryn first joined TASBO within the E-Learning team and recently moved to Certification to increase her engagement with members. Prior to joining the team, she taught with Frisco ISD in the RAIL (Reaching All Innovative Learners) Program. She received her master's degree from Texas Woman's University with an emphasis in Fine Arts Education.
Katie Hooks, CAE
Education Manager
Professional Development
Before joining the TASBO team, Katie spent the last 20 years managing operations for several local Austin non-profit associations specializing in local government, technology, affordable housing and education. With a career-long passion for events, she specializes in exhibits management and educational events such as academies and workshops.
Kimberly Wassmuth, M.Ed
Instructional Technology Coordinator
E-Learning
Kimberly provides educational technology support for online learners. Prior to joining the team, she was an Instructional Technology Specialist in Round Rock ISD. She received her masters degree from Lamar University in Educational Technology Leadership.
Kristi Clark, J.D.
Chief Policy Officer
Policy & Research
Prior to joining TASBO, Kristi served as Lead Attorney, Finance and Elections, and then Division Director of Policy Service at TASB. Kristi has a BBA in Accounting from TCU and a law degree from UT-Austin. Kristi can provide general guidance on legal issues, but she does not represent any district. Her legal guidance should never be substituted for that of your school attorney.
Kyle Wallace
Senior Manager of Instructional Design
E-Learning
Kyle develops online and hybrid course content and provides educational technology support for online learners. He has extensive experience producing instructional and online videos, and created a non-profit dedicated to closing education and food inequities. Kyle graduated from UT-Austin.
Mary Katie Tigert, MA
Member Engagement Manager
Membership
Prior to joining the TASBO team, Mary Katie completed her master’s degree in communication studies at Texas State University. She was formerly the Logistics Lead, Production Assistant, and Speaker Coach for TEDxTexasStateUniversity where also she currently teaches.
Matt Fulmer, MFA, MSLC
Director of Instructional Design
E-Learning
Matt develops online and hybrid course content and provides educational technology support for online learners. He has previously led instructional design projects for higher education, nonprofit and corporate clients. He holds an MFA in Digital Media and an MS in Organizational Development.
Rose Grandon, CAE
Chief Communications Officer
Marketing & Communications
With more than ten years of experience in association marketing, Rose executes brand-building strategies, content creation, email marketing and website management efforts. In 2016, she was the Young Professional Leadership Award Recipient, given by the Texas Society of Association Executives.
Sonya Niazy, Ph.D., RTSBA, CPA
Policy and Research Associate
Policy & Research
Before joining TASBO, Sonya served as Deputy Superintendent for Operational Support and Chief Financial Officer with Galena Park ISD. Sonya’s career in Texas school business has spanned over 30 years serving in various roles with four other school districts in the Houston Metro area as well as Region 4 ESC. These broad experiences span from business services and human resources to operational support areas.
Tom Greer, CAE
Associate Executive Director
Marketing & Communications
Tom plays a key role in advancing the organization's mission and bringing the association's outstanding achievements to life. Prior to his tenure at TASBO, he led Time Warner Cable’s local events and education initiatives, including activation of the sponsorship with University of Texas Athletics.
Tonya Davis, RTSBA, CPP
Director of Certification
Certification
Recently retired from Round Rock ISD, and now a TASBO Life Member, Tonya joined the TASBO team as Online Learning Manager. She was Director of Payroll & Benefits, and gave back to the profession as a TASBO Payroll Committee Chair, Instructor, and Mentor.