Governor Abbott Appoints Six To Governor’s Committee On People With Disabilities
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Andrew D. Cohen to the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities for a term set to expire on February 1, 2019. Additionally, he appointed Evelyn Cano, Emma F. Rudkin, and Amy L. Scott and reappointed Richard Martinez and Marco A. Treviño for terms set to expire on February 1, 2020. The committee recommends changes in disability policies and programs and supports a network of committees on people with disabilities, issues awards to promote greater awareness, and promotes compliance with disability related laws.
Andrew Cohen of Round Rock is a software engineer with DXC Technology. He is a co-founder and the president of the DeafBlind Camp of Texas along a volunteer for the Texas Society of Interpreters for the Deaf. He was also a former board member of the DeafBlind Camp of Maryland and a member of the Maryland State Rehabilitation Council. Cohen received a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Evelyn Cano of Pharr is a community relations liaison for Grande Produce LTD. She is a former Texas certified educator with McAllen ISD for six years. She is a board member with the nonprofit Capable Kids Foundation and their director of education, autism, and advocacy programs. She is also a parent advocate and member of the Council of Parents, Advocates and Attorneys (COPAA). She volunteers much of her time with various nonprofits in the Rio Grande Valley that serve individuals with disabilities and often provides presentations for various organizations on special education advocacy. Cano received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Indiana University and a Texas teaching certificate through Region One Education Service Center’s Project P.a.C.E.
Emma F. Rudkin of Boerne is CEO and founder of Aid the Silent, a nonprofit that advocates for deaf and hard of hearing children. She is also a musician and speaker, and was a finalist in the Miss Texas Pageant in 2017. She is on staff for Deaf Young Life and her non-profit puts on the Good Vibrations Music and Arts Festival yearly, the largest all-day, deaf accessible festival in the U.S. Rudkin will receive her Bachelor of Science in communications and nonprofit management from The University of Texas at San Antonio Honors College in December 2018.
Amy L. Scott of Austin is a warehouse administrative specialist for the Travis Association for the Blind and a former peer counselor and teacher. She is a former member of the Disability Advisory Council of New York, Council for Exceptional Children, and Finger Lakes Independent Center in New York. Scott received a Bachelor of Science in education from The University of Texas at Austin.
Richard Martinez of San Antonio is a grant manager and compliance coordinator for VIA Metropolitan Transit. He is a former government relations officer for the Texas Department of Transportation and assistant to the border commerce coordinator for the Secretary of State Office. He is a graduate of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's Alex Briseño Leadership Development Program and former parish council member and Archbishop’s Appeal Chair for St. Elizabeth Catholic Church. Martinez received a Bachelor of Arts in history from Texas A&M International University.
Marco A. Treviño of Edinburg currently serves as vice chair of the committee and is a licensed clinical and mental health social worker for the United States Veterans Affairs–McAllen Outpatient Clinic. He is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) since 2005 and is a former member of the Steering Committee of the NASW Texas Chapter Rio Grande Branch. Treviño received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in social work from University of Texas–Pan American. He is also a board-approved supervisor.