Committee Members

The Texas Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities consists of 12 volunteer members appointed by the Governor, seven of whom must be persons with disabilities. Ex-officio members and advisory representatives represent state agencies serving people with disabilities. Committee members meet at least quarterly. Learn more about committee law in the Texas Human Resources Code Chapter 115.

* Indicates a member who is filling a required position of person with a disability.

Ellen M. Bauman (Chair) - Special Needs Ministry Liaison for First United Methodist Church in Arlington; Joshua
Kori A. Allen - ADA & Capital Programs Coordinator for the City of Coppell; McKinney*
Billy Blanchard - Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor; Victoria*
Ronnie Browning - Spring*
Evelyn Cano - Co-Founder/President of Disability Chamber of Commerce RGV; Pharr
Chelsea Elliott - Founder and Executive Director of half Helen, Austin*
Neva Fairchild - National Aging & Vision Loss Specialist, retired; Flower Mound*
Juan Carlos Lopez - Edinburg*
Kristie L. Orr, PhD - Disability Resources Director for Texas A&M University; College Station
Emma F. Rudkin - CEO and Founder of Aid the Silent; Boerne*
Lisa Treleaven - Licensed Counselor and Consultant; Montgomery
Benjamin Willis - Student at Texas A&M University; Lumberton*

Member Profiles

Ellen Bauman (Chair)

Ellen Bauman of Joshua is a grass-roots advocate for people with disabilities and their families. Her journey has evolved out of personal experience while navigating life in search of resources for her granddaughter. Her passion is to inform, educate and empower not only these individuals and their families, but those who are in places of authority, responsible for protecting their rights and providing for their needs. She strives to secure the best quality of life possible for every individual. Her goal is that all are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. Ellen is the Special Needs Ministry Liaison for First United Methodist Church in Arlington and is a Certified Christian Educator. She is an ARC of Greater Mid-Cities Board member, Department of Aging and Disabilities of North Central Texas Advisory Committee member, IDD Council of Tarrant County member and Texas Parent 2 Parent volunteer.

Kori A. Allen

Kori Allen of McKinney is the ADA & Capital Programs Coordinator for the City of Coppell. She is an Officer of the Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter of Little People of America and self-advocacy award recipient of the North Texas Disability Chamber. Additionally, she is a member of the Little People of America – State Legislation Monitoring Team and the Accessibility Professionals Association. Allen also serves as a volunteer in various roles for The Contemporary Chorale and Metrocrest Services. She has served as a gubernatorial appointee on the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities since 2020. Allen received a Bachelor of Science in Health Studies from The University of Texas at Tyler and is working towards a certification by the Texas Accessibility Academy as a Registered Accessibility Specialist.

Billy Blanchard

Billy Blanchard of Victoria is a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for Texas Workforce Commission. He has been involved in disability services since 2006 when he was a Disability Program Navigator for Workforce Solutions Golden Crescent until 2012 where he helped individuals with disabilities find employment. Billy has served as a board member for the Brain Injury Association of Texas and as president for the Disability Coalition of the Golden Crescent. Billy graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004 and after returning to Victoria has been an active member of the Victoria Bad News Chairs Wheelchair Sports Team.

Evelyn Cano

Evelyn Cano of Pharr is the co-founder and President of the Disability Chamber of Commerce Rio Grande Valley. DCC-RGV supports local businesses via the promotion of inclusive hiring best practices by fostering collaboration and promoting economic growth for the Cross-Disability Community in the Rio Grande Valley. Mrs. Cano is the co-owner of Grande Produce LTD and Cano & Sons Trucking in San Juan, TX. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Indiana University. Her past disability advocacy endeavors include serving as an interim Executive Director of Capable Kids Foundation, working as an independent parent advocate and gracing the stage of TEDx McAllen as a presenter about the disability advocacy movement in the RGV. In 2020, Mrs. Cano began her service as a board member with Disability Rights Texas. She is a graduate of Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities Texas Partners in Policy Making course, a member of the Council of Parents, Advocates and Attorneys (COPAA) and the proud parent of a self advocate with Autism.

Chelsea Elliott

Chelsea Elliott, Founder and Executive Director of half Helen (hH), was diagnosed with vision loss at age four and hearing loss at age six. In fourth grade, she found resonance with the experiences of Helen Keller, now famously quipping, 'I’m half blind, and half deaf - I’m half Helen.’ At half Helen, we make it possible for our patients to see their world clearly. Our extensive community and corporate partnerships makes it possible for underserved children, families, and seniors to afford vision and medical eye care services.

Neva Fairchild

Neva Fairchild of Flower Mound recently retired as a National Aging & Vision Loss Specialist at the American Foundation for the Blind and has worked in the field of blindness services for over 30 years. She is a former president of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired and the newsletter editor for the American Council of the Blind of Texas. Fairchild received a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Science and a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling Psychology from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

Juan Carlos Lopez

Juan Carlos Lopez is a current board member at the Valley Association for Independent Living (VAIL) and has been serving on the board for three years. Additionally, he is a member of the Disability Task Force for Edinburg, which is the only disability task force in the Rio Grande Valley that he brought forward in 2024. He is also an independent writer for Trucha RGV, where he writes about disability issues. Mr. Lopez is a former counsel member of the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities in which he served one term. Mr. Lopez has a passion for advocacy of people with disabilities to have more service dog assistance.

Kristie L. Orr, Ph.D.

Kristie Orr, Ph.D. of College Station is the disability resources director for Texas A&M University. She is a past president of the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) and a member of the Association on Higher Education and Disability in Texas. She frequently provides workshops, lectures, and external reviews at state and national conferences and on campuses throughout the United States. Orr received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Doctor of Philosophy in School Psychology from Texas A&M University, College Station and a Master of Education in Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Emma Faye Rudkin

Emma Faye Rudkin of Boerne, is CEO and founder of Aid the Silent, a non-profit that advocates for deaf and hard of hearing children. Aid the Silent puts on an annual Good Vibrations Music and Arts Festival in San Antonio, the largest all-day, deaf accessible festival in the U.S. She is also a musician and speaker, and was a finalist in the Miss Texas Pageant in 2017. Rudkin is also on staff for Deaf Young Life. Emma Faye Rudkin received her Bachelor of Science in Communications and Non-Profit Management from The University of Texas at San Antonio Honors College.

Lisa Treleaven

Lisa Treleaven, Ed.D. of Montgomery is a licensed counselor and a consultant in the fields of education, mental health, and human services. She volunteers as a parent mentor for Texas Parent to Parent, a member of the Community Emergency Response Team, and a family advisor for Texas Children’s Hospital and Emergency Medical Services for Children. She is a Texas Partners in Policymaking program graduate. Treleaven holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin as well as a Master of Arts in Psychology and Doctor of Education from Houston Christian University.

Benjamin Willis

Benjamin Willis of Lumberton is a student at Texas A&M University. He has volunteered at the Muscular Dystrophy Association where he served as the Southeast Goodwill Ambassador. Additionally, he competed in the 2021 and 2022 Texas High School Mock Trial Competition.