writings & whatnot
Below is a select number of research, reports, commentaries, and articles I have written throughout the years.
May 2022
The San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board recently attributed low voter turnout in the May 7 election to “voter apathy.”
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That the apathetic voter is everyone who is eligible to vote and didn’t remains, at best, speculative. This speculation stops us from uncovering a far more complex story.
September 2021
More than 12,000 San Antonians strengthened a shared vision for the future of their city throughout the year 2020 in the midst of a pandemic. This report shares key takeaways and learnings from this yearlong engagement, as well as more detailed information about every step of the process.
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"In San Antonio, Texas, we have shown that every ten years we envision the future together. Together, we work to make that future real."
June 2021
Responsive commentary on the myth of the "Uninformed Voter."
"Today, as the country examines voter rights and Texas legislators are forced back into special session to likely resuscitate a bill that will add more restrictions to voting, I am concerned that a commentary on voter turnout put the onus on an ill-defined “uninformed voter” rather than examining the responsibility of institutions."
February 2021
The 2020 Community Impact Report is an overview of the past decade of progress in San Antonio, sharing analysis and a more complete story of 60+ community indicators, a summary of bold community efforts that helped move the needle on shared goals, and a preview of the 2030 Community Vision.
In my role at SA2020, I also authored/co-authored all reports and guides on SA2020's Reports page between March 2012 and February 2021.
May 2020
As president & CEO of SA2020, I discussed the state of the city during the beginning months of COVID-19.
February 2020
Leading up to a yearlong community engagement process, I discussed the progress towards San Antonio's community vision.
May 2019
Co-authored commentary on San Antonio's low voter turnout with context to celebrate the community's incremental change.
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"We, as individuals, are affected by the policies and services of institutions every single day. In order to vote, we interact with the government to get registered; we rely on news media and the internet to get informed; we negotiate time off with our employers; and we use streets and sidewalks to get to and from polling sites. In order to vote, in other words, we rely on an array of policies and programs that dictate our access."
February 2016
Commentary on unpacking education data and remembering the data represent students.
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"As the organization charged with creating positive community change as it relates to our collective vision, we know that unless you start with the end in mind, you sometimes get lost. We get lost in education policy and scarce resources. We get lost in the need for talent recruitment and for building our homegrown workforce. We get lost in the need for remedial math classes. We get lost in the cost of a degree. That’s the complexity of the work in which our community is engaged."