Advocacy Day at the Capitol

SPEAKER BIOS

Senator Sarah Eckhardt was elected the Senator for Travis County in July of 2020.After receiving an LBJ School Master of Public Affairs and law degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1998, Eckhardt worked for eight years as an Assistant Travis County Attorney. From 2006-2013 she served as Travis County Commissioner representing 300,000 people. From 2015-2020 she served as the Travis County Judge presiding over the Commissioners Court and representing 1.3 million people.
Senator Eckhardt believes that elective office is a temporary trust bestowed by the people who elect her. She values policy above politics. And she believes that government exists to assure that opportunity is within reach of every Texan. Government should be effective, efficient, fair and minimally intrusive.
Eckhardt's public service experience includes emergency response, health care, workforce and economic development, criminal justice, water policy, transportation, and budget and finance. Some of her previous accomplishments include curtailing the spread of COVID-19 in Central Texas through early and decisive region-wide orders, preserving more than 30,000 acres of green space, building a multi-county collaboration for the preservation of groundwater, maintaining a vibrant construction economy while raising safety standards for workers, establishing a Travis County Public Defender's Office, and instituting jail and arrest diversion programs that support justice and public safety.
Senator Eckhardt learned public service from her mother and father and is inspired to continue serving by her son and daughter. Her mother Nadine Eckhardt and her father Congressman Bob Eckhardt served Texas and especially the most vulnerable Texans in the halls of the State Capitol and the US Capitol. Her children Nadine and Hank inspire her daily to make Texas a better place for generations to come.

State Representative Donna Howard has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 2006. She currently serves as the Vice-Chair of Article II in the House Appropriations Committee and as Vice Chair of the Higher Education Committee. Rep. Howard also serves as the Chairwoman of the Texas Women’s Health Caucus which is the largest caucus in the country solely focused on advancing women’s health policy. 
A native of Austin, Donna earned a Bachelor’s degree in nursing and a Master’s degree in health education from the University of Texas. She worked as a critical care nurse at Brackenridge and Seton hospitals and served as Austin’s first hospital-based Patient Education Coordinator. Donna is a past president of the Texas Nurses Association (District 5) and was a health education instructor at UT.
Donna was elected to the Eanes ISD board in West Austin for the 1996-1999 term. She has served on the boards of Austin Area Interreligious Ministries, Common Cause Texas, Texas Freedom Network, and the Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. She now serves as a board member of the Expanding Horizons Foundation, supporting low-income housing and education.
Representative Howard was married to attorney Derek Howard for 40 wonderful years and they proudly raised three children together. Rep. Howard is also a grandmother to seven perfect grandchildren. 

State Representative Vikki Goodwin is serving her third term representing Texas House District 47 in western Travis County, which includes the outskirts of Austin, Bee Cave and parts of Lake Travis. In the 88th Session, she was successful in passing a number of bills that serve her district and the state. To address safety issues, she passed Cati’s Act which is a drowning prevention law, and the Natalia Cox Act which is a violence prevention law. To address mental health needs, she passed a law that expands AcuDetox. And to ensure food security, she passed a law creating the Texas Food Security and Resiliency Council. Goodwin was a co-author of numerous other bills, and a sponsor of a Cottage Food Act which ran out of time and didn’t get passed.
Rep. Goodwin filed a set of bills to address public school funding, gun safety, environmental protection and more. She was a co-author on a bill to increase state employee salaries and to provide a cost-of-living increase to retired teachers.
In the next session, Rep. Goodwin will file the Affordable Rent Act, and will continue to advocate for the people of her district, the environment, a strong economy, and a sound budget.
Representative Goodwin is a small business owner, a real estate broker, and a community leader. After graduating from the University of Texas with a BBA—and the LBJ School of Public Affairs with a master’s degree—Vikki remains in Austin where she raised her children who are now grown.
A long-time resident of Shady Hollow, Vikki has been very active in her community, serving on various boards and commissions. Her volunteer work gave her insight into the need for various services in the community and strengthened her determination to help those who slip through the cracks, so often as a result of medical issues, student loans, or low paying jobs. Through her professional and philanthropic endeavors, Vikki knows which issues matter most to the residents of District 47 and was inspired to become an advocate for her community.