Bingham Group Recognizes Black Austin Business, Community, and Policy Leaders
February is Black History Month, and while we at Bingham Group honor the past, we want to acknowledge nine Black individuals who are shaping Austin’s present and future. As a certified minority owned business enterprise (MBE), Bingham Group applauds the strides made by these nine, who inspire us and the Austin community.
Chas Moore
Executive Director and Founder, Austin Justice Coalition (AJC)
The Austin Justice Coalition spearheads policy discussions impacting black lives, which is facilitated by Chas’s connections within city government, the police department, the DA’s office, and community organizations.
His work in the upcoming year will focus on the Use of Force policy, police association contract, city budget, progressive disciplinary matrix for police misconduct, and mental health response.
Learn more about Chas here.
Nicole Conley
Austin ISD CFO
Nicole Conley is the highest ranking executive at Austin Independent School District (AISD). As CFO, she is responsible for managing a nearly $3 billion budget and capital program, which includes 129 school communities serving more than 80,000 students.
Nicole is a respected voice concerning school finance policy, and was appointed to the Texas Commission on School Finance.
Learn more about Nicole here.
Check out Nicole on the BG Podcast (Listen here)
Joah Spearman
CEO and Founder, Localeur
Joah is a leading and outspoken voice in Austin’s entrepreneurial world. As the CEO and Founder of Localeur, an online travel guide operating in 120+ cities around the world, he has raised $5+ million from angel investors (and no VC firms) over its seven year history.
A frequent writer on culture and start-up life, Joah also serves on the boards of ZACH Theatre, KLRU-TV, and AIDS Services of Austin.
Learn more about Joah here.
Natasha Harper-Madison
Austin City Council District 1
As the lone African-American on the dais, City Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison is often the leading voice on issues impacting Austin’s black constituency.
Representing District 1, the heart of Austin’s historic black community, she is the chair of the Health and Human Services Committee and sits on the Housing and Planning Committee, Judicial Committee, and Regional Affordability Committee.
Learn more about Council Member Harper-Madison here.
Chris Shorter
Austin Assistant City Manager
Joining the City of Austin in 2019, Assistant City Manager Short is currently the highest ranking non-elected black official at City Hall.
Chris serves on the leadership team of City Manager Spencer Cronk, directing city departments covering Health & Environment; Culture & Lifelong Learning. These are: Parks and Recreation, Austin Public Health, Austin Resource and Recovery, Animal Services, and the Austin Public Library.
Learn more about Chris here.
Check out Chris on the BG Podcast (Listen here)
Frances Jordan
Global Engagement&Communications Manager, Bazaarvoice
Beyond her work managing the global internal communications of Bazaar Voice, Frances serves as the Director of Operations for the Austin Justice Coalition (AJC). In this capacity she oversees overall function of AJC's leadership team, grant-making responsibilities and strategic partnerships.
Frances was the 2018 President of the Young Women’s Alliance organization that would facilitate networking opportunities and support for Austin’s next generation of women leaders.
Learn more about Frances here.
Zach Cannon
Business Development at The Burt Group, Inc
Zach is a rising star in Austin’s commercial real estate community. At only 28, he leads The Burt Group’s pre-construction team helping clients to make strategic decisions related to their new space.
The Burt Group is a leading general contracting firm, specializing in ground-up construction and new, adaptive reuse and remodel construction in healthcare, restaurant, hospitality, corporate interiors, manufacturing, industrial and technology environments.
Learn more about Zach here.
Check out Zach on the BG Podcast (Listen here)
Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette
President and CEO at Huston-Tillotson University
Since 2018 Dr. Burnette is the first female President and CEO in the history of Huston-Tillotson University, a private historically black university located in Austin’s East Side.
Beyond her responsibilities Huston-Tillotson’s academic programs, she has actively engaged the larger Austin community, bringing awareness to the university’s place in Austin history and the future.
Learn more about Dr. Burnette here.
Check out Colette on the BG Podcast (Listen here)
Carl Settles Jr
Founder/Executive Director, E4 Youth
Carl Settles Jr. is the Founder/Executive Director of E4 Youth, an Austin, TX based non-profit that bridges the gap between underserved creative youth and creative careers. A former science teacher, Mr. Settles has over 20 years of hands on experience in educational publishing, interactive development and advertising.
He embodies the principle that “Great educators teach students, not subjects” and has spearheaded the creation of E4 Youth’s professional development, soft skills curriculum and after school enrichment services to fulfill that purpose.
Learn more about Carl here.