We are excited to announce our 2015 CADW Champions – Heather Busby, Laurie Felker Jones, and Yvonne Gutierrez. Each of these women and the organizations they represent are working on amazing programs and initiatives that promote progressive women and Democratic values.
Click here to sign up to RSVP to attend our Celebration of Champions.
Date: Nov. 17th
Time: 6PM to 8PM
Location: St. David’s Church
301 E 8th Street Austin, TX 78701
Lean In Sponsor $1,000 ~ Fighting Orange Sponsor $500
Yellow Dog Sponsor $250 ~ True Blue Sponsor $100
General Admission: $50
Young Professionals (35 and under) $25
For any questions, please email President@CADW.org.
Heather Busby, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas
Heather joined NARAL Pro-Choice Texas as Executive Director in November 2012. Prior to NPCT, Heather was an Assistant Travis County Attorney, procuring protective orders for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Heather, a longtime supporter of women’s rights, was a founding board member of The Lilith Fund and served on the boards of the National Network of Abortion Funds and Law Students for Reproductive Justice. While Heather was earning her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology at the University of Texas, she helped start up a pro-choice student organization and was on the founding committee of the UT Women’s Resource Center. Heather earned her Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law in Houston, where she was president of ACLU at STCL, co-founder of the law school’s LSRJ chapter and won the LBJ Civil Rights Award for her work helping victims of human trafficking while interning at the South Texas Civil Rights Project. Heather loves volunteering in her community and has provided pro bono legal assistance and taught ESL to immigrants, served as a mentor to middle school students and worked the hotlines at a domestic violence shelter. She lives in central Austin with her husband, their flatulent English Mastiff and feisty terrier mix.
Laurie Felker Jones, Communications Director for Annie’s List
Laurie Felker Jones is an experienced public relations and communications professional who has served in numerous leadership capacities in political, development and public interest advocacy fields at the local, statewide and federal levels. She has a long background in advocating for the health and rights of Texas women and families beginning 20 years ago through roles as a Teen Representative with Planned Parenthood’s youth education program and the Texas Department of Health’s Family Planning Advisory Council. Of note, she lead Gloria Steinem’s Texas “Voters for Choice” campaign in 2002, organized for MoveOn.org in Florida in 2004, directed the field campaign to elect the 1st minority woman to the City Council of the 12th largest city in the nation in 2005, stopped every bad bill on NARAL pro-Choice Texas’ hit list in an opposition-controlled House and Senate in 2007 and continued to support candidates, advocacy groups and several high-volume businesses through her own outfit, “Special Projects” since 2008.
Yvonne Gutierrez, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes
Yvonne Gutierrez serves as the Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes (PPTV), a statewide electoral and legislative advocacy organization that promotes and protects the work of the Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas. Yvonne is responsible for the overall leadership and management of PPTV and works with PPTV staff and Board to advance the organization’s mission.
Prior to being selected to lead Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, Yvonne worked for Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast (PPGC) formulating and executing legislative and regulatory plans and activities including direct lobbying in Texas and Louisiana. Yvonne oversaw grassroots organizing for PPGC and worked to build support for the work of Planned Parenthood with community leaders and coalition partners.
Yvonne joined PPGC after seven years with Planned Parenthood of South Texas (PPST), where she served as Vice President for Public Affairs. At PPST, Yvonne was responsible for advancing the public policy agenda of Planned Parenthood with the media, with elected officials and throughout the South Texas region.
Yvonne possesses a strong knowledge of public affairs, advocacy, government relations, legislative issues and campaign management. As the chief lobbyist of the statewide Planned Parenthood Texas Public Affairs team, Yvonne has worked very closely with her colleagues across the state to craft and advance their statewide public affairs initiatives.
Yvonne serves on the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Political Action Fund Committee and the board of directors for the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. Yvonne served as Co-Chair of Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s Latino Advisory Council and on the board of directors of the Martinez Street Women’s Center in San Antonio. Yvonne received the Rising Star award from Annie’s List in 2011 and the ‘Spirit of Change’ award from former Texas State Representative now Congressman Joaquin Castro in 2009 for her work to advance sex education legislation.
