Virtual Panel: Expanding Your Impact 5:30-7 pm

Learn how to take your goals beyond the local level through transfer opportunities, larger organizations, and coalition-building. Discover how your career can create change on a bigger scale.

Naima McQueen, Runway Roots Training & Education Director

Naima McQueen (She/Her) is a weaver of stories and experiences, convener, and strategist. She is a lover of people and systems AND people as systems and is driven by the passion, ideas and joy of others and the process of bringing those to actualization. The daughter and descendant of entrepreneurs, and child of Bed-Stuy, Naima is deeply committed to the legacy of small businesses as cultural havens, community convening spaces and sources of deep human connection; and passionate about their ability to thrive in each iteration of their existence. Specifically, Naima works at the intersection of Black liberation, economic self-determination and financial activism. 

As cross-sector management, strategy and convening professional, Naima has spent her career supporting individuals and organizations actualize their visions and goals through co-creation of strategy, implementation, and knowledge-sharing and facilitation, to meet abundant opportunities as they reveal themselves across youth work, leadership development, microfinance, business education and small business support. Naima grounds her work in creating connections, synthesizing information, sharing tools, adding needed capacity through a lens of radical visioning of what’s possible. Her work has intersected with, and been represented through, community event production, experiential workshop design and facilitation; business education; and nonprofit executive leadership.

Karla Beltran, ACC Student in the Dental Hygiene Department

Karla Beltran, is a second-year dental hygiene student at the Eastview campus of Austin Community College. Karla is expected to graduate in the upcoming weeks with their Associate of Applied Science degree in Dental Hygiene. They have been in the dental field for 9 years with a background as a pediatric dental assistant.

Throughout their time in the program, they have been actively involved in community outreach initiatives such as Smart Smiles, where they help provide preventive dental care to underserved populations. Karla is also a member of SCADHA (Student Chapter of the American Dental Hygiene Association) and Peers Against Tobacco, a student-led organizations focused on oral health education and tobacco cessation.

Karla Beltran, ACC Student in the Dental Hygiene Department

Karla Beltran, is a second-year dental hygiene student at the Eastview campus of Austin Community College. Karla is expected to graduate in the upcoming weeks with their Associate of Applied Science degree in Dental Hygiene. They have been in the dental field for 9 years with a background as a pediatric dental assistant.

Throughout their time in the program, they have been actively involved in community outreach initiatives such as Smart Smiles, where they help provide preventive dental care to underserved populations. Karla is also a member of SCADHA (Student Chapter of the American Dental Hygiene Association) and Peers Against Tobacco, a student-led organizations focused on oral health education and tobacco cessation.

Rachel Kubicki, Hanger Foundation Executive Director

Rachel Kubicki began her journey in the world of events and impact with the Sun Bowl Association, and over the last 25 years she has become a force in helping nonprofits and businesses grow, thrive, and raise more than $1.5 billion for causes that matter.

 Today, she serves as the Executive Director of the Hanger Foundation, a role she’s held since 2021. Before that, she built and led her own consulting agency—Accelerated Charity Group—working with hundreds of nonprofits to expand their missions and revenue. She also played a key role in one of the most unforgettable viral fundraising moments of our time: the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. And if that weren’t enough, Rachel was part of the tiny but mighty team that transformed the Lance Armstrong Foundation from a three‑person office into a global cancer charity raising over $40 million a year. She helped launch the iconic LIVESTRONG wristband campaign, a cultural phenomenon that inspired millions and even led her to write a book on how organizations can spark that same kind of momentum.

 Rachel holds degrees from Purdue University and St. Edward’s University, and when she’s not helping organizations scale their impact, she’s cheering on her two fantastic sons back home in Austin.

Monique C. Norton, Assistant Director for Graduate Recruitment and Admissions at the Carter School at George Mason University

Dr. Monique C. Norton is the Assistant Director for Graduate Recruitment and Admissions at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. As an avid life-long learner, Monique holds a PhD in Human and Social Services, a Master’s degree in Human Behavior, and a Master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology. 

 Prior to joining the Carter School, Monique worked in academic advising and recruitment assisting students from various backgrounds, including military service members, in realizing their educational goals. She is passionate about helping potential students to navigate their journey with George Mason University from recruitment through graduation.

In-Person Panel: Doing Good Locally 5:30-7 pm

Hear from ACC faculty, service-learning leaders, nonprofits, and social-good businesses about how to get involved in your community and build a career leading to social positive change.

Catrina Salinas, Central Texas Food Bank Chief Talent Officer

Catrina Salinas assumed the role of Chief Talent Officer at the Food Bank in 2018. Since then, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s culture, strengthening its talent base and fostering team engagement all in service of the Food Bank’s mission to end hunger. Boasting two decades of expertise in human resources, Catrina’s professional journey spans a variety of industries, encompassing medical, financial, and technology sectors. She holds a Master of Arts in Training and Performance Improvement from Capella University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin.

Beyond her contributions to the Food Bank, Catrina dedicates her time as a member of the HR Council for Feeding America.  Previously, Catrina was a Board Member for Explore Austin, further showcasing her commitment to community service.

PJ Washington, Leadership Austin Director of Programs

PJ Diamond is a globally experienced educator and action-oriented leader with 15 years of experience designing transformative, people-centered learning across higher education, nonprofit, and corporate spaces. Grounded in the Rotary principle of Service Above Self, she is known for leading powerful conversations that build trust, bridge differences, and translate shared values into meaningful action.

PJ’s work is shaped by deep cross-cultural and multilingual experience, having collaborated with leaders and communities across Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and Latin America. She holds a Master’s degree in Education and a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Pittsburgh, is certified to teach English as a Second or Foreign Language, and is the co-founder of the nonprofit Queer Bozeman. PJ also serves as VP of Public Image for the Rotary Club of Austin and supports The Black Fund of Central Texas.

Linda Cox, ACC Service-Learning Program Coordinator

Linda L. Cox, Ph. D., serves as the Service-Learning Program Coordinator at Austin Community College and teaches in the Philosophy, Religion, and Humanities Department. She was a founding board member of the Women’s Storybook Project of Texas, a nonprofit serving incarcerated women and their children.  Her research and practice centers on human rights and capabilities and building community partnerships to reach development goals.

Chad Pevateaux, Interfaith Action of Central Texas Director of Refugee Program

Dr. Chad Pevateaux has been facilitating discussions and building bridges across differences for nearly three decades. Propelled to graduate work in comparative religions after 9/11, he did his PhD at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where he researched resources to support interfaith cooperation, social justice, and ecological wellbeing, specializing in mystical and liberation theologies and practices. Prior to that, he earned an MDiv from Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he focused on Christian contemplative traditions in dialogue with Buddhist meditation. He got his BA from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, with a double major in English and history.

​​Now, Chad is back home in Austin serving as the director of the refugee program at Interfaith Action of Central Texas. He is also past president of the American Academy of Religion-Southwest Region and working to finish his first book, titled Mystic Hope: Interfaith Cooperation in an Age of Crisis.

Evan Castura, ACC Student Worker in the Office of Energy & Sustainability

Evan Castura is an ACC student and employee who is completing his Associate’s in Electrical Engineering this Spring. Drawn by the desire to contribute to a worthwhile cause, Evan switched from his warehouse job in 2025 to a job in sustainability. For over a year Evan has worked for the ACC Office of Energy and Sustainability – as a Sustainability Steward in Energy and Water Analytics. Evan was a student presenter at the 2026 Annual TRACS summit, where he had the chance to present some of the work he’s been doing to reduce waste of water and energy across the ACC district over the past year.

Jill Gonzalez, Women’s Storybook Project of Texas Executive Director

Jill Gonzalez, M.Ed. is the executive director of Women’s Storybook Project of Texas. 

She has worked in nonprofit service and management since 2010. Prior to that, she was a classroom teacher and reading specialist.  Jill has a passion for family literacy and connecting through children’s books. Her current favorite children’s book is Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett.

April Tinajero, ACC’s Human Services Assistant Department Chair

April hails from the deep south of Texas and is an alumna of St. Edward’s University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2003 and a Master of Counseling program in 2007. In the summer of 2015, she achieved a doctorate in Human Services with a distinction in Counseling from Capella University. Currently, April serves as the assistant department chair in the human services department at Austin Community College, where I teach full-time on the human services side. April’s passion lies in academic research, encompassing both the writing and conducting of research projects. Additionally, she is dedicated to teaching diversity, inclusion, and acceptance. Her counseling practice is primarily focused on serving the BIPOC community. Since 2010, April has maintained a successful private practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor, currently operating out of two locations in central Texas. Her practice specializes in the treatment of foster children, families, and individuals. Furthermore, April actively advocate for special needs students in public schools and encourages students with disabilities to utilize and comprehend their accommodations to enhance their learning experiences and enable them to reach their full potential.

Wendy Morse, CASA of Travis County Senior Recruitment Specialist

I am the Senior Recruitment Specialist with CASA of Travis County. I have worked with CASA in various roles for the last 21 years. Prior to my time at CASA I received a Master’s degree is in International Studies with an emphasis on Conflict resolution and human rights and spent some time working with asylum seekers and refugees and working in a Residential Treatment center for children.