Meet Team Howard
Donna Howard
Rep. Donna Howard was first elected to the Texas House in 2006. She is currently in her third session as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, which oversees the state budget. For Appropriations, she sits on the Article III Subcommittee – which handles education spending – and on the Budget Transparency and Reform Subcommittee. Donna is the Vice Chair of the Calendars Committee, which sets the schedule for the consideration of bills on the House floor, and is also a longtime member of the Higher Education and House Administration Committees. She is a well-respected leader on school finance, nursing, and women's health.
Jacob Cottingham, Chief of Staff
Jacob Cottingham was raised in Louisville, Kentucky and educated at Bard College and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. When he's not enjoying the thrilling experience of raising two small children, he relaxes by smoking meats, sipping bourbon and swapping stories with friends. After starting two publications in Savannah, Georgia he and his wife travelled the country for 10 months in a 1972 Airstream Land Yacht, after which they decided to call Austin home and promptly boon-docked in the Threadgill's parking lot. Since then, he's worked for the City of Austin, Travis County and the State of Texas.
Contact Jacob:
jacob.cottingham@house.texas.gov
Cristina Masters, Director of Constituent Services
Cristina is proud to be the product of military parents and has widely travelled the country and abroad. She earned her Masters degree in International Politics from the University of Edinburgh and has professional experience working in child welfare and education policy. She resides in HD 48 with her husband and two sons. Ask her about her cat.
Contact Cristina about Representative Howard's schedule:
cristina.masters@house.texas.gov
Renzo Soto, Legislative Director
Contact Rezno about budget issues:
renzo.soto@house.texas.gov