Michelle received her B.A. from Texas A&M International University in the vibrant border community of Laredo, Texas. She has over 15 years of public service experience, including six years in the Elections Division of the Texas Secretary of State, where she coordinated seminars for city and county election officials, conducted elections inspecting, and participated in voter outreach/education. Her love of West Texas began in the late nineties, during a Spring Break excursion with a biology class. She began making increasingly frequent trips to the Big Bend for hiking and cycling trips, and in 2018, made her dream of becoming a full-time resident a reality, when she accepted a position with Texas Parks and Wildlife at Big Bend Ranch State Park. Her tenure there served to expand her knowledge of the region & further underscore her appreciation of its rugged beauty. The common thread woven throughout Michelle’s career with the State of Texas is a passion for structuring information, putting individuals in touch with resources, and creating meaningful connections.