Board & Leadership Team

Raised in Austin, Carla spent weekends helping her mom at local markets and community events. Those early experiences instilled a deep appreciation for small businesses, meaningful relationships, and the entrepreneurial spirit that continues to shape her vision for AMA Austin.

Throughout her career, Carla has led sales, partnerships, and experiential marketing initiatives for nationally recognized brands, including Bacardi and Patron, while staying deeply connected to Austin’s local business community.

Her vision for AMA Austin is simple: Empower the people and businesses that make Austin, Austin. Through her Keeping It Local initiative, she is creating opportunities for local brands, founders, marketers, and creatives to connect, learn, and grow together.

Carla believes sales, marketing, and branding are not separate functions — they are one strategy. Marketing earns attention, branding builds trust, and sales turns that trust into lasting relationships.

Marissa ("Mars") Mendez is a marketing leader with 10+ years of experience building field marketing, demand generation, and account-based marketing programs for high-growth B2B technology companies. She specializes in creating integrated campaigns that combine executive events, digital marketing, ABM/ABX, and sales partnerships to generate pipeline and accelerate revenue. Passionate about applying AI to modern marketing, Mars builds agentic workflows that eliminate manual work, accelerate decision-making, and help teams move faster. She has led global marketing programs and strategic event portfolios while partnering closely with sales organizations to engage target accounts and drive measurable business outcomes.

Mars is committed to the American Marketing Association and serves as Immediate Past President of the Austin Chapter, having previously held VP of Events roles with several AMA chapters. She lives in Austin with her husband and their two tiny Pomeranians. When she's not working or volunteering, she can usually be found training for her next marathon along the trails of Lady Bird Lake.

Enrique P Becerra, PhD, is a tenured professor in the Department of Marketing at Texas State University; he served as the chair of the department from 2019 to 2023. He has published in several well-respected peer reviewed journals including Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Advertising Research, and the European Journal of Marketing among others. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Marketing Analytics, and The International Journal of Hispanic Media. He researches the effects of culture and ethnicity on consumers as well as retailers. He serves as the Chief Financial Officer of the Austin American Marketing Association, and Board Member and Vice-President of Association for Latino Media, Markets & Communication Research.

Kim Coelho is a senior product leader in the enterprise technology space, currently leading product management at Paylocity, a leading HCM software provider. Known for building innovative, inclusive, data-driven teams, Kim is also the founder and managing director of Barton First Consulting, which helps technology companies optimize their product strategies. An alumna of Yale University, her experience uniquely combines in-depth business ethics consulting, product development, and comprehensive go-to-market leadership. Kim serves as the Director of Finance for the Austin chapter of the American Marketing Association, where she is committed to growing the chapter to advance marketing talent in Austin.

Jenaro Diaz is an innovative bicultural entrepreneur, industry leader and community volunteer whose work helps drive client growth and strengthen the organizations he serves. Jenaro is the Founder and CEO of Minero Inc. — an award-winning digital agency where he leads a diverse team of designers and developers creating imaginative, cost-effective and timely web-based solutions that exceed ad agency partner and client expectations. He has earned a reputation as a developer who combines artistry, technology and business understanding to bring projects to life and surpass goals. This has led to successful campaigns across platforms in both English and Spanish for industry-leading brands such as AT&T, Cricket, DIRECTV, Aston Martin, Facebook, Samsung, Square Enix and Starbucks. His work has been recognized by the American Advertising Federation (ADDYs), SXSW Web Awards, The FWA and others.

Amanda Wood, founder and CEO of Avail Marketing, a digital marketing agency, works with small businesses as a Fractional CMO to create or further develop their marketing efforts to increase sales opportunities. She specializes in building relationships with people across organizations and businesses. Amanda's philosophy is that every business has a story, and those who carefully craft that story into branded messages will be successful.

Kaitlyn Trowbridge, Advertising Marketing Strategist at LERMA, brings a wealth of expertise in digital media, advertising strategy, and cross-channel campaign management. As a part-time MBA student at Kellogg and experienced professional, Kaitlyn combines academic insight with real-world application, excelling in roles that demand creativity, precision, and collaboration. Dedicated to advancing the industry, Kaitlyn is passionate about leveraging emerging trends to drive innovation in digital media. Outside the workplace, Kaitlyn tends to find herself at the soccer fields refereeing various leagues from professional to recreational soccer. She currently holds certifications as a National USSF referee and a National NISOA referee and aims to continue progressing as an official. As a lifelong Austinite, Kaitlyn is proud to be a longhorn as she holds a bachelor's degree in Advertising and Human Dimensions of Organizations from UT Austin. As a new Recruitment Manager for AMA Austin, Kaitlyn is eager to engage with fellow marketers, share her perspective, and connect with the local community.

Natalie Schuyler is a Senior Marketing Professional with a proven track record of delivering impactful global communication campaigns that support key sales, marketing, and stakeholder engagement objectives. With extensive experience in designing, planning, and executing high-performing campaigns and events, she specializes in driving brand engagement and business growth for both B2B enterprises and dynamic startups. Her expertise spans all stages of campaign management, from strategic development and budgeting to team leadership and post-event analysis. Natalie has successfully managed both large-scale corporate events and intimate gatherings, always focused on creating memorable, results-driven experiences that resonate with audiences and generate measurable business outcomes. As an Event Director for AMA Austin, Natalie is passionate about innovation and creativity. She thrives in fast-paced, high-pressure environments to ensure that each initiative exceeds expectations. Natalie is based in Austin, TX and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management.

Christy is a Certified Digital Marketing Professional from the Digital Marketing Institute. Her top 5 strengths are Individualization, Developer, Strategic, Positivity, and Woo. She wants to get to know what makes businesses unique and build upon these standards to drive greater conversions and increase the bottom line. She brings enthusiasm, passion and high energy to everything she does. She loves to learn and grow. She's one of those rare breeds that truly enjoys spending hours doing research on anything from trends, healthy living, to history and beyond. She loves to lead, but above all, be a part of a team of solid individuals. She's a highly motivated self-starter that enjoys a good challenge. Working with people and strengthening relationships is the most important thing to her. She loves to learn where people came from, where they want to go and what their dreams are. Meeting people from all walks of life is the most incredible opportunity for her. Professionally, nurturing these relationships is one of her greatest talents and provides her the most personal fulfillment. She gravitates toward avenues that allow her to utilize her best asset, communication, in all forms.

David Solis is an online events marketing professional with more than 15 years of experience in B2B demand generation, virtual event production, and program management for companies including CivicPlus, Square, Cloudflare, and Spiceworks Ziff Davis. He brings deep platform fluency across tools like Goldcast, ON24, Zoom Webinars. He specializes in building virtual experiences that hold an audience's attention and move pipeline, pairing production precision with a storyteller's instinct for what makes content land. David also runs WebbySol, his freelance online events consultancy, and serves as Virtual Event Director for AMA Austin. He is based in Austin, TX, and holds a BS in Radio-Television-Film from The University of Texas at Austin.

Chloe is a people-focused professional with a background in tech recruiting, experiential marketing, and event production. After several years in recruiting, she transitioned into brand ambassador and event roles, supporting activations, conferences, and community experiences for leading brands. She has also helped organize professional events through AMA Austin, combining her passion for relationship-building, creativity, and bringing people together. As she continues to grow her career, she is excited to further develop her marketing expertise while creating memorable experiences that connect and engage people. Outside of work, Chloe enjoys dancing, yoga, wellness, and planning creative community events.

Amber is a creative and driven marketing professional with a strong background in digital marketing, brand strategy, and event coordination. As the Manager of Events for the AMA Austin Chapter, she brings enthusiasm and attention to detail to every event, helping create meaningful opportunities for connection and professional growth within Austin's marketing community. Amber earned her degree in Marketing from the University of Texas at San Antonio and currently serves as the Marketing Coordinator for McGinnis Lochridge. Her experience spans industries such as real estate, finance, and law, with a focus on enhancing brand presence and engaging audiences through thoughtful storytelling and strategy. Now based in Austin, Amber enjoys exploring the city, participating in local run clubs, and working on creative projects in her free time.

Allison is a strategic marketing and communications leader that brings over 12 years of experience driving user engagement, optimizing campaigns, and guiding teams toward measurable results. While at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, she established the organization's first-ever marketing division and spearheaded initiatives that successfully connected 456,000 Texans with career and education resources through the My Texas Future platform. Prior to this achievement, she managed communications for $4.7 million in national projects at Public Agenda, forming partnerships with prestigious organizations such as the Gates Foundation to implement data-driven, high-impact campaigns.

Experienced in all aspects of video production with a strong sales and marketing background, Jackson has a proven track record managing projects for high-profile clients such as Volvo, Blizzard Entertainment, HBO, TLC and Vice. Serial problem solver and relationship builder with an unhealthy addiction to martial arts.

Chanté is a strategic marketing professional with a deep passion for the intersection of creativity, consumer psychology, and data-driven storytelling. She holds a Bachelor's degree in business administration from Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, TX, and an MBA in Marketing from American Intercontinental University. With expertise in brand management, digital marketing, and social media strategy, Chanté excels at crafting compelling campaigns that not only capture attention but also deliver measurable impact. She has a particular interest in the relationship between marketing and neuroscience — exploring how messaging influences brain responses and how those effects vary across regions and cultures. Chanté is also the former owner of Hers × Kuhl, a custom womenswear brand she built from the ground up. Through that experience, she gained a unique perspective on branding, customer engagement, and the power of storytelling through design. Outside of her professional work, Chanté enjoys diving into books on psychology and neuroscience, visiting her favorite coffee and marketing muse, Dutch Bros Coffee, and going on fun walks with her spirited corgi, Naz. She is also a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., where she continues her commitment to service and sisterhood. As AMA Austin's Director of Web Communications, Chanté leads the creation of event landing pages, manages website updates, and monitors site analytics to ensure a seamless and engaging user experience.

Sammy is a new emerging professional in the marketing industry with a passion in advertising strategy. Sammy specializes in consumer research and getting to the heart of brand expression, having created campaign strategies spanning industries from amusement to laundry. As she begins her career, Sammy is eagerly continuing to learn and explore consumer communication.

Herbie Price is a double-degree alumni of Texas State University where he earned a BBA in Marketing and MBA. During his master's program he worked as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Marketing at McCoy College and led the Sales Ambassador program, coaching marketing and sales students as they completed their academic careers and transition to professional. Herbie is now an Account Manager with TEKsystems, providing business transformation services in Austin. A 10-year resident of Austin, Herbie is passionate about emerging business and marketing trends, personal & professional development, and a connector of all things ATX.

Elysabethe Borzilleri is a passionate Field Marketing Manager at Gainsight, where she seamlessly blends her marketing expertise with over a decade of event management experience. After relocating from Pennsylvania to Austin in 2019, she has dedicated her career to creating impactful events that resonate with diverse audiences. Holding a Bachelor's degree in Entertainment Business, Elysabethe brings a unique mix of creativity and strategic insight to her work. Her focus on AI and digital self-service tools positions her as an innovative marketer who leverages technology to enhance brand engagement. Elysabethe thrives on collaboration and routinely teams up with sales organizations to optimize pipeline performance and devise successful engagement strategies. Elysabethe is eager to connect with fellow marketers, share her knowledge, and contribute to the local marketing community. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the rich cultural offerings of Austin and seeking out new adventures with her dog, Cowboy.

Mikayla Romano has a Bachelor of Arts from Grand Canyon University in Advertising and Graphic Design with GCU's Honors College, and is currently working on a Master of Marketing degree with an emphasis in Digital Advertising & Marketing. Currently working for Marcus & Millichap as a Marketing Specialist, she assists brokers with social media strategies and postings to enhance their online presence. Mikayla's design philosophy is to turn clients' passions into designs that accelerate and enhance their own creativity and development in whatever field they operate. She believes anything can be transformed or magnified artistically to better express and communicate those ideas and inspirations her clients are passionate about.