What Makes a Good Board Member?
Board Member Application
Our Board Contract
Board Member Role Description
Board Member Application
Our Board Contract
Board Member Role Description
Sarah Figueroa, Interim President, Past Treasurer
Sarah was born and raised in Germany and moved to El Paso, Texas just in time to attend college at UTEP, where she earned her Marketing degree. Sarah runs her own advertising agency, The Davis Group, specializing in paid media strategy and placement for non-profit, commercial businesses and government agencies. Sarah is passionate about connecting people with experiences, especially within their own backyard and once her son had his first adventure with ATX KIDS CLUB, there was no going back! Sarah joined the ATX KIDS CLUB board in 2023 to be a part of bringing this amazing organization closer to more kids in the Austin area than ever!
Sarah was born and raised in Germany and moved to El Paso, Texas just in time to attend college at UTEP, where she earned her Marketing degree. Sarah runs her own advertising agency, The Davis Group, specializing in paid media strategy and placement for non-profit, commercial businesses and government agencies. Sarah is passionate about connecting people with experiences, especially within their own backyard and once her son had his first adventure with ATX KIDS CLUB, there was no going back! Sarah joined the ATX KIDS CLUB board in 2023 to be a part of bringing this amazing organization closer to more kids in the Austin area than ever!
Julie Plowman, Secretary
Julie is a graduate of the University of Texas and an in-house lawyer. She serves as Vice President of
Legal at Uniti Group, Inc., a publicly traded telecommunications company, headquartered in Little Rock
Arkansas. Julie has been a resident of Austin since 1993 and has raised two children through Austin
schools. In addition to her legal work, Julie has served in several volunteer leadership roles with a local
Cub Scout Pack, two local Scouts BSA Troops, and a youth swim team. In her spare time, she loves
exploring Texas State Parks, hiking and biking local trails, and discovering unique spots all over Austin.
Julie joined the ATX KIDS CLUB board in 2022 to support the mission and offer opportunities to explore
Austin to more children each year.
Julie is a graduate of the University of Texas and an in-house lawyer. She serves as Vice President of
Legal at Uniti Group, Inc., a publicly traded telecommunications company, headquartered in Little Rock
Arkansas. Julie has been a resident of Austin since 1993 and has raised two children through Austin
schools. In addition to her legal work, Julie has served in several volunteer leadership roles with a local
Cub Scout Pack, two local Scouts BSA Troops, and a youth swim team. In her spare time, she loves
exploring Texas State Parks, hiking and biking local trails, and discovering unique spots all over Austin.
Julie joined the ATX KIDS CLUB board in 2022 to support the mission and offer opportunities to explore
Austin to more children each year.
Emaan Abdelbaki, Board Member
Emaan is a highly experienced data-driven marketing executive with a 25-year track record in developing and executing multi-channel campaigns. Formerly the Head of Marketing at CRMNEXT, Inc., he now brings his wealth of expertise to board leadership roles. Emaan is deeply committed to community involvement, serving as a board member and volunteer with the Greater East Austin Youth Association. As a coach for Little League Tee-Ball and Coach Pitch teams, he also manages the league’s website and marketing communications, showcasing his passion for sports and youth development in East Austin. His dedication extends to the Austin American Marketing Association (AMA), where he contributed as a board member, VP of Member Experience, and Co-President. Outside of his professional and volunteer commitments, Emaan enjoys cooking and indulges in the art of homebrewing beer.
Emaan is a highly experienced data-driven marketing executive with a 25-year track record in developing and executing multi-channel campaigns. Formerly the Head of Marketing at CRMNEXT, Inc., he now brings his wealth of expertise to board leadership roles. Emaan is deeply committed to community involvement, serving as a board member and volunteer with the Greater East Austin Youth Association. As a coach for Little League Tee-Ball and Coach Pitch teams, he also manages the league’s website and marketing communications, showcasing his passion for sports and youth development in East Austin. His dedication extends to the Austin American Marketing Association (AMA), where he contributed as a board member, VP of Member Experience, and Co-President. Outside of his professional and volunteer commitments, Emaan enjoys cooking and indulges in the art of homebrewing beer.
Catherine Walker, Board Member
Catherine is the EVP, Chief Financial & Risk Officer at CapMetro, greater Austin area’s transit agency. At CapMetro Catherine is responsible for several departments including financial planning, budgeting, accounting, and information technology.
Catherine has nearly 25 years of experience in finance and operations leadership roles and has a vested interest in using her skills not just professionally, but also philanthropically. Her desire to champion the mission of ATX Kids Club stems from her support of broadening children’s horizons, providing inclusive opportunities for children to grow into active citizens. She also has three super active children who participate in a variety of local activities, including wrestling tournaments, soccer matches, judo, golfing, hiking, camping and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
Catherine holds a Master’s of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, a B.S. in Business Economics and Public Policy, and a B.A. in Spanish, both from Indiana University. Catherine is also a Six Sigma Black Belt.
Catherine is the EVP, Chief Financial & Risk Officer at CapMetro, greater Austin area’s transit agency. At CapMetro Catherine is responsible for several departments including financial planning, budgeting, accounting, and information technology.
Catherine has nearly 25 years of experience in finance and operations leadership roles and has a vested interest in using her skills not just professionally, but also philanthropically. Her desire to champion the mission of ATX Kids Club stems from her support of broadening children’s horizons, providing inclusive opportunities for children to grow into active citizens. She also has three super active children who participate in a variety of local activities, including wrestling tournaments, soccer matches, judo, golfing, hiking, camping and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
Catherine holds a Master’s of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, a B.S. in Business Economics and Public Policy, and a B.A. in Spanish, both from Indiana University. Catherine is also a Six Sigma Black Belt.
Ryo Shiono, Board Member
Ryo has been an engineer, manager, and director in 5 NXP Semiconductors wafer fabs in Austin since
graduating from MIT with Materials Science and Engineering BS and MS degrees in 1989. He is presently
the leader of the Program Management Office in the NXP ATMC Wafer Fab. Away from work, Ryo runs
and bikes around his Circle C neighborhood or on the Lady Bird Lake trails, and also volunteers his time
to several local non-profit organizations. ATX KIDS CLUB links his passion for public transportation that
began as a child growing up in Pittsburgh with teaching awareness and urban life skills to our city’s
youth in a fun, adventurous way.
Ryo has been an engineer, manager, and director in 5 NXP Semiconductors wafer fabs in Austin since
graduating from MIT with Materials Science and Engineering BS and MS degrees in 1989. He is presently
the leader of the Program Management Office in the NXP ATMC Wafer Fab. Away from work, Ryo runs
and bikes around his Circle C neighborhood or on the Lady Bird Lake trails, and also volunteers his time
to several local non-profit organizations. ATX KIDS CLUB links his passion for public transportation that
began as a child growing up in Pittsburgh with teaching awareness and urban life skills to our city’s
youth in a fun, adventurous way.
Akash Bhatt, Board Member
Originally from the Atlanta area, Akash Bhatt is a Georgia Tech graduate with a passion for expanding transit access and fostering community connections. Akash currently serves as a Transit Analyst at Kimley-Horn, where he applies his expertise in transit planning and engineering to enhance mobility and connectivity for communities. With a focus on light rail infrastructure, he has contributed to key projects including the Blue Line Extension in Minneapolis, MN, the Benning Streetcar extension in Washington, DC, and the South End Infill Station Project in Charlotte, NC. Akash has also spent time abroad in Dublin, Ireland analyzing micromobility as a solution to last mile challenges and transit-trail connectivity. He joined the ATX KIDS CLUB board to inspire the next generation of city explorers by helping children explore and connect with their city through transit.
Originally from the Atlanta area, Akash Bhatt is a Georgia Tech graduate with a passion for expanding transit access and fostering community connections. Akash currently serves as a Transit Analyst at Kimley-Horn, where he applies his expertise in transit planning and engineering to enhance mobility and connectivity for communities. With a focus on light rail infrastructure, he has contributed to key projects including the Blue Line Extension in Minneapolis, MN, the Benning Streetcar extension in Washington, DC, and the South End Infill Station Project in Charlotte, NC. Akash has also spent time abroad in Dublin, Ireland analyzing micromobility as a solution to last mile challenges and transit-trail connectivity. He joined the ATX KIDS CLUB board to inspire the next generation of city explorers by helping children explore and connect with their city through transit.