As the destination for Austin’s communications industry, Women Communicators of Austin (WCA) offers a bounty of events, professional development and volunteer opportunities and member services – more than any other professional communications organization in the area. All of this is made possible thanks to the dedication, hard work and leadership of WCA’s Board of Directors.
Looking to get more involved in WCA? It’s a fresh new year for WCA and there are plenty of new opportunities to volunteer on WCA committees. For more information, email our VP of Engagement at engagement@wcaustin.org.
Andrea Exter
President
Since 2006, Andrea has served WCA in six different board roles and co-chaired the inaugural Get Smart conference. With an eye for detail and a background in journalism and association leadership, she is cofounder of Monarch Media & Consulting, a boutique custom-publishing company specializing in full-service magazine publishing for associations.
Ellen Decareau
President Elect
Ellen is currently chief strategist at Medvoice PR, a communications agency that focuses on supporting medical and health care companies. She has spent more than a dozen years in the med/health space and doesn’t plan on doing anything else unless, that is, she finally gets her children’s book published.
Jenny Magic
Past-President
Jenny is a strategy consultant for agencies like Convince & Convert, Brain + Trust Partners, Springbox, and Thirteen23 who has helped clients like Citrix, Experian, and Cisco, as well as hundreds of mid-market and growth companies. A passionate mentor and speaker, you’ll find her at events like Citrix Summit, ContentTECH Summit, and Content Marketing World, and organizing the Austin Content Meetup.
Jenevieve Andersen
Treasurer
Jenevieve is a lifelong lover of photography and has worked most of her career as a professional photographer and media producer. She currently spends her days creating strategic media plans for West End Media + Marketing. This is Jenevieve’s second year serving on the WCA board as Treasurer.
Gina Helfrich
Secretary/VP of Operations
Gina serves as program officer for global technology at Internews, an NGO committed to empowering people worldwide with trustworthy, high-quality news and information. She has held leadership positions in communications and program management in the tech sector for the past six years. Gina is a strong advocate for women and is the former Director of the Women’s Center at Harvard; she earned her Ph.D. in Philosophy from Emory University with a certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies.
Julie Garcia
VP of Development
Julie has more than 25 years experience in sales and marketing for technology companies. She is currently a strategic account executive for Resolver. She is a past-president of WCA.
Emlea Chanslor
VP of Membership
Emlea’s work focuses on community engagement and communications for public infrastructure projects. She currently works for the City of Austin at Austin Water.
Tiffany Hammond
VP of Engagement
With a major in public relations from The University of Texas, Tiffany Hammond most recently worked at Giant Noise, a public relations, marketing and events agency in Austin specializing in hospitality, restaurants, nonprofits and more. Hammond enjoys finding creative ways to connect clients to relevant stories and consistently looks to further skills and build relationships in the communications industry.
Anne Lasseigne Tiedt, APR
VP of Programs
As co-owner of Momentum Public Relations, Anne helps clients create and implement measurable strategic communications programs, be the good news in their communities and industries, and grow an audience that acts. She is a past-president of WCA.
Jacqueline Sinex
VP of Special Programs
From her experience as an artist, graphic designer, front-end web and e-commerce developer, Jacqueline (Jackie) cherishes her ability to speak both creative and tech. Today, she is the managing partner of WEBii, an Austin-based digital agency that specializes in small business and non-profit websites, web application development and complex e-learning development.
Kim Barnes
VP of Professional Development
Kim started Barnes Team Media to share her 30 years of on-air experience to help clients get comfortable and confident on camera for videos and media interviews. She was an award-winning anchor/reporter for 15 years and has another 15 years of corporate and commercial on-camera and voiceover work experience. She also taught broadcast journalism at the University of Texas.
Jennifer Stayton
VP of Philanthropy
Jennifer is a radio host, interviewer and news anchor. She has been the local Austin host on KUT 90.5 FM for National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” since 2004. She has been a member of WCA and a mentor since 2013 and served on the WCA Board as co-VP of career services in 2017-18. Jennifer currently serves on the Board of Trustees of St. Stephen’s Episcopal School; on the Advisory Board for radio station KTSW at Texas State University; and on the Communication Major Advisory Panel for Concordia University.
Kristen Hicks
VP of Communications
Kristen Hicks is a freelance content marketing writer with more than nine years of freelancing under her belt. She’s worked with dozens of businesses to help them create content to connect with their audience and improve SEO, and she’s been involved with the WCA and Freelance Austin for several years. She also volunteers as a docent at the Harry Ransom Center.
Monique Carreon
VP of Career Services
Monique Carreon has 15 years of marketing experience ranging from public relations to event management and all things in between. Currently, she is the marketing campaign manager for ESO, a software company located in The Domain.
Kara Myers
VP of Freelance Austin
Kara is a consultant with John Thompson Communications, a strategic communications firm focused on key aspects of thought leadership through planning, storytelling, executive communications, and long-form content. Growing up in the heart of Silicon Valley, Kara experienced firsthand the area’s transformation from fruit orchards to high-tech mecca. After graduating from San Jose State University with a degree in biology and journalism, she combined her love of science and skills in writing as she forged her career in high-tech journalism and marketing communications. She draws on this experience to understand the central role technology plays in transforming the way businesses and their customers interact. This is her second year serving on the WCA board as VP of Freelance Programming.
- In Memoriam: Pam Baggett-Wallis - February 5, 2024
- Anne Lasseigne Tiedt, APR - January 6, 2024
- Cindy Friedman - December 6, 2023