Harris County Precinct Four Announces Leadership Team

Lee brings over 30 years of experience in public service, including a 13-year tenure at Hawes Hill & Associates, LLP, a firm that specializes in special purpose districts, Executive Director for the Southwest Management District, Chief of Staff to both Council Member Martha Wong and Council Member Chris Bell, and Administrative Coordinator for Mayor Pro-Tem Gordon Quan and Mayor Pro-Tem Carol Alvarado. Lee has also served as President of the Chinese Professional Club Scholarship Fund, Inc. and President of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance Houston Lodge. Lee is married to Mark Lee, a native Houstonian, and they have two children, Eric and Katherine. 

Smith brings 22 years of experience in public service, most recently as Director of Government and Community Affairs for Harris County Precinct One. Prior to this, Smith dedicated eight years to the Texas Army National Guard as a staff officer, Deputy Director of Government Relations for the City of Houston, as well as several roles supporting elected officials as executive director, legislative director, community liaison, and campaign manager. 

Miryea Ayala, JD, Chief Compliance Officer

A Houston attorney with experience in both affirmative and defensive civil litigation. Ayala most recently served as judge of Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 4. Prior to this, Ayala served as an Attorney for the Harris County Attorney's Office. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Duke University in 2014 and law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 2017. Drawn to public service, she worked with the UT School of Law’s Domestic Violence Clinic while still in law school. Ayala lives in Houston with her husband and their two Great Pyrenees rescue dogs. 

Blake Ellis, Ph.D, Chief Talent Officer 

Dr. Ellis brings over 15 years of experience in higher education, the nonprofit sector, and local government. He has previously served in various roles in higher education, including Professor, Associate Vice President, Vice President, and Chief Engagement Officer. Dr. Ellis earned his Ph.D. in 20th-century political history from Rice University and holds master's degrees from Baylor University and Rice University. He is a two-time recipient of National Endowment for the Humanities awards, winner of Rice University’s Stockbridge Vaughan prize, and a recipient of the Robert McGehee Equality Award. He lives in Houston with his husband, two young sons, and their Great Dane Astro. 

Reynaldo Guerra, Ph.D, ENV SP, Chief Infrastructure, Engineering, and Planning Officer 

Dr. Guerra previously served as Deputy Director of Operations & Facility Infrastructure for the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) and prior to that as Planning and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Division Manager for Harris County Precinct 2. Guerra’s led the rehabilitation of the Washburn Tunnel and Lynchburg Ferry Systems, spearheaded the development of HCTRA’s first system-wide asset management system, has led various transportation and urban community plans across Precinct 2, and led the design and construction of James Driver Park, a regional all-inclusive park for children and adults of all ages and abilities. 

Erin Mincberg Spiegel, BA, Chief Community Engagement and Government Affairs Officer 

Mincberg Spiegel brings 15 years of experience in government and community advocacy. Most recently, she spent five years working with Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, including two years as her District Director. Immediately prior, she helped lead the successful elections of Congresswoman Fletcher, Congresswoman Katie Porter, and then-Senator Kamala Harris. Before that, Mincberg Spiegel served as a Senior Advisor under Attorney General Kamala Harris, acting as her political liaison. She began her career in Houston in the areas of non-profit development and government public relations. She and her husband Scotty live in Houston with their two Weimaraner’s.

Freddy Guerra, MA, Director of Government Affairs 

Guerra has over a decade of experience in local government and public service. He has previously served as an educator, a city administrator, and as an executive director for an economic development corporation. His public service includes two-terms as mayor of Roma, TX in the Rio Grande Valley. Guerra earned a BA in Political Science from The University of Texas-Pan American and holds a master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas-Austin. He lives in Houston, with his wife, Lena Silva, and their two pups. 

Seth Cohen, BA, Director of Community Engagement

Cohen has spent the last decade in community advocacy and engagement across the country. He is excited to return to Houston after working with the Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee in 2020. Prior to moving to Houston, he oversaw voter engagement programs for both Congressman Tom O’Halleran and Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. He began his career in Charlotte, North Carolina with then Mayor Anthony Foxx. 

Aaron Moore, MS, Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer 

Moore served as Chief Financial Officer for the Baltimore City Department of Public Works. Immediately prior, Aaron served as Deputy Director for the Mayor's Office of Recovery Programs. Prior to supporting the establishment of the Recovery Office, he served as Assistant Budget Director in the Department of Finance conducting centralized financial oversight of the City’s $3.8 billion budget and administering the City’s financial response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Prior to joining the City of Baltimore, Aaron served as a Manager for Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Baltimore. He has also held positions at the Greater Baltimore Committee, Democratic National Committee, Office of Representative Elijah E. Cummings, and various political consulting firms. 

Leah Shah, BA, Chief Communications Officer

Shah brings over 15 years of experience as a Journalist and Communications Executive in the public and non-profit sectors. Most recently she served as Director of Communications and Voter Outreach for Harris County Election Administration. Immediately prior, she served as Director of Public Relations for Houston First Corporation, the official Destination Management Organization (DMO) for Houston, Public Information Officer for the City of Austin, and as Managing Editor for two newspapers in Williamson County, Texas. Shah lives in Houston with her husband and two small children. 

Angelica Luna-Kaufman, BA, Director of Public Affairs

Luna-Kaufman is a native to the Houston area with 23 years of experience in communications and most recently served as Director of Communications and Senior Advisor for Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. She has also served in leadership roles as the Executive Director of Communications for the Texas Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee. Additionally, she spent over 15 years working in media with NBC, Telemundo Network, Telemundo Houston, KPRC, and Univision. She holds a bachelor's degree in Public Relations from Texas State University and lives with her husband in Houston. 

Alma Rincon, Director of Administration 

Rincon brings 25 years of experience in city and county government. Most recently she served as Executive Administrative Manager for Sheriff Ed Gonzalez and Sheriff Adrian Garcia. She also has served as Executive Assistant for Sylvia R. Garcia and Interim Business Manager for the City of Houston Mayor’s Office. She resides with her two sons and her faithful poodle Coco. 

Anne Sung, MA MPP, Chief Policy and Innovation Officer Sung is an experienced nonprofit and public sector leader who previously held leadership positions at Project GRAD Houston, Houston ISD, and the Houston Food Bank, where she built innovative programs and policies to expand community opportunities. A passionate community advocate, Sung co-founded the Harvard-MIT Math Tournament and Community Voices for Public Education and was a founding board member of New Leaders Council - Houston. Sung and her husband live in Houston with their wonderful daughter.