February 2, 2005

Hymel To Draw on ERS Experience
in New Job with Employees Group

Capitol veteran Ray Hymel has joined the Texas Public Employees Association to help out in the area of governmental relations. Hymel is a good fit for the TPEA post, having spent the past 11 years in governmental and legislative relations for the Employees Retirement System.

Hymel "will be an asset to our team because of his wealth of understanding, his knowledge and his expertise in fields that are important to state employees," TPEA Executive Director Gary Anderson said. "He is also well respected by members of the Texas Legislature.”

A former aide to Democratic State Senator Gonzalo Barrientos of Austin, Hymel's resume includes a stint as staff director for the Interim Joint Committee on Employee Benefits. He's been involved in state government for the past 26 years.

United Way's New Public Policy VP
Working on New State Capitol Blog

Jason Sabo has been promoted to the position of vice president for public policy at United Ways of Texas - and he's already gone to work on the nonprofit agency's new blog - a daily collection of news items and gossip about what's going on at the Texas Capitol during the regular session this year.

Sabo - whose expertise is in workforce and economic development policy - has been working as policy director for the state United Way organization for the past year. A graduate of Indiana University, Sabo met an Austin native on a bus in Brazil, got married and moved to the Texas Capital City with her eight years ago. Click here to check out the daily blog.