COMMISSION FOR WOMEN WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2026, AT 12:00 P.M. CITY HALL, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ROOM #1101 301 WEST 2ND ST AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Commission for Women may be participating by videoconference. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by remotely, contact Christi Vitela at christi.vitela@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2792. telephone. To to speak register CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Becky Bullard, Chair Alexandria Anderson Vanessa Bissereth Angela Harris Diana Melendez AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Jocelyn Tau, Vice Chair Katrina Scheihing Rabia Shaik Fernanda Veloz Salas Shaimaa Zayan The first ten speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Commission for Women regular meeting on December 3, 2025. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Presentation regarding the development of a report by Austin Equity and Inclusion to understand and address disparities in community conditions across neighborhoods. Presentation by Shivani Datar, Business Process Specialist, Austin Equity and Inclusion. 3. Presentation regarding the National Association of Commissions for Women by Nancy Bremeau, Board Member, National Association of Commissions for Women. 4. Presentation regarding the Chamber of Mothers by Neha Erford, Shelley Mattingly, Mallory Lehenbauer, Austin Chapter of Chamber of Mothers. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 5. Approve the formation of a State Legislative Response Working Group. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact the Liaison or TTY users’ route through 711. A person may request language access accommodations no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. Please call or email Christi Vitela at the Austin City Clerk’s Office, at 512-974-2792 or christi.vitela@austintexas.gov, to request service or for additional information. For more information on the Commission for Women, please contact Christi Vitela at 512-974-2792 or christi.vitela@austintexas.gov.
COMMISSION FOR WOMEN MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, December 3, 2025 Commission for Women Regular Meeting Minutes Wednesday, December 3, 2025 The Commission for Women convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025, at City Hall, 301 W 2nd Street, Austin, TX. Chair Bullard called the Commission for Women regular meeting to order at 12:05 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Becky Bullard, Chair Alexandria Anderson Shaimaa Zayan Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Angela Harris Rabia Shaik Katrina Scheihing PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Commission for Women regular meeting on October 1, 2025. The minutes from the meeting on October 1, 2025 were approved on Commissioner Harris’ motion, Commissioner Shaik’s second, on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Bissereth, Melendez, Tau, and Veloz Salas were absent. 2. Approve the minutes of the Commission for Women regular meeting on November 5, 2025. The minutes from the meeting on November 5, 2025 were approved on Commissioner Harris’ motion, Commissioner Zayan’s second, on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Bissereth, Melendez, Tau, and Veloz Salas were absent. DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. Discussion of the Texas Legislature’s Bathroom Bill and Abortion Pill Ban. Discussed. 1 COMMISSION FOR WOMEN MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, December 3, 2025 4. Update on an SBA Grant through the Better Business Bureau for Women’s Entrepreneurship. Withdrawn. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 5. Approve a recommendation to Council regarding the Office of Community Liaison. Discussed. 6. Formation of a working group to focus on maternal health in the Austin area. The motion to form a working group to focus on maternal health in the Austin area was approved on Commissioner Anderson’s motion, Commissioner Zayan’s second, on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Bissereth, Melendez, Tau, and Veloz Salas were absent. Commissioners Anderson, Harris, Shaik and Zayan were added to the working group without objection. 7. Approve changes to the Commission for Women 2026 regular meeting schedule. The motion to approve the change of the November 2026 regular meeting date from November 4th to November 10th was approved on Commissioner Zayan’s motion, Commissioner Scheihing’s second, on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Bissereth, Melendez, Tau, and Veloz Salas were absent. WORKING GROUP UPDATE 8. Update from the Collective Sex Crimes Response Model Working Group regarding their November 2025 meeting. Commissioner Scheihing provided an update. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Formation of working group to address State Legislation Chambers of Mothers ADJOURNMENT Chair Bullard adjourned the meeting at 12:44 p.m. without …
Mapping Opportunity Gary Aaron | Business Process Consultant Sr. Shivani Datar | Business Process Specialist City of Austin's Commitment In every community, there are conditions—some visible, others deeply embedded—that shape how people live, work, and move through the city. Austin is committed to becoming the most livable city for all identities… Mobility Index The City is developing an index to better align department priorities with community priorities. This index will help: Identify neighborhood- level conditions that affect people’s daily lives Identify where barriers to opportunity persist Guide service delivery and decision-making with data and community insight Purposeful Design Neighborhood-level conditions are grouped into themes Reflect core dimensions of community life Organize conditions into actionable categories Identify shared needs and track progress ex. Limited English Proficiency ex. Median Household Income Belonging & Mobility Livelihood & Work Health & Well Being ex. Access to Health Insurance Levers of Mobility: Indicators Health & Wellbeing Access & Belonging ⚬ ⚬ Health Access and Resources ￭ Percent of individuals without health insurance ￭ Percent of income spent on childcare ￭ Premature deaths (percent of individual deaths under age 75/tracts with life expectancy under 75) Wellbeing and Activity ￭ Percent of individuals with a disability ￭ Percent of population aged 65+ with an ambulatory difficulty ￭ Percent of people with low physical activity Livelihood & Work ⚬ ⚬ Income and Employment ￭ Median household income ￭ Underemployment rate ￭ Percent of individuals living in poverty Household Stability and Cost Burdens ￭ Eviction filing rate ￭ Household Support Risk Score ￭ Percent of income spent on utilities ⚬ Education, Language, Digital Access ￭ Percent of households with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) ￭ Percent of households with no internet access ￭ Percent of individuals with less than a high school diploma ⚬ Environment and Neighborhood ￭ Percent of individuals in group quarters by type ￭ Percent of individuals in concentrated poverty tracts ￭ Estimated Annual Cost Due to Environmental & Weather Events Building Together | Listening to What Matters Most to Our Community What do you see as the most important issues or opportunities in your community today? In your view, what are the key drivers of success or opportunity in your community? What changes would have the greatest impact on mobility and opportunity in your community? Thank You!
A U S T I N , T X C H A P T E R p r e s e n t i n g t o C I T Y O F A U S T I N C O M M I S S I O N F O R W O M E N @atxchamberofmothers | austin@chamberofmothers.com | www.chamberofmothers.com A Grassroots Movement to Advance Maternal Rights in America. COM ATX Facilitators COM ATX Facilitators Mallory Lehenbauer Shelley Mattingly Neha Erford O V E R V I E W Chamber of Mothers is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) uniting mothers as advocates to create a better America. Mothers in the United States are fed up and fired up — we won‘t wait for change. We‘ve mobilized to create it ourselves. F R O M S T A R T U P T O T R U S T E D L E A D E R I N M A T E R N A L A D V O C A C Y Since our founding in 2021, Chamber of Mothers has experienced remarkable growth, building critical relationships across the policy and advocacy ecosystem, becoming a valued partner to lawmakers and federal agencies, and establishing itself as a trusted resource for mothers nationwide. 42 local chapters across 29 states, Washington, D.C., and an interstate military chapter – and growing! 100,000+ activated mothers nationwide, with a 146% increase in chapter-building inquiries from November 2024 – January 2025. 45 bipartisan congressional meetings in Washington, D.C. in 2024 to advocate for policies that benefit moms and families. 4–20M monthly digital reach – a unique slice of American mothers. T H E P R O B L E M Motherhood in the U.S. should not be this hard 85 million+ mothers in the U.S. lack basic human rights. The U.S. has the worst rate of maternal mortality across develope d nations. 1 in 4 women return to work two weeks after giving birth. T H E P R O B L E M THERE IS NO FEDERALLY PROTECTED PAID FAMILY LEAVE. CHILDCARE IS INACCESSIBLE AND UNAFFORDABLE. MATERNAL MORTALITY IS A NATIONAL EMERGENCY. In 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General warned about the impact on communities without better support for mothers and parents. The well-being of mothers is the foundation of strong family structures and thriving communities, yet systemic barriers keep women out of …
