education, resources, and advocacy
Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care Board
The Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care (TX BoS CoC) Board determines the policy direction of the CoC and ensures that the CoC fulfills its responsibilities. Additionally, the Board oversees the work of CoC committees and the CoC Lead Agency and HMIS Lead Agency (Texas Homeless Network). Board members also stay informed about how the CoC is performing to prevent and end homelessness, and they serve as liaisons between the CoC and the counties and sub-populations they represent. The CoC Board is guided by the CoC Board Requirements Policy.
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2023 TX BoS CoC Board Elections
2023 CoC Board Elections
Congratulations to the newly elected CoC Board members. We thank you for your willingness to serve the CoC in this important way. Terms will begin in January 2024 and end in March 2026.
Seat 1: Courtney Horton
Seat 3: Victor Rivera
Seat 5: Stephanie Andrade-Rocha
Seat 7: Briseida Courtois
Seat 9: Megan Price
Seat 11: Audra Rea
Seat 13: Bert Bagley
Seat 15: Grace Moody
Thank you, too, to everyone who voted. We received more than 400 votes, which is a record. Your voice matters, and we appreciate your participation.
Meet Our Board
Seat 1
Lived Experience of Homelessness
John Meier
Taylor County
Seat 2
Homeless Veterans
Anthony “AB” Bustos
all counties
AB Bustos, MPH is a proud U.S. Army Veteran, having served eight years as a Combat Medic with two deployments to Iraq (2004-2005, 2009-2010). While in the military he had the unique opportunity to serve as a subject-matter expert for ABC World News in the realm of Servicemember Policy and Equality. AB then went on to obtain his undergraduate degree in Biology with a minor in Psychology and then his graduate degree in Public Health with a specialization in Epidemiology. AB is passionate about serving fellow veterans and prior to him joining Texas Veterans Commission’s Veterans Mental Health Department, he was a Case Manager and Healthcare Navigator in one of Austin’s local non-profit organization’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program as well as the Secretary of their Staff Advisory Council. AB is passionate about providing advocacy and training on veteran-specific needs to various stakeholders including the VA on topics including cultural competency and LGBTQ inclusive healthcare services. He has additional public service experience as an AmeriCorps VISTA for the City of Austin’s HIV Prevention Program and as the City’s Ebola Task Force Coordinator during the 2015 Ebola Outbreak.
Seat 3
Chronically Homeless Persons
Andrea Omojola
Lubbock County
Andrea possesses a Master’s in Public Health as well as a Master’s in Divinity and daily combines her educational experience with vast work history to support those who are experiencing poverty and homelessness. Though she is a new addition to Texas and the world of homeless advocacy, she comes to the table with globally diverse experience in the non-profit sector, energy, and compassion that make her an ideal candidate for the CoC Board of Directors. Andrea is highly skilled but, more importantly, extremely open to learning with a true heart for those experiencing poverty of heart, body and situation. Andrea is married and living in Lubbock.
Seat 4
Homeless Families
Michelle Conner
Denton County
Michelle founded Grace Like Rain, now Giving Grace, in 2016 and has extensive experience in the field and in service provision to individuals and families facing homelessness. Michelle provided oversight for Wheeler House and guided the development of the Rise With Grace case management model. Michelle holds a business degree from West Texas A & M.
Seat 5
Homeless Youth
Stephanie Andrade-Rocha
Taylor County
Stephanie Andrade-Rocha is an extraordinary leader who brings a tremendous passion to her work as the Founder and Executive Director of Beyond Trafficking. Established in 2017 and based in Abilene, Texas, with operations in five countries, she believes that every human deserves to be free physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
Born and raised in Abilene, Stephanie has a deep-seated emotional connection to the city. With five young boys at home, she is driven by her love for her family. Her unwavering commitment is further inspired by her lived experience as a homeless youth which motivated her to bring about change within her local community. Empowered by this experience, Stephanie has taken initiative to serve on various boards and launch three additional nonprofits in order to ensure that everyone can have access to much-needed resources and services.
Seat 6
Victim Services
Breall Baccus
all counties
Breall Baccus is a Public Policy Coordinator at Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV). Her particular work at TCFV focuses on issues including federal and state confidentiality compliance, providing services through technology safely, and survivor-centered data collection practices. Before joining TCFV, she worked as an advocate and for survivors in higher education. She lives in Austin, TX, with her partner and senior cat, Kyle.
Seat 7
Mental/Behavioral Health
Briseida Courtois
all counties
Briseida (Bee) Courtois is a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, Certified Medication Assisted Treatment (CMAT) Advocate, and Trainer for CMAT with a Master of Science in Social Work who has over 27 years of experience working in various arenas including substance use treatment with a focus on Medication Assisted Treatment, prevention/intervention services, domestic violence, women’s treatment services, child abuse services, co-morbidity, and HIV/AIDS.
Bee currently serves as Program Manager of the Be Well Texas Provider Network with UTHSCSA. Bee worked for approximately 14 years with a Local Mental Health Authority, as Director of Substance Use Treatment Services. This included administrative oversight, clinical, financial direction, and coordination for supervisor staff; development of strategic partnerships with local service providers; and design, implementation, and administration of services documentation. She supervised and provided guidance to supervisory staff for services with Medication Assisted Treatment (in the largest publicly-funded MAT clinic in Texas). She has also worked in:
- Specialized female outpatient treatment services
- Intensive Outpatient Adult Treatment Services
- Adult Drug Court Program
- Co-Occurring Psychiatric and Substance Disorders Program
- Outreach Screening and Assessment Program
- Specialized Female Residential Program for Opioid Use Disorder diagnosis only and
- Sober Living Dorm.
Bee has also served as Project Director on three projects funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and she has been a trainer with the University of Texas at Austin-Addiction Resource Institute for over three years.
Seat 8
Health/Medical
Steve Kazanjian
Nueces County
Steve Kazanjian has committed himself to ministry for more than 25 years. He has served as a hospice chaplain, a hospital and nursing care center chaplain, and a chaplain for those incarcerated in the Pennsylvania prison system. Steve has served as a youth minister, mentoring those in grade school and high-school, and taught both Scripture and World Religions to high-school students. Steve has been the driving force behind dynamic retreats for young adults and adults in both parish and high school settings. He has been involved with marriage preparation in Catholic parishes and has presented various topics to faith communities, as well as to those in healthcare, over the last 20 years. Steve has a special concern for those who are poor, underprivileged, marginalized or underserved.
Currently serving as Vice President of Mission Integration at CHRISTUS Spohn Health System in the coastal bend, Steve is responsible for Mission and Values Integration, Ethics, Spiritual Care, Community Benefit, Environmental Stewardship, Catholic Identity and Formation in the Catholic tradition. Steve formerly served as Director of Mission with Bon Secours New York Health System in the Bronx, NY from 2010-2016. Steve is a Certified Facilitative Leadership Coach and was a member of the CHA Eldercare Sub-Committee from 2011- 2016. He served as Faculty for the Bon Secours Center for Ministry Leadership from 2012- 2016 and has a great passion for adult education and lifelong formation. While serving as Mission Leader in the Bronx, Steve also acted as the Executive Champion for various local system initiatives including Engagement, Wellness, Customer Service, and Environmental Stewardship. Steve has served on the Leadership Councils for both Mission of Mercy and the American Heart Association here in Corpus Christi, and has been an active member of the Corpus Christi Advisory Council on Mental Health, Homelessness and Substance Abuse. Steve currently serves on the School Health Advisory Council for the Gregory-Portland School District, as well as the TX BoS CoC Board.
Steve received a B.A. in Health from the University of Richmond, Virginia and also has a Bachelor’s in Sacred Theology from St Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. Steve likewise received his M.A. and M.Div. from St Charles Seminary, and in 2016 received a Master’s in Ethics from Fordham University in the Bronx, NY.
Steve and his four children Monica, Eleanor, Isaac, and Colette live in Portland, TX.
Seat 9
Local Government
Courtney Doungdara
Denton County
Courtney is a global citizen with a passion for leading teams through data-oriented and person-centered systems improvement. She studied Sociology during her undergrad and has a master of arts in Community Organizing. Courtney has seven years of experience in community-based homelessness solutions work, and she is passionate about utilizing relational leadership to make her local community the best it can be. When she’s not working towards her goal of being a real-life Leslie Knope, Courtney likes to spend time with her husband, daughter and doggos.
Seat 10
ESG Program Recipient
Rich Penksa
Nueces County
Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Rich is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), currently working for the City of Corpus Christi, Texas, as their Housing and Homeless Services Administrator.
An experienced professional with over 20 years of expertise in managing homeless services, supportive housing, developing new funding streams for new programs, budget management, training, consulting, and direct care in the field of housing and homeless services.
Rich has managed numerous supportive housing budgets serving the homeless population including HEAP, CESH, HUD PSH, HUD Transitional, HUD Safe Haven, Bridge, Emergency Solutions Grants, CDBG, ARPA, HHSP, TMAP, ERAP, etc.
Rich has many years of experience in networking with numerous CoCs and Federal, State, County, and City funders.
Rich has participated in regional Continuums of Care throughout Nevada (Clark), California (San Diego, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, Kern, Fresno, Madera, Kings, Tulare, Contra Costa), and Texas (Travis, BoS, Bexar) counties.
Seat 12
Criminal Justice
Tracy Andrus
Harrison County
Dr. Tracy Andrus is a native of Crowley, Louisiana. He currently serves as Director of Criminal Justice at Wiley College and Executive Director of Tracy Andrus Foundation in Marshall, Texas. Dr. Andrus operates a homeless shelter, domestic violence safe houses (Heather’s House), food pantry and a technical school for the homeless, ex-felons and vulnerable populations in east Texas. Dr. Andrus is a published author whose best seller is his personal story of his journey (From Prisoner to PhD). He is married to Dr. Sonya Andrus; they are the proud parents of Tracy and Desmond Andrus. Dr. Andrus lost his only daughter Heather Mouton to domestic violence at the hands of her husband. As a result of his advocacy to strengthen restraining laws and protective orders, Louisiana Governor, John Bel Edwards signed HB 36 into law in Louisiana that eventually was enacted as Heather’s Law. Dr. Andrus has served as Pastor of Edwards Chapel Baptist Church in Marshall, TX for 14 years.
Seat 13
Business
Daphne Jackson
Hunt County
Daphne is a wife, mother and business owner of A Servant’s Heart-Texas LLC., which offers case management for behavioral health.
She is an active deputy registrar for Tarrant County, and an active volunteer for several non-profit organizations. She has also served on several commission boards for the City of Arlington.
Daphne loves the opportunity to serve others. One of her favorite passages to live by is “ATTITUDE” by Charles Swindoll. Her favorite scripture is Matt.6 v.33.
Seat 14
Faith-based Organizations
Robert Hogan
Lubbock County
Deacon Rob is an ordained Deacon in the Catholic Church, where his ministry includes homeless outreach. He has been on the board of St. Benedict’s Chapel, a Lubbock Homeless outreach organization, since 2015, and is a past president of the board. He is a graduate of Texas Tech University and Texas Tech School of Law, and is the principal of Hogan Law Firm, PC. He is licensed in the practice of law in Texas, New Mexico and Colorado.
Seat 15
TICH/State Agency
Marqus Butler
all counties
Marqus is a driven senior executive with extensive experience in holistic social services and human capital management. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a proven track record of maximizing business opportunities and consistently achieving organizational goals. He has 15 years of state level government agency experience. Twelve of his 15 years focused on creating policy and programs for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness or serious emotional disturbance. From 2009-2011 he served as chairman of the Coalition to End Homelessness in Oklahoma City. He has over 15 years of experience managing federal SAMHSA and OJJDP grants and has a good understanding of reporting requirements, outcomes and demonstrating the overall effectiveness of programming.
2023 TX BoS CoC Board Meeting Minutes
- January 2023 Meeting Minutes
- February 2023 Meeting Minutes
- March 2023 Meeting Minutes
- April 2023 Meeting Minutes
- May 2023 Meeting Minutes
- June 2023 Meeting Minutes
- July 2023 Meeting Minutes
- August 2023 Meeting Minutes
- September 2023 Special Called Meeting Minutes
- September 2023 Meeting Minutes
- October 2023 Meeting Minutes
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