Ryan has primary responsibility for facilitating the dissemination of information to our membership, policymakers and the general public. In doing so, he maintains the TTARA website, manages the daily news service, organizes and oversees arrangements and fundraising for special events, manages a complex legislative bill tracking system and readies reports and presentations for release or publication. He graduated from Texas State University with a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration.

Eleanor is a consultant for TTARA with over 32 years of state tax experience in the private and public sectors. She was Tax Counsel with DuCharme, McMillen & Associates, Inc. for 17 years and assisted Fortune-1000 companies with tax planning, audits, administrative filings, and negotiations with taxing authorities.

While in public service, she held key positions at the Texas Comptroller’s office, including Chief Administrative Law Judge, Assistant Director of Tax Administration, and Chief Hearings Attorney. As the Chief Administrative Law Judge, she presided over tax hearings and oversaw the issuance of all proposed hearings decisions. Eleanor continued that role when the hearing function was transferred to the State Office of Administrative Hearings. In her role as Assistant Director of Tax Administration, she assisted in overseeing the Tax Policy Division and the Audit Division and participated in rule making, tax policy developments, and tax legislation. With her background in both private and public services, she offers a balanced perspective on tax policy and procedure.

Eleanor holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor from The University of Texas School of Law.

Helen conducts legal research on both state tax and property tax issues. A recent law school graduate, she previously clerked at a Colorado law firm and at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy where she gained experience researching the effects of legislation and government regulation on heavy industry and small businesses. Helen worked in the oil and gas industry as an independent landman for nearly 15 years before attending law school. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University and a Juris Doctor from The University of Texas School of Law.

Jennifer is President of TTARA. Prior to joining the association, she was a fellow at the Baker Institute for Public Policy and previously served as tax policy advisor to the Lt. Governor of Texas, clerk of the Texas House Ways and Means Committee, and tax policy director for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Jennifer holds a J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law and an LL.M. in Taxation from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law. As an attorney in private practice, she represented taxpayers on state and local tax matters for more than 15 years.