2024 MNA Steering Committee

  • Sarah Seraj, Chair

    Sarah Seraj, Chair

    Sarah Seraj has lived in Mueller since 2014 and served on the MNA Steering Committee since 2022. She is a psychologist by profession, and she and her sister own a local business that provides equity-focused leadership training.

    Sarah started her career in environmental engineering but transitioned to the field of psychology when she realized engineering problems had social and psychological aspects that were often ignored in traditional solutions. She is passionate about creating more inclusive spaces for marginalized communities.

  • Sally Acevedo, Vice Chair

    Sally Acevedo, Vice Chair

    Sally Acevedo is a committed member of the Mueller Neighborhood Association, bringing her expertise in digital marketing and a passion for community engagement to her role. Born in New York and raised in Puerto Rico, Sally has lived in Austin, Texas, since 2017. With a master's degree in Internet Business and over a decade of experience as a digital marketing consultant and virtual assistant, she has leveraged her skills to benefit not only the MNA but also various other nonprofit organizations. Since moving to Mueller in 2021, she has actively participated in initiatives that promote unity, innovation, and inclusivity within the community.

    Dedicated to the continued growth and prosperity of Mueller, Sally is focused on driving development that reflects the values of the neighborhood. She remains committed to making Mueller a model of community collaboration and forward-thinking progress.

  • Chris Ruzin, Treasurer

    Chris Ruzin, Treasurer

    Chris has lived in Mueller since 2018. He is a Staff Software Engineer at HEB Digital, and has been building Web-based sites and applications for almost 30 years.

    Chris is a native Austinite, and has been lucky enough to live abroad on three continents and a few states before moving back to Austin in 2006. He lives with his wife and daughter, and loves walking the trails around Mueller.

  • Mai Ly Vong

    Mai Ly Vong, Co-Treasurer

    Mai traded the dim sum of Hong Kong for the kolaches of Houston (don't ask her to pick a favorite, it's a family feud!), where she spent 25 years mastering the art of both Southern hospitality and navigating a city without an easy-to-use bike lane or light rail (one day, Houston, one day!).

    She was on a quest to find the perfect walkable city with enough green space for her gardening obsession to flourish, all while collecting enough travel stories to rival Marco Polo (minus the whole kidnapping thing). This brought her to the weird and hilly city of Austin, and the pedestrian and bike lane-obsessed Mueller neighborhood.

    Mai applauds the work and effort done by the Mueller founders, and her service to MNA is in honor of them. In sum, she’s a mix of world traveler and neighborhood enthusiast, with a serious weakness for dim sum and the therapeutic crunch of fresh compost between her fingers.

  • Chris "Kaz" Wojtewicz, Secretary

    Chris “Kaz” Wojtewicz, Secretary

    As a fifth-generation Austinite, Kaz Wojtewicz has a deep understanding of the angst change has brought to Austin and the need to work for the future we want. These changes, and managing change, inspired Kaz to study economics at Texas State University and public affairs at The University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs, where he specialized in real estate economics, zoning (history), and transportation.

    A staunch believer in the maxim "leaders eat last," Kaz advocates for public leadership and government that serves all of society. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the public and private sectors, including the Texas Army National Guard and Army Reserves. He was on the boards of AURA, Friends of Austin Neighborhoods and NWACA.

    Kaz lives with his wife, two daughters, in-laws, two cats, and a labrador. He enjoys biking, exploring the Austin food and beer scene, and spending time with friends and family.

  • Karen Swenson, Ex Officio Member

    Karen Swenson, Ex Officio Member

    Karen and her spouse Ken Cauthern have lived in the Mueller community since 2012. She loves the neighborhood and looks forward to helping MNA grow.

    Karen and Diana Weihs started Women Partners in Health in 1985, the first all-women Ob/Gyn practice in Austin. They also started the Women Partners in Health Educational Endowment in the Ob/Gyn Department at Dell Medical School.

    Karen has volunteered with MNA since retiring in 2021. She also actively works with Texas Campaign for Mothers and Texas Impact, advocating for women’s health in Texas. She is a poll worker during elections and encourages everyone to please VOTE!

    Karen is an avid pickleball player, owns a double scull, and rows on Ladybird Lake twice a week. She enjoys Mueller’s walking trails, parks, swimming pools and activities. She and Ken have made some great friends in Mueller and love to travel abroad and locally.

    They have a blended family of four children, two daughters-in-law, one son-in-law and seven grandchildren, and are lucky most of them still live in Austin.

  • Merrell Foote

    Merrell Foote

    Merrell and John Foote have called Austin home since 1987. They moved to Mueller in 2019 after living in the Middle East for seven years.

    Merrell’s career has spanned the public, private and nonprofit sectors, including roles as a communications strategist, marketing manager, journalist, writer/editor, legislative policy analyst and educator.

    She has volunteered with neighborhood groups, schools, animal shelters and civic organizations. Merrell and John love adventures and have visited more than 40 countries. They have two grown children — a son in Cincinnati and a daughter in Austin. They belong to two cats and a dog.

  • Gary Jacobsen

    Gary Jacobson

    The Jacobsons moved to Mueller in 2015 shortly after Gary and Sherry retired from The Dallas Morning News on the same day. Their son, daughter, son-in-law and two grandkids also live in Mueller.

    Gary worked at newspapers in Minnesota, Upstate New York, Washington, D.C. (USA Today) and Dallas for more than 40 years as a reporter and editor, and was publisher at what may have been the last print daily (the Arlington Morning News) to start up in the country. The AMN had a short life (1996-2001) but it was so much fun.

  • Greg Keller

    Greg Keller

    The Kellers moved to Austin and Mueller in 2013. With four kids they wanted to be close to a pool and Clearview Sudbury School, a democratic free school across Airport Blvd. With a 400-pound, seven-passenger bike, living in a flat and walkable neighborhood with destinations was highly desirable.

    Coming from Detroit and Chicago, diversity was also a key ingredient in their recipe for a great home. Mueller uniquely checks all the boxes.

    Greg works on cars, computers, woodworking, and community building. His garage is rumoured to be an actual Tardis.

  • Dr. Meisha-ann Martin

    Dr. Meisha-ann Martin

    Dr. Meisha-ann Martin has a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and has spent almost 20 years as an employee experience researcher and practitioner.

    Dr. Martin has a personal passion for diversity, equity and inclusion and loves using data and analytics to identify and remedy inclusion gaps in the employee experience. She is considered a People Analytics/Employee Experience expert, leading efforts in companies like Flex, JetBlue and Raymond James Financial, and also the Talent Management function at ServiceMaster.

    Dr. Martin is part of the Workhuman Consulting Practice In her current role as Senior Director, People Analytics and Research at Workhuman. She provides analytics consulting to clients and prospects and works closely with the team focused on proving the impact of positive work experiences for individuals and organizations.

    Dr. Martin is considered a thought leader in this space and regularly speaks on topics like recognition, wellness, inclusion and psychological safety. She is a regular contributor to Forbes, Fortune, Bloomberg, HR Executive, HR Dive and Benefits Pro and has been recognized by HR Executive as a Top 100 HR Tech Influencer.

  • Catherine Sweet

    Catherine Sweet

    Catherine is a happily active retiree in the Empty Nest/Go-Go years, having the time of her life! She and husband Jim travel quite a bit, mostly helping the family and friends. Recent travel has been relocations — transitioning parents to their final end, and launching their kids from home to college to great jobs. Catherine and Jim have helped plan and execute 20 moves across five states in the past seven years, Including four of their own.

    Her degrees are Mechanical Engineering (Illini) and Engineering Management (Rolla). She spent over 33 years with 3M Company in several functions, including building expansions, custom equipment installations, process improvement, product/projects, and managing teams to support manufacturing and supply chains. Assignments were St. Paul, MN; Nevada and Columbia, MO; and Austin.

    She and Jim have been in Mueller since moving back to Austin in late 2022 and are having a fabulous time! She serves as block captain and a member of the MNA steering committee and hopes to contribute to making Mueller even better.

  • Sherrie "Sophie" Taylor

    Sherrie “Sophie” Taylor

    Sherri Lynn Taylor, aka "S.O.P.H.I.E.," was born and raised in Austin and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in music and a master’s degree in education. She also holds an Evans-Smith Certificate of Divinity from Virginia Union University.

    Sherri was in the UT Austin Longhorn Band and was an AISD band director and a clarinetist in the Army National Guard’s 49th Armored Division Band at Camp Mabry. She served in the Virginia Army National Guard and was a Fulbright Memorial Scholar ambassador for the Washington, D.C. school system in a USA-Japan teacher exchange program.

    In addition to MNA, Sherri has volunteered with Austin Area Urban League, NAACP, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Theta Kappa, Kappa Delta Pi, Texas Music Educators Association, Back on my Feet Austin, ViaHope, Austin Clubhouse, Lions Club International and St. James Missionary Baptist Church. She is also involved in military veteran groups, including the Austin Community College Student Veterans' Association, Civil Air Patrol and National Guard Association of Texas.

    Sherri plays guitar at weekly bluegrass jams and leads "S.O.P.H.I.E.'s Sing-Along" community choir at Wildflower Terrace in Mueller. She is a Travis County Voter Deputy Registrar and member of theTexas League of Women Voters. Sherri is "hyena happy and peacock proud" of her two daughters’ community advocacy work, and she has eight grandchildren in Virginia.

  • Preston "Ty" Tyree

    Preston “Ty” Tyree

    Preston arrived in Austin 37 years ago this May, looking for a place where he and his family wouldn’t have to move again.

    Since then Ty has actively volunteered at the neighborhood, city and county levels. He has served on the MNA steering committee twice, and was secretary, vice chair and co-chair. He was on the City of Austin Public Safety Commission for 8 years and is now in his first term on the city’s Commission on Aging. He also served on the city’s Street Smarts Task Group and Vision Zero Task Group, and on Travis County’s Bicycle Safety Task Group.

    Ty’s work experience has included travel to 26 countries, and he has ridden bicycles on 6 continents. For the last 35 years his experience has been mostly in local, state and national bicycle safety nonprofits. He has trained over 500 league cycling instructors and testified as an expert witness in over 40 cases where a cyclist was involved in a crash.

    Ty and his wife founded a nonprofit, WAAO!, and are working to create a collaborative space for the community and find a way for older residents to stay in the community when they are no longer able to live independently.