Board and leadership

Resident leadership for a changing downtown.

DANA’s volunteer board helps residents understand current issues, connect with public processes, and turn neighborhood priorities into action.

View board meetings Contact the board

Congress Avenue and the downtown Austin skyline

Resident-led

Leadership begins with paying attention to the place.

DANA board members live among the skyline, parks, streets, trails, businesses, construction, and public decisions they help residents understand. Their perspective begins with everyday downtown life: what is changing, what residents are noticing, and where DANA can help.

Board introduction

The board creates structure for resident participation.

Board members help guide DANA’s priorities, governance, communication, committees, partnerships, and public representation. They do not replace resident input. Their role is to create a credible and organized way for that input to move forward.

Leadership

People doing the quiet work behind what happens in your neighborhood.

Each board member has a defined role, but the work is shared across resident communication, membership, public issues, partnerships, governance, events, and long-term planning.

PresidentCyrus TehraniView profile

Cyrus works with board members, City staff, community organizations, and downtown residents to keep DANA involved in important conversations about the neighborhood. His work centers on long-term planning, City relationships, resident representation, and partnerships that help downtown concerns reach the right people.

Focus: Long-term planning, City relationships, resident voice, and community partnerships.

Vice PresidentKimberly LevinsonView profile

Kimberly helps welcome residents, build relationships with local organizations, and make DANA easier to approach. Her work focuses on membership, neighborhood connections, resident participation, and creating a more welcoming path into the organization.

Focus: Community building, membership, partnerships, and resident engagement.

TreasurerRoger L. CauvinView profile

Roger oversees DANA’s finances and helps ensure that resources are handled carefully and directed toward work that benefits downtown residents. His role includes financial stewardship, governance, organizational sustainability, and long-term planning.

Focus: Financial stewardship, governance, long-term planning, and organizational sustainability.

DirectorMeg DudeView profile

Meg focuses on making DANA easier to discover, understand, and participate in through digital strategy, clearer communication, and improved resident experiences. Her work includes digital communication, membership options, resident experience, neighborhood participation, and the systems that connect residents with meetings, events, issues, and useful updates.

Focus: Digital strategy, communications, membership experience, and neighborhood participation.

SecretaryKara YoungView profile

Kara helps keep DANA organized, documented, and easy to follow. Her work includes meeting records, board materials, resident communication, governance, and the systems that help a volunteer organization operate responsibly.

Focus: Communications, member experience, governance, and organizational systems.

How the board works

Every decision starts with the same question.

Is this useful for the people who live downtown? That question guides how the board responds to resident concerns, follows public projects, supports events and partnerships, and manages DANA’s ongoing work.

See bylaws and minutes

01Residents help set the agenda.

Board members listen at meetings, events, emails, and everyday conversations, then turn repeated concerns into agendas, follow-ups, and clearer resident updates.

02Issues are followed until residents know what changed.

The board watches safety, mobility, parks, development, and public-space work so neighbors can understand timelines, decisions, tradeoffs, and next steps.

03Gatherings become easier ways to participate.

Board support helps turn ideas into happy hours, volunteer projects, welcome tables, and committee work where residents can meet people and contribute at a realistic scale.

04Trust is built through records and steady process.

The board keeps bylaws, minutes, finances, membership, and decisions organized so DANA can act responsibly and residents can see how the organization works.

05Relationships help resident concerns move farther.

DANA stays connected with civic groups, buildings, businesses, and public agencies so resident priorities can reach the people and organizations able to help.