Welcome to Austin Government Relations
Austin Government Relations ensures that the City’s interests in providing for its residents’ safety, health, and well-being are protected and enhanced through active involvement in the legislative process and strong intergovernmental relationships.
Our goal is to be the most effective, trusted and best prepared organization interacting with other governments.
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Meet the Government Relations Team
Carrie Rogers joined the City of Austin as the Government Relations Officer in 2024. Carrie previously served as the Director of the Office of Government Affairs and Executive Liaison to the Mayor and City Council for the City of Dallas where she managed executive policy communication with local, state, federal and international officials, and countless government and business stakeholders. Prior to this role, Carrie served as the Director of the Mayor and City Council Office where she managed the daily operations of the office, including personnel and financial management with more than four dozen direct reports.
Carrie previously served as the Director of Government Affairs for the North Texas Tollway Authority for 11 years, and as the Deputy District Director for United States Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. She also served as the Director of Government Relations and Director of Education for the Dallas Regional Chamber. Carrie holds a master’s degree in American studies from the University of Dallas and a bachelor’s degree in English from Westminster College.
Since joining the City of Austin, Carrie and the GR team have been focused on establishing connection and ensuring collaboration across all stakeholders. This strategy centers around engaging the entire Texas Legislature and Texas Congressional Members as the “Austin delegation” to build greater ownership and investment in the State’s capital city. In addition, GR is standing up a centralized grants and funding division within Government Relations.
Erika has 15 years of experience serving as a funding strategist in local government, non-profit and private sectors in Texas, Washington and the Midwest, with broad knowledge in grant writing, management, administration, Texas Grant Management Standards and 2 CFR Part 200 Federal Uniform Grant Guidelines. Her experience includes standing up and leading teams to secure federal, state and private grants, executing projects and ensuring compliance relating to subrecipient contracts. Originally from the Austin-area, Erika attended the University of Houston and earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and business management. She holds several certifications in state, federal and non-profit grant management.
Adrianne Levitch-Potvin brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in governmental finance, accounting, and grant management. She has extensive expertise in budgeting, audits, ERP systems, and regulatory compliance and has led major initiatives to modernize financial operations and improve organizational efficiency.
Prior to joining Government Relations, Adrianne served as Accounting Manager for the City of Austin, overseeing financial operations and advancing process improvements, including grant workflow automation. Her career also includes executive leadership roles such as Interim Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance, where she managed large public-sector budgets and earned national recognition for excellence in financial reporting. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Grand Canyon University and is Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt and FEMA certified.
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Alison has seven years of experience working in the Texas House of Representatives to her role as the GR Senior Coordinator. She worked closely with the City and the GR team over the two legislative sessions as the Legislative Director for Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, the former dean of the Austin delegation. She has over 10 years of professional research experience and worked for political, litigation, corporate, and nonprofit clients prior to working at the Capitol. Alison grew up in Austin and earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin.
Christian brings more than five years of experience in city, state, and federal government to his role. He began his career in the City of Houston with Mayor Sylvester Turner’s office and later served in the Texas Legislature as Policy Analyst for Senator Carol Alvarado and Legislative Director for Representative Chris Turner, gaining experience across five legislative sessions. At the federal level, he worked with Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia and the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition. Christian holds dual bachelor’s degrees in political science and public Relations from the University of Houston and an M.P.A. from the LBJ School at The University of Texas at Austin.
Karen joined the City of Austin’s Office of Government Relations in the spring of 2025. She has more than a decade of experience in grants, policy, and organizational management. At the University of Nevada, Reno, she managed state and federal grants, including projects funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and contributed to legislative efforts by drafting and advocating for state policy proposals. Her earlier experience includes coordinating strategic initiatives for Northern Nevada’s largest health network and administering employee health insurance programs for rural Texas counties. She holds a master’s degree in public health with an emphasis in Policy and Administration and a bachelor’s degree in English Editing and Writing.
Andy is a proven grants and contracts professional with over 10 years of experience driving high-impact fund development initiatives. Farias has collaboratively secured over $73 million in grant and contract award funding, ranging from federal awards to private philanthropy. He is adept at opportunity prospecting, competitive intelligence, government contracting, partner coordination, proposal management, workflow development, award administration, and program implementation. Andy has demonstrated success in leading grant and contract proposal efforts for nonprofit direct service organizations and government agencies specializing in social services, both nationally and in Central Texas. Andy graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in public service and public policy from Arizona State University
Collin has worked in the grants field for the last 15 years. He has extensive experience across grants systems and lifecycles, including grants administration, funding research, grants planning, application writing, application review and scoring, and award management and reporting for government agencies. He has secured and managed grant awards with private, state and federal funders, and has written more than $20 million in successful grant applications. As a Grants Administrator with the Government Relations Office, Collin will bring his passion for grants to help City of Austin departments advance their priorities and projects. Collin holds a bachelor’s degree from UT Austin and a master’s degree from UT San Antonio.
Leo began working for the City in 2012 having worked at Municipal Court for two years then Austin Police Department for eleven years. Prior to employment at the City, Leo worked at the Housing Authority of Savannah, Georgia for six years and The Home Depot for six years, four years in Savannah and two years in Austin. Leo was included in the City’s social postings for Public Service Recognition Week in May 2025. His studies and career path reflect a sense of community with a BS in family and consumer sciences; Master of Public Administration degree emphasizing housing and community development; and a Master of Education degree with concentration in adult literacy.
With an active history of volunteerism, Leo has volunteered at several City of Austin school supplies collection events and Austin Public Health LGBTQIA+ health fairs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he participated in the Travis County – City of Austin collaborative response by working at the Emergency Operations Center logistics unit. Leo is active in his church community as a volunteer in the hospitality ministry and has participated in fundraiser walks for the American Heart Association and the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
When not at work, Leo regularly participates in a City of Austin sponsored exercise class and serves as a co-captain. Leo enjoys quiet, time indoors with magazines, puzzle books, television; and, time outdoors tending to his vegetable garden and maintaining his miniature roses and flower beds.
Valerie brings over 15 years of experience to the Government Relations team, combining exceptional administrative expertise with proven legislative capabilities. In addition to managing core office operations, Valerie plays an active role in the City’s legislative and grants work, ensuring the team’s operations run smoothly.