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Victor G. Azios, Introduced keynote speaker
 Victor G. Azíos joined The Annie E. Casey Foundation in January 1999 as a Senior
Fellow in Planning, Research, and Development. He also currently serves as the
Site Team Leader for Making Connections-San Antonio, the initiative of The Annie
E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore, MD. Unlike other Site Team Leaders, he has the
unique distinction of living in San Antonio as well.
He entered the human services field more than twenty-five years ago when he
began a position in the Galveston Independent School Districts as Lead Social
Worker. Since then, he has gained extensive experience in clinical practice with
youth and families, served in administrative and supervisory roles for over 14
years and taught college and graduate level courses in group dynamics, family
systems and social work.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Mr. Azios worked for the Casey Family Program
as Director of the San Antonio Division. He earned a BA in Psychology from the
University of Houston and his Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from Boston College.
James J. Heckman, Keynote Speaker
 James J. Heckman was born in Chicago in 1944 and educated at Colorado College
(B.A. Math, 1965) and Princeton University (Ph.D., Economics, 1971). He is the
Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of
Chicago where he has served since 1973. He is director of the Economics Research
Center at the Department of Economics at the University of Chicago, Director of
the Center for Social Program Evaluation at the Harris School of Public Policy
at the University of Chicago, and a Senior Research Fellow at the American Bar
Foundation.
Heckman’s work has been devoted to the development of a scientific basis for
economic policy evaluation. In the course of this work he has made contributions
to economic theory and to econometrics, with special emphasis on models of
individuals (or disaggregated groups, such as organizations or firms) and to the
problems, and possibilities created by heterogeneity, diversity and unobserved
counterfactual states. His work uses data on individuals and firms to test
economic theory and it uses economic theory to solve problems in microdata
analysis. He has developed the economics and econometrics of lifecycle dynamic
models to study unemployment, wage growth and skill formation over the
lifecycle. He has developed new tools for analyzing microeconomic data on firms
and families. His methods for correcting for biased samples and for constructing
policy counterfactuals are widely used. They use economic theory to guide the
construction of counterfactual states. He has applied these tools to analyze the
impact of civil rights and social action on the economic status of African
Americans; to analyze the role of regulation in affecting productivity and
employment in many countries around the world; to analyze the determinants and
consequences of labor incomes and income inequality, the consequences of tax
policy and to develop methods for analyzing the pricing of labor services and
the determinants of lifecycle skills.
Kaitlin Guthrow, Panelist addressing Early Care & Education
 Kaitlin (Graham) Guthrow has served as Executive Director of the statewide Texas
Early Childhood Education Coalition (TECEC) since January 2003. The mission of
the Coalition is to build a system of quality early care and education that
prepares children in Texas for success in their education and life. TECEC brings
together foundations, businesses, providers, universities, advocates, community
groups, and organizations committed to building a statewide network on early
care and education and identifying common goals that will provide a vision and
plan for early childhood in Texas.
Before bringing the Coalition into existence, Kaitlin worked with advocates and
stakeholders in Texas and Washington D.C. regarding policies affecting children
as Campaign Field Organizer with the Children’s Defense Fund of Texas in Austin.
She has worked in the state legislature to introduce and manage legislation
affecting vulnerable Texans covering a wide variety of issues including
children’s health care, disability issues, public assistance, nutrition programs
and policies surrounding mental health and Texas foster care system.
Kaitlin (Graham) Guthrow, a native Austinite has worked in the field of
community service for many years as both a volunteer and a professional and
currently serves on the board of Every Child, Inc. Kaitlin received her Bachelor
of Arts in Sociology from Colby College in Waterville, Maine before returning to
Austin to earn a Masters in Social Work from the University of Texas with a
concentration in Administration and Planning.
Kevin C. Moriarty, Panel Moderator and spoke on Health Care
Kevin C. Moriarty has led Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas (MHM)
as Chief Executive Officer of since 1996. MHM is San Antonio’s largest
non-public funding source for community health care, and owns one-half of the
Methodist Healthcare System.
Mr. Moriarty was previously with the City of San Antonio for 20 years. His last
appointment was Director of the Department of Community Initiatives.
He received his BA from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York, with areas of
concentration in history, economics and philosophy. He earned a Master of
Science Degree in Urban Studies from the City University of New York. His areas
of concentration there were in public administration, health and human services
planning, manpower planning and data analysis.
He has received numerous awards from Any Baby Can; San Antonio Coalition for
Children; The Ford Foundation; Innovations in American Government, Macy’s Heart
and Soul, San Antonio Community of Churches and Outstanding Citizen.
He is married to Jennifer Martens Moriarty and together they have five children.
Anne Heiligenstein, Panelist addressing Abuse & Neglect
Anne Heiligenstein is Deputy Executive Commissioner for Social Services at the
Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). In this capacity, she is
responsible for the management and coordination of the Office of Eligibility
Services, the Office of Family Services, the Department of Family and Protective
Services, and the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services.
Prior to her current position with HHSC, Anne served as the Director of Policy
and Projects for First Lady Laura Bush under the first term of President George
W. Bush. She has previously served as Health and Human Services Policy Director
for the Office of the Governor under Governor George W. Bush, Legislative
Associate for the Texas Conference of Catholic Health Facilities, and as
Assistant Deputy Commissioner and Director of Protective Services for Children
and Families for the Texas Department of Human Services.
Anne earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin and her
Masters of Science from Trinity University.
 Leticia
Van de Putte, Texas State Senate – District 26
Howard W. Peak, Moderator of Legislative Panel
Howard W. Peak is currently the Executive Director of External Affairs at SBC
Communication, Inc.
His professional career has been as varied as it is distinguished. He has served
in the U.S. Army, was an instructor at Southwest Texas State University and
Trinity University. He has been an entrepreneur and businessman, worked as a
Planner for the City of San Antonio and served on City Council from 1993 to 1997
before leading this community as mayor from 1997 to 2001.
He earned his Bachelors of Art in History at the University of Texas at Austin
and his Masters of Art in Urban Studies/Environmental Management at the
University of Texas at San Antonio.
Currently the member of such boards as the San Antonio Zoological Society,
Hidalgo Foundation of Bexar County, San Antonio Technological Accelerator
Initiative (SATAI) Network, American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the
Witte Museum, he also serves a President and Chairman of the Board, Brooks
Development Authority, San Antonio.
He is married to Margie Bratten Peak and shares his affection judiciously with
faithful dog, Trooper.
Jose Menendez, Texas House of Representatives – District 124
Carlos Uresti, Texas House of Representatives – District 118
Joe Straus, Texas House of Representatives – District 121
Jose Menendez, Texas House of Representatives – District 124
Mike Villarreal, Texas House of Representatives – District 123
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