A native Texan, Ann is a proud Longhorn, mom, wife and community leader. Ann began her career by writing drug, crime and juvenile justice legislation for Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Joseph Biden. She served as the inaugural Executive Director for the Austin region's Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) (2011-19), working with government, business and civic leaders to solve Austin's homelessness challenge. In 2020, Ann was elected to the Travis County Commissioners Court. Additional ways Ann has served her community through the years include chairing One Voice Central Texas (100+ local health and human service organizations), defending teens in Travis County juvenile court, and chairing the board of and working for Austin nonprofit Any Baby Can. Ann has also led fundraising for Citizen Schools of Texas, served as President of the Murchison Middle School PTA, and was named Austin ISD Mentor of the Year. Ann is a member of St. Martin's Lutheran Church (was Council President and serves as an adult Sunday School leader) Ann has been recognized by national and local groups for her leadership, innovation and collaboration, including by the White House (work on veteran homelessness, 2016), City of Austin Commission for Women Hall of Fame (2017), First Tee of Greater Austin “Respect” Award (2017), Front Steps Community Spirit Award (2015), Foundation for the Homeless Spirit of Compassion Award (2014), and Austin Entrepreneurs 100 (2016-present). Ann received her bachelor’s, law degree and master’s in public affairs from UT Austin. She is a Texas Exes Life Member, a member of the honorary Friar Society, assisted in the formation of the Texas Exes’ Forty Acres Scholarship initiative, helped found Longhorn Women Leaders, served on the Women’s Athletic Council, and has been active in Orange Jackets and Chi Omega Sorority alumni efforts. She is married to John Howard, who works with Dell Technologies, and is mom to Patricia, a restaurateur in New York; Susan, a lawyer for the New York Legal Aid Society; and John III, an accountant with Deloitte in Austin. She lives near the UT campus and enjoys spending weekends near Lago Vista grilling salmon and boating.