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August 20, 2024 | Austin, Texas
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Billy Blanchard and reappointed Kori Allen, Evelyn Cano, Emma Faye Rudkin, and Benjamin Willis to the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities for terms set to expire on February 1, 2026. The committee recommends changes in disability policies and programs, supports a network of committees on people with disabilities, issues awards to promote greater awareness, and promotes compliance with disability related laws.
Billy Blanchard of Victoria is a vocational rehab counselor for the Texas Workforce Commission. He is a member of the Victoria Bad News Chairs Adaptive Sports Team, former president of the Disability Coalition of the Golden Crescent, and former board member for the Brain Injury Association of Texas. Blanchard received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from The University of Texas (UT) at Austin.
Kori Allen of McKinney is the ADA & capital programs coordinator for the City of Coppell. She is an officer of the Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter of Little People of America, self-advocacy award recipient of the North Texas Disability Chamber, and member of the Little People of America – State Legislation Monitoring Team and the Accessibility Professionals Association. Additionally, she is a volunteer in various roles for The Contemporary Chorale and Metrocrest Services. She has served as a gubernatorial appointee on the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities since 2020. Allen received a Bachelor of Science in Health Studies from UT Tyler and is working towards a certification by the Texas Accessibility Academy as a Registered Accessibility Specialist.
Evelyn Cano of Pharr is co-owner of Grande Produce LTD and Cano & Sons Trucking. She is president and co-founder of the Disability Chamber of Commerce Rio Grande Valley, executive board secretary for Disability Rights Texas, committee member for the City of McAllen Disability Task Force, and a youth ministry coordinator for St. John's Baptist Catholic Church. She has been a disability advocate for over 15 years and is a former Texas certified bilingual educator. She has served as a gubernatorial appointee on the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities since 2018. Cano received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Indiana University.
Emma Faye Rudkin of Boerne is the executive director and founder of Aid The Silent and serves as a staff member of the Deaf Young Life San Antonio. Additionally, she is a television host for PBS KLRN with her service dog, Hank the Hearing dog. She is a member of the Rotary Club of San Antonio Young Members Board, the Nonprofit Council of San Antonio and a volunteer for Morgan’s Wonderland, Kingdom for Kids, and the Rotarian Service Projects. She has served as a gubernatorial appointee on the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities since 2018. Rudkin received a Bachelor of Science in Communications and Nonprofit Management from UT San Antonio.
Benjamin Willis of Lumberton has served as a volunteer for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and as the Southeast Texas MDA Goodwill Ambassador. He has served as a gubernatorial appointee on the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities since 2022. Willis is studying engineering at Texas A&M University with a long-term goal of designing assistive technology for people with disabilities.
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