Paul M. Saldaña, President & Principal

How are you going to lead with courage, tenacity and purpose?

Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Paul has spent nearly 30 years in local government affairs, public policy, public relations, communications and political consulting. Saldaña served as a Political Consultant, Campaign Director and the Chief of Staff for the first elected Hispanic Mayor of Austin, Gus Garcia. As Chief of Staff, he served as the lead policy advisor to the Mayor developing comprehensive public policies and strategies in the areas of public safety, transportation, affordable housing, telecommunications, public finance, water/wastewater issues, economic development, public education, MBE/WBE issues and health care. In addition, he was directly responsible for managing media, community and intergovernmental relations.

Paul serves as a President and Principal of Saldaña Public Relations, a strategic consultant, advisor on governmental affairs, and contributor on quality of life issues including public education, voting, economics, healthcare, redevelopment, gentrification, and affordable housing to governmental entities, clients and the media. Saldaña also serves as a political consultant and contributor on national, state & local campaigns.

Paul is a firm believer in giving back to the community through volunteer work, service on various Boards and Commissions and being actively involved in issues that enhance and impact the quality of life for all Austinites. He is a Co-Founder of Hispanic Advocates Business Leaders of Austin (HABLA) a local Hispanic Think Tank group committed to developing sustainable solutions to quality of life issues. And a co-founder of HABLA y VOTA Action Fund, a non-partisan Political Action Committee dedicated to cultivating and supporting the next generation of Latino Leaders, candidates and allies. He is the coordinator and a leader with the Austin Latino Coalition, an alliance of Latino serving, civic, community and non-profit organizations and individual leaders committed to promoting civic engagement and self- determination. Paul led the efforts on behalf of the Austin Latino Coalition implementing a mitigation plan, public education, and prevention campaign to address the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 in the Austin Latino community.

Paul currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Austin Geriatrics RBJ Senior Housing Center, President of the Board of Directors for Mexic-Arte Museum, and on the Board of Directors of the Austin Monitor, a nonpartisan local daily news source that exclusively covers important issues and key decisions at the intersection between the local government and the community.

In 2013, he was elected to the National Board of Directors of UnidosUS (formerly NCLR). He previously served as the Chairman of the Board for the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Executive Board of Directors for the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, Executive Board of Directors and Vice Chair of Legislation for the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC). In June, 2016 the Young Hispanic Professionals Association of Austin awarded Saldaña the Legacy Award for his years of community advocacy, leadership and commitment to quality of life issues.

In 2007, he was also among thirty-five national Hispanic executives selected to participate in the Inaugural National Hispanic Executive Leadership Academy at the prestigious University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. In 2014, Paul was elected to the Austin Independent School Board of Trustees, as the Trustee for District 6. He served as Chair of the AISD Board Oversight Committee on Educational Excellence Through Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Vice Chair of the City of Austin’s Regional Affordability Committee and a member of the Joint Intergovernmental Subcommittee of the City of Austin, Travis County and AISD. In January 2016, Paul was elected as Vice-President of the AISD Board of Trustees by his colleagues and served until 2017.

In January 2021, La Voz Newspaper named Saldaña Person of the Year for 2020 for his years of leadership and advocacy in the Latino community. In July 2023, Saldaña received the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (ESB-MACC) Lifetime Achievement Award of Excellence presented to individuals in Austin that have demonstrated significant leadership, passion and have made meaningful contributions to Latino cultural arts.