A former Taylor leader is now helping lead a central Texas organization.
On Jan. 12, the St. David’s Foundation announced the appointment of Jesse Ancira to its board of trustees and role as vice chair of the Foundation’s Community Investments Committee.
Originally from Taylor, Ancira is the former mayor of Taylor and former chief of staff to the speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
Ancira brings experience in the social, political and civic engagement sector to his role as a trustee. In 2009, Ancira joined the staff of House Speaker Joe Straus, where he served as general counsel and later assumed the role as Straus’ chief of staff from 2012 to 2016. There, he advised Straus and other members of the house on a range of policy, legal and ethical issues. Concurrently, Ancira was elected to the Taylor City Council in 2011 and 2014. He was elected mayor in 2013. He also served as a trustee for Taylor ISD for six years, including three years as president.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jesse Ancira to St. David’s Foundation Board of Trustees,” said Edward B. Burger, pesident and CEO at St. David’s Foundation. “His commitment to community and civic duty to uplift our underserved neighbors across Central Texas is meaningful and profound. I deeply admire his devotion to community and am excited to continue our work together to advance health equity for all central Texans.”
An alumnus of Taylor High School, Ancira holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Texas State University and a juris doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law. Throughout his more than 20 years working for the State of Texas, he served in the State Auditor’s Office and in the Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts. He is a former special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“I’m incredibly proud and honored to contribute toward the Foundation’s mission to improve the health and well-being of our most underserved Central Texas neighbors,” said Ancira.
Ancira has served as a member of the Foundation’s Community Investment Committee since 2019. Previously, he has served on the Texas State University Development Foundation, as a former member of the Temple College at Taylor Foundation and as a past president of the Literacy Council of Williamson County. Currently, Ancira operates Ancira Strategies, a Texas public policy firm established in 2016.
