Alter staff nearly complete

District 10 City Council Member Alison Alter has nearly completed hiring her staff. Assisting Alter in her duties are two policy advisers with backgrounds in social work and a communications coordinator who previously interned for a Travis County commissioner. Policy aide Kurt Cadena-Mitchell has previously worked as a social worker for the Texas Health and Human Services Department. However, he is best known to Austin Monitor readers for his advocacy work with Austin Interfaith. He started working for Alter in February and therefore has the most seniority in that office. Alba Sereno has a varied history as a social worker, including serving as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Social Work. She has also worked for Travis County’s Health and Human Services Department. In addition, Sereno has served on the mayor’s task force on institutional racism as well as the city’s Commission on Immigrant Affairs. She joined Alter’s staff earlier this month, as did Austin DeGroot. DeGroot, whose title is communications and outreach coordinator, had been an intern for Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea. Alter has not yet hired an executive assistant, the person who interacts with the public most frequently. The city has provided a temporary assistant in that position.