PARTY OFFICERS
KENDALL SCUDDER
CHAIRMAN
Kendall is the son of a mental health professional, paramedic, and corrections officer whose dedication to service and community instilled in him a drive to leave the world better than he found it. As a teenager, he worked at his local Dairy Queen to help support his family while also doing political activism on behalf of his LGBTQ+ family. He earned a Political Science degree from Sam Houston State University, then moved to Dallas, working in affordable housing and real estate analytics before opening his own land acquisitions firm. Kendall has long worked to elect Democratic candidates statewide. As the Texas Democratic Party's Vice Chair for Finance, he improved the party's financial transparency and strategic planning. He has also served on Dallas' Civil Service Board, the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas' legislative committee, and as co-chair of the Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce's Young Professionals. At the height of the pandemic, he filed a criminal complaint against Attorney General Ken Paxton to protect Dallas County residents' access to safe, in-person voting. Kendall holds a Master's in Political Management from George Washington University. He and his wife Carly live in East Dallas' Junius Heights Historic District, where he plays pickleball, volunteers with the Funky East Dallas Democrats, and serves as a Dallas Police "Volunteer in Patrol." He served as Dallas Central Appraisal District Board Director, Pos. 2, from Spring 2024 until his election as Chairman in March 2025.
SHAY WYRICK CATHEY
VICE CHAIR
Shay was elected as Vice Chair of the Texas Democratic Party in March 2022 in a special election and re-elected by the state convention in July 2022. She is the longest serving African American member of the State Democratic Executive Committee having served since 2006 representing SD 23, which is now CD 30 in Dallas and Tarrant Counties. She has chaired the Legislative, Convention and Nominations Committees while on the SDEC. Prior to her lengthy career in county government, she worked for the Senate Legislative Black Caucus, Texas Democratic Party, Ron Kirk for U.S. Senate Campaign, and served as the Political Director for State Senator Royce West when Dallas County gained the historic wins of 2006. She is married to husband Victor and they have three teenage sons.
DANIEL AYALA
VICE CHAIR OF FINANCE
Daniel Ayala currently serves as Vice Chair of the Hays County Democratic Party, where he leads the county's GOTV strategy for the 2026 midterm elections. In 2026, Daniel was reelected President of the Texas Environmental Democratic Caucus at the Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi. He first joined the caucus executive board as Vice President after being elected at the 2022 Texas Democratic Convention in Dallas and has since helped grow the organization's influence within the party. Daniel brings more than six years of fundraising experience, supporting nonprofit organizations, political campaigns, and member-driven institutions. Including his campaign for Director of the largest electric cooperative in the United States, The Pedernales Electric Cooperative. Throughout his service to the Texas Democratic Party, he has been a strong advocate for accountability, transparency, and progressive values, serving as Second Vice Chair of the SDEC Resolutions Committee and as a member of the SDEC Finance Committee. In 2025, Daniel served as a commissioner on the San Marcos Charter Review Commission and had the privilege of being selected as a regional finalist for the prestigious White House Fellows Program in 2023. A first-generation college graduate, he earned a degree in Wildlife Biology from Texas State University. He later spent seven years as a high school math and science teacher, applying his passion for education and public service to help students succeed. Today, Daniel serves as the Juvenile Diversion Coordinator for Hays County, where he works to keep young people out of the school-to-prison pipeline. He lives in Central Texas with his wife, Maria, but is a proud El Pasoan like many notable leaders in our party.
MYRA MILLS TSCHIRHART
SECRETARY
Myra Mills Tschirhart (she/her) is the Secretary of the Texas Democratic Party, where she enjoys challenging assumptions, building smart solutions, and removing unnecessary complexity so volunteers can focus their energy on electing Democrats and serving their communities. Before being elected Secretary, she represented Congressional District 12 on the State Democratic Executive Committee. A musician at heart and educator by training, Myra earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Texas Christian University (Go Frogs!) before completing an MFA in Advertising from the Academy of Art University. Often called the "Swiss Army knife" for her wide-ranging skill set, she's happiest learning something new, connecting ideas across disciplines, and solving unexpected problems. Her career has included chief of staff, Texas State Senate campaign manager, organizer on campaigns from city council to president, graphics specialist in book publishing, elementary music teacher, and—one summer—photographer at a waterpark. Public education and civic engagement are at the heart of Myra's volunteer work. She served on the Fort Worth Board of Adjustment and the Fort Worth Zoning Commission, is a graduate of the Leadership ISD fellowship, serves as Treasurer of her local PTO, coaches her kids' basketball team, and still jumps in wherever she's needed to help elect Democrats locally. Myra lives in Fort Worth with her husband Mark, their two kiddos, and two adorably standoffish cats. In all of her copious free time, you'll probably find her solving a puzzle, learning a new craft before finishing the last one, planning her next trip, playing kickball, or plotting her eventual escape to life aboard a catamaran somewhere in the Caribbean.
MICHAEL APODACA
TREASURER
Michael Apodaca, a lifelong resident of Central El Paso, was inspired by his mother, Gloria, a respected realtor, to embrace hard work and community engagement. His early involvement in service organizations sparked his passion for public service. After graduating from Austin High School in 1999, he attended The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), where he revived the University Democrats chapter and began building his leadership in political activism among students. During his time at UTEP, Michael served as President of Texas Young Democrats from 2005 to 2007 and continued as Treasurer until 2013. From 2004 to 2010, Michael represented the El Paso County Democratic Party on the State Democratic Executive Committee, and in 2012, served as Treasurer of the Texas Democratic Party. His campaign experience includes notable leadership roles, including State Field Director for Organizing for America during President Obama's re-election and manager of Congresswoman Veronica Escobar's successful 2018 campaign. In 2022, Michael was elected Chair of the El Paso County Democratic Party and reelected in 2024 and 2026. In 2024, he was elected Treasurer of the Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus and re-elected in 2026, while also being elected again as Treasurer of our Texas Democratic Party in Corpus Christi. Since then, he has increased membership and launched an internship program to engage young Democrats in our local community. Whether working locally or across Texas, Michael remains committed to amplifying the community's voices and ensuring El Paso's status as a democratic stronghold.
DEANA TOLLERTON, PRP
PARLIAMENTARIAN
Deana Everett Tollerton was born and raised in Dallas and grew up in party politics, tagging along with her parents to conventions and watching C-SPAN with her mother. She is a proud graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, where she majored in History and Textiles and minored in Business. She is the founding President of The Baking Caucus, co-founded the Williamson County Young Democrats and was Treasurer of the Texas Young Democrats for three terms. She believes that one of the greatest gifts a person can give is their own time and her motto is “Be Like Super Grover – Observe. Question. Investigate. But above all, show up.” Always a rules nerd, Deana bought her first copy of Robert’s Rules at the age of 12. She became a Professional Registered Parliamentarian in 2018 and has served as parliamentarian for deliberative bodies of all sizes at the national, state, and local levels. As a teacher and consultant, she focuses on bylaws creation and amendment and meeting management skills. Deana is also passionate about member education and protection of members’ rights. She lives in Austin (Williamson County) with her extremely supportive husband, Rich, and her daughters. In her spare time, Deana enjoys baking, making jams and jellies, and all kinds of fiber arts.
GEORGE NASSAR, PRP
PARLIAMENTARIAN
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TERRI BURKE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Terri Burke brings nearly two decades of nonprofit and advocacy leadership, including nearly 13 years as Executive Director of the ACLU of Texas. Throughout her career, she has excelled at bringing together community organizations, government leaders, and volunteers to drive meaningful policy change at local and state levels.Before her advocacy work, Burke spent years as a political reporter and senior editor at respected newspapers including the Hartford Courant, Dallas Morning News, Austin American-Statesman, and Albuquerque Tribune. She led two newspaper staffs to win Pulitzer Prizes. During this time, she also served as an adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Texas–Austin and a lecturer at the American Press Institute. Burke has served on the boards of Planned Parenthood West Texas, the Texas Democracy Foundation (publisher of the Texas Observer), and other nonprofit organizations. A native Houstonian, Burke and her husband Michael are new residents of Dallas.
