Principal
Austin
mleo@hbstrategies.us

A mainstay within the Texas capitol, Myra Leo is a high-powered strategist and dynamic connector holding more than twenty-five years of combined experience in federal, state and local government. With a substantial track record of successfully guiding matters before the state legislature and state government agencies, Myra’s expertise in navigating Texas’ legislative and regulatory arenas provides a formidable advantage for HBS clients.

Her impressive range of government and industry knowledge includes specialized expertise in areas including municipal and county government, higher education, pharmaceutical, financial services, telecommunications, energy, healthcare and automobile regulatory matters.

Among her previous experience in government, Myra served as Chief of Staff for the first Hispanic woman elected to the Legislature, former State Representative Irma Rangel. As Chief of Staff for then-Representative Rangel, Myra managed all legislative policy, including appropriations, redistricting, healthcare, education and transportation. During this tenure, she served as the Director of the Mexican-American Legislative Caucus, managing policy issues on behalf of the Caucus members. Myra’s experience also includes having served as the Intergovernmental Relations Manager for the City of San Antonio, where she was responsible for managing federal, state and local matters on behalf of the City.

Prior to joining HBS, Myra served as Government Affairs Advisor in the Public Policy and Law division at K&L Gates.

Outside of her advocacy work, Myra is a Board member of the Senate Hispanic Research Council (SHRC), a non-profit research group that supports internships for college students in the offices of members of the Texas Senate. In 2022 the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC) recognized Myra as one its Women of Distinction. She also serves as past Chair of the Advisory Council to the premier Latin American Studies program in the country – LLILAS Benson at UT Austin – and sits on the Executive Committee of Austin PBS.  Additionally, Myra serves on the UT Austin President’s Development Board and was recently recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Texas Exes. The Texas Exes created the Distinguished Alumnus Award to honor alumni who have distinguished themselves in their profession, community, and through service to the university.

She has been a speaker on state legislative matters at St. Edward’s University and the Biennial Texas Legislative Boot Camp, is a ninth generation Texan, a member of the William B. Travis Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and a descendant of two Texas legislators who represented the south Texas region in the 1800s.