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About Texas Values Action
Texas Values Action is the advocacy and legislative action arm of Texas Values. Texas Values Action operates as a 501(c)(4) non-profit lobbying and advocacy organization that directly advocates for faith, family, and freedom in the political arena.
Texas Values Action shares in the Texas Values Mission and Vision of standing for biblical, Judeo-Christian values to ensure that Texas is a state in which religious liberty flourishes, families prosper, and every human life is valued.
Texas Values Action Supports
- Religious Liberty – the right of people to speak, express, and exercise their faith in public and private without government interference or workplace retribution in the public arena, schools, and churches of Texas.
- Marriage and the Family – marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman, and we are committed to defending marriage, the traditional family structure, and parental rights in Texas.
- Life – human life is a precious gift that begins at conception and ends at natural death and deserves our highest protection.
Our Team
Jonathan M. Saenz, Esq.
President of Texas Values and Texas Values Action
Follow Jonathan: @jonathansaenzTX
Download the press kit: Jonathan Saenz
Jonathan M. Saenz, Esq., is the President of Texas Values, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving and advancing a culture of family values in the state of Texas. Jonathan’s work on these issues spans two decades.
Prior to leading Texas Values (2012), Jonathan headed the First Liberty Institute offices at the Texas Capitol in Austin where he served as Director of Legislative Affairs and Attorney for First Liberty Institute (2007-2012). He frequently presents research, analysis, and testimony before the Texas Legislature, State Board of Education, and other government entities on various issues affecting faith, family, and freedom.
Jonathan believes in religious liberty, sanctity of human life, family values, and constitutional rights and has been involved in numerous court cases, including cases before the Texas Supreme Court and the United State Supreme Court. Jonathan is the leading voice in Texas on marriage between one man and one woman and he was instrumental in the passage of Texas laws to protect religious liberty (“Under God” in the Texas pledge, the “One State Under God” license plate, the “Merry Christmas law”, the “Pastor Protection Law,” Freedom to Serve Children Act, and The First Amendment Defense Act/”Save Chick-fil-A” Law), pro-life laws such as the “Choose Life” license plate, the Sonogram law, HB 2 and many others. Jonathan served as a lawyer for Gianna Jessen, a courageous woman who survived a late-term abortion attempt when she was in the womb and is now a famous pro-life advocate.
Jonathan was also part of the winning legal team that successfully defended the religious freedom and free speech rights of nonprofit pregnancy care centers for women in Austin. Since 2005, Jonathan has worked to protect marriage between one man and one woman and policies that support this principle, and he has helped defeat threatening legislation on these matters in every legislative session since 2007. In 2015, Jonathan was the leading statewide voice in Texas that helped defeat the dangerous LGBT Houston “bathroom” ordinance, that would have allowed men into women’s bathrooms and would have restricted the religious freedom on businesses and nonprofit organizations. Jonathan also helped lead the State Board of Education victories to prevent censorship in the Science classroom and protect strong Social Studies & History teaching.
Jonathan hosts the weekly radio show “The Texas Values Report,” and has been featured in local, national, and international media such as Fox News, CNN, USA Radio, Austin-American Statesman, Dallas Morning News, and Houston Chronicle among many others, and is a sought-after speaker for important events. Mr. Saenz received his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center where he was the leader of the Pro-Life Cougars group that successfully defended its free speech rights in a landmark court case against the university. Jonathan received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied family policy issues. Jonathan is a 5th-generation Texan with strong family ties to Central and South Texas. He and his family live in Central Texas and are members of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church.
Jonathan Covey, Director of Policy
Follow Jonathan Covey on Twitter: @jonathan_covey
Download the press kit: Jonathan Covey
Jonathan Covey is the Director of Policy for Texas Values, a nonprofit group dedicated to fighting for faith, family, and freedom in the state of Texas. Before joining Texas Values, Jonathan worked for a member of the U.S. Congress and then spent over 5 years working in the Texas Capitol Building. He first served as Chief of Staff for a State Representative, and afterward as Senior Policy Analyst for a State Senator. In his Senate position, Jonathan helped manage the policy team and was lead staffer for the Senate State Affairs committee, staffing many public hearings during pro-life and pro-family legislative measures.
Jonathan graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Management from Thomas Edison State University and obtained his first law degree from Oak Brook College of Law. During law school, he clerked part-time for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. He is currently working on his second law degree from Mitchell Hamline School of Law, specializing in dispute resolution and mediation. He currently lives with his wife, Sarah, in the Cedar Park area.
Mary Elizabeth Castle, Director of Government Relations
Follow Mary Elizabeth: @MECastlePolicy1
Download the press kit: Mary Elizabeth Castle
Mary Elizabeth Castle is the Director of Government Relations for Texas Values and Texas Values Action, the largest statewide policy organization focusing on faith, family, and freedom in the State of Texas. As the Director of Government Relations, she works daily with the Texas Values team, legislators, and their staff at the Texas Capitol to ensure pro-family values are protected.
Mary Elizabeth has been published in the Daily Signal for her work on protecting children and is a contributor to the pro-life publication Society of St. Sabastian where she has been awarded the honor of ‘Fellow.’ Mary Elizabeth has been invited to speak at venues across the state of Texas and the United States including the Texas GOP Convention and the National Pro-life Women’s Conference (PLWC).
Before joining the Texas Values team, Ms. Castle worked under the General Counsel at Midwestern State University, focusing on education policy. She also worked at First Liberty, where she conducted research and performed outreach for attorneys.
In law school, Mary Elizabeth interned for the Honorable Robert Junell in the federal district court of West Texas and the Honorable Vikki Miles-LaGrange in the federal district court of Oklahoma. She was also president of Texas Tech’s chapter of the Federalist Society.
Mary Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Southern Methodist University and received her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Texas Tech School of Law. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Austin-based pro-life organization, Embrace Life Initiative.
Our Board of Directors
Jonathan M. Saenz, Esq. – Board Chairman
President of Texas Values and Texas Values Action
Follow Jonathan: @jonathansaenzTX
Brian Russell, Esq.
Brian is a registered patent attorney and managing partner of Russell Ng PLLC. Brian advises his clients regarding intellectual property issues and secures their intellectual property rights by preparing and filing patent and trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Brian has been a board member of Texas Values and Texas Values Action since 2012. Brian served on the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) of the Republican Party of Texas from 2004-2010 and was a candidate for the State Board of Education.
Brian and his wife Julia have been married for 27 years and have seven children. They are members of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Austin.
Steve Smith
Steve has three sons: Andrew, David, and Christopher. He lost his daughter, Christy, in a pedestrian auto accident which changed his life. From that day forward he has lived for the Lord. As President of Cornerstone Staffing, it became a Christian company with a mission statement “To know J.O.Y. in our work”. After retiring from Cornerstone Staffing, he see The Bible and its Influence on Western Civilization in public schools as a way for him to fulfill God’s Great Commission!
Something most people don’t know about Steve:
He plays fastpitch baseball.
Steve’s mantra:
Jesus first, Others second, Myself third
Steve’s Hero:
Paul…he worked for our Lord while he lived!
Rodger Elswick
Rodger is the owner of Elswick Automotive, which has seven dealerships in Texas and Louisiana.
Rodger attends Grace Woodlands Church. He is married to his wife Kim for 29 years and they have a fifteen-year-old daughter.
Rodger has a long history of service to his community, including:
- Current South Texas Director of the National Automobile Dealers Association Director, serving from 2019 to the Present.
- Current Chairman for Northland Christian School and served on the Board of Trustees from 2017 to Present.
- Current Board of Directors of Truist Bank Greater Houston Advisory Board 2019 to Present.
- On the Board of Directors of Texas Values Action.
- Past Chair of Houston Automobile Dealers Association 2020
- Past Board of Directors of Marshall University Business School Business Advisory Group 2018 to 2022.
- Past Chairman for Baytown Chamber of Commerce and served on the Board for over 12 years from 2006-2011, 2013-to Present.
- Past Lay Elder of Faithbridge UMC 2011-to Present.
- Past President of Rotary Club of Baytown 2010-2011
- Rotary President of the Year District 5890 Houston metro 2010-2011
- Baytown Citizen of the Year 2012.
- Past and First President of the Goose Creek CISD Educational Foundation 2009-2011 and Board Member 2009-2014
Join the Fight
We defend faith, family, and freedom in Texas by actively engaging in the political arena in support of biblical, Judeo-Christian values. Help advance our values in Texas by joining with us and supporting our work, donate today!
