Vela shares names of new staff members

José “Chito” Vela, who will be sworn in as City Council member for District 4 at 9 a.m. on Monday at City Hall, has hired Timothy Bray as his policy aide. Bray, who is president of the Austin Environmental Democrats, served as Vela’s campaign manager. Vela has also hired Jenna Hanes, who was in charge of communications for the campaign, as communications director, and is in the process of hiring Sobeyda Gómez-Chou, who currently works part time for outgoing Council Member Greg Casar. Casar will leave his Council office on Monday as he continues to campaign for the Democratic nomination to represent Texas Congressional District 35. Casar’s campaign communications director, Tara Pohlmeyer, will leave the city in order to work full-time for the campaign. She was busy helping clean out Casar’s office at City Hall when she spoke to the Austin Monitor on Wednesday. She also reported that Stephanie Trinh, Casar’s chief of staff, would be going to work in Mayor Steve Adler’s office.