Our Team
Natasha has been with AACN since its inception. She understands the network better than anyone else, whether it was facilitating onboarding for organizations, framing legal contracts, nurturing relationships, or facilitating training. Her passionate and energetic demeanor makes it easy for people to follow her enthusiastic lead. She is a visionary leader known for fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation.
Natasha has stepped into this role after years of senior leadership within the corporate space. She made a career change that led her to the non-profit community after her family experienced a tragic loss. Natasha has a deep love for her home state of Texas and the San Antonio community She has always been passionate about putting others first and helping those who are most underserved and under resourced.
As Chief Executive Officer, Natasha runs the operation and refines our processes to help guide the AACN to reach its full potential. Currently, she is leading the implementation of the transition to our new platform partner, Salesforce.
Katrina, born and raised in the Alamo area has been appointed Director of Business and Program Operations for the Alamo Area Community Network (AACN). In this key leadership role, Katrina will be responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of programs, ensuring that they align with the organization’s mission and goals, managing budgets and finances, monitoring performance and outcomes, and collaborating with other organizational leaders to achieve strategic objectives.
She brings over twenty years of experience in Early Childhood Education, specializing in administration and providing wrap-around resources and services to children and families in the San Antonio and surrounding areas.
She was recently awarded Administrator of the Year through the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TXAEYC) for her exceptional contribution. Katrina holds a master’s degree in human sciences from Stephen F. Austin University.
When not working, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with her loved ones.
Mellie Garcia is the Director of Platform Operations who leads the effort in Keeping the Lights On (KTLO) for the Salesforce platform utilized by the Alamo Area Community Network. Her primary goal is to ensure the successful operation and ongoing enhancements of Salesforce within the organization while ensuring a positive user experience.
Mellie’s fundamental beliefs are geared towards helping others. As a San Antonio native, being part of an organization, whose primary focus is to assist the community has increased Mellie’s motivation to find solutions to help connect local resources for the residents of Bexar County.
Mellie is also an Agile Certified Practitioner through the Project Management Institute.
When she’s not in the office, Mellie enjoys spending time outdoors and tinkering with her favorite hobby, nature photography.
A San Antonio native, Austin has a genuine love for his community and a passion for helping his fellow Texans. His working style is centered around earnest, transparent communication, and consistent follow through for the organizations he serves.
Austin Cerwin Gracia is a Community Engagement Coordinator who serves as the and primary point of contact for the end users of the AACN. As Community Engagement Coordinator, he works with the CBOs in the network to ensure they have everything they need to be successful in the referral system. He trains users on the platform, conducts events to bring the organizations together, and is out in the field to better understand the needs of his community.
Austin believes that the key to engagement lies in meeting people where they are, understanding their organizational experience, and demonstrating vulnerability in his work.
Austin holds an associate degree in psychology from the Alamo Colleges District.
When Austin isn’t working with our partner organizations, you can find him painting, watching a Spurs game, cooking for his wife, Lauren, or playing with their dog, Albert.
Iliana Arzac is our Office Coordinator; she supports our team and helps us execute our goals. She loves to be a part of a team with such a special mission and finds bringing together organizations and resources for our community very gratifying.
In her corporate career of two decades, she worked in Private Banking and in the Oil and Gas Sector and is very excited to now work in a role that gives back to the community.
She is very involved with her Alma Mater serving in the UTSA Libraries board, raising funds for scholarships and volunteering with Students of Service.
She holds a B.A. in International Business from the Alvarez College of Business at UTSA.
Iliana and her husband Inigo have two sons and a cat.