Norma Mercado, Executive Director of Bastrop County Cares and social work field faculty at Texas State University, with over 24 years of experience in education and social services. Formerly the Family and Social Services Coordinator for Bastrop ISD, she led the social work department and developed the Family Resource Center to support highly mobile students and families. Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and raised as a migrant worker, Norma’s experiences with homelessness, teen pregnancy, and poverty fuel her passion for advocacy. A Master of Social Work graduate and Ph.D. student at Texas State University, her work has been featured in the New York Times and Univision’s Aquí y Ahora.