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Executive Director
Ware leads all phases of Texas Watch. He first began working for the organization in 2003 and has been privileged to serve the organization in multiple capacities through the years.
As Texas Watch’s spokesperson, he is dedicated to giving voice to the need for public safety and full accountability through our civil justice system. In the face of a sustained assault on our life and liberty by corporate lobbyists, he stands for the preservation of individual constitutional rights, specifically the right to trial by jury enshrined in the Seventh Amendment to our Constitution. He has been quoted in leading media outlets on issues important to consumers and working families. Ware monitors legal developments that impact Texans and helps craft policy proposals that focus on fulfilling the promise of “liberty and justice for all.”
Ware has served as the Legislative Aide to a senior member of the Texas House and Chief of Staff in the Texas Senate, enabling him to work on legislation of statewide importance and giving him insights into the workings of the Texas Capitol. He has testified before legislative committees and state agencies more times than he can count.
He holds a degree in Political Science with departmental honors from Stanford University, where he was the recipient of the Thomas Barclay Endowed Scholarship. He is also a graduate of The University of Texas School of Law, where he was the recipient of the Albert P. Jones Endowed Scholarship, and has taught as an adjunct professor at the law school for years. He has twice been named a Texas Super Lawyer Rising Star and is listed among the Best Attorneys of America. He served as a voice for policyholders at the national level as a consumer liaison to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and fought for the rights of Texas homeowners on a statewide task force on residential arbitration.
Ware and his wife have one daughter. When he finds free time, he makes music.
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Digital Content Director
As the Digital Content Director, Christian Benavides oversees the creation of videos, photos, graphics, as well as maintaining all social media channels for Texas Watch. He focuses on helping Texans tell their stories in order to protect their rights and families.
During his time as a student in the Radio-Television-Film Department at the University of Texas at Austin, Christian began to venture into films that grappled with the issues of the time. His most recent project, "States & Avenues," a documentary about a recent UT graduate going back home to run for city council, was awarded a grant from KLRU in the inaugural digital maker's lab. In his spare time, Christian held different leadership positions in student organizations, including the University Filmmakers Alliance, Students of the World, and Women in Cinema.
In his professional career, he's held different internships in places such as Sparksight & UT Austin's College of Natural Science. During that time, he learned the fundamental skill of condensing information so it could be easily understood by people on the other side of the screen. Projects ranged from corporate to non-profit testimonials, cancer research, and video assets that helped raise money for a new endowment at the College of Natural Sciences.
Hailing from Houston, he has has a great sense of pride being from a city rich with culture and diversity. His time spent in the city allowed him to find ways to connect with people from all walks of life, and he uses that as a base to inform the stories he wishes to pursue. He also enjoys a great taco truck, sitting down at a coffee shop to write up his latest film idea, and listening to the newest album that attracts his attention. Christian is deeply committed to finding new ways to communicate about issues that are important to him and the people of the great State of Texas.
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Director of Organizing
Kelly became the Director of Organizing for Texas Watch in October of 2022 after being the Development and Operations Director for three years. As the Director of Organizing, Kelly engages activists dedicated to holding corporations accountable, connecting them to lawmakers and appropriate state agencies. Kelly moved out of state in June of 2022 to be closer to family but is excited to help even more Texans make their voices heard in the months ahead. This important organizing work will continue through the end of the 2023 legislative session.
Her three years at Texas Watch taught her how powerful the corporate and insurance lobbyists are in Texas and why it is so important for families to fight for their rights. She was involved in the #SafeRoads and #InsuranceReform campaigns with Texas Watch during the 87th legislative session, organizing activists to testify at the Capitol.
Before her years at Texas Watch, Kelly volunteered with Mercy Volunteer Corps in a community center in a low-income neighborhood in Savannah, Georgia. There, she witnessed injustices committed by large corporations against uninformed and vulnerable citizens. She believes that advocacy at the state level is the most effective way to enact change and that the cornerstone of democracy is communicating with people in political offices about adverse policies affecting citizens.
Kelly is from Seattle, and she likes experiencing new places and learning about local issues. She loved her time in Texas, learning about the people who make it great, while living in Round Rock and San Antonio. She currently resides in Des Moines with her husband and puppy (named Willie Nelson). In her free time, Kelly enjoys a good podcast, walking, and getting out on the water.
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Development and Operations Coordinator
As Development and Operations Coordinator, Amber is responsible for raising and deploying the funds necessary for Texas Watch to accomplish its mission of educating and engaging consumers in the fight for their rights.
At her core, Amber is a helper. From a very early age she had a passion for helping others. It was something demonstrated by her parents both professionally and in their personal lives as volunteers and community leaders in East Texas. Throughout her career, she has drawn upon that passion to become a dynamic development professional and skilled storyteller. Her career has always focused on helping those in need of a voice, most recently working in development to raise awareness and sustainable funding for addiction rehabilitation services for teens in Texas. Years after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, homes were still plagued with deadly mold infestations and unsafe structural repairs. Amber served alongside members of the New Orleans Saints as a representative for a Dallas organization to help rebuild homes and provide much-needed financial support to well-deserving families.
Amber attended Arkansas Tech University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. As a proud native Texan, she returned to Texas as soon as she could! She enjoys mentoring and volunteering, having served as the Public Relations Chair on the Board of Directors for the Greater Dallas Association of Fundraising Professionals. She currently volunteers with a dog rescue in Texas and the Luck Family Foundation in Austin. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking the Hill Country with her family, catching live music, or hanging with her many animals on her farm.
