The Archer Center

Katie Cook Romano, Director

Katie Cook Romano is the Director of The Archer Center, The University of Texas System Center founded to provide professional and academic experiences for UT System students in Washington, DC. Central to her role at the Archer Center is developing, marketing and promoting all programs of the Archer Center across the UT System, Archer Fellow recruiting at each of the UT System universities, raising endowment monies through capital campaigns, fundraisers and donor relations activities, and securing foundation, corporate and other grant funding. Before transitioning into the role of Director, Katie served as the Interim Director of The Archer Center, where she managed the Bill Archer Fellowship Program. Katie has actively volunteered with the Center since 2005, serving as both a mentor for Archer Fellows and on the Friends of The Archer Center Advisory Board.

Before joining the Archer Center, Katie was the Research and Development Associate for Federal Relations in The University of Texas System Office of Federal Relations in Washington, D.C., where she identified competitive Federal grant opportunities and Federal funding for each of the 15 UT System Institutions, coordinated and facilitated Congressional visits and Federal Agency meetings for UT System administrators, researchers and faculty, and planned special events, receptions, conferences and campus visits to aid UT System’s Federal initiatives.

Prior to working for the UT System, Katie was the Event Coordinator for Mrs. Laura Bush on the Bush-Cheney ’04 Campaign, including the 2004 Republican National Convention. Following her role on the reelection campaign, she was a Managing Director of Bush Family Operations on the 55th Presidential Inaugural Committee, where she oversaw all Inaugural events and activities for President and Mrs. Bush’s daughters, Barbara and Jenna. The job that brought her to Washington, D.C. in 2003 was working as Constituent Relations Coordinator in the Office of United States Senator John Cornyn of Texas.

A native Texan, born in Corpus Christi, Katie is a third generation Longhorn and a proud graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Communication Studies and a major in Political Communication. She is an active member of the Texas State Society, the Texas Taste of the South Fundraising Committee, and D.C. Texas Exes. Since 2003, she has enjoyed volunteering at the White House during Garden and Holiday Tours, and has been a volunteer Advance Representative for the White House and the U.S. Department of State since 2004, where she travels domestically and abroad to set up official events for First Lady Laura Bush prior to her arrival. In addition, she has served on the Planning Committee for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in Arlington, Virginia since 2006.

Colleen Davies, Program Coordinator

Colleen Davies is the Program Coordinator for the Archer Center, an extension of the University of Texas System that strives to provide professional and academic experiences in Washington, DC to undergraduate interns from the UT System campuses.  Colleen works with the Archer Fellows throughout all aspects of their experience in DC.  Her responsibilities include recruiting, interviewing and selecting potential Archer Fellows, planning and executing orientation events both in Texas and in Washington, DC for incoming Archer Fellows, and assisting Archer Fellows in securing internships and continually researching new internship opportunities.  She also acts as the first contact for all Archer Fellows while they are in DC.  In addition, Colleen is charged with coordinating annual Archer Center programs such as the week long “Welcome to the Beltway” seminar and summer speaker series for the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Prior to working for the Archer Center, Colleen worked on Capitol Hill in the office of Congressman Ted Poe, the distinguished representative from the 2nd congressional district of Texas.  Colleen served Congressman Poe as his Staff Assistant where she managed his internship program and served as tour and constituent services coordinator.

Colleen is a proud Texan, originally from Odessa.  She is the product of an oilfield family and has lived all over the United States.  She has always been a longhorn at heart and came back to Texas to attend the University of Texas at Austin.  She graduated from UT Austin in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing.  Colleen spent 4 years in the retail industry as an Assistant Buyer and Senior Assistant Buyer for both Foley’s and JCPenney before moving with her husband, Jonathan, to Washington, DC in June of 2007.  Colleen and Jonathan are both avid UT football fans and love to have friends over to watch the games and feast on whatever Jonathan has prepared on the grill.