2026 October Luncheon | Candidate Forum

Please join us as we welcome the 2026 candidates who have filed for Pflugerville City Council and Pflugerville ISD Board of Trustees positions. This annual panel is designed to provide our community an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates on where they stand on the issues that will shape the future of our community. This is informational only, and not a debate forum. Make sure to grab a seat and hear about the candidate's visions for the coming terms. 

Pflugerville City Council 

Place 2
David Rodgers 

• Husband to Lisa, a long-time former PfISD teacher
• Dad of three Pflugerville kids
• Independent attorney for homeowners & small businesses
• Served on the PCDC and the Board of Adjustment
• Hero: Winston Churchill · Role model: Mitch Poe

"Mr. Rogers loves this beautiful city and is honored to serve as your City Councilman, and he hopes to earn that honor again."

Ceasar Ruiz 

Ceasar Ruiz is a longtime Pflugerville resident, United States Navy veteran, and two term Pflugerville City Councilmember, currently serving in Place 2. He and his family have called Pflugerville home since 2005.
Ceasar served in the United States Reserves then the United States Navy from 1992 to 2005 and continued his career with Space and Naval Warfare Command before transitioning into consulting. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History with a concentration in Education from St. Edward?s University, graduating magna cum laude.
His commitment to service extends well beyond elected office. Ceasar has served as Commander of the American Legion and the American GI Forum of Texas, President of the Pflugerville Lions Club, Vice Chair of the Pflugerville Planning and Zoning Commission, and has been involved with local PTOs and the Pflugerville Rotary. He is also a member of the Disabled American Veterans and serves as Board Chair of the National Veterans Outreach Program.
Ceasar currently serves on the Pflugerville Community Development Corporation Board, where his term runs through December 2026.  He also represents Pflugerville through the Capital Area Council of Governments.
As the father of children with significant disabilities, Ceasar?s family experiences have also shaped his years of advocacy for children and adults with disabilities. His community involvement has brought together his military service, work with veterans, disability advocacy, economic development, and service to Pflugerville.

Place 4 
Trent Barlow

Trent Barlow has experience in finance and operations, having worked at a top tier consulting firm and a large aerospace and defense company, wherein solving seemingly intractable problems was an expectation. He also has both a bachelor and masters in accounting, making him ideally suited for the budget issues currently facing our city. If elected he would work to ensure the city can keep funding the services the citizens of Pflugerville depend on, seek for transparency in government, and fight to keep Pflugerville affordable for all.

Gregory L. Harrington 

Gregory Harrington was born and raised in Tickfaw, Louisiana. After graduating from Jackson State University in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science, he moved to Austin Texas to work for IBM corporation. Throughout his professional career, he has worked at other technology companies such as Pervasive Software, Texas Department Of Public Safety, and Dell Technologies, where he served for 19 years through May 2024 in multiple roles in sales, technical sales, services, and marketing.
He also has a great passion for community. He has served in many leadership position on boards of directors such as the founding president for Black Professional Alliance, where he actually started the Professional Choice Awardsh. He also served on the board directors for National Society of Black Engineers - Austin Professionals chapter such as President, Vice President, treasurer and even served on the regional level for Region 5 of national society of Black engineers as Chair Elect and Conference Planner. He founded the Back To School Parade in 2008 where the mission is to celebrate education and the return to school and in the form of a parade and to use the proceeds to purchase school supplies for those who need them. Throughout its time of service 2008 -2013, they were able to give over 7,000 backpacks away filled with grade appropriate school supplies. He is a graduate of the 2006 Essentials class for Leadership Austin and in 2011, he was awarded the Ascendant Award. He has served on Public Access Television board also known as channel Austin. He is a proud brother of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity Incorporated where he has served on the board of directors for the Gamma Eta Lambda Chapter and currently serves as the Immediate Past President. He is a faithful member to Alpha Seventh-day Adventist Church where he has served in a number of different capacities with the current as community service director.
And throughout his life even as a young boy, he has been speaking both as a motivational speaker and a master of ceremony. He is the current founder and CEO of B+ (pronounced B positive) Blood Type which is his speaking business where he's speaking positivity into the heart and you guessed it ? Yes his blood type is B+ .. Get it? Be Positive!
He has a 14 year old daughter - the true CEO who runs the show, Madison "Madi" Symone Harrington. Above all positions and titles, his most prized position/title is Father of this amazing young lady.

De Juanna "DeJ." Lozada 

De Juana “De J.” Lozada is a serial entrepreneur, longtime Pflugerville resident, and candidate for Pflugerville City Council, Place 4. She is the founder of the award-winning national brand, Soul Popped Gourmet Popcorn. Her public-service career includes serving as a decorated Public Affairs Officer for the U.S. Department of Defense, Chief of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Director of Communications, THECB prior to that, and Division Director for Travel Information at the Texas Department of Transportation. She currently serves as Vice President of the Pflugerville Community Development Corporation. De J. is running to advance responsible growth, expand economic opportunity, support local businesses, and ensure City decisions reflect the needs of Pflugerville residents.

Place 6
Oscar Mitchell

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) from Southern University and A&M College and will bring over 35 years of business developnent & formation, high-tech systems architecture, cybersecurity, and real estate infrastructure experience to the Pflugerville City Council.
An original member of IBM’s RISCSystem/6000 (RS/6000) product group, I co-led the design of floating-point math processors that powered world-class computing systems. As a serial co-founder, CEO, and CTO, I have co-founded and led multiple successful high-tech firms—including Skipstone (acquired by Adaptec Corporation), NORDview (acquired by SIMA Corporation), and LayerN/Britestream Networks (acquired by nCipher Corporation).
Unlike traditional politician rhetoric, I bring hands-on civil and infrastructure experience. As the co-developer (with my wife, Renae) of Magnolia Ranch Estates, we directly designed and managed the creation of a 123-acre subdivision complete with roads, electric and water utility infrastructure, and a shared 11-acre lake and community park facility/commons area.
Also, my Civic invlovement duties have included my tenure of several years on the City of Pflugeville's Parks & Rec Commission, several years as memeber of the City's Planning and Zoning Board, where I was President the last two years of my tenure there and currently, I am in my second term as member and Secretary of the Pflugerville Community (Economic) Development Corporation (PCDC).

Pflugerville School Board

Seat 6
Nicole Toran

For 24 years, Nicole and her family have proudly called Pflugerville home. Her husband and her have raised their children, built lasting relationships, and remained committed to service. As a candidate for the school board place 6, Nicole brings the perspective of a parent, the dedication of a veteran, the compassion of a healthcare professional, and the research-driven approach of a doctoral candidate.

Jean Mayer

Jean Mayer serves as the Place 6 Trustee on the Pflugerville ISD Board of Trustees and chairs the Board?s Governmental and Community Relations Committee. She is a mom of two, including a child with profound disabilities, and has spent years advocating for students, families, public education, and people with disabilities at the local, state, and federal levels. Beyond the school board, Jean serves as Executive Director of United Partners ? Pflugerville, an adult day program serving adults with disabilities, and serves on the Board of the Autism Society of Texas. She is also involved in statewide education and disability advocacy and participates with Texas Parent to Parent in training medical residents on family-centered care and the lived experience of disability.

For the past four years, Jean has also been a co-founder and co-host of the Moms Talk Autism podcast, helping create a platform for honest conversations about autism, disability, parenting, advocacy, and inclusion. Jean is seeking a third term on the Pflugerville ISD Board of Trustees and remains focused on strong governance, community partnerships, disability inclusion, public education advocacy, and building trust between the district and the community it serves.

Seat 7
Chevonne Lorigo-Johst

Chevonne Lorigo-Johst is a mother of five, entrepreneur, community leader, and your elected Pflugerville ISD Board Trustee. As a business owner and organizational leader, she brings experience in strategic planning, financial stewardship, team leadership, and long-term decision-making to every vote she casts. That practical perspective has helped guide the district through some of its most challenging financial and operational decisions while keeping students at the center of every conversation. For the past three years, Chevonne has worked to strengthen transparency, improve governance, support safe and welcoming schools, and build trust between the district and the community. Her fellow trustees unanimously elected her to serve as Board President for the 2025-26 school year.

Beyond the district, Chevonne represents Pflugerville ISD through the Texas Association of School Boards Legislative Advisory Council, where she works for stronger public schools and improved state funding. She also serves as a member of MASBA: School Board Members for Latino Equity, NALEO, and the School Board Advocacy Network. Committed to ensuring every student feels seen and supported, Chevonne encouraged Pflugerville ISD to join MASBA and helped establish a strong partnership with the organization. She championed the nomination of district programs for MASBA distinctions recognizing excellence in English Learner services and Special Education. Today, that partnership continues to grow, including representation from Pflugerville ISD on MASBA's Board of Directors.