Core Team Bios

Gail Bayeta, Faculty, SIS Process Analyst/Trainer

Gail Bayeta is a professor and former chair of Visual Communication at ACC. Gail has earned degrees in graphic design and English and has worked in printing, magazine publication, and advertising. As a design educator, Gail specializes in typography, concept development, design thinking, and user-centered design.

Samantha Croft, Faculty, SIS Process Analyst/Trainer

Samantha has been a full-time faculty member in the Biology department at ACC for 12 years. Before joining ACC, she was a lecturer at the University of Texas and adjunct faculty at Huston-Tillotson University. At ACC, she has served many roles beyond the classroom, notably the Teaching and Learning Academy leader, Faculty Senate President, and Assistant Department Chair for six years.

She holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Texas at Austin and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Management in Community College Policy and Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Chris Davis, Staff, SIS Process Analyst/Trainer

Chris Davis has been with Distance Education for more than 15 years. He recently served as the Distance Learning Assistant while also serving as the Coordinator for DigiTEX and Acadeum.

Chris comes from a background of student support for remote education opportunities, supporting in-need students in taking their classes on time and without the need to physically come to campus.

Starting his education as an ACC student, Chris graduated from the college in 2010 with an Associates of Arts in Journalism.

In 2021 he went back to school and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelors of Applied Science in Organizational Leadership. Chris aims to provide a student-centric, user-friendly experience in balance with an academically fair, faculty and staff-friendly perspective so that everyone comes home a winner.

Outside of work, Chris’ hobbies include video production and digital entertainment journalism.

Tasha Davis (no relation ), Faculty, SIS Process Analyst/Trainer

Tasha Davis has been a member of the ACC faculty since May 2002. She began as an adjunct before joining the Communication Studies department full-time in 2004. Prior to coming to ACC, Tasha worked for the University of Texas System in various roles in Enrollment Management and Student Services.

Tasha earned a doctorate in Organizational Communication and Technology from the University of Texas at Austin. She has taught in the Moody College of Communication and McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and has over 15 years of experience in distance education. In her free time, Tasha is an avid reader and enjoys watching true crime documentaries.

Katie Lessley, Staff, SIS Process Analyst/Trainer

Katie moved to Austin to go to UT’s Music School and decided to stay after graduation. She’s worked at ACC for 14 years and was at UT for 3 years before that. She’s a singer – solo, band, choral, etc. She plays any instrument she touches. She’s really good at math and logic puzzles.

Eric Merino, Staff, SIS Process Analyst/Trainer

Eric is one of three siblings, the youngest of the crew. He was born on Halloween night in 1977. He was raised in Bastrop Texas and now resides in Pflugerville with his wife and 2 kids. He has been with the college since 2001, starting in the warehouse, and eventually made his way to the academic side in 2005.

He worked with the Health Sciences Department, supported the Paramedic program, and did recruiting for Health Sciences for a long time! He feels like this is a great time to expand and grow his skill set.

He keeps busy outside of work while running two small businesses and ministering. He has been ordained since 2010.

Samantha “Sam” Wells, Staff SIS Process Analyst/Trainer

Samantha has been working at ACC for five years as an administrator. She received her master’s at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland and her BA from the University of Texas at Brownsville. She worked as a research assistant, centering her work on a long-standing oral history project along the South Texas border. Samantha is also an alumnus of the ACC Dance and Spanish Departments. Along with her work at ACC, she is also the treasurer of the local nonprofit, Dance Another World, and a board member of the environmental organization, Into the Sea.

She has been a dancer and dance teacher for 20+ years, and her focus, career, and passion have centered on how to fund, cultivate, and uplift performance, humanities, and education initiatives in the central Texas area. She loves a good rainstorm, hiking around Austin, learning how to garden, and playing with her pup, Millie. Samantha was recently published for the first time – writing about how collaborative cultural projects can positively impact disadvantaged communities, focusing on a case study in North Inner City, Dublin, Ireland.