Rick Avery is Director of the V.G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Born in Memphis, Texas, Rick grew up in Needville in Fort Bend County. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Austin College and a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from Texas A&M University.

After completing his graduate program, Rick worked in Washington, D.C. as an aide to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas. He then served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Representative Greg Laughlin of West Columbia.

Rick is currently a doctoral candidate in Texas A&M's Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development.

Ashley Mathews serves as the Extension Program Specialist for the V.G. Young Institute of County Government where she primarily focuses on planning educational conferences for the Institute’s constituents. Ashley graduated high school in Houston before attending Texas A&M University to acquire her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. After completing her course work, she began working for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. In that role, she developed educational curriculum, managed statewide training programs and served on the Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo management team.

Melody Bratcher is the Extension Assistant for the V.G. Young Institute of County Government. She graduated from Palmer High School in Palmer, Texas. She then attended Baylor University in Waco, TX, where she graduated in December 2008, with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, and a minor in English. During her studies, she was the Marketing Assistant at Baylor University Press, and later the Marketing Project Assistant at Methodist Hospital in Dallas.