Joellen Peters is a psychologist, mother of 2 teenage boys, and an adoptee rights advocate. She is past president on the Board of Directors for Adoption Knowledge Affiliates (AKA) and is a reunited adoptee who found her birth parents approximately 20 years ago.

Dr. Peters initially began working with families affected by adoption when she went through her own adoption reunion. She now works with adult adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive families in her private practice. She has presented papers on the development of adopted person’s sense of self at national and regional conferences. Dr. Peters has both personally experienced and professionally witnessed the profound effects that secrets can have in the lives adoptees, first parents, and adoptive parents. Joellen’s initial advocacy work started in 2015 when she began talking with legislators at the Capitol in Austin. In 2017 she became more involved with both testimony and more assistance to STAR.

Joellen lives in Austin with her husband, 2 boys, 2 dogs, and a cat. In her free time she enjoys hanging out with her family, being in nature, and learning piano.

Noel Johnson is the former Chief Deputy for Travis County Constable Pct. 5 team serving under Constable Carlos B. Lopez. Johnson has been a Texas peace officer for over 24 years and has a wide range of experience to include; criminal enforcement, criminal investigations, law enforcement training, peace officer advocacy, police labor relations, and government relations at the local, county, and state level. He most recently served as a legislative liaison/government affairs specialist at the State Capitol for the last three legislative sessions working on behalf of over 28,000 police officers in the State of Texas.

Noel is an adoptee passionate about the rights of adoptees to know their history through access to original birth certificates. He has worked with STAR over the last 6 years to get legislation in this area passed. In the past 6 months, Noel has met his biological father and identified his biological mother who passed away in 2015. This was an exhausting search in which he faced roadblocks time and time again at the state level. He wishes for all adoptees to not have to face the obstacles he faced in this search. Noel is proud to serve on the STAR board and resides in Austin with his wife of 20 years and two beautiful teenage children.

Precinct 5 Chief Deputy Noel Johnson
EDUCATION AND TRAINING

* Stephen F. Austin State University, BA 1997
* Master Peace Officer, TCOLE
* Special Investigator, TCOLE
* Instructor Proficiency, TCOLE
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

* TMPA (2001-2019)

-Government Affairs
* Lobbyist on law enforcement related issues. Political strategist.

Sharon mostly grew up in Peru and New Orleans, coming of age in the Watergate era. She took her cue from Woodward and Bernstein to graduate from Baylor with a double major in journalism and political science. Subsequently, she edited an English-language newspaper in Norway for American and Canadian expatriates who worked in the North Sea oil industry; wrote for Baha’i publications in Wilmette, Illinois; was a journalist with the Austin American-Statesman; and worked in State Comptroller Bob Bullock’s public information office before a mid-life career switch.

True to the adage, Sharon’s life began at 40. That year, the single mother of three sons graduated from the UT School of Law and became engaged to her landlord Tom. He and Sharon celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in June 2020.

Sharon worked as an attorney for the Department of Public Safety from 1994 until 2000, then as an Administrative Law Judge with the State Office of Administrative Hearings until retiring in 2017.

She is currently a member of the local Sierra Club’s social media team, an aspiring novelist, a hopeful blues guitarist, and a beekeeper. She counts six grandchildren among her many blessings.

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Marla Smith is an adoptee who has been reunited with her birth family since 2017. She became involved with STAR soon after her reunion testifying at the State Capitol in support of adoptee rights. She believes that equality for all adoptees means having the choice to access their history with respect, honesty, and dignity.

She is a registered Architect a Lecturer at the University of Texas School of Architecture, enjoys yoga and woodworking.

Maria Watson has been involved with STAR since 2016, having lobbied for adult adoptee rights in Austin during the 2017 and 2019 legislative sessions. She is a Texas adoptee who united with both sides of her biological families in 2018. After doing 23&Me DNA test she connected with 6 paternal siblings in March 2018, her father having passed in 1992. Then in August 2018, through a Facebook post from 2015, she was connected with her biological mother and 3 siblings in Iceland. She was able to go to Iceland twice to visit before her mother passed in August 2019. That experience underscored the need, particularly for adult adoptees, to have access to their OBCs and adoption information so they can have a chance to maybe connect with their biological parents and families.
Maria works in retail and lives in Abilene, TX.

Joyce, a new member to the STAR Board of Directors. Growing up in the Midwest, Joyce moved to Austin with her husband Allen, in a transfer with his job, on a two - four-year temporary move. Thirty-four years later, they are still here and now call Texas home. 

In 1998, Allen and Joyce began their journey in adoption by attending the fall conference of Adoption Knowledge Affiliates. After much research, training, and meeting several members of the "triad" they quickly learned the only healthy and respectful adoption journey was to pursue an open adoption, where all family members are involved.  

In June of 2000, a match was made! In August of 2000, Al and Joyce became adoptive parents. Throughout the years both birth mother, birth father, maternal and paternal aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, great grandparents, and half siblings have all been joined together as family.

Joyce has served on the board of Adoption Knowledge Affiliates, as member-at-large, vice president and president and co-coordinated an annual fall conference. 

When STAR was founded, Joyce has followed and peripherally supported the work of many in the tireless efforts to advocate for the passage of the law for adult adoptees to obtain the rights to their original birth certificate.  Joyce is passionate in the thoughts and feelings that it is pure discrimination against people who are adopted to not have the same rights as those who are not adopted. This is the Legislative session to do what it takes to make this happen!