Meet the Staff
Elisabel Bordallo Mannan, Associate Director
Mannan has been with the Thompson Conference Center (TCC) since 2009. She was the conference services manager for many years and became the associate director in 2018. She spent her time as the conference services manager underscoring the need for stellar customer service to her staff, nurturing a team that believes their success is achieved through client success. In this client-first, service-oriented atmosphere, Mannan has stepped back from managing the conference office and focused on the bigger picture, bringing her values and vision across the department.
Outside of work she enjoys being a foodie, photography, travel, hiking with her dog Duke and spending time with her son Julian.
Nestor Cordova, AV and Operations Manager
Cordova has over ten years’ experience with videography and AV systems. He has been a part of the UT Austin community since 2011, first joining with the TCC team in 2014 and returning in 2018. Cordova and his team are ready to help you with your technology and facility needs and to provide you, your staff and your attendees with a superior event experience at the Thompson Conference Center.
Cordova received his B.A. in history from Portland State University and he enjoys cooking for large groups.
Amy Davis, Events Program Coordinator
Davis joined the TCC staff in 2021 after spending 21 years in the professional theater industry, specializing in Shakespeare and classical theater. In her work at TCC, Davis focuses on supporting campus clients.
Davis loves exploring all the great places to eat around Austin and cooking southern classics and food from around the world.
Kiana Tarrant, Events Program Coordinator
Tarrant moved to Austin from San Diego to join TCC in 2023. With a Bachelor’s degree in marketing and years of experience as a coordinator, she is ready to provide you with an excellent event experience.
She enjoys exploring Austin, attending live music shows, floating the river, and making new friends.
Mike Sanchez, AV and Events Team Supervisor
Sanchez has worked for The University of Texas at Austin since 2000. For the first 17 years, he worked as a crew leader in the events and moving department. He moved to TCC in 2018.
Sanchez has lived in Austin his entire life and is the father of three sons and two step-daughters. He and his wife Diana also have nine grandchildren. He enjoys traveling and spending time with his family.
Customer service is the cornerstone of everything we do at the Thompson Conference Center (TCC). We are committed to ensuring that our clients feel prepared and supported throughout their planning process. As our client, your success is our success, and we want your attendees to leave campus having had the best possible experience that we can engineer.
The TCC Experience
We collaborate with you to make sure events run smoothly. We help solve unexpected problems quickly so that your participants don’t even notice. The focus of any event should be the program, not the amenities. The questions that arise for event attendees (where do I park? … how can I get breakfast? … what room am I in? … where will I get my afternoon dose of caffeine? … is there wifi?) are easily answered (right next door in Lot 40 – it's complimentary! … downstairs at Under the Oaks … check the screen by the elevators … Under the Oaks is open until 2 p.m. … yes, Wi-Fi is free on campus!). Which means participants can spend their energy focusing on the substance of the program you’re presenting.
Our Clients Educate and Innovate
TCC serves a specific niche of clientele. Any event we host must be educational in nature, so we can’t host weddings or parties. What we can do is provide a location for nonprofits, government agencies and campus clients to meet with their groups to train, inspire and innovate. In a rapidly-changing community like Austin, it’s important to have local options that remain accessible so your events can reach their target without breaking the budget.
Striving for Excellence
As part of the family at The University of Texas at Austin, we know that what starts here changes the world. We are excited to be an avenue by which many Austinites return to campus or even visit for the first time. Whether we are hosting a former president at the Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium, welcoming a government agency for training or setting up the dining hall for a reception, we extend a Longhorn welcome to each client and participant.
Hook ‘em!
