Recently, the county helped Sears Teleserve, the customer service call center for retail giant Sears and a major employer in the area, secure local and state incentives to expand its workforce and its current facilities.

And Wilco is looking to help entrepreneurs. For laid-off workers interested in starting their own business, there are training programs “to become CEOs,” said Charlie Ayres, vice president of Round Rock’s Chamber of Commerce business retention and expansion program.

Thanks to a growing young population, the public school systems in Round Rock and Cedar Park are also a significant source of jobs.

Katherine Kisiel sat down with the state representative to talk about balancing work and life.

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The group works to recruit, train and support Democratic women candidates. One of those women is State Representative Diana Maldonado.

By a slim margin in 2008, Maldonado became the first Democrat to represent District 52 in 16 years. She previously worked as a school board president and state government worker.

“They came knocking on my door, we had a conversation and from that point on it has been history,” Maldonado said.

Genevieve Van Cleve is the deputy political director for Annie’s List.

“We are responsible for two-thirds of net gains in the House since 2006,” she said.

Van Cleve said the group has given $1.5 million to candidates since its inception. Annie’s List also provides training camps across the state and gathers seasoned staffers to help lead candidates’ campaigns.

The nonprofit organization started after a 2002 election cycle where the House lost five Democratic women and stayed stagnant in the Senate due to Republican-led redistricting.

“Getting rid of women in the Texas Legislature is not good policy, not good for Texas families,” Van Cleve said.

Aside from Maldonado, Annie’s List has helped elect Texas Sen. Wendy Davis and Rep. Valinda Bolton.

The politicians say their presence on the floor helps better protect families, education policies and the environment.

“It’s about the presence of authority,” Maldonado said. “To say ‘hey it’s a different perspective and we need to have a voice.’”

It is a voice that Annie’s List organizers are confident will continue to grow.

“Ultimately we are not looking just to put women in the legislature, but to build a pipeline of women leaders to move up the chain. We want another Ann Richards. We want statewide leaders who are women,” Van Cleve said.

Annie’s List also played a role in helping Houston Mayor Annise Parker get elected.