The Street Medics Austin board is made up entirely of volunteers, trained in first aid and medical care, mental health, emergency response, and so much more!
Matthew Blaney (he/him), President
Matthew became involved with Street Medics Austin after witnessing injuries sustained by protestors during the 2020 BLM demonstrations in Austin. With some prior medical training, he wanted to help however he could, which ultimately led him to SMA, where he now serves as our Board President.
Before joining SMA, Matthew volunteered with the American Red Cross as a Shelter Manager and Disaster Action Team Captain for Williamson County. He is a certified STOP THE BLEED® and American Heart Association BLS Instructor and believes that one of the most powerful things a community can do is share life-saving knowledge. At Street Medics Austin, he helps ensure that donations are used to make critical medical training (such as CPR and Stop the Bleed) accessible to those who need it most.
Outside of SMA, Matthew works in the high-tech industry, but has also spent time working with disabled students in schools and in senior nursing care. No matter where he has worked, service has always been an important part of his life, and he is proud to be part of an organization that empowers people with the skills to care for one another in times of need.
Julia Heilrayne (she/her), Vice President
Julia is a Registered Nurse who got involved in Street Medics Austin when she was in nursing school and looking for a new way to use her skills to benefit the wider community. Julia serves as the Vice President, where she volunteers as trainer, teaching First Aid, Basic Life Support, STOP THE BLEED®, and other skills, as well as running event support, and helping to manage our volunteers. Julia has had a lifelong interest in community empowerment and has loved being part of everything that SMA does.
Outside of SMA, Julia works as a pediatric nurse and has experience working with infants and children with all types of complex medical, developmental, and social-emotional needs. She enjoys working with families and children throughout the child’s critical illness, injury, and disability, and has a particular interest in building children’s independence, communication, and self-advocacy skills. No matter the environment she is working or volunteering in, Julia takes her passion for equitable healthcare and advocacy for her patients with her, and she takes pride in being part of an organization that makes a difference in Central Texas.
Shawntil Bailey (she/her), Board Secretary
With a military and first responder background, Shawnie brings trauma-informed care to the frontlines, providing medical and emotional support at protests and community events. But for her, it’s about more than just showing up—it’s about empowering the community to show up for itself. Through hands-on training in lifesaving medical interventions and mental health crisis response, she equips others to step up, take action, and make a real impact in their communities.
As a mental health counselor, specializing in trauma resolution and expressive arts therapy, Shawnie carries her passion for healing beyond the field, helping people process, rebuild, and reclaim their strength. Movement is at the core of everything she loves—partner dancing, wilderness survival, and traveling. Whether guiding a dance partner, navigating the wild, or providing support in high-pressure situations, she helps people find their footing, make bold moves, and stand strong when it matters most.
Brittany Thornton (they/her), Board Treasurer
Brittany is a a Licensed Midwife and a Certified Professional Midwife living in Belton, Texas with her two children and three stubborn, but very lovable, dachshunds. She has been involved in birth work for over a decade and owned one of the first birth centers in Bell County, as well as attended countless home births. She is also a registered preceptor/educator for student midwives and genuinely enjoys teaching and guiding the new generation of midwives.
As the former President of Omega Phi Alpha National Service Sorority, Brittany’s annual President’s Projects included Erasing Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, Protecting Human Rights, and Embracing All Identities: Promoting Gender Inclusivity and Acceptance. Today, she continues to work to use her platforms to help advance safe and unbiased healthcare and effective social change.
In addition to providing medical support and harm reduction trainings to Central Texas, Britt brings her extensive experience as a nonprofit financial advisor to the team here at Street Medics Austin. With this background and her current work as the Managing Director of a national 501(c)4 service origination, Brittany services as our Board Treasurer, managing our finances, and truly making everything we do possible.
Fletcher Xavier, Board Member at Large
Fletcher, known as “V” amongst friends, serves as a Board Member at Large and one of our social media managers. They help maintain our storage and often time runs remote support and intelligence for deployments. With a focus on equity and inclusion as well neurodivergency, their background lies mostly in working with children. In addition to working with SMA, they are a competitive archer, theatre techie/ costumer, film nerd and hot pot connoisseur. They hope to help SMA grow and aspire to travel/study abroad.
Our team also consists of a larger leadership team as well as many logistical and medical volunteers, without whom we would not be able to do the work that we do!