Austin’s youth-serving agency becomes BBBS Lone Star’s sixth major market on April 1, 2026.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas completed its merger with BBBS Lone Star; bringing together two mission-driven organizations to expand youth mentoring services and strengthen long‑term outcomes across the Austin region.

Under the merger, BBBS Central Texas, known for its high‑quality program delivery to its more than 500 active Big/Little matches each year, joined forces with BBBS Lone Star, an agency recognized for its strong governance, operational excellence, and proven administrative infrastructure. The combined organization will operate under the Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star agency structure while continuing all existing services in Central Texas.

Uniting Strengths to Serve More Youth

This merger leverages the complementary strengths of both organizations:

• BBBS Central Texas: A long-standing reputation for deep community relationships and exceptional match support, driven by a program team with decades of experience and consistently strong youth‑outcome results.
• BBBS Lone Star: A statewide leader in nonprofit operations, known for strong governance, financial stewardship, and scalable administrative systems.

Together, the merged agency are positioned to accelerate growth, expand services, and bring the power of one‑to‑one mentoring to even more young people across Texas.

“The Central Texas program team has long been a driving force for youth mentorship in the Austin community,” said Shellie Hayes-McMahon, Board Chair for BBBS Central Texas. “Through this merger with Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star, we are building on that strong foundation to reach more young people across the Austin area.  Together, we are strengthening mentorship and solidifying its future in Central Texas.”

Jennifer Scott, BBBS Lone Star Interim CEO added, “Uniting our teams will strengthen the Central Texas organization’s mission and ensure long-term impact. By working together to maintain and elevate local services and foster local community engagement, we will reach more youth, strengthen support for families, and provide our mentors, staff, and community stakeholders with the resources and stability they deserve. We’re thrilled for this opportunity to unite and, above all, serve more kids throughout Central Texas.”

Commitment to the Central Texas Community

BBBS Central Texas will continue offering the same mentoring programs the community knows and values. Volunteers, families, donors, and partners will experience no interruption in services. All existing matches will continue to receive the same level of support and relationship-building guidance from the program professionals they know and trust.

Gratitude for Community Support

Jennifer Scott expressed gratitude for the support and hard work of agency partners who facilitated the merger. She said, “A special thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and expertise to make this merger possible. Over the past six months, the dedication of our executive board and legal team has led us through a thorough an extensive due diligence process, and all legal aspects which have been instrumental. We are especially grateful to our Executive Board members who served on the Executive Merger Committee: Rob Bowlby, Randy Johanneck, Marty Englander, Andrea Palmer, Laura Raymond, Pat Staudt, and Pat Quarles. BBBS Central Texas Board Chair Shellie Hayes-McMahon’s work was also commended. “Shellie went over and above the duties of a volunteer board chair, providing critical administrative support for the Austin agency during the six-month merger process.”

Jennifer also recognized the Vinson & Elkins legal team for contributing over ten attorneys who worked a combined 134 hours on this project, “Their incredible partnership, providing in-kind legal expertise spanning decades, has been invaluable to our organization. For over thirty years this partnership has significantly helped advance our mission across our BBBS Lone Star footprint and ensuring donor contributions remain focused on impacting the communities and kids we serve.”

The newly expanded Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star will serve more than 6,500 children in 2026.