Celso serves as a Consultant for LINK Strategic Partners and leads the firm’s Texas Branch efforts, providing strategic vision and leadership within all facets of LINK’s client portfolio. With nearly fifteen years of experience as a community engagement practitioner and public administration professional, Celso brings a deep cross-sector background that includes: political campaigns, government relations, public transportation, public education, health care service delivery, and public health.

Baez is passionate about serving to improve the great equalizers that afforded him and his family opportunities to prosper and lead a dignified life. His track record of influencing public-serving organizations towards prioritizing equitable, inclusive and participatory decision-making processes is laudable. He has accomplished this through important work at Capital Metro, Austin’s public transportation authority, at Austin ISD, Central Texas’ largest public school district, and at Central Health, Travis County’s public hospital district.

At the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Celso jumped at the chance to serve a public hospital district and a network of federally qualified health centers to help ensure populations 200% under the federal poverty level had sufficient access to care. As the local, state and federal liaison between Central Health and other governmental, quasi-governmental and trade organizations, Celso advanced the mission of the district and its affiliated entities by securing public policy, agency rules, funding, and partnerships that benefitted how the district served its patient population.

During his tenure at the school district, Celso also assisted with efforts that ensured students did not miss a healthy meal, had access to broadband internet, and were equipped with information about navigating a rapidly evolving remote-learning and virtual environment as the COVID-19 pandemic was unfolding. Celso led overall strategy, management, and implementation of district-wide community engagement initiatives. He also oversaw customer service, translation and interpretation, community schools, and family involvement efforts. Most notably, Celso led comprehensive engagement and outreach efforts for Austin ISD’s successful $1 billion bond proposition and 25-year facility master plan.

Celso previously led similar community involvement projects and liaised primarily with Austin’s east, southeast, and south-central communities for Capital Metro and surrounding municipalities. In 2014, Celso was largely focused on Project Connect, a transit expansion plan and referendum that was one of the precursors to the historic 2020 tax rate election to expand Austin’s public transit network. He oversaw the public participation process for Capital Metro's annual service changes and budgets, as well as facilitated stakeholder involvement for key policy and issue-based initiatives. Celso also served as the agency intermediary for Capital Metro's two statutorily required advisory committees.  

Celso co-founded Capital Metro’s signature goodwill event and holiday food drive, Stuff the Bus. Celso is a founding committee member of United Way for Greater Austin’s Young Leaders Society and has served as President of the Board of Directors of La Fuente Learning Center. Celso is a member of the International Association for Public Participation, a member of FuturoFund Austin, a Hispanic Austin Leadership graduate, a Leadership Austin Emerge graduate, and an Austin ISD UpClose graduate. Celso has served on the board of directors at Keep Austin Beautiful, served as an appointee on the City of Austin's Urban Transportation Commission, Task Force on Community Engagement, and the Mayor’s Task Force on Institutional Racism and Systemic Inequities. Celso currently serves on The New Philanthropist’s inaugural Legacy Leadership Council and I Live Here I Give Here’s Board of Directors. 

Celso is a Pasadena, Texas native, an alumnus of St. Edward’s University and The University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs, and has been a coastal Texas transplant for over 15 years. He has traveled across Guatemala and Nicaragua with Mujeres Iniciando en las Américas, a delegation recognized internationally for its advances in combating violence against women, served as a Holy Cross volunteer in Lima, Peru, contributes towards leadership efforts for the National Hispanic Institute, has shared thoughts with his Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and has dabbled enough in state and local politics. Celso is passionate about strong and involved communities, a lover of culture, and enjoys hammocking at state parks together with his fiancé Samantha and their 5 year-old, plus their energetic Australian Shepherd named Pappy in tow. Celso is likely readying a brisket for a 12 hour-long smoke in time for family meal on Sunday.