Espresso Shot 4 with Brian Nakamura

Brian S. Nakamura joined Department of Public Service and Administration as Assistant Professor of the Practice in September 2019. He earned his B.A. in Economics from California State University in 1992, and a Master of Public Administration and Doctorate in Public Administration from the University of Southern California in 1995 and 2002, respectively.
Nakamura previously taught for the Departments of Political Science, Fay Jones School of Architecture, and Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. He held other academic appointments at the University of California-Riverside School of Public Policy, and was an adjunct professor in the Master of Public Administration Program at California Baptist University. He also served as a mentor and adjunct faculty member at the University of Southern California’s School of Public Policy.

Sarah Chrastecky is the director of the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center, where she oversees all aspects of the operation.

Chrastecky graduated from Texas Lutheran University in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in studio art and a minor in psychology. Upon graduation, she moved to the Bryan/College Station area.

In the summer of 2009, Chrastecky began working for the APCC and caught the industry bug. During this time, she had the opportunity to expand her knowledge and passion by attending and graduating from the IAVM Venue Management School. In October of 2012, she transitioned to an associate director position for Chartwells Catering at Texas A&M University to continue her experience and business interests. She returned to the APCC as the manager in the summer of 2015. In February of 2017, she stepped in as interim director until June of 2018, when she accepted the director position.

Chrastecky is the mother of two beautiful boys and wife to a golf course superintendent. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, game nights, family movie nights and entertainment provided by sarcastic 10 and 4-year-olds.

Tracy ‘TJ’ Hefti is originally from Houston, Texas, and joined the APCC in 2018. She has over 10 years of experience in various service industry roles and is excited to bring those skills to Texas A&M. TJ has her Certified Meeting Professionals (CMP) certification, as well as the Certified Professional in Management certification (AMA-CPM). In her free time she enjoys creating art, exploring and supporting local cuisines and spending time with her family.