Staff Members

Cris Houston, Esq. obtained her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Harvard Law School. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Finance from Hampton University.  Cris is a licensed attorney and a mediator in the State of Texas.

Cris’s career as a professor, attorney, Legal Research and Writing Program Director, Academic Success and Bar Preparation Program Director, and Compliance professional spans a combined total of eighteen (18) years.  Cris has taught Business Law, Business Leadership and Ethics, Employment Law, Legal Research and Writing, Appellate Advocacy, Academic Success, Bar Preparation, Criminal Law, and Criminal Procedure courses.  Furthermore, she has practiced law, primarily in wills and estate planning, for a total of eighteen (18) years.  She also served as the Compliance Officer at Waco Family Medicine for approximately two (2) years, lending her legal skills and expertise to help the organization fulfill its mission to increase access to high quality primary, dental, and behavioral health care to the underserved residents of McLennan, Bell, and nearby counties in Central Texas.  She also dedicates her time to providing legal counsel pro bono to economically disadvantaged clients in Waco, Belton, Temple, and Killeen as a volunteer lawyer with Lone Star Legal Aid of Waco.

Since 2018, Cris has passionately performed mediation services at every opportunity, garnering experience mediating a wide variety of cases with the objective of bolstering her mediation skills in order to build a successful career in mediation and other fields of alternative dispute resolution, such as arbitration. She had the honor of being chosen to complete an American Arbitration Association A. Leon Higginbotham Fellowship to strengthen her alternative dispute resolution skills.  Cris is also a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitrator.  She has devoted much of her time to conducting mediations through the Harris County Dispute Resolution Center, Bexar County Dispute Resolution Center, and McLennan County Dispute Resolution Center.

Cris serves her community through her involvement in the Harvard Alumni Association Early College Awareness Program, Waco Civic Theatre Board of Directors, Inspiracion Board of Directors, Greater Waco YMCA Board of Directors, Waco Foundation’s Development of Strategic Assets (DSA) Committee, Communities in Schools Community Youth Development Community Collaborative Committee, The Links, Incorporated Waco-Central Texas Chapter, National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club, Christian Women’s Job Corps Volunteer Program, Lone Star Legal Aid of Waco, McLennan County Dispute Resolution Center (where she previously served on the Board of Directors), Community Race Relations Coalition, and Greater Waco Legal Services (where she previously served on the Board of Directors), to name a few of her most recent community service endeavors.  She enjoys traveling, yoga, Zumba, dancing, reading, patronizing the arts, and trying new restaurants and cuisines, among other things.

Cris attends Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston, Texas and Open Door Church of God in Christ in Waco, Texas. She is a devoted servant of Christ and a dedicated public servant with a heart for her community.  She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role as the Executive Director of McLennan Community Investment Fund.

Ilda Sabido serves as the Assistant Program Manager at McCIF. As a native Wacoan, she attended University High School and McLennan Community College. Ilda has worked in the banking/lending industry for nearly a decade. In 2020, Ilda completed the Leadership Plenty Training Course, started by the Cooper Foundation. She enjoys giving back to the Waco community, including roles with:

• The City of Waco’s Park and Recreation Board
• The Hispanic Leaders’ Network Board
• The Alta Vista Neighborhood Association Board of Directors
• The Art Center of Waco’s Children’s Exhibits committee

Ilda loves her community, and you often find her enjoying the local restaurant Waco scene, along with her husband, Hector. She and Hector have two children, Jeremiah and Mia.