Velva Price has been active in the civic and legal community in Travis County since arriving in Austin in 1983 to attend The University of Texas School of Law. Her community engagement has been the legacy of her parents’ example that the only way to make the world better is to become involved.

Velva was elected the first African-American woman to serve as President of the Austin Bar Association. She has also served as President of the Austin Black Lawyers Association, the Travis County Women Lawyers Association and Central Austin Democrats. Velva has been a precinct chair, Chair of the City of Austin Minority/Woman Business Advisory Committee and board member of the State Bar of Texas and Volunteer Legal Services. She also has served on the Texas Supreme Court Grievance Oversight Committee and Chair of the local Grievance Committee. She presently serves as Chair of the Travis County Civil Service Commission for Sheriff’s Office Employees and sits on the boards/commissions of the Black Austin Democrats, City of Austin Ethics Commission and Austin Community Radio, Inc. dba KAZI 88.7 radio station. She is also a sustaining member of the Travis County Democratic Party.

Her parents taught Velva that involvement makes a difference. Despite living in Europe and all over the United States while her father was in military service, her family was always active in the communities where they were stationed. Her family, including her twin brother and sister, lived in Colorado, North Dakota, California, Spain, Germany, Kansas and South Carolina during her childhood. Her experience living in so many different places confirmed for Velva that people are more alike than they are different, and that most want to make their world a better place if given a chance.