by Saba Syed
April 2021

Adia Mercado is a recent Dallas transplant, but she has wasted no time making a big splash at DAYL.  She is currently Co-Chair of the Steering Committee for the first-ever virtual 2020 DAYL Leadership Class and also serves as the Co-Chair for the recently-formed DAYL Environmental Committee.

Adia is an attorney for the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, Transportation Division and is the only remote attorney from that office in the DFW area.  She graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree in political science, and completed her masters at the University of Texas at Austin in African Diaspora Studies.  She then pursued her law degree at the University of Texas School of Law where she worked on the Texas Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy.  Adia’s education developed her ability to write and talk about racial issues, understand macroaggressions and microaggressions, and find a seat at the table, while  always maintaining positive encounters with others.

Adia’s life philosophy is shaped by the golden rule.  It is important to treat others as she would want to be treated, and to leave a positive impact on others.

Adia’s unique educational background, coupled with her life philosophy, has given Adia that desire to serve her community, especially in underserved communities.

In one of her first acts of public service, Adia worked with Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid to help an underserved “pop up” community in South Texas that did not have access to sewer or trash collection.  Her role was to find a legal resolution and ensure an underserved community could obtain access to proper sanitation.  Through this project, Adia also developed a passion for environmentalism and environmental justice.  It is no surprise then that Adia currently serves as Co-Chair of the Environmental Committee for DAYL.

A self-described planner, Adia is a master of charts, lists, agendas, and Dashboards.  For the DAYL Leadership Class, Adia was instrumental in organizing a group of 40 remote individuals to create the residential eviction class project.  Through Adia’s persistent and determined leadership, the DAYL Leadership Class was able to function seamlessly in a virtual format.  Adia’s strong organizational skills and focus on consensus have helped the Leadership Class create a meaningful project that will help protect Dallas tenants from wrongful evictions.

Adia’s warmth, positivity, and determined leadership make her a welcome addition to the DAYL community. For all these reasons and more, Adia is this month’s One to Watch.