Claudia Wellborn is a proud Texan.  Her rich heritage includes deep roots in the German/Irish culture of South Texas and an Oglala Lakota grandmother through whom she became a member of the Lakota Sioux Tribe of South Dakota.  Born above the Big Thicket National Preserve in Woodville, Texas, she grew up respecting the power of nature.  A graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Denver College of Law, she is a career federal employee.  Ms. Wellborn has traveled extensively for her job, and she lives by the Pacific Ocean in Oceanside, California with her two dogs.