The NACD North Texas Chapter, a leading advocate for corporate directorship, has announced its newly elected officers and board members for the 2024–2025 term, effective July 1.

As a chapter of the 47-year-old National Association of Corporate Directors, which has a membership of over 24,000 nationwide, NACD North Texas is a platform for directors in Dallas-Fort Worth to share knowledge and address governance challenges. The group says the chapter’s events and resources help members stay ahead of critical issues such as cyber risk and CEO succession planning.

New board leadership at the helm

Set to lead the charge in North Texas is new board chair Renee Arrington, who currently serves as president and COO of Pearson Partners International, a nationally ranked retained search firm.

“Our NACD North Texas community of board directors, members, and sponsors is an outstanding group of business leaders,” Arrington said in a statement. “I’m absolutely honored to have been named chair of the NACD North Texas Board of Directors.”

The new board chair thanked outgoing chair Ray Hemmig for his leadership as the chapter expanded its ranks to 1,000-plus members. “It is my hope to continue this work and keep raising the bar for our board’s and chapter’s performance,” the new board chair said.

According to NACD, Arrington brings a wealth of experience from her roles on various boards, including Pearson Partners and as vice chair of the Americas on the board of IIC Partners. She’s also been recognized as one of the most powerful business leaders in North Texas by D CEO and Fort Worth Business Press.

Former Dallas Mayor tapped as vice chair

Joining Arrington in leadership is Tom Leppert, who steps in as board vice chair. Leppert has held prominent positions, including chairman/CEO of The Turner Corporation, CEO of Kaplan, Inc., and CEO of Castle & Cooke Properties. He has served on numerous corporate boards across three continents and is currently on the boards of Austin Industries, Fluor Corporation, Dallas Theological Seminary, and NACD North Texas Chapter. A former White House Fellow, Leppert was the Mayor of Dallas from 2007 to 2011.

Continuing their service, Todd Murray of Foley & Lardner LLP remains secretary, and Bill Buechele, formerly of Deloitte & Touche, continues as treasurer.

New board members

Joining the board are Matthew Bob, president of MB Exploration LLC; Ron Chu, former group VP at Toyota Motor Corporation; Bets Lillo, board member at River Logic; and Julie Silcock, partner at CDX Advisors. Each brings unique expertise and a commitment to advancing boardroom practices:

Matthew Bob: The president and owner of MB Exploration LLC, Bob is an independent director of APA Corp. and the past non-executive chair of Callon Petroleum. His prior roles include president of Eagle Oil and Gas Co. and independent director of Southcross Energy LLC. Bob is a professional geoscientist registered in three states.

Ron Chu: Former group VP & head of global internal controls for Toyota Motor Corporation, Chu has also served as group VP & head of accounting & finance for Toyota Financial Services. Recently appointed audit committee chair of Toyota Motor Credit Corporation, Chu has a track record of leadership in finance and governance.

Bets Lillo: Serving on the board of River Logic and multiple advisory and nonprofit boards, Lillo is an executive in residence at Texas Christian University. Her executive roles span AbbVie, Abbott Labs, AT&T, and IBM. She holds a US patent and has authored publications in IBM’s Technical Disclosure Bulletin.

Julie Silcock: A partner with CDX Advisors, Silcock has over 35 years of M&A and capital markets experience. She has served as a director on six corporate boards, including Moneygram and Overseas Shipholding Group. Silcock has held senior roles at Houlihan Lokey and Citigroup.

Current board members

The board also includes Gregg Ballew, Tracey Doi, Donna Epps, Shane Goodwin, Lou Grabowsky, Ray Hemmig, Yon Jorden, Selena La Croix, Jill Lampert, John Mahalik, Bobby Majumder, Derek McClain, Anne Motsenbocker, Cynthia Pharr-Lee, Pat Priest, Don Robillard, Mark Sinclair, Jim Skinner, and Debra von Storch.

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