Southwestern Medical Foundation Announces 6 New 2023 Board Members

Six new board of trustee members have been announced by Southwestern Medical Foundation for 2023–24 to help lead its work to advance progress in medicine.

Board Chair Jere W. Thompson Jr. will continue in that role. The foundation said that new trustees Tucker Bridwell, Ken Hersh, Dr. Joan Buchanan Hill, Christopher Kleinert, Marshall Payne, and Jennifer Scripps will bring their experiences and leadership expertise to the board.

“We are thrilled to welcome these new trustees as active members and partners in the work of the foundation,” Thompson said in a statement. “This distinguished group brings new inspiration to our vision, and we are grateful for their service.”

Southwestern Medical Foundation is a public healthcare charitable corporation that advances progress in medicine, primarily at UT Southwestern Medical Center and its related institutions. The foundation said it connects donors with innovative programs, manages philanthropic funds, and builds broad engagement on the need for quality medical education, research, and clinical care.

“Our board plays a crucial role in how we advance the medical community across our growing region,” Michael McMahan, president and CEO of Southwestern Medical Foundation, said in a statement. “Without their dedicated engagement, we would not be able to continue broadening the depth and impact of our mission to catalyze and sustain the highest quality health care possible in the Southwestern U.S.”

Per the foundation, here’s more about the new board members:

Tucker Bridwell is president of Mansefeldt Investments and the Dian Graves Owen Foundation in Abilene. Additionally, he manages MDJ Minerals, one of the largest private mineral holdings in the Permian Basin. Previously, he was on the boards of Concho Resources Inc. and First Financial Bankshares and served as lead director of both companies. He has been instrumental in Abilene’s economic development efforts and is active in local and state politics. He has received the Outstanding Citizen of the Year in Abilene, the Distinguished Citizen Award by the Boy Scouts of America, and an honorary doctorate from McMurry University. He is also a member of SMU’s board of trustees and chairman of the Cox Executive Board. In 2019, Bridwell and his wife, Gina, established the Bridwell Institute for Economic Freedom at the Cox Business School.

Since 2016, Ken Hersh has served as president and chief executive officer of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, a nonpartisan institution housing the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and the George W. Bush Institute. He is the co-founder and former CEO of NGP Energy Capital Management, one of the largest natural resources private equity investment firms, managing over $20 billion of cumulative committed capital since its inception in 1988. Hersh also serves on the Board of Overseers of the Hoover Institution and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Council of the American Enterprise Institute, and the Dean’s Council of the Harvard Kennedy School. Hersh is also very involved in the nonprofit arena both nationally and locally through the efforts of the Hersh Foundation. He sits on the boards of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation, the Dallas Citizens Council, and the Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation, and serves on the Advisory Council of The Asian American Foundation. In 2019, Hersh received the Henry Cohn Humanitarian Award, presented by the Texoma region of the Anti-Defamation League for his work in advancing the cause of human rights, dignity, and equal opportunity, and in 2023 he received Stanford’s Ernest C. Arbuckle Award, the business school’s highest honor recognizing excellence in the field of management leadership.

Dr. Joan Buchanan Hill is serving in her 13th year as the Catherine M. Rose Head of School at The Lamplighter School in Dallas. Her commitment to excellence in teaching and learning for the youngest of students is central to her educational philosophy. Hill’s leadership reflects her belief in the importance of advocacy for students and independent school education. Her dedication to innovative and inclusive learning is evident throughout Lamplighter’s nationally recognized childhood education faculty and programs. She holds a doctorate in education with an emphasis on organizational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, a master’s degree in educational leadership from John Carroll University, and a Bachelor of Science in organizational communications with minors in management and marketing from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Chris Kleinert is CEO and president of Hunt Investment Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Hunt Consolidated Inc. and the holding company for Hunt Realty Investments, Hunt Investment Group, and Hoodoo Land Holdings. Kleinert serves on the board of trustees of the Communities Foundation of Texas, the Dallas Advisory Board of Directors of Amegy Bank, the Executive Board of Directors of the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University, and the Neeley School of Business International Board of Visitors at Texas Christian University. Kleinert served as the inaugural chairman of the Men’s Advocacy Group (MAG) of New Friends New Life, an organization dedicated to supporting and empowering victims of sex trafficking. In 2017, Chris and his wife, Ashlee, co-founded The Good Foundation to understand and address social issues, with a focus on sex trafficking and vulnerable populations in our community.

Marshall Payne has been an active private equity investor for over 30 years, beginning his career at Cardinal Investment Co. in 1983 and co-founding CIC Partners in 2004, where he currently serves as a managing partner and chairman of the board. Payne and his wife, Dee Ann, are active in civic affairs, education, and healthcare initiatives. Payne serves on the board of Impact Dallas Capital which sponsors for-profit social impact investing funds, beginning with the GrowSouth Fund in 2013. He is also a member of the executive advisory council of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. Payne has also been an active supporter and board member of the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries, the Library of Congress, and the Stanford University School of Humanities, Arts and Sciences.

Jennifer Scripps, a Dallas native and longtime civic leader, joined Downtown Dallas Inc. as president and CEO in April 2022. She took the helm of the 90-employee organization at a time when downtown Dallas is experiencing historic growth, including $6 billion in planned or ongoing development, thousands of new residents, and a string of high-profile corporate relocations. Scripps previously served for six years as the director of the city of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture. In her prior role at Dallas City Hall, she oversaw a series of significant initiatives that elevated the arts throughout Dallas and across the country. Prior to her time with the city of Dallas, she served in multiple roles with the Perot Museum of Nature & Science, including overseeing the day-to-day construction and business planning of the museum just north of the Central Business District.

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