Former City of Dallas CFO to Join DART 

Elizabeth Reich will join Dallas Area Rapid Transit as chief financial officer, the transit agency announced.

Elizabeth Reich

Reich will report to the DART president and CEO Nadine Lee and lead the agency’s financial operations.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Elizabeth to our leadership team at DART,” Lee said in a statement. “She brings a diverse skill set to the agency, including deep financial experience, strong analytics, and a track record of achievement. She’s the right leader to helm our talented finance organization and deliver a comprehensive strategic financial plan to help drive our future rider-focused vision.”

Reich brings over 20 years of financial leadership experience, previously serving as CFO for the city of Dallas. Before that, Reich spent 16 years with the Social Security Administration as the deputy regional commissioner of the Dallas region and CFO.

—

Derrick Duke (left) and Kenneth Fasola

Post Acquisition, Magellan Health Appoints New CEO

Frisco-based Magellan Health named Derrick Duke chief executive officer, succeeding former CEO Ken Fasola, who has been named the executive vice president, health care enterprises at Centene. Magellan Health, which Centene acquired last year, will operate independently under Centene’s Health Care Enterprises umbrella.

“Derrick is a tremendous executive who will provide exemplary leadership to Magellan as it continues on its growth journey,” said Fasola.

In 2020, Duke joined the company as chief risk officer. In January of this year, he assumed the roles of chief operating officer and chief financial officer, in charge of the finance department, the business transformation office, information technology, and the behavioral health network and clinical operations, the company said.

In his role as CEO, Duke will be responsible for Magellan’s strategic direction and overall growth, as well as the development and operational execution of the company’s business strategy. Prior to joining Magellan, Duke held multiple leadership roles at HealthMarkets, one of the largest health insurance agencies and ancillary insurance product underwriters in the U.S. He was chief financial officer and chief operating officer from 2015 until the sale of the company to UnitedHealth Group in 2019.

—

Prism Health North Texas Appoints New CFO

Javier Vallejo has been appointed as the new chief financial officer at Dallas-based Prism Health North Texas, a non-profit healthcare organization that runs four healthcare facilities as well as three pharmacies to assist persons living with HIV and AIDS. Vallejo has been in the healthcare profession for more than a decade as an accountant.

Javier Vallejo

After an extensive nationwide search, Vallejo was named CFO of Prism in June. Prior to that, he served as CFO for the Deaf Smith County Hospital District’s Hereford Regional Medical Center. The rural hospital and outpatient health facility he headed had an annual income of $50 million in patient services.

Prism Health North Texas is the region’s largest provider of HIV/AIDS care and support services. More than 13,000 people are served by the system—5,000 of them who are living HIV. Pharmacies and clinical research facilities are all part of the Prism healthcare network. Health care access and education are major priorities for the organization. To address a “alarming spike” in STI infections in Dallas County and North Texas, Prism Health North Texas recently expanded its telemedicine and STI testing services to include more locations in Dallas and Fort Worth.

“Javier will be joining us at an absolutely critical time in our organization’s growth and development of financial stability,” Dr. John Carlo, CEO of Prism Health North Texas, said in a statement. “His enthusiasm, ability to work well with others, and experience will be incredible additions to our team.”

Formed as AIDS Arms Network out of the Communities Foundation of Texas, PHNTX for the past 35 years has served the critical role of connecting people living with HIV to care and services in the area. PHNTX evolved to be a nationally recognized leader in delivering high-quality HIV and sexual health services, most recently expanding services to address the alarming rise in sexually transmitted infections in Dallas County and North Texas.

—

Nanoscope Therapeutics Appoints CFO

Bedford-based Nanoscope Therapeutics announced that Michael Marquez has been appointed as chief financial officer, bringing with him 17 years of finance experience, including experience leading finance and growth strategies for companies in the ophthalmic space.

Michael Marquez

Nanoscope is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing gene therapies to treat retinal degenerative diseases.

“Michael’s experience leading finance strategy and initiatives for ocular companies will be valuable as we progress our platform of optogenetic therapies to restore vision in sufferers of inherited retinal degenerative diseases. This appointment strengthens our management team and underscores our evolution as a company,” Nanoscope’s Co-Founder and CEO, Sulagna Bhattacharya said in a statement.

Most recently, Marquez was CFO of TearLab, an ophthalmic diagnostics company with a point-of-care osmolarity test to aid in the diagnosis of dry eye disease. Before that, Marquez served as CFO of Global Surgical at Alcon Laboratories, a global medical company specializing in eye care products. Before Alcon, Marquez worked for Price Waterhouse Coopers serving tax and audit clients in the insurance and manufacturing sectors.

— 

Valor Hires Former Amazon Exec as Chief Operating Officer

Fort Worth-based Valor, an asset management and professional services company specializing in oil and gas mineral rights, has hired Jonathon Lipko as its new chief operating officer. 

Jonathon Lipko

Valor has seen both its staffing and revenue double in the last 12 months, which necessitated the addition of a visionary leader to oversee all departmental operations and streamline Valor’s multiple business units into one cohesive organization.

“The company continues to grow and prosper in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a year ago,” Joseph DeWoody, CEO of Valor, said in a statement. “What we needed was a veteran executive who could step in on day one and evaluate all of our departmental operations and business processes.”

Lipko has had a successful career as an operations executive specializing in large-scale corporate turnarounds, having worked for global aerospace giants such as Boeing and Raytheon. His skills include strategic planning, performance enhancement, problem resolution, personnel growth, marketing, and change management. 

Before joining Valor, Lipko was the lead operations manager at Amazon’s one-million-square-foot distribution facility in Park City, Kansas, where he oversaw the productivity of a 300-person team managing $250 billion in revenue. His programs and initiatives at Amazon led to a 50% increase in productivity and a 20% reduction in operational defects for the company.

—

PepsiCo Announces Big Leadership Moves Across Food and Bev Divisions

Mike Del Pozzo, was was chief customer officer (CCO) of Frito-Lay U.S., was named president and general manager of the Gatorade Performance Portfolio at PepsiCo Beverages North America. The group includes Gatorade, Propel, Muscle Milk, Evolve and current and future innovation portfolio.

Cara Keating, who was previously president of PepsiCo Foods Canada, is joining Frito-Lay North America as chief customer officer, backfilling Del Pozzo. In the new role, the 18-year PepsiCo veteran will take charge of the sales function overseeing strategy, sales planning, and commercialization for the company’s U.S. customer sales organization. Keating has responsibility for its retail, e-commerce, PepsiCo customer teams, Hispanic business unit, and foodservice businesses. 

Frito-Lay CMO Rachel Ferdinando. [Photo: Frito-Lay]

Frito-Lay CMO Rachel Ferdinando, who was recently feted in a Cannes Lion Award-winning song, will succeed Keating as president of PepsiCo North America’s Canadian food division.

Ferdinando will lead PepsiCo Foods Canada’s human resources, finances, customer development, field sales, marketing, supply chain, IT, research and development, foodservice, and transformation, the company says. Ferdinando joined Pepsico five years ago, after working for Kimberly Clark Corp. and GlaxoSmithKline.

Brett O’Brien, previously general manager and senior vice president of the Gatorade Performance Portfolio, is backfilling Ferdinando’s role as Frito-Lay’s U.S. chief marketing officer. O’Brien has led the Gatorade and Propel brands for over a decade, growing a portfolio that now includes Muscle Milk, Evolve, and other “breakthrough innovation” focused on athletes’ needs.

In addition, Melissa Miranda has been named chief marketing officer for the central division of Plano-based PepsiCo Beverages.

Melissa Miranda

Miranda said she started her career at PepsiCo in New York more than 10 years ago after moving from her native Peru and leaving family and close friends behind.

“I wasn’t sure what life would have in store for me,” Miranda said on LinkedIn. “Today I can say that the generous advice, trust and support from mentors, coaches, colleagues, teams, friends, mentees, agency partners, and the solid relationships forged along the way is what made the difference in my journey… That’s why getting to this new chapter is so fulfilling. It feels special because of all of them.”

—

Ryan Kimble (left) Tom Dempsey

Integrity Marketing Group Adds Two to Its Leadership Roster

Dallas-based Integrity Marketing Group announced two major leadership moves in the past week. Ryan Kimble was named president of Integrity Health and Tom Dempsey will join the executive team as chief distribution officer.

Integrity, a distributor of life and health insurance and provider of wealth management and retirement planning solutions, got a $1.2 billion investment in 2021 to propel its growth in insuretech, which has included a long string of acquisitions. 

Dempsey brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in the insurance industry to his new post. He most recently served as head of Transamerica Financial Network and president and CEO of World Financial Group, a Transamerica Company.

“Tom has a long and distinguished track record of success and will bring thoughtful innovation and outstanding direction to his role guiding our sales leadership,” said Bryan W. Adams, co-founder and CEO of Integrity. “He’s also conscious of how life, health, and wealth protection must work together holistically to meet the complex needs of today’s consumers. Tom’s broad industry experience and growth-oriented approach will be a huge asset to Integrity as we strive to help more Americans plan for the good days ahead.”

Kimble also has more than 20 years of experience, and will oversee Integrity’s extensive health insurance efforts, including Medicare, individual, and group coverage. Kimble will report to Dempsey.

Prior to joining Integrity, Dempsey led a team of 60,000 independent insurance agents and was responsible for directing the strategic development, growth, and day-to-day operations of some of Transamerica’s most productive sales organizations, including World Financial Group, World Financial Group of Canada, Transamerica Agency Network, Transamerica Financial Advisors and World Group Securities of Canada.

Since joining Integrity in early 2020, Kimble has been an invaluable source of information and guidance to many of the company’s executives and partners, Adams said.

—

Daniel Forshey (left) and Sady Mauldin

Click n’ Close Promotes Two To C-level Posts

Addison-based Click n’ Close, a multistate mortgage lender serving consumers and mortgage originators through its wholesale and correspondent channels, has promoted Daniel Forshey to chief operating officer and Sady Mauldin to chief compliance officer. 

With a change in company direction this year, “we knew we needed an executive team that possessed the institutional knowledge and the industry expertise to help steward our transition,” Click n’ Close Owner and CEO Jeff Bode said in a statement. “Dan and Sady have been tremendous assets to our organization, making them the perfect choice to round out our C-suite as we enter our next chapter.”

Mauldin is an attorney with more than 15 years of experience who joined Click n’ Close in March 2021 as compliance counsel for the servicing division. In the new role, Mauldin will manage compliance programs for all of Click n’ Close’s verticals. Also, Mauldin will provide legal oversight of Click n’ Close’s regulatory compliance and quality control, internal audit, policies and procedures, change implementation, continuing education, and vendor management.

Forshey brings more than 20 years of mortgage experience, with a background that includes retail and wholesale lending, secondary markets, collateral analysis, and compliance. He joined Click n’ Close in 2010 as a manager and direct endorsement underwriter, where he was responsible for managing processing, underwriting, sales, and closing with a team of 18. In his new role as chief operating officer, Forshey will be responsible for improving efficiency across Click n’ Close’s processes, products, and systems to support the company’s growth.

— 

Lindsay Motley (left) and Bret Bailey

Ashton Woods Names Dallas Division and Regional Presidents

Atlanta-based Ashton Woods, one of the largest private homebuilders in the U.S., has named industry veteran Bret Bailey as the new president of its Dallas division. 

Currently, Bailey is president of Starlight Homes Dallas, an Ashton Woods company. He brings more than two decades of experience to the position where he will lead both Ashton Woods and Starlight Homes’ continued growth across the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

“For nearly eight years, Bret’s leadership has proven invaluable for both our Ashton Woods and Starlight Homes operations in Dallas-Fort Worth,” said Ken Balogh, president and CEO of Ashton Woods. “In just the last four years, he has helped grow the Starlight Homes Dallas division to become one of the fastest-growing builders in DFW.”

In a statement, Ashton Woods said that Bailey’s career has taken him to Houston, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Denver.

Bailey joined Ashton Woods eight years ago as vice president of operations in Dallas. In 2018 he was picked to help launch Ashton Woods’ Starlight Homes presence in Dallas and was promoted to division president just last year.

The company has also promoted building industry veteran Lindsay Motley to regional president of all Texas divisions across the Ashton Woods and Starlight Homes brands.

Motley is president of Ashton Woods’ Austin Division and brings over 22 years of experience to her new role, where she will work with leadership teams across Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio to drive the company’s continued growth in the state of Texas.

“In her four-year tenure with Ashton Woods, Lindsay has tripled the revenue of our combined Ashton Woods and Starlight Homes business in Austin, expanded the division footprint and built a robust land pipeline to fuel our future growth in the market,” Balogh said.

—

Kate Miller [Photo: UTA]

UT Arlington Announces New VP for Research and Innovation

The University of Texas at Arlington announced that Kate C. Miller will be its next vice president for research and innovation, starting Oct. 1.

UTA said in a statement that Miller has more than two decades of leadership experience in higher education, most recently serving as the provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Wyoming. She also spent time in Texas at both Texas A&M and UT El Paso.

“As vice president for research and innovation, Kate will play a vital role in making UTA one of the nation’s most inclusive and impactful research universities,” UTA President Jennifer Cowley said in the statement. “Bolstered by her extensive experience administering academic and research programs, she has the talent and knowledge to expand UTA’s research infrastructure and broaden its impact.”

Before her role at the University of Wyoming, Miller was dean of the College of Geosciences at Texas A&M University, fostering major interdisciplinary research collaborations across the institution. 

Marion Ball, executive director of the Multi-Interprofessional Center for Health Informatics, led UTA’s national search. Ball says Miller’s established leadership credentials and ability to build multidisciplinary programs can help it rise to the top ranks of the nation’s top research universities.

 “Kate’s extensive leadership experience indicates that she will excel at guiding the University’s $100 million-plus research enterprise into a new stage of growth and innovation,” said Ball, who is the Raj and Indra Nooyi Endowed Distinguished Chair in Bioengineering. “She has demonstrated a variety of talents that will inevitably foster exciting creative and interdisciplinary collaborations within and beyond the University.”

Miller replaces James P. Grover, who served as UTA’s interim vice president for research since 2019. He oversaw more than $125 million in research expenditures in 2021 while guiding UTA to important milestones.

—

Cariloop Expands Leadership Team With New Chief Growth Officer

Julie Devine

Julie Devine has joined Cariloop as Chief Growth Officer, where she will oversee the company’s brand, marketing, sales, and customer success efforts. Cariloop is a Caregiver Support company that pairs caregivers and their families with dedicated Care Coaches to plan for and manage the health and well-being of their loved ones.

Michael Walsh, CEO of Cariloop, said, “I am ecstatic to welcome Julie to the Cariloop leadership team and to be working alongside her to elevate the work we’re doing to support caregivers, parents, and families on a global scale.” “Julie contributes an extraordinary amount of enthusiasm, expertise, and insight to the team. Under Julie’s guidance, I couldn’t be more enthusiastic to see how many more families we can reach.”

Devine is responsible for Cariloop’s growth strategy, which ultimately drives customer acquisition, revenue acceleration, retention, and sustainable growth, allowing the company to reach the widest potential audience of caregivers. She joins Cariloop with more than two decades of experience in customer success, partnerships and strategic development channels, and sales within the employee benefit ecosystem. She has held leadership positions at Summus Global, Alight Solutions, Maxwell Health (bought by SunLife), and HighRoads (now DirectPath), where she was influential in business expansion and team creation.

—

Mosaic Hires Regional Director of Operations to Lead Texas Expansion

Kyle Aubuchon

Kyle AuBuchon joins Mosaic as Regional Director of Operations in Texas, where he is responsible for the management and oversight of the build-out process for new and existing communities in the Dallas-Fort Worth market.

Mosaic develops technological methods to scale up residential construction. The company, which acts as a digital general contractor to supply construction and related services to homebuilders and residential developers, intends to expand its regional footprint by hiring additional staff.

Mosaic’s build-to-rent teams have “collectively managed development of 16,000+ build-to-rent units in 68 communities nationally,” the company said in a news release.

Kyle AuBuchon comes to Mosaic from NexMetro Communities, where he oversaw the planning and construction of more than 2,200 build-to-rent homes at a cost of $500 million.

Mosaic recently closed on its Series B funding, backed by venture capital firms including Andreessen Horowitz. Later this year, Mosaic hopes to expand into Colorado, Southern California, and additional markets.

—

Tauro Capital Advisors Expands to Dallas, Names Head of New Office

Los Angeles-based Tauro Capital Advisors announced that commercial real estate veteran Matt Mueller will head its new office in Dallas, expanding the company to Texas.

Matt Mueller

The company has been eyeing Texas for expansion, according to Tauro co-founder and president of its capital markets, Stephen Stein.

“This expansion into Texas was one of our paramount plans for this year. And with Matt heading the office, we will begin to build on our presence in the Texas CRE community,” Stein said in a statement.

Mueller joined Tauro in 2021 as a senior adviser and has more than 18 years of experience in commercial real estate, development, and capital markets.

“Dallas has emerged as an elite market for institutional capital. Tauro has experienced this firsthand, through serving the Dallas/Fort Worth market for many years,” Mueller said in the statement. “Our professionals have participated in over $1 billion in various CRE transactions and advisory assignments in DFW. By physically being in the market, Tauro is better positioned to serve our developer and investor clients.”

The company said it plans to open its second office in Austin by the end of this year. Currently, Tauro has offices in Los Angeles, Costa Mesa, Sacramento, San Diego, Phoenix, and Scottsdale.

— 

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Adds Dallas-based Managing Director

Holly Kusmich will join the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation’s leadership team as a Dallas-based managing director.

Holly Kuzmich

Kuzmich joins California-based DRK from the George W. Bush Institute in Dallas, where she served as executive director since 2013. She has 25 years of public policy and leadership experience, serving in senior positions in the government, non-profit, and private sectors. 

Kuzmich will expand DRK’s presence in Texas and the Southwest by finding, funding, and supporting early-stage, high-impact social enterprises tackling some of society’s biggest problems with innovative approaches, the company announced. Kuzmich will assume her duties with DRK on December 1.

Since 2002, the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation has supported more than 200 organizations, collectively impacting more than 220 million lives through a novel funding and support strategy. To date, the Foundation has raised over $200M of capital and deployed more than $110M to fund and support these 200 social enterprises around the globe.

—

Renowned Dermatologist Joins Gore Range Capital as Executive Partner

Dr. Matt Leavitt

Matt Leavitt, DO, FAAD,  the executive chairman and founder of advanced dermatology and cosmetic surgery, has joined Gore Range Capital as an executive partner.

The board-certified dermatologist and hair restoration/loss specialist has been recognized internationally as a leading physician, surgeon, educator, clinical researcher, lecturer, author, and philanthropist. But he may be best known as the founder of Medical Hair Restoration (MHR), which he grew into the second largest hair restoration practice in the country. MHR merged with Bosley, the largest hair restoration group in the world, familiar to many through its YouTube spots and TV commercials.

Ethan Rigel, founding and managing partner of Gore Range Capital, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage healthcare businesses with a focus on skin health, welcomes Leavitt’s “extraordinary entrepreneurial experience and success having founded, grown, and sold multiple companies in the skin health space.”

His medical dermatology and aesthetic medicine expertise will add to the VC’s investment process and “further establish Gore Range as the leading investors in skin health, aging, and wellness, he said. Dr. Leavitt joins the Gore Range team of investors, dermatologists, and scientists working with the entrepreneurs to create “groundbreaking and innovative solutions to advance aging sciences,” he said.

Dr. Leavitt, who has served as President of the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD), is a founding father of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery, where he served as its first VP.

Leavitt has a string of accolades—most recently being named among the best 150 Medical Dermatologists in the US in 2022 by Newsweek magazine.

—

EisnerAmper Adds Partner to Real Estate Advisory Group

EisnerAmper has added Ryan Sievers as a partner in its Real Estate Advisory Services Group.

Ryan Sievers

Sievers has more than 15 years of experience providing tax consulting and compliance services for real estate investment funds, including REITs, private equity funds, and other similar entities. His expertise involves monitoring the whole life cycle of investments and businesses, as well as the tax concerns. In addition, he’s well versed in complicated partnership tax concerns, such as income and debt allocations, distribution waterfall computations, carried interest considerations, and structuring and transactional analysis of partnership transactions. Previously, Sievers was a tax partner at Armanino LLP, where he co-led the firm’s REIT business. He was also a firmwide technical resource on partnership-related issues.

—

Video Platform Innovator OneDay Names VP of Marketing

Phi Doan has joined OneDay as vice president of marketing, overseeing marketing strategies and efforts that strengthen the company’s position. He brings more than 19 years of experience in brand, product, and digital marketing strategy to his new position.

Phi Doan

Previously, Doan was director of digital marketing and martech for StackPath. He executed new growth opportunities, augmented existing revenue, and strengthened the brand for company-wide growth, OneDay said in a statement. His prior experience includes senior-level marketing and strategy positions at Threadgill Agency, At Home Group, Ansira, and Expedia Group. 

OneDay is a tech company whose mission is to empower engagement through its innovative video platforms that capture and record high-quality video in seconds.

—

McKool Smith Adds Patent Litigator to Law Firm

Dallas-based law firm McKool Smith announced that patent litigator Alfonso Chan has joined it as a principal in its Dallas office. 

Alfonso Chan

Chan litigates complex intellectual property disputes on behalf of universities, research institutes, and technology companies, and specializes in matters involving semiconductor and electronic technology as well as biomaterials and medical devices, the firm said in a statement.

“Alfonso is an experienced patent litigator with a deep specialization in representing universities in complex IP disputes and licensing matters,” said McKool Smith Chairman and Managing Partner David Sochia. “We’ve been very focused on bolstering our university offerings, and Alfonso’s experience and track record are a wonderful fit for the firm. Our clients will benefit from his industry insights, technical savviness, and his considerable experience across the major IP forums.” 

Chan represents plaintiffs and defendants in district courts nationwide and before the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. He’s also registered to practice before the U.S Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and has experience in inter partes review proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). His international practice includes handling matters in China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Europe.

He served as an adjunct professor of International Comparative Law at Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law.

— 

Infolab Solutions Appoints VP of Oracle Cloud Apps

Irving-based Infolob Solutions announced that Srininivasakumar Doppalapudi has been appointed group vice president of Oracle Cloud Apps. 

Srinivasakumar Doppalapudi

The company, which is headquartered in Austin, said the move marks one of several steps that the company has in its pipeline as part of its aggressive global expansion plan and aspirations to serve its customers with flawless Oracle Cloud and Apps solutions, as well as multi- and hybrid-cloud migration and managed services. Oracle has a large office in Plano.

In a statement, the company said that Srinivasakumar is a digital transformation consultancy veteran with more than 25 years dedicated to delivering diverse IT solutions, primarily pertaining to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Supply Chain Management (SCM), and Peoplesoft. He has led more than 75 Oracle EBS and over 40 Oracle Fusion SaaS application implementations in various capacities, the company said.

Prior to undertaking responsibilities of Infolob’s growth across EMEA, APAC, and North America, Srinivasakumar has held significant positions at eminent organizations including Senior Vice President’s position at ChainSys, Director’s position at KPMG, and Solutions Manager’s position at Oracle Consulting Services.

On his new role, Srinivasakumar said that a major deal has already been sealed by his business unit within the first few weeks, and the pipeline looks strong.

 “I’m well aware of Infolob’s striking Oracle capabilities for a few years now and my peers speak highly of the happy work culture here, while keeping a relentless focus on customer success,” he said.

—

Julian Sontag

KWA Construction Promotes Exec to Senior Project Manager

Julian Sontag, who joined KWA Construction in 2014 as an assistant project anager, has now been promoted to the role of Senior Project Manager. KWA Construction is a prominent multifamily general contractor in Texas.  His efforts to push technology-based solutions that increase efficiency, provide more accurate documentation, and improve collaboration on the jobsite have been huge benefits to the company, it said.

BOARDS

CDFI Friendly Fort Worth Announces Founding Board of Directors

Nine members were named to the founding board of directors of CDFI Friendly Fort Worth. The board is recognized as an “important next step” in the organization’s effort to bring up to $250 million in lending to traditionally underserved and under-resourced neighborhoods through an initiative that was established in January.

CDFI Friendly Fort Worth said in a statement that it will work as a go-between, matching community development financial institutions with borrowers to provide loans to minority-owned businesses and disadvantaged people, both of which have historically lacked access to capital.

Here are the founding board of directors, in alphabetical order:

• Javier Balderrama, Alband, Lane & Balderrama
• Joe Cordova, Edward Jones
• Glenn Forbes, Financial Professional
• Michelle Green-Ford, Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce
• Jazmin Gutierrez, Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Cristal Hernandez-Galvan, Hernandez Grants & Consulting LLC
• Grace McDermott, US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce
• Willie Rankin, Childcare Associates
• Andy Williams, Rehab Warriors

“To govern the new nonprofit that is being set up, this board has the right experience and skills to ensure that it is rooted in the communities it will serve,” said Robert Sturns, director of the city of Fort Worth’s Department of Economic Development. “This is a private-sector board because CDFI Friendly Fort Worth is an independent, nongovernmental effort.”

The Department of Economic Development is overseeing the city’s contract to develop and establish CDFI Friendly Fort Worth. The city has contributed $3 million through the federal government’s pandemic-era American Rescue Plan. Mayor Mattie Parker announced in January that Bank of America had pledged $10 million toward it.

—

Texas Women’s Foundation Elects Three New Board Members, Names Executive Committee, and Promotes Leaders

Dallas-based Texas Women’s Foundation has elected three new board of directors who will serve three-year terms from 2022-2025.

“Under the thoughtful leadership of Hilda Galvan, our Executive Committee and our Board, we have an amazing group that helps us advance our mission of investing in women and girls to drive positive change. These new board members will add their experience and passion to help us even further, and we appreciate their service,” Miki Woodard, Texas Women’s Foundation president and chief executive officer, said,

Left to right: Hilda Galvan, Connie Babikian, Cris Zertuche Wong, and Jana Etheridge

The new members are:

• Connie Kleinert Babikian – The Pillow Bar, Owner and President 
• Jana Etheridge – Capital One, Senior Vice President Chief of Staff & Customer Office, Financial Services
• Cris Zertuche Wong – Goldman Sachs, Managing Director

They join a board of 41 members led by foundation chair Hilda Galvan, who continues her two-year term through June 30, 2023.

The executive committee includes the following:

• Hilda C. Galvan – Chair/Jones Day, Partner-in-Charge
• Carrie Freeman Parsons – Chair Elect/Freeman, Chair of the Board
• Bonnie Clinton – Toyota North America, VP and CPO Indirect Procurement Shared Services
• Sara Garcia Duran – Sidley, Partner 
• Debra Hunter Johnson – Reciprocity Consulting Group, Founder
• Cynt Marshall – The Dallas Mavericks, President and CEO 
• Neena Newberry – Newberry Solutions, President
• Laura Nieto – Southwest Airlines, Director Community Engagement
• Melissa Orth – The Legacy Senior Communities, President and CEO 
• Holly Reed – Ryan, LLC, Principal & Practice Leader, U.S. Advocacy
• Gowri Sharma – Redfort LLC Partners Real Estate Investment and Development Company, Principal; Dallas Museum of Art, President
• Rachel Vinson – CBRE, Global Chief Operating Officer for Capital Markets
• Miki Woodard – Texas Women’s Foundation, President and CEO 

In addition, three TXWF staff have been promoted:

• Dena L. Jackson, Ph.D. – from Chief Operating Officer to Chief Strategy Officer
• Ashley Lindsay – from Associate Vice President of Development to Chief of Staff
• Dawn Hooper – from Vice President of Finance to CFO

Texas Women’s Foundation is one of the world’s largest women’s foundations, which raises funding from a broad base of donors, including individuals, foundations, and corporations. These resources support more than $7 million in investments that advance economic security and leadership for Texas women and girls through groundbreaking research, advocacy, grants, and programs.

Left to right: DenaJackson, Ashley K. Lindsay, and Dawn Hooper [Photos: TXWF]

—

North Central Texas Council of Government Names Board President

Andrew Piel

The North Central Texas Council of Governments has chosen Andrew Piel to serve as president of its executive board for 2022-2023. Piel, who is Arlington City Council District 4 Representative, is an Arlington native who began his career as an attorney in 1997.

NTCOG is a voluntary association of, by, and for governments within the 16-county North Central Texas Region. It was established by state-enabling legislation in 1966 to assist local governments in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefit, and coordinating for sound regional development. The organization’s purpose is to strengthen both the individual and collective power of local governments, and to help them recognize regional opportunities, resolve regional problems, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and make joint regional decisions—as well as to develop the means to implement those decisions, NTCOG said in a statement.

The North Central Texas region has a population of more than 7 million (more populous than 38 states), and an area of approximately 12,800 square miles (larger than nine states). NCTCOG has 229 member governments, including all 16 counties, 167 cities, 19 independent school districts, and 27 special districts, the agency said.

Its executive board includes 17 locally elected officials and one ex-officio non-voting member of the legislature and is the policy-making body for all activities undertaken by NCTCOG, including program activities and decisions, regional plans, and fiscal and budgetary policies.