The Dallas Mavericks Advisory Council (D-MAC) is a collective of leaders representing various industries across the Metroplex. They bring diverse outside-in perspective and advise the organization on strategies and programs to help the Mavericks meet challenges and attain goals. The council meets quarterly to hear updates on Mavs business with a focus on the following areas: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Workforce Recruitment and Retention; Philanthropy and Community Investment; Trends and Externalities; Revenue Generation, Branding & Merchandising; and Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement.
While on Council, Mr. Medrano served as chair of the Public Safety Committee, the Quality of Life Committee and he also served on the Economic Development, Transportation And Infrastructure committee. Mr. Medrano was also the chair of two mayor-appointed Task Forces: the Education Task Force and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) Task Force.
In addition, Mr. Medrano has been a board member of Downtown Dallas, Inc., Visit Dallas, member of the Dallas County Criminal Justice Advisory Board, member of the Urban Forest Advisory Committee, and member of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO).
A lifelong resident of Dallas Mr. Medrano attended Dallas Independent School District schools. He attended Sam Houston Elementary School and the former L.L. Hotchkiss Montessori Academy and graduated from Hillcrest High School. He graduated from the University of North Texas with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry.
Adam is a huge Dallas Mavericks fan and also has a large collection of horror memorabilia. When he is not at a Mavs game he is spending time with Bishop his English Mastiff.
Previously, Anette served as the President & CEO of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (FWHCC) from 2019 to 2024. During her five-year tenure, she championed inclusive economic growth, tripled chamber membership, and positioned the Chamber as a leader in economic development projects such as the commercial revitalization of the Historic Northside, in collaboration with the City of Fort Worth and Main Street America. Under her leadership, the Chamber introduced innovative programming, strengthened workforce development initiatives, and created meaningful opportunities for economic mobility, even amid the challenges of the pandemic.
Anette serves on various local boards, including the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, the North Texas Community Foundation, and the executive council of the Tarrant To & Through Partnership (T3).
Anette holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy analysis from Indiana University and a master’s degree in public affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Her accolades include being recognized as a “Heroe Hispana” by Telemundo, an “Estrella de Tejas” by HWNT in 2014, and a recipient of numerous awards, such as the 2021 Bold Woman Award by Girls Inc. of Tarrant County, the 2022 Regional Rising Star by the North Texas Commission, and the 2023 Instigator of the Year Award during North Texas Global Entrepreneurship Week.
Prior to launching Willow Hill, Anu was a Partner at Carlson Capital L.P as a member of the executive committee responsible for managing and leading the firm. He was President of Asgard Investment Partners, an opportunistic investment platform tasked with expanding efforts into new strategy and asset class verticals that were non-core to the multi-strategy hedge fund platform. He was also a member of the Management Committee, and Portfolio/Risk Committee. Anu helped set firm wide strategy, hire key investment professionals, develop new businesses and joint ventures, while also leading the global business development efforts across the entire Carlson investment platform.
Anu was also previously a Managing Director at an affiliate of Hunt Consolidated Inc. He has extensive experience across public and private market strategies from his tenures with Merrill Lynch and Blackrock. He serves on the advisory board for Knightsbridge, a 3bn AUM venture capital focused investment manager.
Anu holds a B.S.B.A. in Finance from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is a CAIA Charter holder. He is also a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO).
Bryan serves as the pastor of Concord Church in Dallas, TX, where he has served since 2003. Bryan is a passionate leader with a vision for inspiring people to grow to their full potential.
Bryan leads with a focus on developing people. He served as co-presenter for “33: The Series,” a curriculum on authentic manhood, and as a presenter for “The Art of Marriage,” a curriculum on building strong marriages.
Carter is committed to serving the city of Dallas and beyond through working toward city transformation, building stronger families, and economic development. He currently serves on the boards of Frost Bank Dallas Advisory Board, Mayor’s Star Council, and Family Life Ministries.
Carter also serves as board chair for Harmony Community Development Corporation, an organization committed to improving the community of southern Dallas by transforming communities to become whole and empowered. In the past, he has also led the African American Pastors Coalition, a fellowship of over sixty churches committed to serving and addressing critical needs in the Dallas community, and served as co-chair of Dallas Clergy, a fellowship of Dallas churches. His past board service includes Dallas Regional Chamber, Dallas Police Department Community Advisory Board, Mayor’s Taskforce Against Domestic Violence, Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) International, Impact Dallas Capital, Dallas Habitat for Humanity, Dallas ISD Education Foundation, Leadership Network, and Mentoring Brother to Brother.
Carter graduated from Oklahoma State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with a specialty in Science and Math, and is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, where he earned a Master of Arts in Christian Education with a specialty in Family Ministry. He also is a recipient of an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Dallas Baptist University. Bryan is married to his college sweetheart, Stephanie, and has two daughters, Kaitlyn and Kennedy, and one son, Carson.
Prior to joining TIAA, Caren was general counsel with a consumer financial company. Before entering the corporate world, Caren spent over a decade litigating complex business matters including copyright and trademark infringement, employment discrimination, shareholder and partnership disputes, aviation, and toxic tort.
Caren serves on the Board of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum and the President’s Advisory Board of UT Southwestern Medical Center. She is the immediate Past President of The Dallas Assembly and immediate Past Board Chair of The Texas Bar College. In 2015, Caren co-founded The Orchid Giving Circle which provides community grants to support social change and services to the North Texas Asian Community. Her community engagement includes past service on multiple nonprofit and bar association boards including Past Board Chair of The Texas Women’s Foundation and Asian Pacific Interest Section of the State Bar of Texas.
Caren lives in Allen, Texas with her husband, mother, and three sons.
Cheryl is active in the community and has served on non-profit boards and foundations including The Arts Community Alliance (TACA) and Clara Lionel Foundation. Cheryl was recognized by D CEO Magazine Power 500, Institutional Investor magazine, Dallas Power 50, and the National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC) Pacesetter award. Cheryl has an M.B.A. in Finance from the Leonard N. Stern School at New York University and a B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Chris currently serves on the Board of Directors of Austin Street Center, the Board of Trustees of Southern Methodist University, the Executive Board of Directors of the Cox School of Business at SMU and on the Board of Trustees of the Southwestern Medical Foundation.
He previously served on the boards of the Communities Foundation of Texas, the Cotton Bowl Foundation, the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation and the Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University. He was chair of the Board of Trustees at Parish Episcopal School as it started its expansion from a pre-K through 6th grade school to 12th grade. He also chaired the capital campaign for the Charles A. Sammons Tower at Methodist Health System – Dallas that is dedicated to emergency, trauma and critical care.
Chris 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. The MAG was created to mobilize men to take action against trafficking and exploitation by raising awareness through advocacy, education and volunteerism.
In 2017, Chris and his wife, Ashlee, co-founded The Good Foundation to understand and address social issues, and work with women and men who have faced unimaginable challenges towards building new lives.
Prior to joining Hunt in 1996, Chris was employed by Texas Commerce Bank (now JPMorgan Chase) and General Mills. He received an MBA with a concentration in finance from Texas Christian University and a BBA in marketing from Southern Methodist University
Joe was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and enlisted in the United States Army as an Infantryman, serving two tours for a total of seven years. On April 26, 2004, while deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, Joe was severely injured by an explosion. He spent the next 20 months recovering at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, enduring 3rd-degree burns over 40% of his body and permanent disabilities to his hands. During his recovery, Joe had the honor of attending the Dallas Mavericks’ Seats for Soldiers game in December 2004, an experience that brought inspiration and encouragement.
After receiving a medical retirement from the Army in 2006, Joe began working for a military nonprofit in Washington, DC, where he provided written testimony and shaped legislation that ultimately passed into law.
In 2007, Joe co-founded a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business. As the Government Relations Officer, he managed two federal contracts delivering home oxygen and durable medical equipment to an average of 3,300 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs patients each month.
A few years later, Joe decided to sell his business to pursue higher education. He earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree from the University of North Texas (UNT), with a minor in Political Science and academic focuses in Rehabilitative Studies, Nonprofit Management, and Public Administration. During the 86th Texas Legislative Session, Joe joined fellow UNT alumni in successfully advocating for $10 million in funding for UNT’s Center for Agile and Adaptive Additive Manufacturing.
Joe has been deeply involved in veteran advocacy, volunteering with the Wounded Warrior Project in Policy and Government Affairs, Peer Mentorship, and as part of its National Campaign Team. He also served as Legislative Officer for the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Department of Texas, championing both national and state legislative priorities.
In recent years, Joe has focused his servant leadership on public education advocacy. As a parent in Northwest Independent School District (NISD), one of the fastest-growing school districts in North Texas, Joe has actively supported initiatives addressing the district’s rapid growth, which adds 1,500 new students annually.
Joe is a member of every PTA in NISD and previously served as Advocacy Chair for the Northwest ISD Council of PTAs. In recognition of his work, he was awarded Texas PTA’s 2021 Outstanding Advocate for Children of the Year. Additionally, Joe serves on several NISD committees, including the Long Range Planning Committee, Board Policy Committee, Advocacy Committee, and Special Education Parent Advisory Council, and is an NISD Community Ambassador.
In 2024, Joe completed Leadership ISD’s Civic Voices Fellowship in Tarrant County. He also directs a political action committee, raising awareness that led to voter approval of six school bond propositions totaling $2.73 billion for capital improvements across Northwest ISD.
Currently, Joe is running for the Northwest ISD Board of Trustees while consulting nonprofits on advocacy efforts for the upcoming 89th Texas Legislature. At the same time, he is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Leadership.
When he’s not advocating for others, Joe enjoys audiobooks, cooking, watching sports, and spending time with his wife and their son.
Prior to joining Dallas Citizens Council in 2019, Kelvin spent twenty years in the private equity industry, most recently serving as a Managing Director at RLJ Equity Partners. Prior to RLJ, he was the Managing Partner at 21st Century Group, LLC, a private equity partnership under the Hicks Muse family of funds. During his private equity career, he acquired and sold companies with a transaction value over $1 billion. Prior to his private equity career, he executed over $3 billion of transactions as an investment banker and corporate banker at Mesirow Financial and Bank of America.
Kelvin’s board service includes Oncor Electric Delivery, LLC where he serves on the Compensation Committee. He also served on the board of Encore Wire (NASDAQ – “WIRE”) and was on the Nominations and Governance Committee. His nonprofit service includes the boards of the YMCA Retirement Fund – serving on the Investment Committee and the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, where he serves as Chairman.
Mr. Walker received his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School at Northwestern and a BA in Finance from Morehouse College. He resides in Dallas with his wife (Celia) and two children, Liv and Kingston.
She leads a team that executes community programs and grant making that support core impact areas of: K-12 education, health and wellness initiatives, military and first responder support, racial equity and social justice, and environmental efforts. In 2020, she spearheaded the work to provide more than $3 million dollars of critical support during the COVID pandemic and led the expansion of programming for the Mavs Take ACTION! plan to address racial inequities and promote social justice in the DFW community. In her role as Chief Impact Officer, she also Co-Chairs the Dallas Mavericks Advisory Council and manages strategic partnerships and governmental relations for the organization.
Katie has 20+ years’ experience in the North Texas nonprofit and philanthropic community and previously served as Vice President of Community Engagement with the Center for Nonprofit Management, an organization providing best-practice education and management consulting to nonprofits. In her 14-year tenure with CNM, she also served as VP of Marketing and VP of Programs & Operations, building relationships with thousands of nonprofits and partners each year. She was part of the core planning team with Communities Foundation of Texas that launched North Texas Giving Day, the largest community-wide giving event in the nation, and led the work to write and distribute the first State of the Sector report demonstrating the size, scope and power of the nonprofit sector in North Texas.
Before joining CNM, Katie worked with a private firm for publicity and promotions and makes her way back to the NBA after first interning in sports marketing with the San Antonio Spurs during college.
She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Marketing & Communications from Trinity University in San Antonio and multiple certifications in Nonprofit Management and Nonprofit Leadership. Katie resides in the Lake Highlands area in Dallas with her husband Glen, their two young children, David and Maddie and their rescue dog Lucy.
Dr. Nivet also serves as Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, lecturing on health equity, diversity and inclusion, underrepresented populations in academic medicine, and conducting research on the demographic and distribution of the physician workforce. He works collaboratively with faculty and key leadership in the UT Southwestern Medical School, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and School of Health Professions on these and other important issues.
Prior to his role at UT Southwestern, Dr. Nivet served as a member of the executive leadership team of the Association of American Medical Colleges, where he provided leadership on issues surrounding community engagement, diversity, and health equity at medical schools and teaching hospitals across the United States and Canada. Dr. Nivet has spent over 25 years in academic medicine developing creative program initiatives and innovative approaches to advance the mission of excellence in research, education, and patient care.
Dr. Nivet earned his doctoral degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his M.B.A. from George Washington University’s School of Business. He is a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and a former president of the National Association of Medical Minority Educators.
A Dallas native, Michelle earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Education from the University of Oklahoma and an MBA from Dallas Baptist University in Finance. In addition, she received her teaching certification from the State of Texas and Oklahoma.
Michelle is a catalyst for driving meaningful and sustainable change in high need neighborhoods and communities to advance racial equity. She is personally committed to the community through her volunteer roles, which include serving as the Vice Chair of the Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas Board and Chair of the Black COVID Economic Recovery Committee as well as being a member of the Board of Director for the Dallas Museum of Art, Methodist Health System Foundation, UT Southwestern Medical Foundation, and former Board Chair of The Arts Community Alliance.
Lear credits a strong mother and supportive father for fueling her drive, determination, and desire for excellence. She gained her greatest inspiration from watching her mother persevere through various life experiences, and it is that journey which led Lear down the path of public education.
Highly regarded for her work with underperforming campuses, she has led leaders and schools in improving student outcomes and is admired for her ability to build consensus among stakeholders and effective teams to create change.
Lear earned her undergraduate degree from San Diego State University, and later earned a master’s in educational leadership at St. Mary’s College (Moraga, CA) and a doctorate in educational leadership from Texas Christian University.
Her most poignant viewpoint: “Children need advocates, influencers, and mentors to help pave the path, remove the barriers, and instill hope and the belief that their achievements are limitless. This is my calling.”
Sunil joined Movate as Chief Revenue Officer in 2016 and took over as CEO in 2021. He has consistently steered the company’s strategy and evolution by delivering steady revenue growth of over 20% CAGR since 2018. During his first year at the helm as CEO, the company made its first acquisition in ten years, a next-generation gig expert services platform called Directly OnDemand. By the end of his second year, the revenue grew by over 50%.
To underline the tremendous transformation in the company, he led its comprehensive rebranding from CSS Corp to Movate (a combination of ‘momentum’ and ‘innovate’) which signaled the company’s renewed purpose, direction, and ambition.
With over 25 years of IT and BPS services industry experience across multiple verticals and geographies, Sunil has a spectacular track record of developing new markets, orchestrating effective business turnarounds, creating shareholder value in private equity set-ups, establishing win-win relationships with clients, structuring and winning advisor-led deals, transforming service and operational delivery models and building strong leadership teams.
Prior to Movate, Sunil spent 18 years at Infosys in various leadership roles across multiple geographies including 10 years in Japan and a couple of years in Australia. He was widely credited for possessing a sharp business acumen and outcome-focused approach while managing strategic client accounts, incubating new business capabilities, and nurturing cross-industry C-level relationships.
Sunil has consciously implemented an open-door policy and a flat organizational structure to make employees feel welcome and an integral part of the company. He has always encouraged his teammates to voice their opinions to build a culture of trust, open communication, collaboration, and respect. He has been recognized with prestigious industry awards for his transformational work. Some awards include the Gold Stevie award in the “Executive of the Year – IT Services 2022” category and “CEO of the Year 2021” by CMO Asia.
Sunil is a member of the Forbes Business Council and the Wall Street Journal CEO Council. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, India, and currently resides in Dallas, Texas with his wife and 2 daughters.
