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.
Katie Edwards has been a driving force to expand the community impact of the Dallas Mavericks and nonprofits across the region with a 20+ year career in the DFW philanthropic community. As Senior Vice President of External Affairs and President of the Mavs Foundation for the Dallas Mavericks, Katie is responsible for leading and managing all corporate social responsibility initiatives of the Dallas Mavericks including community programs and Mavs Foundation efforts. In her role, she leads partnerships with nonprofits, key supporters, players, coaches and fans to ensure the Mavericks organization achieves its mission of building a stronger community and making a difference in the lives of North Texans.
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 SVP of External Affairs, 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.
Dale Petroskey has more than 35 years of leadership experience in the public, private, and non- profit sectors. In April 2014, he became President and CEO of the Dallas Regional Chamber (DRC), one of the largest and most established business organizations in Texas, representing 1,100 member companies. The DRC works to strengthen the business community by attracting companies and talented workers from around the world, improving education, advocating for pro-growth public policies, and enhancing the quality of life for all in the Dallas Region.
Mr. Petroskey’s career also includes service as Assistant White House Press Secretary to President Ronald Reagan; Senior Vice President for Mission Programs at National Geographic; and President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.
At The White House, Mr. Petroskey served as a spokesman for President Reagan and led the staff responsible for the preparation of every official White House document released to the media. In addition, he traveled extensively and accompanied the President to his historic first meetings with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, in Geneva, Switzerland, in November 1985, and in Reykjavik, Iceland, in October 1986. He also frequently accompanied the President and Mrs. Reagan on weekends to Camp David.
From 1988-1999, Mr. Petroskey served as a senior executive at the National Geographic Society, the world’s largest educational membership organization. He was named Vice President of Public Affairs in 1988 and was promoted to Senior Vice President of Mission Programs in 1996. In that role, he was the senior executive responsible for the committee that funded scientific research and exploration projects for well-known scientists and explorers such as Jane Goodall, Bob Ballard, and Sylvia Earle.
From 1999-2008, Mr. Petroskey was President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, where he was the primary link to all living Hall of Famers and their families and led the day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s best-known museums. While there, he was instrumental in launching the museum’s first-ever national traveling exhibition, Baseball As America, which was seen by more than 2 million visitors in 15 respected museums throughout the U.S. He also worked closely with the Board to initiate and implement a one-time-only, five-year study and process for considering and electing Negro League players, managers, and executives. That process resulted in the election of 17 Negro Leaguers in 2006, nearly doubling the number in the Hall of Fame. The first induction ceremony Mr. Petroskey oversaw in 1999 welcomed George Brett, Nolan Ryan, Robin Yount, and Orlando Cepeda to the Hall of Fame in front of a crowd of 50,000 – the largest to that point. That number was eclipsed in 2007, the final induction of Mr. Petroskey’s tenure, when Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gwynn drew more than 75,000.
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Mr. Petroskey is a member of numerous Boards, including the Dallas Citizens Council, The Salvation Army of DFW, Dallas Medical Resources, Educate Dallas, The Alfalfa Club of Washington, D.C., the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation, and Clayton Kershaw’s Challenge. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Petroskey and his wife, Ann, both graduates of Michigan State University, live in Dallas and have three grown children.
Anne was appointed CEO-AT&T Business in September 2019. She and her organization of over 30,000 employees are responsible for serving nearly 3 million business customers in upwards of 200 countries and territories around the world, covering over $36B in revenue. AT&T Business customers span all industries including the public sector as well as nearly all of the world’s Fortune 1000 companies. She is the first woman to hold this position and first woman of color CEO in AT&T Business' history.
With decades in the industry, Anne’s experience is diverse in both breadth and depth. She has led many global organizations through major transformations, developing and executing innovative growth strategies while building role model relationships. She's passionate about education, diversity and inclusion, advancing women in technology, cultivating next generation leaders and customer excellence.
Previously, Anne was President - National Business, where she led over 12,000 business professionals supporting 95 percent of AT&T’s business customers nationwide. Across numerous AT&T Business segments, she oversaw customer experience, management of direct and indirect sales channels, the B2B Sales Development Program, call center support, and DIRECTV for BusinessSM.
As a founding member of AT&T University’s governing board, Anne actively supports the company’s leadership development imperative. She’s also involved in many of AT&T’s Employee Groups worldwide and serves as the executive sponsor for AT&T’s Women of Business Employee Network and the Asia Pacific Women’s Organization. Anne coaches, mentors and inspires thousands of readers through her internal blog, which has been voted “best blog” across the company for the past 9 years.
She currently serves on the Board of the Directors of Franklin Covey Co (NYSE: FC). Anne is a member of the Committee of 100, the President’s Advisory Board at Georgia Tech, and Co-Chairs the Parents Board at Georgia Tech. She is the co-author of “The Leader’s Guide to Unconscious Bias: How to Reframe Bias, Cultivate Connection, and Create High-Performing Teams,” published by Simon & Schuster.
Her many contributions to business and the community are widely recognized. A few of Anne’s awards and accolades include Most Inspiring Woman in Comms by Light Reading, Gold Stevie Award as Female Executive of the Year - Business Services, and Future 50: North Texas Innovators and Disruptors You Need To Know. Most recently, Anne was named Woman of the Year in Technology by the National Diversity Council and to Fortune’s 2020 Most Powerful Women’s list.
Anne holds a Master of Business Administration with distinction from The Johnson School at Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from Cornell. She is also a graduate of the Pre-College Division of the Juilliard School of Music. She lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area with her husband, two daughters, and their rescued Australian Shepherd.
Byron Sanders is a committed advocate for education, economic development, and creating equitable communities throughout Dallas, Texas. As the President and CEO of Big Thought, he works each day to explore innovative ways to narrow the opportunity gap for children. Big Thought connects people and organizations to prepare youth and children in under-resourced communities for tomorrow’s creative economy through quality in-school, afterschool and community-partnership experiences. Byron has worked with Big Thought in various capacities since 2008, as a supporter, volunteer, advisor, partner, and most recently, board member.
Byron is a recipient of the 2014 Dallas Business Journal’s Minority Business Leaders and its 2012 40 Under 40 awards. He has also been recognized as a Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau BIG Influencer, in Who’s Who in Black Dallas, Dallas Foundation Good Works Under 40, and as a TEDx speaker. In 2017, he was named a Presidential Leadership Scholar by the program led by the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. Most recently he received the Parkland Foundation's Community First Award.
Byron’s professional expertise spans the fields of banking, education, philanthropy, and entrepreneurism. Prior to Big Thought, Byron served as Vice President for U.S. Trust, the private bank of Bank of America, where he connected high net worth individuals and institutions to solutions that accomplish their financial goals. He is the former Executive Director of the Dallas Education Foundation, where he built and cultivated philanthropic, corporate, and community relationships to support initiatives benefitting the students of Dallas Independent School District. He also served as Vice President of Group Excellence, a mentoring and tutoring organization serving at-risk K-12 public school students. During his tenure, Group Excellence was named the country’s fifth fastest growing education company in Inc. Magazine's 2011 Inc. 500 list.
Byron believes that one’s purpose and mission cannot be fulfilled without being actively engaged in the community. He is a member of many high-impact boards, such as United Way’s Community Impact Council, Social Venture Partners Dallas, CitySquare, ChildCareGroup, KIPP DFW, and the Mayor’s Star Council. He is also a member of Dallas Assembly, Leadership Dallas ’13, Leadership ISD ‘12, Latino Center for Leadership Development Fellows, and several other service engagements.
A graduate of the University of Tulsa with a BSBA in Marketing, Byron’s first love is spending time with his wife Celeste and his two young children.
Cece Cox is recognized for her longtime effective leadership and advocacy in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) civil rights movement. She serves as CEO of Resource Center, which operates one of the largest LGBTQ community centers in the United States, and provides health services and programs to individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. The Center serves more than 60,000 people annually with a staff of over 50 employees and 1,100 volunteers.
Cox has advocated on behalf of the LGBTQ and HIV communities for nearly 30 years. She was instrumental in the passage of the City of Dallas’ sexual orientation nondiscrimination policy, the Dallas Independent School District’s first anti-harassment policy and its subsequent anti-bullying policy. Since June 2010, over 50,000 public sector employees and a quarter-million students in the Dallas area have new or expanded LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections thanks to the Center’s advocacy.
In 2007, Cox joined the Center as associate executive director and became CEO in July 2010. Previously, she practiced commercial law and provided pro bono legal services to individuals with HIV. Cox is a member of the executive committee for SMU’s Simmons School of Education and Human Development; the Dallas Assembly; and Dallas Summit. She is board co-chair of the national organization, CenterLink and a former board member of the Dallas Women’s Foundation. In 2016, Cox was recognized as an outstanding alumna of SMU’s Dedman School of Law, and she was named the LGBTQ Texan of the Year by the Dallas Voice. In June 2017, Cox was selected as a winner of the Dallas Business Journal’s Women in Business Awards.
Cox is also a former president of the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance (DGLA), a former co-chair of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation/Dallas and a former officer of the LGBT Section of the State Bar of Texas. She is an alumna of Leadership Dallas and Leadership Lambda and was recognized with the Kuchling Humanitarian Award from Black Tie Dinner in 1999.
Cox is a former professional photographer who co-authored a book chronicling the 1993 March on Washington for gay and lesbian rights. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and is a proud alumna of SMU’s Dedman School of Law. Cox is a member of the State Bar of Texas. She lives in Dallas with her partner and son.
Chastin J. Miles is a full-service real estate agent specializing in Dallas real estate, brand management, and client representation in a comprehensive spectrum of classes including single-family residential, condos and developments, commercial real estate, and luxury leases.
Miles and his team aim to bring a new perspective to the traditional real estate transaction by extending far beyond the offerings of conventional agents. Chastin J. Miles strives to be both a lifestyle agent committed to informing and connecting our local communities, and an agent offering design, marketing, and sales solutions for buyers, sellers, developers, and local and international investors.
Miles’ work background, education, and passion have helped him to become a top producing real estate agent. Miles is an agent who understands that buying a home is one of the largest purchases a client will make. His mission is to provide each client with the best sales
and marketing tools to get their property sold, while providing an open line of communication to keep his clients engaged in each step of the process. One of Miles’ top priorities is to produce the highest return for his client’s investment.
As a native Texan, Miles is no stranger to the competitive Texas real estate market. His background in sales, marketing, and brand management has given him a foundation for success in all aspects of the home buying and selling process. Whether it is implementing a strong marketing campaign or negotiating a contract, Miles strives to produce the best results for his clients. His enthusiastic attitude and strong work ethic makes him one of North Texas’ top agents.
In addition to working with clients, Miles serves as the Social Media chairperson for the MetroTex Young Professionals Network, hosts the Millennial Movers Series podcast on iTunes, and was recently awarded the prestigious Healy Hustle Award. He was also named “Mr. Branding” by his peers for his unique and effective approach to marketing in the competitive home market. He has been featured in numerous publications including The Dallas Morning News, CEO World Magazine, The Dallas Voice, BE GREAT Magazine, and more. You can also find many of Miles’ writings on Inman News where he serves as a contributor in the real estate, social media, and marketing categories.
Chastin J. Miles is the author of More Than Four Walls: The Ultimate Guide to Buying or Selling a Home in Dallas. This book empowers buyers and sellers with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate through today's competitive real estate marketplace. Buying and selling homes differs throughout the country and this book is a go-to guide to flourish in the strong Dallas real estate market. Thousands rely on Miles’ YouTube channel to gain insights on how to be successful in their own real estate careers and building their own brands.
Miles has made a way to give back to his peer community of real estate agents by launching the Industry Power Players Network. Inspired through his growing YouTube audience, Miles’ mission is to empower, motivate, train, and educate the next generation of real estate agents and entrepreneurs through this network.
The Chastin J. Miles Real Estate team is constantly working to bring the best luxury real estate transaction. Miles and his team are experts at delivering smooth real estate transactions and have closed millions of dollars in real estate transactions to date
Since taking office in 2011, Judge Clay Jenkins has become a voice for a stronger and more welcoming North Texas. He led the responses to public health emergencies like the West Nile Virus epidemic, Ebola crisis, and natural disaster recovery from deadly tornadoes and flooding.
As chair of the Enroll North Texas Coalition, he has led efforts to increase health insurance enrollment for the last seven years to improve public health and reduce the burden on taxpayers who bear the cost for uncompensated care.
He worked with DISD and other local districts to reform truancy and school discipline, and to improve school bus service because he wants to help ensure that every student reaches their full potential. The judge is an outspoken champion for the Dallas County Promise – an effort to provide debt free college to all Dallas County graduating seniors.
Since 2014, Judge Jenkins has worked with local faith groups, community leaders, and federal government partners in various efforts to provide assistance to immigrant communities, particularly unaccompanied minors, DACA recipients, asylum seekers and refugees.
As the Chief Elected Official of Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, Judge Jenkins is committed to helping more residents get living wage jobs. His 2017 “You’re Hired Job Fest” was the largest employment fair ever in Dallas County, with over 2,300 job seekers connecting with 4,000 living wage jobs. He is a public official who believes we are stronger when we work together and our best days yet are within our grasp.
Recently, most of Judge Jenkins’ time has been spent responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was the first leader in Texas to put restrictions in place to mitigate the spread of the virus, such as limiting crowd size, closing restaurant dining rooms and bars, and issuing a shelter in place order. Judge Jenkins has worked with medical and business leaders to pass reasonable restrictions and produce guidelines, including user-friendly color-coded doctor recommendations for residents. He has led the efforts to get other elected officials to do the same and continues to work every day to offset counterproductive actions at the federal and state levels. His actions have been heralded for keeping Dallas County safe while getting the economy moving.
Craig Kessler serves as Chief Operating Officer for Topgolf U.S. venues and emerging concepts. As COO, Craig is responsible for the U.S. venue business P&L including leading the innovation pipeline for venue growth, revenue programming, menu design, and day-to-day operations for food & beverage, the guest experience, retail, and training.
Craig joined Topgolf in 2016 following a successful career in the global finance industry. At the time Craig joined Topgolf, the company had ~6,000 Associates and 14 venues. Since then, Topgolf has grown to more than 55 US venues with more than 20,000 Associates. Along the way, Craig has played a crucial role in shaping the deeply caring and edgy Topgolf culture, inspired by the idea of Creating Moments That Matter For Everyone.
Craig began his career with McKinsey & Company before moving into an operating partner role with the private equity firm KKR. Most recently, Craig worked for Providence Equity Partners in New York, where he provided strategic business counsel to media and education companies.
Craig is a graduate of Georgetown University and earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. Along with being an avid sports enthusiast, one of his most unique life experiences includes arguing a case on “Judge Judy.” Craig lives in Dallas with his wife Nicole and their three sons.
Donna is currently a small business owner and former AT&T Vice President with over 20 years of solid and progressive executive leadership experience. Her key executive leadership positions range from business and mobility product management, business process engineering, end to end testing, new service launch readiness, operations management and business strategic planning.
During Donna’s professional career at AT&T, she had many achievements, a few of which include reducing new product service offering implementation cycle times; the development of streamlines technical and operational requirements enabling new product introductions; the introduction of a new billing solution that significantly improved customer experience and the launch of the industry’s first integrated wireless/wireline product which enhanced offer capabilities to business customers.
Upon retiring from AT&T, she successfully co-founded a small business plumping, heating, and air conditioning company where she is responsible for the direction, growth and stability as well as the daily operations of the business.
While her professional experiences are noteworthy, she has also spent time equally mentoring young adults and taking time to speak to other youth groups outside of her community. Additionally, mentoring and providing leadership to young adults in areas such as business practices and related challenges, ethics, and teamwork to achieve their goals are also very important to her.
Donna’s educational achievements include a BA in Business Administration from Rutgers University and a MBA from New York University Stern School of Business. Through their Executive MBA Program, she is a graduate of the Philadelphia Urban League Leadership Institute and has completed several Advanced Management Programs at Rutgers Center for Management.
Gwen recently moved back to Dallas after being away for 23 years. She and her husband have 3 children, the youngest of which headed off to college this fall. Gwen spends the majority of her volunteer time on educational issues.
Currently she is a board member for Open Door Preschool and a fellow for LeadershipISD.
Her favorite date night is going to a Dallas Mavericks game.
Harrison Blair currently serves as the President of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, the oldest and largest Black chamber in the nation. In this role, Harrison serves as the chief advocate for Black owned or supported businesses and entities across the North Texas region. Harrison has been named as one of Dallas's most influential leaders in D CEO's Dallas 500 publication. He is the youngest president in the history of the DBCC.
Harrison previously worked with BenefitMall and ADP as a District Manager where he worked with clients to help them achieve their projected goals by selecting the human capital management systems that efficiently served their businesses and organizations. Some of the industries he has worked with include manufacturing, tech, oil & gas, wholesale, and healthcare. Harrison also served as the Director of Outreach for Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson of the 30th Congressional District. There, he formed relationships with and possessed an intricate knowledge of major stake holders within the congressional district such as, business owners, philanthropists, elected officials, and community leaders. He utilized these relationships to benefit the constituents of the 30th Congressional District.
Helping entrepreneurs by advocating for the creation, growth, and the general welfare of Black owned businesses and entities is Harrison’s passion. He wants them to understand their role in the creation of policy and realize the need for their involvement in the advocacy space. He believes the best policy ideas don’t come from policy makers - they come from the people. He wants to put policy back into the hands of the community. He is currently working to develop programming aimed at helping entrepreneurs find their place in the policy making process.
Harrison currently represents the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce (DBCC) as a member of the North Texas Council of Governments (NTC) and as a member of Texas Association of African American Chambers of Commerce (TAAACC). He also serves as the District 4 Park & Recreations board member for the City of Dallas. He previously served on the Mayor’s Star Council. Harrison spends his free time supporting his wife’s work as a resident artist of the Brierly Acting Company at the Dallas Theater Center.
Harrison is a native of Dallas, Texas. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree of Political Science from Prairie View A&M University and his Masters of Political Science from Texas State University. His grandfather Bill Blair, and father Jordan Blair, dedicated their lives to improving the City of Dallas. He plans to continue his family’s legacy by serving the Dallas community as well.
For 27 years, Jan Edgar Langbein has been an activist in efforts to end violence against women. Currently, as CEO of Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support, Ms. Langbein oversees Genesis’ internal and external operations as well as funding and community education.
Recognized as a National Expert on the dynamics and effects of domestic violence, Ms. Langbein provides expert testimony in court cases and trains law enforcement and prosecutorial professionals to enhance their efforts to end violence against women. She conducts training, keynote, and workshop programs for numerous local and national conferences, social and civic organizations, and corporations, and is an adjunct faculty member at AEquitas, The Prosecutors’ Resource on Violence Against Women.
In partnership with the Dallas Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ms. Langbein co-founded the annual National Conference on Crimes Against Women, which trains law enforcement, prosecutors, and advocates on the most advanced, cutting edge techniques and strategies in the investigation of crimes against women.
In 2009, Ms. Langbein concluded a Presidential Appointment as Senior Policy Advisor to the Director of the United States Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). Jan is the recipient of numerous local and national awards and recognition, including the FBI Director’s 2012 Community Leadership Award.
Jorge Baldor was born in Havana, Cuba and immigrated to the United States with his family at age 6. His entrepreneurial spirit and relentless energy has resulted in a number of projects and organizations aimed at empowering others and preparing the next generation of leaders, particularly within the Latino community both locally and internationally.
Local youth leadership and educational organizations he has supported include LaRondalla Music school, Puede Network’s Boys and girls Soccer and Boxing, Girl Scouts of North Texas, education programming of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Ft. Worth, individual educational grants under his Hatuey Foundation and After8toEducate, a national model for addressing youth homelessness in High School.
His international support includes for the democracy building Esquipulas Foundation in Guatemala and the Vicente Fox Presidential Library educational programs in Mexico.
Additional support for leadership and cultural programs includes Latino Center for Leadership Development (seven alumni elected officials) and cultural initiatives including a major sponsorship of the Dallas Museum of Art exhibit Mexico 1900-1950: Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Jose Clemente Orozco and the Avant-Garde (second highest attended exhibition in DMA history), Latino Arts Project (pop-up museum), Mercado369 (art, jewelry and artisan pieces representing the culture of Latin America) and Afro-Mexican Celebration: A Shared Cultural Journey.
Civic Engagement
Chairman: World Affairs Council of Dallas/Ft. Worth, DHA Housing Solutions and After8toEducate
Boards: Dallas Regional Chamber, Parkland Foundation, Social Venture Partners, SMU Dedman College and SMU Meadows School of the Arts Executive Boards
Local Recognition
Distinguished Hispanic Alumni Award, Southern Methodist University Excellence in Community Service, Dallas Historical Society
Texan of the Year Finalist, Dallas Morning News
Man Enough to be a Girl Scout Award, Girls Scouts of North Texas Points Person Article, Dallas Morning News
D CEO’s Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards Finalist, D CEO Magazine
International Recognition
Orden al Mérito Ciudadano
Presented by Central America Integration System (Spanish Acronym SICA) for the contribution of the well being for Central Americans living in the United States
Ohtli Award
Highest award given by government of Mexico for promoting Mexican Culture presented to individual living outside of Mexico
Education
Southern Methodist University, Bachelor of Arts in History (1993)
Latosha (Tosha) Herron Bruff is the DRC’s Senior Vice President of Community Engagement. In this role, she focuses on understanding the needs and overcoming the challenges of underserved areas, such as Southern Dallas. With more than 20 years of experience advocating for marginalized communities, combined with her background in real estate, Herron Bruff brings a wealth of knowledge of the industry and commitment to projects that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion for all.
Prior to the DRC, Herron Bruff spent more than 10 years with Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity working to improve the quality of life for diverse communities across Southern Dallas. She held several positions during her time at Habitat and worked alongside some of the biggest names in nonprofit and social responsibility. Under her leadership, the organization became a United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) certified counseling agency focused on financial education and providing access to affordable housing opportunities. The homeownership center was the first among Habitat affiliates to create a digital education platform to help create more informed, empowered, and mortgage ready homebuyers. In her last role as Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs, Herron Bruff worked with community leaders and government officials to influence housing policy at the local, state, and federal levels.
A Dallas native, Herron Bruff holds a degree in journalism from the University of North Texas. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and attends Concord Church where she sits on the education committee. She has served on the City of Dallas Housing Policy task force and the advisory board of Children’s Health. Herron Bruff and her husband are the proud parents of two children.
Mark Thompson is the founder and CEO of Smith Thompson Security. Starting his company 1978, he has been providing peace of mind as a full-time job. In a time when tragedies seem to take place on a daily basis, Thompson emphasizes the value of safety and security.
Like his home security business, his pest control business, Smith Thompson Pest Control, has also proven lucrative. However, Thompson is a firm believer in working for one’s earnings. At the moment, his children are learning the ropes of the family business. Thompson’s years of hard work and dedication have proven to be fruitful. Smith Thompson Security is currently the official home security system of the Dallas Mavericks.
Having been heavily involved with the Dallas Mavericks for nearly eight years, Thompson won MFFL award at the final Mavs game of the 2017-2018 season.
Despite his staple status in the DFW community, Thompson has remained humble, hardworking, and dedicated to providing quality service to families and homeowners.
Smith Thompson Security currently serves families and homeowners in over 150 cities and towns in Texas.
Dr. Michael Hinojosa has served over 26 years as a superintendent/CEO of six public education systems, including two of the 25 largest school systems in America, Dallas ISD in Texas and the Cobb County School District in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. His career in public education, from teacher and coach to superintendent/CEO, spans more than four decades.
With a firm belief that education and not environment is the key to a student’s success, he has led several school districts to improved student achievement. Dr. Hinojosa’s recognitions include being named 2002 Superintendent of the Year by the Texas Association of School Boards and 2005 Superintendent of the Year by the University of Texas at Austin. He was honored as Distinguished Alumnus by the College of Education at Texas Tech University and as the Outstanding Latino Educator by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents in 2014. In 2019, D Magazine named Dr. Hinojosa the “Best Public Official” in Dallas. The Council of the Great City Schools recently awarded him the Green-Garner Award, the highest honor in urban education, as the 2020 Urban Educator of the Year. Dr. Hinojosa is also a past president of the Texas Association of School Administrators.
Dr. Hinojosa, a proud graduate of Dallas ISD, holds a doctorate in education from the University of Texas at Austin. He and wife Kitty have two sons, graduates of Princeton University and Harvard University. He has a son from a previous marriage who graduated from Texas Tech University. All three attended Dallas ISD for a significant portion of their K-12 careers.
Professional:
• Responsible McKesson’s portfolio of enterprise and healthcare technologies for our providers, pharmacies, payors, laboratories and healthcare systems.
• Management oversight of McKesson’s risk framework for data privacy, cybersecurity and regulatory compliance.
• 30+ years in business operations and systems technology holding increasing global leadership roles at Johnson Controls and Abbott.
• Named among Americas’ Top 20 Enterprise CIOs by I-CIO, and among the 100 Most Influential Hispanic Leaders in Technology by the Hispanic Information Technology Executive Council (HITEC).
• Board Service with Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
Personal:
• Born and raised Southern California. Lives (and LOVES) Dallas, Tx.
• 3 Children – Ellen (30), Joe (27), Frank (26).
• Education. Bachelors. Double Major, Mathematics and Computer Science. Regis University, Denver, Colorado. Masters of Science, Mathematics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado.
• Love to stay active – cycling, walking, golfing, cooking with wine. Travel the world with friends, meet new people and experience different cultures.
• Do the HARD stuff, commit, help others and be nice!
Richie Butler is the Senior Pastor of the historic St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church in Dallas.
Richie is the founder of Project Unity which focuses bridging societal divides through its “Together We” programs like Together We Ball: Pastors, Police and Community Basketball Event; Together We Dine; Together We Learn; Together We Sing. In 2020, he launched Together We Test program to address lack of COVID-19 testing in communities of colors as well as Together We Can initiative to address “what can I do” the question people have been asking in response to the death of George Floyd.
In response to the five Dallas police officers who were ambushed in 2016, Richie launched the Year of Unity a community wide initiative to help bridge racial community divides where the 43rd President of the United States George W. Bush served as the Honorary Chair.
He serves on the Board of Trustees of Southern Methodist University as well as the Communities Foundation of Texas Board of Trustees and Dallas Regional Chamber Board of Directors.
Richie received the SMU Distinguished Alumni Emerging Leader Award and the Dallas Bar Association 2017 Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Award recipient. Richie was also named a 2018 Minority Business Leader award honoree by the Dallas Business Journal, National Bar Association 2019 Herman M. Sweatt Award recipient and the 2019 SMU Letterman Association Silver Anniversary Mustang Award honoree.
Richie holds degrees from SMU and Harvard with extended studies at MIT.
Bob Mong has served as the President of the University of North Texas at Dallas and its College of Law since 2015. During his time at UNT Dallas, the school has experienced record enrollment, retention and graduation growth. It is officially the fastest growing of Texas’ public four-year universities. It also has been recognized as keeping debt low for its graduates. The school serves a primarily urban population that is 85 percent Hispanic and African-American. UNT Dallas is dedicated to closing educational attainment gaps in Dallas and its inner ring suburbs. Bob arrived at UNT Dallas after nearly 40 years in journalism, most of it spent at The Dallas Morning News, where he served as both managing editor and editor-in-chief. During his time in news leadership, the paper won 9 Pulitzer Prizes and was Pulitzer finalist another 16 times. In 2004, Bob was named the national Empathy Award winner by the Volunteers of America, recognizing an individual whose work has improved the communities they serve. He is married to Diane Reischel, a former reporter at the Los Angeles Times. They have a son who graduated from medical school and holds his residency in neurosurgery; and a daughter who received a master's degree from Brite School of Theology and is a middle school special education teacher.
Robert “Bob” Pragada is a global business executive with 30 years’ experience in engineering, consulting, technical services, and construction and the US Navy. He has a successful track record of transforming global, diverse businesses to create shareholder value. He is considered a subject matter expert on organizational leadership, lean project delivery, M&A and has deep global experience from his career living and working in Europe, Middle East, Asia and the Americas.
Currently, Pragada is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Jacobs Engineering Group, a Fortune 500 professional and technical solutions company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: J). In his role, Bob has executive oversight of all global operations consisting of both the Critical Mission Solutions (CMS) and People & Places Solutions (P&PS) lines of business. With approximately $13 billion in revenue and 55,000 employees across five continents, Jacobs is one of the world’s largest and most diverse providers of technical, scientific, professional and project delivery solutions. He is a member of Jacob’s executive leadership team and interacts regularly with its Board of Directors.
Pragada’s current tenure at Jacobs has been defined by his efforts leading the enterprise-wide transformation, which directly led to material improvement in the company’s profitability and market leadership. He led the successful acquisition of CH2M, a $5 billion diversified technical services leader in the infrastructure, water, environmental and nuclear space. This transaction, which closed at the end of 2017, was one of the largest of its kind in the engineering and construction sector. Immediately following the close of the acquisition, Pragada led the company’s efforts in geographical expansion, innovation in project delivery, and smart solutions including the company’s recent partnerships with large- scale private sector clients, sovereign nations, and local governments to build technically complex facilities and greenfield smart cities. In late 2020, Pragada was instrumental in leading Jacobs’ acquisition of a majority stake in PA Consulting, a multi-billion dollar world leading digital consulting firm based in the UK, and is a prospective executive leader and Board Member for that organization.
Previously, Pragada served as President, CEO, and Board Member of The Brock Group, a privately held industrial services company in the oil and gas, manufacturing, and general industrial markets. At Brock, he worked to improve execution platforms, overall customer experience and increase professional opportunities for the company’s 17,000 employees. During his tenure, The Brock Group was named one of Engineering News Record’s (ENR) five top specialty contractors, placed second in ENR’s top 20 firms in industrial services, and earned numerous honors for excellence in safety.
Prior to joining Brock Group, Pragada spent over eight years at Jacobs’ where he built his reputation for servicing process and industrial markets customers at the highest level. He previously served as Group Vice President responsible for a $1 billion, 3,000 employee global business providing engineering, construction, fabrication and technical services to the industrial and manufacturing sectors. Prior to joining Jacobs in 2006, he was the Chief Operating Officer at Kinetics. In six years guiding Kinetics’ global business, his international expertise helped the global contracting firm grow to more than 2,000 employees around the world with annual revenues of $700 million.
Pragada’s leadership approach was honed during his nine years of service as a U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps and Seabees Officer, during which time he provided base construction and maintenance services at the White House, Camp David, Naval facilities, internationally and in the U.S., along with global contingency operations. Serving in multiple operations and project management positions, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
From his naval service, Pragada brings a strong commitment to philanthropy and improving lives. He is a supporter of Youth Services and sits on the Board of Trustees of the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation. He is an active member of the USNA and Stanford Alumni associations and a contributor to local and national charities, including serving at-risk youth in Philadelphia and Dallas. Bob serves on the Executive Council of the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since July 2018, and as co-chair of the Diversity in Leadership Sub-Council of the DRC’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Council since July 2020. He is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s CEO Climate Action Committee and Advanced Manufacturing Industry Action Group and he serves on the global Board of Directors for the US India Business Council. Bob is also a Director of HydroChemPSC, a billion-dollar Littlejohn Capital owned company, and a Director of Riggs Distler, a $500 million-dollar Oaktree Capital owned company. Both companies are leaders in the technical services industry serving the largest industrial sectors in the United States.
Pragada holds a B.S. in Systems Engineering with distinction from the United States Naval Academy, M.S. in Engineering and Management from Stanford University, and attended the Executive Leadership Program at the University of Michigan. While at the Naval Academy, he was a collegiate rugby player on the Navy’s nationally ranked team and went on to play on the All-Navy and All-Combined Services teams after graduation.
He currently resides in Dallas, Texas with his wife, Jessica and has two sons, Bobby (Stanford University Graduate) and Cahlin (Rice University - senior). He enjoys cinema, running and all forms of competitive sports.
Roland is highly committed to giving back to the community, especially causes that support the education and welfare of youth.
Roland is currently the CEO of Parrish Restaurants, Ltd., which owns and operates 27 restaurants in Dallas and surrounding areas.
The Dallas Business Journal awarded Roland its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. His company is the 4th Largest Minority Owned Firm in North Texas. Parrish Restaurants Ltd, consistently makes the Black Enterprise Magazine’s BE 100 as one of the Top 100 Black owned businesses in the United States.
Roland’s $2M Leadership Gift supported the renovation of the former Management School Library at Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. It was opened and renamed the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management and Economics in 2012. It is the first facility at Purdue to be named after an African American. The library has received both National and International recognition.
Also, his gift of philanthropy led to the building of the Rev. John and Marie Parrish Medical Clinic in Fort Portal, Uganda. The clinic, which opened in May of 2016, serves 6,000 orphans per year, and is named in memory of his parents.
Roland is at the end of an unprecedented 3rd term as Chairman and CEO of the National Black McDonald’s Owner Operators Association (NBMOA). He spear-headed the creation of the NBMOA Foundation and raised the Scholarship Program to a record $750k annually. All while advocating for minority owned suppliers, vendors, and franchise owners. The NBMOA is a 45-year-old self-help organization that boasts $3.6B in sales annually.
Roland received his BS and MBA from Purdue’s Krannert School of Business. As a scholar and athlete, he consistently made the Dean’s List, was a 2-time MVP of the Purdue track team and selected by his teammates to be Captain his senior year. He still holds the 1000M indoor record. This has resulted in Roland’s induction into the Hammond Sports Hall of Fame and the Indiana Track and Field Hall of Fame.
He has served on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Krannert Business School, Athletic Department and Department of Libraries.
Married to Jewel Parrish for over 40 years, sons, Rowland (UNT-BA 2002), Wesley (CAI-BA 2013) and daughter Jade (Purdue BS 2012). Hobbies include running, biking, reading, playing musical instruments, and collecting vintage automobiles.
Roslyn joined Texas Women’s Foundation as president and CEO in July 2011. A lifelong advocate for women and girls, she moved from a 25-year career as owner of a national marketing communications firm to leading the organization she had supported since its inception.
Under Roslyn’s leadership, the Foundation has undertaken ambitious strategic initiatives to impact women’s economic security and women’s leadership. During her tenure, the Foundation has increased its assets by more than 45% to $38 million, and its grants and programs benefiting women and girls have grown by 140% to $6.3 million annually. In addition, Texas Women’s Foundation is now an acknowledged leader in the gender lens investing movement and has deployed 100% of its assets in a gendered impact portfolio that yields both financial returns and social benefits to women and girls.
Roslyn is a strong advocate and frequent speaker on women’s leadership, women’s philanthropy, gender equity and the impact of gender lens investing on women’s empowerment. She is on the board of Tides, an international public charity; the Women’s Funding Network, the global association of women’s foundations; and the National Philanthropic Collaborative of Young Women’s Initiatives. She also serves on several nonprofit boards in Texas, including the Dallas Regional Chamber, Dallas Medical Resource and SMU Tate Lecture Series, as well as on the advisory councils of the Dallas Mavericks and Texas Woman’s University Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership. She has earned numerous honors for her work in inspiring social change and fostering equity and inclusion for all women and girls.
Taylor Toynes is the co-founder and executive director of For Oak Cliff, which he started with students as a first-year teacher. Discouraged by the disparities and inequities his students experienced, and noting that nothing had changed since his childhood, Taylor was compelled to organize the inaugural FOC Back to School Festival for his students and community. The festival drew attention to the needs of the community and led to collaborations with system leaders such as United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. Taylor is committed to the Oak Cliff community and lives in the neighborhood with his family. For his leadership, Taylor has received awards from the United Nations, the NAACP, and Southern Methodist University (SMU), to name a few. Taylor and the FOC team won Teach For America’s Social Innovation Award and Echoing Green Fellowship. For Oak Cliff has been recognized by national news outlets and gained the trust of their most proximal neighbors in South Oak Cliff. Taylor is the proud father of Wednesday Toynes and husband of Ariel Toynes. Taylor is a graduate of University of North Texas and has a master’s degree from SMU. Taylor also serves as Dallas Park and Rec Board Member.
1984 Woodrow Wilson Graduate, 1987 Heisman Trophy Winner, & 2015 NFL Hall of Fame Inductee
Tim Brown is one of the greatest collegiate and professional wide receivers to ever play the game. During his collegiate career at Notre Dame, Tim's playmaking ability earned him the honor of being the first wide receiver to ever receive the Heisman Trophy award.
After his 1987 Heisman Trophy winning season, Tim was selected by the Los Angeles Raiders with the 6th overall pick of the 1988 NFL Draft. Tim spent sixteen years with the Raiders, during which he established himself as one of the League's most prolific wide receivers. Tim's play led him to be named to nine Pro Bowl teams and his 1,094 career receptions ranks 5th in NFL history. His fame and success with the Raider's organization earned him the title, Mr. Raider, and the honor of being inducted into the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Tim currently works as a host on Sirius Radio's NFL and College Football pregame and recaps. He now resides in Dallas, TX with his wife and four children.
Community Outreach: Tim Brown is heavily involved in the "9-1-1 for Kids"
program which teaches children emergency preparedness. In addition to 9-1-1 for Kids, Tim is an ambassador to the President's Physical Fitness Council on Behalf of Reebok.
Tim is also a man of God, being heavily involved in his church and routinely speaking to groups about his faith.