Who are our city’s most powerful people? They create jobs and wealth, drive the region’s culture, give back, build critical infrastructure, sell us to a new generation of talent and business, protect us and educate our kids. They deliver the energy that powers our city’s future.
A powerhouse real estate broker, John Zimmerman has spent more than 25 years developing and marketing luxury properties and has built his business on two principles— connections and commitment.
John has been recognized in Fort Worth years and was awarded Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty’s company-wide Top Producer Award for 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Recognized in the Wall Street Journal as part of the 2017 REAL Trends The Thousand and ranked #73 of the top individuals by sales volume nationwide, #2 in Texas, #1 in Fort Worth.
John lives in Fort Worth, is actively involved in many community organizations, and has two wonderful children both attending his alma mater, The University of Arkansas.
With construction under way on the first building for Tarleton State University’s planned campus along the Chisholm Trail Parkway, it’s time to envision the future.
As the heart of Tarleton’s presence in Fort Worth, the first building — a three-story, 76,000-square-foot, multipurpose academic facility — embraces both the university’s rich heritage and bright future, with a design that reinforces the school’s six core values — tradition, integrity, civility, leadership, excellence and service.
Tarleton-Fort Worth offers more than 40 undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs — with others in the works — meeting the ever-growing professional workforce needs of North Texas and beyond.
94 Accounting, Ad/PR/Marketing
Executive Search 100 Human Resources, Law - Alternative Dispute Resolution, Law - Appellate
Law-Appellate, Law-Bankruptcy, Law-Busi-
Law-Civil Litigation
Law-Corporate Finance/M&A, Law-Family
Law-Intellectual Property,
Partner
Law-Oil and Gas, Law-Probate
Law-Real Estate, Law-Risk Management
112 Analytics, Architecture/Design/Engineering
Commercial Brokerage
Construction
Development
Homebuilders, Investments
Property Tax Protests,
140 Airlines, Aviation 142 Transportation, Public Transit, Railroads
#amoncartermuseum
Who are Fort Worth’s most influential people? As there are so many subjective dynamics that play into this question, it cannot be answered scientifically. As such, Fort Worth Inc.’s The 400 will no doubt be fodder for water cooler debates for the next 12 months.
Sorting out 400 of the most powerful people in a city as engaged and generous as Fort Worth, where our occupations aren’t necessarily indicative of our full contributions to the community, was a huge undertaking. Over the last year, executive editor Scott Nishimura, with assistance from others on our staff, set out to identify our city’s most influential people in culture, business, education, government and economic development, health care, nonprofits and philanthropy, professional services and transportation. People among The 400 run the gamut from young leaders to some of the world’s wealthiest citizens, who just happen to call Fort Worth home. Some folks unsuccessfully tried to convince us they deserved to be on the list. More attempted to argue their way off, preferring to be private, or claiming they had little influence. If they’re on The 400, we disagreed. One of the reasons Fort Worth is a little different than most cities is that a large number of the people on this list fly under the radar and often go unnoticed. If you didn’t know them and ran into them on the street, you’d likely not know they were any different. Most are parallel opposites of “all hat, no cattle.” While having business/political power played a significant role in who made the list, civic involvement was also a big factor. How did we do it? We started with
our own ideas of who should be among The 400 and sought feedback from a lot of people in the community. We looked at true power, and we moved from there to influence, a much broader sphere. We considered more than 1,000 people before narrowing the list to its final number.
Once we came up with our list, we reached out to them, asking for biographies, pictures, and answers to a short series of questions. We asked The 400 everything from how they got their start, to the best advice they’ve received and lessons learned, what advice they’d offer to anyone getting started today, how they’d set about meeting new people, what books they read, and where they travel. Those who responded provided answers that were illuminating, inspiring, insightful and often funny.
Because power and influence change hands (people retire, move, get fired, die, etc.) there will be plenty of movement by the time we publish The 400 again next year. So, let us know what you think of the list. If you have an opinion about what’s right about The 400, or what you think didn’t work, we want to hear from you. And, we want your ideas of who you think needs to be among The 400 next year.
Hal A. Brown owner/publisher
staff photographer olaf growald proofreader sharon casseday contributing writers brandi addison, kat barclay, sheila ellis, sarah jane grisham, meg hemmerle, erin pinkham, angela rothstein, andrew van heusden
advertising main line 817.560.6111 sales director brian ritenour x334 advertising account supervisor gina burns-wigginton x150 senior account executive marion c. knight x135 account executive erin buck x129 account executive tammy denapoli x141 account executive rachael lindley x140 director of events & marketing natasha freimark x158 corporate cfo charles newton
To subscribe to Fort Worth Inc. magazine, or to ask questions regarding your subscription, call 817.560.6111 or go to fwtx.com/fwinc.
Fort Worth Inc. is published bi-monthly by Panther City Media Group, 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd, Suite 130, Fort Worth, TX 76116. Postage Paid at Fort Worth, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Worth Magazine, 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd, Suite 130, Fort Worth, TX 76116 ©2018 Panther City Media Group. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.
how to contact us For questions or comments, contact Scott Nishimura, executive editor, at 817.560.6111 or via email at scott.nishimura@fwtx.com.
Is your company a rising star in Greater Tarrant County?
How the program works:
• The company generated revenue by March 31, 2014
• The company generated at least $50,000 in revenue for 2014
• The company generated at least $1,500,000 in revenue for 2017
• The company is a privately held, for-profit organization located in Greater Fort Worth
Go to fwtx.com/fwinc/fastest-growing-companies and provide general company and revenue information.
Application deadline is Saturday, Sept. 15
Applicants will be notified if they made the list by late Sept. The list will be published in the January/February 2019 issue of Fort Worth Inc.
For questions, please contact Natasha Freimark at nfreimark@fwtexas.com.
to congratulate Martin Noto, Fort Worth President and CEO and all honorees for being named to The 400.
This category runs the gamut from culture, to media, religion and sports. It includes some of Fort Worth’s most familiar faces, like TCU’s football coach, Gary Patterson, and people from Fort Worth’s oldest families who eschew the spotlight while maintaining the city’s venerable arts institutions. It includes up-and-comers like the partners behind the two-year-old Fortress Presents music festival. Media, given its volatile economics and shrinking state, was among the most debated sections of The 400 inside the magazine.
Artistic Director
Amphibian Productions
Kathleen Anderson Culebro has produced over 50 plays in Fort Worth and New York since 2000, including “Smart Pretty Funny,” “La Llorona,” and “A Leopard Complains of Its Spots.” She is founding artistic director at Amphibian, which has stubbornly built a following in Fort Worth’s South Main Urban Village while waiting for growth to surround it.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “It's okay to be wrong, to make a mistake, or not to know something. People will respect you more if you admit it than if you try to bluff your way through it.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “I got married under the oculus of the Pantheon in Rome. That was pretty fun. And romantic.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “Idris Elba play any role whatsoever on my stage”
President Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo
Brad Barnes had a legacy to live up to when he took over the Stock Show’s helm in 2010 from the legendary W.R. “Bob” Watt, Jr., who had run it since 1978. Barnes has presided over a slate of aggressive improvements to the Will Rogers Memorial Center, aimed at making it the country’s premier equestrian center. And he’s in the middle of the new Dickies Arena project, as vice president of Event Facilities Fort Worth, the Ed Bassled nonprofit that’s footing more than half the cost of the new arena. The rodeo will move to the arena.
MOMENTS: “Although the Stock Show is Fort Worth’s oldest and largest event, we’re constantly striving to enhance the experience for our guests, exhibitors and contestants. We’re proud of our history and excited about our future.”
Musician
Influenced by sounds from the ’50s and ’60s, Fort Worth native Leon Bridges creates soulful music that has quickly climbed the charts. He debuted his first record, “Coming Home,” in 2015; its hit song, “Coming Home,” was a Top 10 viral track on Spotify. The same year, Bridges signed a record deal with Columbia Records. He returned this spring with a new album, “Good Thing,” released in May. Bridges, a big part of the youthful Fort Worth image that the city is aggressively playing up to draw young creatives, is known for his iconic style and was named one of D Magazine’s Most Stylish People in 2017.
MOMENTS: “I can be in the same conversation as a Bruno [Mars] or an Anderson .Paak or Usher — but be myself.” - Esquire interview, May 2018
BEN FORTSON Vice President and Chief Investments Officer
Kimbell Art Foundation
Oilman Ben Fortson has been vice president and chief investment officer of the Kimbell Art Foundation since 1975. Wife Kay Fortson (see separate profile), who became president of the foundation in 1975, gave up that post last year to the couple’s daughter, Kimbell Fortson Wynne (see separate profile). Ben Fortson has been CEO of Fortson Oil Company since 1986 and has 60 years in the oil and gas industry. He’s served on the Kimbell board since 1964. Fortson is a trustee emeritus of TCU, and he’s a director of Kimbell Royalty Co., general partner of Kimbell Royalty Partners, since December 2015. The foundation holds a stake in the partnership. Fortson is a member of the Exchange Club of Fort Worth and emeritus member of the AllAmerican Wildcatters.
KAY FORTSON Chair
Kimbell Art Foundation
The niece and sole heir of Kay Kimbell, benefactor of the Kimbell Art Museum, Fortson grew up around art and culture and has spent her adult life carrying out the mission of her uncle to create a world-class museum in Fort Worth. The resulting Louis Kahn-designed Kimbell Art Museum, new Renzo Piano Pavilion and acclaimed collection are recognized globally for their art and design. Fortson, who became president of the Kimbell Art Foundation in 1975, gave up that post last year to her daughter, Kimbell Fortson Wynne (see separate profile). Kay Fortson remains chair of the foundation, which owns and operates the museum. Her husband, the oilman Ben Fortson (see separate profile), remains a board member and has served as chief investments officer of the board since 1975.
MIGUEL HARTH-BEDOYA
Music Director
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Grammy-nominated and Emmy Awardwinning musician Miguel Harth-Bedoya has served as music director at Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra since 2000, helping lead the symphony in performances at Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center. This spring, HarthBedoya announced he would step down as music director in July 2020 and assume the position of “conductor laureate.” Born in Peru, Harth-Bedoya lives in Fort Worth with his wife and three children and has a second home in Oslo, where he directs an orchestra.
MOMENTS: “I am so proud of the work the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and I have done together over the last nearly two decades. These 18 years have touched and changed me deeply. Working together with the orchestra toward higher and higher artistic levels – even through the challenges – has been profoundly rewarding."
As a spiritual leader, Rabbi Bloom continues to set an exemplary vision for Congregation Ahavath Sholom - one that encourages strong community participation and involvement in providing for the needs of our whole community through example, deeds and charitable giving.
Rabbi Bloom was recently appointed by Mayor Betsy Price and the Fort Worth City Council as a Co-Chair of Fort Worth’s Task Force on Race and Culture. This Task Force’s mission and vision is to help make Fort Worth a more equitable city for all its residents. Rabbi Bloom also serves on the Fort Worth Mayor’s Faith Based Cabinet, the steering committee for Compassionate Fort Worth, and the Faith Based Committee of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. He also helped organize and lead
He is the author of “Two Minutes of Traditions: Torah and Life Lessons for People on the Go.” He lectures on Judaism, religion and equity within the wider community, often representing the synagogue and Jewish community at numerous local, national and international gatherings.
JOHNSON HIXON President Amon Carter Museum of American Art
Ruth Carter Stevenson founded the Amon Carter Museum, following the desire of her father, the oilman, philanthropist and newspaper publisher Amon Carter Sr. Stevenson died in 2013. Today, it’s Stevenson’s daughter, Karen Johnson Hixon, who has the helm of the museum, a noted repository of seminal American art. Hixon’s brother, Mark L. Johnson (see separate profile), a Luther King Capital Management principal, also serves on the board and is chairman of the TCU Board of Trustees.
MOMENTS: “Mother and Alice were great friends and shared an extraordinary love and knowledge of art — visionaries both. I am thankful for all she has taught me, and words cannot express my gratitude for this gift from the Walton Family Foundation in Mother’s honor.” - Acknowledging a $20 million gift from benefactor Alice Walton honoring Ruth Carter Stevenson
Businessman, Musician
Jamey Ice started a band called Green River Ordinance in middle school. Later he went into renovating and selling old homes through his 6th Ave Homes, restaurants (BREWED) and an event venue (The 4 Eleven), all with partners.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I was terrible at sports when I was a kid. So, my parents bought me and my brother an electric guitar. We formed a band and played ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ in our middle school talent show. We didn’t win, but the following year, we formed Green River Ordinance.”
MOST VALUABLE ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: "Fame, pleasure and riches are but husks and ashes in contrast with the boundless and abiding joy of working with God." - from my late friend David Phillips
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Don't let what you do define who you are.”
MARK L. JOHNSON Director
Amon
Carter Museum of American Art
The son of Ruth Carter Stevenson and grandson of Amon Carter Sr. is chairman of the TCU Board of Trustees and a director, with his sister Karen Johnson Hixon (see separate profile), of the Amon Carter Museum. Johnson is a principal at Luther King Capital Management. He joined the firm in 2002 and is a portfolio manager and fixed income analyst. Previously, Johnson was a principal and portfolio manager at GSB Investment Management. Johnson, a certified financial accountant, graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts.
ERIC M. LEE Director
Kimbell Art Museum
North Carolina native Eric Lee was appointed the fourth director of the Kimbell Art Museum in 2009. During his tenure, the Museum underwent design development and construction of its Renzo Piano Pavilion. Acquisitions include Michelangelo’s “Torment of Saint Anthony,” the only painting by the artist in the Americas; Poussin’s “Ordination,” from the artist’s famed series of Seven Sacraments; and recently, Modigliani’s “Head,” a rare sculpture by the artist. Exhibitions hosted by the Kimbell include “Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea” (2010); “Caravaggio and His Followers in Rome” (2011–12); “Bernini: Sculpting in Clay” (2013); “The Age of Picasso and Matisse: Modern Masters from the Art Institute of Chicago” (2013-14); “Faces of Impressionism: Portraits from the Musee d’Orsay” (20142015); and “Monet: The Early Years” (2016-2017).
ALEC JHANGIANI Co-Founder Fortress Presents
Alec Jhangiani, who with Ramtin Nikzad (see separate profile) co-founded Fortress Presents, a two-day music festival that this spring finished its second year in Fort Worth’s Cultural District, is an independent film and media producer. His award-winning films have been screened at the Los Angeles Film Festival and Southwest by Southwest, among others. Jhangiani, educated at the University of Texas at Austin, is an advisory board member of the DFW South Asian Film Festival and a former director of the Lone Star Film Society.
JACQUES MARQUIS President and CEO
The Cliburn
A native of Montreal, Jacques Marquis originally came to The Van Cliburn Foundation as interim president and CEO before being promoted to the official role.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“Do a ‘to do’ list every day!”
BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE: “Engage yourself. Be sincere.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “It's not the place you go; it's the people you are with! I traveled to many fun places!”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Tennis, ice hockey, cook and drink wine with friends!”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “Martha Argerich playing the piano, Jonas Kaufmann singing ‘Werther,’ Roger Federer playing tennis and Wayne Gretzky playing hockey. (Actually, I would like to play with Roger and Wayne!)”
RAMTIN NIKZAD
Co-Founder
Fortress Presents
The brainchild of Ramtin Nikzad and Alec Jhangiani (see separate profile), Fortress Festival finished its second run this spring in Fort Worth’s Cultural District. Both were into film before they launched the annual two-day Fortress Presents music festival. Nikzad works as a nonfiction filmmaker. His work has appeared in The New York Times’ Op-Docs, won several awards, and screened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, London International Documentary Film Festival and Athens Film and Video Festival.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Put yourself wholly into everything you do without being attached to particular results.” WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Find regular time away from the daily distractions to clear your mental clutter and find inner space. Then return and put yourself entirely into work that's meaningful to you.”
ANDREW WALKER Executive Director Amon Carter Museum
of American Art
Andrew Walker, who made his way to the Amon in 2010 from the Saint Louis Art Museum, has played a critical role in the museum’s transition after founder Ruth Carter Stevenson died in 2013.
HOW I GOT MY START: “At Bowdoin College, my art history professor gave a moving lecture on Michelangelo’s fresco, ‘The Last Judgment.’ A fire burned that perhaps I could make a living inspired by the great bursts of creativity across time.” - Voyage Dallas interview
MOMENTS: “A renewed commitment to community impact required tough decisions … to build on the [Stevenson] legacy. Much is different – today, you might see a yoga class on our front lawn or encounter an installation by a living Texas artist in our atrium – but we all remain committed to the value of excellence on which she insisted.” - Voyage Dallas
MARLA PRICE Director Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
The Modern’s stature has grown substantially in the quarter century since Price has been its director. Price, who earned degrees from Mary Washington College and the University of Virginia, joined The Modern in 1986 as chief curator. She became acting director in 1991 and director in 1992. Price was instrumental on the committee that oversaw construction of The Modern's new building, designed by the architect Tadao Ando and completed in 2002. Price’s chief curator, Michael Auping, retired in 2017 after more than two decades in the position.
VAN ROMANS President Fort Worth Museum of Science
and History
Since Van Romans took over as president at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in 2004, the museum has seen major improvements, including the opening in 2009 of an active new 166,000-square-foot building. Before coming to Fort Worth, Romans served as executive director of cultural affairs for Walt Disney Imagineering for 26 years. He began his career as a training supervisor at Disneyland, then later joined the Walt Disney Imagineering in 1980, where he created the Disney gallery concept and secured exhibitions for the World Showcase pavilions at Epcot, Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.
MOMENTS: Romans was appointed to the prestigious American Alliance of Museums Board of Directors in 2011. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History was recently named to National Geographic’s list of Top Ten Science Museums in the country.
President
Kimbell Art Foundation
Kimbell Fortson Wynne was named president of the Kimbell Art Foundation in June 2017, which owns and operates the Kimbell Art Museum, after serving on its board for over 27 years. Wynne is the oldest daughter of Kay Fortson – niece of Kimbell benefactor Kay Kimbell – and Ben Fortson (see separate profiles). Wynne is a trustee of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and a former trustee of the Amon Carter Museum, The Cliburn, Texas Ballet Theater, and Cook Children’s Health System. She’s a current trustee of her alma mater, TCU.
MOMENTS: “During her tenure on the Kimbell’s board, she has played important leadership roles in the development of the new Piano Pavilion, countless exhibitions and acquisitions, and in the expansion of community programs and museum services. She is an excellent leader.” - Eric Lee, Kimbell director, when Wynne became president
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
These days, it seems it’s getting close to last-one-turn-out-the-lights time at the Star-Telegram. But Kennedy – or “Bud” as he’s known locally – is still hanging out, doing what he does: break news on everything from food and beverage to politics. Kennedy’s insights into Fort Worth culture are insightful and incisive and generously touted in social media. Kennedy grew up in Fort Worth and began his career as a journalist at 16, covering high school football. He worked for the Fort Worth Press and for papers in Austin and Dallas, returning to Fort Worth in 1981. If you don't like what he says about poltiics, Kennedy likes to say, "read him on barbecue."
Former Columnist
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
A native of Fort Worth, Bob Ray Sanders enjoyed a multi-faceted career in print and broadcast journalism. He began his career with the Fort Worth StarTelegram the day after he graduated from the University of North Texas in 1969. Sanders started as a courthouse reporter and political writer. At KERA, Sanders became host and producer of the awardwinning show, “New Addition,” as well as vice president. Sanders retired from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram as a vice president and columnist. His columns rankled many readers, touching on everything from race to civil rights. Sanders is back as a blogger and communications director for the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce. He's also one of the four co-chairs of Fort Worth's Race & Culture Task Force that's looking into race relations in the city.
Bob Schieffer College of Communication
Bob Schieffer’s the former Star-Telegram reporter who picked up the phone in the newsroom the morning President Kennedy was shot in Dallas to find assassin Lee Harvey Oswald’s mother on the line, asking for a ride to Dallas. Lately, Schieffer has lent his name and heft to the growing journalism program at TCU, his alma mater. After graduating from TCU, Schieffer joined the staff at the Star-Telegram, where he was the first reporter from a Texas newspaper to report from Vietnam. In 1969, Schieffer joined CBS News, where he worked 46 years, 24 of those including his time anchoring “Face the Nation” before retiring in 2015. Schieffer won eight Emmys, the Overseas Press Club Award, the Paul White Award presented by the TV News Directors Association, and the Edward R. Murrow Award.
ANDREW BLOOM Rabbi Congregation Ahavath Sholom
Prior to becoming rabbi at Ahavath Sholom, Andrew Bloom was a rabbi in Jerusalem and England. He made Aliyah at age 19 in Israel, where he spent two and a half years serving in the Israeli Army as a combat medic. He is a member of Mayor Betsy Price’s Faith Leader Cabinet.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I was inspired by my childhood rabbi who showed me how religion can be accessible to all. I always joke that he showed me how to weave ‘basketball and blessings’ into one. I also served as a combat medic in the military and saw that the body and spirit have a great impact one on the other. After having helped heal broken bodies, I decided it was time to heal souls through my becoming a rabbi.”
Senior Pastor
First United Methodist Church Fort Worth
Before settling in at First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth, Tim Bruster served several stints as senior pastor at FUMC Georgetown and Houston. Bruster serves on the Executive Board for the Perkins School at SMU.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I felt called into ordained ministry when I was 15 and began serving churches while a student at age 20.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Surround yourself with gifted, passionate, and committed people who are doing what they love to do.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE GETTING STARTED TODAY: “With the rapid pace of change in every conceivable area of work, experimentation is the order of the day.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “I am a private pilot and love to fly. I also enjoy reading, music, hiking and camping.”
Moujahed Bakhach, a member of Mayor Betsy Price’s Faith Leader Cabinet, served for 23 years as Imam of the Islamic Association of Tarrant County from 1982 to 2005. He founded al-Hedayah Academy in 1992 and is director of the “Message of Islam” radio program at KZEE-1220 in North Richland Hills. Originally from Lebanon, Bakhach earned a master’s degree in Islamic law from Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, and has also received multiple certifications from the University of North Texas as a mediator and negotiator and religious arbitrator. Bakhach is director of the Mediation Institute of North Texas. He is a religious adviser to numerous organizations and has 20 years experience on the lecture circuit.
Pastor
Ebenezer Baptist Church
Bruce Datcher was a young entrepreneur when he was called to preach the Gospel in 2001. Two years later, he answered the call to serve as interim pastor at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth’s Stop Six neighborhood. A year later, in 2004, he was installed as new pastor. Datcher developed programs that provided mentorship and college assistance to students with financial need. He led the planning and development of a 15,000-square-foot community center, home today to programs that alleviate senior isolation. Seniors receive hot meals, engage in social activities, and participate in health and exercise programs. The community center also hosts programs under which children receive year-round services including healthy meals, backpacks, school supplies, coats, shoes and holiday gifts. Datcher is a member of Mayor Betsy Price’s Faith Leader Cabinet.
The Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth and its clergy and faithful congratulate Bishop Michael F. Olson
Rector
Trinity Episcopal Church Fort Worth
After years as a corporate trainer, Carlye Hughes completed her master’s in divinity and was ordained in 2005. She was named rector of Trinity Episcopal five years ago, where she’s worked to help grow the church and stabilize the diocese following the 2008 breakaway of most of the Fort Worth Diocese’s parishes over issues such as women in ministry and ordination of LGBT ministers. Hughes in May was named bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, and she left for new post at the end of July.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“When I headed off to college, my father told me to do work I love. He said that if I wake up on Monday, looking forward to Friday, it is because I was in the wrong job, so I have always worked at things that make me excited to start the work week.”
Senior Pastor
Christ Chapel Bible Church
Since 1980, Ted Kitchens has been the senior pastor of Christ Chapel Bible Church, a fast-growing church with a satellite campus in Aledo in addition to its home location on Fort Worth’s West Side. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and his Ph.D. from Dallas Theological Seminary. He has also written the book, “Aftershock: What to Do When Leaders (and Others) Fail You.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Love others.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: "Seek God in your youth." (Ecclesiastes 12:1)
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Israel” I’D PAY TO SEE: “The Gospel taken to every nation”
RALPH MECKLENBURGER
Rabbi Emeritus Beth-El Congregation
Long before arriving in Fort Worth, Ralph Mecklenburger grew up in suburban Chicago and then went on to study at the University of Cincinnati in 1968, where he graduated magna cum laude. Upon graduation, Mecklenburger attended Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion, where he was ordained in 1972 and then later awarded an honorary doctorate degree in 1997. Since he began serving Beth-El Congregation in 1984, Mecklenburger has impacted the Fort Worth community through serving on multiple boards including the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County. In 1988, he was honored by the Fort Worth Human Relations Commission for “efforts in promoting the peace, progress and welfare of all citizens of the city of Fort Worth.” Mecklenburger retired as the Senior Rabbi of Beth-El in 2016, but remains Rabbi Emeritus.
MICHAEL OLSON Bishop
Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth
Raised in Illinois,
Michael Olson graduated from Quigley Preparatory Seminary North in 1984 and began seminary studies for the Archdiocese of Chicago that year. Before being installed as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth in 2014, Olson transferred as a seminarian to the diocese in 1998.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Not deciding is itself a decision — usually the wrong decision.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “To pray to God for the gift of gratitude for their lives and to be of service to human dignity and the common good of the community.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “To become active and accountable in church and to become active in service to the poor, the vulnerable, as a shared mission of the common good”
Provisional Bishop Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth
Scott Mayer’s roots in Fort Worth were planted as a high schooler, graduating from Southwest High School. Following college, Mayer went on to work in auto sales before he moved to Austin and earned his Master of Divinity from the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in 1992. Mayer, bishop of the Northwest Texas Diocese, in 2015 was appointed provisional bishop of the Fort Worth Diocese – an interim – as it works its way through litigation over the 2008 breakaway of most of the Diocese’s parishes over issues such as women in ministry and ordination of gays.
MOMENTS: "For me, the Holy Eucharist is central. For centuries, Christians of all sorts and conditions have gathered with all the company of heaven to eat a piece of bread and drink a sip of wine, testifying to a Reality within and beyond these simple material elements.” - Answer to a search committee question regarding practices that shape his spiritual discipline
RUSS PETERMAN
Senior Minister
University Christian Church
Russ Peterman, called last year as new senior minister, has served at churches from California to Georgia. His educational background is equally as varied: TCU undergraduate, San Francisco
Theological Seminary Master of Divinity, and Columbia Theological Seminary doctor of ministry. Peterman was ordained in 1995, after serving as the seminary intern at a church in Lafayette, California. He returned to Texas and served at Highlands Christian Church of Dallas, Texas, as the minister of education and youth. He accepted a call as associate minister at a church in Atlanta and then became senior minister at a church in Concord, California, the church where he was baptized as a youth.
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: Runner, cyclist, swimmer. Competes in triathlons, first Ironman in 2016. Yoga, golf, TCU sports.
Senior Pastor
Broadway Baptist Church
Ryon Price began serving as senior pastor at Broadway Baptist Church in August 2017, the popular steeple church that pulled out of the Baptist General Convention of Texas in 2010 in a dispute over gay members. Before coming to Fort Worth, Price served as one of the senior pastors at Second B church in Lubbock beginning in 2010, where he attended church as an undergraduate student at Texas Tech University.
WHAT I’M DOING TODAY: “I'm preaching with my Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “I travel for inspiration. I jog for sanity.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get married again”
Pastor First Presbyterian Church Fort Worth
As pastor of First Presbyterian Church Fort Worth since 2003, Karl Travis’ ministry extends beyond the church doors to institutions like the Presbyterian Night Shelter, James L. West Presbyterian Alzheimer's Care Center, and Trinity Terrace. “I enjoy a broad congregational, denominational, and community ministry.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Play for the long game. Take a job. Finish what you were hired to do. Then, and only then, look for what's next.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE IS: “Join a church. Seriously”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “People everywhere are good, given half a chance to be.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “The U.S. Congress reach agreement on a budget, sensible gun control, a health care policy, and an end to mindless, unreasoning, destructive partisanship”
RAY DAVIS Co-Chairman
Texas
Rangers Baseball Club
Bob Simpson’s partner in the Texas Rangers, Ray Davis, is a longtime oil and gas man like Simpson. He’s chairman and CEO of Avatar Investments L.P., and he co-founded Energy Transfer in 1994 and was co-CEO and co-chairman until he retired in 2007. Davis was appointed to Major League Baseball's Executive Committee in 2015.
MOMENTS: “We’re no better than the players on the field and no better than the scouting and development and people in the office. There are no shortcuts in this business. People have tried to buy championships before without success. You win with people, you build from within, and you try to keep as much payroll flexibility as you possibly can.” - Davis, speaking to a business meeting, D Magazine
JAMIE DIXON Men’s Basketball Coach TCU
Jamie Dixon has put TCU basketball on the amp. His homecoming to his alma mater began when he was hired in March 2016. The program had a huge turnaround in his first year, going from eight total Big 12 wins since joining the conference in 2012, to six Big 12 wins in 2016-2017 season. He led the team to a title at the 2017 NIT Tournament. In 2018, TCU won its first NCAA Tournament berth in years and was defeated in the first round.
HOW I GOT MY START: “My first coaching job was a 10-year-old girls’ team in New Zealand, while I was playing professional basketball over there at the time.”
MOST RECENT BOOK I'VE READ: “Ego Is the Enemy,” by Ryan Holiday I'D PAY TO SEE: “Hamilton”
Senior Rabbi
Beth-El Congregation
Coming from a long line of rabbis, Brian Zimmerman is the 12th in his family. He was raised in New York City and pursued a degree in film and broadcasting from Boston University. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles with the intent of breaking into the film industry until he realized his call to be a rabbi was much stronger. From there, he received a Master of Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles and then was ordained at the Hebrew Union College in New York City in 1993. Prior to Beth-El Congregation, Zimmerman served as the regional and rabbinic director for the South District of the Union for Reform Judaism and also as rabbi to several congregations across the country.
JEREMIAH DONATI Athletic Director
TCU
Jeremiah Donati became TCU’s athletic director in 2017, succeeding Chris Del Conte, who left for the University of Texas. The fast-rising Donati was TCU’s deputy athletics director, playing a major role in facility improvements such as the $164 million rebuild of Amon G. Carter Stadium and $72 million renovation of the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. He also oversaw donor support for the TCU Frog Club, helping the university raise its three highest totals in overall athletic giving. Before TCU, Donati worked as general counsel and director of player representation for Leigh Steinberg Sports and Entertainment. Donati was named the director of the Frog Club, the fundraising arm of TCU athletics, in 2011. He worked with Del Conte to help raise money for the Schollmaier Arena.
EDDIE GOSSAGE CEO
Texas Motor Speedway
Eddie Gossage takes any opportunity he can get to explain that Texas Motor Speedway is just as important to the region as the Dallas Cowboys, and he’s not short on numbers to make his case. Gossage has been the president of TMS since before the speedway stood, but officially, his tenure began when it opened in 1997. In the first 15 years since its opening, the speedway never drew less than 150,000 fans with the exception of weather-delayed events.
MOMENTS: "I don't know how to promote races other than to be almost the carnival barker. That kind of fits. Texans are big and loud and drive those big cars with bull horns on the front of 'em and cowboy hats on and shoot their six-shooters in the air and stuff like that.” - ESPN.com interview
JERRY JONES Owner Dallas Cowboys
Though the Dallas Cowboys had already earned recognition as America’s Team before Jerry Jones purchased them in 1989, Jones has been a major influence in making the Cowboys into one of the biggest and wealthiest sports franchises to date. Jones was born in Los Angeles but soon moved to Arkansas, where he played football at the University of Arkansas and was a co-captain of the 1964 National Championship team. After several failed business venture attempts, Jones finally found success when he began an oil and gas exploration business, Jones Oil and Land Lease. He purchased the team in 1989 from H.R. Bright for a heavily leveraged $140 million, and his influence on the team and NFL since then earned him a prestigious gold jacket and induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
CHARLOTTE JONES-ANDERSON Executive Vice President Dallas Cowboys
Charlotte Jones
Anderson has made a name for herself in the National Football League apart from her father, Jerry Jones. Anderson is executive vice president and chief brand officer of the Cowboys. Her job involves overseeing all business operations, strategies and applications surrounding the team’s brand as it is presented to fans worldwide. She has worked in the executive office since Jones purchased the team in 1989. Anderson also played a prominent role in shaping the design, décor, sponsor integration and overall presentation of AT&T Stadium, which opened in 2009. Anderson, involved in many philanthropic efforts across the Metroplex, was first woman chairman of The Salvation Army’s National Advisory Board, serving from 2010-2014.
Head Football Coach TCU
Since Gary Patterson took over as head football coach of Horned Frogs in 2000, the teams have seen some of their most successful seasons, and the university has enjoyed a jump in profile, quality applicants and fundraising. Patterson reigns as the Horned Frogs’ all-time winningest coach at 149, which includes six conference championships in three leagues. He has won 20 national coach of the year honors, and in 2011, he was named the nation’s top coach by Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine. Patterson has spent 19 years at TCU, including his three years as defensive coordinator. He broke into coaching serving as a graduate assistant for his alma mater, Kansas State University, where he was a strong safety and linebacker for the Wildcats in 1980 and 1981.
STEPHEN JONES CEO Dallas Cowboys
Stephen Jones has played an integral role with the Dallas Cowboys since his father, Jerry Jones, purchased the team in 1989. Jones is CEO, executive vice president of the Cowboys, player personnel director, and president of AT&T Stadium. He manages the organization’s 400-plus employees and handles all of the club’s salary cap and major player contract concerns.
Baseball Coach TCU
Jim Schlossnagle came to TCU as the new head baseball coach in 2003 and has given the program a reputation of excellence ever since. In his first season at TCU, Schlossnagle led the Frogs to a then-school-record 39 wins and their first appearance in the NCAA Regionals since 1994. Flash forward to his 14th season, Schlossnagle became the all-time winningest baseball coach at TCU, holding a record of 615-272. He's led the Horned Frogs to four consecutive College World Series appearances beginning in 2014, as well as twice being named the National Coach of the Year — his first honor in 2010 from the NCBWA and his second in 2016 from Baseball America.
President Tomlinson’s Touching Lives Foundation
LaDainian Tomlinson uses his platform as a former college and professional football player to enrich the lives of young people in both the Dallas-Fort Worth area and San Diego. His Touching Lives Foundation’s mission is “enhancing the lives of deserving families by engaging in programs to promote education, social and cultural awareness, and positive self-esteem.” Tomlinson played football at TCU, 1997-2000, and was selected fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft by San Diego, where he played 11 seasons. As well as earning MVP during Tomlinson’s 2006 NFL season, he was given the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for charitable contributions to his communities. In 2017, Tomlinson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He also has been inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, TCU Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame.
MICHAEL TOTHE
Tournament Director Charles Schwab Challenge
Since 2011, Michael Tothe has overseen the PGA Tour’s annual stop at Fort Worth’s Colonial Country Club. The tournament grosses about $12 million a year, and generates $10-$11 million a year for local charities.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Honesty is the best policy.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Listen and do. If you respond to what leadership is telling you to do, follow through and you will go places. Be resourceful.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE TODAY IS: “Volunteer and find a group of like-minded individuals and participate.”
Craig Rogers President & CEO
This section of The 400 recognizes the increasing contribution of Fort Worth’s angel investing community to the growth of the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem; Fort Worth’s money center banks and vibrant community institutions; micro and SBA lenders; insurance; and private equity sector.
DON ENGLEMAN Managing Partner North Harbor Associates LLC
Alongside running his investment firm, North Harbor Associates LLC, Don Engleman is a founding member of Fort Worth’s Cowtown Angels and serves on its Steering Committee. With a background in law, he is also a judge in Southlake’s Metroport Teen Court.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I was fortunate to be able to work my way through college as a scholarship student. Among the jobs I held were waiter, bartender, lifeguard and carpenter's assistant.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Find what you like and pursue it — you will always be engaged.” WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Snow ski — but at my age, not the back trails”
LES KREIS Managing Partner Bios Partners
Les Kreis is co-founder of Bios Partners with Stella Robertson, herself a sought-after voice on life-sciences angel-investing deals because of her extensive pharma experience. Kreis also is managing principal at Steelhead Capital Management and a founding member of the Cowtown Angels. Kreis started in several early-stage companies with many different positions, including chief operator. For many years, Kreis has served on many boards and invested in over 45 ventures. In 1994, Kreis received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance at TCU.
GEORGE ROBERTSON Principal GrowCo Capital
Serial entrepreneur George Robertson’s field of expertise is health care — he has developed more than 20 health care startups. His companies include medical equipment provider National HME, Inc., and E-Mist Innovations, thrust into the national spotlight when its sprayer was used to disinfect the apartment of Ebola patient Thomas Duncan. His company transactions have ranged from $10 million to $150 million. An active Cowtown Angels investor who advises the group on life-sciences deals, Robertson leads GrowCo Capital, an investment company that assists in the development, management and capitalization of businesses. Robertson works closely with his son, Joshua, a managing partner at GrowCo.
LEE ROGERS CEO
The Rogers Group
Lee Rogers founded The Rogers Group, a local advertising and PR firm, in 1983. Since then, The Rogers Group has helped grow more than 250 companies. He is also the co-founder of investment group Cowtown Angels.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Imagination without funding is hallucination.” WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “I play tennis often but not well. My wife Yvonne and I try to visit every new Fort Worth restaurant before it closes. We travel some, but primarily take advantage of everything to do in Fort Worth-Dallas. [We are] theater aficionados of Bass Performance Hall, Circle Theater, Stage West Theatre and Winspear Opera House.”
MOST RECENT BOOK I’VE READ: “It’s Not About the Coffee by Howard Behar”
Marketing Director
Mactech On-Site
Alongside working as marketing director for Mactech On-Site, Luke Wittenbraker leads the screening committee for angel investor group Cowtown Angels.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I owe all of my success to my parents. They did not pressure me to succeed, but they gave me the tools to do so."
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Not much better than relaxing on the back patio with a few beers, my wife, my two dogs, and burning some meat on my Big Green Egg. I bleed purple. You can almost always find me tailgating or attending a TCU football, basketball, baseball or other sporting event. I enjoy working out with friends at my local workout hole over at CrossFit Iron Horse. Eating biscuits with The Biscuit Club … you know who you are.”
JIM WOMACK Co-Founder
UbiQuai Inc.
A member of the Cowtown Angels, Jim Womack is a part of the angel investing group’s screening committee and steering council. Outside the Angels, Womack specializes in wireless technology, particularly the analysis of technology trends, technology commercialization and development of key intellectual property for standardization. He is the co-founder of UbiQuai, a company that helps companies integrate customized machine-to-machine communication and Internet of Things solutions. He is also the co-inventor of over 100 issued USPTO patents. Womack earned his Executive MBA from SMU and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Oklahoma.
Founded in 1979, LKCM provides investment management services to high net worth individuals, foundations, endowments, investment companies, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts and estates, among other organizations.
“Through a comprehensive investment approach that incorporates proprietary research capabilities, Luther King Capital Management’s corporate mission is to achieve superior returns over a market cycle, commensurate with the objectives and risk profile of each client.”
— J. Luther King, Jr., CFA, CIC President and Founder
ELAINE AGATHER Managing Director/Region Head
JPMorgan
Chase
Before becoming chairman of Chase’s Dallas region, Elaine Agather joined Chemical Bank of New York in 1979 and became chairman of Texas Commerce Bank in Fort Worth in 1992. Agather serves as board member for numerous organizations, including the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, Fossil, Fort Worth Stock Show, and Performing Arts Fort Worth. She is a trustee of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Agather serves as the South Region head for J.P. Morgan Private Bank and manages the private banking business across the region. Agather received her Bachelor of Arts in history and economics at the University of Oklahoma and MBA at The University of Texas.
PETER BENNIS CEO Pinnacle Bank
After graduating Texas State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, Peter Bennis began his career at First City Bancorp as an internal auditor in 1984. He then became a cashier with First State Bank Texas, chartered in Keene, in 1985 before becoming president in 1989. Bennis went back to school to receive a graduate degree in banking at SMU. In 1993, Bennis became first president of the Keene Chamber of Commerce. That eventually landed him in Fort Worth, where he opened a lean production office for Pinnacle Bank at Two City Place downtown in 2010. Later, it would become a five-story development on Lancaster Avenue. Bennis now oversees all 12 Pinnacle locations in Texas.
MARK DRENNAN Region President Southside Bank
In September 2017, Mark Drennan was promoted to new president of the North Texas Region of Southside Bank. Drennan’s leadership posts: Leadership Fort Worth, Vision Fort Worth Advisory Council as part of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Texas Health Resources Research and Education Council, and Fort Worth Metropolitan YMCA.
BEST PEOPLE OF ADVICE I RECEIVED: “Never give up. It's basic but always holds true.”
WHAT I’D TELL PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Focus on developing meaningful relationships; it’s the secret sauce to a successful future.”
BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “Find an organization you are passionate about and get involved.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Without question, coaching my kids’ youth sports teams. It’s been a fun ride.”
JIM DUBOSE Chairman Colonial Savings
Jim DuBose took up the helm at the venerable Colonial Savings, following his father, Jimmy DuBose. Founded in 1952, Colonial is a national, multi-service financial institution, and one of largest servicers of mortgage loans in the U.S., with a servicing portfolio of $26 billion. It is the parent of Colonial National Mortgage, a leading retail mortgage lender; CU Members Mortgage, which provides mortgage services to more than 300 credit unions nationwide; and Colonial Savings, a network of eight consumer/ commercial banks located throughout North Central Texas. It is also affiliated with Colonial Life Insurance Company of Texas, DuBose & Associates Insurance, and Colonial Lloyds.
Fort Worth Market CEO BBVA Compass Bank
Brian Happel leads the Fort Worth market for Compass Bank, responsible for the consumer, commercial and commercial real estate team for Tarrant County. Happel serves on the Downtown Fort Worth Inc., University of Texas at Arlington College of Business, Sportsmen’s Club of Fort Worth, Young Life Fort Worth, and The Art Station boards. He’s a member of the Fort Worth Executive Roundtable. He previously served the Arlington Citizens Budget Review Committee, Fort Worth Arts Council, University of Texas at Arlington Alumni Association, University of Texas at Arlington Athletics Alumni Association, and River Legacy Foundation. He’s also a former Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce board member.
MOMENTS: Happel played football for the Washington Redskins, Baltimore Colts, New York Jets, Washington Federals, San Antonio Gunslingers and Green Bay Packers from 1983 through 1987.
GARY HUDSON Region President
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo split up responsibility for its DFW region last fall, after the longtime banker John Gavin retired. Wells Fargo named Gary Hudson new region president over the west side of the Metroplex. Hudson was already serving as area president for the west side, reporting to Gavin and responsible for 1,000 employees and nearly 80 branches. Gavin had been over the region since 1997. Scott Wallace took over the eastern half of the Metroplex from Gavin, responsible for 1,000 employees and nearly 90 branches.
GRANT JAMES CEO Origin Bank
With over 30 years in the banking industry, Grant James leads the Fort Worth region of Origin Bank. In the community, he has served as director of numerous boards including the TCU Alumni Association, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and United Way of Metro Tarrant County.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “There are no accidents.” WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Make the right decision, or make the decision right. When you accept a job offer, stick with it. Staying in the same job for five to 10 years is beneficial in many ways.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Dubai, and Turks and Caicos”
Tarrant County Market President
Regions Bank
Regions Bank in 2016 relocated its Fort Worth branch to the new, highly visible 60,000-squarefoot office building at West 7th Street and University Drive. Region’s Tarrant County market president, Scott Jones, joined the bank in 2008. He began his 32-year career at InterFirst Bank. Jones serves on the advisory board of the Cenikor Foundation in Fort Worth and executive leadership team of the American Heart Association.
HOW I GOT MY START: “Worked straight out of school in 1986 for Interfirst Bank. Had a mentor that required that I work in most of the positions of the bank before I could become an officer.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Spending New Year’s in Ireland this year. What a fantastic group of people with energy and patriotism. The history was fascinating, and the Guinness wasn't bad either!”
ROBERT MOLLOY Region President Southwest Bank
Since 2007, Robert Molloy has served as regional president of Southwest Bank, Fort Worth’s largest locally owned bank best known for backing local real estate development deals, under Chairman Vernon Bryant and bankers like Lori Baldock, banking center president of the Midtown branch on Fort Worth’s Near Southside. Molloy is a member of the Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. board. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University, where he earned a degree in finance. This spring, Simmons First National Corp. completed a merger with Southwest Bank, which will continue to operate as a division of Simmons Bank.
GREG MORSE CEO
Worthington National Bank
Greg Morse has spent his entire career in the Fort Worth-Dallas area. He helped found Worthington National Bank in Arlington in 2001, which has since grown, adding two offices in Fort Worth and one in Colleyville. In the community, he serves on multiple boards including the Navy Seals Foundation, the Southwest Stock Show and Rodeo, and the Texas Cattle Raisers Foundation.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“Work harder than you are paid to.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “One can't drown in your own sweat.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “Get active in the community. Your volunteerism is your rent to society.”
Fort Worth Market President Comerica Bank
Cody Kiser is market president of Texas’ fifth largest bank, Comerica Bank. He also serves as group manager of Commercial Banking for Fort Worth and North Dallas. In the community, Kiser supports organizations like the Greater DFW Fellowship of Christian Athletes, World Vision, United Way, Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail, and The Branch Church.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Treat people well. No matter how educated, talented, rich or cool you believe you are, how you treat people ultimately tells all.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Spend time with my family. Smoke meat. Avid spectator of football and baseball”
I'D PAY TO SEE: “The Rangers win the World Series”
NOTO JR. CEO-Fort Worth Region First Financial Bank
Martin Noto has 33 years in banking, formerly serving as a senior executive for Origin Bank and BBVA Compass Bank. He serves on the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, and Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. boards.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “A person's past actions will tell you more about a person than their stated intentions.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Take the time and effort to study/learn your craft well.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “I love going to Destin, Florida, with my family. It is relaxing and allows an opportunity to spend time with my adult children.”
MOST RECENT BOOK READ: “I read the Bible every day. Outside of the Bible, my most recent read was Winston Churchill by William Manchester. I enjoy WWII history.”
MARK NURDIN CEO Fort Worth-Bank of Texas
As CEO of Bank of Texas, Mark Nurdin is responsible for overseeing growth strategies in the Fort Worth region. He is also an active member of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and recently served a one-year term as chairman of the board.
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Perth, Australia. My mother-in-law was born there, and she met my father-in-law while he was stationed there with the Navy during World War II. We were blessed to be able to make that trip with them. Australia is a beautiful continent, and its people love Americans, particularly Texans!”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “Texas Tech play in the NCAA National Championship Game. I have a feeling I'm going to be waiting a while.”
Tarrant County President LegacyTexas
Stan O’Neil is the Tarrant County president of LegacyTexas, a $9 million commercial bank based in Plano. O’Neil was instrumental in helping the bank first expand in Tarrant County. As head of the Tarrant County operations, O’Neil leads seven branch offices, commercial and large corporate lending groups, and nearly $600 million in total assets. Prior to joining LegacyTexas in 2007, O’Neil served as regional president of TexasBank, where he managed loan and deposit gathering activities in six branch offices in Northeast Tarrant County, Flower Mound, Denton and Arlington. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in finance from Texas Tech University.
MIKE PAVELL
Fort Worth Market President Bank of America
Mike Pavell serves as Fort Worth market president at Bank of America, as well as senior vice president of the bank’s private wealth management division, U.S. Trust. In the community, Pavell has been involved with organizations like the Neeley Executive Alumni Board at TCU, the Cook Children’s Healthcare Foundation and System, and HeartGift Fort Worth. He is also active at his church, First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth, where he serves as a trustee and elder. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas Christian University and remains an avid Horned Frog sports fan.
CHARLIE POWELL CEO
Ciera Bank
Charlie Powell has served as president and CEO of Ciera Bank since 2015, following a 16-year stint as market president at Bank of Texas. An active member of the community, Powell has served in roles such as regional board chairman of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Board of Directors and member of the Texans Can Academy Regional Board, among numerous other roles.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
“It is not all about you — the greatest joy is being genuinely involved in support of issues that affect and are important in making a better life for others.”
MOST RECENT BOOK I’VE READ: “Come and Take It by Landon Wallace (Dee Kelly, Jr.)”
I'D PAY TO SEE: “The TCU Horned Frogs win a National Championship Football Game! Wow!”
KURT SCHAAL
Fort Worth Market President Capital One Bank
A TCU alumnus, Kurt Schaal started his career as an associate at Bank of America, working his way up at local banks like Southwest Bank and BBVA Compass before becoming Fort Worth market president of Capital One. In the community, Schaal has been involved with organizations like the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth, YWCA of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, and the Amon G. Carter Jr. Downtown YMCA.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“Never take a bad job for a good wage. That was one piece of advice from my father as I neared graduation from TCU that proved to be simple but very valuable.”
I'D PAY TO SEE: “The world! Well, at least each of the seven continents”
MARK W. WARREN
Fort Worth Region Chairman PlainsCapital Bank
A graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, where he earned a degree in finance, Mark W. Warren got his start in the Arlington Bank of Commerce in 1975. He eventually took senior roles at banks like JPMorgan Chase Bank, where he served as senior vice president and senior commercial relationship manager, and PlainsCapital Bank in Arlington, where he was president. Now Fort Worth region chairman, Warren is in charge of operations of PlainsCapital Bank branches in Fort Worth, Weatherford, Arlington, Colleyville and Mansfield. He is also responsible for bank management, business development and recruitment for the Fort Worth market.
Charlie Powell moves at a seemingly warp speed from one meeting to another. You may see him moving between meetings of various community organizations, whether it be JPS Hospital or Make-A-Wish Foundation, as he currently serves each organization as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
He understands that bankers don’t just finance their community - the best bankers also serve their community with their time and talents. Charlie has put the Rotary slogan of “Service Above Self as his life’s mission. He’s doing it well!
As Ciera’s President and CEO, he banks some of the most successful individuals and companies in North Texas ... Because leaders want to do business with fellow leaders.
Ciera Bank congratulates Charlie Powell for living the spirit of Ciera!
Banking that’s true to Texas since 1890!
Eight North Texas locations including: Fort Worth • 1501 Summit Avenue (817)335-5955 Aledo • 301 FM 1187 South (817)441-5200 Member FDIC
DAVID WILLIAMS
Fort
Worth Market
President
Texas Capital Bank
As Fort Worth market president of Texas Capital Bank, David Williams is responsible for leading a team of bankers that focuses on commercial banking, commercial real estate and private client banking. He serves on the boards of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and Cowtown Marathon, and is part of the Cowtown C.A.L.F. Council, helping promote physical fitness in schools and community centers.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
“Half of the things you worry about will never happen and the other half will happen anyway, so why worry!”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “Ronald Reagan discuss politics with Donald Trump”
HADLEY WOERNER President-Tarrant Region Frost Bank
Hadley Woerner oversees all Frost banking and financial services in the Tarrant County region. He got his start working evenings at a bank, sorting checks that had been processed during the day, while at the same time, studying to earn his degree in marketing from Howard Payne University. After graduating, he joined a Texas Hill Country Bank in Kerrville in 1983. Today, in addition to leading Frost Bank’s Tarrant region, he has also been involved with community organizations like Junior Achievement and United Way.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“Your integrity and character are one's most valuable assets.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Explore deserted and pristine beaches of remote Caribbean islands”
Managing Partner
Crestline
Investors
Douglas Bratton has been an investment professional with organizations using alternative asset strategies since 1983. He has extensive experience in hedge fund management, credit strategies, private equity and venture capital. Since 1989, Bratton has managed portfolios using these strategies on behalf of organizations associated with Fort Worth’s Bass family. He’s also negotiated alternative asset related purchases and joint ventures for Bass and Crestline entities. Bratton received a Bachelor of Science from North Carolina State University in 1981 and went on to earn an MBA with Honors from Duke University in 1984. His Crestline Investors has $9.1 billion in assets under management as of October. Bratton serves on the Fort Worth Zoological Association board.
Founding Partner
Amalgamated Gadget, LP
Since 1994, Geoffrey Raynor has served as founding partner at Amalgamated Gadget, LP, a private equity firm doing business as Q Investments. Q Investments managed $1.39 billion in capital at the end of October 2017. Before taking his current role, Raynor was president at Scepter Holdings. He has also previously worked for the Bass family — with whom he assisted in investment operations, including public market securities trading, private equity transactions, and venture capital investments — and Shearson Lehman Brothers. He has a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Princeton University, where he graduated magna cum laude.
DANIEL BERCE CEO GM Financial
Berce hired onto GM Financial in 2010. He was formerly CEO of AmeriCredit Corp. from August 2005 to September 2010 and served before that as president and chief financial officer. Berce was an auditor with Coopers & Lybrand for 14 years and partner with the firm. He is a certified public accountant. GM Financial participates extensively in its communities, choosing philanthropic organizations each year as “Signature Events” and actively supporting those organizations with company-wide initiatives. This year’s U.S. Signature Events: March of Dimes, The Salvation Army, and United Way. In addition to Signature Events, GM Financial and employees support dozens of nonprofit organizations across the U.S. and Canada.
BATES CEO Gus Bates Insurance
and Investments
Gus Stewart Bates received his degree at TCU before becoming the CEO of his own company. Since 1966, Gus Bates Insurance and Investments has been helping clients through insurance and investments. In 1990, Bates built on his father’s legacy. It has evolved ever since.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “There are no shortcuts.” WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Under promise and over deliver.” THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE TODAY IS: “Become involved in local organizations and the Colonial golf tournament.”
MOST RECENT BOOK READ: “Extreme Ownership, Jocko Willink” I’D PAY TO SEE: “Obamacare go away!”
KEN FASOLA CEO HealthMarkets
Since 2010, Fasola has served as CEO and president of HealthMarkets, one of the largest distributors of individual and small group health insurance in the U.S. and one of the fastest growing underwriters of supplemental insurance like dental, vision and critical illness. The company’s new business sales exceed $1.6 billion annually. In the community, Fasola supports organizations like Toys for Tots and Music Camp International.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “When you are explaining, you are losing.” THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “Community service is a great way to get out and expand your personal and professional horizons.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Love Italy!”
JOHN PERGANDE CEO InsureZone
John Pergande is licensed to sell insurance in all 50 states. His InsureZone is used by 35,000 insurance agencies around the U.S. for insurance shopping and policy servicing. He supports organizations like the STAR Scholarship Fund, Cristo Rey, Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation, and Fort Worth Symphony.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I delivered a morning paper route for four years when I was in high school in Green Bay.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Teamwork beats individual excellence in the long run.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “You have talents you do not appreciate or understand yet, but don't expect anyone to know what those are. That is up to you to find out and to leverage as you make your way in the world. Make mistakes. Take chances. Have fun.”
RUSTY REID CEO Higginbotham
In 1989, Rusty Reid became president and CEO of Higginbotham at age 27. He’s grown the company to become Texas’ largest independent insurance brokerage firm, with 27 offices and 930 employees in both the state and Oklahoma City. He supports multiple community organizations including All Saints’ Episcopal School, where he serves as chairman, and the Davey O’Brien Foundation, where he’s an executive board member.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Business is a marathon, not a sprint.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Spend time with my family, whether it’s riding bikes, hunting, flyfishing or snow skiing”
BOOK MOST RECENTLY READ: “The Happiness Hypothesis, by Jonathan Haidt” I'D PAY TO SEE: “TCU in the National Championship”
JEFF DILLARD Principal Tailwind Advisors
Jeff Dillard is a founding principal of Tailwind Advisors, but that isn’t the only thing on his list of experience. In addition to Tailwind, Dillard serves as president of Cobra Oil and Gas Corporation in Wichita Falls. Dillard is formerly a member of the Chancellor’s Advisory Council at TCU, as well as a partner in Fort Construction, Legacy Timber and Sidonian Partners. Dillard also coowns Falls Distributing Company, he’s a shareholder and director of Property Damage Appraisers Inc., and he’s a director of Fidelity Bank in Wichita Falls. Dillard is a member of the World Presidents’ Organization and serves on the board of All Saints’ Episcopal School of Fort Worth.
KING Fort Worth
Region
President Northern Trust
Jeff King opened the Fort Worth office of Northern Trust in March 2013, moving from a post as managing director of the Fort Worth J.P. Morgan Private Bank. King is on the boards of Trinity Metro and the Fort Worth Zoological Association, and he’s chairman of The Cliburn. He’s a past chairman of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and past vice chairman of Cook Children’s Health Foundation.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Show up.”
BEST LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Proofread.” WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Don't be afraid to start at the bottom and put in your time. One day, you'll wake up in charge of the whole darn thing.”
CEO
Luther King Capital Management
Luther King has $15 billion in assets under management today, serving high net worth people, foundations, endowments, investment companies, pensions, profit-sharing plans, and estates. Prior to founding Luther King Capital Management in 1979, King began his career in 1963 as a credit analyst at First National Bank of Fort Worth. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force and joined the Lionel D. Edie & Company as director and manager of the Dallas office. After that company was sold to Manufacturers Hanover Trust, King founded Luther King Capital Management. King has been awarded the Daniel J. Forrestal III Leadership Award for Professional Ethics and Standards of Investment Practice. His firm’s 84 employees include 49 investment and other professionals, 31 CFAs, 7 CPAs and 32 people with MBAs.
SCOTT SPIKER CEO First Command Financial Services
Scott Spiker is the CEO of First Command Financial Services, a firm that serves military servicemen and women and their families. Before his banking career, Spiker was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, serving as the navigator aboard a frigate during a three-year tour of duty traveling to the Indian Ocean.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “If you want job security, find a good organization having problems, and be a big part of the solution set.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Everyone has a contribution they can and want to make. Help people find their spot before you judge them.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Bhutan”
Ed Bass, longtime backer of the Fort Worth Stock Show and efforts to make Fort Worth the nation’s pre-eminent equestrian center, today is focused on construction of the new Dickies Arena. Bass’ Event Facilities Fort Worth nonprofit is raising the money to pay for more than half the arena’s cost. Event Facilities capped the city’s costs at $225 million and guaranteed the remainder of the total construction expense, initially estimated at $450 million. Actual estimated costs have since risen substantially since then; Bass and Event Facilities continue to guarantee everything above the city’s portion. Bass recently participated in the Bass family’s sale of oil and gas assets in the Permian Basin for up to $6.6 billion. He’s also led the family’s real estate investments in Sundance Square downtown.
Bass is the youngest of the four Bass Brothers (Ed, Robert, Sid), who were staked by their uncle Sid Richardson at a total $12 million when he died in 1959. Bass recently participated in the Bass family’s sale of oil and gas assets in the Permian Basin for up to $6.6 billion. He participates in the family’s real estate investments in downtown Fort Worth. He’s a backer of the Fort Worth Zoo and Fort Worth Zoological Association, his wife Ramona Bass’ (see separate profile) passion. The couple made the lead gift to the zoo’s recent $100 million capital campaign.
Bass participated in his family’s sale of oil and gas assets in the Permian Basin last year for up to $6.6 billion, as well as in the family’s real estate investments downtown. Separately, he’s expanded his fixed-based operation American Aero – selling fuel, hangar space, and amenities to pilots and owners of private aircraft – at Fort Worth’s Meacham Airport, that’s challenging Meacham leader Texas Jet for market share. Bass, like his brothers, continues to participate in big ways on the city’s charitable scene. In recent years, he served on a task force that identified alternative sources of funding for the city’s financial commitment to the arts.
Sid Bass personally negotiated last year’s $6.6 billion sale of oil and gas assets to Exxon Mobil with Rex Tillerson, the departing CEO, Forbes reported. In 2015, Bass rescued Blue Bell Ice Cream after a listeria scare shut production down. He participates with his brothers in the family’s real estate investments in downtown’s Sundance Square.
ARDON MOORE President and CEO
Lee M. Bass Inc.
Along with serving as CEO of Lee M. Bass Inc., Lee Bass’ investment vehicle, Ardon Moore is an active member of the community, having served as a trustee of Cook Children’s Medical Center, president of the Fort Worth Zoological Association, and president of All Saints’ Episcopal School. He is also active with the University of Texas, where he serves as a member of the Austin Development Board, Dean’s Circle, and McCombs School of Business. He is vice chairman of University of Texas Investment Management Company. In addition, he served as a trustee of the Texas Water Foundation.
ERIKA HERSH Senior Loan Officer PeopleFund
It might sound strange to have a senior loan officer mentioned among the 400 most influential people in Fort Worth, except that Hersh is regularly identified as a key local piece of the small business capital maze. With experience in lending, grant writing, community outreach, and business assistance and education, Hersh joined PeopleFund in 2012 and served as a communications and outreach coordinator before becoming the Fort Worth area loan officer in 2014. She’s an officer in the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Cowtown Leads Exchange and the Burleson Chamber of Commerce Power of Heels committee.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“Always make your boss look good.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
“Keep God first!”
I'D PAY TO SEE: “Me finish the Cowtown Marathon!”
SUNNY VANDERBECK Managing Partner Satori
Capital
In 2008, Sunny Vanderbeck and Randy Eisenman (see separate profile) co-founded Satori Capital. Vanderbeck previously spent 11 years as CEO of a managed services and utility computing provider, Data Return, he co-founded; and that reached $50 million in revenue after three years. The company drew investment from Compaq, Level 3, and Microsoft, and went public, achieving a market cap of more than $3 billion and making Vanderbeck one of the youngest CEOs of a NASDAQ-listed company.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “The top of the mountain isn't the end; it's a great place to see where you'll go next.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “The skill you need to succeed is — just don't quit. Go one more step. Keep going.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Papua New Guinea; ask me again after my upcoming trip to Patagonia.”
JAMES COULTER Co-CEO TPG Group
James Coulter is co-founder, co-CEO, managing partner and founding partner of TPG, whose brand investments include Airbnb, Burger King, Chobani, Ducati, Hotwire, Lenovo, McAfee, Neiman Marcus, Norwegian Cruise Line and Petco. Coulter received an MBA from Stanford University. He’s a former adviser to investor Robert Bass, serving as a vice president for Bass’ Keystone Group, L.P. Coulter also has served on the Stanford and Dartmouth College boards. He’s the founder of Coulter IDEAPitch at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. He’s served on the boards of SunEdison, Neiman Marcus Group, US Airways Group, and Gate Gourmet Switzerland.
RANDY EISENMAN Managing Partner Satori Capital
In 2008, Randy Eisenman and Sunny Vanderbeck (see separate profile) cofounded Satori Capital. Eisenman likes to say he “operates at the intersection of his passions of investing, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.” He and Vanderbeck founded Satori on the bedrock of Conscious Capitalism, the principle that companies are most successful when they’re looking after the interests of all stakeholders. Eisenman previously spent 10 years at Q Investments, a private investment firm founded by former Bass family professionals. Eisenman launched the firm’s private equity business, including Handango, to capitalize on the emerging mobile apps market.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Spend time reflecting on the big questions — who are you, who do you want to be, why are you here, what do you want to create in the world — then align your life around this vision.”
WILLIAM HALL CEO
Align Capital
Hall, who lives in Fort Worth, is CEO of the Austin-based Align, a private equity firm specializing in family office investments in energy, technology and traditional private equity investments. Hall serves on the Fort Worth Zoological Association board. Hall is a certified public accountant.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “My advice is work toward an accounting or law degree if you attend college; both paths teach logic and problem-solving, which relates to anything in life.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “South of France. When our children were small, we started a tradition of an annual trip to France at the first of June. We rented a house and spent quality time with our four children and their grandparents like we were living in a foreign country.”
CRAIG KELLY President Kelly Capital Partners
Lifelong Fort Worth resident Craig Kelly has spent more than 30 years in commercial real estate. He is the founder and president of Kelly Capital Partners, which since 2005 has raised over $200 million in private equity for various investment opportunities and invested in assets valued at over $600 million. In the community, Kelly, brother of Kelly Hart and Hallman lawyer Dee Kelly Jr. (see separate profile), has served on many boards including Trinity Bank, All Saints' Episcopal School, The Cliburn, and DFW Center for Autism.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Listen to my wife.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Focus on what you do best. Don’t try to be everything to everybody.”
MOST RECENT BOOK I'VE READ: “The Election, by Landon Wallace (Dee Kelly Jr.)”
WILLIAM F.
“FROSTY”
TEMPEL Chief Investment Officer Reynolds Capital Partners
Frosty Tempel manages investments for the Reynolds family vehicle (see Walt and Donald Reynolds, Jr., Industry). He worked early on for the Bass family and their late adviser Tommy Taylor in his 30 years in investments. He’s served the Lena Pope Home, Longhorn Council of the BSA and alma mater TCU. He and his wife, Sarah, are Fort Worth public school advocates.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I was very blessed to work for Salomon Brothers in investment banking right out of TCU and have the Bass family, Tommy Taylor and Doug Bratton give me opportunities early in my career.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I'VE LEARNED: “Ask anyone in the autumn of this life or within visibility of leaving this world, and they will tell you that the only thing that matters are the people they love.”
JAMES STOKES JR.
Executive Director Alliance Lending Corp.
James Stokes’ Alliance Lending Corp. helps fill a gap in Fort Worth’s small business lending ecosystem, offering long-term, low-interest SBA 504 loans for the purchase of assets like real estate and capital equipment; construction costs; and related costs. Stokes is charter and past president of the North Texas Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, where he’s a current board member. He’s also secretary of the National Association of Development Companies. Both groups speak to national legislators on issues related to small business borrowers and lenders.
The bank is pleased to announce that Mark Drennan, Regional President, North Texas has been selected as one of the Fort Worth Inc.’s Most Powerful People. Congratulations to Mark and all the other deserving recipients!
Southside Bank has been serving local communities in Texas since 1960. Today services that meet your banking needs.
Victor
J. Boschini, Jr. Chancellor
Eddie Clark TCU Trustee
Congratulations to these Horned Frogs honored as F W ’s 400
Jamie Dixon Head Coach, TCU Basketball
Homer Erekson Dean, Neeley School of Business
Stuart Flynn TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine
Mark L. Johnson Chairman, TCU Board of Trustees
Gary Patterson Head Coach, TCU Football
Jim Schlossnagle Head Coach, TCU Baseball
This segment of The 400 recognizes leaders from Fort Worth’s educational community, including colleges, universities, and public and private schools. Among the influencers: Kent Scribner, superintendent of the Fort Worth public schools, who’s led a successful $750 million bond package and academic improvement among the district’s students. We also include Pete Geren, CEO of the Sid Richardson Foundation, for the foundation’s continued interest and investments in educational projects.
APPLEMAN President Tarrant County College Board
Louise Appelman has been a member of the Tarrant County College Board of Trustees since 1988. The board took flack for acquiring the RadioShack campus while it was building nearby, but Appelman stood ground, noting the process was public. She’s lent her time and profile to numerous other local organizations, including the United Way Women’s Leadership Council, Junior League of Fort Worth, and the Arts Council of Fort Worth & Tarrant County. She also served as director of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. She also runs her own company, Appleman & Associates, which helps businesses recruit and relocate employees to Fort Worth.
VICTOR BOSCHINI Chancellor TCU
Affectionately known to students as “V Bo,” Victor Boschini has been chancellor at TCU since 2003. The university has experienced tremendous growth under Boschini, from massive facility renovations across campus (including the renovation of the Brown-Lupton University Union and Amon G. Carter Stadium) to athletic advancements (like joining the Big 12 Conference). Boschini has enjoyed TCU’s surge in profile, quality applicants and money since the Frogs won the Rose Bowl. Additionally, Boschini is a professor, teaching a freshman course each year in the College of Education. Boschini is a board member of the State Farm Company Mutual, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, The Cliburn, and Moncrief Cancer Institute.
President Tarleton State University
Dominic Dottavio became 15th president of Tarleton State University in 2008, leading a university with six academic colleges, 1,100 faculty and staff, and more than 13,000 students. He’s presiding over the university’s construction of an 80-acre Fort Worth campus in the Chisholm Trail corridor.
HOW I GOT MY START: “Climbing trees for the U.S. Forest Service on a research project to stop the spread of gypsy moths”
WHAT’D I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “It is important to align yourself with a set of core values that will positively affect the lives of others – and abide by them every day.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “The Cleveland Browns win the Super Bowl and the Cleveland Indians win the World Series in the same year. Actually, I think I'd pay to see either one!”
Dean TCU Neeley School of Business
Homer Erekson, a TCU alumnus, was named Neeley dean in 2008. Neeley has significantly boosted its numbers of students, brought in more faculty, broadened offerings, and steadily risen in B-school rankings (U.S. News moved the full-time MBA to unranked for this year after TCU selfreported a significant data reporting error, immediately following publication of the 2019 ranking). Ten years in, Erekson announced in May that he would step down as dean next year and remain as a faculty member.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Set personal and professional priorities, with family and friends at the top of the list.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Watching TCU football, baseball and basketball; attending Broadway plays and music concerts; playing golf, snorkeling and biking; enjoying activities with family and friends; playing with my dog, Callie”
Chancellor
Tarrant County College
Eugene Giovannini became TCC chancellor in 2016 following Erma Johnson Hadley’s death. Previously, he was founding president of Maricopa Corporate College in Arizona.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Don't let your opinions be the collective ignorance of others."
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: "Don't assume anything. I also have learned that you can avoid a lot of mistakes by recognizing that what might work really well in one place can fail miserably at the next.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Get as much varied experience as possible.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “Having just relocated here two years ago, I can say that there are so many facets to this community. There are countless opportunities to get involved.”
MOST RECENT BOOK I’VE READ: “Culture Shock by Chip Ingram”
VISTASP KARBHARI President University of Texas at Arlington
Vistasp Karbhari oversees the advancement of the University of Texas at Arlington’s profile, research programs, faculty and staff, and 49,000 students. He’s also an engineering professor.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Never let others tell you that something cannot be done or that it’s impossible, and have faith in one’s abilities to move mountains through hard work.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Believe that with effort you can make your dreams a reality.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Listen to music and play with dog Gabriella”
MOST RECENT BOOK I'VE READ: “The Four by Scott Galloway” I WOULD PAY TO SEE: “Mars”
About 65 percent of UTA’s 210,000 alumni—like Fort Worth mayor Betsy Price—live in North Texas, shaping our communities and contributing to our annual economic impact of $12.8 billion in the region.
LESA ROE Chancellor
University of North Texas
The new chancellor of the University of North Texas, Lesa Roe, was hired in October 2017, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the UNT System. As CEO, she oversees more than 10,000 employees and three UNT campuses, including the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth and the main Denton campus. Before joining the university, she worked for NASA as acting deputy administrator. In this role, she managed 17,000 NASA employees and 10 field centers across the nation. She was first woman director of the NASA Langley Research Center. In the local community, she serves on the boards of the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Dallas, Inc.
President Texas Wesleyan University
Fred Slabach has been president of Texas Wesleyan University since 2011, instrumental in implementing the university’s 2020 Vision — a strategic plan to improve the school’s facilities, student experience, finances and academic reputation. Under Slabach, Texas Wesleyan has made more than $50 million in capital improvements to the campus, seen an increase in enrollment, and also brought football back to the university after 75 years. Before joining Texas Wesleyan, Slabach was CEO of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation in Washington, D.C. In the community, Slabach is involved with the Development Corporation of Tarrant County, Southeast Fort Worth, Inc., and Fort Worth Sister Cities, among other organizations.
All Saints' Episcopal School
Tad Bird has been head of school at All Saints’ Episcopal School since 1998, overseeing day-to-day operations, strategic long-range planning, curriculum development, and fundraising. Before All Saints’, he was headmaster of The Trinity School of Texas in Longview, head of upper school and dean of students for St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin, and associate admission director for Christchurch School in Christchurch, Virginia. He serves as a board member for the Episcopal Church Foundation and HOPE Farm and is a lector and lay eucharist minister with All Saints' Episcopal School and Church. He has a doctorate of ministry in educational leadership from Virginia Theological Seminary.
Trinity Valley School
Ian Craig in 2016 became head of Trinity Valley School, a K-12 coed independent college preparatory school. He has a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and master’s degree from New York University, and also completed coursework at Harvard.
HOW I GOT MY START: “Both of my parents are educators, and it was a natural path for me.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Patience is a virtue – when making important decisions, take your time and collect all of the pertinent information.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Choose something you love to do as your path and embrace any relevant opportunities, regardless of how menial they may seem. You never know when an opportunity will arise.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “A sled dog ride in Aspen, Colorado”
President Sid Richardson Foundation
Pete Geren became CEO of the Sid Richardson Foundation in 2011. This foundation provides grants to nonprofit Texas organizations that offer innovative and inclusive education, health, human service and culture programs. Among its recent grants: $125,000 to enroll Fort Worth public school students from the Morningside program in educational programs at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. Before joining Sid Richardson, he was secretary of the Army, where he managed a $140 billion annual budget and 1.1 million active, Guard, and Reserve soldiers. He was U.S. representative for Texas’ 12th Congressional District, serving four terms from 1989 to 1997. His brother is state Rep. Charlie Geren.
ERIC LOMBARDI CEO
Fort Worth Country Day School
Dallas native Eric Lombardi became the sixth head of school for Fort Worth Country Day in 2015. He has spent more than 30 years in education — prior to coming to Country Day, Lombardi served as head of middle school at St. John’s School in Houston.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “In 30 minutes of disagreement, find 30 seconds of agreement.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE
LEARNED: “The seemingly smallest experience in a child's early life might become the largest in their adult life.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Seek and use mentors.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE TODAY IS: “As a fellow audience member, whether in a theater or at a game”
“With his unwavering commitment to improving opportunities for students and researchers, President Dottavio is very deserving of this honor. There is no limit to what is possible for Tarleton under his leadership.”
“WWith his un n a wa e ve i ring g commitmeent to improving for studdents
Texas
A&M University System
John Sharp Chancellor, The
President Dottavio came to Tarleton 10 years ago committed to continue the tradition of academic excellence and motivated to move us forward to being the premier student-focused university in Texas and beyond.
Thanks to his robust leadership, forward thinking and commitment to our core values and quality education, we’re closing in on our goal.
More degrees. More programs. More opportunities for real-world learning.
New partnerships. New buildings. New campus in Fort Worth.
Thanks, President Dottavio. You bleed purple. And we’re all the better for it.
MARCELO CAVAZOS Superintendent Arlington Independent School District
Marcelo Cavazos began as a teacher. His first teaching job was at the Mission Consolidated Independent School District, where he taught English. He taught and held leadership roles at other Texas districts before he joined the Arlington Independent School District as associate superintendent for instruction in 1999. Cavazos became superintendent in 2012. He’s president of the Texas School Alliance and serves on the boards of organizations like SafeHaven of Tarrant County, United Way of Tarrant County and Arlington ISD Education Foundation.
TOBI JACKSON President Fort Worth Independent School District Board
Tobi Jackson grew up in East Fort Worth, attending Eastern Hills Elementary, Meadowbrook Middle School, and Eastern Hills High School. She stayed local for college, attending the University of Texas at Arlington for her bachelor’s degree and the University of North Texas for her master’s. In 2010, she was elected president of the Fort Worth ISD board. She has served in multiple other organizations, including the Tarrant County Cultural Facilities Finance Corporation and Vision East Lancaster. She and her husband, Bruce, helped initiate the adoption of Eastern Hills Park in 2012, as well as develop Mission Arlington’s Shoes to Share program.
Principal
R.L. Paschal High School
Terri Mossige has been in Fort Worth education since 1996, holding various positions in other schools before coming to Paschal and building on its high-performing history that has families paying top dollar to pack the attendance zone. She helped develop FWISD’s Texas Academy of Biomedical Sciences for students interested in medicine. Mossige, a rising star, this summer took a job as an assistant superintendent at a Houston school district. The Fort Worth ISD announced her replacement, Troy Langston, the TABS principal, in July.
I’VE RECEIVED: “Trust God and through Him all things are possible. You are not alone. Also, always remember your true north — be the oak tree. When winds are blowing, stand strong for what you believe, and make those values guide your actions.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “I am a mountain girl, so I will always say Colorado. Nothing is better than getting lost on a trail or sitting beside a river listening to the sounds of silence and nature.”
KENT SCRIBNER Superintendent
Fort Worth Independent School District
Kent Scribner joined the Fort Worth Independent School District in 2015 and oversees more than 87,000 students and 11,000 employees. With just 34 percent of Fort Worth ISD thirdgraders reading on level and public education considered a critical piece in the city’s ability to attract and keep highpaying jobs, Scribner, with Mayor Betsy Price and business leader Matt Rose, launched the 100x25 initiative to have 100 percent of third-grade students reading at grade level by 2025. Voters approved a $750 million bond package last year. Other accomplishments: growth of college scholarship opportunities for students (by 80 percent to more than $65 million) and the groundbreaking of the I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and Visual and Performing Arts.
Congratulations to life-long educator, TCC Chancellor Eugene Giovannini, TCC Board of Trustees President Louise Appleman, and their fellow honorees, as well as the 2,086 TCC instructors dedicated to developing “everyday heroes” who make our region a better, safer and higher-quality place to live, learn, work and play.
Serving more than 100,000 students each year, TCC is one of the 20 largest higher education institutions in the United States. The two-year college offers a wide range of opportunities for learners of all ages and backgrounds, including traditional programs, such as Associate of Arts/Science degrees, Community & Industry Education courses and customized training programs for area employers through its Workforce and Corporate Services. TCC has six campuses throughout Tarrant County including TCC Connect, with e-Learning and Weekend College.
Mayor Betsy Price • David Cooke, City Manager • Jay Chapa, Assistant City Manager • Joel Fitzgerald, Chief of Police
Robert Sturns, Director of Economic Development • Carlos Flores, Councilmember for District 2
Brian Byrd, Councilmember for District 3 • Cary Moon, Councilmember for District 4 • Gyna Bivens, Councilmember for District 5
Jungus Jordan, Councilmember for District 6 • Dennis Shingleton, Councilmember for District 7
Kelly Allen Gray, Councilmember for District 8 • Ann Zadeh, Councilmember for District 9
This section of The 400 recognizes city, county, state, congressional and local military leaders. It also recognizes leaders of Tarrant County’s economic development team. Among the influencers: Brandom Gengelbach and Robert Sturns, economic development leaders for the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and City of Fort Worth, and entrepreneur Darlene Boudreaux, director of the TECH Fort Worth incubator who founded the Cowtown Angels investing group and is cultivating next-generation life sciences startups.
City Council
Fort Worth
Gyna Bivens was elected in 2013 to represent a swath of Fort Worth that stretches from Stop Six to Trinity Lakes in the HEB school district to CentrePort, south of DFW Airport. Challenges vary, from managing infrastructure projects around the growing Trinity Lakes to trying to spur redevelopment in Stop Six, where the city’s Cavile Place master plan has gone dead. Away from the council, Bivens, a former broadcast journalist, is executive director of North Texas LEAD (North Texas Leaders and Executives Advocating Diversity), an organization that looks to find and develop diverse candidates and match them to jobs.
Executive Director
TECH Fort Worth
Darlene Boudreaux was semi-retired when she joined TECH Fort Worth in 2006 after selling a contract pharma manufacturing company she built. At the TECH Fort Worth incubator, she’s nurtured numerous startups from Fort Worth’s budding life sciences scene, including Encore Vision, which sold last year for $465 million to Alcon.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I saw a notice on a bulletin board at DePauw University and signed up for an interview with Arthur Andersen. I was a liberal arts major with only two accounting courses. I was only planning to practice my interviewing skills. And they hired me!”
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Focus on the horizon, not on the choppy waves in front of you.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “School isn't over when you get your degree.”
MIKE BRENNAN CEO
Near Southside Inc.
Brennan, Near Southside’s planning director, replaced Paul Paine this spring as CEO. Brennan, who received his master’s degree in urban planning from Harvard in 1999, is one of the city’s thought leaders in creating the sort of active, dense, transit-served interior-city neighborhoods and mixed-use districts that Fort Worth wants more of to attract and retain creatives. Brennan earned his certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners in 2002 before joining Near Southside Inc. in early 2006, after working for the City of Fort Worth’s Planning Department. Since working at Near Southside, Brennan has received the Driehaus Award from the FormBased Codes Institute, presented at the Congress for the New Urbanism in 2008. He serves as chairman for Fort Worth Bike Sharing Inc. and represents District 9 on the City Plan Commission.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Tarrant County
Roy C. Brooks was elected commissioner and took office in January 2005, representing a big piece of Fort Worth. Brooks has led in many programs, including the Tarrant County Ex-Offender Re-Entry Program to re-assimiliate people just released from prisons; Nurse Family Partnership, a program for first-time mothers and their children; and a Blue Ribbon Task Force on Health Care for the Homeless. Brooks founded the Generation Hope Laptop Program, a college preparatory program targeting middle school children. Now under the Tarrant County College administration, the program provides student with laptops, STEM-based curriculum and college readiness sessions across Tarrant County.
Fort Worth
Brian Byrd didn’t take long after being elected to the City Council, serving part of the West Side, before trying to have an impact. He’s taken on the troubled Las Vegas Trail corridor, rife with crime and drugs and sacked by poverty, as his signature issue. Byrd, a physician, grew up in Fort Worth and graduated from Arlington Heights High School. Byrd and his wife, Stephanie, moved back to Fort Worth in 2001 after living in Waco, and Byrd opened his practice, Texas Family Health. Byrd, who is a former pastor and CEO of Texas Hospice, now is a volunteer executive pastor at Christ Fellowship Church in Fort Worth.
Assistant City Manager
Fort Worth
Jay Chapa has spent nearly two decades with the City of Fort Worth, working in various roles, most recently leading the $400 million bond program for streets, parks, fire, animal control, and police. Before becoming assistant city manager, Chapa served as director of economic development, over business development, retention and recruitment, and other business affairs for the city. Outside city government, Chapa worked at BNSF Railway as public policy director. He is a graduate of Texas Tech University and earned his master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Texas.
DAVID COOKE City Manager
Fort Worth
David Cooke has been serving as Fort Worth city manager since June 2014, in charge of implementing policies by the mayor and City Council, as well as managing the $1.6 billion city budget. Before taking on the role of city manager, Cooke worked as county manager for 13 1/2 years in Wake County, North Carolina. Cooke went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for his undergraduate and graduate degrees in public administration. He spent 12 years with the City of Charlotte, North Carolina, before making his way to Texas.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Tarrant County
Gary Fickes has 30 years of community involvement under his belt. Today, he serves as county commissioner, overseeing Northeast Tarrant County’s Precinct 3, one of the fastest-growing precincts with a population approaching 500,000. Fickes graduated from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science. Focused on health care, having served as chairman of Harris Methodist Hospital HEB and a trustee for the Harris Methodist Health Foundation, he has helped create three new school-based clinics in Precinct 3. Other priorities include transportation, seniors and economic development.
JOEL FITZGERALD Police Chief Fort Worth
Joel Fitzgerald’s not had it easy since Fort Worth hired him as top cop in 2015 to replace Jeff Halstead. Fitzgerald’s sparred with the Fort Worth Police Officers Association over consistency of discipline and other issues. Fitzgerald even sparred with the highly active Fairmount neighborhood after he tried to shut down a popular neighborhood patrol officer’s use of Facebook to keep neighbors updated about crime and suspects. Fitzgerald began his career as a Philadelphia police officer, where he worked 17 years before winning jobs as chief in Missouri, Texas, and Allentown, Pennsylvania. Fitzgerald holds a Ph.D. in business administration with a minor in public administration and an MBA.
A third-generation Fort Worthian, Carlos Flores was elected to the Fort Worth City Council in 2017, following the retirement of longtime councilman Sal Espino. Flores represents District 2, which covers the historic North Side and extends north of the Loop into the southern portion of the I-35 Corridor. Flores’ plate includes the controversial Majestic-Hickman redevelopment plan for much of the historic Stockyards property east of North Main Street and growth in the Alliance Corridor. Flores recently sided against a controversial planned apartment development in the I-35 Corridor that had affordable housing units that some neighbors protested. Flores voted “no,” citing traffic concerns. Flores’ eventual run for the council was widely anticipated. He’d served on the Fort Worth Zoning Commission, Building Standards Commission, and Stockyards Redevelopment Task Force.
Executive Vice President Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce
Brandom Gengelbach heads the chamber’s economic development team that recently worked with the city to write a comprehensive plan that addressed Fort Worth’s branding issues and lack of cohesive approach for attracting and retaining highly desirable employers. The chamber’s Fortify plan, which was released along with one by the city, substantially increased the chamber’s economic development staff, including four senior people who will address business recruitment and retention; talent development, attraction and retention; small business and entrepreneur support; and government advocacy. After growing up in Houston, Gengelbach went to Samford University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in journalism before attending the University of Southampton near London for his MBA.
CHARLIE GEREN
State Representative
Charlie Geren, a Republican representing Fort Worth’s District 99, has been a Texas House member since November 2000. He won the Republican nomination for re-election this spring, defeating Bo French, who’s run against him twice in the last two years. Geren serves as chairman of the Committee on House Administration, and he’s a member of the Calendars, Licensing & Administrative Procedures, and State Affairs Committees. He has been named one of the “Top 10 Texas Legislators” twice by Texas Monthly magazine. He’s active in the Fort Worth Stock Show, and he serves on the boards of Ronald McDonald House, Fort Worth Zoological Association, Junior Achievement, and TCU.
President Trinity River Vision Authority
JD Granger has his hands full managing pieces of the massive $910 million flood control and Panther Island riverfront redevelopment project in Fort Worth. Granger teamed with his mother, U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, (see separate profile) R-Fort Worth, to secure the federal funding for the project. In addition to his work at Trinity River Vision, Granger serves on the boards of Texas Society of Architects, Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council, Streams and Valleys, and Fort Worth Zoological Association. He is also an active member of the Urban Land Institute. Granger attended Texas A&M University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics before graduating from South Texas College of Law.
U.S. Representative Fort Worth
Kay Granger was elected into her 11th term in 2016 representing Fort Worth in Congress. With defense spending an important piece of the federal budget for Fort Worth, Granger’s a member of the House Appropriations Committee and chair of its defense subcommittee. “Our military must have the resources it needs to respond to and deter threats from countries like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, and also counter violent extremists throughout the world,” Granger said in June, as the House Committee released its proposed fiscal 2019 defense bill. The proposed bill “ensures the joint force has the depth, flexibility, readiness and responsiveness that ensures our men and women will never face a fair fight.” Granger was first woman mayor of Fort Worth. Granger was born in Greenville and raised in Fort Worth.
City Council
Fort Worth
Kelly Allen Gray represents the city’s District 8, which includes Poly. Skeptical of developers, she’s frequently rejected project proposals for the development-hungry district, while supporting others, such as a new plan to turn a mortuary into a movie theater and the construction of a mixed-use development out of shipping containers (both in the Evans-Rosedale district), a proposal she was skeptical of. Gray's numerous critics say she is inconsistent. “I am very protective,” she said in an interview this spring. “So because of that, I have this reputation.” A graduate of Polytechnic High School and Texas A&M-Commerce, she got her start serving District 8 when she once went door to door collecting money for the family of a neighbor who had died. Gray is also chair of the Trinity Habitat for Humanity Advisory Committee and a Texas Wesleyan University trustee.
JOHN HERNANDEZ CEO
Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
John Hernandez has been CEO of Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce since 2015, after serving two terms as a board member. Hernandez has more than 20 years of business experience, previously working for Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Two things come to mind: One is, at every meeting, you have an opportunity to learn something and to teach something. Always keep an open mind. Second one is, regardless of your experience and background, your relationships and network are the most valuable assets.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “I draw and design custom interiors for classic cars. I stay active by boxing and playing golf. I spend down time with friends and enjoy watching football.”
BOB JAMESON CEO
Visit Fort Worth
Bob Jameson worked in the hospitality field for 35 years before becoming CEO of Visit Fort Worth (formerly the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau) in January 2013. The CVB rebranded itself earlier this year and, led by Jameson and senior Visit Fort Worth executive Mitch Whitten, hosted a house at the annual South by Southwest techfest in Austin, presenting Fort Worth as a next-generation hip city. A West Coaster, Jameson was born in Long Beach and raised in Garden Grove. He graduated from the University of San Francisco in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in history. He has a background in hotels, having served as Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth general manager before taking the job at the bureau. He’s a member of the Executive Committee of the board of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. and of The Cliburn.
Fort Worth
Jungus Jordan was elected to his first term on the City Council in June 2005 and was re-elected for his seventh term in May 2017 for District 6, which covers the far south and southwest portions of Fort Worth, including Wedgwood and neighborhoods along the Chisholm Trail. Jordan likes to tackle transportation issues on the council. As a Fort Worth native, Jordan attended TCU for his undergraduate degree in economics. He earned his master’s degree in management from Webster University and graduated from the Management Executive Program at Cornell University and is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel. Jordan is involved in numerous charitable organizations, including the American Red Cross, Senior Citizens Services and Rotary Club.
JEFF LAW Executive Director Tarrant Appraisal District
Jeff Law is easily the most questioned person on The 400, as chief appraiser of the Tarrant Appraisal District, the body responsible for setting the valuations that the region’s property taxes are based on annually.
HOW I GOT MY START: “You don't grow up wanting to be in the property tax business, but when you are young, you will accept any job. I started my journey in the property tax appraisal world in the mapping department, learning about deeds, maps and property ownership at the Tarrant Appraisal District.” WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Be patient in your career — time can be your friend. You are not going to have today all the things your mom and dad spent a lifetime achieving. Enjoy the journey.”
STACY MARSHALL
Executive Director
Southeast Fort Worth, Inc.
Stacy Marshall leads Southeast Fort Worth, Inc., an economic development organization responsible for helping revitalize the city’s southeast side. Since Marshall joined the group in 2015, Southeast Fort Worth Inc. has diversified and increased the number of members on the organization’s board (from six to 17), as well as increased its budget from $125,000 to $236,000 in 2017, dedicating more funding toward outreach, part-time staff, and marketing. Marshall previously was president and CEO of the Lancaster Area Chamber of Commerce.
JUDY MCDONALD
Executive Director
Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County
Judy McDonald has served as executive director at Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County since 1996, managing a $65 million budget and six full-service workforce centers in the area. Under McDonald, the organization has been recognized by the Texas Workforce Commission and National Association of Workforce Boards and has also begun a DFW Regional Workforce Leadership Council. McDonald serves on the board of the Workforce Development Council for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. She has been involved with organizations and committees like the Tarrant County College Employer Advisory Committee and the Arlington and Fort Worth chambers of commerce. She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington.
Cary Moon has served on the Fort Worth City Council since 2015, representing District 4, which stretches from Woodhaven to the east side of I-35 and runs into the Alliance Corridor. Moon is a real estate investor and business operator, whose holdings include restaurants and the real estate underneath them, medical office, and the Arlington Music Hall. His holdings include a strip of downtown Keller real estate and restaurants (Texas Bleu, Keller Tavern). Moon also is an ex-community bank CEO. Within the city government, Moon has served on multiple boards including the Fort Worth Tax Increment Finance Districts 7 and 13, and the Public Housing Finance Commission.
Betsy Price has put together a diverse coalition in her four terms as mayor. Worried that too few voters were turning out for local elections, Price launched Steer FW, a young leaders group, to engage new voters. The city’s post-recessionary budget returned to stability early on under Price’s tenure. Infrastructure needs and pension costs continue to put pressure on the city, which has tackled them under Price's tenure. Council elections are nonpartisan, but the council voted 5-4 along generally understood partisan lines against joining a lawsuit over the state’s Senate Bill 4, which allows police to ask people about their immigration status. Price voted “no,” and Fort Worth was Texas’ only major city that didn’t join the suit. Price’s healthy city initiatives generally play well but led to grumbles in some quarters about overreach.
Fort Worth
Dennis Shingleton became a city resident and was spurred to pursue elected office after Fort Worth annexed his Lake Country neighborhood in northwest Tarrant County; Shingleton was president of the Lake Country Property Owners Association. He’s been a council member since July 2011. In 2016, council members elected him mayor pro tem. Shingleton’s odd-shaped district starts in the Cultural District and sweeps through west Fort Worth north of Interstate 30, around Loop 820 and up into the Alliance Corridor. Shingleton, a retired Army officer, served 32 years. He was a colonel and chief of staff for the 807th Medical Brigade. He graduated from Duquesne University with Bachelor and Master of Science degrees before receiving his MBA from TCU.
ROBERT STURNS Economic Development Director
Fort Worth
The son of former DFW Airport executive director Vernell Sturns, Robert Sturns leads the city’s economic development department and is partner to Fort Worth Chamber Economic Development director Brandom Gengelbach.
HOW I GOT MY START: “My family has always been involved in local government and public service, but it really wasn’t my career path starting out. I spent almost seven years in commercial real estate before switching to banking in the late ’90s.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “I love to run along the Trinity Trials or go hiking. I do crossfit and weightlifting on a regular basis. I have a group of friends that have a band, and they occasionally let me dabble as a singer. But most of all, I really just enjoy spending time with my family.”
President Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.
Andy Taft, a Floridian, joined Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., as president in 2003. DFWI is Fort Worth’s downtown advocacy organization, and it manages the downtown planning and implementation process, two public improvement districts, the downtown Tax Increment Finance District, two city parks, the MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival and Parade of Lights.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Pay your dues. Meet people, don't let technology get between you and others … be a person, not an email or text.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “Introduce yourself. Bashfulness isn't the Fort Worth way.”
MOST RECENT BOOK I'VE READ: “Overload by Tom Schieffer”
Tarrant County
Whitley attended Grand Prairie High School before graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in accounting. After college, he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve and in 1983 co-founded the accounting firm Whitley Penn. He was elected Tarrant County Judge in 2006 after being elected Tarrant County Commissioner in 1996. Under Whitley, Tarrant County has implemented a transportation bond package, improved access to JPS Health Network and lowered its tax rate. Whitley serves as a member of the University of North Texas System Board of Regents.
Mayor
Arlington
Williams, elected mayor in 2015, is president of the Graham Associates engineering and planning firm. He has worked on a host of projects: AT&T Stadium, Interstate 30 Three Bridges Project, Globe Life Park, River Legacy Living Science Center, Parks at Arlington, Viridian development and Richard Greene Linear Park. Williams has long served on numerous local boards and committees.
“Since a young age, I was always reminded to not lose sight of the big picture: to glorify the name of Jesus in all that I do and to always take care of my family.”
MOST VALUABLE
LEARNED: “As a student government officer in college, an administrator and close advisor once told me that I would be far more effective by asking questions rather than approaching situations with statements or demands.”
President Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce
Bill Thornton, an exfootball coach, tells a story of how he ended up at the chamber when he decided it was time to give up coaching. “There must be something for a guy who wears Spandex,” he says. Thornton, who was a coach at TCU, came on to the chamber as director of local business development in 1989. He was named vice president of economic development in 1992 and president and CEO in 2000. A native Texan, he graduated from Southwest Texas State University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He serves on the board of the Davey O’Brien Foundation and advisory board of The Cliburn.
U.S. Representative
Roger Williams has served Texas’ 25th congressional district since 2013, relegating responsibility for his Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram dealership to his wife and daughters. He is a former TCU baseball coach who played in the Atlanta Braves farm system. Williams uses baseball as a refuge from Washington politics, participating in a social group of legislators who, he says, don’t talk politics. “All we talk about is baseball,” he says. TCU’s baseball stadium is named after Charlie and Marie Lupton, in recognition of a $2 million gift from the Brown-Lupton Foundation. Its Williams-Reilly Field is named after Williams and business leader Michael Reilly. Williams – who lettered on the diamond for TCU from 1968-71 – was the Frogs’ head coach in 1976 before taking a position as chairman of the Lupton Stadium Capital Campaign.
SHAREN WILSON
District Attorney Tarrant County
Sharen Wilson was elected Tarrant County’s first female criminal D.A. in 2014. She was Tarrant County’s judge of Criminal District Court No. 1 and was a former assistant district attorney. Wilson has been board certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1986 and received her bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the Texas Tech University School of Law.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: "The time is always right to do what is right."
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Never lose your love of learning. No matter how experienced you become, there are always new things to learn about any subject.”
BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “Volunteering”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Israel”
Arlington
Trey Yelverton graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science, public administration from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1988, where he was school’s student body president. From there, he went on to earn his Master of Public Administration from the University of North Texas. Yelverton now serves as city manager of Arlington. He was deputy city manager and oversaw the economic development and neighborhood service teams. He has worked for the city since 1993, as assistant director of community development, community development coordinator and assistant to the city manager.
Ann Zadeh has lived in Fort Worth for more than 25 years. After graduating from the University of California at Santa Cruz with a degree in environmental studies, she attended the University of Texas at Arlington and earned her master’s in city and regional planning. Zadeh served three terms on the Fort Worth Zoning Commission, before being elected for the District 9 City Council seat in 2014. Zadeh is a member of The American Planning Association and serves on the board of Visit Fort Worth, Near Southside Board and the National League of the Cities, University Communities Council.
NAS Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base Carswell
Captain Jonathan Townsend is the 12th Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station Fort Joint Reserve Base, home to 11,000 active, reserve, and civilian personnel. It generates $1.3 billion in annual impact to the local economy, according to estimates. Townsend is originally from New Woodstock, New York, and is a graduate of the Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics. He also has his Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies from the College of Command and Staff at the Naval War College. Townsend has served on several sea duty tours. He has been awarded the Defence Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal and the Navy and Joint Commendation Medals.
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FORT WORTH PROUD — 65 YEARS AND COUNTING
Dr. Michael R. Williams knows the health care industry. He was a visionary hospital administrator who gained national recognition for quality and patient safety. For 20 years prior, he ran a thriving medical practice in anesthesiology and critical care.
Since assuming the presidency of UNT Health Science Center in 2012, Dr. Williams has established it as a
He approached Texas Christian University with the idea of creating the TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine, which will open in 2019, pending accreditation. And Dr. Williams led negotiations with Medical City Healthcare to create 500 new residency slots in DFW so new doctors can train here and remain here.
For that, and more, we congratulate Dr. Michael Williams on being named to
This section of The 400 recognizes leaders in health care education, hospitals, our corporate and budding entrepreneurial life sciences communities, and physicians groups. Among the influencers: Biotech entrepreneur Paul Dorman, who guaranteed the first year’s tuition for the inaugural class of the new TCU-UNTHSC School of Medicine and is funding exploration into the use of nanoparticles to deliver long-used chemotherapy drugs.
FLYNN Dean TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine
Founding dean of Fort Worth’s new medical school, Stuart Flynn is in charge of developing the school’s education model, which, in a departure from traditional medical education, will have students interacting with patients from year one. He previously served as founding dean of the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, helping develop the curriculum and guide the school through the accreditation process. Before that, Flynn spent years in medical education. After earning his medical degree and residency training from the University of Michigan, he completed his fellowship in oncologic pathology at Stanford University. He later became a professor at the Yale University School of Medicine, teaching pathology and surgery.
President
UNT Health Science Center
Dr. Michael Williams has been looking for ways to collaborate since he became interim president in 2012 and then won the permanent post in 2013.
UNTHSC and Medical City Healthcare announced this spring that Medical City has pledged to develop 500 new resident positions in 14 DFW hospitals over seven years to address the local shortage of residencies and physicians. UNTHSC will be academic sponsor. UNTHSC and TCU are teaming up to open a new medical school offering an M.D.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
“Don’t waste your life playing small; instead, work to play a big game!”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED:
“Heli-Fly Fishing remote rivers in British Columbia, Canada”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “The 1967 ‘Impossible Dream’ Boston Red Sox team play the 1961 New York Yankees at Fenway Park in Boston”
BARCLAY BERDAN CEO
Texas Health Resources
Health care has been moving to outpatient from hospital stays, but Texas Health Resources’ Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth is moving the other direction with a new $300 million tower to add 144 patient beds and 15 surgical suites, THR CEO Barclay Berdan announced in May. The move addresses demand for the beds and a modernized surgical center. The Jane & John Justin Foundation gave a lead gift of $10 million. Berdan became CEO of Texas Health Resources in 2014 after serving as senior executive vice president and chief operating officer the previous two years. Berdan has had THR investing in healthy communities, in hopes of keeping people out of hospitals, having the company take the lead in the Blue Zones Project Fort Worth wellbeing initiative.
JOSEPH DELEON President
Texas Health Resources
Harris Methodist Hospital
THR executive Joseph DeLeon stepped into the presidency of THR Harris Methodist Fort Worth earlier this year, replacing the retired Lillie Biggins. DeLeon served nearly five years as president of Texas Health Southwest, which achieved the Truven 100 Top Hospital distinction two years in a row and the Pinnacle of Excellence Award for Patient Experience from Press Ganey. The Texas Health Southwest team also worked to bring Texas Health Clearfork online, becoming a joint replacement destination. DeLeon served as chairman of Texas Rehabilitation Hospital and the Tarrant County March of Dimes and on the boards of the North Texas Community Foundation and the University of Texas at Arlington’s Presidents Hispanic Advisory Council.
ROBERT EARLEY CEO JPS Health Network
Robert Earley has plenty on his plate in directing next moves for JPS, the county’s hospital and health network. A citizens committee that examined needs made several recommendations based on JPS’ outdated facilities: new patient tower on the main campus, consolidated mental health services, four new community health centers, and a new JPS Center for Cancer Care. Earley has been CEO since 2009. He’s known for making rounds at the hospital with a large entourage of executive staffers every Friday and making follow-up phone calls to recently discharged patients. Before being made CEO and president, Earley served as JPS’ senior vice president for public affairs and advocacy from 2005-2008.
RICK MERRILL CEO Cook Children's Health Care System
Rick Merrill, CEO of Cook Children’s since 2007, has led the system through burgeoning growth, including an expansion that nearly doubled the size of its Fort Worth hospital campus, and addition of a clinic in the significantly underserved Southeast Fort Worth. Cook Children’s programs and physicians increasingly are drawing more patients from foreign countries. Before becoming Cook Children's CEO, Merrill served as president of Driscoll Health System, where he arranged the development of the fully integrated pediatric health system, physician organizations and the Driscoll Children's Health Plan. He also oversaw the opening of two Driscoll Children's Specialty Centers in Brownsville and McAllen, Texas. In January, Merrill became chair of the Children’s Hospital Association.
PETER PHILPOTT Chairman Cook Children's Health Foundation
Peter Philpott is board chairman of the Cook Children’s Health Foundation and Cook Children’s Healthcare System. He has also served on the boards of several other organizations, including Union Gospel Mission, ACH Child & Family Services and STAR Sponsorship Program. Philpott is a financial Advisor with Robert W. Baird and Co.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I worked on grain elevators and ranches in my home of Western Australia after high school and realized that was a nice but hard way to make a living. I was traveling in the U.S. when I met my future wife, and we married 18 months later. We decided to live in her hometown, Fort Worth.”
MIKE SANBORN
President
Baylor All Saints Medical Center
Mike Sanborn served as president of Baylor Scott & WhiteCarrollton from 2011 until moving to his current position as Fort Worth hospital president in 2016. In 2017, Sanborn received the Citizen of the Year award from the cities of Carrollton, Addison and Farmers Branch. He has served on the national board for the American Society for Health System Pharmacists.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Understanding what motivates and excites your team is one of the most important things you can do as a leader.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Greece for almost three weeks. A fantastic trip with the family. So much history there”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Road cycling all around Fort Worth with the Knuckleheads, family time, and video games”
Principal Encore Vision
Bill Burns became something of a cult hero in Fort Worth’s budding life sciences entrepreneurial community last year when he sold his Encore Vision, which is developing an eye drop that treats nearsightedness, to Alcon parent Novartis for as much as $465 million. Burns, who came up with the idea while working at Alcon, developed it in retirement with the help of the TECH Fort Worth incubator. It’s the first sale – and first hit – for the Cowtown Angels group of investors that was founded by TECH Fort Worth executive director Darlene Boudreaux (see separate profile). Early on in his career, Burns served as director of business development for Bristol-Myers, helping license and launch the first pediatric vaccine to prevent spinal meningitis.
PAUL DORMAN CEO
DFB Pharmaceuticals
Paul Dorman runs DFB Pharmaceuticals, a long-successful Fort Worth pharma company. Today, he’s working in a consortium that’s developing a new delivery system for traditional chemo drugs: injection of nanoparticles made of chemo drugs into tumors, where they wedge themselves and, in ongoing trials, kill cancer cells. In 2017, Dorman announced he would pay first-year tuition for the incoming class at the new TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “There is not, and never will be, a single list of leadership qualities that apply to all leaders or CEOs. At the end of the day, you are betting on people; and therefore, it is very important to build an organization of leaders around you.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “Doing things you enjoy doing and inviting friends to join you”
MIKE BALL CEO
Alcon Laboratories
Mike Ball began his career in health care in 1981, holding roles in marketing and sales at Syntex Corporation and Eli Lilly. In 2016, he was named CEO of the Alcon eye care giant, which has increasingly supplied the Fort Worth life sciences sector with spinoff entrepreneurs.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing. Whether in your personal or professional life, prioritize and spend time on what really matters most. This is critical to maintaining work-life balance.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Safari in Africa”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “The Stanley Cup Finals featuring my two favorite teams: the Montreal Canadiens and the Chicago Blackhawks”
MILES
HARRISON
President
U.S., Galderma Laboratories
Miles Harrison in 2016 became CEO of Galderma Laboratories, the Fort Worth-based unit of the big skincare products company. He joined the company two years earlier, as vice president and general manager of the Self-Medication Business Unit, which includes Galderma’s flagship Cetaphil brand. Under Harrison’s leadership, the unit grew significantly and launched several new over-the-counter brands, including Benzac Acne Solutions, Excipial Skin Solutions, Qilib Hair Regrowth + Revitalization System, and Cetaphil Men and Cetaphil Baby lines. Harrison also serves as GM of Galderma North America. Harrison held senior positions at Novartis. He is a British national and has worked and lived in several countries, including the U.S., U.K., Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Poland and Latin America.
President
U.S., Smith & Nephew
Glenn Warner joined Smith & Nephew in June 2014 with responsibility for the Advanced Wound Management’s global franchise strategy, marketing and product development, and U.S. commercial business. In January 2016, Warner became president of Smith & Nephew’s U.S. business. In May 2017, his role was expanded to include responsibility for Syncera in all established markets. He is based in Fort Worth. Smith & Nephew in 2012 significantly strengthened its position in wound care with the $782 million purchase of the Fort Worth-based Healthpoint Biotherapeutics from Paul Dorman’s (see separate profile) DFB Pharmaceuticals. Warner has a broadbased background in pharmaceuticals and medical products, including extensive international experience.
CEO North Texas Specialty Physicians
Fowad Choudhry leads North Texas Specialty Physicians, an independent group of more than 600 physicians in the area. In addition, he is the CEO of Care N' Care Insurance Company Inc., a Fort Worth-based Medicare Advantage health plan. Choudhry previously worked for PacifiCare of Texas, where he handled contracting and network management for over 100,000 beneficiaries in Tarrant County. He served in the U.S. Air Force as a medical service officer. A local son, Choudhry graduated from Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth and earned his undergraduate degree from SMU. He supports Fort Worth’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Charity, which hosts an annual golf tournament to raise money for patients who struggle to afford medical care.
JOHN GEESBREGHT CEO Emergency Medicine Consultants
John Geesbreght has over 35 years in emergency medicine. As well as CEO of Emergency Medicine Consultants, Geesbreght is emergency department medical director at Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth, a role he has served in since 1974. He previously was president of Texas College of Emergency Physicians. He was the recipient of the USA Today/RIT Quality Cup for Customer Service & Process Improvement award. Geesbreght received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois - Chicago Circle, graduated from the Loyola-Stritch School of Medicine in 1969 and received his master’s degree in physiology from Loyola Graduate School. He studied at the Chicago Conservatory of Music for 10 years as a student of composition and piano.
Executive Vice President USMD Medical Clinic of North Texas
Following in his dad’s footsteps, Dr. Richard Johnston always knew he’d be a physician. He began his own practice in Dallas in 1978, and then in 2004, his group merged with Medical Clinic of North Texas. In 2006, Johnston became president of that group until the 2012 merger that created USMD Health System. He now serves as executive vice president and chief physician officer of USMD.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “In dealing with a difficult situation, put yourself in the other person's position before reacting.” WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Running, golf and landscaping”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “The Cowboys in the Super Bowl”
BRITT NELSON President
Cook Children's Network
Britt Nelson has spent more than three decades in pediatric care, nearly two of decades at Cook Children’s. Nelson earned his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University, studying psychology at first. But he later became interested in pediatric care while studying at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He eventually joined Cook Children’s in 1990 as medical director of pediatric critical care at Cook Children's Medical Center. He later joined the Cook Children’s Physician Network board of directors before becoming president. Nelson has served as a teacher and was assistant professor of pediatric critical care at Eastern Virginia Medical School.
SHAWN PARSLEY President
Texas Heath Physicians Group
Shawn D. Parsley, D.O., was named president of Texas Health Physicians Group in 2013. Parsley has been a member of the group since 2011. Parsley’s role as president of Texas Health Physicians Group includes working closely with the Texas Health Resources chief clinical officer and senior executive vice president, as well as its zone leadership, to develop and implement the system’s physician-directed population health strategy. Board-certified in family medicine, he continues to practice medicine part-time at Lake Worth Family Medicine in Fort Worth, where he has served patients for more than 16 years.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Medicine is a fantastic profession! View the changes you see occurring around you as opportunity to build on.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “Coldplay in concert”
DAVID WINTER President HealthTexas Provider Network
Dr. David Winter has been a board-certified practicing physician for over 30 years. Winter received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. In addition to serving as president of HealthTexas Provider Network, Winter also teaches as an attending physician in the Internal Medicine Department at Baylor University Medical Center. He leads a health care philanthropy organization, Discover Foundation, where he is president.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
“Listen long and speak softly.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Mongolia, fly-fishing for giant taimen”
One of the largest sections of The 400, this segment includes leaders from the automotive, defense, disaster recovery, distribution, food and beverage, information technology, manufacturing, oil and gas, recycling, and retail industries. Among the influencers: Independent energy executives who’ve made billions in the runup of oil and gas prices, and Walt and Donald Reynolds, Jr., who converted their major Reynolds Co. electronic components distributorship to employee-owned in a recent sale of the company, one of Fort Worth’s largest employers.
CEO
Jerry Durant Auto Group
Jerry Durant Auto Group covers 50 acres of Weatherford with nine dealerships, selling Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hyundai and Toyota. Durant is “Mr. Weatherford,” donating 60 acres to Weatherford High School, serving on the Weatherford Independent School District and Weatherford College boards, and receiving the 2012 Heroes for Children Award, Weatherford Citizen of the Year, James Doss Award, and Weatherford College’s Carlos Hartnett Award.
HOBBY: Cutting horses, where he’s earned more than $2 million in competitions GOT INTO CARS: When he opened Jerry’s Chevrolet in Weatherford at age 22 after starting as a youth for his father’s wrecking yard and, later, Chevrolet dealership in Granbury
TOM DURANT CEO Classic Chevrolet
Tom Durant bought his first car dealership in 1976 – his father’s in Granbury. Durant, years later, bought 11 acres in Grapevine and established Classic Chevrolet. The store now sits on 40 acres, and he owns 20 more dealerships spanning Texas and Florida. Durant has been “GM Dealer of the Year” for the past 10 years and been first in Chevrolet dealership volume for the past eight years. He was elected chairman of the Texas Automobile Dealers Association in 2018.
AVOCATION: In 1987, Durant became involved in horse racing and now works with thoroughbreds on his ranch, Classic Racing Stables.
MIKE HERNANDEZ CEO
D&M Leasing
D&M Leasing is America’s largest consumer auto leasing company. D&M supports over 30 charities covering issues from cystic fibrosis to school sports. Hernandez, whose first job was in sales at D&M, has led efforts to revitalize his hometown, Brownsville, focusing on education, workforce training, quality of life, and other needs, while ceding more operating control of D&M to his sons.
FIRST JOB: “I figured I’ll do this until I figure out what I’m going to do for the rest of my life.”
EARLY CAR: 1984 Olds Cutlass, leased from D&M
BECOMING PARTNER, 1990: Then-D&M owners Don Davis and David Moritz offered Hernandez, an employee, a 25 percent stake for $60,000, which he repaid over time. In 2002, he bought them out.
ROBERT HOWARD President Don Davis Auto Group
Don Davis Auto Group has been under Robert Howard’s direction as president for 24 years. Howard began his Don Davis career when he graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1985. UTA has since recognized Howard as a distinguished alumnus. Don Davis has four Tarrant County locations. For eight years, Don Davis has participated in the Santa’s Helpers Toy Drive, hosting drop-off centers and donating nearly $100,000 each season.
GOOD DEED: Robert Howard’s Don Davis encourages donations to Santa’s Helpers by offering a $1,000 raffle to members of the community who attend.
Executive Vice President
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Orlando Carvalho, a 37-year employee of Lockheed Martin and predecessors, runs the company’s Fort Worth fighter plant as executive vice president of aeronautics, a program with more than 24,000 employees and 2017 sales of $20.1 billion. Carvalho serves on the boards of the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum and University of Maryland. In 2015, the National Management Association named Carvalho “Executive of the Year.”
KEEPING HIS WORD: “The word commitment should mean something. When I give you my commitment, you should be able to trust that I’m going to do what I said I’m going to do.” - Paris Air Show, breakingdefense.com
ERIC FOX
Senior Director, Government Relations
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Lockheed Martin’s director of government relations for 19 years has a long history of working closely with government. He handled government issues for Ashland Inc.; served on the staffs of Sen. Conrad Burns of Montana, Gov. Don Sundquist of Tennessee, and Congressman Henry Bonilla’s House Appropriations Committee; worked for the federal Department of Transportation; and sat on The Fund for American Studies Board of Regents. He currently serves on the North Texas Commission Board.
HOW I GOT MY START: “My parents owned a doughnut shop for 35 years. It taught me a work ethic and a sense of pride in the product you produce.”
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Never wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and the pig likes it.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Get a mentor.”
GREG ULMER
Vice President and
F-35
General Manager
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Ulmer took over Lockheed’s all-important F-35 earlier this year from Jeff Babione, reassigned to the company’s Skunk Works program. Ulmer has worked 22 years for Lockheed and was already in the F-35 program, his leadership cited in the delivery of 66 aircraft in 2017.
ULMER’S PROMOTION: “Jeff and Greg are seasoned leaders, both uniquely qualified to lead our Skunk Works and F-35 programs through a time of rapid program growth. This key leadership transition allows Lockheed Martin to continue partnering with customers to help address the urgent needs of the world around us.” - Orlando Carvalho, EVP, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
RAANAN HOROWITZ CEO
Elbit Systems of America
It says something that Raanan Horowitz’s Elbit was recognized earlier this year by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” for the third time. Horowitz, a 27-year Elbit employee and its CEO since 2007, sells defense solutions globally. Horowitz, who’s been a U.S. Army Science Board consultant, serves on the National Defense Industry Association board, chairs the Texas Israel Science and Education Foundation, and is a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society national director.
WORLD-LEADING ETHICS: “Record levels of involvement with their stakeholders and communities around the world.” - Ethisphere WORLD-LEADING CULTURE “This recognition underscores our employees’ continuous commitment to operate with integrity and do what’s right for our customers.” - Horowitz, on Ethisphere recognition
MITCH SNYDER CEO Bell
Snyder joined Bell in 2004, where he led a number of the company’s most strategic initiatives, including overall direction of the V-22 Osprey program and over 7,000 employees. Before being named CEO in 2015, Snyder served as executive vice president of military business. Bell, under Snyder’s direction, is broadening its mission. It’s developing an “urban air taxi” in partnership with Uber. The company earlier this year decided to drop “helicopter” from its name. Bell also recently became one of the largest employers to become Blue Zones-certified under the global well-being initiative’s Fort Worth demonstration project.
BECOMING JUST BELL: “When you look at where do we want to be? You have to drop the helicopter name. We’re going to be Bell.” - Snyder, earlier this year
TOM HEAD President Blackmon Mooring & BMS Cat
Head in 2007 was named president of Blackmon Mooring and BMS Cat, an emergency cleaning and restoration company that specializes in damage related to fire, mold and water. In 1989, the company established BMS Cat, which responds worldwide to disasters. It’s responded, among others, to the Oklahoma City bombing, hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, and the so-called “Miracle on the Hudson” ditching of a crippled US Airways jet in New York’s Hudson River. Head directed the company’s move in recent years to new, larger quarters off of Airport Freeway, facilities that dramatically expanded its capacity to do restoration work.
NEW DOCUMENT FACILITY: “That allows us to do document jobs all over the world.”
PAUL ANDREWS JR. CEO TTI
Andrews and his wife, Judy, are most visible these days for their philanthropy, providing the lead $10 million gift for the new Paul and Judy Andrews Women’s Hospital and Baylor Scott & White Medical Center and serving as major donors to a capital campaign for the Fort Worth Zoological Association. Paul Andrews in 1971 launched TTI, growing it into a leading global distributor of electronic components, with 5,400 employees and 100 locations worldwide, serving military, aerospace, consumer, and industrial manufacturers. In 2007, Andrews sold TTI to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett in May praised Andrews for building a business requiring high volume sales of low-cost components.
BUFFETT ON ANDREWS: “Something is going on out there; nobody is just buying these parts and storing them in their basement. These parts are getting used.” - May’s annual shareholder meeting.
EDDIE CLARK CEO
Professional Turf Products of Texas
In four years, Eddie Clark worked through the ranks of Professional Turf Products, as a general manager, director of sales, and national accounts manager, to become CEO in 1997. Professional Turf Products, at more than $50 million in annual sales, is one of the largest TORO distributors in Texas. It sells its products in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Clark, who earned a business degree from TCU in 1982, serves on the university’s board of trustees.
JOINING TCU'S BOARD, 2014: “Every board member has passion and pride for our university that will … continue to propel our institution to the highest ranks.”
DONALD REYNOLDS, JR. COO
The Reynolds Co.
Reynolds brothers Donald and Walt (see separate profile) took the helm of the now-30-year-old electric supply company from their founding father, Donald Reynolds, Sr. The company had 2017 revenue of about $650 million and 475 employees. It sold products for AT&T Stadium, Ballpark in Arlington, and Amon Carter Stadium. Reynolds ranked 15th on the largest U.S. components distributors list. Reynolds completed a merger in 2017 with McNaughton-McKay, an ESOP. The merger makes all employees owners in the ESOP. The brothers have stayed on with the combined company; the business units will operate as they were previously. Their two families direct substantial charitable giving from their R4 Foundation. Donald Reynolds, Jr. and his wife, Fantasy, are Fort Worth public-school advocates and benefactors.
WALT REYNOLDS CEO
The Reynolds Co.
Reynolds brothers Walt and Donald (see separate profile) took the helm of the now30-year-old electric supply company from their founding father, Donald Reynolds, Sr. The company had 2017 revenue of about $650 million and 475 employees. It sold products for AT&T Stadium, Ballpark in Arlington, and Amon Carter Stadium. Reynolds ranked 15th on the largest U.S. components distributors list. Reynolds completed a merger in 2017 with McNaughton-McKay, an ESOP. “What is the best way to make our company and our brand sustainable over time?” Walt Reynolds told Fort Worth Inc., “I think this is the way the world’s going.” The merger makes all employees owners in the ESOP. Walt and Donald Reynolds stayed on with the combined company; the business units will operate as they were previously. Their two families make charitable gifts from their R4 Foundation.
GLENN SMITH CEO Mouser Electronics
Glenn Smith started at Mouser in 1973 as a parttime warehouse employee, then moved up to technical sales representative, purchasing manager, product marketing director, information systems director, vice president of operations and general manager. Since Smith became president and CEO in 2004, Mouser has become one of the world’s largest electronic components distributors, with 23 offices worldwide and more than $1.3 billion in sales. Mouser sold to TTI in 2000, then became part of Berkshire Hathaway in 2007, with Berkshire’s purchase of TTI.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I'VE RECEIVED: "Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest." Words from Mark Twain. WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY: "Put the customer first." WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Outdoor activities and exercise (fishing, tennis, etc.)”
JON BONNELL CEO
Bonnell’s Restaurant Group
Chef, author and philanthropist Jon Bonnell opened his first restaurant, Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, in 2001, and, later, the seafood restaurant Waters Restaurant in 2013. He also owns Buffalo Bros, at TCU, serving wings, subs and pizza. TCU employs Bonnell as culinary consultant, and he partners with Sodexo and manages the menu at Amon Carter Stadium’s Champions Club for home football games. Bonnell has appeared on numerous television shows, including Good Morning America and Food Network’s BBQ with Bobby Flay. Outside restaurants, Bonnell is an Ironman triathlete and serves on 16 boards. Nonprofit events built around cooking and local chefs are de rigueur in Fort Worth, and Bonnell regularly serves as emcee or celebrity judge at events.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Don't eat yellow snow.” WHAT I DO FOR FUN: "Triathlon" I'D PAY TO SEE: “Bigfoot”
STEPHEN BUTT President Central Market
H-E-B began with Stephen Butt’s greatgrandmother, Florence, who opened a grocery store in 1905. It expanded across Texas to include the specialty store Central Market in 1994. The Butt family ranks 23 on Forbes’ “America’s Richest Families” list, with $11 billion in estimated net worth. Stephen Butt, whose offices are in Dallas but lives in Fort Worth with his wife, Susan, has led Central Market’s expansion. Butt serves on the boards of the H.E. Butt Family Foundation ($412 million, 2016 assets), Amon Carter Museum, and Baylor Health Care System Foundation.
JOINING AMON BOARD: “His ardent support of the museum, business acumen and civic responsibility make him a natural fit for the board.” - Karen Hixon, board president
CHRIS CARROLL CEO Spring Creek Restaurants
Chris Carroll, a University of North Texas-educated accountant, became a successful CPA but decided to move into restaurants with his wife, Becky, in 1980. The company today operates 32 Spring Creek Barbecue, Mexican Inn Cafe, Casa Rita's Mexican Grill, and Shady Oak Barbeque & Grill restaurants in Texas. The company estimates it makes about $2 million annually in community gifts. It also gives generous bonuses to student employees for good grades, contributing to low turnover, a program developed by Becky Carroll, who died in 2012.
WHY THE BONUS PROGRAM: “I figured this was the only way I could compete with the white tablecloth restaurants, where they’d get big tips. I decided to pay a little more and offer the college program, and it works.”
- D Magazine interview
BOBBY COX
CEO
Bobby Cox Companies, Inc.
Bobby Cox opened his first business, a coffee shop, in 1961. Moving from coffee to burgers with Texas Burger, Cox has since grown Bobby Cox Companies to include Rosa’s Cafe, Taco Villa and Texas Burger. In all, Cox operates over 100 restaurants throughout Texas and New Mexico, with over 2,500 employees. He began a horse and cattle breeding ranch in 1993 that has won many awards, including Texas Quarter Horse Association “Breeder of the Year” in 2011. His horses have earned over $9 million in prize money.
WHAT I'D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY: “Persist, without exception, toward their goals.” WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “I am a quarter horse enthusiast.”
Partner
Firestone & Robertson
Distillery and Whiskey Ranch
Before becoming one of the biggest names in Texas whiskey, Leonard Firestone worked in Washington, D.C., for a company that managed many of the country’s local TV stations. In 2009, Firestone and business partner-to-be Troy Robertson (see separate profile) met and learned they both wanted to open a distillery. The two opened a distillery on Fort Worth’s Near Southside. Then, in need of expansion, they launched the Whiskey Ranch distillery and event venue on the site of the former Glen Garden Country Club in Southeast Fort Worth last year.
FOOD & WINE ON WHISKEY RANCH:
“A spectacle only possible in North Texas … A Texas-sized dream come true for the co-founders Leonard Firestone and Troy Robertson, they can now expand operations and increase production.”
HOWARD KATZ Partner
Standard
Meat Co.
Fort Worth native Howard Katz has worked in the food industry for nearly 40 years, first joining Standard Meat Company in 1978. Katz has been a Standard Meat partner since the company’s “rebirth” in 1995 and is vice president of business development. Katz and his wife, Joan, (see separate profile) are involved in multiple philanthropic organizations. In 1997, Katz created The Gladney Cup to raise money for the organization for the Gladney Center for Adoption. The biennial event has raised more than $12 million over the past 17 years. The Katzes were awarded the 2007 Ketchum Cup for Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser. Katz has served on The Gladney Center, University of Texas College of Liberal Arts, TCU Judaic Studies, Multi-Cultural Alliance and Tarrant County Frost Bank boards.
Principal
Joe T. Garcia's
Since its opening in 1935, Joe T. Garcia’s has been a Fort Worth institution. Joe Lancarte – grandson to founders Jessie and Joe T. Garcia – now runs the sprawling restaurant and patio with family members, including Lanny Lancarte (see separate profile) and Jody Lancarte. An afternoon on one of the shaded patios is a Fort Worth bucket list item.
HOW JOE T.’S GOT ITS START: “Between ’30 and ’32, they started with just a little grocery store. They used to serve a lot of people from the [Stockyards] packinghouse. They would come in and buy sandwich meats, and one of the packers asked if she could make her — him something to eat if I’m correct. And then she started making little items, and my grandfather said, ‘Well, heck, if you want to do that, let’s just go ahead and open a restaurant.’” – Oral history, UT Austin
ROBERT HALLAM CEO Ben E. Keith Co.
Robert Hallam has been involved with Ben E. Keith since high school, holding various positions at his father’s company as he earned a law degree from the University of Texas. In 1979, he was named the CEO of Ben E. Keith. The company is the eighth largest broad line food distributor in the U.S. It currently employs an estimated 4,000 people across eight divisions and brings in $3 billion-plus in annual revenue, according to Forbes Since acquiring Kelley Foods in 2016, Ben E. Keith’s reach now spans across 14 states. Its food division sells produce, frozen foods, meats, dry groceries, refrigerated foods, paper goods, equipment and supplies. Its beverage division sells Anheuser-Busch products. Hallam serves on the board of Austin College.
Principal
Joe T. Garcia’s
Since its opening in 1935, Joe T. Garcia’s has been a Fort Worth institution. Lanny Lancarte, Joe Lancarte (see separate profile) and other family members today run the restaurant. An afternoon on one of the shaded garden patios is a Fort Worth bucket list item. Lancarte has branched off into other ambitious ventures, such as his Righteous Foods restaurant.
SURVIVING INDEPENDENT: “I am most proud that we are independently and locally owned. Economic development in the area is booming, bringing in numerous national and regional chains that make it harder to find employees and fight for diners.” - Voyage Dallas interview
CEO Tim Love Restaurants
Best known for his urban western cuisine, Tim Love owns several Fort Worth restaurants including White Elephant Saloon, Love Shack, Woodshed Smokehouse, and Lonesome Dove Western Bistro. Love, with his successful Woodshed, was first to challenge the city’s long-held reluctance to embrace opportunity presented by the Trinity River. Love has also signed on with Pilot Flying J to put healthy grab-and-go foods in the company’s truck stops. And he’s a national spokesman for Hellmann’s Mayonnaise. He’s one of the more controversial characters on this list. A one-year try at catering the Colonial Invitational golf tournament didn’t go so well.
ON TRUCK STOP DEAL: “I am thrilled to be partnering with Pilot Flying J. They truly want to provide a better food experience for their guests.”
Principal Reata Restaurants
Inspired by the ranch, Reata, in the 1950s movie, “Giant,” Reata restaurant is known for its cowboy cuisine. After graduating from TCU with a degree in ranch management and finance, Micallef joined Reata in 2005 with his father, founder Al Micallef. The son runs Reata’s restaurants and catering operation today.
LENDING HIS HEFT: Five years ago, Micallef joined an idea floated by the Reata assistant GM, Russell Kirkpatrick, for what became the annual Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival. Proceeds go to the Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Through its first four years, the foundation raised $129,000 for grants and scholarships supporting culinary students from Fort Worth.
Vice President and GM, Fort Worth Sales Andrews Distributing Co.
Murphy, who’s just taken over as Andrews Fort Worth executive, has worked in beer for over 30 years and is responsible for sales operations in Fort Worth and Corpus Christi. During his career, he has successfully integrated two beer distributorships into the Andrews family.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Do the right thing because it's the right thing to do. Don't expect anything in return.”
BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE: “Never miss an opportunity to volunteer in the community. Become active in community and charitable organizations.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Camping, hiking, cycling and relaxing with family and friends”
MOST RECENT BOOK I’VE READ: “Henry J. Evans, Winning With Accountability: The Secret Language of High-Performing Organizations”
CRAIG POUPORE Vice President MillerCoors Fort Worth
Before becoming the vice president of one of the largest breweries in the country, Craig Poupore graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison with a chemical engineering degree and started as a production manager for Air Products in 1989. Poupore was then the plant manager for Schreiber Foods for 10 years. He came to work with MillerCoors in 2007, serving as plant operations manager, general manager, and craft supply chain director, where he focused on sustainability.
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Watch my boys enjoy sports/school/life. Love to golf. It allows me to focus my competitive side back at myself.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Hayward, Wisconsin — watching my boys compete at the Lumberjack World Championships”
FITZ RAHR Owner Rahr & Sons Brewing
Over 100 years after William Rahr founded the family brewery in 1847, his greatgreat-grandson Frederick William “Fritz” Rahr opened Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. in 2004. Rahr, with help of wife Erin, has won multiple awards, helped drive growth of Fort Worth’s brewery scene, and played a highly visible role in the community.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I was working the corporate world, and I was disheartened by my current situation without the ability to change my situation. Even with a future promotion to vice president of a major railroad in the works, I wanted out. When my wife asked me what I wanted to do, I was prepared to let her know all I wanted to do was to make beer. She said, ‘OK, let's go do it!’”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “My dad”
BECKY RENFRO BORBOLLA Vice President, Co-Owner Renfro Foods
After eight years in oil, Renfro Borbolla joined the family business in 1985, taking on international sales. She serves on the Tarrant County College Foundation board and Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo board and is founder and president of Women Steering Business, which raises money to buy livestock annually from youth exhibitors at the Stock Show. In 2012, she received the Yellow Rose of Texas, the Governor’s highest honor given to a woman.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Never assume anything.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Eat, drink wine, spend time with friends and travel. I also have a new mini goldendoodle puppy who has added a new dimension of fun to my life.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “Bruno Mars”
JIM RISCKY CEO Riscky's Restaurants
Since 1927, barbecue has been the Riscky family business. Jim Riscky’s grandparents, Joe and Mary, founded Riscky Brothers Grocery, where they would sell groceries with a meat market in the back. In 1952, Jim’s father, Pete Riscky, took over the family business. Jim Riscky now runs the company, which has eight restaurants and a catering business. Riscky designed his own smoke pits, which operate 24 hours a day.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I got my start at 12 years old (in 1954), when my dad hired me to stock groceries at Riscky’s Market & Grocery. A year or so later, I was ‘promoted’ to a bottle boy, where I would collect the empty coke bottles and take them around back for the weekly Coke man to pick up. It was our version of recycling.”
TROY ROBERTSON Partner
Firestone & Robertson
Distillery and Whiskey Ranch
Before becoming one of the biggest names in Texas whiskey, Troy Robertson spent 10 years in energy finance. In 2009, Robertson and business partner-to-be Leonard Firestone met and learned they both wanted to open a distillery. The two opened a distillery on Fort Worth’s Near Southside. Then, in need of expansion, they launched the Whiskey Ranch distillery and event venue on the site of the former Glen Garden Country Club in Southeast Fort Worth last year.
FOOD & WINE ON WHISKEY RANCH: “A spectacle only possible in North Texas … A Texas-sized dream come true for the co-founders Leonard Firestone and Troy Robertson, they can now expand operations and increase production.”
Marketing Director
Penrose Group, LLC
Blumenfeld was off to a strong start in fashion PR in New York when she came back to Fort Worth and joined her father Billy Rosenthal and brother Ben Rosenthal in the family food businesses. At Penrose, she oversees creative and innovation for the family’s venerable Standard Meat Co. brand and Syracuse Sausage. Blumenfeld serves on the Fort Worth Zoological Association, Cook Children’s Health Foundation and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra boards.
HOW I GOT MY START: “My dad always encouraged us to go for our dreams and not head straight into the family business, so I went straight to New York after college and went into fashion public relations.”
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“You don't have to be the smartest person in the room – surround yourself with smarter people that will challenge you.”
SEAN MENKE CEO
Sabre
Holdings
Sean Menke, named CEO in 2016, leads a $3.4 billion organization with more than 10,000 employees who work in 65 countries. Menke was formerly CEO of Frontier Airlines and Pinnacle Airlines and a former senior executive at Air Canada, Hawaiian Airlines, and IHS, a global IT company. Sabre Travel Network has won major new business, increased market share, and secured position as leading global distribution system in three of its four major regions: North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific.
PERSPECTIVE, PERSPECTIVE: Menke’s experience as a former customer of Sabre played well in his advance up the ladder at the company, where he started in 2015 as executive vice president.
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: Marathons and ultramarathons, cycling, snow skiing and spending time with wife and three sons
DIC MARXEN CEO
CCRA Travel Commerce Network
In 2005, Dic Marxen was recruited by a friend into CCRA, an old travel agency with some assets. Marxen came in to take over operations; he ended up owning CCRA. CCRA has developed the first standalone hotel booking platform for travel agents. In 2009, it doubled its call centers. And in 2012, CCRA launched ccratravelagentblog. com, the No. 1-ranked travel agent blog by Google. Marxen lives in Fort Worth with his wife, Cheryl Hodge Marxen, a Fort Worth Zoological Association executive committee member.
TAKING OVER A BUSINESS: “Get in and learn every piece of the business, down to how to send out an invoice. You find out a lot.”
EXPANDING CCRA’S CAPABILITIES: “I’m a tech geek. I will buy anything if you show me a good product.”
GREG CROUCHLEY President Justin Brands
Justin Brands, longtime maker of Justin, Nocona, Chippewa, Tony Lama and Justin Original Workboots boot brands, turned up in Footwear News’ 2017 Power 100 list of “The Most Influential Designers, Influencers and Leaders in the Shoe Industry.” Justin is a unit of H.H. Brown Shoe Co., owned by the Berkshire Hathaway holding company. H.H. Brown’s CEO Jim Issler ranked 37 on the Power 100 and Crouchley earned a nod as a related “Power Player.”
POWER PARTNER: Country superstar Reba McEntire signed on in 2017 to a partnership with Justin, marketing the new REBA by Justin collection. “Additional celebrity partnerships are in the works for 2018,” Footwear News said.
GEODynamics congratulates David Wesson, CEO, for being named by Fort Worth INC. magazine as one of the 400 Most Powerful and Influential People in Greater Fort Worth. David graduated from Texas A&M University in 1982, and had early success in his career at other oilfield manufacturing and service companies. In 2003, David founded GEODynamics with the vision of developing perforation systems that maximize well production. Under David Wesson’s leadership, GEODynamics commissioned the first independent API Section 4 flow laboratory in the world, as well as other patented perforating evaluation equipment. GEODynamics developed the first reactive shaped charge creating clean perforation tunnels after the perforating event. David expanded distribution by opening nine warehouses, diversified GEODynamics’ product portfolio with the introduction of toe valves, SmartStart and
QuickStart, and acquired niche manufacturing and technical service companies to bolster our ability to service our customers. His innovation in diversifying has allowed the company to thrive despite two major industry downturns, and has created a major workforce in North Texas. The company has created thriving careers for over 450 employees. David has a knack for recruiting and empowering great minds in the industry, to create a culture of innovation that challenges the status quo, to create solutions that make better wells. GEODynamics Inc., a subsidiary of Oil States International, Inc. (NYSE: OIS) since its acquisition in early 2018, creates and delivers downhole solutions that enable unsurpassed well economics, performance and lifespan. It is the industry’s leading researcher, developer and manufacturer of engineered solutions to connect the wellbore with the formation in oil and gas well completions.
Corporate Headquarters
10400 West Interstate 20 | Millsap, TX 76066 | 817-341-5300 www.perf.com
DENNIS KNAUTZ CEO Acme Brick Co.
Dennis Knautz began working at Acme Brick Co. in 1982 as controller and became CEO in 2005. Acme Brick, another Fort Worth company owned by the Berkshire Hathaway holding company, is the largest brick maker in America, with 26 brick plants and 70 sales offices across 17 states. Knautz has served on the board of the Birdville ISD Foundation for Educational Excellence and on the TCU Chancellor’s Advisory Council.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Above all else, protect and grow your personal reputation. It will become your personal brand.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Find a specific discipline and get really good at it. Make it your core competency. Employers are more inclined to hire someone with a specialty than a generalist.”
CEO Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Co.
It was quite a year for the nearly 100-yearold Williamson-Dickie, maker of workwear and footwear. In April 2017, the company agreed to put its Dickies brand name on Fort Worth’s new multipurpose arena under construction. Then a few months later, Williamson-Dickie announced it agreed to sell itself to VF Corp. for $820 million, setting off alarms in the offices of Fort Worth economic development executives, worried about losing any part of the company to consolidation. CEO Philip Williamson, who started with the company while in high school, will remain, VF said.
ON THE SALE TO VF: “Today’s announcement is an authentic and natural next step as we look to combine the strengths of our two companies to create significant opportunities for our employees, vendors, retail partners and, ultimately, our customers.”
RHETT BENNETT CEO
Black Mountain Sand
Rhett Bennett has founded several businesses under the Black Mountain name. In 2015, Bennett partnered with Natural Gas Partners to form several businesses, including Black Mountain Oil and Gas, which they sold in 2017 to Marathon Oil for $700 million. That same year, Bennett founded Black Mountain Sand, a regional sand provider serving the Permian Basin, and Black Mountain Oil and Gas II in exploration and production.
HOW I GOT MY START: Came to Texas after graduating University of Georgia “with my pickup truck loaded with clothes and (slept) on a buddy’s couch until I found a job.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “You reach a point where you can’t do it all yourself.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Find the best learning experience possible for your first job out of college.”
GREG BIRD CEO
Jetta
Operating Co.
Greg Bird co-founded Jetta Operating 28 years ago and, today, it operates over 1,000 wells in four prominent regions and provides 15,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily. The company has changed the downtown landscape with the construction of the new Frost Tower, named for anchor tenant Frost Bank. It’s also teamed up with the energy unit of the Blackstone private equity firm to acquire $1 billion of assets in the Permian Basin. Bird has worked in energy for 36 years and serves on the boards of the TCU Energy Institute, Texas A&M University Petroleum Engineering Industry Board, and Longhorn CouncilBoy Scouts of America Foundation.
DIRECTING THEIR PHILANTHROPY: Bird and his wife, Laura, concentrate their giving through the Gregory A. and Laura F. Bird Foundation, which focuses on education and health.
LARRY BROGDON Partner
Four Sevens Oil Co.
Larry Brogdon, with 40 years of experience in oil and gas production, holds the distinction of being the geologist who steered Four Sevens principals Hunter Enis and Dick Lowe (see separate profiles) toward the budding Barnett Shale play and later became their partner in it. Four Sevens did three major sales in the Barnett for more than $1.2 billion. Brogdon’s also a partner in MineralWare, a startup tech company that sells software for mineral management to individuals and institutions. Brogdon is chairman of the Advisory Board of the TCU Energy Institute, teaches the university’s “Prospect to Production” course, and mentors students planning to enter oil and gas.
THE BARNETT’S GROUND FLOOR: “We were really early. Leases were $150 an acre. It was crazy.”
JON BRUMLEY CEO
Bounty Minerals
Jon Brumley’s became a prominent name since the 1980s when he helped merge Cook Children’s and the Fort Worth Children’s Hospital. Brumley is the founder of six companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange. He founded Bounty Minerals in 2012 to acquire minerals in Appalachia. Wife Becky, with her husband, launched a foundation that focuses on Fort Worth’s lowest-performing elementary schools and encourages parents to read aloud to their children. Becky Brumley has given away more than 300,000 hardback books through the program. Enduro, a company Brumley filed with his son Jonny Brumley, recently filed for bankruptcy, citing the impact of persistently low oil prices until recently.
WHAT HE LIKES IN OIL: “I love the small- to medium-sized company in the oil and gas industry. It is the most aggressive, do-it-now industry imaginable.” -2011 interview with McCombs Today
CODY CAMPBELL Co-CEO
Double Eagle Development, LLC
In 2017, Cody Campbell and John Sellers (see separate profile), buddies from Texas Tech and co-founders of Double Eagle Development LLC, sold oil and gas assets in the Permian Basin to Parsley Energy for $2.8 billion. In 2014, Double Eagle sold Oklahoma assets for $250 million. Double Eagle’s principal business is oil and gas exploration, development and production in the Midland Basin. The company also acquires oil and gas leases, working interest, mineral rights and royalty interests. Campbell began his business career while a student at Texas Tech, where he and Sellers founded a commercial real estate development firm. Campbell graduated from Texas Tech in 2003 with Bachelor of Business Administration degrees in finance and economics, and he earned an MBA from Texas Tech in 2004.
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Watch college football. Golf. Drink and collect wine”
STEPHEN HOWARD CEO
Basin Oil &
Gas
Stephen Howard, a fifthgeneration West Texan, founded Basin Oil & Gas in 2009. Basin operates in 10 states and has completed over $1 billion in asset transactions. Basin says its private funding provides the “ability to transact at their own discretion,” which has helped build a reputation for being a reliable acquirer. “The fund’s long-term, patient capital structure provides sellers access to liquidity at attractive valuations.”
WHAT I’M DOING TODAY: “Working for balance in my work and personal life”
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Everyone fails and makes mistakes; it’s what you do afterward that counts.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Get outdoors; hunt and fish with family”
Partner
Four Sevens Oil Co.
The son of legendary oilman and philanthropist Dick Lowe (see separate profile), Brad Cunningham started as a commercial pilot with Justin Industries before partnering with Lowe and Hunter Enis (see separate profile) in the oil and gas business. Cunningham assembled a package of Barnett Shale leases for Four Sevens that the company sold for $225 million, a deal Cunningham had a majority stake in. Today, Cunningham remains a partner at Four Sevens Oil Co.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“Great work ethic pays. My grandfather, father and mother have instilled this in me.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “There will be successes and disappointments in business and life, but keep a good attitude and look for the next opportunity. Keep moving the ball forward.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “2010 Rose Bowl, TCU vs. Wisconsin”
WILLIAM BUTLER CFO
Brazos Midstream
One of four founding partners of Brazos Midstream (see Brad Iles, separate profile), CFO William Butler has 17 years in developing and managing midstream assets. He estimates he’s led or participated in more than $19 billion in financial transactions in his energy career. At Brazos Midstream, Butler is responsible for capital-raising, financial analysis, and merger and acquisition transactions. Prior to Brazos, Butler was CFO for the Permian-focused Athlon Energy, where he led the finance function from the company’s IPO through its sale to Encana. Previously, he developed and led the E&P equity research practice as managing director for Stephens Inc. and was vice president and assistant treasurer for XTO Energy until its sale to ExxonMobil. He began his career at Stephens Inc. as an investment banker.
President
Four Sevens Oil Co.
After a career in pro football, including stints with the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders, Hunter Enis broke into the oil business. Enis wisely backed TCU wildcatter pal Dick Lowe (see separate profile) when Lowe was busted, and the two hit it big in the Barnett Shale with two sales for $1 billion. Enis serves on the TCU Board of Trustees and TCU Energy Institute board of advisors, and is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. In 2015, Enis founded the Hunter Enis Endowed Chair for Petroleum Geology at TCU.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“You have not lived until you have done something for someone who can never pay you back.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “TCU winning a national championship”
Brazos Midstream
One of four founding partners of Brazos Midstream (see William Butler, separate profile), Brad Iles has more than 17 years in midstream assets, with more than $3.75 billion in capital projects developed under his group’s leadership. Those include gas gathering and processing, natural gas liquids, crude and condensate gathering and transportation, and other corporate transactions including mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Don't be afraid to bet on yourself.” WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Exercise, time with family, travel, time outdoors, reading” THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “Tag along with my wife. She's never met a stranger.”
DICK LOWE Partner
Four Sevens Oil Co.
We did a story about the wildcatter Dick Lowe in 2016 titled “The Phoenix,” in which Lowe generously unpacked his life’s story that included going broke twice, being busted in his 60s, and then, with partner Hunter Enis’ (see separate profile) backing, ripping off two sales in the Barnett Shale for $1 billion. Lowe’s the TCU booster left holding the bag when it was revealed a pack of backers were paying recruits. Years later, Lowe and Enis cut a $15 million check for Amon Carter Stadium renovations. Lowe and wife Mary are longtime Presbyterian Night Shelter benefactors.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I picked my career path when I was 11 years old. I toured Wichita Falls by bicycle to check who lived in the biggest houses. At that time, most were oil men.” I’D PAY TO SEE: “TCU winning a national championship in football”
JEFFREY MILLER CEO
Vortus Investments
Jeffrey Miller has over 30 years of experience within his industry. HIs latest venture: the co-founding of Vortus Investments in 2013, which targets privately negotiated lower-to-middle market transactions requiring $25-$75 million of equity capital. Vortus last fall closed an oversubscribed Vortus Investments II, L.P. fund at $500 million in capital commitments. Miller was former director of Upstream for Mercuria Energy, and president of Moncrief Oil International and managing partner of Moncrief Minerals.
CLOSING ON VORTUS II: “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to capitalize on the current environment and continue partnering with owner/operators in the development of domestic upstream oil and gas assets.” - Miller and co-founder Brian Crumley
JENNIFER PALKO
Investments
After graduating from Texas A&M University in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in applied science in petroleum engineering, Jennifer Palko started working in Fort Worth for Union Pacific Resources and later moved to Encore Acquisition Company. She and several other partners co-founded Athlon Energy in 2010, acquiring oil-rich properties in the Permian Basin. In 2015, Encana purchased Athlon’s assets for $7.1 billion. Encana’s acquisition gave it a 140,000-net-acre position in the Permian Basin.
ENCANA, ON THE ACQUISITION: "Consistent with our strategy, we have built a balanced and resilient portfolio that comprises high-quality oil, natural gas liquids and natural gas opportunities. Our growth areas now include the top two resource plays in Canada … and the top two resource plays in the United States, the Eagle Ford and the Permian." - CEO Doug Suttles
MICHAEL RADLER CEO
Tug Hill, Inc.
Success has been no stranger to Michael Radler, who co-founded Jetta Operating Co. in 1991, helped build and sell Chief Oil & Gas’ major basin properties as interim chief operating officer, and founded Tug Hill, Inc. in 2007. Tug Hill does most of its work in the Marcellus, Eagle Ford and Niobrara shales. Radler established the Radler Foundation in 2009, a private Christian foundation that works to come up with ways to provide sustainable clean water, mobile health care, and leadership development. Closer to home, Radler funded the reopening of Fort Worth’s Forest Park Pool in 2013 and has backed STEM and English programs in the Fort Worth schools.
REOPENING THE FOREST PARK POOL: “When people are physically active and have a safe, clean place to learn and grow, a community thrives.”
BOB RAVNAAS CEO
Kimbell Royalty Partners
In 2017, the father-son Ravnaas team (see son Davis Ravnaas, separate profile) and partners Ben Fortson and Mitch Wynne (see separate profiles) took their Kimbell Royalty Partners public. In May, Kimbell announced it was buying mineral and royalty interests held by Haymaker Minerals & Royalties for $404 million. That left Kimbell with 11.1 million gross acre position and 73 rigs, 7 percent of total active U.S. rigs. Kimbell Art Museum owns 17.5 percent; KRP’s total market value was $378.8 million in June.
LANDING A HAYMAKER: “This is a transformative acquisition for our company.”
DAVIS RAVNAAS President
Kimbell Royalty Partners
In 2017, the father-son Ravnaas team (see Bob Ravnaas, separate profile) and partners Ben Fortson and Mitch Wynne (see separate profiles) took their Kimbell Royalty Partners public. In May, Kimbell announced it was buying mineral and royalty interests held by Haymaker Minerals & Royalties for $404 million. That left Kimbell with 11.1 million gross acre position and 73 rigs, 7 percent of total active U.S. rigs. Kimbell Art Museum owns 17.5 percent; KRP’s total market value was $378.8 million in June.
OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND: “You’ve got hundreds and hundreds of landmen that are constantly putting together an acre here and an acre there, then are selling. We meet a new team almost every week.” - Media interview
With four other executives, Robert Reeves founded Athlon Energy in 2010 and was its CEO. Athlon became an independent oil and gas exploration and production company that was producing 127 million barrels of oil by the end of 2013, compared to 46 million at the end of 2011. Reeves, like the other Athlon partners, was a former Encore Acquisition executive. Reeves, Encore CFO, moved on to Athlon after Denbury Resources bought Encore for $4.5 billion. In 2015, Encana purchased Athlon’s assets for $7.1 billion. Reeves’ holding was worth about $283 million, Forbes estimated.
THE DEAL: “The Athlon team has established a track record of acquiring high-quality assets, applying extensive technical expertise as a top-tier operator and creating tremendous value for our shareholders.” - Reeves, in statement to Forbes
JOHN SELLERS
Co-Founder and Co-CEO
Double Eagle Development, LLC
In 2017, John Sellers and Cody Campbell (see separate profile), buddies from Texas Tech and co-founders of Double Eagle Development, LLC, sold oil and gas assets in the Permian Basin to Parsley Energy for $2.8 billion. In 2014, Double Eagle sold Oklahoma assets for $250 million. While at Texas Tech, Sellers and Campbell formed a residential and commercial real estate development firm. Sellers also participates in a fourth-generation, family-owned cattle business.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I started working for my family's cattle company when I was young and then started my own business in college at Texas Tech.”
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “It's hard to go broke taking a profit."
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Good partners and business relationships are the most valuable commodity in any business.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “A Texas Tech National Football Championship”
JEFFREY VENTURA CEO
Range Resources
Jeffrey Ventura joined Range Resources in 2003 and was named CEO in 2015. There, he leads the largest natural gas play in the U.S. Under Ventura, Range has grown net production to over 2 billions of cubic feet equivalent, making the company a top 10 natural gas producer and top three NGL producer in the U.S.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Romans 10:9-10”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Pick a career that you really enjoy, decide where you would like to take it, and then come up with a plan to get there.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Israel — awesome Bible history, ancient world history and modern events, coupled with great food, great scenery and great people”
RYAN VINSON CEO MineralWare
Ryan Vinson oversees all aspects of minerals management and advisory services at MineralWare, a startup mineral/royalty management software for individual and institutional mineral owners he founded with John Baum that’s quickly gained traction. Vinson is an active certified professional landman and member of the National Association of Royalty Owners and Fort Worth Association of Petroleum Landmen. He has also served on the board of directors for the John W. Nick Male Breast Cancer Foundation.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: "If it’s got to be, it's up to me." - My grandfather, Floyd Miller
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “One thing you can control on a daily basis is your attitude. Having a positive attitude will get you far in life and will have so many positive impacts on your life.”
BOB SIMPSON CEO MorningStar Partners
Bob Simpson is chairman of MorningStar Partners, manager of a 50/50 joint venture between ExxonMobil and MorningStar, and co-owner of the Texas Rangers. He founded the predecessor company to XTO Energy and sold XTO to ExxonMobil in 2010 for $41 billion, making his stake worth more than $350 million, plus a consulting contract. From 2005 through 2008, Simpson was named by Barron's as one of the "30 Most Respected CEOs in the World." Simpson also earned numerous accolades for buying and restoring historic buildings in downtown Fort Worth.
A BIT OF HISTORY: Beginning in the mid-‘90s when Simpson bought and fully restored the W.T. Waggoner building, his downtown projects have restored 886,000 square feet of historic buildings – almost 9 percent of all downtown office space, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce estimates.
DAVID WESSON CEO GEODynamics
A guy who just sold his company for $525 million needs to be on our list. David Wesson started his career at Halliburton’s Tools Research and Engineering. Wesson founded GEODynamics in 2004, and it developed innovative solutions for downhole oil and gas well completion. Last year, Wesson, who held 20 percent of GEODynamics with his wife, sold the company.
GROWING UP ON A FARM: “I learned how to weld and do most anything required at a really young age.”
EARLY JOB: ROUGHING HORSE TRAILERS: “Saturdays, I could rough out two at $100 per trailer. I turned myself from employee to contractor at 16.”
INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGY: “We are an engineering company. We are a bunch of geeks.”
Mitch Wynne, with partners Ben Fortson, Bob Ravnaas (see separate profiles) and Brett Taylor, took their Kimbell Royalty Partners public last year, with mineral and royalty interests in 3.7 million acres, 44 percent in the Permian Basin. Kimbell Art Museum owns 17.5 percent of Kimbell Royalty Partners; KRP’s total market value was $378 million in June. Wynne, husband of Kimbell Art Museum President Kimbell Fortson Wynne (see separate profile), has been in oil and gas since 1980 and remains a director of Kimbell Royalty.
CONNECTED: Wynne is a director of the Kimbell Art Museum and has served on the boards of the Fort Worth Zoological Association, Union Gospel Mission and All Saints’ Episcopal School.
GEORGE M. YOUNG JR. CEO
Pegasus
Resources
George Young’s Pegasus announced in December it secured a $300 million equity commitment from EnCap Investments to acquire and manage mineral and royalty properties in established and emerging resource plays, primarily the Permian Basin. Young has more than 35 years in energy. He recently served as general partner of Wolf Exploration, LP, where he assembled 115,000 acres in the Williston Basin. Young served on the board of the TCU Energy Institute, and he serves on several nonprofit boards including All Saints’ Episcopal School, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and Cook Children’s Health Foundation.
ON ENCAP DEAL: “Our plan is to leverage our extensive network of energy industry relationships, coupled with EnCap’s financial strength and expertise, to assemble an attractive portfolio of high-return properties during an advantageous point in the price cycle.”
ALISDAIR JAMES CEO
Pier 1 Imports
Pier 1 Imports’ new CEO, Alasdair James, joined it in 2017 in an effort to augment the publicly traded Fort Worth company’s customer appeal and growth strategy. James previously served as Kmart’s president for three years. He was recruited by Kmart parent Sears Holdings after working at Tesco, a British grocery and general merchandise retailer, for seven years with escalating roles of responsibility.
WHY JAMES: “In our search for a new leader to navigate Pier 1 Imports through this challenging and exciting retail environment, our board sought an innovative, customercentric and proven leader with visionary perspective.” - Pier 1 chairman Terry London JOINING PIER 1: “The company’s exceptional brand recognition, loyal customer base and special and deeply-rooted company culture provide a strong platform for future success.” - James
Principal Southwest Office Systems
In 1964, Buddy and Vince Puente’s (see separate profile) father founded SOS, selling typewriters and adding machines. Vince was 18 and Buddy was 20 when they joined in 1972. Today, SOS has become a premier office technology dealer. The company is in the top 3 percent of independent dealers and the largest Hispanic-owned U.S. dealership, with more than $15 million in revenues. SOS is also debt-free.
JOINING THE COMPANY IN 1972: “Back then, we started selling electronic calculators. Add, subtract, multiply and divide. $4,000.”
ARNIE GACHMAN President Gamtex Industries
Gamtex Industries has been in Arnie Gachman’s family since 1913. Sixty years later, at age 27, Gachman became GM. Within five years, he became president. Gachman serves on the board of the Recycling Council of Texas. He’s served on the boards of the Sammons Transplant Institute at Baylor University Medical Center, Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center-Fort Worth and Baylor Hospitals, Beth-El Congregation and Fort Worth Club. Gachman received the Person of Vision Award from UNTHSC in 2012 and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries in 2013.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: “Arnold Gachman has proven to not only be a wonderful leader for the scrap recycling industry, but his generosity, ability to teach others, and willingness to learn have helped set our industry’s course.” - ISRI President Robin Wiener, in bestowing award
Principal Southwest Office Systems
In 1964, Vince and Buddy Puente’s (see separate profile) father founded SOS, selling typewriters and adding machines. Vince was 18 and Buddy was 20 when they joined in 1972. Today, SOS has become a premier office technology dealer. The company is in the top 3 percent of independent dealers and the largest Hispanic-owned U.S. dealership, with more than $15 million in revenues. SOS is also debt-free.
WHAT’S AHEAD IN OFFICE: “Once we break into 5G, that’s what’s going to be the game-changer. Our core products are going to continue to advance.”
Giving back to the community is a thread that runs through The 400 This section recognizes nonprofit leaders and many of their major benefactors. Charities like Cook Children’s, the Fort Worth Zoo and the city’s largest arts institutions are major recipients. We also recognize some of Fort Worth’s emerging smaller charities.
ROSE BRADSHAW CEO
North Texas Community Foundation
Rose Bradshaw succeeded the retiring Nancy Jones a year ago at the Fort Worth foundation, which serves well-heeled individuals, families and corporations in 11 counties by helping them achieve their charitable goals. Bradshaw was executive vice president of community investment since 2013.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I was working in San Francisco as an assistant editor for Miller Freeman Publishing Company when the CEO invited me to lead the company's foundation.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Adversity is a great teacher. When life doesn't go as planned, it's natural to want to balk and squawk about it – but problem-solving is where it gets interesting.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Pioneers, problem-solvers, innovators, visionaries: Our community needs you!”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “The Chicago Cubs win the World Series. Once is not enough!”
The Miles Foundation
Grant Coates, named foundation CEO in 2011, was a longtime exec for Miles Production Company, the company founded by foundation’s namesake Ellison Miles. Miles has provided more than $20 million in grants since 1999 for early childhood education, family engagement, thirdgrade literacy, and character and leadership development.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I started as an intern for Ellison Miles’ oil and gas organization, Miles Production Company, while I was still in college.”
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“I heard Craig Groeschel say, ‘It’s the decisions we make today that determine the stories we’ll tell tomorrow.’”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “Our founder, Ellison Miles, flying his B-17 fighter plane as a pilot over Europe in WWII. It’s hard not to get chills reading the letters he wrote to his family during his 25 missions overseas.”
TILLIE BURGIN
Executive Director
Mission Arlington
Tillie Burgin, a former Arlington schools personnel director, has been executive director of Mission Arlington/Mission Metroplex since 1986, where she began an apartment ministry, meeting needs for Bible studies, health care, child and adult day care, clothing, food furniture, transportation, and counseling.
HOW I GOT MY START: “My dad owned a Gulf service station, and it was all about service. I worked with him and for him for many years. He would often tell me, ‘Don't ever accept money for service.’”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “The joy I have is being at the Mission seven days a week, serving and helping people understand that God loves them too.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “We spent 10 years in South Korea as missionaries. The joy in working with the Korean people was always a rewarding experience.”
WAYNE CARSON CEO
ACH Child and Family Services
Wayne Carson has been CEO of ACH Child and Family Services more than 18 years. ACH, former All Church Home, provides a range of services for abused, neglected and homeless children, including providing foster care services for children under conservatorship of the state. Carson holds a bachelor’s in engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla and master’s and doctorate degrees in social work from the University of Texas at Arlington. A past president of Rotary Club of Fort Worth, he serves on the board of the Mental Health Connection of Tarrant County and is president of the Texas Alliance for Child and Family Services in Austin. Carson was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni of the University of Texas at Arlington in 2009.
MATT DUFRENE Vice President Blue Zones Project Fort Worth
Dufrene is top local executive for the Fort Worth demonstration site of Blue Zones Project, the global well-being initiative based on lessons learned from communities worldwide where people live the longest. The citybacked project has skeptics who grumble about overreach and real impact. But it’s on track to meet its goals by year’s end, and Fort Worth would be certified as a Blue Zones city, a feather in its economic development cap. Dufrene is a former major gifts officer for United Way of Tarrant County and former financial adviser. He’s an avid outdoorsman and cyclist.
ELLIOT GOLDMAN CEO
The Greatest Gift Catalog Ever
Businessman Elliot Goldman’s The Greatest Gift Catalog Ever just celebrated its 10th anniversary. Goldman and wife Heather launched the catalog, which annually features an assortment of local charities vetted by an independent board that people can give to around the holidays on behalf of friends and family, as a way to better direct his family’s giving. Goldman’s typically had any number of companies going at one time in his portfolio. He says he was going through holiday catalogs one year when it occurred to him he could launch a company behind a giving catalog. “Why not just throw a nonprofit company in there?” he told Fort Worth Inc. in an interview.
CEO Lena Pope Home
Todd Landry’s nine years as CEO of Lena Pope has resulted in accomplishments like the completion of a $13 million capital campaign and construction of 100,000 square feet of space in two locations; growth of the elementary charter school to 500 students from 100 in four years; and the implementation of an early learning center.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “My first mentor told me that from my first day as a nonprofit executive to my last, I'd wake up worried about how to raise more money for our mission, and I'd go to bed worrying about the same thing.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Lived in Norway for two years with Conoco. Probably the most naturally beautiful place I will ever visit. More recently, I visited Cuba, which I found fascinating.”
Executive Director Arlington Life Shelter
Becky Orander became shelter director in 1997, where she supervises 24 staff members and moved the agency’s 78 percent government funding to 6 percent, while increasing gifts.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “For long-term stability, find a job that encourages incorporation of work and personal time in your schedule.”
BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “Volunteer for something you enjoy, not only to help others, but to meet people with similar interests and values.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: "Serving as an international trainer for the Girl Scouts in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. What impacted me the most was watching two guards, one from Cuba, the other from the U.S., walking side by side, in step with each other. A simple chain-link fence separated the two men and their countries.”
Nonprofit Leader
Kelsey Patterson has a couple of passions she’s pursued as a volunteer leader: underserved children and pets. Her husband’s Gary Patterson Foundation –TCU football coach Gary Patterson (see separate profile) is its namesake – took on George C. Clarke Elementary School in Fort Worth as a project, led by Kelsey Patterson. The foundation’s programs at Clarke include college scholarships for fifth-graders, after-school Scrabble games, college field trips, college savings accounts, and books. Through the initiatives, the school’s passing rate on the state exams has grown from 40 percent to 95 percent. Patterson also is a board member of the Saving Hope Foundation, which educates the public about the importance of spaying and neutering pets and fostering and adopting.
Executive Dreamer
Dream Outside The Box
Kam Phillips-Sadler went outside the box with her Fort Worth nonprofit that encourages volunteerism from college students, while setting the beneficiaries down the same path of community service. Phillips-Sadler, who grew up in North Texas, launched the nonprofit in 2009 with a chapter at her alma mater, University of Missouri. Under the model, college students charter a chapter, partner with a youth service organization in a “dream desert,” and deliver programming to elementary school students. Children “pay” for the programming with service. The organization has 10 chapters so far, including TCU and the University of North Texas. It’s also drawn on the help of highprofile local public school advocates who serve on its board.
TOBY OWEN CEO Presbyterian Night Shelter
Toby Owen keeps figuring out ways to serve the demand for homeless services, even if Fort Worth can’t agree on approach. As CEO since 2009, he says he’s “ultimately responsible for 700 guests per night, 300 guests in the True Worth Place day shelter, 100 guests in permanent housing, and 149 employees."
HOW I GOT MY START: “My wife and I started as live-in house parents for a wonderful group of kids at All Church Home for Children in 1995. We still have relationships with many of them.”
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “It was my senior year in high school during a difficult wrestling match. I was getting beat but came back in the third period. I overheard my granddad, and he said, ‘Toby never gives up.’ I have thought about that many times over my life.”
Walter Rainwater, brother of the late investor Richard Rainwater, walked into Morningside Middle School in Fort Worth several years ago and ended up pursuing a “cradle-tocareer” plan for community investment that resulted in Morningside Children’s Program Success Teams at 11 schools. The North Texas Community Foundation made Rainwater its first recipient of the North Texas Community Foundation’s new Insight & Vision Award. With the help of a grant from the Rainwater Charitable Foundation and the Sid Richardson Foundation, the Morningside Children’s Partnership was formed in 2012 to help revitalize the neighborhood. The award was presented to Rainwater at the foundation’s event, Four Mayors of Fort Worth: An Evening of Insight & Vision. The event gathered Fort Worth’s four current and former living mayors for a panel presentation to discuss what it takes to build a great community.
CEO Catholic Charities Fort Worth
Heather Reynolds, at just 25, became CEO of Catholic Charities Fort Worth, responsible for a $45 million agency with nearly 400 employees. Today, she’s an expert speaker on poverty and nonprofit strategy.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I'VE RECEIVED: “I love quotes, and one of my favorites is: ‘Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it’s the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “I became CCFW’s President/CEO at only 25 years old. I had a lot of ambition and ideas, but I was super-green, and it was sometimes tough to get people to take me seriously. Pretty much out of pure desperation to survive, I learned very quickly to surround myself with others who know much, much more than I do.”
JOHN ROBINSON Executive Vice President of Grant Administration
Amon G. Carter Foundation
John Robinson is top staff person at the Amon Carter Foundation, which made $141.7 million in grants for the five years through 2017 in education, health and medicine, humanities and the arts, and social services. Robinson’s been on the staff since 1980; he was elevated to his current role in 1997.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I'VE RECEIVED: “Reputation and trust are earned slowly but can evaporate in an instant. You are judged by your actions, not your intentions.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Learn to communicate clearly in both speaking and writing. Spelling and grammar are critical, and you cannot rely on computer programs to proof your work. You also need to know your values and convictions before they are put to the test.”
SMYERS CEO
United Way of Tarrant County
TD Smyers was named CEO of United Way of Tarrant County in July 2017, promoted from chief operating officer. Smyers previously served four years as regional CEO for the American Red Cross North Texas Region. He retired in 2011 from the U.S. Navy after serving as commanding officer of the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base. From 2012 through 2014, Smyers led the City of Fort Worth in the commissioning of USS Fort Worth as committee chair.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Helping others succeed is the best way to achieve success yourself.” WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Fear nothing.” BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE TODAY IS: “Join lots of stuff by saying yes as much as possible.”
BO SODERBERGH
Executive Director
Tarrant Area Food Bank
Bo Soderbergh, a native of Sweden, was educated in Italy, Japan, England and the U. S., where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from TCU. He was named executive director of Tarrant Area Food Bank in 1997. Soderbergh is a member and past president of Feeding Texas, a statewide nonprofit working toward a hunger-free Texas. He is also a past president of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth. Soderbergh has broadened the food bank’s sourcing of food and development of partnerships within the food industry, providing food and resources through a network of 270 agencies serving the hungry in North Texas.
DON SHISLER
President Union Gospel Mission
Shisler got his start at Union Gospel Mission as a volunteer in 1993 before becoming the CEO in 1995. He’s continued to expand the East Lancaster campus in Fort Worth to address demand for homeless services, opening the new Scott Walker Women and Families Service building in 2016. The building has 28 rooms for single women (double occupancy), 12 overnight-shelter beds for women, and five rooms for families and children. Five rooms are devoted to homeless men with children. Shisler has served numerous organizations, such as the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition. He also served as an officer and helped to launch the Near Eastside Neighborhood Association.
JERRE TRACY
Executive Director
Historic Fort Worth
As executive director of Historic Fort Worth, Jerre Tracy works with the board to raise funds for operations and restoration at Thistle Hill and McFarland House. Tracy also works for preservation of historic buildings across the city, often putting her in conflict with the city and building owners and developers.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Happiness is not measured in dollars.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Follow your heart.” THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE TODAY IS: “To volunteer for a charity that delivers a mission you like.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Barcelona, Spain, to see the Antoni Gaudi buildings” MOST RECENT BOOK READ: “Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles”
KAREN ANFIN Principal K&L Ventures
Karen Anfin and husband
Larry Anfin (see separate profile) are among the most highly visible of Fort Worth philanthropists, taking leads in numerous organizations and appearing at many events throughout the year on the charity circuit. Karen Anfin’s dance card includes Meals on Wheels, McKinney Bible Church, Go Red for Women benefiting the American Heart Association, Man and Woman of the Year benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Ronald McDonald House, Rotary Club of Fort Worth, and Women Steering Business.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
“You will make mistakes in life. Learn from them and move forward.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “Join Rotary.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Sometimes you need to get out of your ‘comfort zone’ to grow.” WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Read, volunteer, cook, travel.”
Philanthropist
Mercedes Bass, formerwife of Sid Bass, is chairman of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra board. The Symphony has struggled in fundraising but announced recently that its “3 Steps to $3 million” campaign exceeded its goals, with the help of the Amon G. Carter Foundation. The challenge launched in February 2017. “I am absolutely thrilled that we have met the Carter Challenge goal!” Bass said in a January release. “This accomplishment is a testament to the community’s support of the FWSO, and it represents nearly 1,200 donors who made three-year pledges to help ensure our financial stability and continued artistic excellence.” The Symphony board is now engaged in a search for a new music director to replace Miguel Harth-Bedoya (see separate profile), who is stepping down.
LARRY
ANFIN
Principal K&L Ventures
Larry Anfin and wife
Karen Anfin (see separate profile) are ubiquitous, serving on numerous boards and highly visible at Fort Worth events. Larry Anfin is grandson of the late John McMillan, who co-founded Coors Distributing Company of Fort Worth and ran it until he died in 2001. The Anfin family – Larry and his three brothers – sold to Andrews Distributing in 2014.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
“It is more difficult being a leader than being one of the guys.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY:
“You beat most people by just showing up. Learn from others, but do it your way.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE TODAY IS: “Rotary Club, events in town”
ANNE T. BASS Philanthropist
Anne T. Bass and husband Robert Bass (see separate profile) direct their philanthropy through their Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Foundation, focusing on education and youth and health and human services. The couple makes gifts to their alma maters, Stanford University and Duke University, where one of their children went to school. Their giving focuses on Fort Worth. Local gifts made by the foundation in one recent year, according to IRS documents: Aids Outreach Center; Boys & Girls Clubs; Center for Transforming Lives; Day Resource Center; Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate; Gill Children’s Services; Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth; Happy Hill Farm Academy & Education Center; James L. West Alzheimer’s Center; Presbyterian Night Shelter; SafeHaven Tarrant County; Texas Ballet Theater; The Salvation Army; The Warm Place; The Women’s Center of Tarrant County; United Community Centers.
The Fort Worth Zoo has been Ramona Bass’ passion since she and Lee Bass (see separate profile) married in the ‘80s. In 2014, the couple gave $30 million, the lead gift to the zoo’s $100 million A Wilder Vision capital campaign, and Ramona Bass took the lead in helping raise the remainder. The Zoological Association’s board, which Bass co-chairs with Kit Moncrief (see separate profile), is packed with prominent, active Fort Worth citizens, including a number on The 400. Outside the zoo, the couple makes gifts through its Lee and Ramona Bass Foundation. Recent beneficiaries include the All Saints’ Episcopal School of Fort Worth, an endowment for the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and charities related to wildlife, such as the International Rhino Foundation.
Cheryl Conatser and husband Jerry Conatser (see separate profile) are longtime supporters of the Cook Children’s Health Care System, University Christian Church, and Casa Mañana, where Cheryl Conatser is a board member. The Conatsers have contributed to the UCC Children’s Closet, which provides uniforms, shoes and other clothing to children in the Fort Worth Independent School District and responds to year-round requests. Cheryl Conatser has also been active in the operation of UCC’s Prom Dress Boutique, under which the church gives dresses, shoes, purses and jewelry to high school girls who can’t afford them. “When the girls find that perfect dress, they look beautiful. Absolutely beautiful,” Conatser said in one news account.
JERRY CONATSER Philanthropist
The philanthropic interests of Jerry Conatser and wife Cheryl Conatser (see separate profile) focus on children. The Conatsers support – financially and as volunteers – the Cook Children’s Health Care System, University Christian Church, and Casa Mañana. Jerry Conatser is vice president of the Cook Children’s Health Foundation and a member of the Cook Children’s Health Care System board. The Conatsers support UCC ministries including the UCC Children’s Closet, which assists needy Fort Worth Independent Schools children with gifts of uniforms, shoes and other clothing and responds to year-round requests. The Conatsers also support UCC’s Prom Dress Boutique, which gives dresses and other items to girls who can’t afford them. The Conatsers made their living in construction services, including Conatser Construction and Conatser Site Services, a diversified construction business.
The Goff Family Foundation
The primary beneficiary of The Golf Family Foundation today is the B Sharp Youth Music Program, established at Fort Worth's Como Elementary School in 2010. The program focuses on fostering positive youth development through academic achievement, understanding community and exemplary behavior through music. The foundation, founded in 2007 and headed by entrepreneur John Goff (see separate profile) and wife Cami Goff, provides ongoing support to Como, including grants for college scholarships, community projects, and Como Elementary special projects. “The foundation will continuously explore unique ways in which to serve the Fort Worth community,” it says.
Wife of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Gene and Jerry Jones (see separate profile) run much of their philanthropy through a Cowboys company charity. The Joneses enlist the talents, skills and resources of Cowboys players, coaches, cheerleaders and other members of the organization in their community outreach. Gene Jones has pursued passions in the arts as a philanthropist. She and her husband became members of the Dallas Center for the Performance of Arts’ Founding Family Donor Program in 2004, members who have given $1 million or more. Jones is a trustee of the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas and the Texas Cultural Trust. She took the lead in bringing an art collection to AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Jones is a member of the Salvation Army DFW advisory board, and she serves on SMU boards.
JOAN KATZ Philanthropy
Joan Katz (husband Howard Katz, see separate profile, Industry) lives by a personal motto. “May I live on in good deeds that bless others’ lives and leave behind me a heritage of a good name,” she says. “These words were passed down in our family from my paternal great-grandfather.” Joan Katz co-founded the Tarrant County affiliate of Komen for the Cure and its Race for the Cure and continues to volunteer for the organization. Katz, a cancer survivor, co-chaired the campaign to fund and endow The Joan Katz Cancer Resource Center at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth and serves on its executive committee. She’s secretary of the board of Jewel Charity, annually benefiting Cook Children’s. And she’s a board member of The Gladney Center for Adoption.
JOHN KLEINHEINZ Philanthropy
John Kleinheinz and wife Marsha Kleinheinz (see separate profile) direct their giving through the Kleinheinz Family Foundation for the Arts and Education. The couple in 2015 gave $1 million for new learning programs to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. Their foundation in recent years also has made gifts to the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, SMU, and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. John Kleinheinz spent years working in investment banking for Merrill Lynch before founding Kleinheinz Capital Partners. The firm built a successful hedge fund of about $2 billion in assets and liquidated and returned money to investors in 2012. Kleinheinz in 2015 became a lead investor in Texas Central Partners, which is working on launching high-speed rail service between Dallas and Houston.
KLEINHEINZ Philanthropy
Marsha Kleinheinz and husband John Kleinheinz (see separate profile) direct their giving through the Kleinheinz Family Foundation for the Arts and Education. The couple in 2015 gave $1 million for new learning programs to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. “We believe that without the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, there would be a huge vacuum in the educational and cultural life of our city,” Marsha Kleinheinz said at the time. “It is our hope that others will also see the value of this exceptional institution and join us in support of this wonderful museum.” The Kleinheinz foundation in recent years also has made gifts to the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, SMU, and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. The foundation had $108 million in assets at the end of 2016. Kleinheinz also is a director of Performing Arts Fort Worth.
Garland and Mollie Lasater (see separate profile) started their first family charitable fund through the North Texas Community Foundation in 1989 with the I Have a Dream Foundation Fund. The Fort Worth couple – Lasater is a retired lawyer – has continued to support causes related to quality education in area schools, including backing winning candidates for Fort Worth school board positions in recent years. Their son, Edward Lasater, has continued their tradition of giving through the North Texas Community Foundation.
Garland and Mollie Lasater (see separate profile) started their first family charitable fund through the North Texas Community Foundation in 1989 with the I Have a Dream Foundation Fund. The Fort Worth couple has continued to support causes related to quality education in area schools, including backing candidates for school boards. Lasater serves on the board of Performing Arts Fort Worth and the Ambassador Council for the Amon Carter Museum. Their son, Edward Lasater, has continued their tradition of giving through the North Texas Community Foundation.
Marty Leonard was introduced to golf at age 3 by her father, Marvin Leonard, founder of the Colonial and Shady Oaks country clubs. She enjoyed a lengthy amateur career, built and owns the Leonard Golf Links teaching facility in Fort Worth, and built the Nike Research and Development Building & Tech Center in the city. She’s a longtime supporter of the Lena Pope Home, which built the Marty Leonard Community Chapel in 1990. Other current boards, committees and volunteer work: All Saints Health Foundation board, City of Fort Worth Conservation Advisory Committee, Fort Worth Junior Golf Association, Fort Worth Nature Center, Friends of the Nature Center, Historic Fort Worth, Junior League of Fort Worth, Kids Who Care, MD Anderson Cancer Center, National Audubon Society, Ryan Foundation, and Komen for the Cure.
Walsh Holdings
G. Malcolm Louden serves as president of Walsh Holdings, representing Fort Worth’s Walsh family in charitable giving and in projects like the development of their massive 7,200-acre West Fort Worth ranch in partnership with Republic Property Group. He also serves as a TCU trustee and was a Worth National Bank director. Louden also makes his own gifts, in 2014 cutting the ribbon on the G. Malcolm Louden Player Development Center for Baseball at TCU.
MARY RALPH LOWE
Philanthropy
Mary Ralph Lowe has been CEO of Maralo, LLC, a private oil and gas exploration and production company and ranching operation, since 1973. Lowe with her mother, Erma Lowe, established the Lowe Foundation in 1988 to support preventative or rehabilitative programs that benefit the critical needs of at-risk women and children. Lowe has served on the boards of TCU, Performing Arts Center of Fort Worth, National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, and Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Lowe previously served on the board of Apache Corporation, a large oil and gas exploration company, from 1996 to 2002.
Philanthropy
Anne Windfohr Marion – daughter of Anne Burnett Tandy – inherited ranching and oil interests, handed down from acquisitions made by her great-grandfather. Windfohr Marion, one of Fort Worth’s billionaires, as estimated by Forbes, is president of Burnett Ranches and chair of the Burnett Oil Co. She’s had a long interest in art. The Burnett Foundation, chaired by Windfohr Marion, supports numerous arts and other causes, including the major Fort Worth museums, performing arts organizations and Bass Hall. Windfohr Marion has been a longtime benefactor of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. She and her husband, John Marion (see separate profile), founded the Georgia O’Keefe Museum in Santa Fe. Windfohr Marion is a former director of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and was inducted into its Hall of Great Westerners in 2009.
JOHN MARION Philanthropy
John Marion, husband of Anne Windfohr Marion (see separate profile), retired as chairman of the Sotheby’s auction house in 1994 after 35 years. “I’ve had 35 years up there, and that’s enough,” Marion told The New York Times. Marion was trained as an auctioneer by his father, his predecessor at Sotheby’s. Marion is vice president of The Burnett Foundation, chaired by his wife, which invests in numerous arts and other organizations, including the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; Georgia O’Keefe Museum, which the Marions co-founded in Santa Fe; Fort Worth Opera; Fort Worth Symphony; National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame; Fort Worth Museum of Science and History; Bass Hall; Texas Ballet Theater; The Cliburn; and TCU.
LOUELLA MARTIN Philanthropy
Lou Martin and her husband Nicholas Martin (see separate profile) have put their names up on a lot of buildings in recent years (Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center - Fort Worth, Fort Worth Country Day School, Texas Wesleyan University). Most recently, they made the lead gift for the construction of the Nick and Lou Martin University Center at Texas Wesleyan. It will serve as the school's heart, anchoring renewal along the East Rosedale Street corridor. Martin, a Texas Wesleyan trustee, has long ties to the university. Her grandfather, James B. Baker, served on the board from 1895 to 1912 and was instrumental to the university’s development. Martin’s father, Edward L. Baker, served on the board from 1945 to 1969. During his tenure, Texas Wesleyan earned accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Nick and Lou Martin (see separate profile) have been among Fort Worth’s most visible philanthropists in recent years, putting their names up on various buildings, including at Texas Wesleyan University, Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center - Fort Worth, and Fort Worth Country Day School. Nick Martin made his living in lumber, PVC pipe, and vinyl siding companies in Michigan and the Fort Worth area, where he met Lou Martin. Most recently, the couple contributed the lead gift for the Nick and Lou Martin University Center, now under construction at Texas Wesleyan. Their gifts to Baylor include ones for The Nicholas and Louella Martin Center for Chronic Pain Management and the Nicholas and Louella Martin Tower. Nicholas Martin’s daughter, Cynthia Adams (see separate profile), this year rotated off the All Saints Health Foundation board as its chair.
Philanthropy
Charlie Moncrief, son of oilman W.A. “Tex” Moncrief, Jr. (see separate profile), and grandson of the legendary wildcatter W.A. “Monty” Moncrief, started in the business in 1972 as a landman and worked as production clerk, on rigs, and as a company man before joining Moncrief Oil in 1980. He and his wife, Kit (see separate profile), remain in energy and ranching and support numerous organizations. Moncrief is a member of the Fort Worth Stock Show board and University of Texas Longhorn Foundation Advisory Council.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Don’t lie, steal, cheat or ever create a false impression.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “See everything you can.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Watch football, play gin rummy, go out to the ranch”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “Antarctica, with Kit, part of which would be nuclear-powered submarine”
Kit Tennison Moncrief (grandfather C.A. Lupton), with husband Charlie Moncrief (see separate profile), are in ranching, oil and gas and other investments. They support numerous organizations. She’s National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame president, Fort Worth Zoological Association co-chair, and TCU board vice chair. Other board memberships include: Moncrief Cancer Foundation, UT Southwestern Moncrief Cancer Institute, T.J. Brown and C.A. Lupton Foundation, Fort Worth Stock Show, and Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Never take no for an answer.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “To be happy, work hard and do something you enjoy. Live your dream!”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE TODAY IS: “Get involved with some of the wonderful organizations we have in Fort Worth.”
MIKE
Philanthropy
Mike Moncrief, grandson of oilman W.A. “Monty” Moncrief, has made his name in public service, serving in the Texas House of Representatives, Texas State Senate, Tarrant County Commissioners Court as county judge, and, finally, as Fort Worth mayor, where he led the implementation of Directions Home, a program that addressed chronic homelessness. In what he calls his “retirement” with former Fort Worth first lady Rosie Moncrief (see separate profile), Moncrief tends to his oil and gas investments and other business interests and lends his time to special projects and committees, like TCU and police and fire causes.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Amazing what you can accomplish in life when you don't care who gets credit for doing what, and you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with”
Rosie Moncrief, wife of former Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief (see separate profile), has long dedicated her time to community works, including issues concerning children, senior citizens, health care, and human trafficking. She started working retail after school at 14. In her 20s, she moved into property management in Houston, eventually taking a post with Club Corp. of America in Mississippi. Later, she transferred to Fort Worth. “Best move of my life!”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Learn not only to listen but hear, and there is a difference.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “To be certain your moral compass always points true north, and the climb to success does not begin on the top rung of the ladder.”
MOST RECENT BOOK I’VE READ: “13 Hours by Mitchell Zuckoff, and I'm still ticked.”
The oil and gas wildcatter Tex Moncrief made a $25 million gift to establish the UT Southwestern Monty and Tex Moncrief Medical Center at Fort Worth, UT Southwestern’s first named campus outside Dallas. Monty was Tex Moncrief’s father. Tex Moncrief is president of the William A. and Elizabeth B. Moncrief Foundation, which contributes to educational, health, civic and cultural organizations. Over the years, the Moncrief family has provided nearly $14 million from the William A. and Elizabeth B. Moncrief Foundation and from Tex Moncrief in direct support of UT Southwestern programs at its Dallas campus, as well as $75 million in funds given to the Moncrief Cancer Foundation in support of the UT Southwestern Moncrief Cancer Institute in Fort Worth.
Jean Roach and husband John Roach (see separate profile) support education, arts, social services, health, and economic development causes through their Jean and John Roach Foundation ($7.6 million in 2016 assets). Recent significant gifts include those to TCU, Fort Worth Country Day School, Performing Arts Fort Worth, Kinderfrogs, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, The Gatehouse, United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County, Junior League of Fort Worth, University Christian Church, Kimbell Art Museum, and East Fort Worth, Inc.
John Roach was longtime CEO of Tandy Corp./ RadioShack, and he built a legacy at TCU, where he was chairman of the Board of Trustees. Roach, named chairman in 1990, led the “1990s Project” that set TCU’s agenda for 10 years. Roach encouraged TCU to approve major increases in funding for technology for teaching and learning; those technologies were put in place across campus. At Tandy, Roach helped launch the national Tandy Technology Scholars Program, which rewarded teachers and students who are leaders in those subjects. Roach consistently set TCU’s agenda for conservative fiscal management and championed balanced budgets. During his tenure, the endowment more than doubled to approximately $1 billion, and TCU’s budgets were in the black throughout the 1990s. Today, Roach and his wife, Jean Roach (see separate profile), make gifts from their family foundation.
LISA ROSE President The Gatehouse
Lisa Rose spent more than 20 years through various organizations “providing leadership and support for women to live life to their God-given potential.” Launched, with a team that includes businessman husband Matt Rose (see separate profile), The Gatehouse, a supportive living community in Grapevine where women and children in crisis “discover new paths for a permanent change.”
HOW I GOT MY START: “After working in marketing at The Bombay Company and Burger King Corporation, I used those skills in women's ministry at churches.”
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “You can do everything God has for you to do.” WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Show up and do the next best thing. You don't have to figure out your whole life right now. Do the next best thing, and it will lead you to fulfill your purpose in this generation.”
Rozanne Rosenthal and husband Billy Rosenthal (see separate profile) have long supported numerous causes in Fort Worth. Her fave: the Susan G. Komen Foundation. In 1992, to honor friend Joan Katz (see separate profile), who had just been diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time, Rosenthal started the Tarrant County affiliate of Komen. In 1993, the affiliate ran its first Race for the Cure. Katz on Rosenthal’s gift: “a priceless gift of friendship that turned into an amazing gift of hope for Greater Fort Worth.”
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Do unto others as you would have done to you.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: Walk, Pilates, read MOST RECENT BOOK I’VE READ: “The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay”
Billy Rosenthal started at age 14 in Standard Meat Company, founded by his grandfather Ben Rosenthal; became president; and retired 1989, six years after sale to Sara Lee. Rebooted Standard in 1994, with deal from Outback Steakhouse. Today Rosenthal is chairman of Penrose Group, which manages Rosenthal’s family interests, including Standard, Syracuse Sausage, and Bounty Minerals. In business with his son, Ben Rosenthal, and daughter, Ashli Blumenfeld (see separate profile). Billy Rosenthal and wife Rozanne Rosenthal (see separate profile) support numerous organizations, including Cook Children’s, Fort Worth Zoological Association, Fort Worth Club, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, TCU, and Beth-El Congregation.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Kindness and thoughtfulness should guide all of your relationships.”
BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE TODAY IS: “Volunteer!”
TCU alums Tom and Marilyn Sumner (see separate profile) last year made a significant $5.5 million leadership gift to the planned expansion of the Neeley School of Business. Tom Sumner earned his bachelor’s and MBA from TCU, and Marilyn Sumner, her Bachelor of Arts. Tom Sumner has founded six successful companies since 1979 and is currently CEO and chairman of Allpoints Service Corp., which provides land surveying services to home builders. Marilyn Sumner was a career education administrator before co-founding a consulting company to advise school districts in the Houston area.
WORKING WITH OLDER MBA
CLASSMATES AT TCU: “I could go head to head with them in the arena of ideas, case competitions and debates, and that gave me a boost of confidence. An entrepreneur has to have confidence.”
Ed and Rae Schollmaier’s philanthropic gifts around Fort Worth have been numerous. The couple made the $10 million lead gift for the renovation of TCU’s Daniel-Meyer Coliseum; TCU named the arena the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena in 2015, the year Rae Schollmaier died. They previously gave money for the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Basketball Complex. Schollmaier has been a TCU trustee since 1996. His Schollmaier Foundation has made gifts in health and welfare, arts, education and youth. A career Alcon Laboratories employee, he retired in 1997 as CEO. Schollmaier is a recipient of the Fort Worth Exchange Club’s prestigious Golden Deeds Award.
TCU alums Marilyn Sumner and businessman husband Tom Sumner (see separate profile) last year made a significant $5.5 million leadership gift to the planned expansion of the Neeley School of Business. Marilyn Sumner earned her Bachelor of Arts from TCU; Tom Sumner earned his bachelor’s and MBA from the university. Marilyn Sumner was a career education administrator before cofounding a consulting company to advise school districts in the Houston area. Tom Sumner has founded six successful companies since 1979 and is currently CEO and chairman of Allpoints Service Corp., which provides land surveying services to home builders.
The Walton Family Foundation – Walmart heiress Alice Walton is worth an estimated $44 billion – made a $20 million endowment over five years to the Amon Carter Museum of American Art last year. The gift honors the Amon Carter’s longtime board president, Ruth Carter Stevenson, who died in 2013. It is the largest in the museum’s history and establishes an endowment to support future exhibition and education initiatives. Walton served on the Amon Carter’s board from 2004 to 2015. “Mother and Alice were great friends and shared an extraordinary love and knowledge of art — visionaries both,” the Amon’s president Karen Johnson Nixon said at the time of the gift. “Alice has been an important part of the Amon Carter and its board for many years.”
Radical Reaction that delivers results.
Accounting, advertising and public relations, executive search, and law combine for another of The 400’s largest sections. One note: In the numerous interviews we did to identify who should be among The 400, advertising and public relations got the most feedback of any section on the list.
LARRY AUTREY CEO
Whitley Penn
Larry Autrey graduated from Texas Tech University in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance. He started his career working at Ernst & Young in the tax consulting and compliance department. In 1995, he started working at Whitley Penn, where he was a senior manager turned managing partner. Autrey sits on the board of Cook Children’s Health Foundation and is a board member for Texas Land Conservancy and the Community Enrichment Center.
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “You want to meet people that enjoy the things that you enjoy; therefore, do what you enjoy and be helpful, friendly and open to meeting people, and it will happen.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “‘Hamilton’ on Broadway as many times as I could get it!”
ROBERT FERNANDEZ CEO
Fernandez & Company
Robert Fernandez is a CPA and CEO of the Fernandez & Company accounting firm. Fernandez, a Vanderbilt grad, left a job as a Pricewaterhouse consultant in 1987 to start his own firm. He’s served on numerous boards that focus on economic development, the arts and social service. He serves on the board of the Fort Worth Zoological Association and United Community Centers and is a former Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Board member.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“Remember to take care of yourself so you are able to help others.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED:
“A cross-continent backpacking, train-riding European trip after college graduation with a fraternity brother. We still talk about some of the crazy things we did but lived to laugh about them 40 years later.”
FRANK IANNELLI Partner
K3 Advisors
Frank Iannelli is lead partner of K3 Advisors, a fractional CFO/CEO group he cofounded in 2008. He has a lengthy history of adding value in problem situations. As president of Cheridan Homes, he led the company’s transition from entrepreneurial and minimally funded to a profitable regional builder with infrastructure, systems and procedures. As senior executive at Walls Industries, he implemented initiatives that led to the company’s sale. Iannelli volunteers in the TCU Energy Institute Mentoring Program.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Maintain a healthy balance between work and family. Always show up for your kids.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Always follow up a meeting with a handwritten thank-you card.” WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Spend time with my family, provide content for my son's stand-up comedy routines”
STUART BALCOM
CEO
Balcom Agency
Stuart Balcom likes to say he grew up watching his father “navigate the ‘Mad Men’ era.” Balcom’s dad worked in large agencies and helped grow small local ones. Stuart Balcom launched his agency in 1993 with one client, an art director, one account executive, and one card table. It’s done work for Justin Boots, Motorola, Galderma, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, Alcon, Texas Rangers and Harris Methodist Fort Worth.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “If they say, ‘Money is no problem,’ it’s a problem.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Golf, fly-fishing, travel, wine, ski ... the usual stuff”
JOHN MACKEL CEO Weaver
With nearly 20 years in public accounting, John Mackel is CEO of Weaver. After graduating from Sam Houston State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration, Mackel began his career at a Big Four firm. Before being named CEO of Weaver, Mackel led the company’s industry practice groups for five years and served as partner-incharge of the oil and gas practice. He has been on Weaver’s executive committee since June 2009.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“To use all of the resources provided by the firm. As a senior manager or partner, you have to delegate to those working with you even when it would be faster to do it yourself. A strong team always wins.”
JEREMY CORNFELDT President iProspect
Jeremy Cornfeldt has worked in marketing for over 23 years. As president of iProspect, he has led the strategy, product offerings and client services team since 2013. Before joining iProspect, Cornfeldt worked at The Forum Corporation, Carat and Dentsu Aegis Network. At Dentsu Aegis Network, he launched AMNET, the media trading desk in the U.S. market.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Enjoy the journey! Take time, take a breath and don’t take anything too seriously. Don’t rush to the next step; rather, live in the moment and enjoy where you are.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “The Avett Brothers, and I did! Very much looking forward to seeing them this summer.”
Decker Jones congratulates Janet Hahn, shareholder, for being named by Fort Worth INC. magazine as one of the 400 Most Powerful and Influential People in Greater Fort Worth.
Janet is known by many as someone with a heart to serve, even beyond the office where she serves on numerous charitable and civic committees and boards such as The Women’s Center of Tarrant County and the Tarrant County College Foundation. Janet’s passion is also teaching young children at her church Sunday School and in Bible Study Fellowship. She strives to make everyone she comes in contact with feel that they are important and worthy. At the office, Janet is passionate, loyal and focused toward bringing about an excellent result for her clients.
Janet specializes in Business & Corporate, Mergers Acquisitions, Estate, Probate and Employment Law.
CEO
The Eppstein Group
Bryan Eppstein has been in Texas PR for nearly four decades, as a pollster, public affairs lobbyist, and PR agent. Eppstein’s blended research with PR and advertising, an approach he calls synergistic communications. Eppstein is best known for his work in elections, mostly in Republican races. More recently, his agency worked on the successful campaign in Fort Worth to have voters finance the new Dickies Arena. Eppstein was also a thorn in the side to the city against so-called “stealth dorms” around TCU, driving the city to make changes in its ordinances. Eppstein recently downsized, moving into offices at the WeWork coworking space at Fort Worth's Clearfork. He still maintains an Austin office.
FAVORITE QUOTE: “Results, not rhetoric”
CHRIS GAVRAS CEO Gavras
Communications
With two decades in strategic communications advising in Tarrant County, Chris Gavras leads the CG Group, which advises Fortune 100 corporations, privately held companies, North Texas law firms, professional and trade associations, and community leaders. He recently worked as communications strategist for the highprofile arena project.
HOW I GOT MY START: “Watching Walter Cronkite as a child, I was always fascinated with communication. I learned from working in the press office of a national political campaign at a young age and then from Pete Geren, Tom Vandergriff, GK Maenius and other talented leaders. Without them, there is no start for me.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Cycle, golf, fish, read, attend Rangers games”
JEFF IRELAND CEO Enilon
Jeff Ireland founded Enilon, a digital performance agency that has produced work for clients such as the MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival, Texas Boys Choir and Texas Health Physicians Group. Enilon’s services include pay per click, social media, display, and programmatic and search engine optimization.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I started a computer company when I was a junior at TCU that sold custom PCs, servers and services to students and local customers. That company merged with another to become digital media firm VirtuallyThere Inc., which was acquired by a public company in 2002.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Hire the best people you can afford and empower them.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “My life in 20 years so I can make adjustments if it's not on track”
GEORGE POPSTEFANOV CEO PMG
Originally from Macedonia, George Popstefanov now leads PMG, a Fort Worth digital advertising and marketing agency that’s been named in the Inc. 5000, Deloitte Technology Fast 500, and Entrepreneur 360’s list of fastest growing companies. He also speaks at industry events like the Google Executive Travel Summit.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“My dad was an entrepreneur, and being around him even as a young kid, I learned a lot about starting and running your own business — over-delivering on the expectations you set with customers/partners, leading by example, and being ready to wear multiple hats were three of the biggest pieces I took away, and pieces I rely on every day.”
CEO Simpli.fi
Frost Prioleau is cofounder and CEO of Simpli.fi, a marketing and advertising agency he launched in 2010. Simpli.fi technology gives the power of programmatic advertising to local advertisers. Digital ads are auctioned off real-time while an app or webpage loads. Millions of auctions run every second from exchanges across Simpli.fi’s platform. What ads are finally presented to viewers are based on those viewers’ demonstrated preferences. The auctions factor in “whether there’s a match, whether we should bid, how much we should bid, probability of a result, a click or some other action.” Prioleau is a board member of the STAR Sponsorship Program, a children’s scholarship fund in Fort Worth.
President Red Productions
The president, producer and “dreamer” of Red Productions, a Fort Worth-based production company with an office in L.A., Red Sanders has built his reputation as a major player in the Fort Worth film scene. He was influential in launching the Fort Worth Film Commission with Mayor Betsy Price and Visit Fort Worth film commissioner Jessica Christopherson. His company produces films, as well as advertising video for clients like the City of Fort Worth, Lay’s and Red Bull. He has also done video for his alma mater, TCU, from which he graduated with a degree in radio, television, and film.
HOW I GOT MY START: “All my friends were moving to L.A. and New York to pursue careers in the industry. I felt we could grow something here.”
KEN SCHAEFER President Schaefer Advertising Co.
After working at companies like Procter and Gamble, Ogilvy & Mather and Justin Boot Company, Ken Schaefer created his own firm alongside Bobby and Jan Blanchard. Together, the three created Blanchard Schaefer Advertising, which became Schaefer Advertising Co. in 2011.
HOW I GOT MY START: “My first venture as an entrepreneur was when I was in elementary school going door to door, selling fire logs made out of paper. I think the first orders were out of kindness, but the reorders came because those logs would burn forever. I later learned I could add chemicals from my chemistry set to make the logs burn different colors. I sold those at a premium, but I can only imagine what the EPA would say about that today.”
TOM STALLINGS Founder Mosaic Strategy Partners
Tom Stallings was chief of staff for County Judge Glen Whitley and a chief of staff in the U.S. House of Representatives and senior policy advisor in the U.S. Senate. Stallings shifted career paths and cofounded the emerging Mosaic Strategy Partners communications firm, where he is the strategist.
HOW I GOT MY START: “Started my first company at the age of 19, a bottled water company. Had no idea what I was doing but … was able to build the company and sell for a profit.”
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“Work really hard, but find a reasonable balance between professional and personal life. Preserve your reputation. Value others for the jobs they perform.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “President Trump with a flat top”
ALLEN WALLACH CEO PAVLOV Agency
TCU graduate Allen Wallach got his start taking unpaid internships during college, one of which was at the boutique agency Paul Lazzaro & Associates in Fort Worth. That opportunity opened doors for him in the advertising industry, which eventually led Wallach to found PAVLOV Agency, whose clientele includes big names like TCU Athletics, D/FW International Airport, and Autobahn Motorcars.
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Play the drums in a garage band, the most recent of which was called Dumpster Fire. TCU sports are high on the list, which includes traveling to games across the nation. And a continuing love-hate relationship with golf.”
MOST RECENT BOOK I'VE READ: “Life by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones”
JULIE H. WILSON Chairman
The Reasons Group
Julie H. Wilson has packed in a career as an influencer in Fort Worth. She was CEO of the ad agency Regian & Wilson and signed on to become the controversial lightning rod, local PR executive for Chesapeake Energy during the peak of neighborhood gas leasing in the Barnett Shale. Wilson today is CEO of her agency, The Reasons Group. For a time, she also led the Blue Zones Project Fort Worth, the well-being initiative based on lessons learned from communities worldwide where people live the longest. She’s chairman of Visit Fort Worth, the recently rebranded Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau. And she serves on the board of the North Texas Community Foundation. Wilson’s also owned multiple franchises including Supercuts, Pro-Cuts, and Cold Stone Creamery.
CEO
The Starr Conspiracy
Bret Starr is the founder and CEO of The Starr Conspiracy — one of the largest integrated business to business marketing agencies in the area, sporting a clientele that includes big names like Sodexo, Oracle and Indeed. Starr also is an author and speaker.
HOW I GOT MY START: “A drunk software CEO hired me on the spot (I was his waiter that night).”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “It’s smart to be the dumbest guy in the room.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “Drive around the rich neighborhoods and look for a party that has spilled out onto the lawn.”
I'D PAY TO SEE: “My head on Chris Hemsworth's body”
BOB MITCHELL
Executive Recruiter
Whitney Smith Company
As executive recruiter of Whitney Smith Company, Bob Mitchell finds people for senior-level posts. His duties span across interviewing candidates, reference checks and pre-employment assessments. In the community, he is a member of multiple boards for organizations including the Botanic Research Institute of Texas and Boys & Girls Club of Fort Worth.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Wherever you are, be a contributing participant in the fabric of your community.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Whatever you do, take personal pride in doing it well, so it is fulfilling and of value.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Tend to enjoy anyplace I am at a given time … it's not the place as much as openness to appreciating uniqueness.”
President Ray Partners
With 35 years of experience in executive search, Breck Ray serves as president of Ray Partners. Ray has worked in different industries, from family offices to private equity and energy. Before starting his own executive search firm, Ray worked as a managing partner for Ray & Berndtson, a global executive search firm founded by his father. Some of his firm's highest-profile recruits since 2000: Sundance Square executive Johnny Campbell, Blackmon Mooring’s Tom Head, James L. West Center Executive Director Susan Farris, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History director Van Romans, Performing Arts Fort Worth CEO Dionne Kennedy, Sid Richardson Foundation CEO Pete Geren, and new Dickies Arena GM Matt Homan.
Founder Whitney Smith Company
As founder and president of Whitney Smith Co., a human resources consulting firm he created in 1989 that specializes in services like audits, benefits and workplace safety, Smith serves as a consulting expert with regard to civil rights issues and tort claims. Smith is a former Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce chairman. He graduated from University of Texas at Austin with a degree in personnel management and marketing before attending Southern Methodist University’s Southwestern Graduate School of Banking.
HOW I GOT STARTED: “I was laid off during the Texas banking downturn that took place in the mid- to late-80s. We then started The Whitney Smith Company.” - Fort Worth Chamber interview
JOHN ALLEN
CHALK SR. Partner
Whitaker Chalk
John Allen Chalk Sr. is Fort Worth’s top lawyer in alternative dispute resolution. Chalk has 43 years under his belt. He graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 1973. A Blackstone award-winning lawyer, Chalk’s other practice areas are administrative law, corporate and business law, employment litigation, energy oil and gas, health care, real estate litigation and school law. Chalk has been president of Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court, an association of judges, lawyers, law professors and law students in Tarrant County. He’s served as director, treasurer, vice president and president of the Tarrant County Bar Association. In 2017, he was named one of the The Best Lawyers in America by Best Lawyers and has been named a Texas Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly annually since 2003.
ROLAND JOHNSON Partner
Harris, Finley & Bogle
Roland Johnson is a graduate of Baylor University and Baylor University School of Law, where he was associate editor of Baylor Law Review. He has professional licenses from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. Before becoming a partner at Harris, Finley & Bogle, he served as president of the State Bar of Texas from 2009-2010. Johnson practices civil litigation with Harris, Finley & Bogle. He is a board member of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Fort Worth Club Board of Governors.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Work like it depends on you; pray like it depends on God.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “How Joe T.'s makes margaritas”
STEVEN K. HAYES Partner
Law Office of Steven K. Hayes
After graduating summa cum laude from Austin College, Steve Hayes went on to earn his law degree from Harvard Law School. He is now a partner at his namesake law office with a specialty in appellate law. He has previously practiced in a range of other areas including mass torts, insurance coverage and litigation, premises liability, and wills and trust. Hayes has been a member of the American Law Institute since 2005. Since 2009, Hayes has been consistently named one of Texas Monthly’s Texas Super Lawyers. He is also a mentor for the Tarrant County Young Lawyers’ Association and was named Mentor of the Year in 2010.
Partner
Kelly Hart and Hallman
David Keltner was honored by Texas Lawyer as the “Go To” appellate lawyer in the state. A former Texas appellate judge, he’s lead counsel in more than 300 appellate decisions, and his legal writings are cited, with approval, by Texas courts. Texas Super Lawyers selected him as one of the Top 10 Lawyers in Texas for the last 11 years. He was the "Top Point Getter" in Texas 2009-2011. The Texas Bar Foundation honored him with the inaugural Gregory S. Coleman Outstanding Appellate Lawyer Award, and he was named Best Lawyers 2016 and 2018 Appellate "Lawyer of the Year" for Dallas/ Fort Worth. This year, Keltner received the Tarrant County Bar Association’s prestigious Blackstone Award.
THOMAS MICHEL Partner
Griffith, Jay & Michel
Thomas Michel has been a Texas Board of Legal Specialization-certified lawyer in civil appellate law since 1997. He is partner and serves as the head of Griffith, Jay & Michel’s appellate practice group. He is also a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and has argued cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, Texas Supreme Court and state and federal Courts of Appeals. Michel went to the University of Texas for both his undergraduate and law degrees and has worked as an adjunct professor of law at Texas Wesleyan School of Law. He has multi-year appearances on Texas Monthly’s list of Texas Super Lawyers.
Partner
Sheats & Muckleroy
After serving as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, George Muckleroy went to Texas Tech University School of Law, where he was managing editor of Texas Tech Law Review, and graduated magna cum laude in 2003. He is now a partner at Sheats & Muckleroy, where he represents clients in construction, insurance, oil and gas, negligence, and family law. He also serves as a Cubmaster in Pack 350 for the Eagle Scouts.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“Have a song in your heart, a smile on your face, and a pep in your step. My high school principal always said this over the PA every morning.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “A good lawyer knows the law, but a great lawyer knows the judge.”
ROBERT SIMON Partner
Whitaker Chalk
Robert Simon is a fourth-generation Fort Worth lawyer, representing clients in bankruptcy, real estate, commercial litigation and business law. Simon earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University, where he graduated magna cum laude. From there, he received his master’s degree in war studies at King’s College University of London before attending and graduating from the University of Texas School of Law with honors in 1990.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “When I went to college, my father told me to ‘chop a little wood every day.’ By that, he meant to work steadily and not get behind. That has been good advice in everything I have done.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Work out and watch baseball and college football”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Disney World”
RUSSELL DEVENPORT
Partner
McDonald Sanders
Russell Devenport is a partner at McDonald Sanders, where he works in litigation related to banking, business and bankruptcy matters. Before joining McDonald Sanders, Devenport served as a briefing attorney for the Honorary Mary Lou Robinson of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas. He has been admitted by the United States District of Bankruptcy Courts for all districts. He graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in history in 1992 and from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1998. Outside the firm, Devenport is a member of the Rotary Club of Western Fort Worth and the Knights of Columbus at Saint Andrews Catholic Church.
RALPH DUGGINS Partner
Cantey Hanger
Alongside serving as chairman of highly visible Texas Parks and Wildlife agency, Ralph Duggins focuses on complex commercial litigation, working as an attorney for the Fort Worth law firm Cantey Hanger LLP. He’s a current director of the Fort Worth Stock Show and a former director of Lena Pope Home and Cook Children’s Health Care System.
WHAT I TELL YOUNG PEOPLE STARTING
TODAY: “Find a nonprofit organization with a mission you respect and like. Volunteer your time to help advance that mission. Also, don't send emails at night or that you have not read at least twice and determined you would be fine if a jury of 12 citizens read it.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Probably the bush in Tanzania in 1999”
BRIAN GARRETT Associate
Kelly Hart and Hallman
Brian Garrett primarily focuses on complex commercial litigation but has worked on cases from landlord-tenant disputes to breach of fiduciary duty. Garrett has been a member of the State Bar of Texas as of 2010 after he graduated Baylor University School of Law. While attending Baylor for law school, he was active in working on the Baylor Law Review. He received his undergraduate degree in 2007 from the University of Texas at Arlington.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Don't screw it up — a sanitized version of what a very fine lawyer told me after giving me my first assignment while the door to his office slowly closed.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Chasing kids around the house and working in my vegetable garden”
JANET HAHN Shareholder Decker Jones
Janet Hahn began working at Decker Jones as a legal secretary in the 1980s. While working as secretary, Hahn attended night school to become a paralegal at the firm. Once she became a paralegal, Hahn continued night school to earn her undergraduate degree, so she could attend Baylor Law School. As a lawyer, she worked her way up at Decker Jones to become a shareholder. Hahn sits on the board of The Women’s Center of Tarrant County and the Tarrant County College Foundation. She’s also a member of Women Steering Business, the nonprofit that raises money to buy livestock from girls who exhibit animals at the annual Fort Worth Stock Show.
Partner
Jackson Walker
Albon Head’s specialties include business litigation and eminent domain. Head went to Southern Methodist University for his undergraduate and law degrees. Head’s served as chairman for the YMCA Camp Amon G. Carter, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and SMU Alumni Association. He is a director of the Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate and Fort Worth Sister Cities International.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Focus on learning how to be good at your chosen profession and the rest will follow.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE: “Fort Worth is a big city, and to find your niche, you have to spend time doing things you enjoy. Get involved in community organizations, your professional associations, your church, or alumni groups.”
Partner
Dawson Parrish
Hunter Parrish’s practice focuses on business, energy and construction. He has served as attorney in charge in over 150 commercial litigation cases in state district and county courts. Parrish graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in political science before earning his law degree from the Texas A&M University School of Law.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I emailed over 300 attorneys seeking a legal internship in Fort Worth while working as a server at a burger joint during my first year of law school. I finally received around three ‘bites’ and was given the opportunity to work my way up from file clerk to intern to law clerk — while attending law school.”
MOST RECENT BOOK I’VE READ:
“The Bible”
Partner
Whitaker Chalk
Hunter McLean was admitted into the Texas Bar in 1993 after graduating from the University of Houston School of Law, where he was associate editor of the Houston Journal of International Law. He completed his undergraduate degree at SMU. Along with passing the Texas Bar, McLean also passed the Arkansas Bar in 1994. McLean practices in the areas of arbitration business law, construction, health care, intellectual property, trade litigation and more.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Speak the truth, and do what you say you are going to do.”
BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE: “Become interested in other people’s life story and seek them out to discover it.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing”
Partner
Kelly Hart and Hallman
Hugh Connor represents individuals, corporations and other institutional clients in a range of complex commercial cases, including intellectual property disputes, legal and other professional malpractice cases, oil and gas disputes, contract and business torts, insurance claims and coverage cases, defamation and first amendment, construction claims, probate litigation and marital litigation. His cases and results include lead trial counsel for Bass/Exxon against an oil and gas operator, $14.2 million arbitration award; lead trial counsel for the buyer of a home health care company, $5 million jury verdict for fraud and other claims; and lead trial counsel for an oil and gas field services company, $3 million jury verdict against a partner.
DAVID DREZ Partner
Wick Phillips
After graduating from Tulane University for his undergraduate degree and Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, Drez served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable James T. Trimble, Jr., United States District Court Judge for the Western District of Louisiana. Drez would eventually join Wick Phillips, where he is now a partner. Drez’s practice areas include bankruptcy, commercial, and oil and gas litigation.
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “One of my mentors as a young attorney always encouraged us to ‘just show up’ — get involved in the community and participate in the things that interest you.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “My maternal grandfather. I’m told we are very much alike, but he passed away before I was born.”
Kelly Hart and Hallman
Dee Kelly, Jr. has practiced law at Kelly Hart and Hallman for the past 30 years. In 2005, he was voted the firm’s managing partner and served in that position for 11 years, before stepping down in 2016. While leading his firm, Kelly has also found time to serve his community through positions on a variety of nonprofit boards and community organizations. Kelly was recognized as Fort Worth’s distinguished citizen in 2014 by the Boy Scouts of America.
MOST VALUABLE
I’VE LEARNED:
“It's always important to remember that words matter. That's not to say a person should be too cautious or politically correct; rather it's about an awareness and understanding of the sensitivities of the audience around you.” WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Golf, although it's not always fun, except on the rare occasion when I play well. I also like to write (see Landon Wallace).”
Associate
Whitaker Chalk
Jason Pierce represents clients in corporate, mergers/acquisitions, and securities transactions, negotiating and closing multiple mergers and acquisitions transactions with sale prices ranging from $200,000 to $27 million. He has served as barrister and secretary for the Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court association in Tarrant County, co-chair of the corporate counsel section for the Tarrant County Bar Association, and advisory council member and Dads’ Club president at Holy Family Catholic School.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “There is a lot to be learned by doing the ‘grunt work.’”
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Always stay even-keeled about whatever happens, both good and bad.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “Start with what's close to you: your neighborhood, church, professional organizations, and children's activities.”
Kelly Hart and Hallman
Marshall Searcy is one of Fort Worth’s premier civil litigators, with more than 40 years in the law. He specializes in commercial litigation, legal malpractice defense and personal injury defense. In 2016, Searcy received the Tarrant County Bar Association’s most prestigious award, The Blackstone Award, given in recognition of a career that exemplifies professional aptitude, integrity and courage. Since 1997, he has been listed among Best Lawyers’ The Best Lawyers in America. Searcy was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1972 after graduating cum laude from the University of Texas School of Law. Searcy is a fellow in the Tarrant County Bar Foundation and associate of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Haynes and Boone
Bill Greenhill is a Texas lawyer with over 30 years of experience. At Haynes and Boone, Greenhill advises corporate decision-makers, in-house counsel, and financial industry executives in complex corporate and financial transactions. His practice focuses on corporate law, public finance, and capital markets and securities. Throughout his career, Greenhill has worked with large corporations, startups and emerging businesses. He also advises clients with land use regulation and zoning issues around Texas. Greenhill has been honored in Best Lawyers’ list of Best Lawyers in America. He attended the University of Texas at Austin for both his undergraduate and law degree.
VERNON REW JR. Partner
Whitaker Chalk
Vernon Rew Jr. has over 35 years of legal experience practicing business transactions, contract negotiations, corporations, mergers and acquisitions, and securities law. Rew has worked in a wide range of manufacturing and service industries in his corporate and contract practice. In his securities law compliance practice, he has counseled clients with SEC filings, tender offers, public offerings and going private transactions. Rew nurtures relationships with clients to the point “where I come to know their business and can provide representation in a context where all important considerations can be taken into account.” Rew is part of the American Bar Association Member of Mergers and Acquisitions Committee and the Federal Regulation of Securities Committee, and is former chairman of the board of TECH Fort Worth and the Amon G. Carter Downtown Fort Worth YMCA.
JUSTIN SISEMORE Managing Partner
Sisemore
Law Firm
Justin Sisemore’s practice focuses on divorce, child’s rights, prenuptial agreements, paternity, adoption, child custody and other family law matters. Sisemore earned a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurial finance from Baylor University before graduating from Texas A&M University School of Law in 2007, where he was a John Marshall International Moot Court Champion. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Tarrant County Bar Association and Tarrant County Family Law Bar Association. He is also a speaker for State Bar Continuing Legal Education. In 2011 and 2016, Texas Monthly named Sisemore as a Rising Star in its list of Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters service printed in the magazine. Only 2.5 percent of lawyers in Texas appear on the Rising Stars list.
Dear Ken,
Partner
Gardner & Smith
Despite being a diehard Aggie, Susan Smith received her law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2006, where she was comment editor of the Law Review. Smith was named a 2018 Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine. She’s served on the Texas Young Lawyers Association board since 2017. She served on the Tarrant County Young Lawyers board 2011-2016 and Tarrant County Bar Association Women Attorneys Section board in 2016. Smith litigated the first same-sex divorce in Tarrant County to the Second Court of Appeals. She volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House, Northside InterCommunity Agency and Habitat for Humanity, and has been a member of the Eldon B. Mahon Inn of the Court association since 2011.
Partner
Lori Spearman Law
Originally from South Carolina, Lori Spearman is a family lawyer who started her own firm after working as an associate attorney at Franks & Spearman for 11 years. Spearman began her career in law as a paralegal for a family law attorney in Tarrant County while she studied at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law. She attended the University of South Carolina for her undergraduate degree and earned a degree from the College of Criminal Justice. She has been dedicated to family law since 1997 when she passed the Texas Bar. Spearman sits on several boards including the Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, Alumni Association and the Tarrant County Bar Association.
Partner
Brackett & Ellis
Joe Cleveland has been practicing in commercial and intellectual property litigation for over 20 years. He has gone before the U.S. Supreme Court for appeals and has tried civil cases in both state and federal courts. Cleveland is Board Certified in civil trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a certification that fewer than 10 percent of lawyers in Texas have.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Find a profession you really enjoy, closely observe and adopt the best practices of others in your chosen profession and continue to learn and improve.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Cook, travel and occasionally play the fiddle (or violin) with friends and family while having a nice glass of wine”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “Lin-Manuel Miranda's ‘Hamilton’”
MICHAEL APPLEMAN Managing Partner Cantey Hanger
Michael Appleman is a managing partner at Cantey Hanger, focusing on estate planning, trust and estates and tax law. He is an active member of the Fort Worth community and has served on the board of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, the North Texas Community Foundation, and Trinity Valley School Alumni Association.
HOW I GOT MY START: “Nothing exciting — summer job with Cantey Hanger during law school. [I] was offered a full-time job upon graduation, accepted, and have stuck around.”
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “You get out of it what you put into it.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “To always be on my best behavior”
MARIANNE AULD Managing Partner
Kelly Hart and Hallman
Marianne Auld graduated from Baylor University School of Law, where she served as a law clerk to federal judge Thomas Reavey. Auld helped build a robust appellate section at Kelly Hart and Hallman before she took over as managing partner in 2017 when Dee Kelly Jr. stepped down. Auld serves on boards for organizations like the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Surround yourself with people who will have confidence for you until you have developed confidence in yourself. No matter what job you have, strive to achieve excellence in everything you do so that you become an invaluable part of your workplace. Dream big, but don’t limit yourself to one thing.”
BRIAN BARNARD Partner
Haynes and Boone
With more than 30 years of experience, Barnard specializes in corporate, capital markets and securities, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, public company transactions and private equity. He also served as chairman of the board of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and currently serves on the board of trustees of Cook Children’s Health Foundation. Barnard graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with honors and a degree in finance before attending Texas Tech University School of Law and graduating cum laude in 1981. In his securities practice, Barnard assists clients with a full range of corporate governance issues, including directors’ duties in making business decisions, overseeing the company’s affairs, protecting directors and officers against personal liability, and compliance with the federal Sarbanes-Oxley law.
Kelly Hart and Hallman
Robert C. Grable is the senior member of Kelly Hart’s Oil & Gas/Energy practice and one of the firm’s seven founding members. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts from Southern Methodist University in 1968 and graduated with high honors in 1971 from the University of Texas School of Law. Grable’s practice encompasses energy transactions and litigation and administrative hearings involving various facets of the oil and gas industry. He has represented independent producers, major oil companies, pipelines, and royalty owners in a wide variety of litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts and before state and federal administrative agencies. He is counsel of record in over 40 appellate decisions, including six significant oil and gas opinions of the Texas Supreme Court.
Dean Powell, PLLC
In 2014, Katey Powell Stimek partnered with Eric Dean and Dan Cherkassky to form Dean Powell, PLLC. Stimek, who specializes in oil and gas, graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern State University in 2004 and then graduated in the top 20 percent of her class from Texas Wesleyan School of Law. Stimek worked for a Fort Worth land services company for three years after earning her law degree. She is licensed in Texas and Pennsylvania. An active member of the community, Stimek has served as president of the Texas A&M School of Law Alumni Association, the Tarrant County Women’s Bar Association, and the State Bar of the Texas-Young Professionals in Energy Board.
Kelly Hart and Hallman
Clark Rucker practices oil, gas, and energy litigation at Kelly Hart and Hallman. He’s also treasurer for the Tarrant County Young Attorneys Association, is president-elect of CASA of Tarrant County, and serves on the board of directors of The First Tee of Fort Worth.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “The fear of failure has always been a motivating factor for me. I have learned over time, however, that sometimes it is OK to fail, but only if you tried your hardest and you learn not to repeat whatever it was that resulted in failure the first time.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “TCU win a national championship in football. It seems like we are getting closer and closer … it has to happen in my lifetime, right?”
MARVIN BLUM Managing Partner
The Blum Firm
Marvin E. Blum founded
The Blum Firm, P.C. and is managing partner. He’s a leading expert in estate and business and succession planning. Blum graduated second in class from the University of Texas School of Law and first in class from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in accounting. Blum is Board Certified in estate planning and probate law. Having been president of the board of trustees of Trinity Valley School from 1998 to 2003, he was awarded an Honorary Lifetime Membership to the board of trustees. He is treasurer of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and is in his 36th year on the board.
SHELLI
HARVESON Partner
Brown Pruitt Wambsganss Ferrill & Dean, P.C.
Shelli Harveson practices estate planning, trust and probate law. She volunteers at Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans, YMCA Texas Youth & Government Program and Tarrant County Volunteer Attorney Services. Harveson has been on the board of the Tarrant County Bar Association’s Women Attorneys Section since 2012 and Tarrant County Bar Association’s Tax & Estate Section since 2013.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“From my precious mother, Barbara Ragsdale: Pray before your feet hit the floor each morning, then get up and put a smile on your face. Regardless of what the day holds, you'll receive more blessings than you deserve.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “David Bowie in concert”
Partner
Loe, Warren, Rosenfield, Kaitcer, Hibbs, Windsor, Lawrence & Wolffarth, PC
Kelcie Hibbs’ practice focuses on wills, trusts, estate plans, and estate and guardianship litigation. She is former president of the Tarrant County Women’s Bar Association and was the founding president of the Tarrant County Probate Bar Association.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Be respectful, be on time, and be willing to advocate your case.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Lake Bled, Slovenia, where I attended a local wedding you get to by taking a pletna boat ride to the island, and where the groom has to carry his bride up a large number of stone steps to the candlelit church. A close second would be celebrating my birthday at the Faberge Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.”
KEN ADAIR
Partner
Harris, Finley & Bogle PC
Ken Adair is a shareholder at Harris, Finley & Bogle P.C., where he works to help clients in commercial and residential real estate transactions. Adair is a member of the board of the Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth and the Tarrant County Housing Partnership. He is also chancellor of Central Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“Way back when, I made a mistake and had to explain it to [attorney] Charlie Harris. He told me not to worry about it because ‘the only [way] to never make a mistake is to never do anything.’”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Fishing, especially fly-fishing; cooking; reading”
MARTIN GARCIA
Partner
McAlister & Garcia
Martin Garcia specializes in real estate, family law, probate and estates. He’s on the executive board of the Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association and an associate member of the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“Mountains were small once — my ‘DARE’ middle school police officer told me that, and I never forgot it. He probably was referring to my grit on the football field (given my below-average size for the gridiron), but little did he know that he helped fuel my dedication and determination to continue dominating in my studies — which paved the way to my early success.”
Partner
Winstead PC
Noelle Garsek has been working at Winstead PC since 2001. She has worked in all aspects of real estate but focuses on acquisitions and dispositions and development of real property and commercial leasing transactions. Garsek works with the Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth, served as president of CREW Fort Worth, and is a member of the Tarrant County Bar Association, American Bar Association and State Bar of Texas.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Your reputation is important. Treat people with respect; be thoughtful and purposeful in your actions.” WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Anything with my family — running, watching my kids' sports, listening to music.”
PATI MEADOWS Partner
Kelly Hart and Hallman
Patricia F. Meadows is the lead real estate attorney for the Sundance Square development in downtown Fort Worth. With over 36 years of experience in commercial real estate acquisitions and developments, she is a partner and former co-chair of Kelly Hart’s real estate practice. Meadows has handled the purchase, development and sale of major office buildings, mixed-use projects, shopping centers, multi-family projects and hotels and has a special focus on office and retail commercial leasing. She also assists clients in the acquisition and sale of ranch properties and in operational issues involving ranches. Meadows is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and has been recognized numerous times as a Texas Super Lawyer.
ANDREA PALMER
Senior Risk Management
Associate Higginbotham
Andrea Palmer advises clients in state and federal court in a variety of matters, including aviation law, litigation, and estate. She graduated cum laude in 2013 from Baylor Law School, which she attended on full scholarship. She serves on the board of the Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association, she’s a member of the Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court association in Tarrant County, and Steer FW association of young leaders.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Learn when to speak up for yourself, and never be afraid to do it, and learn when to listen and let others speak.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE
HERE IS: “Get involved in some of the fantastic organizations in the area, and join their young professional groups.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “Yo-Yo Ma”
ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELORS
George Muckleroy is a trusted adviser with 15 years of experience successfully representing clients in a wide range of complex legal matters. With over a dozen jury and non-jury trials, and many summary judgments, George has successfully resolved civil litigation and arbitration matters for individuals, governmental entities, and businesses ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small, family-owned operations. George’s practice includes collection of business receivables, commercial and business contract disputes, real estate litigation, and homeowner/residential fraud.
This was one of The 400’s easiest sections to assemble, because of the large volume of real estate activity Tarrant County enjoys these days. Our real estate segment includes architecture, design and engineering; commercial brokerage; construction; development; homebuilders; investments; property tax protest; residential real estate; and title.
TOM BUXTON CEO Buxton
Before founding Buxton with David Glover in 1994, Tom Buxton spent two decades at the consumer electronics retailer Tandy Corporation, managing retail and real estate. He left to start his namesake customer analytics company, which has grown to become one of the most recognized in the industry. Buxton has worked with more than 3,500 organizations, ranging from restaurant and retail to health care and consumer packaged goods.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “To look yourself in the mirror and be honest with yourself when it comes to what you're doing in business.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Don't look back; we're not going that way.”
MICHAEL BENNETT CEO Bennett Benner Partners
A TCU music graduateturned-architect, Michael Bennett left the world of music theory and composition to become one of the city’s most-sought architects. Bennett’s projects include Frost Tower, Sundance Square Plaza, TCC Trinity River East Campus, and MOLA at the Fort Worth Zoo. He serves on numerous boards, and he finds opportunities to play bass guitar.
THE MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE RECEIVED IS: “The value of strong relationships, both in your private life and your work life”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Be patient, search for your purpose and pursue that with all you have.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE TODAY IS: “I found that by getting involved in organizations that interest you and simply letting people know you're ready to help was a great way to meet people and get involved.”
BRIAN COLTHARP CEO Freese
& Nichols
Brian Coltharp was named CEO in January 2017, but he’s been with the company since joining the firm fresh out of college in 1992. He was chief operating officer and water practice leader and has overseen billions of dollars worth of construction and design projects at the firm, which specializes in public infrastructure projects. He has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. Coltharp has overseen several billion dollars in design and construction projects.
MOMENTS: “He brings the leadership and the people skills that are very critical for a CEO. His success as water practice leader and in project management have been outstanding, and he has a really strong background in maintaining client relationships. He’s going to do a great job.” - Bob Pence, outgoing CEO
BRAD DAVIS Vice President North
Texas
Operations, Jacobs Engineering Group
With experience in technical sales and operations management, Brad Davis currently serves as the vice president of North Texas operations at Jacobs, a firm that offers services including engineering, construction and architecture. The City of Fort Worth brought Jacobs in as construction manager at risk to help it move through a big backlog of voter-approved public improvement projects. Davis, a Texas A&M graduate, manages a team of more than 600 people working in architecture and engineering around the Fort Worth-Dallas area. Previously, he worked as vice president of sales at Jacobs, covering the central states like Texas, Illinois, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Louisiana.
Principal 97w
Jason Eggenburger and business partner Steven Halliday (see separate profile) are quickly building the architecture firm, 97w, they formed in 2013 that specializes in “sustainable, limitless and timeless architecture.” Projects have included renovations of buildings on West Magnolia Avenue for developers Will Churchill and Corrie Watson (see separate profiles) that brought in tenants like Melt Ice Creams and Heim Barbecue; the Taco Heads project that created a restaurant, bar, and patio out of two small buildings; and a private residence on Fort Worth’s West Side made of shipping containers.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Fail, fail often, and don't be afraid of it because you will fail. That experience allows you to grow.”
MOST FUN PLACE I'VE TRAVELED: “New Zealand: urban, glow worm caves, kiwi farms, hiking, volcanoes, whale watching, sheep farms, glaciers, fjords, jet boating, skydiving, Cadbury, and doing it all in a campervan”
TOM GALBREATH President Dunaway Associates
Tom Galbreath got his start at Dunaway and worked his way up to become president of the engineering and landscape architecture firm, now regularly in the middle of major projects in Fort Worth. Galbreath is involved in numerous community organizations and committees, including the Fort Worth Stormwater Task Force, the Blue Zone Fort Worth Built Environment, and the North Fort Worth Transportation Task Force.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “The problems of today are never as bad as they seemed when you look back on them tomorrow.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Don't expect to get everything you want immediately; be willing to earn others’ respect.”
TED GUPTON
Managing Director- Fort Worth GFF
Licensed architect, project manager and tenant coordinator Ted Gupton brings a diverse skillset to the GFF design firm, having worked in real estate and architecture for more than 35 years. He got his start working on residential projects for Dominique de Menil and Family, alongside renowned architect Howard Barnstone. He did corporate work for oil and gas company Schlumberger. His resume boasts other work with companies like Komatsu Architects, Trademark Property Company (of which he is a founding partner), Linbeck and Beck, before taking over as managing director at GFF. Outside GFF, Gupton is actively involved in the community, having served as a development committee member with Fort Worth South and currently serving as president of the board of Van Zandt Cottage Friends.
Steven Halliday and business partner Jason Eggenburger (see separate profile) are quickly building the architecture firm, 97w, they formed in 2013 that specializes in “sustainable, limitless and timeless architecture.” Projects have included renovations of buildings on West Magnolia Avenue for developers Will Churchill and Corrie Watson (see separate profiles) that brought in tenants like Melt Ice Creams and Heim Barbecue; the Taco Heads project that created a restaurant, bar, and patio out of two small buildings; and a private residence on Fort Worth’s West Side made of shipping containers.
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: "Play in the best band you've never heard."
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: "To say hello"
Principal MEL/ARCH Architectural Studio
MEL/ARCH is relatively new to the Fort Worth architectural scene (it started in 2013), but over the years, it has put its name toward some of the city’s most unique projects, from the Connex shipping container office space under construction in the Evans-Rosedale corridor to the two-story commercial development at 400 Bryan Ave. that will soon house Roots Coffeehouse and Criterion CoWorking. The guy behind the firm is Matthijs Melchiors, a licensed architect.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “The most important asset for the company is its employees. Make sure you take care of them like they are your family.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Don't blindly follow what others are doing. Work hard to discover your own potential, and you will be unstoppable.”
ROSA NAVEJAR President
The Rios Group
Rosa Navejar has built a reputation as one of Fort Worth’s most respected leaders, working in banking 25 years and serving as Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce president for 11. She founded The Rios Group engineering consulting company in 2012.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I worked in a clothing store and decided to take a bus to downtown Fort Worth and knock on every business door. First of Fort Worth hired me, and this started a 25-year banking career.”
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “My father, Reynaldo Rios Sr. told me, ‘Con Ganes Puedes Hacer Todo.’ Translation: ‘If you have the will, you can do anything’."
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE IS: “Get involved with the city or your community. Work is done from 9-5, business is done from 5-9!”
ALFRED SAENZ CEO
Multatech Architects Engineers
Alfred Saenz has spent 30 years with Multatech. He joined the firm in 1988 and became CEO in 1999. His goal was to make Multatech a fullservice architectural and engineering firm, and under his leadership, Multatech added architectural and civil services to its offerings. Saenz is a U.S. Army veteran and served two years during the Vietnam era. Saenz is active in the community, serving – or formerly served – on the boards of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, North Texas Community Foundation of North Texas, United Community Center Foundation, City of Fort Worth Stockyards/Northside Tax Increment Finance District, and Texas Health Behavioral Health.
DAVID SCHWARZ Chairman
David M. Schwarz Architects
The founder of namesake company David M. Schwarz Architects, David Schwarz has spent more than 40 years in architecture. Tarrant County has a rich chapter in his portfolio, which includes projects at Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth and The Ballpark in Arlington in 1994. Schwarz has won the 2015 Driehaus Prize Laureate, the 2014 Arthur Ross Award, and the President’s Award from the National Building Museum. A Yale man (he earned a master’s degree in architecture in 1974), Schwarz remains active in his alma mater. He currently serves as chairman of the Yale School of Architecture Dean’s Council and member of the Executive Committee of the Yale University Capital Campaign. He is also a Sterling Fellow at Yale.
Director
HKS Fort Worth
A lover of drawing and math, Brent Sparks spent time designing houses as a youth. In 2004, he joined HKS as Fort Worth director. HKS designed AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium renovation, College Park Center in Arlington, and several Texas Health Harris Methodist projects. HKS is architect for Arlington’s new baseball park.
HOW I GOT MY START: “At 17, I started working at a small firm in my hometown, running errands and assisting the senior architectural staff.”
BEST LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “I was raised by my parents to have a strong work ethic and the belief that hard work was the only way. I realize now that you also need to smartly plan your work and be smart enough to know when it's time to swallow your pride and change your plan.”
Managing Director- Fort Worth
Todd Burnette has been in the commercial real estate industry for about 25 years and has negotiated over 25 million square feet of commercial property leases, acquisitions, and dispositions. His clients include Pier 1 Imports and Lockheed Martin, and since JLL opened in 2002, Burnette has consistently been among the top producers. He’s served on a number of boards, including the Junior Achievement, Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., and Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.
MOST VALUABLE ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“Do it right the first time.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Do what you say and always return a phone call.”
BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “Get out in the community.”
MOST RECENT BOOK I’VE READ: “Stick a Fork in Me by Dan Jenkins” I'D PAY TO SEE: “Jimmy Buffett, again and again!”
JACK HUFF Principal Transwestern
Jack Huff’s clientele sports a slew of reputable names: Cash America, EECU, Frost Bank, Lockheed Martin. Since 1986, the principal at Transwestern has negotiated more than 1,150 transactions totaling more than $1 billion.
HOW I GOT MY START: “Drove up I-35 from Austin to Dallas, slept on a buddie's couch and knocked on doors of real estate companies until I was hired by the Swearingen Management Company.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE RECEIVED: “My parents taught me work ethic and the Golden Rule – treat everyone the way you want to be treated.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Find something that you love and are passionate about that doesn't feel like a job and work at it. If you find something you enjoy doing, you won't dread going to work; you will be excited.”
RYAN MATTHEWS Vice President JLL
Ryan Matthews’ latest listing: the 714 Main St. Petroleum Building and garage in downtown Fort Worth, owned now by XTO Energy. Matthews is a Fort Worth guy, having graduated from both TCU and Texas Wesleyan University. Matthews’ specialty is office. His clients include Fortune 500 companies, and he’s done more than $235 million in transactions. Dunaway Associates, Jackson Walker LLP, and Cook Children’s Healthcare System are some of his key clients. Before coming to JLL, Matthews worked with Hillwood Properties’ Alliance Airport Development.
DAK HATFIELD CEO Hatfield Properties
A TCU graduate with more than 15 years of experience in real estate, Dak Hatfield has built a name for himself in Fort Worth, primarily the Near Southside. His namesake company, started in 2005, has invested in projects like the Supreme Golf Warehouse redevelopment, the Magnolia May Building (home of Chef Ben Merritt’s Fixture - Kitchen and Social Lounge), and a number of developments on the upand-coming South Main Street.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“Proceed as if success is inevitable.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Anything outdoors, most sports, spending time with my two boys”
MOST RECENT BOOK I'VE READ: “A kid's book with my youngest son” I'D PAY TO SEE: “The view of Earth from Mars”
Northern Realty Group
The owner and broker of Northern Realty, Will Northern started his company in 2010. The agency does some of everything: residential, commercial, condo, property management, deals with tax incentives. Northern’s grown it from one employee to 20 residential agents, six commercial and two property managers. Mayor Betsy Price appointed Northern to the city Zoning Commisions, and he became chair earlier this year. He’s also involved in organizations including Price’s Steer Fort Worth young leaders group and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s Vision Fort Worth.
HOW I GOT MY START: “My father introduced me to real estate at young age. My family owns several historic commercial buildings around the town square in San Saba that we manage.” BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Get agreements in writing.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “A street car system brought back to Fort Worth”
BOB SCULLY
Senior Vice President CBRE
Nearly 30 years in the real estate industry has translated to big numbers for Bob Scully. His lease and sales transaction work for corporate, institutional and local owner and user clients reaches 75 million square feet. His industrial and office lease and sale transactions reach almost 4 million square feet (valued at more than $142 million). And his assignments in everything from corporate tenant representation to corporate consulting reach more than 1,200. Some of his most notable clients include Walmart, Intel, Nestlé Waters North America, and Minyard Food Stores. He’s also a Horned Frog, with a degree in business administration from TCU.
DAVID WALTERS
Senior Vice President CBRE
David Walters has been in real estate for more than two decades, behind transactions for companies like Chesapeake Energy, Cook Children’s, and MillerCoors. In the last four years alone, Walters has negotiated more than 120 transactions, valued at more than $300 million. Among his specialties are government services, data centers and nonprofits. He has experience in both acquisition and disposition, strategic and financial consulting, and site selection. A University of Texas at Austin grad, Walters remains involved with his alma mater as a member of The University of Texas Longhorn Foundation. He is also involved with Texas Health Resources’ Strategic Planning Committee.
GERALD ALLEY CEO Con-Real
Gerald Alley founded Con-Real in 1979, growing the company into one of the largest minority-owned construction contractors in the nation. One of its biggest projects to date is the $250 million Texas Live! entertainment complex in Arlington, which Con-Real is building in partnership with Manhattan Construction Co.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I began working at a young age, as my father owned a service station in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. I did everything from sweeping floors, assisting mechanics, and helping with the accounting books. My father would always stress the importance of being humble enough to complete any task even if you are the owner.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “My mother always stressed the importance of having a good education. My father would always say, ‘Wake up early and stay late.’”
JOHN AVILA
Chairman
Thomas S. Byrne
John Avila spent 32 years serving in the U.S. National Guard, retiring as a brigadier general. Today, he leads the board of directors at Thomas S. Byrne, the largest construction firm based in Fort Worth — and largest Hispanic-owned construction firm. Avila is also heavily involved in the community, serving in roles like commissioner for the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, chairman of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and president of the Tarrant County Mental Health Foundation.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Build your network and seek mentors. It will consist of everybody you meet, and they will help you along your path.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Riverboat cruise down the Rhine through three countries: Holland, Germany and Switzerland”
BOB BENDA CEO
Westwood Contractors
Westwood Contractors began in 1983; Bob Benda joined as CEO in 1987. Under Benda, Westwood became licensed or registered to work in 48 U.S. states and has worked with large companies like AT&T, Neiman Marcus and H&M.
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE
HERE IS: “Get engaged! Fort Worth is blessed with a powerful heritage of civic involvement and meaningful volunteerism. To fit in here, you need to carry your share of the workload to constantly improve our city.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “Viable mass transit in North Texas in my lifetime”
MOST RECENT BOOK READ: “Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football, by Jim Dent”
DAVID BLOXOM JR. CEO
Speed Fab-Crete
The son of entrepreneur and Speed Fab-Crete founder David E. Bloxom Sr., David Bloxom Jr. joined his father’s company as vice president in 1974. In 1986, he took over as president. The Fort Worthbased Speed Fab-Crete, one of Texas’ top general contractors, has done an array of projects from tornado shelters to retail centers and even TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Study and know the Book of Ecclesiastes, written by Solomon, who was the wisest and wealthiest man to ever live. He offers ‘wisdom’ as the means for a well-lived earthly life, and one should enjoy the simple pleasures of life here (family, work, friends) and honor God in all you do.”
BOB MCCARTHY CEO
Cheyenne Constuction Co.
Cheyenne Construction Co. is behind some of the hottest new Fort Worth developments like Neiman Marcus at The Shops at Clearfork and Whole Foods at Waterside, along with I-35’s expansion. Bob McCarthy has served as CEO since 2011. Within five years of owning the company, McCarthy brought sales to $35 million annually from $4 million. Elsewhere, he’s invested in real estate on East Lancaster Street, where he moved his businesses and a nonprofit.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I began my career making custom cabinetry. I grew this from a cabinet shop that I ran out of my house into the company that I founded, Tarrant Interiors.” WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: "If you want to get somewhere with your company, hire top talent. If you can’t make it with the best, you generally can’t make it."
SANDRA MCGLOTHLIN Partner
Empire Roofing
Sandra McGlothlin cofounded Empire Roofing with husband Ronnie McGlothlin in 1982 and has since grown the company to reach 12 cities and $37 million in annual revenue. She has also branched out to help start other companies with Empire’s name. One of them, Empire Texas Equities, Ltd., formed in 1990, handles investment and management matters. She also helped start Empire Disposal, Ltd., in 2000, which focuses on commercial and construction waste removal. Then in 2007, she co-founded Empire Materials and Recycling, Ltd., which incinerates wood waste products into sterile ash to help the environment. In the community, she’s also served on several boards including Commercial Real Estate for Women, the Fort Worth Business Assistance Center and the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
HAROLD MUCKLEROY CEO
Muckleroy & Falls
In 1979, Harold Muckleroy founded Muckleroy Construction Co. before partnering with Max Falls to create Muckleroy & Falls. The two have infused the company with new energy, goals and backlog to set it up for the next generation, including Muckleroy’s son Zach, on board as vice president. The company’s most recognizable developments include the WestBend Building B, home of Zoe’s Kitchen, and the Regions Bank-anchored building at West 7th and University Drive. Muckleroy has served as chairman of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and of University Christian Church.
CEO Fort Construction
Scott Price is the CEO of Fort Construction — the company behind projects like the renovation of Stage West and renovated Magnolia May Building on the Near Southside. He’s actively involved in organizations like the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Fort Worth, Amphibian Stage Productions, and Near Southside, Inc.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Keep Going. Don't Stop.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Create and allow time for the different priorities in your life.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Be pragmatic. Try something; work hard and if you don't like it, switch. Once you find your calling, commit the effort to become indispensable.”
WESLEY
Vice President Manhattan Construction
Wesley Weaver graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in construction science and environmental design in 1999 and joined Manhattan Construction Co. that same year. In 2015, Weaver was promoted to vice president. His specialty: sports venues, including the Dallas Cowboys headquarters and Apogee Stadium at the University of North Texas. Most recently, Weaver is overseeing construction of the new Globe Life Field baseball park, Live by Loews, and Texas Live! development in Arlington.
MOMENTS: “Everybody dreams about being able to do a project like this in your career and having this opportunity and to be able to come, after it's done, and sit here and watch a game with your family and enjoy it.” - Interview, mlb.com
Principal Mason Heights, LP
If you meet him, Happy Baggett certainly lives up to his name. He’s known for his quirky mission statement: “Find the big dog, lay down next to it, and let the fleas jump on you.” And he’s lived it, bringing development to places where one would least expect. One of his passions is the east side of Fort Worth, where he represented the developers of Renaissance Square, a 180-acre mixed-use community off Berry Street and U.S. Highway 287. Renaissance Square is marked by a retail center anchored by Walmart, residential development and the Uplift charter school, along with a slew of other shops and restaurants. Next up: new retail, senior living, townhomes. Baggett, a skeptic of public transit, was recently appointed to a seat on the Tarrant Transit Alliance.
MIKE BERRY CEO Hillwood
Mike Berry is the key man behind AllianceTexas, the 18,000-acre, master-planned community that spurred growth since its launch in 1990. Berry has spent nearly three decades at Hillwood, one of the largest development companies in the country, headed by Ross Perot Jr. Berry leads Hillwood Properties and Hillwood Urban. Hillwood is investing in next-generation transportation; it plans to develop “vertiports” throughout North Texas to help create infrastructure for helicopter air taxis proposed by Bell. Berry also heads the development of Frisco Station, a 242-acre mixed-use project in Frisco. He’s received multiple honors for his work, including an induction into the North Texas Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame in 2013.
ANDREW BLAKE CEO
Presidio Interests
Andrew Blake started Presidio Interests in 2006 and has since developed more than 225,000 square feet of urban infill commercial and mixed-use properties, together valued at more than $50 million. Passionate about the arts, Blake has served on the boards of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, The Cliburn, and Lone Star Film Festival.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Get in the habit of constant learning. Be honest with yourself about where your natural talents are and try to develop expertise in a discipline.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Playing with our kids, tennis, skiing. I love running and walking through cities, especially ones I've never visited before.”
JOHNNY CAMPBELL CEO
Sundance Square
Before becoming head of downtown Fort Worth’s entertainment hub, Johnny Campbell spent two decades with the Rouse Company of Columbia, Maryland, managing mixeduse urban properties like The Riverwalk in New Orleans; Harborplace and The Gallery in Baltimore; Pioneer Place in Portland, Oregon; Tabor Center in Denver; and Arizona Center in downtown Phoenix. In 2001, he came to Fort Worth to become CEO of Sundance Square, overseeing everything from leasing to property management, along with the 2013 redevelopment of the European piazza-styled Sundance Plaza. Campbell also serves on the Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. board, and has served on the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce board.
Co-Owner
Frank Kent Enterprises
Will Churchill and Corrie Watson (see separate profile), twins and great-grandchildren of the Cadillac dealer Frank Kent, have built an impressive portfolio of businesses in autos, real estate and food. The two, using money they received from the sale of Frank Kent Honda and a piece of downtown real estate, invested in Near Southside commercial real estate and then pursued tenants they wanted in their buildings, helping break a logjam of restaurants that want onto the hot West Magnolia Avenue but couldn’t afford the rents. Churchill and Watson also are lead sponsors in the remake of the Trinity Park playground in Fort Worth into Dream Park, accessible to kids with disabilities.
STEPHEN COSLIK CEO Woodmont Companies
Retail is Stephen Coslik’s specialty, as head of The Woodmont Companies, the commercial developer and broker. Coslik founded the company in 1980, starting with one employee and growing his staff to more than 150. He has led the development of 67 retail centers totaling more than 10 million square feet. His predictions at Fort Worth’s annual commercial real estate forecast have been much anticipated and highly accurate. (Jessica Worman [see separate profile] of the fast-emerging M2G Ventures gave the retail forecast this year). Woodmont also manages other properties like Village on the Green in Dallas, Louisiana Boardwalk in Bossier City, and Columbia Gorge Outlets in Troutdale, Oregon. Coslik is also a member of the Urban Land Institute, and a board of member at the Fort Worth Academy.
RICHARD GARVEY CEO
JaGee Holdings
JaGee, developer of Museum Place, the 11-acre mixed-use property that runs along Camp Bowie Boulevard and West Seventh Street in the Cultural District, hit a snag when it and a hotel partner were unable to sell the Fort Worth City Council and neighboring Kimbell Art Museum on plans for a multistory hotel across Camp Bowie from the museum. The Kimbell argued the hotel was disproportionate in size. The hotel plans have been junked, and JaGee is looking into what’s next for the prime vacant site. JaGee is a family-owned business — Richard Garvey, being the third generation to run the company, alongside sister Carol Garvey Sweat. Throughout the Fort Worth-Dallas area, JaGee’s office, retail and industrial properties total more than 1 million square feet.
SUSAN GRUPPI Co-Owner
M2G
Ventures
In four years, twins Susan Gruppi and Jessica Worman (see separate profile) and their M2G Ventures have ripped off impressive projects, including The Foundry District and O.B. Macaroni Building, all marked by trendy art and local tenants. Worman this year gave the retail presentation at Fort Worth’s annual Commercial Real Estate Forecast, a slot that Woodmont’s Stephen Coslik (see separate profile) has held down with years of remarkably accurate predictions.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Spreading yourself too thin has a way of normalizing your greatness.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Focus on your craft in your ‘20s. Become an expert in it (it only takes 10 years).”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “The best way to meet new people is to be someone people want to meet.”
President Cassco Land Co.
Crawford Edwards and Paxton Motheral (see separate profile) – cousins and descendants of the Fort Worth Edwards ranching family whose holdings ran along South Hulen Street from Bellaire Drive to Granbury Road – today, with other family members, run the burgeoning Clearfork development on the old ranch, in the heart of the Chisholm Trail corridor and fronting the Trinity River. Clearfork’s centerpiece is the Neiman Marcus-anchored The Shops at Clearfork. Office, apartments, the Trailhead, which includes the popular restaurant Press Cafe, and the Riverhills luxury neighborhood are pieces of the master plan. Edwards graduated from TCU with a degree in ranch management.
BRAD HICKMAN CEO Hickman Enterprises
The children of Fort Worth businessman Holt Hickman, Brad Hickman and sister Brenda Kostohryz (see separate profile), lead Hickman Enterprises, partner in a controversial Stockyards redevelopment with partner Majestic Realty. Hickman Enterprises’ most prominent assets are in the Stockyards; Holt Hickman acquired much of the historic district in the early ‘90s and began renovating the pieces, such as the Stockyard Station festival center, and adding others, such as a limited service hotel. The Stockyards redevelopment – and controversy over whether the developers are sensitive to the history – has positioned family members, partners and friends against each other. Why take a partner? “We’re not developers,” Brad Hickman said in an interview several years ago as he took the family’s lead in the project. “We’re business owners and things of this nature.”
BRENDA KOSTOHRYZ Vice President Hickman Enterprises
The children of Fort Worth businessman Holt Hickman, Brenda Kostohryz and brother Brad Hickman (see separate profile), lead Hickman Enterprises, partner in a controversial and major Stockyards redevelopment with partner Majestic Realty. Hickman Enterprises owns property throughout the area, but its most noteworthy assets are in the Stockyards; Holt Hickman acquired the historic district’s property in the early ‘90s and began renovating the pieces such as the Stockyard Station festival center and adding others, such as a limited service hotel. The Stockyards redevelopment – and controversy over whether the developers are sensitive to the history – has positioned family members and friends against each other.
TONY LANDRUM President TLC Urban
Tony Landrum leads the real estate firm behind the development of two notable downtown Fort Worth buildings — The Tower and the Chase Bank Building at Sundance Square. Landrum salvaged The Tower after the 2000 tornado struck it, turning it into condos. Landrum’s portfolio of urban projects has a total value of more than $250 million, real estate financings that reach more than $1 billion, and real estate sales reaching $1.2 billion. He is also involved with the Museum Place development in the Cultural District, and outside Fort Worth, he’s worked on Plaza of the Americas in Dallas, Greenway Plaza in Houston, and the Boston Design Center in Boston.
MICHAEL MALLICK Principal Mallick Group
The founder of Fort Worth-based real estate company Mallick Group, Michael Mallick has his name behind multiple investments and developments. He facilitated the deals that led to the development of the Walmart-anchored, mixed-use Renaissance Square in Southeast Fort Worth. His redevelopment of Sierra Vista, a public/private partnership with the City of Fort Worth that brought single-family homes to southeast Fort Worth’s Riverside/Berry intersection, is almost built out. In 2016, he and his wife, Valerie, donated $355,000 to the nonprofit Ft. Worth S.W.A.T. Support Group, which went toward heavy-duty ballistic vests for Fort Worth police officers. Mallick is marketing a light industrial site at the northeast corner of Riverside and Berry that some feel could be redeveloped for major retail.
Isaac Manning has worked in real estate development for nearly 30 years, now serving as CEO of Trinity Works, a company he founded in 2002. With a specialty in public-private partnerships, he’s worked around the world in public and private sector projects. Locally, his name has been behind developments like Edwards Ranch, Hillwood’s Alliance, and Victory Park in Dallas. In 2017, Manning, and friend and Hillwood executive Tom Harris, led a cross country bike ride from Oregon to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness for suicide. Harris’ daughter Jordan Elizabeth Harris lost her life to suicide in 2012. Manning advocates for public schools in Fort Worth and stewardship of the Trinity River front. And he’s a member of organizations like the Urban Land Institute and American Institute of Architects and has served as chairman of the ULI Awards for Excellence Jury.
WEST MILLER CEO Centergy Retail
West Miller knows a thing or two about real estate — shopping centers, specifically — having spent three decades in the industry and developed 4 million square feet of retail. He founded Centergy Retail, the company behind developments like major retail on Dallas’ Knox Street. In Fort Worth, he’s willed Centergy’s Left Bank firstphase development of apartments, retail (Tom Thumb), apartments, and restaurants (Hopdoddy, MiDiCi) to completion despite not being able to persuade the City of Fort Worth to grant incentives that offset his major infrastructure costs. Next up: a planned luxury hotel fronting the Trinity River levee. Before Centergy, Miller spent 12 years at Regency Centers as senior officer in operations and investments.
TERRY MONTESI CEO
Trademark Property Co.
Terry Montesi founded Trademark Property Company in 1992, and since then, the company has worked on 11.8 million square feet and $2.5 billion worth of property around the U.S. In Fort Worth, Trademark is behind developments like Alliance Town Center, Waterside and WestBend. Waterside is anchored by Whole Foods and REI and is activating the Trinity River front’s south side between Bellaire Drive and Bryant Irvin Road. Montesi and developer Cassco Land Co., which is developing Clearfork nearby, are battling at the City of Fort Worth over whether Waterside can add a third hotel to its master plan. Outside work, Montesi, a cancer survivor, has lent his name to local awareness efforts, and he supports Union Gospel Mission, Trinity Habitat for Humanity and Christ Chapel.
Vice President Cassco Land Co.
Paxton Motheral and Crawford Edwards (see separate profile) – cousins and descendants of the Fort Worth Edwards ranching family whose holdings ran along South Hulen Street from Bellaire Drive to Granbury Road –today, with other family members, run the burgeoning Clearfork development in the heart of the Chisholm Trail corridor and fronting the Trinity River. Clearfork’s centerpiece is the Neiman Marcus-anchored The Shops at Clearfork. Office, apartments, the Trailhead, which includes the popular restaurant Press Cafe, and the Riverhills luxury neighborhood are pieces of the master plan. Motheral graduated from TCU and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before returning home to Fort Worth.
Ken Newell has been involved in a number of projects around Fort Worth. He and his brother, David Newell, developed the Riverbend Business Park. In recent years, Newell is continuing development of a residential community not far from Riverbend — Trinity Lakes, 1,600-acre project he began in 1999.
On tap today: Lakes of River Trails West addition and the Trinity Lakes mixed-use area, a form-based zoning district. Newell comes from a family of developers. His father, Jack, started developing industrial property in 1954. Newell supports the University of Texas at Arlington’s Automation and Advanced Robotics Research Institute, donating 15 acres for its campus at the Riverbend Business Park.
Before founding Hillwood in 1988, Dallas native Ross Perot Jr. was a pilot — he completed the first helicopter flight around the world in 1982, traveling 26,000 miles in less than 30 days. The following year, he became a certified F-4 pilot and spent 8 1/2 years serving in the U.S. Air Force. Perot directs several of his family’s businesses, among them Hillwood, one of the top 10 residential developers in the country and developer of AllianceTexas. Outside Hillwood, Perot has served on multiple boards and organizations, including the East-West Institute, Vanderbilt University, and the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, where his helicopter, The Spirit of Texas, is on permanent display.
Owner
TownSite Co.
Phillip Poole runs the TownSite Co., a real estate development firm that specializes in executing complex projects that often involve multiple requirements and stakeholders. The company acts as a consultant to real estate firms, property owners and other development groups. Poole has teamed with multiple development groups for projects across the U.S., including Trammell Crow Residential, Archon Group and Rosewood Properties. He is a founding director of the Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED:
“There is more money available than there are great ideas.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Find your passion and find a way to do it profitably.”
I’D PAY TO SEE: “Public transit find its way into Fort Worth!”
Chris Powers’ 13 years in real estate has resulted in more than $200 million in developments. He founded Fort Capital in 2012, known for high-profile developments like the ongoing 267-acre River District, where he’s located his company’s new offices. A TCU graduate, Powers serves on the TCU Chancellor’s Advisory Council, as well as other organizations like Rivertree Academy and the Ben Hogan Strategic Advisory Board.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “1. You are an average of the five people you surround yourself with. 2. It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and a minute to destroy it.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “Happy wife, happy life”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Get off your phone and talk to people. The best relationships come through personal contact, not through the internet.”
RIDDICK President and principal Criterion Development
Pretlow Riddick is one of the latest Dallas guys to unearth value in Fort Worth. He’s pioneering the development of Race Street, where his company, Criterion Development, is bringing residential, office and retail space through projects like The River East and The Scenic at River East. His passion for neighborhoods extends beyond just building them; he started A Better Neighborhood Foundation in 1999 to invest in faith-based developments in inner cities. Riddick has a lot of fans in Fort Worth so far; he’s also collected some critics who fear the multifamily he’s bringing to Riverside.
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “Try to rezone a piece of real estate.” WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Work on my ranch with my wife”
S
ince 1979, James R. Harris Partners has succeeded in land development and investments in Texas by
• creating master-planned communities
• designing and building homes of character in those communities and in established neighborhoods, and
• building and repurposing commercial properties. experience in real estate investment cycles, and
For information, contact Jim Harris at 817.332.9600 or jrh@jrhpartners.com.
ED ROSKI Chairman Majestic Realty
California-based Majestic Realty, and its respected chairman Ed Roski, is the partner Fort Worth’s Hickman family chose to team with on a $175 million Stockyards development. Despite a lengthy history of successful development, critics zeroed in on Majestic’s lack of experience in historic properties and worried the Hickmans wouldn’t do enough to hold Roski’s feet to the fire.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “To trust my gut”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Do what you enjoy most and remain curious … and never underestimate the power of hard work. There are no shortcuts.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Papua, New Guinea. I’m an avid collector of tribal art and find the culture fascinating.”
MOST RECENT BOOK I’VE READ: “Walter Isaacson, Leonardo da Vinci”
JAKE WAGNER Co-CEO
Republic Property Group
Jake Wagner leads Republic Property Group with co-CEO Tony Ruggeri. The Dallas developer is in partnership with Fort Worth’s Walsh family to develop the sprawling Walsh Ranch in far West Fort Worth. Production homes, community amenities like a market, co-working space, and an Aledo ISD public elementary school are already up in the master-planned property. More amenities are coming this summer, like swimming pools. Republic is also building its lineup of custom homebuilders for Walsh.
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “Be as fortunate as I have to have formed a great relationship with (Walsh's) Malcolm Louden — he knows everyone!” I'D PAY TO SEE: “All the money in the world couldn’t make it possible, but I would love to see Johnny Cash play a show one last time.”
Principal Catalyst Urban Development
Paris Rutherford heads Catalyst Urban Development, a company responsible for more than $2.3 billion in mixed-use, urban housing and transit-oriented projects. In Fort Worth, Catalyst has been chosen by the City of Fort Worth to develop a city-owned assemblage along West Lancaster Street.
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “North Texas is entering its Golden Age. With the growth coming our way, we can shape our future through sound public policy, hard work, and enlightened investment. Work towards positively positioning this momentum, and you will be successful.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED “I can't limit this to one answer. Places I love are rural Greece, New Zealand, Hawaii, Chile, and Australia. But the best, most varied, most interesting and most fun place on earth is the United States.”
CORRIE WATSON Co-Owner
Frank Kent Enterprises
Corrie Watson and Will Churchill (see separate profile), twins and great-grandchildren of the Cadillac dealer Frank Kent, have built an impressive portfolio of businesses in autos, real estate and food. The two, using money they received from the sale of Frank Kent Honda and a piece of downtown real estate, invested in Near Southside commercial real estate and then pursued tenants they wanted in their buildings, helping break a logjam of restaurants that want into the hot West Magnolia Avenue but couldn’t afford the rents. Watson and Churchill also are lead sponsors in the remake of the Trinity Park playground in Fort Worth into Dream Park, accessible to kids with disabilities.
Eddie Vanston has made a virtual career out of redevelopment projects on Fort Worth’s Near Southside. With partners, he’s done the Markeen, LeudaMay, Miller Lofts, Sawyer Grocery and Supreme Golf Warehouse projects. Today, he’s working on the Dickson-Jenkins Lofts and Plaza at 120 St. Louis Ave., with condos, commercial space and a green space, along with a book and tea shop. The Supreme Golf building houses Vanston’s bar, Shipping & Receiving, and the recording studio Niles City Sound, where Fort Worth soul singer Leon Bridges recorded his hit album, “Coming Home.” Vanston is among the growing chorus of voices who fear escalating valuations and property taxes are crowding creatives out of the Near Southside.
JESSICA WORMAN Co-Owner
M2G Ventures
In four years, twins Jessica Worman and Susan Gruppi (see separate profile) and their M2G Ventures have ripped off impressive projects, including The Foundry District and O.B. Macaroni Building, all marked by trendy art and local tenants. Worman this year gave the retail presentation at Fort Worth’s annual Commercial Real Estate Forecast, a slot that Woodmont’s Stephen Coslik (see separate profile) has held down with years of remarkably accurate predictions.
TRADITIONAL DESIGN/BID/BUILD | CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT | DESIGN -BUILD
MICHAEL DIKE CEO
Village Homes
Shortly after graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin, Michael Dike stayed in the city to start his career in the homebuilding industry. In 1996, he headed to Fort Worth to co-found Village Homes with developer James R. Harris. Since then, the company has built homes in neighborhoods across the Fort Worth area, from the Cultural District to Aledo. Village Homes locked up a large number of lots in the Linwood neighborhood off of Fort Worth’s West Seventh Street and has been aggressively redeveloping them into townhomes. It’s also working two of the most buzzy, up-and-coming residential developments: Walsh and The Grove at the River District.
JOHN GIORDANO Principal
HGC Resident Development and Giordano, Wegman, Walsh & Associates
John Giordano is a Fort Worth native who graduated from TCU and went on to found multiple businesses in commercial construction, property management and interior decorating. He co-founded HGC Residential Development, which started with one small remodel project and eventually grew to become the largest custom residential homebuilder in Fort Worth. Today, HGC builds an average of 35-40 homes each year, ranging from $400,000 to $3 million. He also acts as head of sales for the company. Giordano and HGC Principal Rick Wegman (see separate profile) are also principals in the residential brokerage Giordano, Wegman, Walsh & Associates with HGC principal Eric Walsh.
JAMES R. HARRIS CEO
James R. Harris
Properties
An Austin College and TCU graduate, Jim Harris started investing in, and developing real estate, in 1975. He founded James R. Harris Partners in 1979. Today, the firm’s Fort Worth-Dallas residential developments encompass more than 70,000 homesites valued at about $3 billion. He entered Austin in 1992. The residential developments of Harris & Straub, an affiliate, total more than 6,500 homesites valued at about $450 million. He’s also a co-founder and partner in Village Homes with Michael Dike (see separate profile) and co-founded V Fine Homes.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “As a survivor of the real estate crash in the ’80s, I learned to be wary of debt.” WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Opportunities exist in development and building for homebuyers and renters, which will be a good business for the coming years.”
Chairman
D.R. Horton
Don Horton would have become a pharmacist had he not decided to drop out of the University of Oklahoma to pursue homebuilding. In 1978, he started D.R. Horton and has since grown it to become the largest homebuilder in the U.S., delivering more than 620,000 homes to buyers, with a stockholders’ equity of $7.7 billion. The company has also been consistently named the No. 1 homebuilder in Builder Magazine’s Builder 100 since 2002 (based on annual closings). D.R. Horton itself recently found a new home in Arlington, where it moved after being headquartered in downtown Fort Worth for 13 years.
RICK WEGMAN Principal
HGC Resident Development and Giordano, Wegman, Walsh & Associates
Rick Wegman, who graduated TCU and has a doctorate in clinical psychology, has helped grow HGC Residential Development with partners including John Giordano (see separate profile) into the area’s largest custom homebuilder, with annual sales of more than $20 million. Wegman is president of the construction company and co-founder of the residential brokerage. Wegman also owns an interior decorating firm, commercial construction company, and property management firm. He specializes in business development and manages the residential brokerage, concentrating on agent support and recruitment.
OLA ASSEM CEO
Cleopatra Investments
In 1998, Dallas investor
Ola Assem paid $6.4 million for the massive T&P Warehouse on the west end of West Lancaster Street downtown. In 2007 Assem obtained a promise of $11.6 million in city incentives for a redevelopment of the building, considered a critical part of the revitalization of the corridor. Two decades later, the property still sits vacant and deteriorating. Assem, who owns the property with her two sons, has reportedly received offers for several times what she paid for it but has pocket-vetoed them. The circa 1931 building has been vacant for about 40 years, and city officials worry the building will deteriorate beyond economically viable repair and redevelopment.
HOTEL DROVER, A 200-ROOM AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION ® HOTEL, MEETING FACILITY & EVENT BARN
180,000 SQ. FT. OF RESTORED HISTORIC HORSE & MULE BARNS FOR SHOPPING, DINING, ENTERTAINMENT & CREATIVE WORKPLACES
REGIONAL CUISINE INVENTIVELY EXPLORED WITH LOCAL CHEFS, CREATIVE EATERIES & LOCAL BREWERIES
INSPIRED BY A STORIED PAST AND THE PROMISE OF AN EXCITING FUTURE, WE’RE EMBRACING THE SPIRIT OF PROGRESS THAT HAS ALWAYS DEFINED FORT WORTH WITH A $175 MILLION INVESTMENT IN THE HISTORIC FORT WORTH STOCKYARDS.
Chairman
Crescent Real Estate Equities
Working with iconic Fort Worth billionaire Richard Rainwater, John Goff co-founded Crescent Real Estate Equities in the early 1990s. Goff was influential in the REIT’s sale to Morgan Stanley in 2007, which grew its IPO from $500 million to $6.5 billion. He eventually reacquired Crescent Real Estate in 2009 through his private investment firm Goff Capital and banking company Barclays Capital. He received two honors in 2014: an induction into the McCombs Business School Hall of Fame at the University of Texas at Austin, and an EY Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Southwest Region in the real estate and construction category. He and wife Cami Goff (see separate profile) give back through The Goff Family Foundation, providing scholarships and other help to schools in need.
GARY HAVENER President Havener Cos.
After serving in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gary Havener went on to found multiple companies in real estate development and investment, refurbishing corporate jets, warehousing textbooks, designing and making antenna systems, and handling loans. An active member of the community, Havener has served on numerous boards and committees for entities like the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, where he served 10 years, and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. A graduate of the Missouri University of Science and Technology, he also remains active at his alma mater, establishing a scholarship for mathematics students and serving as one of the university’s major donors.
DAVID MCDAVID Principal McDavid Investments
David McDavid launched his auto dealership group in 1962 with one dealership and grew to one of the largest automotive companies in the U.S. McDavid sold it in 1997 to Asbury Automotive Group for what press reports said was more than $380 million. McDavid was also part of a group, with Ross Perot, Jr. (see separate profile), that purchased the Dallas Mavericks basketball team from Don Carter and later sold it to Mark Cuban. McDavid has had interests in horses. Their McDavid Investments has interests in real estate and equine breeding and training. He and wife Stacie McDavid (see separate profile) continue to be involved in multiple organizations.
STACIE MCDAVID CEO
McDavid Investments
Stacie McDavid was 22 when she launched a chain of franchise fitness centers, growing it to 32 locations in Texas and Florida. Today, she’s CEO of McDavid Investments with husband David McDavid (see separate profile), which has real estate, equine breeding and training, and other investments. McDavid, a competitive cutting horse rider, is vice of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, and she serves on the boards of the Fort Worth Zoological Association and MD Anderson Cancer Center.
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I'VE LEARNED: "Failure is essential for growth."
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: "Lectures, museums and churches/ synagogues"
MOST FUN PLACE I'VE TRAVELED: "China in 1992 - David proposed to me at the Great Wall."
I'D PAY TO SEE: "A cure for cancer"
Vice President
The Hyder Companies
Whitney More represents the next generation of the Hyder family, daughter of the late Fort Worth philanthropists Elton Hyder Jr. and Martha Hyder. More serves on the board of the Fort Worth Zoological Association. The Hyder Companies holds real estate and oil and gas interests. In 2012, the Hyder family and their Hyder Foundation – Martha Hyder, More and her brother, Brent Hyder – gave more than a thousand pieces from their collection of art to the University of Texas Law School Foundation, which put them on permanent display at the school.
The son of iconic Fort Worth Stockyards developer Steve Murrin (see separate profile), Phil Murrin is a partner in the event venue River Ranch and Billy Bob’s Texas, the world’s largest honky tonk. Murrin has been a vocal skeptic of the ongoing $175 million redevelopment of a major piece of the Stockyards by a partnership of Majestic Realty and Fort Worth’s Hickman family. Murrin served on the Historic Stockyards Design District Task Force, where he helped draft a set of standards and guidelines for future building projects in the district. Murrin is participating in a group that plans a high-end hotel in the heart of the Stockyards.
Partner
Some have called Steve Murrin the “mayor of the Fort Worth Stockyards,” and for good reason. The former City Council member has worked in the Stockyards since the 1970s, influential in reviving properties like the Cowtown Coliseum, which hosts the Stockyards Championship Rodeo. The Murrin family owns multiple properties on the historic site, including a stake in the Billy Bob’s Texas honky tonk and event venue River Ranch. Murrin has been an advocate for the preservation of the Stockyards’ history, leading many efforts to create protections for the district. He, with son Phil Murrin (see separate profile), is a leading skeptic of the ongoing Majestic Realty-Hickman redevelopment of a major piece of the Stockyards. Murrin’s partners in the entity that owns Billy Bob’s include Hickman Enterprises’ CEO Brad Hickman (see separate profile).
Fort Worth native Bobby Patton continues to accumulate real estate, four-legged assets and other investments. His investments run the gamut, from oil and gas properties in Texas and Kansas, to insurance, office buildings, ranches, cutting horses, and a stake in the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. Patton’s purchased a 343-acre Aledo ranch from investor Jon Winkelreid. When Walmart billionaire Alice Walton put 90 horses on the block, Patton pounced, buying many of them. Patton was tournament chairman of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Country Club. He’s a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, to which he donated $20 million to its College of Liberal Arts in 2016. And though he may be a Longhorn, he has a suite at Amon G. Carter Stadium, where he watches TCU football games.
CYNTHIA ADAMS CEO Martin Land & Investments
Along with serving as CEO of the real estate company Martin Land & Investments, founded by her grandfather, Cynthia Adams is known for her community involvement, as board chair for the Baylor All Saints Health Foundation and board member for All Saints’ Episcopal School. Adams is daughter of Nicholas Martin (see separate profile), the hospital’s biggest benefactor, who’s made a number of gifts to the hospital, including the lead gift for a new women’s wing.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED: “Always keep your integrity intact. Work hard, do your best and the rest will come.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Do not be afraid of taking risks and follow your dream.”
WHAT I DO FOR FUN: “Play golf, piano and photography”
MIKE FLYNN President Southland
A graduate of TCU’s M.J. Neeley School of Business, Mike Flynn is co-founder and president of Southland, a property tax consultant and active company in a time of rapidly rising property valuations in Tarrant County. Flynn is active in many community organizations, serving on the board of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Greater Fort Worth Fellowship of Christian Athletes, ESPN Armed Forces Bowl, and Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County, where he volunteers. Flynn is a member of the TCU Frog Club, former president of the TCU Lettermen's Association.
ROBBIE BRIGGS CEO
Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty
Robbie Briggs has led Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty for nearly 40 years, helping the company bring in more than $2 billion in annual sales volume. With 10 offices around the Fort Worth-Dallas area, the company specializes in the brokerage of homes, ranches, and other developments. Briggs is also passionate about working with foreign investors — he and his family spent three years in Beijing, where Briggs served as chairman of the International School of Beijing. In Fort Worth, he is an active member of the community and has served on the boards for the Scottish Rite Hospital, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the Hockaday School and the Chemical Awareness Council.
MARY FRANCIS BURLESON CEO
Ebby Halliday Real Estate
Mary Frances Burleson got her start at Ebby Halliday in 1958, when she took a part-time job as receptionist. The company has grown to more than 1,700 agents and 30 offices from 35 agents and three offices. Today, annual sales reach nearly $8 billion. She has been influential in helping the company incorporate technology and mobile platforms.
BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE RECEIVED:
“The best piece of advice I have received was from Ebby Halliday Acers: Do something for someone every day.”
MOST VALUABLE LESSON I’VE LEARNED: “To be thankful for all the ‘God winks’ in my life”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Choose a career (based on) how much it will provide service and gratification for others and for you.”
JOAN TREW
Co-Owner
Williams Trew
Business partner Joan Trew and Martha Williams (see separate profile) co-founded the eponymous company in 2000 and grew it to become one of the largest residential real estate brokerage firms in Fort Worth. Ebby Halliday Real Estate acquired Williams Trew in 2014; the company has continued working under its name as an Ebby division. Williams Trew has five offices in the Fort Worth area and specializes in residential neighborhoods, lake, and farm and ranch properties.
Co-Owner
Williams Trew
Martha Williams and Joan Trew (see separate profile) co-founded the eponymous company in 2000 and grew it to become one of the largest residential real estate brokerage firms in Fort Worth. Ebby Halliday Real Estate acquired Williams Trew in 2014; the company has continued working under its name as an Ebby division. Williams Trew has five offices in the Fort Worth area and specializes in residential neighborhoods, lake, and farm and ranch properties. Outside real estate, Williams serves on the boards of the Fort Worth Country Day School, UT Southwestern Medical Foundation in Dallas, and The Cliburn.
Realtor
Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty
John Zimmerman is one of Fort Worth’s top producing agents, not short on accolades for his 20-year career. In 2016, his group closed and put $150 million under agreement. In the same year, The Wall Street Journal ranked him as the No. 138 Realtor (based on sales volume) in its REAL Trends 2016 rankings. Within Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty, Zimmerman received the company’s Top Producing Team Award in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Outside real estate, Zimmerman supports numerous organizations including The American Cancer Society, Buckets & Boots, and March of Dimes.
JEFF DAVIS Chairman -
Fort Worth
Division Republic Title
A graduate of Princeton University and the SMU School of Law, Jeff Davis has a passion for public service. A fan of public transit, he’s chairman of the Tarrant Transit Alliance and a member of the Trinity Metro board. He was elected to the Fort Worth City Council at 27, and he’s active in the Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth, where is a former president, and Amphibian Stage Productions, where he’s chairman. Davis practiced commercial law for several years before he opened his own practice and title company in Fort Worth. He was president of Safeco Title before he joined Republic in 2004 as Fort Worth chairman.
JACK RATTIKIN JR. Chairman Rattikin Title
Jack Rattikin Jr. is chairman of Rattikin, the only family-owned title company in Tarrant County and one of the largest independent title insurance agents in Texas. He previously served as president of multiple organizations, including the Fort Worth Land Title Association.
HOW I GOT MY START: “I grew up in the title business. When I was 12 years old, I was a delivery boy for the company and would walk and back from the courthouse delivering documents.”
WHAT I’D TELL YOUNG PEOPLE JUST GETTING STARTED TODAY: “Take an active part in the needs of others.”
MOST FUN PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: “Antarctica: My boys and I took a cruise down there a number of years ago, and it was one of the most memorable trips. We walked with the penguins.”
This section contains leaders from one of Fort Worth’s foundational industries and one of the most important to the region’s future today. It includes airlines, aviation, public transit, and railroads.
DOUG PARKER CEO American Airlines
Doug Parker, American Airlines’ CEO since 2013, has fixated on improving historically bad labor relations at the airline. He gave up the cash piece of his pay, to be paid only in stock. Parker gave midcontract pay raises to pilots and flight attendants. He implemented profit-sharing; the pilots grumbled earlier this year about their profit-sharing rate compared to competitors’. Finally, Parker ended his own contract, saying he would be an atwill employee with no guarantees. The airline has earned $15 billion in profit in the last four years. Parker earned $12 million in 2017 compensation, $11.9 million of it in stock. Prior to American, Parker was CEO of US Airways and CEO of America West, a post he took 10 days before the 9-11 attacks.
SEAN DONOHUE CEO Dallas/Fort Worth Airport
As CEO of the world’s third-busiest airport, Sean Donohue is responsible for its management, operation, strategy and development. He manages an organization of 1,800 employees with an annual budget of $900 million and a $3 billion capital improvement program. The Airports Council International named DFW the “Best Large Airport in North America” in 2017, based on customer satisfaction data. More than 65 million travelers pass through DFW annually, enroute to 163 domestic and 55 international nonstop destinations. A Massachusetts native, Donohue graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing and economics. He worked 28 years in airlines at United Airlines and then Virgin Australia, where he was COO.
REED PIGMAN JR. CEO Texas Jet
In 1939, Reed Pigman Jr.’s father began the flight school American Flyers. Pigman himself purchased a small fledgling aircraft sales company in 1978 and changed the name to Texas Jet, which he has grown from two hangars in 1978 to 23 hangars and a total of 450,000 square feet today. Texas Jet is the largest independent FBO at Fort Worth’s Meacham International Airport, selling fuel, hangar space and amenities to pilots and owners of private aircraft. It’s consistently been rated among the country’s top FBOs – second in the closely watched 2018 Professional Pilot PRASE Survey.
HOW I GOT MY START: “My first flight lessons were with my dad in a J-3 Cub when I was 11 on a grass strip on the side of a large hill.”
D&M Leasing congratulates Mike Hernandez as one of Fort Worth INC.’s 400 most influential and powerful leaders in Greater Fort Worth.
Mike Hernandez knows the auto leasing business. D&M Leasing is the largest leasing company in America and has won “Dealer of the Year” nationwide for 4 consecutive years by Dealer Rater.
D&M Leasing has been based in Tarrant County for 36 years and is excited to be in Fort Worth, conveniently located at I-30 at Summit Ave. With D&M Leasing you can save up to 50% each month over buying a vehicle, and the entire transaction can take place right over the phone.
Best of all, your new or pre-leased vehicle will be delivered to your home
MICHAEL MORRIS Director of Transportation
North Central Texas Council of Governments
The Dallas Observer just a few years ago called Michael Morris, the top transportation planner in the region, “The King of DFW Politics.” Morris has worked for COG since 1979. Since 1990, he has served as director of the Metropolitan Planning Organization, developing transportation plans, addressing transportation needs in the Fort Worth-Dallas area, and distributing dollars accordingly. “You can forget about mayors and city councils and state legislators and sometimes even congresspersons,” the Observer opined. “Morris has way more stick than those guys.” He’s a registered professional engineer in Texas and has previously served on committees like the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee, where he was chair, and the National Academies of Science.
PAUL BALLARD CEO Trinity Metro
Paul Ballard’s on the hot seat as CEO of the underfunded Trinity Metro, the rebranded Fort Worth T. He’s sought new partners like River Oaks, added service like a downtown-Alliance express bus and cut back elsewhere, is working with partners to establish a West Seventh circulator, and is preparing for the winter launch of downtown-DFW Airport TEXRail service, long-delayed before Ballard joined The T as CEO. Mayor Betsy Price and other leaders want innovation; a good number of voices are skeptical people would ride an expanded bus network.
HOW I GOT MY START: “All through elementary and high school, I rode public transportation to school. I got to know the drivers and became interested in public transportation as a career.”
THE BEST WAY TO MEET NEW PEOPLE HERE IS: “The best way to truly engage with others is to talk with them face to face.”
CEO
Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Carl Ice has served as CEO since 2014 and president since 2010 at Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Before becoming CEO, he had already spent more than three decades with the railroad, holding multiple leadership positions in the company, including chief operations officer and executive vice president. He’s a board member of the Salvation Army. A graduate of Kansas State University, where he earned his degree in engineering, he remains active with his alma mater, having served as a trustee for the Kansas State University Foundation and chairman of the Kansas State University College of Engineering Advisory Council.
Executive Chairman
Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Matt Rose became executive chairman of Burlington Northern Santa Fe after 13 years as CEO and 11 years as chairman. Has been mentioned as a possible eventual replacement for Warren Buffett, CEO of BNSF parent Berkshire Hathaway. Rose is member of the executive committee of Read Fort Worth, an organization of city leaders working to have 100 percent of Fort Worth third-graders reading on grade level by 2025; city leaders have identified early literacy as a critical economic development issue. Rose has also helped his wife, Lisa Rose (see separate profile), build The Gatehouse, a residential center where women and children can rebuild their lives through programs and counseling. Rose is chair of the Federal Reserve Bank Dallas board, and he serves on the boards of AT&T, Fluor Corp., the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and TCU.
BILL DAVIS CEO
Fort Worth and Western Railroad
Bill Davis isn’t the easiest guy to get to know. The launch and expansion of TEXRail service in Tarrant County and its critical DFW Airport link, finally set to open this winter – has been delayed in good part because Davis owns a lot of the right of way TEXRail would run along and has been reluctant to talk terms. Davis restored the 21-mile Tarantula train line that today links the Fort Worth Stockyards to downtown Grapevine; Fort Worth and Western opened the attraction in conjunction with developer Holt Hickman’s redevelopment of the Stockyards’ hog and sheep pens into Stockyards Station. Davis is son of oilman Kenneth W. Davis, one of the founding members of the Petroleum Club of Fort Worth, and brother of T. Cullen Davis and the late Kenneth W. Davis, Jr. Davis has been a generous donor of artifacts on Fort Worth's heritage to the Tarrant County Archives.
Adair, Ken 108
Adams, Cynthia 134
Agather, Elaine 26
Allen Chalk Sr., John 100
Alley, Gerald 117
Anderson Culebro, Kathleen 12
Andrews Jr., Paul 68
Anfin, Karen 85
Anfin, Larry 85
Appleman, Louise 40
Appleman, Michael 106
Assem, Ola 130
Auld, Marianne 106
Autrey, Larry 94
Avila, John 118
Baggett, Happy 120
Bakhach, Moujahed 16
Balcom, Stuart 94
Ball, Mike 60
Ballard, Paul 142
Barnard, Brian 106
Barnes, Brad 12
Bass, Ed 34
Bass, Lee 34
Bass, Robert 34
Bass, Sid 34
Bass, Anne T. 85
Bass, Mercedes 85
Bass, Ramona 85
Bates, Gus Stewart 32
Benda, Bob 118
Bennett, Rhett 74
Bennett, Michael 112
Bennis, Peter 26
Berce, Daniel 32
Berdan, Barclay 58
Berry, Mike 120
Bird, Tad 42
Bird, Greg 74
Bivens, Gyna 48
Blake, Andrew 120
Bloom, Andrew 16
Bloxom Jr., David 118
Blum, Marvin 107
Bonnell, Jon 69
Boschini, Victor 40
Boudreaux, Darlene 48
Bradshaw, Rose 82
Bratton, Douglas............................32
Brennan, Mike 48
Bridges, Leon 12
Briggs, Robbie 134
Brogdon, Larry 74
Brooks, Roy C. 48
Brumley, Jon 74
Bruster, Tim 16
Burgin, Tillie 82
Burleson, Mary Frances 134
Burnette, Todd 116
Burns, Bill 60
Butler, William 76
Butt, Stephen 69
Buxton, Tom 112
Byrd, Brian 48
Campbell, Cody 76
Campbell, Johnny 120
Carroll, Chris 69
Carson, Wayne 82
Carvalho, Orlando 66
Cavazos, Marcelo 44
Chapa, Jay 48
Choudhry, Fowad 61
Churchill, Will 122
Clark, Eddie 68
Cleveland, Joe 106
Coates, Grant 82
Coltharp, Brian 112
Conatser, Cheryl 85
Conatser, Jerry 86
Connor, Hugh 102
Cooke, David 49
Cornfeldt, Jeremy 94
Coslik, Steven 122
Coulter, James 36
Cox, Bobby 70
Craig, Ian 42
Crouchley, Greg 72
Cunningham, Brad 76
Davis, Ray 19
Davis, Brad 112
Davis, Jeff 136
Davis, Bill 142
DeLeon, Joseph 58
Devenport, Russell 101
Dike, Michael 130
Dillard, Jeff 33
Dixon, Jamie 19
Donati, Jeremiah 19
Donohue, Sean 140
Dorman, Paul 60
Dottavio, Dominic 40
Drennan, Mark 26
Drez, David 102
DuBose, Jim 26
Dufrene, Matt 82
Duggins, Ralph 101
Durant, Jerry 66
Durant, Tom 66
Earley, Robert 58
Edwards, Crawford 122
Eggenburger, Jason 112
Eisenman, Randy 36
Engleman, Don 24
Enis, Hunter 76
Eppstein, Bryan 96
Erekson, Homer 40
Fasola, Ken 33
Fernandez, Robert 94
Fickes, Gary 49
Firestone, Leonard 70
Fitzgerald, Joel 49
Flores, Carlos 49
Flynn, Mike 134
Flynn, Stuart 58
Fortson, Ben 12
Fortson, Kay 12
Fox, Eric 66
Gachman, Arnie 79
Galbreath, Tom 112
Garcia, Martin 108
Garrett, Brian 101
Garsek, Noelle 108
Garvey, Richard 122
Gavras, Chris 96
Geesbreght, John 61
Gengelbach, Brandom 49
Geren, Pete 42
Geren, Charlie 49
Giordano, John 130
Giovannini, Eugene 40
Goff, Cami 86
Goff, John 132
Goldman, Elliot 82
Gossage, Eddie 20
Grable, Bob 107
Granger, J.D. 50
Granger, Kay 50
Gray, Kelly Allen 50
Greenhill, Bill 104
Gruppi, Susan 122
Gupton, Ted 114
Hahn, Janet 102
Hall, William 36
Hallam, Robert 70
Halliday, Steven 114
Happel, Brian 26
Harris, James R. 130
Harrison, Miles 60
Harth-Bedoya, Miguel 12
Harveson, Shelli 107
Hatfield, Dak 116
Havener, Gary 132
Hayes, Steve 100
Head, Tom 68
Head, Albon 102
Hernandez, John 50
Hernandez, Mike 66
Hersh, Erika 36
Hibbs, Kelcie 107
Hickman, Brad 122
Horowitz, Raanan 68
Horton, Don 130
Howard, Robert 66
Howard, Stephen 76
Hudson, Gary 26
Iannelli, Frank 94
Ice, Jamey 14
Ice, Carl 142
Iles, Brad 76
Ireland, Jeff 96
Jackson, Tobi 44
James, Grant 28
James, Alasdair 79
Jameson, Bob 50
Jhangiani, Alec 14
Johnson, Mark L. 14
Johnson, Roland 100
Johnson Hixon, Karen 14
Johnston, Richard 61
Jones, Gene 86
Jones, Jerry 20
Jones, Stephen 20
Jones, Scott 28
Jones-Anderson, Charlotte 20
Jordan, Jungus 50
Karbhari, Vistasp 40
Katz, Howard 70
Katz, Joan 86
Kelly, Craig 36
Kelly Jr., Dee 104
Keltner, David 100
Kennedy, Bud 15
King, Jeff 33
King, Luther 33
Kiser, Cody 28
Kitchens, Ted 18
Kleinheinz, John 86
Kleinheinz, Marsha 86
Knautz, Dennis 74
Kostohryz, Brenda 124
Kreis, Les 24
Lancarte, Joe 70
Lancarte, Lanny 70
Landrum, Tony 124
Landry, Todd 83
Lasater, Garland 87
Lasater, Mollie 87
Law, Jeff 51
Lee, Eric 14
Leonard, Marty 87
Lombardi, Eric 42
Louden, G. Malcolm 87
Love, Tim 71
Lowe, Dick 77
Lowe, Mary Ralph 87
Mackel, John 94
Mallick, Michael 124
Manning, Isaac 124
Marion, Anne Windfohr 87
Marion, John 88
Marquis, Jacques 14
Marshall, Stacy 51
Martin, Louella 88
Martin, Nick 88
Marxen, Dic 72
Matthews, Ryan 116
Mayer, Scott 18
McCarthy, Bob 118
McDavid, David 132
McDavid, Stacie 132
McDonald, Judy 51
McGlothlin, Sandra 118
McLean, Hunter 102
Meadows, Pati 108
Mecklenburger, Ralph 18
Melchiors, Matthijs 114
Menke, Sean 72
Merrill, Rick 58
Micallef, Mike 71
Michel, Thomas 101
Miller, Jeffrey 77
Miller, West 124
Mitchell, Bob 98
Molloy, Robert 28
Moncrief, Charlie 88
Moncrief, Kit 88
Moncrief, Mike 88
Moncrief, Rosie 89
Moncrief Jr., William A. "Tex" 89
Montesi, Terry 124
Moon, Cary 51
Moore, Ardon 34
Morse, Greg 28
Mossige, Terri 44
Motheral, Paxton 126
Muckleroy, George 101
Muckleroy, Harold 118
Murphy, Sean 71
Murrin, Phil 132
Murrin, Steve 134
Navejar, Rosa 114
Nelson, Britt 61
Newell, Ken 126
Nikzad, Ramtin 15
Northern, Will 116
Noto Jr., Martin 28
Nurdin, Mark 30
O'Neil, Stan 30
Olson, Michael 18
Orander, Becky 83
Owen, Toby 83
Palko, Jennifer 77
Palmer, Andrea 108
Parker, Doug 140
Parrish, Hunter 102
Parsley, Shawn 61
Patterson, Gary 20
Patterson, Kelsey 83
Patton, Bobby 134
Pavell, Mike 30
Pergande, John 33
Perot Jr., Ross 126
Peterman, Russ 18
Phillips-Sadler, Kam 83
Philpott, Peter 60
Pierce, Jason 104
Pigman Jr., Reed 140
Poole, Phillip 126
Popstefanov, George 96
Pourpore, Craig 71
Powell, Charlie 30
Powell Stimek, Katey 107
Powers, Chris 126
Price, Marla 15
Price, Ryon 19
Price, Betsy 51
Price, Scott 120
Prioleau, Frost 96
Puente, Buddy 79
Puente, Vince 79
Radler, Michael 77
Rahr, Fritz 71
Rainwater, Walter 83
Rattikin Jr., Jack 136
Ravnaas, Bob 77
Ravnaas, Davis 77
Ray, Breck 100
Raynor, Geoffrey 32
Reeves, Robert 78
Reid, Rusty 33
Renfro Borbolla, Becky 71
Rew Jr., Vernon 104
Reynolds, Heather 84
Reynolds, Walt 69
Reynolds Jr., Donald 69
Riddick, Pretlow 126
Riscky, Jim 72
Roach, Jean 89
Roach, John 89
Robertson, George 24
Robertson, Troy 72
Robinson, John 84
Roe, Lesa 42
Rogers, Lee 24
Romans, Van 15
Rose, Lisa 89
Rose, Matt 142
Rosenthal, Billy 90
Rosenthal, Rozanne 89
Rosenthal Blumenfeld, Ashli 72
Roski, Ed 128
Rucker, Clark 107
Rutherford, Paris 128
Saenz, Alfred 114
Sanborn, Mike 60
Sanders, Bob Ray 16
Sanders, Red 96
Schaal, Kurt 30
Schaefer, Ken 98
Schollmaier, Ed 90
Schwarz, David 114
Scribner, Kent 44
Scully, Bob 117
Searcy, Marshall 104
Sellers, John 78
Shingleton, Dennis 51
Shisler, Don 84
Simon, Robert 101
Simpson, Bob 78
Sisemore, Justin 104
Slabach, Fred 42 Smith, Glenn
Stallings, Tom
Stokes Jr., James
Sturns, Robert
Tom
Warner, Glenn
Warren, Mark W.
Watson, Corrie
Wesley
Wegman, Rick
Williams, Michael
Williamson, Phillip
Williams, Roger
Wilson, Sharen
Julie H.
David
Wittenbraker, Luke 24 Woerner, Hadley
Womack, Jim 24
Worman, Jessica
Wynne, Kimbell Fortson 15 Wynne, Mitch
Yelverton, Trey
Young Jr., George M. 79 Zadeh, Ann 53
Zimmerman, Brian 19
Zimmerman, John 136
Huff, Jack 116
More, Whitney Hyder 132
Schieffer, Bob 16
Datcher, Bruce 16
Hughes, Carlye 18
Morris, Michael 142
Schlossnagle, Jim 20
I am beyond honored to be one of The 400. But it’s our exceptional agents in Fort Worth — and their 500-plus colleagues across North Texas — who I’m wowed by, every day. Come see why, whether you’re buying or selling a home, ranch, land or commercial property. They’ll wow you, too.
ROBBIE BRIGGS, president, CEO Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty
