Betsy Price took on a full slate, from budget crisis to race relations as mayor. And then COVID hit
Larry Autrey Managing Partner
Congratulations to Managing Partner, Larry Autrey, for being named to The 400. Larry’s commitment to the community, the accounting profession and beyond exemplifies true leadership. His focus on growth and client service provides an environment of excellence.
After a decade-long run concluded by a tumultuous finale that included a global pandemic, racial tension, and ambitious plans for citywide growth, our inaugural person of the year — Mayor Betsy Price — reflects on her tenure in a candid interview with Fort Worth Inc.
/ The 400
From big-pocket businessmen to smallbut-powerful entrepreneurs, here are the people playing a significant role in shaping Fort Worth and its future.
4 / Publisher’s Note
6 / Whatcha Eatin’?
Honorees dish on their favorite places to get takeout.
8 / Hot Button Issues
The top six issues on the plate of Fort Worth’s next mayor.
150 / Family Trees
The familial connections between a few members of The 400. 152 / Index
17 / Arts and Leisure Proponents of the city’s visual arts, music, and theater scenes.
25 / Banking and Finance Investments, equity, and all things finance.
39 / Economic Development Expanding the city’s reach in business and tourism.
47 / Education Shaping the next generation of Fort Worthians.
53 / Government Lawmakers and politicians in both the city and the state.
61 / Health Care and Life Sciences Leaders in medicine and medical research.
71 / Industry From food and beverage to oil and gas.
89 / Nonprofits Organization leaders making a difference. 97 / Philanthropy The city’s biggest donors.
103 / Professional Services Influencers in marketing, human resources, law, and other fields.
115 / Real Estate Builders and flippers, buyers, and sellers.
131 / Religion
Spiritual life in the city.
135 / Sports The true ballers.
139 / Transportation Leaders in transit.
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Global
My wife and I are halfway through Season 1 of the three-season TV series “Designated Survivor,” starring Kiefer Sutherland. Watching this political drama over the past two weeks provides a number of parallels between Sutherland’s character and the subject of our cover story this month, our inaugural Person of the Year, Mayor Betsy Price.
“Designated Survivor” tells the story of a nonparty cabinet member (Sutherland) who’s thrust into the role of U.S. president, as he is the highest-ranking official left alive after a terrorist attack kills the president, vice president, and most of Congress. In an instant, Sutherland is in charge of the nation’s highest office, an office he didn’t want, and charged with rebuilding it.
As an independent, Sutherland does not have a political agenda. He truly wants what is best for his country. He shows an unselfish concern for the welfare of others and is committed to American idealism.
Betsy Price spent the better part of two decades running her own car title and licensing company before running for and winning the position of Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector in 2000.
Why did Price run? She was raised in a family that that believed you take what you’ve been given and give it back to your community. Being in the title business, she observed firsthand that the office needed help. After years of telling others that someone needed to straighten up that office, with encouragement from clients and her family, she decided that perhaps that someone should be her.
Eleven years later, having successfully transformed one of the most inefficient
offices in the state, people started telling her she needed to run for mayor, straighten out the city finances, and get the city’s pension in shape.
Her response was that was not something that she wanted. She was happy doing what she was doing and felt she was making a real difference. For six months, following Mayor Mike Moncrief announcing his retirement, she resisted. While she wasn’t seeking the position, like Sutherland’s character in “Designated Survivor,” she was put in a position to make a decision to step through the door and accept the opportunity and responsibility or decline.
So many in public office put politics and party above truly doing what is best for their constituents as a whole. While Betsy Price is a Republican and has spent the past 21 years in politics, she is not a politician. She is a leader who knows success happens in the middle. Known as a tireless, positive, committed, nonpartisan uniter, Price steered our city to a strong economy and demonstrated substantial work to project the city nationally as a healthy place to live, work, and entertain. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led the city’s response despite stiff political headwinds against government restrictions and the toll the pandemic took on the city’s robust economy.
We congratulate Mayor Price on being Fort Worth Inc.’s inaugural Person of the Year and thank her for her lifetime contributions to Greater Fort Worth.
Hal A. Brown owner/publisher
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Our 400 honorees dish on their favorite Fort Worth places to grab takeout.
Stacy Marshall, executive director, Southeast Fort Worth, Inc.
There are two locations I frequent to find good, hearty food. They are Madea's Down Home Cooking in Everman and Ben's Triple B in Poly. What a way to feed the soul and have good food at the same time. I guess this is why I surpassed my “Freshman 15” and gained my “COVID 30.”
Jonathan Morris, CEO, Fort Worth Barber Shop
Takeout from Righteous Foods’ new Eat Fajitas offerings has come
in clutch on many occasions. The tortillas are always perfect, and the to-go margaritas are a plus too.
Bob Jameson, CEO, Visit Fort Worth
Michaels Cuisine Restaurant & Bar — do not leave without their green beans. Everything else is just great, but the green beans!
Carlo Capua, principal, Locavore
Pak-A-Pocket on Bryant Irvin. Great family and superb food. Get the falafel.
Ashley Freer, principal group director and head of strategy, The Balcom Agency
I have loved ordering from Kincaid's, Enchiladas Olé, Press Cafe, Lili’s, Thai Select, and others. I’ve relied on Luna Grill's kebab plate for lunch takeout more times than I can remember.
Jennifer Henderson, president, J.O. Design
I really have enjoyed Shaneboy's in Rendon, Goldee’s Barbecue in Kennedale, and Spice on Magnolia.
Marcelle LeBlanc, CEO, The Velvet Box
Samson's Market Bistro for Ethiopian. I love Ethiopian food, and I love supporting local restaurants and businesses.
Bruce Frankel, executive director, DRC
Cane Rosso for pizza; Gus’s for fried chicken.
Holland Sanders, CEO, Holland Collective Meyer & Sage has been the best! They partnered with so many other places like Melt and Sweet Lucy’s Pies to offer a full local menu to pick up and treat yourself to delicious, fresh, seasonal, and local goodies.
Rachel Albright, CEO and president, Tarrant Transit Alliance
Anywhere that serves bao buns or samosas. Tokyo Cafe, Cannon Chinese, Swad Indian, Maharaja — there are so many great places to eat in Fort Worth.
Greg Morse, president and CEO, Worthington National Bank
Railhead Smokehouse BBQ or Mama’s Pizza — depends on which healthy choice one wants to make.
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Program Director
The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
Dr. Cervantes leads the HSC MPH Epidemiology Program, preparing students to excel as future public health professionals. During the pandemic, she conducted widespread community outreach and education emerging as one of the most trusted public health experts in Texas being named “best new TV medical expert” by Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Bud Kennedy.
Executive Director of the Institute for Translational Research
The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
One of the world’s leading Alzheimer’s researchers, Dr. O’Bryant is conducting the most comprehensive study ever undertaken to understand Alzheimer’s among the three largest ethnic/racial groups in the U.S.: African Americans, Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites. He recently received a five-year, $45 million NIH grant – the university’s largest ever.
Assistant VP, Innovation Ecosystems, HSC NEXT
The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
Cameron Cushman is an emerging evangelist for innovation and startup activity in Fort Worth. In addition to hosting the Innovate Fort Worth podcast, he publishes data on the role that startup companies play in job creation and analyzes levels of funding for early-stage startup companies at Sparkyard.co.
Assistant Director, Innovation Ecosystems, HSC NEXT
The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
At HSC, Marco Johnson leads Sparkyard, a free resource that connects local entrepreneurs to the right resource at the right time to launch and grow their companies. HSC was recently awarded a $550,000 grant to continue Sparkyard’s work in developing Fort Worth’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Marco and Cameron also led efforts to establish and grow Global Entrepreneurship Week in Fort Worth into the #1 GEW location in the country in just its third year.
The top six challenges facing Fort Worth’s new mayor.
BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
It's been 10 years since Fort Worth has had a new mayor — and what a time to be entering office. Between COVID-19 and race relations, an ambitious education goal and ongoing issues in public transportation, housing, homelessness, and economic development, here are the top six challenges on the incoming mayor's plate.
With more people getting vaccinated, cases down since last year, and mask and distancing protocols lifted either by the state or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one of the main tasks facing the incoming mayor is how to handle COVID-19 moving forward. Previous mayor Betsy Price was a pro-vaxxer, and the City of Fort Worth back in April launched a month-long digital campaign to raise awareness and educate Fort Worthians on getting the shot. The new mayor will be tasked with furthering efforts to encourage vaccinations, along with revamping the local economy as more businesses reopen.
The killings of George Floyd and Fort Worth’s own Atatiana Jefferson have only amplified the city’s ongoing discussions about race, culture,
and equity. It’s been on the mayor’s plate since 2017, when the Race and Culture Task Force was created and subsequently produced 22 initiatives aimed at improving equity in areas ranging from education to criminal justice. Criminal justice, in particular, is a major part of the issue as conversations swirl around defunding and restructuring under new police chief Neil Noakes.
Price took a particularly personal interest in improving education during her tenure as mayor. Among the initiatives she supported was Read Fort Worth, which took on the ambitious goal of getting 100% of third graders reading at their level by 2025. Progress, however, has been slow going, only exacerbated by COVID-19 breaking the traditional structure of a normal school year. The incoming mayor now has the challenge of taking another look at the program and figuring out more effective ways to reach its goal.
Fort Worth has shown increasing interest in a better bus system, the TEXRail, and rideshare services like the ZIPZONE. But proponents have continually clamored for more financial investment from city
leaders, with many saying that Fort Worth falls behind on funding for public transportation compared to other major urban areas.
Fort Worth continues to grapple with affordable housing as it works to accommodate residents making less than an area’s median income. Developments like Union Gospel Mission’s The Crossroads are among the latest to pop up in an effort to confront the crisis.
Another ongoing issue is homelessness, for which many say the construction of more permanent supportive housing could be a solution.
As the city and Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce continue their push for more jobs and talent, the chamber is retooling its Fortify economic development strategy that has initially struggled to obtain funding from the business community. A big focus will be drawing in expansions and relocations of new businesses, along with forming councils to help boost existing industries in Fort Worth, particularly technology. A key element in the city’s economic development narrative is the progress of Panther Island, the 800-acre district meant to not just provide flood control for the Trinity River but attract business. However, due to lack of federal funding among various issues, the project has been slow moving. Price told Fort Worth Magazine in May that “it’s probably time for all of us — the city, [Tarrant Regional Water District], and everybody concerned — to relook at what can be done down there. We need to bring some developers to the table and ask, ‘What can we put there that’ll be attractive? I mean, is it a corporate campus? Is it a combination?’”
• screen printing
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• Promo products
• Stickers
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• retail finishing
• custom design
With 45 years in the brokerage industry, Don always focuses on national and international financial dynamics—applying his analyses to his clients’ portfolios. He is a past Chair of Investment of public accounts totaling 140 billion, including public pension plans and the Texas Permanent School Fund.
Among his major accomplishments are two high-profile legacy transactions: representing oil magnate Eddie Chiles in the sale of his Texas Rangers baseball team to George W. Bush, and taking Bo Pilgrim, one of the largest chicken producers in the U.S., public.
Don is a graduate of the Wharton Securities Industry Institute and has an honorary degree from the University of Moscow.
Don has given over 1,000 fee-paid speeches in 47 U.S. states and 22 countries, including such audiences as the Saudi Central Bank where he spoke about the global economy, the U.S. Treasury Department, U.S. Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
He keynoted the Australian IT Summit, advised the heavy equipment industry in Rome and spoke on free markets at the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Don III has extensive experience in the brokerage industry, focusing on financial planning and equities trading. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Rhodes College and a Master’s degree from the University of Memphis.
You are invited to an informal one-on-one discussion with Don II and Don III
Hear about the road ahead, nationally and internationally. Have your general questions answered about today’s financial planning strategies. Call now to schedule a time to visit and talk about the economy and markets.
Call 817-210-0192 for more information or email Aisha.Rada@Ampf.com
Where will we go from here? How can we forecast what’s around the corner?
The global economy. International conflicts and treaties. Technology developments. Expanding business sectors. Global warming. Cultural divides. Gold prices and currency values.
Mayor Betsy Price took on everything from budget crisis to race, fitness, and COVID-19 in 10 years in office. A denizen of The 400, the magazine’s annual issue examining influence, Price is our inaugural Person of the Year.
BY SCOTT NISHIMURA AND ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY BRIAN KENDALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLAF GROWALD AND TRUITT ROGERS
MAYOR BETSY PRICE, WHO’S STEPPING DOWN FROM HER OFFICE AFTER 10 YEARS, IS FORT WORTH INC.’S INAUGURAL PERSON OF THE YEAR FOR THE FULL PLATE SHE ATTACKED IN 10 YEARS AS MAYOR — and for the tough job of navigating the last year and a half in the city’s history. The magazine — celebrating its sixth year in circulation — decided to name a Person of the Year for the first time in conjunction with our annual issue The 400: 400 of the Most Influential People in Fort Worth. The criteria were simple: The award will go annually to a person “who has demonstrated significant contribution to making Greater Fort Worth a better place to live and work, with emphasis placed on their contributions over the last year. The magazine staff proposed a short list, and then we put the question to 12 prominent people in the Fort Worth community and asked them to tell us who they thought should win this award — and to tell us at the same time if they thought we were off base and should be considering other people. Our panel quickly narrowed it down to three people, giving Mayor Price the most votes.
Price is a denizen of The 400, an issue our editorial staff has compiled and published for four years. It aims to identify highly influential people across the Fort Worth area, from arts and culture, to business, professions, nonprofits, philanthropy, government, and more. We have few objective criteria for defining influence and what it takes to make this list. It's certainly possible we've missed some people, but that's what makes the hunt so much fun for us every year.
Back to our Person of the Year.
Another of the three candidates our panel zeroed in on: the Fort Worth activist Opal Lee, who has spent years jawboning everyone within range about why the government needs to make June 19 a federal holiday commemorating the day Black Texans learned they were free. Lee walked from Fort Worth to Washington in 2016 to make the point.
And then there was Fort Worth restaurateur Jon Bonnell, who kept his restaurants afloat and employees employed with his first-into-market $40 COVID family meal packs, stood up for staff members confronted by customers angry over mask mandates, showed up at other restaurants for takeout and touted them to his robust Facebook following, and struck a conciliatory posture when Black Lives Matter protestors downtown marched by his restaurant. Customers lined up in droves for Bonnell’s meal packs, paying back some
small measure of the goodwill he’s built for years in the community.
The magazine’s ownership had the last word but went with our panel. The conversation, for sure, was full. Lee is 94 and obtained the national spotlight for her quest. Visit Fort Worth had just given Lee its annual Hospitality Award for making Fort Worth a more inviting place to visit, and the New York Times last summer did a piece headlined “Opal Lee’s Juneteenth Vision Is Becoming Reality.” And the imperative on Bonnell: We felt it's certain he'll never face a year like this again.
Price tackled everything from budget crisis and underfunded employee pension, to race relations, voter apathy, public education, transportation, economic development, and kids’ fitness in 10 years in office.
Solving the underfunded pension took pressure off the city's bond rating and ensured the solvency of the fund.
When a highly visible police altercation prompted calls for reform, Price formed the city’s Race and Culture Task Force to examine inequity in the city.
When Price observed that relatively few people vote in city elections, she created the Steer FW young leaders’ initiative. Price invited citizens to engage with City Hall, holding regular walking and bicycling town halls and leading throngs of cyclists in a spirited ride down the new Chisholm Trail Parkway before its opening to cars.
Despite grumbling in some quarters, she signed the city on to the ultimately successful campaign to win Blue Zones Project certification for Fort Worth, a designation based on measures connected to healthy living and community. Price’s Fit Worth put healthy living in front of schoolchildren.
Many supporters advised Price to leave public education alone, but she tackled it as a major workforce and economic development issue. Public transportation was another issue on the mayor’s heaped plate; during Price’s tenure, the community launched TEXRail commuter rail from the Near Southside to DFW Airport.
And when COVID hit, Price was one of the region’s most prominent voices and faces in communicating mandates and encouraging people to wear masks and abide by other protocols. She formed the Fort Worth Now task force to figure out ways to help small business recover and search for new opportunity.
The magazine interviewed the mayor on a range of topics in late April.
Why Run for Mayor in the First Place? “I was raised in a family that believed you take what you’ve been given and give it back to your community,” Price said. “And I ran for tax assessor because my business put me in that office, and it was a mess, and I said, for years, somebody needs to straighten this office out. And finally, my
family and my clients said, ‘Well, you need to do that,’ and I had never thought about politics at all, or public, that type of service.”
Then friends urged her to run for mayor with the city’s budget picture strapped by recession and a troubled pension weighing heavily.
Price didn't want to run for mayor. “And finally, my family said, and my minister said, ‘Well, why not? You've got a door open. You should step through.’”
Price’s Fort Worth Now task force, chaired by Crescent Real Estate CEO John Goff and banker Elaine Agather and formed to help business recover from the pandemic and look for new opportunity, is drawing closer to determining what it should say is new opportunity, Price said.
“I think they’re about to decide the real niche is, let’s grow what we have here, and that in turn will make us more attractive to outside businesses coming in,” Price said. “The beauty of Fort Worth Now is that we were able to get CEOs to the table who have not traditionally. They’re running their business, and they haven’t been actively engaged with the chamber or with the city. This gave them a chance to say, ‘Yeah, I’ll help.’”
The task force early on helped get personal protective gear out into the community and get federal CARES Act money into the hands of small business. “We weren’t going to hold it back to see if we could use it on the city,” she said.
The Fort Worth CPAs and local bankers’ association were recruited to run volunteer clinics for small business. “So many of these small businesses have never done a profit and loss statement,” Price said. “Grants require a P&L to show that you’ve really lost some money this year.”
A police altercation, in which a woman called the police but ended up being the one in handcuffs, prompted Price to
appoint a Race and Culture Task Force to examine inequities in the city. The council adopted virtually all of the recommendations, including the hiring of a civilian police monitor to, among other things, monitor citizens’ complaints and review policies and procedures. Kim Neal, who held a similar job in Cincinnati, is Fort Worth’s new police monitor. More contentious was the panel’s recommendation for a citizen review board and whether the mayor and council will put one in place.
“I don’t spend a lot of time looking back on regrets,” Price said. “I think what you do, you learn from what you did and you hopefully get better at it. I’ve said before, my biggest regret was how we initially handled the Jacqueline Craig issue. That was our first really big racial tension issue. I don’t think they were as prepared for it as they should’ve been. We learned a lot from that.”
going to really change this culture of this country.”
“I was raised in a family that believed you take what you've been given and give it back to your community.”
– Mayor Betsy Price
To help address lagging performance of children in Fort Worth’s public schools, Price helped organize Read Fort Worth — a partnership of the city, Fort Worth schools, and private sector to recruit and send volunteers into the elementary schools to read with students who are behind. When the initiative was started, 34% of Fort Worth ISD third graders were reading on level, which the city’s thought leaders identified as a major workforce and economic development issue. The initiative struggled early on to find the volunteers, and COVID has thrown literacy rates back. The schools and Read Fort Worth will host summer programs for children and visit the homes of 1,000 students who were enrolled last school year, but not this year.
She gives the city higher ratings for its response to the shooting of Atatiana Jefferson in her home by a Fort Worth officer called to the home at night to investigate an open front door, entered the lot from the rear, and ended up shooting Jefferson through a window. A grand jury indicted the officer on a murder charge. “We did much better” in terms of the city’s response, Price said.
Price said Fort Worth is no different from other big cities in racial tensions. “I think part of what Fort Worth does do well is that we tend to have more open dialogue,” she said. But she added, “I don’t think race relations are ever going to change until everybody gets a piece of this. The city can’t drive what happens in race relationships. We can convene, we can facilitate, but it’s got to be person to person, business to business, if you’re
The initial goal of 100% of third graders reading on level by 2025 seems unattainable. “It was a hugely optimistic goal, but you’ve got to start somewhere,” Price said. She made clear the costs of not containing the problem. “It’s workforce,” Price said. “Education is economic development. Education is crime. Education is poverty. Without an educated workforce, you can’t recruit businesses, you can’t maintain businesses, you can’t grow your college number of graduates in your city. Kids who don’t have a good education tend to be much more involved in crime, drop out of school; they’re a lot more likely to end up in prison. And the poverty level just continues to grow the lower your education achievement, and who wants that for a child? To not be able to succeed.”
Fort Worth’s arts and leisure scene has been recognized worldwide, showing off an assortment of museums and cultural venues. Shut down by COVID-19, the city’s arts have been slowly reemerging.
Daniel Banks Co-founder DNAWorks
Daniel Banks — theater director, educator, community organizer — and husband Adam McKinney co-founded DNAWorks, dedicated to dialogue and healing via arts. With DNAWorks, Banks co-founded coalition of seven organizations working to buy former KKK hall at 1012 N. Main St. in Fort Worth and make it Fred Rouse Center and Museum for Arts and Community Healing. Bachelor’s, Harvard; master’s, Ph.D, New York University.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “If people give you career advice that does not make sense to your heart, to your vision of humanity and the world, do not take it. Build and nurture relationships. Listen and let people learn about you through your silence as much as your speaking.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I learned I truly am an introvert and crave alone time. I also gained clarity as to what my work priorities are.”
Kathleen Culebro Executive artistic director Amphibian Stage Productions
Despite the pandemic
Kathleen Culebro’s Amphibian Stage found audiences through streaming endeavors like “Julia Pastrana,” “Odes for a World in Search of Joy”; online workshops of its “De-Cruit” PTSD programs for vets; and “Parking Lot Comedy.” Amphibian artists sent thousands of facemasks and PPE to health care facilities. Culebro co-founded Amphibian more than 20 years ago on a drive to produce innovative theater. Has produced over 100 plays, Fort Worth and New York. Bachelor’s, TCU, Brigham Young University
HOW I GIVE BACK “I'm very passionate about mentoring young theater artists. I love to keep my eyes open for passion and potential, and then offer any resources I have. I also love to use Amphibian's platforms to support small businesses. Every small business represents a big dream, and those dreams are sacred.”
Brad
Barnes President
Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo
Brad Barnes took over the top job at the Fort Worth Stock Show in 2010, stepping in for W.R. “Bob” Watt, Jr., who had run it since 1978. Barnes’ role has been much broader than running the major annual livestock show and rodeo. The Stock Show has worked closely with the City of Fort Worth through the years to expand and improve the Will Rogers Memorial Center, home to the Stock Show and Rodeo. The public-private partnership has helped Will Rogers become a top equestrian and livestock facility in the U.S. The Stock Show has invested more than $60 million in improvements and expansion at Will Rogers since moving here in 1944. The latest improvement, Dickies Arena, is the new home to the rodeo. Barnes is vice president and secretary of the Event Facilities Fort Worth nonprofit, which capped the city’s costs for the arena and guaranteed to raise the rest.
Rambo Elliott Photographer
Rambo Photography
In just a matter of years, Rambo Elliott’s photography has landed in online publications including GQ, Vogue, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Google, Billboard, and Variety. Many of her most recognized photographs feature the Fort Worth musician and global star Leon Bridges. Their artistic partnership started in 2014 when she was getting serious about photography and his career was taking off. She became his exclusive tour photographer, and they traveled the world. Her work is rooted in portraiture, much of it an exploration of the feminine form, what she calls “a woman’s perspective on a woman’s body.” She’s also in video. In 2019 at Austin’s South by Southwest festival, Elliott debuted a trailer for a short film called “The Bridge,” a fictional story exploring the country’s mental health crisis through the main character, a girl whose life is shown over 20 years.
COVID-19 shut down live music, but musicians kept cranking out new tunes.
The Fort Worth soul singer Leon Bridges released a new single called “Sweeter,” a collaboration with musician Terrace Martin and a reflective song written from the perspective of a Black man losing his life. Bridges sang the song on the first night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Bridges and musician John Mayer turned out a song called “Inside Friend,” encapsulating COVID cabin fever with lyrics like “it’s evil out there/ Let’s keep it at home.” Bridges and fellow Fort Worthian Abraham Alexander took the virtual stage to benefit the Southside C.A.R.E.S. Fund, which gave out relief grants to Near Southside creatives, gig and service workers. Bridges also teamed up during the year with TCU football coach Gary Patterson to form a new Fort Worth nonprofit called The Big Good, to help children and families.
The niece and sole heir of Kay Kimbell, benefactor of the Kimbell Art Museum, Kay Fortson grew up surrounded by 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, Renzo Piano Pavilion, and acclaimed collection are recognized globally. Fortson’s husband, Ben Fortson, is executive vice president and chief financial officer of the foundation, which owns and operates the museum. Kay Fortson, who became president of the Kimbell Art Foundation in 1975, relinquished that post in 2017 to the couple’s daughter, Kimbell Fortson Wynne, while retaining the position of chair.
Michael Fouraker Executive director Fort Worth Zoo
Michael Fouraker became director in 1993 of the award-winning Fort Worth Zoo, one of the city’s top visitor attractions. Fouraker is president of the International Iguana Foundation and of the Caribbean Wildlife Alliance, past president of the International Elephant Foundation, board member of the International Rhino and International Bongo foundations and Zoological Association of America, past board member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and board member emeritus of the Turtle Survival Alliance. He’s done field work in India, Namibia, Costa Rica, and the Caribbean. The zoo, nominated again recently by USA Today as one of America’s best zoos, reopened amid COVID in May, with COVID protocols.
Tony Green Host
Hello, I'm Tony Green
Fort Worthian Tony Green’s venture into media is a new podcast he’s launched with buddy Henry Abuto, chef and co-founder of the catering company ByWasonga. The show covers everything from arts and culture to local entrepreneurship and politics. Each episode has a recurring theme — to get “on the same page,” even on matters they disagree. Add the show to Green’s other media, including the online talk show “Hello, I’m Tony Green” and the “Tony Green on the Scene” segments he does for NBC5, in which Green, who initially built a following serving wine at Kent & Co. Wines (now The Magnolia Wine Bar), has explored unusual drink venues, the Cultural District, his “Best BBQ Picks in Fort Worth,” National Finals Rodeo’s December appearance in the region, and the Fort Worth Stockyards.
Karen Hixon Johnson President Amon Carter Museum
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, serves on the board.
Dione Kennedy President, CEO Bass Performance Hall
Dione Kennedy has been president and CEO of Performing Arts Fort Worth, the nonprofit that owns and operates Bass Hall, since 2009. Bass Hall has a phased reopening plan with a goal of full capacity performances this fall, post-COVID. Bachelor’s, Cincinnati.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: Positive Discipline for Teenagers “provided me an expanded view of parenting styles, and I learned that, sometimes, being more lenient with a teen can help teach life skills.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “COVID happened to coincide with a racial justice movement around the country. Or perhaps the movement was buoyed by the exponential pressure of COVID. While I have always acknowledged that racism exists and that none of us are without bias, this movement brought even more evidence to light, much of which I was not previously aware.”
Shasta Haubrich Founder Art Tooth
Shasta Haubrich is executive director of nonprofit Art Tooth, founded 2016 as an art consultancy and community partner. Has organized art events and art installations over the city. Helped facilitate Hotel Dryce, You Are Here Art Grant, awarded five $4,000 grants to artists of color. Art Tooth curates the ArtSouth container at the SoMa district micro park. Associate’s, art, Tarrant County College.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ:
“The last book I read was Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent, by Isabel Wilkerson. It is eye-opening and should be read by every adult in America.”
HOW I GIVE BACK Besides Art Tooth, “I also try to donate to various charities, especially Funky Town Fridge. I often support local when I order to-go food and make sure to tip 20% or more because people in the service industry are still going to work.”
Eric M. Lee Director Kimbell Art Museum
Eric Lee is the Kimbell Art Museum’s fourth director. A native of North Carolina, Lee received his bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D., all in art history, from Yale University. Since his arrival in Fort Worth in 2009, the Kimbell constructed and opened the Renzo Piano pavilion; acquired numerous masterpieces, including Michelangelo’s “Torment of Saint Anthony,” the artist’s only painting in the Americas; and organized acclaimed exhibitions such as “Monet: The Late Years.” During the pandemic, the Kimbell expanded its outreach with online programs and successfully reopened to the public in June 2020. Following this year’s Egyptian exhibition, the Kimbell will welcome special exhibitions “Buddha, Shiva, Lotus, Dragon: The Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection at Asia Society” this summer and “Turner’s Modern World,” featuring works by English painter J.M.W. Turner, in the fall.
Opal Lee, 94, bagged a headline in The New York Times last year, in which the newspaper declared “Opal Lee’s Juneteenth Vision Is Becoming Reality.” For more than 40 years, Lee has worked to expand Juneteenth, commemorating the day Texas slaves learned they were free. In 2016 at age 90, she started a cross-country walk to lobby for a federal holiday. Visit Fort Worth in February honored Lee with its annual Hospitality Award. Lee is part of a group led by DNAWorks that wants to buy an ex-KKK hall on the North Side and turn it into a cultural center. Bachelor of Education, Wiley College; master’s, guidance and counseling, North Texas State University.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson. “Her ability to help you see clearly the underlying substance through analogies and examples that are unmistakable.”
Marla Price Director Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Marla Price joined the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth as chief curator in 1986. Price was appointed acting director in April 1991 and director in January 1992, and the museum has continued to grow in stature during her tenure. She was instrumental on the building committee that oversaw the construction of the Modern’s new building, designed by Tadao Ando and completed in 2002. Price received a B.A. from Mary Washington College and a Ph.D. in art history from the University of Virginia, with a dissertation on the American painter Milton Avery. She worked previously as deputy information officer and then associate curator of Twentieth-Century Art at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Jacques Marquis President and CEO The Cliburn
A native of Montreal, Jacques Marquis came to The Van Cliburn Foundation in 2012 as interim director before being promoted in 2013. The Cliburn is known internationally for its quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, first held in 1962 and one of the few musical events worldwide that arranges for competitors to stay with host families. Marquis expanded the Cliburn’s offerings with new concerts like the Cliburn Festival, club series Cliburn Sessions, and free Cliburn in the Community concerts. He also launched the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival for 13to 17-year-olds. Bachelor's, music, Université de Montréal; business administration, Université du Québec à Montréal.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Keep going and keep thinking! And enjoy this pizza at midnight.”
Andrew Walker Executive director
Amon Carter Museum of American Art
Andrew Walker was named director of the Amon Carter in 2011, making his way to Fort Worth from the St. Louis Art Museum, and has played a critical role in the way the museum has changed how it connects with the community. The museum in 2018 established Carter Community Artists, an annual initiative dedicated to working with local artists to enhance the museum’s events, connect the North Texas area with practicing artists, and build a diverse network. Annually, the museum chooses four local artists who plan and lead programs at the museum, in the community, and online. Walker was formerly assistant director for curatorial affairs at the St. Louis Art Museum. Before that, he was director of collections and conservation at the Missouri Historical Society. Bachelor’s, art history, Bowdoin College; Ph.D., art history, University of Pennsylvania.
Stacie McDavid CEO McDavid Investments
Stacie McDavid is CEO of McDavid Investments Company, which holds real estate, investments, and equine breeding, training, ranch operations. McDavid competes in the National Cutting Horse Association, where she was inducted into the Non-Pro Hall of Fame in 2013 with more than $1 million in earnings. In 2014, she was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. McDavid is vice president of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. Bachelor of Science, Texas Woman’s University. Serves on Board of Regents.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Growth comes from failures in life. Embrace all of it, successes and failures.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: Untamed by Glennon Doyle. “Inspirational stories about removing labels and choosing bravery and courage ... to do you and only you.”
Kimbell Fortson
Wynne
President
Kimbell Art Foundation
Kimbell Fortson
Wynne was named president of the Kimbell Art Foundation in 2017 after serving on its board for 27 years. The foundation owns and operates the Kimbell Art Museum. Wynne is the eldest daughter of Kay Fortson — the niece of Kimbell benefactor Kay Kimbell, who has spent her adult years carrying out her uncle’s wishes to create a world-class museum in Fort Worth — and Ben Fortson. Kay Fortson remains the foundation chair. Wynne also serves on the board of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and is a board member emeritus of her alma mater, TCU.
Proudly recognizes some of our own as Fort Worth Inc.’s Top 400 Influential People
Simmons Bank congratulates Lori Baldock, Fort Worth Market President, for once again being named to The 400. As one of the area’s most influential people, Lori works hard to provide the leadership and teamwork that help move our community forward.
For more than 100 years, we’ve worked hard to help make our customers’ dreams come true – dreams like buying a home, starting a business or simply having the ability to manage your money safely and securely, anywhere you happen to be.
Helping Fort Worth Grow. We are proud to stand behind our Fort Worth customers to make their business growth possible. As a top 30 U.S-based bank*, we have the strength and stability to accomplish projects of any scale. And, with dedicated local expertise and a commitment to the community, we build long-term relationships focused on the smallest details. See what heights your business can reach with a true financial partner at bankoftexas.com.
Banking, credit services, insurance, angel investing, private equity, and wealth advisers are part of the region’s financial services ecosystem. Bankers were pushed into action, making millions in payroll protection loans. Whither venture capital? The region is short of it.
Laura Baldwin Managing director Golden Seeds
Laura Baldwin is president of Waco Bend Asset Management Ltd., where she manages her family’s investment portfolio. She is also a managing director with Golden Seeds, a national angel investment group that invests in women-owned and -led companies. Previously worked Triad Hospitals. Boards: member, Investment Committee, Texas Women’s Foundation; chair, Finance Committee, Foundation for the Young Women’s Leadership Academy of Fort Worth, Finance Committee, TechFW. BA, University of Texas at Austin; MBA, SMU
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Treat school like a 9-to-5 job.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell. “Really interesting and creative re-imagining of Shakespeare's family life.”
Bob Ferguson Investor
Bob Ferguson, a Fort Worth entrepreneur and investor, is a member of the Cowtown Angels Steering Council. In 2019, the UNT Health Science Center gave Ferguson its Vision Award, its highest honor, for his work to raise the university’s reputation. Ferguson is an Emeritus member of the UNTHSC Foundation Board and is a generous donor to the Health Science Center. He was foundation chair, 2014 – 16. BBA, SMU
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: Old Neighborhood Grill
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: Churchill’s Trial: Winston Churchill and the Salvation of Free Government. “Wonderful lover of freedom.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “Missing free contact with friends”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “Supporting church and youth development organizations”
Bill Buechele
Managing director of business development
Capital CFO Partners
Bill Buechele is chairman of Fort Worth’s Cowtown Angels investment group. He is a longtime business advisor and investor with diverse industry experience. Buechele was formerly a leader of Deloitte’s Growth Enterprise Services practice in North Texas. BA and MBA, Indiana
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I have been reading The Splendid and the Vile about the saga of Churchill during the London Blitz. Churchill always began with a sober read of the situation, no matter how desperate. Then he talked about the real actions that could be taken. This maintained his credibility so he could inspire his people to carry on to victory.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “I invest in, and mentor, earlystage entities. I volunteer and advocate for the Alzheimer's Association to help fight the horrific toll this disease takes on its victims and their caregivers.”
Tyler Head President and founder Corbett Capital, LLC
Tyler Head founded Corbett Capital, a closely held investment firm focusing on growth capital investments in early-stage and lower middle market companies, in 2011. He is a founding member of TechFW’s Cowtown Angels angel investing group and formerly served on its Steering Council. Head was an officer and F/A-18 pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps 1998 – 2009, attaining the rank of major. He serves on the boards of Elevate Credit, Inc.; Little Passports, Inc., a monthly subscription company for children; World Craniofacial Foundation. Head formerly was a TechFW director. BS, political science, Spanish minor, U.S. Naval Academy; MBA, Dartmouth
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Integrity in everything you do” HOW I GIVE BACK: “I love to give back through volunteer board service.”
Carolyn Cason
Professor emeritus College of Nursing and Health Innovation, University of Texas at Arlington
Carolyn Cason, retired professor and associate dean for research in the College of Nursing and Health Innovation at the University of Texas at Arlington, serves on the Steering Council of the Cowtown Angels investing group. In 1997, she joined the College of Nursing, where she led in creating the research infrastructure needed to support the Ph.D. program, and was instrumental in defining and implementing the program focus on health care for diverse and vulnerable populations. She developed the model for the SMART Hospital, a virtual hospital in which high-fidelity interactive mannequins serve as patients. And as co-founder, she acquired private and governmental funding for it. Inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Teachers at UTA, 2009. Bachelor’s and master’s, nursing; PhD, educational psychology, all UT-Arlington
Stella Robertson Investor
Stella Robertson is founder of Bios Partners, a Fort Worth private equity firm. She’s a member of the Cowtown Angels investing group in Fort Worth and has served on its Steering Council. Robertson is known in the Fort Worth tech startup and angel community for her guidance on prospective health care investments. Robertson has over 25 years in pharmaceutical research and development, including R&D strategies, project management, clinical trials, regulatory filings for U.S. and international registrations, product launch, market support, translational medicine, and medical communication. Robertson was a vice president in R&D for Alcon Laboratories. She received a Ph.D. in biology-immunology from Johns Hopkins University. She holds a number of patents and is author or coauthor of over 50 publications.
Lori Baldock Fort Worth market president Simmons Bank
Lori Baldock has more than 30 years in commercial banking, specializing in commercial and industrial and real estate financing. Boards: past chair, Near Southside, Inc.; executive committee, Texas Health Exchange Fort Worth; Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth; Women Steering Business. Bachelor’s, Stephen F. Austin; graduate, Intermediate Banking School, SMU
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ:
“Leading Successful Change is a thoughtprovoking read and is applicable in so many ways to life over the past year - work life, home life, and our personal interactive lives. While the authors address organizational change, I appreciate that many of the behaviors identified apply outside of the workplace and are particularly relevant in this era.”
Henry Borbolla
III
Senior vice president Ciera Bank
Henry Borbolla III, has blended his morethan-30 years in banking and finance with service to Fort Worth. Currently serving a second term as vice chair of the DFW Airport board, Borbolla also serves on the Trinity River Authority, Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., and Historic Fort Worth, Inc. executive committees. Other boards: Baylor Scott & White All Saints Health Foundation, Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate, Rotary Club of Fort Worth. Also active, Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth music ministry. BA, TCU
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Believe in yourself. Commit. Follow through. Get involved. Care. Give. Find a mentor. Find balance. Listen. Love.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “The Go-Giver, by Bob Burg. It shares that when you give to others out of joy and without expecting anything in return, you receive benefits.”
Richard Barajas
Executive vice president
and
chief credit officer CapTex
Richard Barajas is a founder and chief credit officer of CapTex Bank. His banking resume includes starting a national bank in 2001 and serving in executive and leadership positions in community banks and their boards. BBA, Texas Wesleyan University, where he serves as a member of the board.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Dream big, take chances.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “Blood and Thunder describes the transformation of the American West during the 19th Century, primarily through the eyes of Kit Carson.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “The endless and overwhelming number of television programs!”
Daniel Berce President and CEO GM Financial
Daniel Berce has been president and CEO of the Fort Worth-based GM Financial since October 2010, when General Motors purchased AmeriCredit and renamed it GM Financial. Berce held various executive posts at AmeriCredit starting in 1990, including CEO from August 2005 to September 2010. Before AmeriCredit, Berce was an auditor with Coopers & Lybrand for 14 years and a partner with the firm. He is a CPA and graduate of Regis University in Denver. GM Financial is the wholly-owned captive finance subsidiary of GM and has operations in North America, South America and Asia.
Eddie Broussard
Region president, Fort Worth/ West Texas Texas Capital Bank
After a successful, multi-faceted career in North Carolina, Eddie Broussard returned to Texas in 2013 to join Texas Capital Bank as a senior vice president and commercial banking executive. In 2019, Broussard was named regional president. Boards: chair, Fort Worth Sports Commission; past chair, Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.; director, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, Union Gospel Mission, Historic Fort Worth. Broussard is a former vice president, Preferred Pump & Equipment; senior vice president, Comerica Bank; vice president, JPMorgan Chase & Co. BBA, finance, Texas Tech
Steven Colwick
Fort Worth market president Comerica Bank
Steven Colwick was named Comerica Bank’s Fort Worth Market president in 2019, and he also is middle market and business banking group manager for the market. Colwick oversees business and community development efforts across the retail, business banking, middle market, and wealth management lines of business. Colwick began his career at Comerica 20 years ago as a credit analyst, and has spent most of his career in the middle market sector. Before becoming Fort Worth Market president, Colwick supported the bank’s middle market efforts in Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio as a relationship manager. Volunteers: board, Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth; Junior Achievement of Chisholm Trail; March of Dimes; United Way of Tarrant County. Bachelor’s, Texas State University; MBA, Texas Tech; SMU Graduate School of Banking program
Mark Drennan
President, North
Texas
Region Southside Bank
Mark Drennan has been Southside Bank’s North Texas Region president since September 2017, promoted into the post from executive vice president, commercial lending for the North Texas Region. Drennan has more than 20 years in banking, including commercial banking, managing a commercial real estate group, and starting and managing a health care and seniors housing banking team. Boards: former chair of Leadership Fort Worth and graduated the program; served on the Vision Fort Worth Advisory Council of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce; Texas Health Resources Research and Education Council board; and Fort Worth Metropolitan YMCA board. BBA, Texas Tech; MBA, finance and real estate, Texas Tech; Stonier Graduate School of Banking, University of Pennsylvania
Jim DuBose
Chairman Colonial Savings
Jim DuBose was appointed chairman of Colonial Savings in 2006, succeeding his father and Colonial founder James S. DuBose, who died in 2017. DuBose has served on the Residential Board of Governors of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America and is a former director of the Federal Home Loan Bank in Dallas. He graduated Vanderbilt University. Founded in 1952, Colonial is a national, multi-service financial institution headquartered in Fort Worth, and is one of largest servicers of mortgage loans in the U.S., with a servicing portfolio of $26 billion. It is parent of Colonial National Mortgage, CU Members Mortgage, and Colonial Savings. It is also affiliated with Colonial Life Insurance Co. of Texas, DuBose & Associates Insurance, and Colonial Lloyds.
Jason Harvison President and CEO Elevate Credit
Jason Harvison was promoted to CEO of the Fort Worth-based Elevate Credit (NYSE: ELVT) in 2019, moving up from chief operating officer, a job he held for five years. Elevate sells credit products for nonprime customers and touts itself as remaking subprime lending with transparency. COVID hurt the company. Net profit for 2020 was $20.6 million, off from $32.2 million the prior year. Revenue decreased 27% to $465.3 million, which the company attributed to reductions in loan origination volume and lower APRs amid the pandemic. “Elevate delivered strong earnings in 2020, despite the harsh realities of the pandemic,” Harvison said in releasing the results. “Credit quality remained strong throughout the year, and in the fourth quarter of 2020, we had sequential quarterly loan growth for the first time all year.” Bachelor’s, finance, Texas A&M
Erika Hersh
Assistant vice president, SBA lender
Veritex Community Bank
Erika Hersh has switched posts, joining the SBA Lending team of Veritex Bank as assistant vice president. Veritex specializes in deals up to $5 million in business acquisition, commercial real estate and equipment purchases, debt refinance, working capital, and expansions. Hersh moved from PeopleFund, a specialist in microloans and other SBA products. Bachelor’s, Southeastern Oklahoma State
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Cherish your family. Take their advice to heart.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “I have been given the opportunity to assist others, as I have been, as a biblical counselor at an organization in Joshua called Crazy8 Ministries. I am also chair of the Power of Heels Committee at the Burleson Chamber of Commerce. Our focus is to empower women in business through professional and personal development and initiatives.”
Brian Happel
Fort Worth market CEO BBVA USA
Brian Happel is responsible for development of commercial customers with revenues from $1 million to $1.5 billion. Happel earned his bachelor’s in management from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is a member of the Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. board and several others. Happel played football for four National Football League teams and three USFL teams from 1983 to 1987. Bachelor’s in management, University of Texas at Arlington
Greg Morse President
Greg Morse has more than 30 years in Tarrant County banking, including 20 as CEO and founding member of Worthington National Bank. Boards include: Navy Seals Foundation Board; Fort Worth Stock Show; Tarrant County Blue, dedicated to families of fallen police. Southwestern Graduate School of Banking, SMU; MBA, TCU; BBA, SMU
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “Leadership in Turbulent Times. The book discusses whether leaders are born or made. Do the times make the leader, or does the leader shape the times? How can a leader infuse a sense of purpose and meaning into people’s lives? A leader needs to be long-visioned. They must have unsurpassed fierce work habits, compulsive drive, unmatched work ethic, inordinate energy, exuberant ambition, belief in the future, desire to transform the lives of their coworkers…And (they must) create an atmosphere of success.”
Babby Newland Region bank president Wells Fargo Bank
Babby Newland, who graduated Southwest High School in Fort Worth and started with Wells Fargo as a teen, has 40 years in banking, as branch manager, lender, sales and service coach, retail sales leader, and district manager. Served on numerous boards, including YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth and Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, and as a mentor to young women.
HOW I GIVE BACK: “I am very passionate about giving back personally, professionally, and spiritually. Whether it is through volunteerism, dropping a note, or reaching out to someone I know who is in need, it brings me joy to have the opportunity. I am so proud that Wells Fargo invested $212,000 in the Tarrant Area Food Bank through our Drive-Up Food Bank program and holiday campaign in 2020. We were able to provide over one million meals to families in our community last year.”
Mark Nurdin
President and CEO, Fort Worth Region Bank of Texas
Mark Nurdin wears multiple hats for Bank of Texas. He’s been executive vice president of parent BOK Financial since September 2019, responsible for managing two commercial banking teams. He’s also been CEO of the Fort Worth Region since 2009. Boards: chair, Visit Fort Worth; Fort Worth Stock Show. Bachelor’s, accounting and finance, Texas Tech
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Don't compare yourself to other people. No two people are exactly alike. Instead, strive to be the best that you can be.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “One of the last books I read was White Fragility, by Robin Diangelo. It is an analysis of why racial conversations are so very difficult and why achieving racial equity is even harder. It persuaded me that unconscious bias does exist when it comes to race relations.”
Lonnie Nicholson CEO EECU
Lonnie Nicholson became president and CEO of EECU in 2006, previously serving as chief operating officer and credit union service organization president. Nicholson is a 30-year credit union veteran. He is past president of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce board. Nicholson attended Fort Hays State University and has an MBA from Nova Southeastern University.
Martin Noto Jr. Executive vice president, chief administrative offiicer Inwood National Bank
Martin Noto has 37 years in banking. Before joining Inwood in 2019, he was Fort Worth Region CEO for First Financial Bank. Previously: Origin Bank, BBVA Compass Bank, JP Morgan Chase Bank. Immediate past chair, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. BBA, marketing; MBA, finance; University of North Texas
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Always challenge yourself to learn more and become better.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: Sid Richardson and Texas Oil. “The thing I love about that book is learning that Sid Richardson failed a lot before he made it big. Tenacity is critical for success!”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I underestimated the importance and need for social interaction between human beings.”
Wayne Parkman
Area president, Dallas and Fort Worth Prosperity Bank
Wayne Parkman has been area president for Prosperity Bank since 2009. The bank, one of Texas’ largest, obtained a significantly larger footprint in North Texas when it completed its merger in 2019 with the LegacyTexas Financial Group. The combined bank at the time of the merger had $10.5 billion in assets, $9.1 billion in total loans, and $6.5 billion in deposits. Parkman previously worked for Colonial Bank. Bachelor’s, agricultural business, Texas Tech; Southwestern Graduate School of Banking, SMU
Mike Pavell Fort Worth market president Bank of America
Mike Pavell is Bank of America's Fort Worth market president and private client advisor for Bank of America Private Bank. Boards: Trinity Valley School; Davey O’Brien Foundation; International Board of Visitors, TCU Neeley School of Business; First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth. BBA and MBA, TCU
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Find more opportunities to take a few chances in life. Calculated risks that have asymmetrical risk/ reward payoffs. An adventurous trip, a financial opportunity, a stretch career challenge. Even if you risk and it doesn’t work out, you can reset and move on.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “Our family has fostered abandoned dogs through Saving Hope and Allie’s Haven for several years but answered the need for increased scope and frequency during the pandemic.”
Charlie Powell President and CEO Ciera Bank
Charlie Powell’s career spans over three decades, and he counts the relationships he’s built and people he’s mentored as his legacy. Awards include: Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council 2018 Distinguished Health Service; Association of Fundraising Professionals 2016 National Philanthropic Outstanding Volunteer. Co-chair with son James of the Tarrant County United Way Campaign, 2013. Current member and immediate past chair, JPS Health Network board. Bachelor’s, University of Texas at Austin; American Bankers Association National Commercial Graduate Lending School, University of Oklahoma; Southwestern School of Banking, SMU
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Fall in love with serving others and recognize that building relationships will play a crucial role in your quality of life, both personally and professionally.”
Mark
Mark Warren has more than 35 years in banking. As Fort Worth region chairman, he oversees bank management, business development, and recruitment for Fort Worth, including day-to-day operations at branches in Fort Worth, Weatherford, Arlington, Colleyville, and Mansfield. He previously was president of PlainsCapital Bank in Arlington, and senior vice president and senior commercial relationship manager at JPMorgan Chase Bank. River Legacy Foundation, vice president, executive committee member, and finance committee member. BBA, finance, University of Texas at Arlington
Neil Randel CEO First American
Payment
Systems LP
Neil Randel will become managing director of merchant services for Deluxe, a major business technology concern, after Deluxe completes the $960 million acquisition of First American announced in late April. First American, based in Fort Worth, is a privately owned, leading large-scale payment processor. With the acquisition, Deluxe, based in Shoreview, Minn., expects to double the annual revenue of its payments segment while maintaining “healthy margins, firmly establishing Deluxe as a leader in the payments industry.” Randel has more than 30 years in transaction processing. He founded National Merchant Services, an independent sales organization providing merchant services throughout Texas, joined First American in 1993. First American has become one of the fastestgrowing payment processors in the U.S.
Rick Wessel has served as vice chair of First Cash since September 2016 and CEO since November 2006. FirstCash is the leading international operator of pawn stores, with more than 2,770 retail pawn locations and 17,000 employees in 24 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, and El Salvador. FirstCash focuses on serving cash- and credit-constrained consumers through its retail pawn locations, which buy and sell a wide variety of jewelry, electronics, tools, appliances, sporting goods, musical instruments and other merchandise, and make small consumer pawn loans secured by pledged personal property. Wessel joined the company in 1992 as chief financial officer. Previously, he worked for Price Waterhouse.
James Stokes Jr. Executive director Alliance Lending Corp.
James Stokes is executive director of Alliance Lending Corp., an SBA lending source and provider of long-term, fixed-rate financing for growing businesses. Stokes is charter and past president of the North Texas Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders and continues to serve as a board member. He also is secretary of the National Association of Development Cos. Both associations have a mission of keeping the interest of borrowers and before members of Congress. Alliance Lending was chartered in 1976 as the Fort Worth Economic Development Corp., and it changed its name to Alliance Lending in 2005.
Hadley Woerner
President-Tarrant Region Frost Bank
Hadley Woerner has more than 38 years in banking and today is president–Tarrant Region for the $42 billion Frost Bank, celebrating its 153th year. Boards: current annual campaign chair, United Way of Tarrant County; member, North Texas LEAD, Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail, Davey O’Brien Foundation, Tarleton State University Foundation (secretary/treasurer), Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. BBA, Howard Payne
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Always be humble and hungry to achieve success.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “Continuous community service through active participation in several Fort Worth organizations whose focus is to make our communities better.”
Gus S. Bates CEO Hub International/Gus Bates Insurance and Investments
Working alongside his father, Gus S. Bates started his insurance career in 1990 and grew into a full-service insurance brokerage, selling retirement plan services, employee benefits, property and casualty, and personal insurance lines. Bates and the company support numerous causes, including many proposed by employees. Last summer, Hub International global brokerage acquired the company's assets. Bates divided proceeds among employees and remained with Hub. Outside insurance, Bates has built other businesses, including Pop’s Gym boutique fitness studio and a commercial real estate portfolio. BS, TCU
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Treat others with kindness always.”
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: Partons Pizza LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “To enjoy each day and have patience.”
Matt Morris Area President Hub International/Gus Bates Insurance and Investments
Matt Morris graduated Aledo High School and headed west to Hardin-Simmons University, where he earned his BBA in finance and leadership, was a two-time NCAA All-American offensive lineman, and met his wife to be, Sarah. Began working for Gus Bates, 2002. Moved up, became president. In 2020, assets of the firm, then with 60 employees and $13.5 million annual revenue, purchased by Hub International. Morris helped lead the search for a sale partner that would continue the Bates “people first” culture. He remained as area president and “will continue leading HUB Fort Worth well into the future.” Boards: Aledo Education Foundation, Aledo ISD Bearcat Growth Committee, Aledo ISD Bond Progress Committee. MBA, finance, TCU
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “God, family, work, fun, in that order, daily”
Jim Hubbard Managing director, employee benefits Higginbotham
Jim Hubbard has been with Higginbotham since 1992 and is a director and member of the management team. Higginbotham serves as a single source for insurance, risk management, and financial services, selling commercial and personal property and casualty coverage, employee benefits, retirement plans, life insurance, and executive compensation plans through more than 250 regional and national carriers. Higginbotham is the nation’s 30th largest independent insurance brokerage and second largest in Texas. Has served on the Fort Worth Country Day School and Trinity Habitat for Humanity boards. Bachelor’s, business administration and management, University of North Texas
Mark Jones Chairman and CEO Goosehead Insurance
Mark Jones — then a senior partner at Bain & Co. — and his wife, Robyn (a real estate investor), co-founded Goosehead Insurance in 2003 in Westlake, with an independent multi-carrier franchise model. Today, the publicly traded Goosehead (NASDAQ: GSHD, $3.14 billion market value) represents over 140 insurance companies that underwrite personal lines and small commercial lines risks, and its operations include a network of nine corporate sales offices and over 1,400 operating and contracted franchises. Forbes puts the Jones' net worth at $2 billion. Bachelor's, University of Alberta; MBA, Harvard University
John Pergande CEO InsureZone
John Pergande founded InsureZone in 1999, a venture-funded company whose goal was to bring technology to insurance by creating a comparative quoting service and other tools to sell and provide service for insurance policies, all online. Original strategy was to lever the brands of financial institutions that wanted to sell insurance on their sites. But major marketing partners generated few leads, so InsureZone rebuilt its plan to focus instead on serving agents, rather than consumers. Today, InsureZone is a holding company with a combination of software development and insurance services. Its software is used by over 35,000 agencies around the U.S. for policy shopping and service. Pergande’s nonprofit interests include: STARS Scholarship Fund, Cristo Rey, Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation, and the Fort Worth Symphony. BA, economics and political science, Yale; MBA, Northwestern
Rusty
Reid CEO Higginbotham
Rusty Reid has been president and CEO of Higginbotham since 1989; the company has become one of the largest U.S. independent brokerages and largest in Texas, with full property and casualty and financial service lines in its nearly 50 offices in 10 states. Reid implemented the firm’s “single source” service model and established the company’s employee ownership structure. Reid is president of the All Saints’ Episcopal School board, first vice president of the Davey O’Brien Foundation board, a member of the Casa Mañana board, and a former regent at the University of North Texas, his alma mater.
Lee Bass
Lee M. Bass Inc.
Lee Bass, youngest of the four Bass brothers (see Sid Bass and Robert Bass this section, and Ed Bass, Real Estate), has an estimated $1.9 billion net worth, according to Forbes. The brothers’ uncle, oil wildcatter Sid Richardson, bequeathed each nephew $2.8 million when he died in 1959. The brothers turned their inheritances into fortunes, investing in oil and other vehicles. In 2017, the brothers sold oil holdings in West Texas to Exxon Mobil for up to a total $6.6 billion. The brothers invested in developing a big piece of downtown Fort Worth into Sundance Square. In 2019, Ed and wife Sasha Bass announced they had taken 100% ownership of Sundance Square except for the City Center Towers, owned jointly by Sid, Lee, Ed and Sasha Bass. Lee and wife Ramona (see Philanthropy) give to conservation, education, and other causes through Lee and Ramona Bass Foundation. Bachelor’s, Arts/Sciences, Yale; MBA, University of Pennsylvania
David Bonderman
Chairman, founding partner
TPG
David Bonderman, who worked for Robert Bass before leaving to found the TPG private equity group (nee Texas Pacific Group) with Bass colleague James Coulter in 1992, has built an estimated $4.1 billion net worth, according to Forbes. TPG is a global investment firm headquartered in San Francisco and Fort Worth, with more than $91 billion in assets under management and 12 offices around the world. The firm works in private equity, real estate, and hedge funds. Bonderman works from Fort Worth, and Coulter from San Francisco. Their first deal was a $66 million investment in the struggling Continental Airlines that made the firm a $640 million profit, according to Forbes. Bonderman holds a bachelor’s from University of Washington and law degree from Harvard University.
Robert Bass Keystone Group LP
Robert Bass, one of the four Bass brothers (see Sid and Lee this section, Ed in Real Estate), has an estimated $5 billion net worth, according to Forbes. The brothers’ uncle, oilman Sid Richardson, bequeathed each of his nephews $2.8 million when he died in 1959. Each turned the inheritance into multibillion-dollar net worths, investing in oil and other vehicles. Brothers in 2017 sold West Texas oil holdings to ExxonMobil for up to total $6.5 billion. In 2019, Ed and wife Sasha Bass (see Real Estate) announced they had taken 100% interest of the family’s Sundance Square holdings. Robert Bass-backed Aerion, developing a supersonic business jet, announced shutdown in May, citing lack of capital. Robert and wife Anne (see Philanthropy) direct their giving through their Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Foundation. Bachelor, Arts/Sciences, Yale; MBA, Stanford
Douglas Bratton
Founding partner and chief investment officer
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, Mr. Bratton has managed portfolios using these strategies on behalf of organizations associated with Fort Worth’s Bass family and has negotiated alternative asset related purchases and joint ventures for Bass and Crestline entities. Bratton is majority owner of Crestline Investors. Prior to founding Crestline, he spent six years with Taylor & Co., an investment organization associated with the Bass family. Bratton serves on the Fort Worth Zoo board. He received a BS from North Carolina State University in 1981 and an MBA from Duke University in 1984.
Sid Bass, eldest of the four Bass brothers (see Robert and Lee this section, Ed in Real Estate), has a $2.8 billion estimated net worth, according to Forbes. The brothers each inherited $2.8 million from their uncle, oilman Sid Richardson, when he died. Each turned that into a multibillion-dollar fortune, investing in oil and other vehicles. The brothers sold oil holdings in West Texas to ExxonMobil in 2017 for up to $6.5 billion, a deal Forbes reported was negotiated directly between Sid Bass and ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson. The brothers invested in converting a big piece of downtown Fort Worth into Sundance Square. In 2019, Ed and wife Sasha Bass (see Real Estate) announced they had taken 100% interest in Sundance Square except for the City Center towers, owned jointly by Ed, Sasha, Sid and Lee Bass. Bachelor, Arts/Science, Yale; MBA, Stanford
Randy Eisenman Co-founder and managing partner Satori Capital
Randy Eisenman launched (with Sunny Vanderbeck) Satori Capital, a Fort Worth-based multi-strategy investment firm founded on principles of conscious capitalism. Ten years, Fort Worthbased Q Investments, where he was a partner and founded Handango to capitalize on emerging mobile applications market. Based on that, was named Ernst & Young 2004 Entrepreneur of the Year. President, Fort Worth Country Day School board. Past member, Cook Children’s Health Foundation board and still Investment Committee member. Bachelor's, business, University of Texas at Austin
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “One of my favorite quotes by Jim Rohn is ‘You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.’”
Craig Kelly President Kelly Capital Partners
Craig Kelly was one of the founding partners of Vintage Capital Partners Fund I in 2005. He later raised two additional Funds: Kelly Capital Fund I in 2010 and Kelly Capital Fund II in 2014. Kelly has raised over $350 million in private equity and has over 30 years in commercial real estate. His expertise is in acquisition, development, brokerage, and asset management. From 1992 to 2006, Kelly was a partner in Kelly, Geren & Searcy, a full-service real estate company that sold in 2006 to Coldwell Banker Commercial. He served on the City of Fort Worth Planning Commission, the boards of Leadership Fort Worth and The Cliburn, and DFW Center for Autism, where he was chair. Bachelor’s, University of Texas at Austin
Scott Kleberg Principal and managing partner CA Partners, LLC
Scott Kleberg is the principal and managing member of CA Partners, LLC, a registered investment advisor in Fort Worth, managing investments and advising families. Kleberg is chief investment officer of Bluestem Partners, L.P., a diversified family investment partnership, and founding principal and president of Private Equity Partners, Inc., a private equity investment firm started in 1996 in Fort Worth. Prior to forming Private Equity Partners, Kleberg worked for Luther King Capital Management as an investment analyst, portfolio manager, and vice president. Kleberg is great-great grandson of Capt. Richard King, who founded the King Ranch in South Texas in the late 1880s. From 1984 to 1990, Kleberg was employed by King Ranch, Inc., owner of the 820,000-acre ranch. Bachelor’s, Texas A&M; master’s, Stanford University Graduate School of Business
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 active in the Fort Worth community. He’s president of the executive committee of the Fort Worth Zoological Association, co-chaired by Ramona Bass, Lee Bass’ wife. He’s a former trustee of the Cook Children’s Medical Center and All Saints’ Episcopal School boards. He’s also former vice chairman of the University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Co., which manages the UT System’s investment assets. Moore and wife Iris direct giving through their Ardon and Iris Moore Foundation, which held $8.34 million in net assets in 2016, according to its annual federal filing. The Moores were honored in 2016 by the All Saints’ Episcopal School for matching contributions dollar-for-dollar to an $11.6 million capital campaign. Moore is former All Saints’ board president and helped direct the recruitment in 1998 of headmaster Tad Bird.
Geoffrey Raynor Founding partner Q Investments
Geoffrey Raynor founded Q Investments in 1994 in Fort Worth. The firm doesn’t limit itself to specific industries or strategies, and it has deployed capital into long-term investments in aviation, private equity, distressed and special situations, and activist spaces. It estimates it has more than $2 billion in invested assets. The firm says internal partners represent about 85% of the capital, with a “few outside investors.” The firm has 50 employees. Raynor’s Once Upon a Time foundation had $189.45 million in net assets at the end of 2018, according to its federal filing, and makes many of its major gifts to higher education, including the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. UT Southwestern recently recognized Raynor and the foundation for $10 million in gifts to support research led by several faculty members.
Les Kreis Managing partner and co-founder Bios Partners
Les Kreis has over 25 years of investment experience in global public and private equity. Besides the Fort Worth-based Bios, he is managing principal at Steelhead Capital Management, which manages a portfolio of small business investments and start-up ventures. Kreis is a founding member of Cowtown Angels, the Fort Worth angel investment network. Kreis was formerly a vice president at HBK Investments, a multi-strategy global hedge fund based in Dallas. During his 11 years with the firm, he managed a $3 billion global portfolio of stocks, bonds, and derivatives products. He was one of two professionals who launched HBK’s London office, and he traded in many financial markets including Japan, India, Europe, United Kingdom, Canada, and the U.S. Kreis received a BBA in finance from TCU.
Sunny Vanderbeck Managing partner Satori Capital
Sunny Vanderbeck’s leadership training began when he served as a section leader of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, U.S. Special Operations Command. After leaving the military, Vanderbeck applied his skills to business. Vanderbeck in 1996 co-founded Data Return, a leading provider of managed services and utility computing. The company reached a $3 billion market capitalization after a successful IPO, making Vanderbeck one of the youngest CEOs to lead a Nasdaq company. His experiences with building, selling, buying back, and reselling Data Return, along with his involvement in dozens of businesses at Satori, led Vanderbeck to publish his book, Selling Without Selling Out: How to Sell Your Business Without Selling Your Soul. He cofounded Satori Capital — a multi-strategy investment firm — with Randy Eisenman in 2008 in Fort Worth on the principles of conscious capitalism.
Jeffrey Conner
Managing director, senior wealth strategist Northern Trust
Jeff Conner serves Fort Worth and West Texas as a senior wealth strategist for Northern Trust, responsible for helping clients preserve and grow wealth through asset management, estate planning, trust administration, and private banking. Conner previously spent 19 years in the Private Bank at J.P. Morgan Chase on business development and client acquisition in Fort Worth and West Texas. Conner chairs the Cook Children's Medical Center board and serves on the Cook Children's Health Care System board. Other boards: Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate; past chair, Child Study Center Foundation board, past member, Child Study Center board. BBA, finance, Texas Tech
Mark L. Johnson Principal, vice president, portfolio manager/analyst Luther King Capital Management
Mark L. Johnson has 37 years in investments, joining Luther King Capital Management in 2002. He previously was a principal and portfolio manager at GSB Investment Management, chief investment officer at Mtrust Fort Worth, and credit loan review officer at First National Bank of Fort Worth. Johnson is son of the late Ruth Carter Stevenson, who founded the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. He chairs the TCU board, is president of the Amon Carter Foundation, and serves on the Carter museum board, where his sister, Karen Hixon Johnson, is president. Bachelor of Arts, Duke University
J. Bryan King Principal, vice president, portfolio manager/analyst Luther King Capital Management
J. Bryan King has been an investment manager responsible for micro and small-capitalization public and private investments since 1994 at Luther King Capital Management, which had $22.6 billion in assets under management as of March 31. King established and is a managing partner of LKCM Private Discipline Management, L.P., LKCM Capital Group, and LKCM Headwater Investments. He is a member of the Fort Worth Zoological Association board. King graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard University.
Jeff King Fort Worth Region president Northern Trust
Jeff King opened the Fort Worth office of Northern Trust in March 2013, the firm's first direct presence covering West Texas and New Mexico. He previously was managing director of the J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Fort Worth, where he was market manager for over 25 years and ran the firm's local commercial real estate group and oil and gas services. Boards: The Cliburn, chair; Fort Worth Zoological Association. Past chair, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Visit Fort Worth, Fort Worth Sister Cities International, University Christian Church. Former vice chair, Cook Children’s Health Foundation and Fort Worth Zoning Commission. Past board service: Trinity Metro. BBA, finance and real estate, TCU
Luther King CEO
Luther King Capital Management
J. Luther King, Jr. founded his eponymous firm in 1979 in Fort Worth. The SEC-registered investment advisory firm has offices in Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas. The firm has 85 employees, including 53 investment and other professionals, 31 CFAs, seven CPAs, three CFPs, and 32 employees with MBAs. As of March 31, the firm had $22.6 billion in assets under management. King holds an undergraduate degree and MBA from TCU. He served as TCU’s board chair, 2005 – 2011. TCU this year honored King, attributing several achievements to his leadership: dedication of four residence halls, refurbished Frog Fountain, new Brown-Lupton University Union, Sam Baugh Indoor Practice Facility & Cox Field, Meyer-Martin Athletic Complex. King and wife Teresa have also supported many endowed scholarships at TCU.
Jim Lacamp
Senior vice president
The Money-Sense Team at Morgan Stanley
Jim Lacamp is a longtime Fort Worth wealth manager known for his frequent guest appearances CNBC, Fox News, and Fox Business. Lacamp has been in investment management since 1985 and works with his business partner, Pat Reddell. Lacamp serves on the boards of the Presbyterian Night Shelter and the Fort Worth Club. Bachelor’s, economics and finance, Baylor
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Time is your most precious asset. Don't waste it. Be true to your word. Spend as much time as possible with your daughters. Trust the Lord. And there might be a few stocks I would suggest buying.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “That people that are in a position to help should help. That's not new, but it should be emphasized. No matter how bad things can seem, there are people that have it worse.”
Hal Lambert CEO Point Bridge Capital
Hal Lambert founded Point Bridge Capital in 2013, providing high net worth individuals with investment advice and independent custody of assets and trustee services. Point Bridge Capital is a fee-only, noncommission, SEC-registered investment adviser. Lambert frequently appears on CNBC and Fox Business. After President Trump took office, Lambert, a Republican, created the MAGA exchanged-traded fund, trading in stocks of companies with demonstrated histories of Republican support at top. Through mid-May, the fund was up 46% from its September 2017 launch, compared to 70% for the S&P 500; MAGA short on the rising stocks of Dem-leaning techs. Before Point Bridge, Lambert managed portfolios at Credit Suisse and J.P. Morgan Chase and was a credit analyst for Fort Worth’s Bass family. BBA, finance, University of Texas at Austin; MBA, Georgetown
Bob Semple Chairman, Tarrant County and market executive Bank of Texas Private Wealth
Bob Semple’s history in banking goes back several decades. He served in various leadership posts in the Bank One organization from 1977 – 1998 and subsequently was chairman and CEO of Worth Bancorp. Semple also spent five years with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. He is Bank of Texas Private Wealth’s chairman for Tarrant County and market executive. He serves on the Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. board. Past boards include TCU Neeley School of Business Advisory Board, Davey O’Brien Foundation, All Saints Health System (chair). Graduate, TCU
David Nolet
Fort Worth market manager J.P. Morgan Chase Private Bank
David Nolet is market manager for J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s Fort Worth Region, representing the Private Bank on the Dallas-Fort Worth Market Leadership Team, where he is chairman. Nolet was formerly regional banking practice lead for the Private Bank’s South and Southeast Regions, managing a $220 million revenue business across 15 offices. Nolet is a member of Mayor Betsy Price’s Fort Worth Now economic recovery task force, formed in response to COVID’s impact on business and the economy. He chairs the University of North Texas Health Science Center Foundation, is vice chairman of All Saints Health Foundation, and serves on the boards of Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, and Fort Worth Cradle to Career. He’s also on the Long-Range Planning Committee for Jewel Charity. Bachelor’s, accounting, master’s, finance, Texas A&M
Mark Steffe President and CEO First Command Financial Services
Mark Steffe was promoted to CEO of First Command Financial Services, which provides personal financial coaching to 290,000 military client families around the world, in January 2020. First Command, based in Fort Worth, has more than 175 offices, maintains more than $35 billion in managed accounts and mutual funds, and has more than $62 billion in life insurance coverage in force. Steffe joined First Command as a senior vice president in 2010 and has played a key role in evolving the client experience in a digital world. First Command’s first CEO without military experience. When COVID-19 hit, First Command rapidly adjusted operations to continue to help clients without in-person coaching and offered financial relief. BS, finance, Illinois; Harvard University Advanced Management Program
Scott Orr Vice president, government affairs Fidelity Investments
Scott Orr has been Fidelity Investments’ vice president of government relations and public affairs for more than eight years. He is a member of the Texas executive leadership team and responsible for Fidelity’s regional governmental relationships at the local, state, and federal levels, working closely with the company’s Washington-based team. He also oversees Fidelity’s civic and community relations, including volunteerism for its 6,000 Texas employees and working with nonprofit partners and other philanthropic efforts. Earlier in his career, Orr worked for 12 years as portfolio manager and money market group leader in the fixed income department of Fidelity Management & Research, managing over $11 billion in mutual funds. Executive committee, The Cliburn; Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce board. BBA, accounting, Abilene Christian; MBA, Harvard
Sue Turnage Fort Worth/Tarrant County market leader and senior trust officer
Happy State Bank and Trust Co.
Sue Turnage took over as Happy State Bank’s senior trust officer in February last year. She has more than 35 years in the wealth and trust industry as an adviser and manager.
Turnage has been a board member for the Amon Carter Museum of American Art Advisory Council, YWCA, Tarrant Area Food Bank, and Kids Who Care. BBA, banking and finance, University of North Texas; graduate, National Graduate Trust School, Northwestern
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ” “More Beautiful Than Before, by Rabbi Steve Leder. Sometimes it is hard to find the right words to share with a friend when they are in the midst of dealing with loss. More Beautiful is about grief (loss) and how the experience transforms us. The book shows us that in navigating through the experience, we learn to be more empathetic and, perhaps, more connected.”
Congratulations to our North Texas Regional President Mark Drennan. Your strong leadership and commitment to serving others continues to help drive success in our North Texas region.
As Fort Worth, Texas Magazine salutes the Top 400, Ciera Bank salutes our first responders.
When COVID-19 slowed our society to a halt, our first responders moved full speed ahead in their service to the Fort Worth area.
While Charlie and Beverly Powell are honored to be among the Top 400 once again, they both realize who the true heroes are.
To the first responders who have selflessly served our community, we say
Thank you for your commitment! Banking that’s true to Texas since 1890!
every customer has access to the president’s cell number.
While I have known the entire CapTex Bank team for many years from various stints with other banks, they have recently helped me with a difficult loan in an out-of-state market. Numerous other banks turned me down, but the CapTex Bank team looked to my past performance and helped me structure a loan that worked. I appreciate their commitment to relationship banking, and I am proud to be a shareholder, depositor, and borrower with CapTex Bank. I would not hesitate in recommending CapTex Bank to my colleagues, friends, and family. — Jack Huff, Principal, Transwestern | Fort Worth, Texas
We know entrepreneurs because as a locally owned Fort Worth bank we are entrepreneurs, which makes a difference in the way we look at opportunities and solutions. When you bank with CapTex your relationship matters.
Fort Worth’s economic development team has a big job: drawing new business to the city, retaining what’s here, and participating in the conversation about what makes Fort Worth a better place to live, work, do business, and play. During the pandemic, the team played a major role in educating business on everything from access to payroll loans, to obtaining personal protective equipment, and navigating new paths.
Hayden Blackburn Executive director TechFW
Hayden Blackburn has been executive director of the nonprofit, 23-year-old TechFW incubator and accelerator, and director of the Cowtown Angels angel investing group, since 2016. Blackburn moved to TechFW from the Idea Works collaborative. TechFW’s programs include ThinkLab, Cowtown Angels, EpICMavs at the University of Texas at Arlington, TechNest, and MCrew, a mentor match that brings in outside volunteer talent. TechFW has ambitious goals, moving to increase participation in its incubator programs and the Cowtown Angels and to potentially rebrand to acknowledge its geographical reach, including the UTArlington partnership and a new cohort that ThinkLab has launched in Dallas. Blackburn has been a founder or leading contributor to the major annual Fort Worth Business Plan competition, 1 Million Cups, Startup Weekend, and Entrepreneur Summit. Blackburn has a BBA from Texas Tech.
Wade Chappell President Camp Bowie District,
Inc.
Wade Chappell became executive director of the Camp Bowie District, the nonprofit that promotes growth and activity along the West Side boulevard, in 2017. Chappell co-founded Pearl Snap Kolaches as a delivery business in 2013 and opened its first retail location in 2014. He holds a bachelor’s in Latin American studies from the University of Texas at Austin.
ADVICE TO MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Go learn a trade and learn what it means to struggle early in life and put 10% of your paycheck away for a rainy day. Plus, it's a great age to start up a new business.”
HOW I GIVE BACK “I volunteer on several different boards (Presbyterian Night Shelter, First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth, Chamber of Commerce, Streams & Valleys, and Reel Recovery) and annual giving. Knowing that the plans we make now will shape this city's future is very fulfilling.”
Darlene Boudreaux Coach TechFW
Darlene Boudreaux, a pharma entrepreneur who came out of retirement to run the TechFW incubator for 12 years, continues to coach budding entrepreneurs through TechFW since she handed the reins to successor Hayden Blackburn. Boudreaux founded the Cowtown Angels angel investing group within TechFW in 2016. Angel investors secured their first exit with the $465 million sale of Encore Vision — a TechFW client and incubator tenant nurtured by Boudreaux — to Novartis in 2016. Boudreaux co-founded and was CEO of PharmaFab, a Grand Prairie third-party manufacturer, from 1994 to 2006. She grew revenues to $28 million before selling the company. Boudreaux, a CPA, has a BA from DePauw University and MBA from the University of Chicago.
Mike Brennan CEO Near Southside, Inc.
Mike Brennan became president of Near Southside, the nonprofit leading its revitalization, in 2018 after 12 years leading planning and development. Near Southside puts on a range of community programs, including festivals and events that attract thousands, and business assistance initiatives. Master’s, urban planning, Harvard Graduate School of Design. Founding chair, Fort Worth Bike Sharing, Inc.
ADVICE TO MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Always stay curious, stay fit, and explore more.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “The 99% Invisible City (from Leaves Book & Tea Shop) is full of obscure and often unnoticed details about our cities, streets, and buildings.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I learned about the incredible resilience of Near Southside businesses and frontline health workers.`”
Cameron Cushman
Assistant
vice president of innovation ecosystems UNT Health Science Center
UNTHSC hired Cameron Cushman in 2017 to help develop and connect Fort Worth’s entrepreneurial and startup ecosystem. Cushman began his career as an executive assistant in President George W. Bush’s White House and moved to Bush’s Commerce Department, where he worked in trade negotiations. Post-Bush, Cushman moved to the Kauffman Foundation and led initiatives to build entrepreneurial communities, including the co-founding of 1 Million Cups weekly event, now in over 150 cities. Bachelor’s, political science, Texas A&M
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I just finished The Future Is Faster than You Think, by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler. What drives innovation and change is not just invention or the introduction of a new technology but the ‘convergence’ of multiple technologies at specific points.”
Brandom Gengelbach
President and CEO Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce
Brandom Gengelbach completed a fast ascent to the top post at the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. Gengelbach, who came to the chamber in 2016 as executive vice president of economic development, became president in 2019. Gengelbach succeeded the longtime top executive Bill Thornton, who retired. The chamber, in partnership with the city, has moved to throw Fort Worth’s economic development strategy into higher gear. The chamber effort has been hamstrung by lower-than-hoped-for support from the business community. The chamber during COVID-19 helped distribute PPE to small businesses and generated robust virtual programming, including a virtual annual meeting. B.A., Samford University; MBA, University of Southampton, where he was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. He’s an avid cyclist and Boston Marathon qualifier.
Megan Henderson Director of events and communications Near Southside, Inc.
Megan Henderson produces community programs and events, including ArtsGoggle, Open Streets, Art South, and Friday on the Green, working with and advocating for stakeholders in Fort Worth’s Near Southside. During COVID, Henderson spawned, with seed from the new owners of Magnolia Wine Bar (nee Kent & Co. Wines), a grant program for struggling creatives. She and Near Southside helped generate strong support for district’s small businesses.
ADVICE TO MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Do things that scare you, and go far from home. Traveling is an essential piece of expanding your world view.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I'm currently reading a children's book called Birdie and Me with my daughter, Esme, age 9, and I am profoundly excited by how children's books are teaching social justice.”
Marco
Johnson Sparkyard ecosystem network builder UNTHSC
Marco Johnson took over in 2019 as UNTHSC’s Sparkyard network builder, an initiative to help connect entrepreneurs to resources. Johnson co-leads the annual Global Entrepreneurship Week Fort Worth. Former director of programming, Accelerate DFW Foundation. Johnson lived overseas for more than 12 years, most recently Tanzania, managing operations for three for-profit social enterprises. Bachelor’s, international affairs, Lewis & Clark College; MBA, international business, Thunderbird School of Global Management
SOMETHING I LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I’m more of an extrovert than I realized. I always considered myself in the middle of the spectrum between introverts and extroverts, but the lockdown made me realize how important it is being in the physical company of family, friends, and colleagues.”
Bob Jameson CEO Visit Fort Worth
The Visit Fort Worth bureau that Bob Jameson took the helm of in 2013 has helped drive record visitation. The city enjoyed 9.4 million visitors and $2.6 billion in economic impact during 2018. Travel dropped dramatically during COVID-19, but hotel stays rebounded with National Finals Rodeo in December. The bureau helped create COVID messaging encouraging the wearing of masks, and also hired out a study to determine COVID’s impact on the local music and what can be done for it. Bachelor’s, history, University of San Francisco
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “Michaels Cuisine Restaurant and Bar — do not leave without their green beans.”
SOMETHING I LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “My appreciation for working downtown and being downtown is something that I have missed terribly.”
Anette Landeros President/CEO Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Anette Landeros became the Hispanic Chamber’s new CEO in 2019, bringing more than a decade of background in government and nonprofit posts. Landeros is working to increase membership, create new ways of measuring outreach and impact of programming, and educate businesses in how to bid for contracts. Landeros holds a bachelor’s in public policy analysis from Indiana University and master’s in public affairs from the University of Texas at Austin.
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “Caring for myself like a best friend.”
Devoyd Jennings CEO/President Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce
Dee Jennings, longtime CEO of the Black Chamber, grew up in the city’s Butler Place housing project and remembers free movie nights on “Free Show Hill.” Jennings attended Texas Wesleyan University, where he earned a bachelor’s in business. Jennings helped facilitate an agreement between the Black, Fort Worth Hispanic, and Fort Worth chambers of commerce to team up and look for ways to develop the city’s economy equitably.
ADVICE TO MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Learn how to play golf.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: A Fool's Errand, by Lonnie Bunch III. “It gave me a roadmap on what it takes to establish a firstclass African-American museum, hopefully one of my bucket list goals for Fort Worth.”
Mary-Margaret Lemons
President Fort Worth Housting Solutions
Mary-Margaret Lemons became president of Fort Worth Housing Solutions in December 2017, after serving as general counsel for two years. Housing Solutions is at the center of creating affordable housing options citywide and “decentralizing” poverty. A native of Fort Worth, she has advised financial institutions on federal and state banking laws and served as inhouse counsel for a locally headquartered $1.2 billion bank. B.A., University of Texas at Arlington; law degree, Texas Wesleyan
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “Hurley House. The drive-thru is the best; you can grab lunch, a casserole for dinner, and look like a star with yummy treats from the bakery.”
HOW I GIVE BACK “I think the biggest impact I can make is raising my children to be good citizens and stewards of our community.”
Stacy Marshall Executive director Southeast Fort Worth, Inc.
Stacy Marshall in 2015 was named president of Southeast Fort Worth, Inc., a nonprofit that’s seeking to revitalize Southeast Fort Worth. Marshall formerly served as CEO of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and as a consultant for nonprofits and for-profit organizations.
ADVICE TO MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Listen to your elders and apply that knowledge to the principles that best fit you and your lifestyle.” BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “There are two locations I frequent to find good hearty food. They are Madea's Down Home Cooking in Everman and Ben's Triple B in Poly.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I have a knack for gardening and growing fresh vegetables. I never thought I would have a green thumb, but during COVID, I read a lot online and watched a lot of YouTube and TikTok videos on how to prepare the soil to make the best and biggest vegetables.”
David Motheral Jr. Vice chairman and business development committee chair Hemphill Corridor Task Force
Businessman David Motheral played key role in forming Near Southside, Inc., which spurred revitalization of West Magnolia Avenue and Southside. For several years, Motheral has worked with the Hemphill Corridor Task Force to create the same toolbox for Hemphill revitalization. Plan met with skepticism by property owners who fear they’ll be pushed off street. Bachelor’s, University of Texas at Austin; MBA, TCU
HOW I GIVE BACK “At the request of Mayor Bob Bolen during the early 1980s, I headed the city's redevelopment effort of Magnolia Avenue. Magnolia Avenue has recently been recognized by the National Association of Planning as one of the Great Streets of America. I continue serving on the Development Committee of Near Southside, Inc. Currently, I am serving as vice president and co-chair of the Development Committee of the Hemphill Corridor Task Force.”
Tom Martens Creative director Visit Fort Worth
Tom Martens fun fact: He designed Fort Worth’s ubiquitous “Y’all Wear a Mask” COVID graphic. Martens joined Visit Fort Worth in 2012 as a freelance designer to help with work during the 2011 Super Bowl. Martens has helped elevate Fort Worth’s profile and led in incorporating music into events, advertising, and brand activations. Founding member, Hear Fort Worth, an initiative of Visit Fort Worth and music to build awareness of the city’s music scene. Fort Worth first Texas city to be certified "Music Friendly Community” by governor. BFA, Communication Design, University of North Texas
HOW I GIVE BACK “Hear Fort Worth and Film Fort Worth, with assistance from United Way of Tarrant County, established a creative industry relief fund to help support musicians, artists, performers, and filmmakers who have lost work due to COVID-19.”
Brandy
O'Quinn
Assistant director TechFW
Longtime development executive Brandy O’Quinn has her next charge: assistant director of the TechFW incubator and accelerator, where she’s building support for ambitious goals. Previously, several years, senior manager for public affairs, Blue Zones Project Fort Worth, helped obtain Blue Zones healthy city certification. Spearheaded fundraising for Dash circulator connecting downtown to Cultural District. B.A., political science, University of Texas at Austin; master’s, real estate sustainability, University of Texas at Arlington
ADVICE TO MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Don't party as much! Really focus on your studies because you are laying a foundation for your career and the rest of your life. Don't have a boyfriend until you graduate. They can get in the way.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “Currently, I have five different books on the bedside table. I have not finished any of them.”
Judy McDonald Executive director Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County
Judy McDonald has been executive director of Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County since 1996, responsible for more than $65 million annually in employment training and child care funds that benefit businesses and citizens. She oversees six full-service workforce centers and provides employer services, labor market information, job search assistance, career counseling, occupational training, and child care information and assistance. During COVID-19, Workforce Solutions disseminated information on how to file unemployment claims and gain access to public assistance, child care, and adult literacy resources.
Stacey Pierce Executive director Streams and Valleys
Stacey Pierce, a longtime Fort Worth marketing, communications, and development executive, has been executive director of Streams and Valleys, the nonprofit advocacy group for the Trinity River system through Fort Worth, since 2013. Pierce is former marketing and admission director for All Saints’ Episcopal School; marketing and communications director for Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.; development director for the Fort Worth Zoo; and marketing and PR director for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from TCU, MBA from TCU, and Graduate Management Certificate from SMU.
Richard Riccetti Chairman Hemphill Corridor Task Force
Richard Riccetti, director of licensing and international sales for the Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Co. in Fort Worth, is a longtime Southsider and entrepreneur. Riccetti and his wife, Chandra, have taken on the redevelopment of The Bastion property on Hemphill Street into multiple uses, including multifamily and an event venue. Riccetti is chairman of the Hemphill Corridor Task Force, a group charged with developing a plan and toolbox of incentives to help revitalize Hemphill Street. The idea, similar to the one that revitalized West Magnolia Avenue, has been met with skeptics among property owners who fear being pushed off of Hemphill by gentrification. Riccetti holds an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Chris Strayer
Executive vice president, economic development Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce
Chris Strayer started in civil engineering but found his way to economic development. He joined the Fort Worth Chamber in February 2018 as a senior vice president and was promoted to executive vice president. Strayer’s in charge of leading the chamber’s sales effort to relocation targets and retention of businesses already here. The chamber’s efforts, laid out in a multi-year strategic plan, have been crimped by a shortfall in fundraising. Strayer came to Fort Worth from Columbus, Ohio, where he was a senior project manager for business development and project management at Columbus 2020, economic development organization for the 11-county Columbus region. He holds a B.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from Michigan State University and an Economic Development Finance Professional credential from the National Development Council.
Andy Taft President Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.
Andy Taft has been president of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., since 2003. DFWI is downtown’s advocacy organization, and it manages the downtown planning process, two Public Improvement Districts, the downtown Tax Increment Finance District, two city parks, the MAIN St. Fort Worth Arts Festival, and the Parade of Lights. DFWI developed the JFK Tribute in Fort Worth and is working to renovate and reopen Heritage Plaza. Taft is a past-president of the International Downtown Association and past president of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth. A native of Tampa, Florida, he graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in marketing and began his career in commercial real estate with the Florida Commercial Development Association.
Jennifer Trevino Executive
director
Leadership Fort Worth
Jennifer Trevino joined Leadership Fort Worth as new executive director in 2020. A graduate of the 2009 Leadership Class, she sees her charge as ensuring the organization’s programs and classes reflect city’s diversity. Ex-chief development officer, Girls Inc. of Tarrant County; vice president and chief of staff to the president, UNT Health Science Center. BBA, Texas Tech; MBA, TCU
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I loved the practical nature of the leadership principles in It's Not about the Coffee: Leadership Principles from a Life at Starbucks. Having spent portions of my early college and professional career working in retail with Target, H-EB, James Avery, and RadioShack, I could relate to the customer service side and organizational culture. It was a good read to take me through my transition to my new role at Leadership Fort Worth too.”
Robert Sturns Economic development director City of Fort Worth
Robert Sturns has more than 25 years in local government, commercial real estate, and banking operations. Sturns estimates he’s been involved in $3 billion of new announced capital investment and 25,000 jobs via partnerships. Ten years, Army Reserves, captain. Bachelor’s, Stephen F. Austin State University; MBA, TCU
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I revisited James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time and was reminded about the struggles that we still face in this country ensuring equality for all. But I was also moved by the optimism to not give up hope.”
HOW I GIVE BACK “I volunteer for a number of organizations. During the pandemic, I also helped distribute PPE for local businesses and oversaw a grant program that put over $50 million back into the economy through our CARES Act grant program for small businesses.”
Mitch Whitten is executive vice president at Visit Fort Worth, where he is over external outreach, tourism, and the community’s Destination Master Plan. In recent years, Whitten’s team has launched the Fort Worth Film Commission, fostered the Hear Fort Worth music association, and produced the music video “Things to Do” and the award-winning video series “Fort Worth Stories.” Visit Fort Worth has steadily built awareness and the visitor economy. That’s been disrupted by COVID, but hotel stays began rebounding later in the year. The bureau created the “Y’all Wear a Mask” COVID graphic. The organization also unveiled the results of a study on COVID’s impact on the music industry and what can be done to help it recover. Whitten holds a bachelor’s from SMU and master’s from the University of Virginia.
The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of Streams & Valleys. Back in 1971, we were the only non-profit organization in Fort Worth dedicated to the improvement of the Trinity River. And through the decades, we’ve remained a passionate voice for the river, helping to raise money for vital projects, beautify the river and trails, and educate our community. More than anything, we’ve brought people together to get big things done.
See the future course of the Trinity River. View our Confluence Master Plan at streamsandvalleys.org
At TCU, we believe great leaders lead by example. Thank you to these individuals who are inspiring the next generation of Horned Frogs.
• Jeremiah Donati Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
• Rodney D’Souza, Ph.D. Managing Director, Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Davis Family Entrepreneur-inResidence & Associate Professor, Neeley School of Business
• Stuart D. Flynn, M.D. Founding Dean, TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine
• Chauncey Franks Chaplain, Football
• Gary Patterson Head Coach, Football
• Daniel Pullin, J.D. John V. Roach Dean & Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Neeley School of Business
• Michael Sherrod William M. Dickey Entrepreneur-in-Residence & Instructor, Neeley School of Business
You’ve worked hard to get where you are, and your earnings reflect that. But there’s more to your story. That’s why our experienced advisors take time to get to know you – your plans, philosophies, and values. We then tailor strategies not just to meet your financial goals, but to help write your next chapter.
The pandemic has been a big blow to the city’s education system, forcing educators to find new ways to reach students and keep Fort Worth public school students — many lagging before the pandemic — on track. Before COVID-19, education leaders were forging partnerships that improved access to higher education.
Bobby Ahdieh Dean Texas A&M School of Law
The Texas A&M School of Law, on the rise in rankings since A&M acquired it in 2013, has continued that since Bobby Ahdieh became dean in 2018. The school ranks 53rd among 193 in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report, 7th for intellectual property law, eighth in dispute resolution. A&M, which has substantial holdings of property around its downtown Fort Worth location, is examining options for a campus expansion. Ahdieh, a Princeton undergrad, is a Yale-educated lawyer.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I scribbled notes in the margin of every page of Lawrence Wright's God Save Texas — flagging bits of the great history, politics, and culture he brings to light.”
HOW I GIVE BACK “I hope through the good works of my children.”
Elizabeth Brands Head of education giving Morris Foundation
Elizabeth Brands is head of education giving at The Morris Foundation and executive director of Read Fort Worth, a nonprofit launched in 2016 to attack low third-grade literacy in Fort Worth schools with volunteer tutors. Early literacy is a Morris focus. COVID dealt a blow to progress, and Read Fort Worth is collaborating with the schools and other organizations on summer programs to help kids catch up. Master’s, education, Notre Dame; doctorate; Oklahoma
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “Any Greek food restaurant. My first job was as a fifth-grade teacher. There was a Greek restaurant I visited after especially long days. Not only is Greek food delicious, it holds a special nostalgia for me. Each of those students inspired me on this career path to be a champion for the right that all children deserve — the right to the highest-quality education our community can give them.”
Tad Bird Head of school All Saints’ Episcopal School
Tad B. Bird has been head of school at All Saints’ Episcopal School of Fort Worth since July 1998. Episcopal education has been at the heart of his life's work. Bird was previously 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. Bird has been a teacher, coach, and administrator. Bird holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Austin College and a Doctor of Ministry in Educational Leadership from Virginia Theological Seminary. He was a 2001 Klingenstein Visiting Fellow at Teachers College, Columbia University. Bird has served on the boards of St. Stephen's Episcopal School and Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools, where he also was president. Bird is a board member for the Episcopal Church Foundation and Hope Farm.
EJ Carrion Founder and CEO Student Success Agency
EJ Carrion is co-founder and CEO of the Student Success Agency, a fast-growing education software company that partners with school districts to offer digital wraparound services to their students from their cell phones. Carrion is a first-generation college student who received the prestigious Bill and Melinda Gates Scholarship and was Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Education honoree in 2018. B.A., journalism, Oklahoma
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Think in decades instead of days.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I listened to A Promised Land by Barack Obama on audio. The two things I enjoyed were 1) Obama read the whole book, so it feels like a conversation with him, and 2) you get a deep dive on how hard it is to make decisions at scale when there are always negative and positive implications of your actions.”
Victor Boschini, 18 years into his post as chancellor of TCU, has the university into its third phase of a plan to strengthen the school’s academic profile, endowment, and student experience, on the way to bettering the workforce. Enrollment has grown, TCU launched a medical school with the University of North Texas Health Science Center, and a $1 billion campaign is in progress to raise money to fulfill the plan’s goals. Diversity and inclusion, an engaging academic and student life experience, and robust support of students are themes. Boschini is chair of the Big 12 Conference, and he sits on the boards of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, The Cliburn, Moncrief Cancer Institute, Fulbright Scholar Advisory Board, and the University of Mount Union Board of Trustees.
Rodney D'Souza Managing Director, Neeley Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation TCU Neeley School of Business
Rodney D’Souza was awarded the 2017 Freedoms Foundation Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education and the 2017 University Award for Excellence in Outreach and Engagement. He has developed and delivered undergraduate courses on entrepreneurial mindset, opportunity recognition, idea valuation, new venture creation, new venture management and business plan writing, and an MBA module on innovation and competitive intelligence. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Computer Management from the University of Pune, MBA from Northern Kentucky, and Ph.D. from the University of Louisville. D'Souza and colleague Antonio Banos endowed the Antonio Banos and Rodney D’Souza Scholarship at TCU to help students facing economic hardships.
Eugene Giovannini Chancellor Tarrant County College
Eugene Giovannini is passing five years as TCC’s chancellor this summer. TCC is key in Fort Worth’s push to improve educational access and has forged partnerships with local school districts and universities. Giovannini has nearly 40 years as a teacher and administrator in community colleges. Doctorate, community college education, Virginia Tech; master's and bachelor's, Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Always take time to do the right things right, and the right things will happen.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey’s book, Immunity to Change, creates an awareness of how to overcome and unlock your personal potential and your organization’s potential by addressing teaching you how to diagnose your own ‘immunity to change.’”
Eric Lombardi CEO Fort Worth Country Day School
Eric Lombardi took the job in 2015 as sixth head of school at Fort Worth Country Day School, one of the city’s most prestigious private schools. Lombardi was division head of the middle school for St. John’s School in Houston for 16 years. He also had upper school leadership positions at schools in Oklahoma City and Oakland, California. After COVID broke out, Lombardi posted video messages from the school featuring his dog, Falcon, and touring the empty school, inviting students to guess his location on campus. Lombardi holds a bachelor’s from Dartmouth College and master’s degrees from Duke University and Columbia University.
Molly Hyry Volunteer Fort Worth ISD
Molly Hyry has had a lengthy run as uber-volunteer in the Fort Worth schools. Hyry serves on the Fort Worth ISD Citizen Oversight Committee, started to oversee bond packages and spending approved by voters, and the Fort Worth ISD Facilities and Operations Committee. Her PTA service has included the presidencies at four schools (Tanglewood Elementary, McLean Sixth Grade Center, McLean Middle School, and Paschal High School) and the Fort Worth ISD Council of PTAs, a training organization. Hyry, former English teacher at Amon Carter-Riverside High, holds a bachelor’s in English and psychology from TCU.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Seek and absorb all the knowledge you can acquire. You will often find you know too little. Never will it be possible to know too much.”
SOMETHING I LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “We are more resilient than we think.”
Blair Lowry Head of school
Trinity Valley School
Blair Lowry succeeded Ian Craig as head of school at Trinity Valley School in July last year, amid COVID. Lowry moved from The Hockaday School in Dallas, where she was assistant head of school and provost. At Hockaday, Lowry was responsible for academic programming and faculty recruitment, hiring and development in grades pre-K-12. Lowry has been in education for 23 years, beginning her career in South Florida. Lowry is the first woman to serve as head of school at Trinity Valley.
Tobi Jackson Trustee
Fort Worth ISD Board of Directors
Tobi Jackson has served on the Fort Worth ISD Board since 2010 and completed two years as president in 2019. A lifelong East Sider and Fort Worth public school graduate, Jackson is director of Fort Worth SPARC, an after-school program collaboration. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and a master's degree from the University of North Texas.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Fail forward — learn from every failure and build a win. Take chances. Always trust and listen to your gut. Create a bucket list and fulfill it. Advocate for yourself as strongly as you do for others. Record the history related by relatives and elders — it will matter. Value exceptional friends. Realize 18 is a blip in time. Go easy on yourself. The body keeps score and will deliver psychological and physical reminders of poor choices. Leave something on the table for those in need.”
Kim McCuistion
Dean
Tarleton State University Fort Worth campus
Kim McCuistion became dean of Tarleton State University’s new, 80-acre Fort Worth campus along Chisholm Trail Parkway in April last year. McCuistion became vice president for external operations at the same time. She moved up from chief of staff to James Hurley, the Tarleton State president, and is a tenured faculty member in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. McCuistion will work with North Texas business and industry leaders, Tarleton faculty and staff, and community college partners to expand existing degree programs and add new ones. She also will be responsible for the university’s Global Campus and outreach programs in Waco, Midlothian and Bryan. McCuistion holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Texas A&M, master’s in animal science from Kansas State University, and a doctorate in agriculture from West Texas A&M University.
Mattie Parker Executive director T3 Partnership
When we publish The 400 in 2022, Parker, who’s in a runoff with Deborah Peoples for mayor, might well shift to a different category on our list. Parker is the founding CEO of Fort Worth Cradle to Career and the Tarrant To & Through Partnership, which aims to ensure more students have the training needed to thrive in today’s workforce. Parker spent five years as chief of staff to Mayor Betsy Price and the City Council. She serves on the board of directors for The Gatehouse’s Legacy Early Learning Academy, Read Fort Worth, Operation Progress Fort Worth, and ACH Child and Family Services. Parker graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in government and has a law degree from Texas Wesleyan School of Law.
Daniel Pullin Dean TCU Neeley School of Business
Daniel Pullin was named Neeley dean in 2019, moving from the University of Oklahoma, where he was business school dean. He sees an opportunity at TCU to create a “business school for the 21st century,” working with the community to identify workforce needs and generate new leaders, collaborate on issues, be a player in the region’s economic development, and “co-create knowledge.” Pullin has sought ways to recruit underrepresented students to Neeley. Prior to OU, he worked for the global consultancy McKinsey & Co. and the private equity firm Hicks Muse Tate & Furst and its portfolio companies. He holds a bachelor’s from the University of Oklahoma, MBA from Harvard Business School, and a law degree from Oklahoma.
Kent Scribner Superintendent Fort Worth Independent School District
Kent Scribner, hired as Fort Worth ISD superintendent in 2015, has focused the district on early literacy, middle years math, and preparedness for college, career, and community. Scholarships have risen dramatically, rising to $135 million annually from $36 million in 2015. COVID was a big blow to momentum, and the school district, Read Fort Worth, and other organizations are collaborating this summer on programming to help students catch up and outreach to families whose children were not enrolled in the current school year but were in the prior year. B.A. Latin American Studies, Carleton College; Master of Education, counseling psychology, Temple University; Ph.D., educational leadership and policy studies, Arizona State University
Michael Sherrod
William M. Dickey Entrepreneur in Residence TCU Neeley School of Business
Michael Sherrod has been the Dickey Entrepreneur in Residence at TCU’s Neeley School of Business since 2011. Sherrod is an entrepreneur whose history has been in online media, knowledgeable in digital strategy, nonprofits, journalism, fundraising, and start-ups. His teaching at Neeley centers around entrepreneurial thinking, processes, and real-world applications. In 2010, Sherrod became the first publisher of The Texas Tribune newspaper. Sherrod holds a bachelor’s from Notre Dame, master’s from the University of Missouri, and executive MBA from TCU.
Jacinto Ramos Jr.
President Fort Worth ISD Board of Directors
Jacinto Ramos, Jr. is chief of board governance and leadership at Leadership ISD, which fosters grassroots education leaders statewide, advocating for academic excellence, racial equity, and student-focused school board governance. Ramos was first elected to the Fort Worth ISD Board of Trustees in 2013, representing North Side schools, and was reelected in May. He was the chair of the 2019-2020 Council of Urban Boards of Education and is new president of the Mexican American School Boards Association. Ramos also serves on the board of the Texas Association of School Boards. He grew up on Fort Worth’s North Side.
Fred Slabach President Texas Wesleyan University
Fred Slabach became 20th president of Texas Wesleyan University in 2011 and has led dramatic improvements in academic excellence, student experience, and the revitalization of the campus and its historic Southeast Fort Worth neighborhood. Under Slabach, Texas Wesleyan has made more than $50 million in capital improvements to the campus and neighborhood, the university endowment has doubled, freshman applications have increased 282%, and overall freshman enrollment has increased more than 80%. The university has worked with school districts and community colleges to improve access. And in fall 2017, football returned to Texas Wesleyan for the first time in more than 75 years. Slabach received his LL.M from Columbia University School of Law, his law degree from the University of Mississippi, and his Bachelor of Science from Mississippi College.
Our local government leaders were among the region’s most prominent faces and voices in managing our way through the pandemic, from educating the public on restrictions, to distributing federal money to small businesses, and moving personal protective equipment.
Devan Allen Commissioner Tarrrant County
Devan Allen was elected commissioner in 2018 and took office in 2019, representing a district that includes Arlington. Allen, a Democrat, experienced homelessness at a young age, growing up the daughter of incarcerated parents. She worked her way through the University of Texas at Arlington, earning a bachelor’s in biology, was an emergency medical technician for years, and moved into public service as district director in the Texas Senate and House and campaign manager for State Rep. Chris Turner. Allen volunteered as the chair of the Arlington Community Relations Commission and is a founding member of BRIDGE Young Professionals, a Black young professionals group.
Brandon Bennett Code compliance director City of Fort Worth
Brandon Bennett and the city’s fire chief, Jim Davis, were two of the city’s primary staff touch points on its COVID-19 response during the last year and a half. Bennett, the longtime code compliance director, has been pushed to the front in other health emergencies, such as West Nile virus. Bennett himself tested positive for COVID-19 and spent weeks at home quarantined. "I would say to everybody there, I'd remind them, ‘You don't want to be that person. You don't want to be that guy or that girl,’” he told NBC5 in an interview. “And then I ended up being that guy.”
City Council member City of Fort Worth
Gyna Bivens, elected to the Fort Worth City Council in 2013, easily won reelection a fourth time to her District 5, with 63% of the vote and no serious challenge from among four opponents. The district stretches from Stop Six, Bivens’ home, to CentrePort outside Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and Trinity Lakes in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district. Economic development and opportunity remain the district’s biggest challenges. Bivens is president and executive director of North Texas Leaders and Executives Advocating Diversity (LEAD), a consortium of major employers in North Texas that seek to increase diversity in their managerial ranks. Bivens previously became the first Black corporate spokesperson for Oncor Electric Delivery. She has served on more than 30 boards, including serving as chair of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, now Trinity Metro.
Roy Brooks was elected commissioner in 2004, representing a district that includes much of Fort Worth and several other cities. He was reelected to another term in 2020, with 60% of the vote. Brooks has long had interests in the underserved, including health care for the homeless, infant mortality, obesity, access, and AIDS education. Brooks, a Democrat, led in developing the Tarrant County Ex-Offender Re-Entry Program. He is a Texas Wesleyan University trustee.
Brian Byrd stepped off the City Council to run an unsuccessful bid for mayor in the May 1 election and was replaced by his district administrator, Michael Crain (see bio, real estate). Byrd, elected in May 2017 to the Council district that covers a large swath of the West Side, is a longtime physician and entrepreneur. Byrd completed medical school at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio and opened his medical practice in Fort Worth. In 2008, he started Texas Hospice, growing it to include branches in Fort Worth, Dallas, and San Antonio. He sold it in 2013. In 2014, Byrd became the volunteer executive pastor at Christ Fellowship Church in Fort Worth. While on the Council, he waged an effort to revitalize the Las Vegas Trail corridor. Byrd and his wife were longtime area coordinators for Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree Ministry, which serves children of prisoners.
David Cooke became Fort Worth’s city manager on June 30, 2014, following a national search. Cooke manages the $1.6 billion city budget and 6,600 employees, and for more than a year, he has been navigating the city through the budgetary impact of COVID-19. About 20,000 new residents had been moving into the year before COVID, and relocations are expected to continue to surge, putting continued pressure on the city’s resources. Cooke has had to manage the controversial exit of former Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald, the promotion of new Chief Ed Kraus, Kraus’ retirement last year, and, most recently, the promotion of new chief Neil Noakes. Cooke’s also hired a new fire chief, Jim Davis, in 2018. Cooke received his undergraduate degree and master’s in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Gary Fickes was elected commissioner in 2006, representing a district that includes Northeast Tarrant County and North Fort Worth. Fickes, a Republican, was reelected last year with 64% of the vote. Fickes has focused on transportation in the sprawling precinct, health care, seniors, and quality economic development. His office assisted in projects such as the DFW Connector and North Tarrant Express. Fickes helped create three new school-based clinics in Precinct 3 and the Gertrude Tarpley JPS Healthcare Center in Watauga. Fickes served as chair of Harris Methodist Hospital HEB and as a trustee for the Harris Methodist Health Foundation. He also is a past chair of the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition.
Carlos Flores City Council member City of Fort Worth
Carlos Flores was elected to the City Council and took office in 2017, representing a diverse district that includes the historic North Side and part of the Alliance Corridor. He followed a path of public service and interest in neighborhoods onto the council, serving as president of the North Side Neighborhood Association and the Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods, and chair of the Fort Worth Zoning Commission. Educated as an engineer at the University of Texas at Arlington, Flores worked for Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Parker Hannifin. After winning his first election campaign with 52% of the vote in a runoff, Flores was unopposed in his 2019 reelection bid. This year, he was reelected with 65% of the vote.
Craig Goldman
State representative State of Texas
Craig Goldman won election to the Texas House in 2012, serving District 97, which covers Southwest Tarrant County. He won reelection last year to another two-year term, defeating Elizabeth Beck with 52.6% of the vote. Goldman, a Republican, is chair of the House Energy Resources Committee and a member of the Licensing & Administrative Procedures and Redistricting committees. A fifth-generation Texan, Goldman and his father ran a gourmet food and wine store in Fort Worth before Goldman took office. Goldman, holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin and is a partner in several real estate investment companies.
Kay Granger Representative U.S. House of Representatives
Elected to her 13th twoyear term in 2020 serving her Fort Worth district, U.S. Rep. Kay Granger is the top Republican on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Granger was previously the first Republican woman to sit on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and went on to serve as chair before Republicans lost the House to Democrats. She also previously served as the chair of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee. Granger made history in 1997 when she became the first Republican woman to represent Texas in the House. Granger majored in education at Texas Wesleyan University and became a teacher. She later opened an insurance agency. Her public service began as a member of the Fort Worth Zoning Commission. She later was elected to the City Council and then became the city’s first woman mayor. Granger is a Texas Wesleyan trustee.
Charlie Geren
State representative State of Texas
Charlie Geren was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in November 2000, representing Fort Worth’s District 99. Geren chairs the Local and Consent Calendars Committee, and he is a member of the Licensing and Administrative Procedures and Energy Resources Committees. After the 82nd Legislative Session in 2011, Geren, a Republican, was named by Texas Monthly magazine as one of the "Top 10 Texas Legislators," an honor he also won in 2005. Geren, a businessman, is president of Railhead Smokehouse and the LGS Godley Ranch. He has been honored with the Champion for Free Enterprise award by the Texas Association of Business. His work on behalf of Texas business has earned him the Guardian of Small Business and Most Valuable Player awards from the National Federation of Independent Business/Texas. Geren also has been inducted into the Texas Realtors Association's Hall of Fame.
Kelly Allen Gray was elected to the Fort Worth City Council in 2012, representing a Southeast Fort Worth district that includes neighborhoods such as Poly, Morningside, United Riverside (Gray’s home), Historic Southside/ Evans-Rosedale, and Renaissance Square. Gray’s time on the council has been marked by disagreements with development groups that want to redevelop property in the district. Her interests have centered around affordable housing and permanent supportive housing. Gray graduated Poly High School in the district and earned a bachelor’s from Texas A&M-Commerce. She is a Texas Wesleyan University trustee. Gray’s in a June 5 runoff against two-time challenger Chris Nettles, who received 45.9% of the vote in the May 1 election to Gray’s 43.5% in a race with five contestants.
Jungus Jordan City Council member City of Fort Worth
Jungus Jordan was elected to the Fort Worth City Council in 2005 and was reelected in 2019 to his eighth term to the South Fort Worth district, which includes Wedgwood’s neighborhoods and the east side of the Chisholm Trail corridor south of Interstate 20. Jordan’s in a June 5 runoff for his seat against Jared Williams. Jordan received 43.9% of the vote to Williams’ 34.4%. A third challenger, Tiesa Leggett, received 21.7% and supports Williams. Jordan was born at Carswell Air Force Base, attended local public schools, and earned a bachelor’s in economics from TCU and master’s in management from Webster University. He graduated the Management Executive Program at Cornell University. Jordan retired from the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant colonel, with tours in Vietnam and Germany, and a Pentagon stint.
Cary Moon was elected to the Fort Worth City Council in 2015 to represent District 4, a big district that includes Woodhaven in East Fort Worth, runs north into the Alliance Corridor, and takes in Heritage Trace, Moon’s home. Moon, a businessman with extensive interests in real estate, finance, and consumer businesses including restaurants and the Arlington Music Hall, was reelected in May to another term with 51.4% of the vote against four challengers. In his previous two reelection bids, Moon won with 74% and 76% of the vote, respectively. Last fall, Moon was arrested on suspicion of DWI near a restaurant he partially owns in Burleson. Moon’s service as president of the Heritage Trace homeowner association launched him into his City Council candidacy. Moon began investing in single-family homes while attending Texas A&M, where he earned a Bachelor of Science.
Jeff Law CEO
Tarrant Appraisal District
Jeff Law is easily one of the most scrutinized public officials in Tarrant County. Chief appraiser of the Tarrant Appraisal District since 2008, Law’s office is responsible for coming up with property valuations annually for property tax assessments. Law was previously chief appraiser of the Hood County Appraisal District and senior appraiser of the Johnson Central Appraisal District. With COVID-19 disrupting protest season, Law’s office held in-person and remote protest hearings. Law earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from TCU in finance, with a real estate emphasis. He is a top-rated instructor of Texas property tax courses.
Mark McLean
Commander
NAS Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base Carswell
Capt. Mark McLean took command of the NAS Joint Reserve Base Carswell last year. After earning his naval aviator wings at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma in 1999, McLean served operational assignments with the “Ironmen” of VQ-3 at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma from 2000-2003. He remained at Tinker from 2003-2006 to join the “Roughnecks” of VQ-7 as an instructor pilot, instructing student pilots in the E-6A/B aircraft and two variants of the Boeing 737. In 2006, McLean transitioned to the Full Time Support community and reported to the VR-59 “Lone Star Express” at the Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, where he was designated an instructor pilot and flew missions around the world. BBA, University of Texas at Tyler; Master of Arts, national security and strategic studies, Naval War College
Kim Neal became the city’s first police oversight monitor and director in March last year, with responsibility to increase “positive” police accountability and address police misconduct. The hiring of a civilian monitor was one of the recommendations of a city Race and Culture Task Force the City Council appointed in 2017. Neal hired from Cincinnati, where she oversaw investigations of serious misconduct by Cincinnati Police. Bachelor’s, Georgetown; law degree, University of Baltimore
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Your integrity defines who you are. Never sacrifice it for anything or anyone.”
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: Coco Shrimp
HOW I GIVE BACK: “Mentorship, I love being there for others, giving back, and providing them with lessons learned throughout my life and career.”
Beverly Powell
Senator
Texas State Senate
Beverly Powell was elected to the Texas Senate in 2018, serving the swing District 10. A former school board president, Powell, a Democrat, reached across party lines to pass school finance reform, increase teacher pay, and reform the state’s controversial standardized testing system. She’s worked to promote higher education and career training, including the Texas WORKS program to provide on-the-job training opportunities for students enrolled in Texas universities. At 39, Powell returned to complete her Bachelor of Science in psychology at Texas Wesleyan University. As a single mother, she put herself through school with grants and scholarships. MBA, trustee, Texas Wesleyan. The daughter of a World War II veteran and granddaughter of a Gold Star Family, Powell led efforts to preserve the Operation Welcome Home Program for returning service members.
Betsy Price City Council member City of Fort Worth
Betsy Price, Fort Worth Inc.’s 2021 Person of the Year, took office as mayor for the first time amid a budget crisis caused by recession 10 years ago. She heaped her plate, taking on everything from public pensions to race relations, fitness, civic and voter engagement, economic development, and public transportation in what’s now the 13th largest U.S. city. Price was the city’s public face during COVID-19, pushing citizens to accept restrictions to contain spread of the virus. Broadly popular, Price is stepping down after voters choose a new mayor in the June 5 runoff. After running her own successful business for 17 years, Price turned to public service and was elected in 2000 to serve as Tarrant County’s Tax Assessor. Price graduated from Arlington Heights High School and earned a bachelor’s from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Glen Whitley County Judge Tarrant County
County Judge Glen Whitley and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price were Tarrant County’s two most prominent faces and voices during local management of COVID-19 and restrictions. Whitley was appointed county judge in 2006, 10 years after being elected a county commissioner. His interests have been in transportation, sustainable communities, efficient government, air quality, higher education, support for veterans and military families, and children’s issues. A businessman, Whitley, in 1983, co-founded the accounting firm Whitley Penn in Fort Worth. Whitley graduated from Grand Prairie High School, earned an accounting degree from the University of Texas at Arlington, and served in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Whitley is a past president of the National Association of Counties and North Central Texas Council of Governments.
Manny Ramirez’s plate has been heaped since he became president and CEO of the Fort Worth Police Officers’ Association in early 2016. Ramirez led negotiations with the city on closing a Fort Worth Retirement Fund shortfall, including an agreement to increase employee contributions by more than 50%. He also led negotiations on a new “meet and confer” labor agreement, ratified by a 99% vote. When COVID broke, the POA bought meals daily from struggling restaurants to serve to first responders. Bachelor’s, criminal justice administration, Tarleton State; MBA, TCU
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “Team of Rivals. It is encouraging to analyze how President Lincoln, even through civil war, was able to unite political rivals to work toward the common vision of a united and prosperous America.”
Williams Mayor City of Arlington
Jeff Williams, elected mayor in 2015, is stepping down as mayor in June after voters choose his successor in the June 5 runoff between Jim Ross and Michael Glaspie. Williams was another prominent Tarrant County face and voice in the region’s response to COVID-19, publicly imploring citizens not to rebel against restrictions. Williams was elected mayor, promoting a plan to create jobs and build tourism. The Texas Rangers agreed to stay in Arlington, and Williams campaigned for a successful sales tax election to build the new Globe Life Field, which opened for last year’s Major League Baseball season. Williams, an engineer, recruited the Cordish Cos. to build the Texas Live! major entertainment complex. He’s also helped lead discussions on Arlington’s transportation vision of the future. Williams holds a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Texas Tech University.
Dennis Shingleton
City Council member City of Fort Worth
Dennis Shingleton joined the Fort Worth City Council in 2011, representing a district that takes in the Fort Worth Cultural District, sweeps west, and takes in a piece of the Alliance Corridor. Shingleton is retiring from the City Council in June, with Zeb Pent or Leonard Firestone, whom Shingleton favors, taking his seat following a June 5 runoff election. Shingleton served 22 years in the U.S. Army and retired as colonel. He was chief of staff for the 807th Medical Brigade and responsible for the training, supervision, and mobilization of 4,200 physicians and medical support personnel. Shingleton subsequently retired as a senior associate dean for finance and administration at the University of North Texas Health Science Center’s Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine after 25 years. Shingleton holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Duquesne University and an MBA from TCU.
Zadeh City Council member Fort Worth City Council
Ann Zadeh, elected to the City Council in 2014, is stepping off in June after leaving her seat to make an unsuccessful bid for mayor. The district includes the Near Southside, Downtown, West Seventh, Oakhurst, and part of TCU. Zadeh, who spent five years as a city planning consultant, advising municipalities around the metroplex. She’s one of the city’s thought leaders on intelligent urban planning, use of density and public transportation, but sometimes clashed with citizens and others on the Council over those issues. Zadeh served three terms on the Fort Worth Zoning Commission, two under Mayor Mike Moncrief and one by Mayor Betsy Price. Zadeh obtained a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from the University of California-Santa Cruz and a master’s in city and regional planning from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Honorees in Fort Worth Inc.’s The 400
Throughout the unprecedented COVID-19 health crisis, your unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of North Texans has never mattered more. Thank you for helping make Texas Health the health system more people choose for care in Fort Worth, and across North Texas. We salute you, as well as all 2021 honorees in The 400
Texas Health is right there with you.
Right here in Fort Worth, NanOlogy is on the forefront of cancer drug research. Led by CEO, H. Paul Dorman, our team of dedicated researchers is in clinical development of a technology that forms submicron particles of cancer agents for targeted delivery directly to the site of the tumor. Once there, the particles are designed to slowly release drug prolonging the tumor kill without the side effects normally associated with chemotherapy. We believe the enhanced direct tumor kill is also eliciting a pronounced antitumoral immune response potentially positioning our investigational drugs as ideal companions to boost other immunoncology therapy to fight metastatic disease. Upon successful completion of clinical development, NanOlogy hopes to gain FDA approval to bring our therapies to cancer patients.
Fort Worth’s rapidly growing health care and life sciences sector is represented here. Biotech is emerging on a scene populated by hospitals. Our health care leaders played major roles in confronting and managing the region’s response to COVID-19.
John Q. Adams, Jr. Co-founder Spectrix Therapeutics
John Adams, a biotech executive who was CEO of Adams Respiratory Therapeutics, is co-founder of Spectrix Therapeutics, LLC, a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company based in Southlake. Two drugs in Spectrix’s pipeline: a treatment for hypothyroidism designed to mimic normal release of two hormones; and a formulation for a once-daily treatment of dry mouth and eyes associated with Sjögren’s syndrome, an immune system disorder. Adams Respiratory developed Mucinex and was subsequently acquired by Reckitt Benckiser for $2.3 billion in 2007. Adams' net sales grew to $332 million in annual sales in 2007, from $14 million in 2003, growth drive by the FDA’s approval of Mucinex — a treatment for relief of chest congestion — in 2002. John Adams also founded and manages Legacy Capital Partners, LLC, an investment management and private equity firm focused on health.
Mike Ball Chairman
Alcon Laboratories
Mike Ball has been in global health care for nearly four decades. Before becoming chair of Alcon, the giant Fort Worth-based eyecare products company, Ball was CEO of the division and a member of parent Novartis’ Executive Committee. Novartis completed a spinoff of Alcon into a standalone publicly traded company in 2019. Ball previously served as CEO of Hospira, Inc. from 2011 to 2015. Prior to that, Ball held a number of senior leadership positions at Allergan, Inc., including president from 2006 to 2011. Before joining Allergan in 1995, he held roles of increasing responsibility in marketing and sales at Syntex Corp. and Eli Lilly & Co. Ball served on the boards of several organizations, including Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Hospira, IntraLase Corp., AdvaMed, and sTec, Inc. He began his career in health care in 1981. BS and MBA, Queen’s University, Canada.
Keith Argenbright Director
UT Southwestern Moncrief Cancer Institute
Keith Argenbright, MD, is chief of community health sciences at UT Southwestern Medical Center and director of the Moncrief Cancer Institute in Fort Worth. Argenbright formed alliances to bring cancer prevention and early detection services and population science research to more rural areas of Fort Worth and surrounding counties. BS, Oklahoma; MD, Tulane; Master of Medical Management, Carnegie Mellon
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I feel that all I’ve read since March 13, 2020, has involved COVID-19. Through that, I’ve gained an entirely new level of admiration for the scientists responsible for decoding the human genome. That measure of genius is what led to the development of the COVID-19 vaccine and will lead to astounding medical advances in the near and distant future.”
CEO
Texas Health Resources
Barclay Berdan’s Texas Health Resources nonprofit health system cares for more patients in North Texas than any other provider. Texas Health is ranked No. 9 on the 2019 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list, and has been named No. 1 on the Fortune 20 Best Workplaces in Health Care list for four consecutive years. Texas Health under Berdan took the lead on Fort Worth’s successful push to be certified as a Blue Zones Project healthy living city. Berdan, who has 35 years at Texas Health, became CEO in 2014, promoted from senior executive vice president and chief operating officer. Berdan joined Texas Health in 1986 as vice president/administrator for Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth, overseeing the construction and opening of the hospital. BS, TCU; MBA, University of Chicago Graduate School of Business
Susan R. Bailey, MD, a Fort Worth allergist and immunologist, was elected president of the American Medical Association in June last year and became one of the medical community’s voices and faces in promoting the benefits of precautions and restrictions during COVID-19. Previously, she served as president-elect of the AMA for one year, speaker of the AMA House of Delegates for four years, and vice speaker for four years. Bailey has been active in the AMA since medical school, when she served as chair of the Medical Student Section. Bailey also has served as board chair and president of the Tarrant County Medical Society, and as vice speaker, speaker, and president of the Texas Medical Association. She has been in private practice for more than 30 years. MD, Texas A&M University College of Medicine; residency and fellowship, Mayo Graduate School
Diana Cervantes is another voice in the room helping shape the area’s response to COVID-19. She has been actively involved in public health practice for over 17 years, focusing on infectious disease. Education: bachelor’s and master’s, biology, University of Texas at Arlington; master’s and doctorate, public health, UNTHSC. At Tarrant County Public Health, she established one of first U.S. network labs called for by the CDC in 1999 for emergency response. After doctorate, chief epidemiologist for Texas Department of State Health Services North Texas, where she led a team that responded to Ebola in Dallas and major mumps outbreak.
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “How to play more songs on piano — six new Christmas songs!”
Joseph DeLeon
President Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth
Joseph DeLeon became president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth in January 2018, after almost five years as president of Texas Health Hospital Southwest. DeLeon, a former captain in the U.S. Air Force Medical Services Corps, has worked in health care management since 1991. He joined Texas Health in 2005 as vice president of professional services and business development at Texas Health Fort Worth. Under his leadership, Texas Health Southwest achieved the Truven 100 Top Hospital two years in a row and the Pinnacle of Excellence Award for Patient Experience from Press Ganey. DeLeon serves on numerous civic boards, including the North Texas Community Foundation as treasurer. Bachelor's, political science, management minor, 1991; master's, public administration, 1994, Texas A&M
Paul Dorman CEO DFB Pharmaceuticals
Paul Dorman’s DFB is a Fort Worth holding company that Dorman and partners started in 1990. DFB grew from four companies and $18 million in annual sales to more than $400 million in sales. DFB sold three businesses for more than $1.5 billion. It continues to operate three businesses, including the Fort Worthbased NanOlogy, formed in 2015 by DFB in collaboration with CritiTech, and US Biotest and is led by representatives from each company. NanOlogy is in clinical trials on a new cancer drug delivery method: forming microparticles made of proven cancer drugs and injecting them into tumors. Goal: Delay or prevent tumor growth and stimulate the body’s immune response to cancer. Dorman guaranteed first-year tuition for the first class — the “Dorman Scholars” — of the new TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine. Dorman holds a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and law degree, both from Tulane.
Elyse Dickerson CEO and co-founder Eosera
Elyse Stoltz Dickerson co-founded the fastgrowing Fort Worth biotech Eosera, Inc., with ex-Alcon colleague Joe Griffin. Company started with ear care products under Earwax MD, Ear Clean MD, Ear Itch MD, Wax Blaster MD brands, available at CVS and Rite Aid nationally and on Amazon. Has more than two decades leading health care and pharma teams. BA, Notre Dame; MBA, SMU
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “I’d give the advice that was given to me early in my career: This too shall pass. The bad things, the good things, they’ll all pass.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I recently read Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life. The book, based on new research, really shifts the future away from the sterile, serious environments that are most commonly found across corporate America.”
Robert Earley CEO JPS Health Network
Robert Earley has been CEO of the JPS Health Network — Tarrant County’s $1.3 billion, tax-supported health care system with 7,200 employees — since 2009. Voters in 2018 approved an $800 million bond program to build a new behavioral health hospital, new main hospital tower, new cancer center, four regional health centers, and new ambulatory surgery center. Nine months after receiving his bachelor's from University of North Texas, Earley won a seat in the Texas House at age 23 and served five terms. Master’s, health care administration, University of Texas at Arlington
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “You will look really silly 20 years later in that picture with corduroy pants.”
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: Tokyo Café: “Always great!” Campisi's: “For pizza dough that I take home and make homemade pizza every Friday.”
Brian Dixon CEO Mindful
Brian Dixon, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, gets attention with holistic approach — “reintegration of mental health into our modern lifestyle.” Dixon lives in SE Fort Worth’s Historic Southside, wants to develop mental health complex in park-like setting. Dixon’s president of his neighborhood association and advocates for intelligent redevelopment. Professor, psychiatry, TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine. BA, Baylor; MD, Texas A&M College of Medicine
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “I was raised to believe that working for someone was the goal. Now, I recognize investing that same time, energy, and attention into myself would yield more powerful results.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “Reread Traction, by Gino Wickman. This book has helped me grow my private practice and launch a practice management company.”
Stuart Flynn Founding dean UNT-TCU Medical School
Dr. Stuart Flynn, MD, is founding dean of the new TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine, which last spring completed its first year of educating new MDs. The school has broken ground in medical education by having its students interacting with patients from the first year of their four in medical school, instead of having them wait much later, the traditional model. Community leaders hope the new MD program generates physicians who want to stay in the area. Flynn came to the school from the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, where he was founding dean. He was formerly a professor of pathology and surgery at Yale University School of Medicine. Flynn received his medical degree and residency training from the University of Michigan and completed a fellowship in oncologic pathology at Stanford University. Flynn has authored more than 100 articles, books, and monographs.
Simon Fraser
President, advanced wound management Smith
& Nephew
Simon Fraser joined Smith+Nephew, the British medical technology company in 2019, with responsibility for its Fort Worth-based Advanced Wound Management Franchise. Fraser has more than 25 years in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, including wound management and a background in managing global organizations with responsibility for profits and loss and growth of the business and market share. Prior to joining Smith+Nephew, Fraser was group vice president of Dentsply Sirona’s Dental Implant Global Business Unit; vice president, US Commercial Infectious Diseases at Abbott Laboratories; president, Latin America, Alere, Inc.; and various roles, Johnson & Johnson. He has a bachelor’s in physiotherapy from Montreal University and MBA from INSEAD in France.
Richard Johnston CEO, chief physician officer USMD Health System
Richard Johnston, MD, has been on the scene in North Texas since 1978, when he began his practice. His group joined the Medical Clinic of North Texas in 2004. In 2006, he became president of MCNT and was served in that post in 2012 when MCNT became part of the merger that created USMD Health System. Johnston graduated from the Texas Tech School of Medicine. He is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He completed an internal medicine residency at Austin Breckenridge Hospital and began his practice in Dallas in 1978.
Al Guillem CEO Renibus Therapeutics
Alvaro Guillem has nearly 40 years in bringing new therapies to market and preparing pharmaceutical facilities for commercial production. Renibus is a Southlake biotech company dedicated to transforming the cardio-renal disease treatment model by focusing on the prevention, treatment, and diagnostic testing of kidney disease. Each year, 9 million U.S. adults suffer from acute kidney injury, and today, 37 million U.S. adults are living with chronic kidney disease. Guillem was president and CEO at ZS Pharma, a startup developing a product for hyperkalemia — high levels of potassium in the blood. Astra Zeneca bought ZS Pharma in 2015 for $2.7 billion. While at Adams Respiratory Therapeutics, Guillem and other team members brought the Mucinex product line to the market. The company later was acquired by Reckitt Benckiser for $2.3 billion in 2007.
Jeff Keyser Co-founder, president and chief operating officer Renibus Therapeutics
Jeff Keyser has 40 years in developing and commercializing new medical therapies. He has invented products leading to significant improvements in patient care and has numerous patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in health care. Keyser was co-founder and chief operating officer at ZS Pharma, acquired by Astra Zeneca in 2015 for $2.7 billion. While working at Adams Respiratory Therapeutics, he developed and executed the R&D and regulatory strategy for bringing the company’s Mucinex to market, as VP of development and regulatory affairs. Reckitt Benckiser acquired the company for $2.3 billion in 2007. The Southlake-based Renibus is seeking to transform the treatment model for kidney disease.
Miles Harrison President, North America Galderma Laboratories, L.P.
Miles Harrison became president of Galderma’s Fort Worth-based North American unit in 2016. Galderma is the world’s largest independent skin care products company. During his tenure, Galderma has launched multiple brands across the company’s Prescription, Consumer and Aesthetic businesses. Harrison joined Galderma in 2014 as vice president and general manager of the Consumer Business Unit. He previously had a 25-year career at Novartis. From June 1987 until February 2014, Harrison held multiple leadership positions of increasing responsibility across the Consumer, Oncology and Pharmaceuticals businesses, most recently as vice president and head of global advocacy. Harrison is British and holds a bachelor’s in geography from Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom.
Craig Kneten Chairman and president HealthTexas Provider Network
Craig Kneten, MD, is the new chairman and president of the HealthTexas Provider Network, a member of the Baylor Scott & White Health system. Kneten is a family medicine doctor and is affiliated with Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center – Fort Worth. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and he did his residency in family practice at John Peter Smith Hospital.
Rick Merrill President and CEO Cook Children's Healthcare System
Rick Merrill, president and CEO of Cook Children’s since 2007, has led the organization through record growth, including nearly tripling the size of the Cook Children’s Medical Center campus on the Near Southside in response to growing need. Under Merrill, Cook Children’s has streamlined its mission into a “promise” to improve the health of every child in the region through treatment and prevention. Merrill formerly served as CEO and president of Driscoll Health System in South Texas. He led development of the fully integrated pediatric health system, which included Driscoll Children's Hospital, physician organizations, and the Driscoll Children's Health Plan. He oversaw the opening of two Driscoll Children's Specialty Centers in Brownsville and McAllen.
Sid O'Bryant Professor and executive director, Institute for Translational Research UNTHSC
Sid O’Bryant’s lab at UNTHSC is dedicated to precision medicine — an approach that accounts for individual genetics, lifestyle, and other environmental factors — in Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, including Down syndrome, Lewy Body disease, Parkinson’s disease, and traumatic brain injury. O’Bryant's multiple National Institutes of Health grants focus on novel strategies for disease detection, screening into therapeutic and prevention trials, and patient stratification for optimal treatment response. The lab has a strong focus on the impact of ethnicity and diversity on cognitive loss during aging, and it runs the one-of-a-kind Health & Aging Brain among Latino Elders study, a comprehensive study of Mexican-American brain aging. BS, psychology, LSU; MA and Ph.D., clinical psychology, University at Albany.
Russell Morton Chairman Cook Children's Foundation
Russell Morton is the new chair of the Cook Children’s Foundation and Healthcare System boards of trustees. Cook Children’s comprises eight entities — Medical Center, Physician Network, Home Health, Northeast Hospital, Pediatric Surgery Center, Health Plan, Health Services, and Health Foundation.
Britt Nelson President Cook Children's Physician Network
Britt Nelson, MD, has been president of the Cook Children’s Physician Network since 2009, named to that position after serving on the network’s board for 12 years and its chair for six years. The network has nearly 300 primary care physicians and specialists, with offices in Tarrant, Denton, Parker, Johnson, and Hood counties. Nelson was drawn to pediatrics in medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He did his residency at the University of Oklahoma Children’s Memorial Hospital. He subsequently was selected for a critical care fellowship in Los Angeles. Nelson was recruited to the faculty of Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, but in 1990, Cook Children’s lured him back to Texas, offering him the job of medical director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Shawn Parsley
President and chief operations officer Texas Health Physicians Group
Shawn Parsley, DO, was named president of the Texas Health Physicians Group in 2013, after becoming a member of the group in 2011. The group has more than 850 primary care physicians, specialists, and other medical professionals in more than 250 locations. Parsley works closely with Texas Health Resources’ chief clinical officer and senior executive vice president, to develop and implement the system’s physician-directed population health strategy. Parsley also oversees THPG clinical operations, physician engagement, recognition and human resources-related issues. Parsley received his undergraduate degree from Southwestern University, before graduating from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth with his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree in 1994.
Nizam Peerwani Chief medical examiner Tarrant County
Nizam Peerwani, MD, chief medical examiner for Tarrant, Denton, Parker, and Johnson counties since 1979, is retiring at the end of September, amid questions about his office’s errors in numerous cases, including one death penalty case. Peerwani is a graduate of the American University of Beirut medical school. He completed his residency in pathology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. Peerwani is a clinical adjunct professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Medical Center and Baylor College of Dentistry. He is an advocate for child safety. Peerwani also advocates for human rights and is an expert consultant for Physicians for Human Rights, with completed assignments in Rwanda, Bosnia, Indonesia, Cyprus, Afghanistan, and Israel for genocide and human rights violations.
Mike Sanborn President Baylor All Saints Medical Center
Michael Sanborn took the helm of Baylor Scott & White All Saints in 2016, leading the 538-bed acute care hospital with more than 2,000 employees and 1,000 medical staff members. Board appointments: Fort Worth Chamber, Healing Shepherd Clinic, Health Tarrant County Collaborative DFW Hospital Council, and executive committees of Near Southside and Fort Worth Adolescent and Young Adult cancer program. BS and MS, pharmacy and administration, University of Kansas
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “Malai Kitchen in Clearfork has been a go-to for our family during the pandemic. Bonnell's, Enchiladas Ole, Rodeo Goat, and Heim BBQ have also been integral to our family's gastronomic survival.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “People are quite resilient and creative during a crisis.”
Michael Williams President UNT Health Science Center
Michael Williams, DO, MD, became sixth president of UNTHSC in 2012. Williams, who earned his doctor of osteopathic medicine from the university, became its first alumnus to serve as president. Williams, who also is an MD, collaborated with TCU and Fort Worth leaders to launch the MD-issuing TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine, which last spring completed its first year of operation. Williams practiced anesthesiology and critical care medicine in Texas for more than 20 years. In 2011, Texas Gov. Rick Perry appointed Williams to serve on the UNT System Board of Regents. Williams completed his anesthesiology and critical care training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas and the Texas Heart Institute in Houston. Williams also holds an MBA from Duke and master’s in health care management from Harvard.
Jyric Sims CEO Medical City Fort Worth
Jyric Sims was named CEO of Medical City, one of Fort Worth’s hospitals, in 2017. He came to Fort Worth after serving as senior vice president and chief operating officer at Hospital Corp. of America’s Tulane Health System, where he was responsible for daily operations of two acute care hospitals, with more than 500 beds and 35 hospital-based clinics. Sims joined HCA in 2011, as chief operating officer of St. Lucie Medical Center in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and associate chief operating officer at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center in southeast Texas. Sims received a master of health administration from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and has an undergraduate degree from LSU.
Vinny Taneja Director of public health Tarrant County
Vinny Taneja was one of the most prominent members of the team that crafted the region’s response to COVID-19. He became public health director in September 2014. Under his leadership, the department was among the first 100 in the U.S. accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board.
Taneja received a medical degree from Manipal Academy of Higher Education in India and a master’s in public health from Eastern Kentucky University. In 2006, Taneja served as an ambassador to the Wisconsin governor’s e-Health Initiative. He helped develop a strategic plan for statewide adoption and exchange of electronic health records.
The RM Restaurant Group has been serving the Fort Worth and surrounding communities for 2 decades. At the core of its two brands, Rio Mambo Tex Mex y Mas and THE RIM scratch craft, relationships have been the key to success. Eloy Reyes, Executive Chef along with key leaders including Luis Suarez (Fort Worth), Angelica Banuelos Rocha (Weatherford), and Laura Rivera (Director of Operations) have been instrumental in bringing Rio Mambo to the forefront of the industry. Dave Mueller and Executive Chef Keith “Buttons” Hicks have been essential in the development of THE RIM brand opening location number two in the Waterside development on May 3 of this year. Relationships Matter will remain at the core of the culture as long as Brent and Rosanne Johnson lead the company.
The 400’s representation of industry comprises leaders in aerospace and aviation, distribution and logistics, energy, food and beverage, manufacturing, media, and retail. Distribution and logistics, already rapidly growing, emerged as an even bigger player during the pandemic.
Eric Fox Senior director, government relations Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Eric Fox, the senior director of government relations for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, has worked for the company since February 1999. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and economics from Southwestern University. Fox is chair of the North Texas Commission.
Raanan Horowitz President and CEO Elbit Systems of America
Raanan Horowitz was named president and CEO in 2007 of the Fort Worth-based Elbit Systems of America, the U.S. unit of the Israel-based Elbit Systems Ltd., a global provider of technology-based systems for defense and commercial applications. Elbit (Nasdaq: ESLT) had a $6 billion market capitalization as of mid-May. The Ethisphere Institute has named Elbit Systems of America one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies,” one of two aerospace and defense companies worldwide to earn the distinction. Horowitz has been instrumental in leading Elbit’s American organic growth and acquisitions. MBA, Seidman School of Business, Grand Valley State University. Bachelor’s and master’s, mechanical engineering, Tel Aviv University.
Mitch Snyder President and CEO Bell
Mitch Snyder was named CEO of Bell in October 2015 and has led a rebranding of the company — one of Fort Worth’s largest employers — to reflect its interest in technology behind the company’s traditional history as a helicopter manufacturer. “Welcome to the future of flights” encompasses autonomous flight and urban air taxi for uses such as cargo delivery and the carrying of passengers. Before being named CEO, Snyder was executive vice president of the company’s military business. Since joining Bell in 2004, Snyder has led the manufacturing centers and several of the most significant initiatives, including the V-22 tiltrotor program. Bachelor of Science, electrical engineering, Kansas State University.
Michael Thacker Execurtive vice president, technology and innovation Bell
Michael Thacker became executive vice president in 2017 and leads Bell’s core engineering team, which develops new technology for use in the company’s products. Bell has rebranded itself “the future of flight.” That means next-generation manned and unmanned technologies for applications like passenger and cargo delivery. Thacker joined Textron in 1993 as an engineer. He holds a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering and a master’s from the University of Kansas, and an MBA from Duke University.
Allison Mullis
Executive
vice president,
human resources Bell
Allison Mullis was named Bell’s executive vice president of human resources in January 2016 and is focused on creating an authentic employee experience that attracts and inspires talent through diversity, inclusion, and belonging. She was formerly a member of the leadership team at another Textron unit, Textron Systems Marine and Land Systems, where she oversaw human resources and developed an employment strategy that increased recruitment and inclusiveness while aligning the function to long-term business objectives. Mullis joined Textron in 2014. Bachelor’s, microbiology and occupational therapy, LSU; master’s, public policy, Georgetown. She is a member of the boards of United Way of Tarrant County and American Heart Association of Tarrant County and guides Bell’s philanthropic efforts.
Greg Ulmer
Executive vice president of aeronautics
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Greg Ulmer, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program manager for three years, was named executive vice president of the company’s aeronautics unit earlier this year after Michele Evans died of cancer. Ulmer is Lockheed’s top executive over its aeronautics programs, including the Fort Worth-made F-35; the F-16, whose production the company moved to South Carolina from Fort Worth in 2019; and Skunk Works product development unit in California. Before leading the F-35, Ulmer was head of the Skunk Works, whose work Lockheed keeps secret. Aeronautics is a $20 billion unit employing about 30,000 people. California Polytechnic State University, bachelor’s, aeronautical engineering. Executive master’s, business management, emphasis on aerospace, University of Tennessee
Arnold Gachman Chairman Gamtex Industries
Arnold Gachman continues to chair the Fort Worth recycling company his grandfather started in 1914 and that’s become one of Texas’ largest metal recyclers. GamTex stays up to date with new technology and automation, ensuring its processes remain efficient, safe, and environmentally effective. Jacob Gachman started the company with several small scrapyards. Gachman traveled by train around the state collecting scrap metal and carrying it in sacks to bring back to Fort Worth. By age 27, Arnold Gachman was named GM of Gachman Metals and became president five years later. In 1986, he bought Gachman Metals and turned it into what is today GamTex Industries. Iric Gachman, Arnold Gachman’s son, is president and CEO today. Gachman and Harriette are founding donors to the new TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine, which completed its first year last spring of operation.
Morton CEO TTI
Mike Morton, who’s worked for TTI for more than 40 years in various roles, was promoted to CEO earlier this year after the death of Paul Andrews, Jr., founder and long-running top executive of the Fort Worth-based major electronics components distributor. Morton, who’s now one of several CEOs of several Tarrant County-based companies owned by the giant Berkshire Hathaway holding company, had been TTI’s president, global sales and marketing. His career in the industry began in 1978 when he was introduced to TTI and took his first job as a product trainee. His positions at TTI include product buyer; director, passive product marketing; and senior vice president, global product marketing.
Tom Head CEO Blackmon Mooring/BMS Cat
Tom Head, president of Blackmon Mooring and BMS Catastrophe since 2007, is leading an expansion of the company, which does commercial and residential restoration and construction jobs worldwide. Since early 2020, the company has acquired six companies that support BMS CAT’s growth, including firms in Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. Head started with the company as its Houston general manager in 2004 before moving up. Under Head, the company several years ago built a new advanced headquarters and plant on Airport Freeway in Haltom City. The plant handles restoration of items such as damaged documents flown and trucked in from job sites, and many of its BMS CAT jobs follow highprofile disasters. Company started 1948, and today leads in its market segments. BBA, marketing, University of North Florida
Walt Reynolds CEO
The Reynolds Co.
Walt Reynolds and his brother, Donald Reynolds, Jr., continue to run The Reynolds Co., a major electrical supply company that merged with the employee-owned McNaughton-McKay in 2017. Reynolds had $650 million in sales in 2017. The brothers had taken over operation of the company in recent years from their father, Donald Reynolds, Sr., who founded it 30 years ago. The company’s ability to handle large industrial and commercial projects worldwide has been a major contributor to growth and one of its hallmarks. The company in 2020 purchased Flow-Zone, the premier distributor of pipe, valves, fittings, instrumentation, controls, and measurement equipment for oil and gas markets throughout Texas and New Mexico.
Goran Krndja CEO Gozova
It’s been a journey for Goran Krndija, who emigrated with his family years ago from warravaged Bosnia and ended up in Fort Worth, staying at a small apartment on Las Vegas Trail and with little to their names. Krndija made his way to the University of Texas at Arlington, where he met fellow students who became friends and, in 2016, together launched Gozova, truck-and-crew-on-demand mobile app. In city with little venture capital, last year, fast-growing Gozova secured $500,000 VC from Fort Worth investors Ed and Sasha Bass, Bobby Patton, and two others. Since, Gozova expanded statewide; opened Colorado, Florida, and Tennessee; started storage business; forged partnerships with apartment locators, universities, interior designers; de-emphasized directto-consumer model; broadened network of transportation providers with significantly greater numbers of movers.
Glenn Smith
President and CEO Mouser Electronics
Glenn Smith, while a college student, joined Mouser Electronics as a part-time warehouse employee in 1973. He rose, become president in 1988. In 2000, Fort Worthbased TTI bought the company, and, in 2004, Smith was promoted to CEO. In 2007, Berkshire Hathaway bought TTI and Mouser. Today, Mouser is one of the world’s largest electronics components distributors, with more than 2,550 employees in 27 offices and more than $2 billion in sales.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” Words from Mark Twain HOW I GIVE BACK: “At Mouser, we give back to the community in several ways. One key way is supporting STEM (science, technology, engineering & math) educational programs for today's students.”
Greg Bird CEO Jetta Operating Co.
Greg Bird co-founded Jetta in 1993 in Fort Worth. Bird, who’s been in oil and gas for more than 35 years, formerly worked for Cawley Gillespie & Associates, a petroleum consulting firm. Before that, he worked for Hunt Energy Corp. Bird is chair of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, president of the Boy Scouts of America Longhorn Council Foundation, and member of the TCU Energy Institute board. Bird was named a finalist in the 2020 Southwest Region for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award. In 2013, he was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Graduates for the Petroleum Engineering department at Texas A&M. Bachelor of Science, petroleum engineering, Texas A&M
Larry Brogdon
Partner
Four Sevens Oil Co.
Larry Brogdon, a petroleum geologist, has been in oil and gas for over 45 years. Partner, Four Sevens Oil Co., an early participant in the Barnett Shale Play. Helped the company put together big Barnett assemblages that led to $1 billion in sales for Four Sevens. Partner, MineralWare, fast-growing firm that’s developed software and online platforms that simplify management and buying and selling of minerals. President, Summit Cove Investments, L.P. (energy tech startups), Brogdon Foundation. Taught popular class titled “Prospect to Production” 10 years at TCU, still mentors students in energy. Bachelor’s, demography, University of Mississippi; geology, University of Texas at Austin
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: The New Map by Daniel Yergin. “He writes about all forms of energy and how it intertwines with geopolitics.”
Brian Crumley Managing partner
Vortus Investment Advisers
Brian Crumley is a managing partner and co-founder of Vortus Investments. Starting in 1998, his diverse principal investment experience in the energy industry includes equity, debt, and distressed investing across several cycles. Prior to Vortus, he was a founding partner of LKCM Private Discipline Partners LP, which was the first alternative investment partnership under the umbrella of Luther King Capital Management. Previously, Crumley had primary responsibility for energy industry investments at Sirios Capital Management in Boston. He started his energy investment career with Natural Gas Partners in the Fort Worth offices of Richard Rainwater. Boards: Cook Children’s Health Foundation, Cook Children’s Health Care System, Fort Worth Country Day School, STAR Sponsorship Program, and Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. BA, political economics, Princeton; MBA, Stanford
Four Sevens Oil Co.
Hunter Enis took a flier on a tapped-out wildcatter named Dick Lowe, and the rest is Barnett Shale history. The two, with the help of geologist partner Larry Brogdon and others, put together big assemblages early on in the Barnett Shale and cashed out for $1 billion in sales. Enis has served on the TCU Energy Institute’s Board of Advisors, and he founded the Hunter Enis Endowed Chair for Petroleum Geology at TCU. Enis, a Fort Worth native, graduated from Poly High in 1955. At TCU, Enis earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geology and lettered in baseball and football. In 1986, Enis was inducted into the TCU Lettermen’s Hall of Fame. Enis and Lowe made lead gifts for the renovation of Amon G. Carter Stadium at TCU.
Jon Brumley CEO Bounty Minerals
Jon Brumley, with others, has listed seven oil and gas companies on the New York Stock Exchange, including five he co-founded. He co-founded XTO Energy. Chair and CEO of Mesa Petroleum until it merged with Parker and Parsley to form Pioneer Natural Resources. Co-founded Encore Acquisition Co. and Encore Acquisition Partners with his son, Jon S. Brumley. Today, chair and CEO of Bounty Investments, formed to buy nonproducing minerals in the Utica Shale, Marcellus Shale, and Appalachia. Company has acquired about 65,000 net mineral acres. BBA, University of Texas at Austin; MBA, University of Pennsylvania
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Would not have listened to advice at 18. Advice I would give to my 60-year-old-self would be to ‘Prepare yourself — the heart becomes more important than the brain.’”
Jim
CEO Finley Resources
Jim Finley, out of the University of Texas with a BBA in accounting, began his career as an auditor with Arthur Andersen & Co., working primarily with oil and gas clients. In 1981, he joined Duer Wagner & Co. as CFO and, during 17 years there, became managing partner. With his partners, he moved into acquiring oil and gas properties. Finley went out on his own in 1997, establishing Finley Resources as an operator. Finley Resources, Finley Production, and Lonesome Oil and Gas, LLC own interests in 3,000 wells in 13 states. Jim and Charlotte Finley own Mesa Well Servicing, LP in Hobbs, New Mexico, and Mesa Southern in Jourdanton. Other investments include ownership stakes in community banks and commercial real estate. Finley’s active in several causes, including homelessness.
Brad Hunstable Co-founder Linear Labs
The rush that Brad Hunstable’s Linear Labs is on was overshadowed by the loss of his 12-year-old son Hayden to suicide during the isolation of COVID-19. Hunstable has picked up a strong social media following in his bid to raise awareness. His Fort Worth company continues its run. It’s developing fully modular electric motors that produce twice the torque for the same size, weight, and energy input. It reached a deal last year with the City of Fort Worth for $68.9 million in incentive to create a factory in the city. Linear sees applications in mobility, micro mobility, and air conditioning. “You’ll see this in scooters, HVAC, and industrial applications this year. A car two years after.” Hunstable and his father, Fred, a co-founder, won the Ernst & Young LLP Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Southwest Award. Graduate, U.S. Military Academy at West Point; MBA, The Ohio State University
Gloria Moncrief Holmsten
Treasurer
Montex Drilling Co.
Gloria Moncrief Holmsten, daughter of Kit and Charlie Moncrief, works in the family businesses. She’s a partner in Moncrief Oil International and treasurer of Montex Drilling Co. Holmsten is founder of The Saving Hope Foundation, a popular Fort Worth 501(c)(3) nonprofit that aims to end animal abuse and neglect by attacking overpopulation and emphasizing education and the benefits of spay and neuter, adoption, and fostering. The foundation had $1.1 million in net assets at the end of 2019, according to its federal filing. Holmsten owns four dogs — three dachshunds and one Labrador, all rescues. BBA, finance, University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business
Mary Ralph Lowe CEO Maralo, LLC
Mary Ralph Lowe has been president and CEO of Maralo, LLC, a private oil and gas exploration and production company and ranching operation, since 1973. Lowe, along with her mother, Erma Lowe, established the Lowe Foundation ($45 million net assets) in 1988 to support preventative or rehabilitative programs that benefit the critical needs of at-risk women and children. Lowe serves on the TCU, National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and Museum, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Baylor Scott & White All Saints Health Foundation, and Performing Arts Fort Worth boards.
Jeffrey Miller CEO Vortus Investment Advisers
Jeffrey Miller, co-founder and managing partner of Vortus Investments, has more than 30 years of significant financial, managerial, operational, and technical experience in the global upstream industry. Miller was director of upstream for Mercuria Energy, based in Geneva and Fort Worth, and previously was president of Moncrief Oil International and managing partner of Moncrief Minerals. Vortus, formed in 2013 by Miller and Brian Crumley, is a Fort Worth-based private equity firm focused on generating long-term capital gains through investments in the lower to middle market upstream energy industry in North America. Miller has a bachelor’s in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M and an MBA from Columbia University.
Mike Moncrief CEO Mike Moncrief Investments
Former Mayor Mike Moncrief and wife Rosie Moncrief (see Philanthropy) has retained an active life since stepping down in 2011. Boards: Fort Worth Stock Show, Ben Hogan Foundation, Methodist Justice Ministry, Kids Who Care. Elected to Texas House, county judge, Texas Senate. While mayor, council implemented Directions Home, to address chronic homelessness. BS, Tarleton State
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. It is amazing what can be accomplished when you don't care who gets credit for doing what. Never let perfect become the enemy of better.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “After 40 years in public service, I have the pleasure to serve as a mentor to younger generations. Rosie and I love our city, and we continue to do whatever we can to make the best even better.”
William A. "Tex" Moncrief Jr. President Moncrief Oil and Montex Drilling Co.
Tex Moncrief last registered on Forbes’ billionaire radar in 2014, when the magazine estimated his net worth at $1 billion. He’s added to his community legacy in recent years as he approached 100, which he reached in March last year. Six years ago, Moncrief gave an extraordinary $25 million to establish the UT Southwestern Monty and Tex Moncrief Medical Center in Fort Worth, honoring his late father, W.A. “Monty” Moncrief. That’s in addition to the $75 million that Moncrief and the William A. and Elizabeth B. Moncrief Foundation have given to the Moncrief Cancer Foundation for the Moncrief Cancer Center in Fort Worth and the $14 million he and the foundation have given for programs at UT Southwestern. Bachelor’s, petroleum engineering, University of Texas at Austin. Moncrief built his fortune by going into the oil business his father started and making major finds.
Bob Ravnaas CEO Kimbell Royalty Partners
Bob Ravnaas has been CEO of Kimbell Royalty Partners since February 2017. The partnership has grown to be one of the largest private owners of minerals, royalties, and overriding royalty interests nationally. The Kimbell Art Foundation owns a stake. The partnership reported a $537,000 profit for the first quarter, compared to a $93.8 million loss for the fourth quarter. As of March 31, 2021, Kimbell had 49 rigs actively drilling on its acreage, an increase of 26% from the fourth quarter and representing 11.8% market share of all rigs drilling in the continental U.S. The partnership’s firstquarter dividend was a 42% increase from the fourth quarter. Ravnaas received a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado and M.S. in petroleum engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Jeffrey Ventura President and CEO Range Resources
Jeffrey Ventura joined the Fort Worth-based Range in 2003 as chief operating officer and became a director in 2005. Ventura was named CEO effective Jan. 1, 2012. Previously, he was president and chief operating officer of Matador Petroleum Corp., which he joined in 1997. Before Matador, Ventura spent eight years at Maxus Energy Corp., where he managed engineering, exploration, and development operations and was responsible for the coordination of engineering technology. Ventura holds a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering from Penn State University.
Davis Ravnaas President Kimbell Royalty Partners
Davis Ravnaas co-founded Kimbell’s predecessor, Rivercrest Royalties, LLC, in October 2013 and served as CFO. Ravnaas was an associate investment professional with Crestview Partners, a large New York-based private equity fund, where he was responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and monitoring investments in energy and industrials companies. He started his career as an analyst in the investment banking division of Goldman Sachs’ natural resource group. He holds an A.B. in economics from Princeton University, MSc in finance and economics from the London School of Economics, and MBA from Stanford University.
Bob Simpson Chairman MorningStar Partners
Bob Simpson’s MorningStar Partners manages Cross Timbers Energy, LLC, a 50/50 joint venture between ExxonMobil and MorningStar. Cross Timbers is focused on conventional oil and gas exploration and production onshore in America. Previously, Simpson was chairman and Founder of XTO Energy Inc., which began as Cross Timbers Oil Co. in 1986 by Simpson and two partners. Under Simpson’s leadership, XTO became the largest producer of natural gas in America. In June 2010, ExxonMobil acquired XTO for $41 billion. Simpson is co-chairman of the Texas Rangers baseball club. Simpson grew up on a Cisco ranch and was salutatorian of his high school graduating class. He attended Baylor University on a scholarship. He earned a BBA in accounting with honors and then an MBA. Simpson served in the Texas Army National Guard after graduation and then earned his CPA designation.
Ryan Vinson CEO MineralWare
Ryan Vinson’s fastgrowing MineralWare — a software and online platform he and partners launched that simplifies the management of mineral ownership — continues to generate new companies. The company, largest tenant in the Fort Worth Club Tower, is preparing to launch an online platform for the buying and selling of minerals, and it’s started another site, Energy Freelance, that aims to connect project owners with freelancers. MineralWare said in the fall of 2019 that it had hit a target it set in 2017 for $250,000 in recurring monthly revenue. That triggered a one-time bonus of up to 50% of salary for employees. Vinson graduated from Texas Tech and went to work for Bessemer Trust.
Mitch Wynne, with partners, took their Kimbell Royalty Partnership public in recent years. The portfolio includes over 13 million gross acres in 28 states and in every major onshore basin in the Continental U.S., and ownership in more than 96,000 gross wells. The Kimbell Art Foundation in Fort Worth owns a big stake in Kimbell Royalty Partners. Wynne, husband of Kimbell Art Museum President Kimbell Fortson Wynne, has been in oil and gas since 1980.
Nafees Alam CEO DRG Concepts
Nafees Alam, with partner Mike Hoque, shut down virtually all of the company’s restaurants in Dallas and Fort Worth (Fort Worth: Wicked Butcher, Wild Salsa, Chop House Burger) during COVID peak. This year, began to reemerge with Wicked Butcher reopening. Pre-COVID, DRG expanded patiently in downtown Dallas and then Fort Worth, letting brands build. BBA, University of Texas at Arlington; MBA, SMU
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Invest in your mental and physical health.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: Grit, by Angela Duckworth. “Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals.”
HOW I GIVE BACK “I am honored to serve on the board of The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center of North Texas, where we work to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness and with city partners to find solutions.”
Stephen Butt President, Central Market H-E-B
Stephen Butt, nephew of H-E-B CEO Charles Butt, runs the company’s Central Market unit from offices near Dallas Love Field and lives on Fort Worth’s West Side with his wife, Susan. Forbes pegs the net worth of Charles Butt and his family at $17.8 billion. The magazine reports Butt owns the majority stake in the company, while his two siblings and two nephews also own stakes. Stephen Butt is a board member of the Amon Carter Museum of Arlington and North Texas Commission and member of the 2021 Jewel Charity Invitational Committee benefiting Cook Children’s.
Felipe Armenta President Chef Driven Restaurant, LLC
Felipe Armenta grew up in a San Angelo family that gathered around fresh dishes and creative cuisine. He opened his first restaurant, The Grill, in San Angelo. He and his partners expanded to Fort Worth and other cities. Today, Chef Driven Restaurant has 10 restaurants, including The Tavern, Press Café, Pacific Table, and Cork & Pig Tavern. The Fort Worth location of Cork & Pig did not survive COVID-19 and has closed.
Jon Bonnell CEO Bonnell’s Restaurant Group
Coming through COVID, Jon Bonnell earned even more goodwill among customers than he’d already built. Forced to ditch fine dining, he was first to market with prix fixe curbside family meal packs, promoted over his robust social media feed; customers lined up daily.
Bonnell — owner, with a partner, of Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, Waters Restaurant, and Buffalo Bros restaurants — touted other restaurants, stood up for employees who were heckled by customers angry over mask rules, and called out those customers who flamed him on Facebook. BS, Vanderbilt
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Don't always go with the lowest bidder.”
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “Buffalo Bros!” WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “At least it wasn't about politics!”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “Perspective is everything.”
Carlo Capua Principal Locavore
Carlo Capua closed his well-regarded Z’s Café caterer during COVID. Co-founded shared kitchen business Locavore, 2018. Capua started The Meeting Squad during COVID, hosting virtual events and training. Capua founded Z's as social enterprise; it created jobs for residents of Fort Worth’s Samaritan House. President, Rotary Club of Fort Worth. Bachelor’s, business, TCU; studying for master’s, international relations, Harvard
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “It's important to know when to say goodbye. After 13 years, we decided to close Z's Cafe, ensuring all our vendors were paid, helping our employees find new jobs, thanking our customers, and ending on our own terms. Z’s Café’s swan song was feeding 150,000 food-insecure people during the pandemic through the support of friends, local businesses, and a partnership with the United Way of Tarrant County.”
Jim Crawford took over in 2018 as vice president and plant manager of Fort Worth’s big MillerCoors brewery, one of the eight the company operates in the U.S. Crawford began his career with the company in 2006 as a business unit manager and spent his career in operations. MBA, University of Phoenix.
Kari Crowe Seher CEO Melt Ice Creams
Kari Crowe Seher set Melt Ice Creams up for growth, opening a central kitchen, a small store in Dallas, and another in downtown Fort Worth to go with her West Magnolia Avenue flagship. COVID-19 forced Seher to rethink. She struck deals with restaurants like Bonnell’s to sell Melt and began selling through a national delivery service. And this spring, she got into Whole Foods. Bachelor’s, studio art, Dallas Baptist University
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I listen to a lot of audiobooks when I run and recently finished Colin Jost's A Very Punchable Face. I loved that it made me laugh out loud, but also it took the veil off of how a show like ‘SNL’ is made.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “I work with The Birthday Party Project to help get kiddos who are living in homeless shelters birthday parties.”
Howard
Katz Vice president of business development, partner Standard Meat Co.
Howard Katz joined Standard Meat Co. of Fort Worth in 1978. He later moved on to help found several food companies, then returned to Standard Meat as a partner after Fort Worth’s Rosenthal family rebooted the company in the mid-1990s following a sale of it in 1983. In 1997, as an adoptive parent, Katz launched The Gladney Cup biennial golf tournament fundraiser, benefiting The Gladney Center for Adoption. Katz has a bachelor’s in behavior sciences from the University of Texas.
John Howard Hallam CEO Ben E. Keith Co.
John Howard Hallam became CEO in 2018 of the family-owned Ben E. Keith, the major food and beverage distributor. Hallam is grandson of Gaston Hallam, hired by the company in 1928 to unload railcars and who, in 1959, became president. John Howard Hallam became vice president of Ben E. Keith in 2008. The privately held company began distributing Anheuser-Busch products in 1928. Hallam has an MBA from SMU and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
Brent Johnson President RM Restaurant Group
Brent Johnson expanded during COVID-19, opening a second location of his restaurant concept The Rim this spring at Fort Worth’s Waterside development. Johnson today has four Rio Mambo restaurants and two of The Rim, in which he’s teamed with Chef Keith Hicks. Johnson opened his first restaurant on Sept. 11, 2001, in Fort Worth’s Cityview Center. COVID forced Johnson to pivot to curbside and takeout, but he has that in his background. Johnson put off proceeding with a couple of restaurants he was planning, so he could get a better perspective on available locations after closures caused by COVID-19. “COVID didn’t necessarily stop us, but the impact on so many other operations gave us pause. I’ve taken a wait-and-see position because there’s so many new areas that are available to us where I don’t have to hang a Vent-A-Hood or cut concrete.”
Richard King
Co-owner, general manager Ellerbe Fine Foods
Richard King started his career in restaurants as a busboy, then moved through front-of-house operations and management and into sales and consulting. In 2008, he and Chef Molly McCook opened Ellerbe Find Foods on Fort Worth Near Southside, promising best of fresh, seasonal, local food and wine. Ellerbe made Bon Appetit’s “10 Best New Restaurants.” Founding member, Fort Worth Food & Wine Festival, serves Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council. Bachelor’s, communications and business, TCU
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I am listening to an audiobook, Judgment of Paris, by George M. Taber. The only reporter present at the mythic Paris Tasting of 1976 — a blind tasting where a panel of esteemed French judges chose upstart California wines over France’s best. Steven Spurrier changed the course of American history with wine.”
Longtime restaurateur
Lou Lambert resurfaced on the Fort Worth deal scene in the last year with two purchases of old favorites — Roy Pope Grocery and Paris Coffee Shop — with partners. Reopened Roy Pope in May, with robust wine and beer shop, prepared foods and deli, premium meats, curated grocery, indoor and outdoor seating. At Paris Coffee Shop, group plans to keep much of the menu the same. Changes: seven-day-a-week hours, dinner service, Sunday brunch, light interior changes including turning back storage into private dining, eventual full-service bar. Lambert was chef at Reata when it opened in downtown Fort Worth. In 2006, he and partners opened Dutch’s Hamburgers at TCU; Lambert remains partner. More recently, founded Lou’s bodega, Austin. He and his sister are renovating a bed-and-breakfast near Mexico’s Cabo San Lucas.
Joe Lancarte Partner
Joe T. Garcia's
Joe T. Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant was established on July 4, 1935, by Joe T. Garcia and his wife. The sprawling restaurant and patio on Fort Worth’s North Side — and the enchilada and fajita dinners and pitchers of margaritas — are a staple of the city’s life. Today, the company is owned by the Garcias’ six grandchildren, including Joe Garcia. The restaurant started in a small space, and the family has added pieces over the years, including new patios, party rooms, and dining areas. Family management of the company became the subject of a lawsuit filed in 2019 by one of the grandchildren over transparency.
Tim Love CEO Love Style, Inc.
Chef Tim Love was geared up for a big expansion when COVID-19 hit. New restaurants include Gemele Restaurant, his take on Italian on Fort Worth’s West Side, and Atico Fort Worth, rooftop tapas bar in Stockyards. His Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, which Love calls launch pad for all else, turned 20 during COVID. Other concepts: Woodshed Smokehouse, Queenie’s Steakhouse, Love Shack, White Elephant Saloon. Love opened three restaurants in Houston’s long-delayed Levy Park project during COVID: Woodshed, Love Shack, Side Dough. Love’s festival business slammed. Chef for multiple major festivals including Austin Food & Wine, which he co-founded 2012. Love contributed to relief for sidelined restaurant workers and pitched President Trump on loosening rules for use of PPP loans. Causes include Burgers 4 Babies, for NICUs. Bachelor's, University of Tennessee
Mike
Micallef President Reata Restaurants
Mike Micallef has been president of family’s nonmanufacturing businesses since 2005: Reata Restaurants, Sierra La Rana development, Alpine, CF Ranch, Alpine. Micallef co-founder of Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation. Micallef skirmished with Sundance Square landlord over valet parking shutdown amid COVID. BBA, TCU; Certificate of Ranch Management, TCU
HOW I GIVE BACK: “At Reata, we recognized many fundraising programs were negatively affected by the pandemic. With a location downtown and very few rooftops in close proximity, we started having hot spots, where we would deliver pre-sold family meals to a location on a certain day at a certain time. We partnered with schools and charities; we would add $10 to the meal prices that would go to the charity. Reata has helped raise $62,166 for these groups” (as of mid-April).
Sean Murphy Vice president and GM Andrews Distributing
Andrews Distributing significantly increased its Fort Worth footprint in 2014, when it bought Coors Distributing Co. from McMillan family, and gained eight brewing partners in Tarrant and Johnson counties and over 3,000 retail accounts. Controls distribution of most major beers not named Bud in region. North Texas native Sean Murphy has worked in beer for over 32 years, managing Andrews’ South Texas operations. Moved to Fort Worth, 2018, to manage sales operations of Andrews’ new 530,000-square-foot distribution center, while continuing to oversee South Texas sales. BBA, marketing, University of North Texas
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I have been reminded that bad times can bring out the best in people. I give back through charitable giving of both time and money, as well as mentoring young men and women in our company.”
Scott McPherson President, CEO Core-Mark Holding Co.
Performance Food Group announced near our press time, it’s buying Westlake’s Core-Mark, one of the region’s Fortune 500 headquarters, expanding the company’s convenience store business and adding about $17 billion to net sales. PFG of Richmond, Virginia, which estimates it would be a $44 billion company after the transaction, will combine Core-Mark and its Eby-Brown unit into an expanded convenience store business that will retain the Core-Mark brand and will continue to be based in Westlake. McPherson will retain his role as president and CEO. Core-Mark one of largest marketers of food, fresh, and other supply solutions to convenience stores. Core-Mark serves 42,000 customer locations in the U.S. and Canada through 32 distribution centers, including one in Fort Worth that McPherson previously ran. Bachelor’s in business, Lewis & Clark College; MBA, University of Portland
Marcus Paslay
CEO
Clay Pigeon
The Fort Worth chef
Marcus Paslay debuted his newest restaurant — Provender Hall, a Texas brasserie — amid COVID-19 in 2020 in the Fort Worth Stockyards’ budding Mule Alley redevelopment. Provender Hall added to Paslay’s restaurant portfolio in the city. He is executive chef and owner of Piattello Italian Kitchen in the Waterside development and Clay Pigeon in Fort Worth’s Foundry District. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in New York in 2006, Paslay worked in some of best restaurants around the country, including preparing fresh seafood in Alaska, being part of the opening team of Four Seasons in Vail, butchering fresh meat and fish in Hawaii, preparing rustic American cuisine under awardwinning chef Gerard Thompson at Rough Creek Lodge in Glen Rose, creating molecular dishes under James Beard award-nominee chef Jason Franny at Canlis in Seattle.
Fritz Rahr Owner Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.
Fritz Rahr founded Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. in 2004 in Fort Worth, leaving a career in railroads and following a family brewing legacy. In more than 15 years, Rahr has grown its brewing capacity to 20,000 barrels per year from 2,000. The brewery has won over 90 national awards, including six Great American Beer Festival medals, and helped drive the growth of craft beers in Fort Worth. The early going was difficult; the brewery’s roof collapsed under the weight of snow one year. During COVID, the brewery sold cases of beer to the public out of its Near Southside parking lot.
Don Rea Partner The Meat Board
Don Rea, one of the partners in The Meat Board, a new and popular shop selling chops, seafood, and other provisions on Fort Worth’s West Side, has more than 50 years in food industry leadership posts. Was president, KPR Foods, L.P.; president and CEO, Foodbrands Foodservice Co.; group vice president, Tyson Prepared Foods. He later joined CTI Foods, a cooked meals producer, and served on the board until he retired in 2011.
Standard Meat Co. principal Billy Rosenthal helped establish KPR and CTI. Bachelor’s, animal science, Texas A&M. Endowed Don Rea '69 Excellence Fund and the Don Rea '69 Endowment Fund, A&M, to support grad students in animal science.
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “Camaraderie is what has helped to maintain our cherished Cowtown and what will be the backbone of its rebuilding.”
Becky Renfro Borbolla
Vice president, co-owner Renfro Foods, Inc.
Becky Renfro Borbolla, daughter of second-generation Renfro Foods co-owner Bill Renfro, who died this spring, is a third-generation leader in the privately owned family company. She works her cousin, Doug Renfro, and brother, James Renfro, in the company. Before working in oil and gas for nearly a decade, Borbolla earned Associate of Arts, Tarrant County College and Bachelor of Science, LeTourneau University. She joined Renfro Foods, 1985, and handles trade shows, freight, human resources, and export sales, expanding distribution to 50 states and several foreign markets. She appears as brand spokesperson, appearing in media demonstrating creative cooking with salsa. Co-founder and president of Women Steering Business, nonprofit that raises money to buy livestock from girl exhibitors during annual Junior Sale of Champions at the Fort Worth Stock Show.
Billy Rosenthal Chairman Standard Meat Co.
Billy Rosenthal’s career in meat, other foods spans decades, and he now works with son Ben Rosenthal and daughter Ashli Blumenfeld, next leaders of venerable Standard Meat. Supplies all 700 Outback Steakhouses, which named Standard “Purveyor of the Decade.” Bachelor’s, business, University of Texas at Austin
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Mentors are critical to success. They can help you avoid or overcome mistakes (and) amplify your wins. Your reputation is your responsibility. You have to actively manage it to get where you want to go. And don’t burn any bridges.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I’m so thankful for my wife and my family. It was extraordinary to watch my three children persevere at work and at home as they taught their children, worked incredibly hard, and continued to tirelessly help others.”
Doug
Renfro President Renfro Foods, Inc.
Doug Renfro works closely with his cousins, Becky Renfro Borbolla and James Renfro, to run the family-owned Renfro Foods. He has developed many of the Mrs. Renfro’s flavors. Son of second-generation owner Jack Renfro, started on factory floor as a teen, weighed spices through college. Graduated University of North Texas, worked seven years for EDS, became divisional finance manager. Earned MBA, SMU, returned to Renfro in 1992.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Find people who've been where you're trying to go, and do what it takes to hang out with them.” HOW I GIVE BACK: “I have given my time and opinions to nonprofits such as Casa Mañana, Tarrant Area Food Bank, BRIT. Our company supports MD Anderson, Cook Children’s Hospital, and many local organizations. I act as a mentor for people trying to enter the food and beverage space.”
Ashli Rosenthal Blumenfeld Co-president Standard Meat Co.
Ashli Blumenfeld was nurturing a New York career after college when she returned to Fort Worth and went to work in her family’s business, Standard Meat Co., with brother Ben Rosenthal and their dad, Billy Rosenthal. B.A., communication, business minor, Tulane
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “I would tell my teenage self the importance of being a learner and of being humble and curious. I’d remind her to get to know herself and make fully aware choices. I would tell her to dare greatly and thoughtfully challenge the status quo.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “Giving back is deeply ingrained in our family. Most recently, I joined the Tarrant Area Food Bank Board, and I also serve on the boards of the Fort Worth Zoo, Cook Children’s Health Foundation, and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.”
Greg Crouchley President Justin Brands
Greg Crouchley has the helm of the brand that dates to 1879, when H.J. Justin started a boot company from his home. In 2000, Berkshire Hathaway purchased the company. Justin’s lineup, including Justin, Tony Lama, Chippewa, and Nocona boots, is part of a bigger stable of footwear owned by Berkshire Hathaway Shoe Holdings. Justin continues to be based in Fort Worth. Justin and the Cowboy Channel entered a partnership earlier this year when Justin Boots was presenting sponsor of the Cowboy Channel's "Road to the Horse" broadcast and tailgate party in the Fort Worth Stockyards.
Tom Ferguson CEO AZZ, Inc.
Tom Ferguson, president and CEO since November 2013, won a contract extension in 2019 that takes him through October 2022. The Fort Worth-based AZZ (NYSE: AZZ, $1.35 billion market value) is a global provider of metal coatings and other solutions to various industries. Ferguson has been credited with the digitization of AZZ’s galvanizing business, transformation in the electrical segment, international expansion of the specialty welding business, and implementation of the business platform for AZZ’s Surface Technologies. Ferguson holds a bachelor’s in industrial distribution and technology from Texas A&M.
Dennis Knautz CEO Acme Brick Co.
A 38-year veteran with Acme Brick and CEO since 2005, Dennis Knautz has served the company in various roles. He has led, or participated in, every acquisition Acme has made, through which it’s seen brick capacity grow to almost 1.5 billion annually from 400 million. Knautz helped facilitate Berkshire Hathaway’s purchase of Acme parent Justin Industries in 2000 and worked to assimilate Acme into the Berkshire culture. BA, math; MBA, TCU.
HOW I GIVE BACK: “At a relatively late age in life, my wife and I chose to raise a child in our home, who had been in a broken home and was too young and vulnerable to understand. One day he will learn to recognize the opportunity that we gave to him, and perhaps he can pay it forward in some way.”
Sean Menke President and CEO Sabre Holdings
Sean Menke was promoted in December 2016 to president and CEO of Sabre Corp., leading technology provider at the center of worldwide travel and one of Tarrant County’s largest employers, with more than 7,500 employees globally. Menke joined Sabre in 2015 as president of Sabre Travel Network, the company’s largest line, which processes $120 billion of travel spending annually by connecting airlines, hotels, rental car companies, cruise lines, destinations and travel services to more than 425,000 travel agents and corporate travel managers. Menke is former CEO of Frontier Airlines and Pinnacle Airlines. Bachelor of Science, economics and aviation, The Ohio State University; MBA, University of Denver.
Prasad Reddy CEO Twisted X
Twisted X, a Decaturbased designer and maker of casual footwear, was on a continued growth streak and one of America’s fastest-growing companies when COVID-19 hit. “March 15, the lockdown was announced; that’s when it really hit us,” Prasad Reddy, the CEO, says. “Business was down 95% the first week. Eventually, it opened up slowly.” Reddy, a turnaround man, led a group that brought the company out of bankruptcy after its filing in 2008. The company, at $8 million in sales the year Reddy came aboard, turned in more than $80 million in sales in 2019. In addressing COVID, the company maintained its stance of not entering into competition with its 3,000 retailers, added extra staff to serve its accounts, granted extended payment terms to its retailers, boosted inventory, and kept its contract factories going.
Kenneth Shipley CEO Legacy Housing Corp.
Kenneth Shipley cofounded Legacy Housing Corp. in 2005, and the Bedford company (NASDAQ: LEGH, $460 million market value) is the fifth largest maker of manufactured homes in the U.S. The company offers homes ranging in size from 390 to 2,667 square feet and ranging in retail price between $22,000 and $140,000. Legacy manufactures at three plants, in Fort Worth, East Texas, and Georgia. Backlog remains strong, the company said in its recent quarterly securities filings.
Mitch Bettis Publisher Five Legged Stool LLC
Mitch Bettis is the new owner of 360 West, publisher of 360 West magazine. Bettis owns Arkansas Business Publishing Group, 26-yearold, award-winning digital marketing and media company and has said he intends to introduce a business product here. BA, Ouachita Baptist; MA, mass communication, Oklahoma State; Ed.D., Oklahoma State
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Surround yourself with smart people, and prioritize building a team. If you are the smartest person in the room, success will be limited.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “Lincoln on Leadership, by Donald Phillips. A great reminder that in seasons of great stress, honesty and integrity are always the best policies.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “Our company is in a unique position to partner with numerous nonprofit organizations; we take seriously our role in helping meet the needs of the most vulnerable.”
Deborah Ferguson Anchor
NBC5
Deborah Ferguson, coanchor of NBC 5’s “Today” weekday mornings, was highly visible in the community pre-COVID-19, emceeing charity galas. Earlier this year, she ran a live interview online with Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price as part of the mayor’s final State of the City address before she leaves office in June. Ferguson joined NBC 5 in 1991 after starting her journalism career as a reporter and anchor for WBAP Radio in Fort Worth. She has won a regional Edward R. Murrow Award and a Gracie Award for Outstanding Anchor – News presented by American Women in Radio and Television. Ferguson spends much of her time outside the newsroom at community and charitable events, particularly focused on empowering. One of her favorite projects: Foundation for the Young Women’s Leadership Academy of Fort Worth. Bachelor’s, broadcast journalism, TCU
Karen
Borta
Anchor CBS 11
Karen Borta is a veteran journalist who joined CBS 11 News in 1995. She previously was an anchor and reporter at the CBS affiliate WTVTTV in Tampa, Florida; KRBK-TV in Sacramento; and KCEN-TV in Waco. Borta has won numerous honors. In 2019, the Press Club of Dallas gave her a Legend of North Texas Journalism, the industry’s prestigious lifetime excellence award. Borta graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington. In 2003, Borta received UTA’s “Distinguished Alumni Service Award.” Borta has won multiple awards for her efforts to support the cause of finding a cure for breast cancer, as her mother, grandmothers, and numerous aunts and cousins have had breast cancer. Borta has also taken on the cause of finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes after her youngest child’s diagnosis in 2015.
Bud
Kennedy
Columnist, editorial board member
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Bud Kennedy, who covers everything from restaurants to politics in columns for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, grew up in Fort Worth and got his start in journalism covering high school football when he was 16. He worked for the Fort Worth Press and newspapers in Austin and Dallas, and then went to work for the Star-Telegram in 1981. He estimates he’s written thousands of columns on news, politics, and dining out. As he says, “If you don’t like what he says about politics, read him on barbecue.”
Richard Connor Publisher Fort Worth Business Press
Rich Connor’s Business Press, reliant pre-COVID on its special events business, had to adjust amid COVID-19. It pared frequency of its print publication to twice a month from weekly and beefed up its website. The company’s site acts as a news aggregator, and the Business Press drives value through publication of its daily electronic newsletter. Connor was Fort Worth Star-Telegram president and publisher from 1986 to 1997 and subsequently owned papers in Pennsylvania and Maine. He has owned the Business Press since 2010. Bachelor of Arts, English and political science, Hillsdale College
Victoria Wise CEO Tanglewood Moms
Victoria Wise’s media group, spawned by her influential Facebook group Tanglewood Moms, today includes Madeworthy Magazine, website, blog, social media. Bachelor’s, TCU
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I read Madame Forcade's Secret War in a book club. It's a nonfiction book about the largest spy network in France during WWII. Two characters stand out: Marie Madeleine and Jeannie Rousseau. Without the work of these two incredibly courageous women, D-Day, and possibly the outcome of the entire war, would likely have turned out very differently.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “Heart Work, a racial justice group I help co-lead, has partnered with T.A. Sims Elementary School, and I read with a first grader via Google every other week. We helped raised over $13,000 for school supplies this year. I also dedicate time to Lone Star Film Festival, where I am a board member.”
Robbie Baker Owner RLB Sales and Leasing
Robbie Baker is a car guy, so it’s no surprise that auto sales and leasing are what he does for a living. Baker is one of the area’s auto brokers, carrying an inventory of late model luxury autos and some vintage you can drive with right away. If you’ve got something more specific you want that he doesn’t have, he invites you to use the “Find Me a Car” tool on his website. RLB has been in business in Fort Worth for 30 years, and many of the vehicles he offers are current year, with a few thousand miles or less. Baker has an impressive car collection that starts with Oldsmobile, which goes back to the dream car of his teen years, the 1977 Olds Cutlass S. Baker currently owns a few dozen classics.
Will Churchill Co-owner Frank Kent Cadilac
Will Churchill and his twin sister, Corrie Watson (see Real Estate), have plenty on their plates. Their holdings include Cadillac dealerships in Fort Worth and Arlington; a dealership in Corsicana selling Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, and Buick; Cadillac Wines; Fort Brewery & Pizza brewpub; an interest in Heim BBQ restaurants; Grease Monkey rubs; a website selling grills; and a portfolio of real estate holdings. Churchill and Watson also took the lead on developing Frank Kent’s Dream Park, a park accessible to children of all abilities, that opened in Fort Worth’s Trinity Park. Churchill and Watson in recent years took the proceeds they received from selling a Honda dealership and a piece of property downtown and reinvested them in property on the Near Southside, opening up the popular West Magnolia Avenue, for one, to tenants such as Melt Ice Creams and Heim.
Tom Durant CEO Classic Chevrolet
Tom Durant, in the car business for nearly 50 years, is handing off control of his Classic Chevrolet to son Bently. Tom Durant, brother of auto dealer Jerry Durant, bought Durant Chevrolet from their father after graduating from Texas Tech in 1972. Sixteen years later, he expanded the business, buying a Chevy dealership in downtown Fort Worth. He renamed the dealership Classic Chevrolet, today in Grapevine and the nation’s No. 1 Chevrolet and GM dealer. The Durant family got into the auto business after Julian Durant — father of Tom and Jerry — founded a construction company and wrecking yard and later bought the local Chevy dealer out. The brothers readily admit they are competitive. In 1992, Tom Durant decided to move the Chevy dealership to Grapevine. "Chevrolet told me I could build a 2.9-acre, 20,000-square-foot facility. Instead, I built a 45,000-square-foot facility on 11 acres."
Hernandez CEO
D&M Leasing
Mike Hernandez is now more than 30 years at the helm of D&M Leasing, an auto leasing business he supposed was a stopping point en route to something else. The firm today has offices in Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Dallas, and Houston, a used car operation, and a finance arm. During COVID-19, it moved most of its employees to working via remote. Hernandez has been stepping away from the business in recent years to give more control of it to his stepsons, Cody Kennemer and Chase Kennemer, and spend time with charitable endeavors.
Jerry Durant CEO
Jerry Durant Auto Group
Jerry Durant started working in the automobile business at his father's wrecking yard and later Durant Chevrolet in Granbury, which his father bought in 1960. After graduating from North Texas State University, Jerry Durant opened Jerry's Chevrolet in Weatherford when he was 22. Today, the Jerry Durant Auto Group covers 50 acres in Weatherford and sells Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hyundai, and Toyota. Durant gives generously to the Weatherford community and has won several local awards, including Weatherford Citizen of the Year, the James Doss Award, and the Weatherford College Carlos Hartnett Award. Durant also owns racing horses and cutting horses. He estimates he has earned more than $2 million from cutting horses, including the 2007 NCHA Futurity Open Reserve Championship won by Bubba Matlock and Durant's stallion Desires Little Rex.
Jason Hiley President Hiley Automotive Group
Randy Hiley started his career in cars in 1967 in Fort Worth, working for Charlie Hilliard. After 14 years, he went out on his own and opened Hiley Mazda and Volkswagen dealerships in Arlington. Today, Hiley’s sons Jason and Matt run the company and have led an aggressive expansion. The company bought Hiley Mazda of Hurst in 2003; acquired Mazda, Volkswagen, and Audi dealerships in Huntsville, Alabama, in 2009; opened Hiley Buick GMC in Fort Worth in 2010; purchased a Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and RAM dealership in Ada, Oklahoma, in 2014; opened a Hyundai dealership in Burleson in 2015; bought a Hyundai dealership in Fort Worth from Frank Kent in 2018; and rapidly, after that, bought Mac Churchill Acura in north Fort Worth, bought AutoNation Mazda in Fort Worth, and completed construction of a Mazda dealership in Burleson.
Marie Holliday
Owner
Flowers to Go, Marie Antoinette Parfumerie
Dr. Marie Holliday, one of Sundance Square’s longest-running retail tenants, closed her Marie Antoinette Parfumerie across from the Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel in November and took the business online. She’s kept her Flowers to Go operation and dentistry at Sundance Square but has been critical of management changes at Sundance Square and how the organization has responded to COVID-19. Holliday opened the perfume shop 29 years earlier at Sundance Square, and the flower shop 15 years ago. Holliday is an ex officio member of the Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. board. Bachelor’s, Boston University; DDS, Tufts
Robert Howard President Don Davis Auto Group
The Don Davis Auto Group has been under Robert Howard’s direction for 25 years. He started his Don Davis career in 1985 when he graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington. UTA has since recognized Howard as a distinguished alumnus. Don Davis has four Tarrant County locations. For years, Don Davis has participated in the Santa’s Helpers toy drive, hosting drop-off centers and donating nearly $100,000 each season.
Marcelle LeBlanc CEO The Velvet Box
Marcelle LeBlanc founded The Velvet Box — an upscale adult boutique selling toys, lingerie, games, books, and other items — in 2009 in Fort Worth. Sued out of her first leased location by the landlord, LeBlanc today has five stores, runs a series of well-received classes taught by sex educators, and is routinely sought out as a donor of gift baskets for charity fundraisers. LeBlanc started working in the adult business 25 years ago after graduating Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a bachelor’s in horticulture. LeBlanc worked as a DVD buyer, and in DVD production, DVD and toy sales, and chain operations. She went out on her own to create an “upscale, compassionate retail experience.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I absolutely love to travel — the further afield, the better. So, it was a welcome surprise to learn how much I like staying home.”
Jonathan Morris
CEO
Fort Worth Barber Shop
Jonathan Morris launched his Fort Worth Barber Shop in 2014 on a mission to reinvent the men’s experience in Fort Worth. Morris is testing his chops further. He and a partner are developing the 21-room Hotel Dryce in the Cultural District. Morris this year also launched a TV series called “SelfEmployed” on the new Magnolia Network, in which he interviews other entrepreneurs.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “It may not go the way you planned, but you'll get there in time.”
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “Righteous Foods' new Eat Fajitas offerings have come in clutch on many occasions. The tortillas are always perfect, and the to-go margaritas are a plus too.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “It was a cookbook. It was a recipe.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “How to use my kitchen to its full extent.”
Vince Puente, Sr. President, sales and
marketing Southwest Office Systems
Vince Puente and his brother, Buddy Puente, are second-generation owners of the firm their dad started. More than $15 million annual revenue, with 52 employees. Puente, University of Texas at Arlington graduate, started at SOS in 1972 as a driver. Within a year, he moved into sales. Puente created the “SOS” brand.
HOW I GIVE BACK: “Mona and I are very aggressive in our charitable giving. In addition, we designed and built our house to share with others. That may be for missionaries needing a temporary place to live or hosting as many as 1,000 people per year for events ranging from Christian organizations, to proms for kids [whose] prom was canceled, to providing a venue for various conservative candidates to meet people. We also reach out to a diverse group of people by hosting a dance each month in which we raise money for Alzheimer's Association.”
George E. Sherman was named CEO of GameStop in April 2019. He has more than 25 years in senior management at major retail brands like Advance Auto Parts, Best Buy, Target, and Home Depot. Prior to joining GameStop, Sherman served as CEO of Victra, the largest exclusive authorized retailer for Verizon Wireless products and services. GameStop has been at the center this year of volatile trading of its shares (NYSE: GME), triggered by touts in the online Reddit forum. The stock, which traded at $17 at the year’s start, surged to nearly $350 and is still trading at $180. The television show “Saturday Night Live” lampooned the company as a failing business. Sherman received his master’s degree from Central Michigan University and served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force for nearly seven years.
Congratulations Leah King, President and CEO of United Way of Tarrant County, for being named one of the 400 Most Influential People in Fort Worth! Thank you for your kind and compassionate leadership.
With its rebellious and relentless drive toward uncompromised innovations in comfort and sustainability, Twisted X® creates footwear for the casual, western, work, and outdoor markets, while honoring its western heritage.
Prasad Reddy is honored to be named among this year’s 400 Most Influential People in Fort Worth.
COVID-19 taxed nonprofits and foundations like no other year in memory. Hunger, shelter, employment, financial assistance, mental well-being, and child care were among causes that saw skyrocketing demand. But the year also produced numerous lasting collaborations among nonprofits and funders.
Neils Agather Executive director
The Burnett Foundation
One of The Burnett Foundation’s newest highprofile grants is $1.2 million over two years to seed this spring’s launch of the new Fort Worth Report nonprofit digital newspaper. Neils Agather has stewardship of the Fort Worth-based foundation, created in 1978 with $200 million in assets by Anne Burnett Tandy to support a range of projects. Tandy’s daughter, Anne Windfohr Marion, was president when she died last year. The foundation makes grants in arts and humanities, education, community affairs, and health and human services, chiefly in its Fort Worth home. The foundation also makes grants in New Mexico. Marion founded Georgia O’Keefe Museum in Santa Fe. Agather is married to longtime banker Elaine Agather, co-chair of Mayor Betsy Price's Fort Worth Now tasked with helping Fort Worth business rebuild from COVID and find new opportunity.
Pete Geren President Sid Richardson Foundation
Pete Geren has been president and CEO of the Sid Richardson Foundation since 2011, overseeing grants in support of educational, health, human services, and cultural programs and projects that serve Texans. The foundation, named after the legendary oil wildcatter Sid Richardson, gave gifts of $31.7 million for 2016-17. The Richardson is one of 20 initial major backers of North Texas Cares, an initiative launched during COVID-19 to identify emergency needs. A University of Texaseducated lawyer, Geren won a special election to fill the House seat of former Speaker Jim Wright in 1989. He served four terms and returned to Fort Worth. He returned to Washington in September 2001 as special assistant to the defense secretary and later served as acting Air Force secretary and 20th Army secretary.
Rose Bradshaw CEO North Texas Community Foundation
Rose Bradshaw, who took over as CEO in 2017, moved quickly to put the North Texas Community Foundation at the center of efforts to identify and fund emergency needs related to COVID. Foundation made $27 million in grants, 2019, and has $382 million in assets. BA, Loyola University, Mundelein College for Women
HOW I GIVE BACK: “For me, it's all about ‘follow the leader.’ Our community is incredibly fortunate to have strong, smart, solutionsfocused executives leading our major nonprofit organizations. When I have the opportunity to visit with them about the challenges they face, I try to listen hard for the thing they need most. Often, it's enough money to get the job done. Sometimes they need a sounding board for a new idea; other times, it's an introduction. We all have a variety of resources at our disposal that can be helpful to others.”
Grant Coates CEO
The Miles Foundation
Grant Coates has been connected to the Miles Foundation for years, joining namesake Ellison Miles’ oil and gas business in 2001 in finance. Coates became president in 2011. The foundation gives more than $20 million in grants since 1999. Its focus meshes with big Fort Worth themes: early childhood education, family engagement, third-grade literacy, leadership development, and quality schools. The foundation backed the startup of the Best Place for Working Parents initiative with Mayor Betsy Price. During COVID, it has supported creation of web tools matching companies that are hiring with ones that laid people off and identifying open child care slots for essential workers. Coates earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of North Texas and an MBA from TCU.
Mike Groomer CEO Event Facilities Fort Worth
Mike Groomer, a longtime local government executive, is CEO of a quiet nonprofit, Event Facilities Fort Worth, which has backed capital projects for years that benefit the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, its home at the Will Rogers Memorial Center, and the construction of Dickies Arena. Event Facilities is chaired by Ed Bass, longtime proponent and backer of the multipurpose arena. After the Bass family agreed to cap the public’s half of the new arena, the job of raising the rest of the money fell to Event Facilities. Groomer joined Event Facilities in 2008 as CEO. He formerly was a Fort Worth assistant city manager and city manager in Haltom City and White Settlement. BA, University of Texas at Arlington.
Todd M. Morris Liles Executive director Morris Foundation
Todd Liles, son of Morris Foundation founders Jack and Linda Morris, is positioning the foundation to have greater impact in creating new pathways in education, health care, and social services for Fort Worth’s most vulnerable. The foundation deploys subject matter experts who provide leadership, consulting, and program development. The foundation’s head of education giving, Elizabeth Brands, also is executive director of Read Fort Worth, the umbrella initiative launched to attack Fort Worth’s low third-grade literacy levels. Liles holds a BA from Austin College and MBA from Vanderbilt University.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Know and embrace yourself. Create a life from within. Live without fear. Be bold and take chances.”
SOMETHING I LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “Connection is everything.”
Laura McWhorter President Texas Health Resources Foundation
Laura McWhorter is new president of the Texas Health Resources Foundation, moving over from the North Texas Community Foundation, where she was chief philanthropy officer. McWhorter spent 22 years earlier in her career at Texas Health, where she secured the lead gift from the Jane & John Justin Foundation in the early phase of the philanthropic campaign for the new Jane & John Justin Tower at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. The tower is expected to open in 2022.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “I would tell my 18-year-old self that sometimes the best path is not the one that you had planned for yourself. You do not have to have everything figured out, because there is much that you will learn through experience and following opportunities that come your way.”
John Robinson
Chairman
Amon G. Carter Foundaiton
John Robinson is the longtime grant administrator at the Amon Carter Foundation, established in 1945 by the businessman Amon G. Carter and his wife, Nenetta Burton Carter. The foundation supports work in art and culture, civic and public affairs, education, health, and human services. As of Dec. 31, the foundation had made charitable gifts totaling over $718 million. For the five years through 2019, the foundation made $155.89 million in grants, 41% to the Amon Carter Museum. A lifelong resident of Fort Worth, Robinson graduated magna cum laude from TCU with a BBA in accounting. He became a CPA and worked for an international public accounting firm before joining the Carter Foundation as controller in 1980. In 1997, he was named executive vice president and assumed responsibility for all grant-making activity.
Foundations
Todd Rainwater Director Rainwater Charitable Foundation
Todd Rainwater is chair of the Rainwater Charitable Foundation, founded in 1991 by Rainwater’s father, the investor Richard Rainwater, to improve the lives of children in the U.S. Richard Rainwater died in 2015 of neurodegenerative disease. Rainwater, before he died, set the foundation down a path of investing millions to find a cure. Last year, the foundation and Alzheimer’s Association announced they teamed up again to fund drug discovery research. As COVID-19 broke out, Rainwater signed onto North Texas Cares, a collaboration to identify and fund emergency needs. The foundation also is the lead backer of the new Fort Worth college readiness initiative Tarrant To & Through Partnership, focused on high school students preparing for college.
John V. Roach Chairman
The Roach Foundation
John Roach was longtime CEO of Tandy Corp./ RadioShack, and he built a legacy at TCU, where he was board chair. 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 into place across campus. At Tandy, Roach launched the national Tandy Technology Scholars program, which rewarded teachers and students. Roach consistently set TCU’s agenda for conservative fiscal management. During his tenure, the endowment more than doubled to about $1 billion. Roach and wife Jean Roach direct charitable giving through their family foundation.
John P. Ryan Jr.
Chairman
Thomas M., Helen McKee, and John P. Ryan Foundation
John P. Ryan, Jr. is the son of the businessman John P. Ryan, who cofounded the Ryan Foundation in 1983 with his mother Helen McKee Ryan. The foundation makes grants in health care, human and social services, education, children’s services, and the arts. As of December 2019, the foundation reported it had $120 million in assets and had made $75 million in grants since inception. The foundation received its initial funding from the estate of Helen Ryan upon her death in 1983. It received additional funding from John Ryan during his lifetime and from his estate upon his death in 2003. The foundation is among a coalition of nonprofits that is building a $4.7 million permanent supportive housing project in West Fort Worth.
Jeremy
Smith
President Rainwater Charitable Foundation
Jeremy Smith joined the Rainwater Foundation in 2009. He directs the foundation’s giving in K-12 education, medical research, and education-related gifts in India and East Africa. Prior to Rainwater, Smith worked in management consulting for four years, first with McKinsey & Co., serving clients in consumer-packaged goods, technology, and health care, and later as an associate director with DenuoSource LLC, primarily in marketing and organizational design. Fluent in Spanish and proficient in Chinese, Smith has an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Arkansas. During college, he spent one year teaching in an elementary classroom and received a Distinguished Teacher of the Year award.
Vanessa Barker Director
The Welman Project
Fort Worth native Vanessa Barker came up with the idea for The Welman Project when she was working as a project manager for New York Fashion Week and 25 pounds of instant snow powder got scrapped. Barker arranged a donation to a school. Back home in Fort Worth in 2016, Barker and childhood friend Taylor Willis started The Welman Project, collecting donations of everything from art supplies to containers and finding new homes in classrooms. Recently moved to new location, West Fort Worth. Bachelor’s, Emerson College, Boston
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ “I'm reading Wild Things: Over 100 Magical Outdoor Adventures with my first grader. It's a book full of open-ended play projects to do outside. It's a nice escape to read this book together and bookmark all the adventures and creations we're going to do the next day.”
David Cox CEO
Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth
David Cox has been president and CEO of Goodwill in Fort Worth since 2013. Cox views the calling of his work as providing disabled and disadvantaged individuals with the “open door of opportunity” so they may achieve maximum independence. Cox holds degrees in PR/ advertising and studio art from Texas Wesleyan University
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Go after every opportunity and don’t hold back.”
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: Costa Vida in Colleyville
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “The key takeaway from the last book I read, Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek, is ‘so goes the culture, so goes the company.’”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “To put more focus on the things that really matter in life, such as family and friendships.”
Julie Butner President and CEO Tarrant Area Food Bank
Julie Butner took the new post as CEO of the Tarrant Area Food Bank in January last year and was almost immediately thrust into the COVID-19 pandemic. As demand doubled, the Food Bank dramatically increased deliveries to its 300 community partners in 13 counties and collaborated with public schools on drive-through centers. Butner was a U.S. Army captain during Operation Desert Storm. BS, nutrition and coordinated dietetics, TCU; MS, Food Systems Management, University of Oklahoma
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “Bonnell’s, Taste Project, Tavern”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ “I love books that challenge me. I am currently reading Beloved by Toni Morrison. It is a difficult, emotional read and is giving me a harsh perspective to contemplate.”
Ashley Elgin CEO
Lena Pope
Ashley Elgin took over last year as CEO of Lena Pope, a long-recognized Fort Worth early childhood learning nonprofit. Elgin has been in youth and family advocacy, prevention, and early intervention for 30 years. Before Lena Pope, she worked for the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, Genesis Women’s Shelter, and SafeHaven of Tarrant County. Elgin holds a Ph.D. in counseling from the University of North Texas
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “I would recommend taking time to enjoy every phase of life and the unique experiences that are presented as one ages. As a young person, it is important to be goal-oriented and driven but not at the expense of a rich, varied, and full life.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “COVID taught me that we are strong, caring, connected and resilient, and that adversity often draws these qualities out in people.”
Wayne Carson CEO ACH Child and Family Services
Educated as a civil engineer at the University of Missouri-Rolla, Wayne Carson worked for three years as an engineer but switched to social work so he could work with kids in need of families. Carson started working for the All Church Home in Fort Worth — now ACH — more than 30 years ago. He took over as CEO in June 2000 and subsequently completed his Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Arlington. ACH’s big portfolio expanded last year when it assumed case management responsibilities from Child Protective Services in the region for all children in substitute care.
Bruce Frankel led the Day Resource Center for Homeless, now DRC, through a 2015 repositioning that turned it into a housingfirst strategist in seeking solutions to homelessness. DRC staff assists people in securing housing. DRC is housing navigator for Tarrant County Homeless Coalition and provides on-site case management for The Palm Tree Apartments, a privately-owned permanent supportive housing property. It will provide the same services for another project under construction near River Oaks. BS, psychology, zoology, University of California-Davis; Masters Certificate, UC-Davis
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ The Brothers Mankiewicz: Hope, Heartbreak, and Hollywood Classics. “I learned that I was born 50 years too late. Hollywood and the new studio systems in the ‘20s-‘30s was an amazingly passionate, creative free-wheeling place to be.”
Elliot Goldman Publisher Greatest
Gift Catalog Ever
Elliot Goldman’s business portfolio includes Liberty Bags and Carmel Towel, major niche players in promotional bags, and Lily Pad Properties, which specializes in college-town multifamily properties. Besieged at home one holiday season by mail-order catalogs, he came up with the idea for a nonprofit gift catalog that offers a curated array of charities that get to pitch to prospective donors. Goldman was elected to the Westover Hills Town Council in 2012. He has a BBA in finance from the University of Texas at Austin. At 20, he worked for Vice President Dan Quayle in the White House and, later, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Just because everyone is doing it doesn't mean it's wrong.”
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: Bonnell's WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “Too busy trying to manage the pandemic.”
Mark Melson President and CEO
The Gladney Center of Fort Worth
Mark Melson joined Gladney in 2008 as chief development officer and became chief operating officer before being named president and CEO in 2018. Melson holds a BBA and MBA from the University of North Texas. Before joining Gladney, Melson was director of finance and gift planning for Harris Methodist Health Foundation and as chief development officer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Follow your own path, and don't be afraid to take chances.”
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: Baja Cantina in North Richland Hills. “Close, inexpensive, and good.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “How much I missed spending quality time with my family. I have one child heading to college next year, and this ‘home’ time has been an amazing gift.”
Carla Jutson President and CEO Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County
Carla Jutson has been president and CEO of Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County since 1974. Demand doubled during COVID, with the pandemic’s spread and resulting shelter-in-place orders, and Meals on Wheels doubled the number of meals it provided with its usual daily dropoffs. BS, Special Education, University of Texas at Arlington
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Don't take yourself so seriously.”
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: El Primo in Mansfield
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I like inspirational books. What I love is that we are all much stronger and wiser than we give ourselves credit for.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “What seemed impossible has been made possible with everyone working together.”
Toby Owen CEO
Presbyterian Night Shelter
Toby Owen has been executive director since 2009. Has overseen continued expansion of facility and services, stretched by COVID. The Clean Slate employment program offers jobs for residents in janitorial, staffing, and litter cleanup. BA, Oklahoma Baptist; MS, social work, University of Texas at Arlington; MA, church and community ministry, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “Because of the stress of COVID-19, I've spent my reading time on a variety of fiction rather than work-related books. My favorite author is John Steinbeck, so his books have been a great escape.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I always knew this, but the staff of the Presbyterian Night Shelter have been amazing. Their selflessness during this difficult time has been inspiring and much appreciated.”
Leah King
CEO
United Way of Tarrant County
Leah King was promoted to president and CEO of the United Way of Tarrant County in 2019, moving up from COO. With COVID, North Texas’ United Ways were thrust immediately into regional efforts to identify and fund emergency needs through North Texas Cares initiative. King began her career in North Carolina as a salesperson and store manager, RadioShack. She subsequently held posts at Chesapeake Energy Corp., Holland Services, and Northstar Bank, before she was hired by the United Way of Tarrant County as senior vice president of development.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “The Year of Yes. How rewarding it can be to push yourself beyond your comfort zone and dream bigger.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “Just because you can work 24/7 doesn't mean you should.”
Cheraya Peña Director Best Place for Kids
Cheraya Pena stepped down from her post earlier this year as director of the Best Place for Kids and Best Place for Working Parents initiatives to spend time with her two young children. Best Place, a public-private partnership, highlights and honors workplaces in the region for best practices. Pena owns Spotlight Communication Strategies, LLC. She formerly was press secretary for the Fort Worth mayor and Council. BS, communication studies, TCU.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “All the Presidents’ Spokesmen sheds light into the historical role of public spokespeople and the intricacies of explaining policy and attitudes on behalf of administrations. I'm even more convinced that for any nation to remain strong, an educated populous and long memories are required.”
Don Shisler President and CEO Union Gospel Mission
Don Shisler got his start at Union Gospel Mission in 1993 and became CEO in 1995. Is in organization’s second strategic plan, and this spring disclosed plans for mission’s second affordable housing development on its East Lancaster Avenue complex. In June, is dedicating the first, The Vineyard on Lancaster.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Take advantage of all the life experiences you can. Volunteer more and have meaningful interactions with anyone you can.”
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “Our two go-to places were Chick-Fil-A and, of course, Joe T. Garcia’s.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I enjoyed being at home and taking the time to brainstorm and create new ideas.”
HOW I GIVE BACK “I find it very fulfilling to be able to assist an individual’s needs with whatever difficulties they may be facing.”
Clint Weber President Advancement Foundation, Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth
Clint Weber started his new job in March last year as executive director of the Advancement Foundation for the Diocese of Fort Worth, just as the pandemic hit. The foundation is a nonprofit partner whose mission is to raise awareness among parishioners of the importance of supporting the Diocese. The Foundation supports parishes, schools, ministries, and other needs in the Diocese. Weber holds a bachelor’s in history from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Texas Christian University. He previously worked as an analyst at Corbett Capital and president and CEO of Gruene Anolyte, a Fort Worth biotech.
Beckie Wach
Executive director of J.E. and L.E Mabee Service Center in Fort Worth Salvation Army of North Texas
Beckie Wach became executive director of the Salvation Army Fort Worth in 2007. Previously budget/finance manager, Dallas. BS, management/psychology, Dallas Baptist
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: Lettuce Cook
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “Something Needs to Change by David Platt is a gripping read. Drives home that we are all called to stand up and make a difference.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “We are more resilient than we realized and can ‘pivot’ when we need to.”
HOW I GIVE BACK “Volunteer with nonprofits that focus on social justice initiatives. Everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities. I always look to associate myself with agencies who aim to open the doors of access and opportunity for everyone, particularly those in greatest need.”
Dante Williams
Executive director
Community Frontline
Dante Williams is cofounder of CommUnity Frontline, a nonprofit that aims to engage men in volunteer work, mentoring of youth, advocacy, and conversations about cultural issues like police accountability. The organization seeks to provide opportunities for police to serve in neighborhoods, for events like community cleanups, movie nights. Williams serves on Fort Worth Human Relations Commission. By day, Williams owns DIG Contracting, a commercial contractor. Williams graduated Dunbar High School, Fort Worth. Bachelor’s, construction science, Prairie View A&M University
BEST PLACE FOR COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “Chef Ches' Kitchen and Black Coffee, both located on the East Side.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID “COVID taught me that we are distracted from some of the real problems our city and country need to address.”
Kara Waddell Executive director Child Care Associates
Kara Waddell joined Child Care Associates in 2014 and has led in creating what it calls “the finest possible earning learning system” for families and children in need. During the early stages of COVID-19, she led a coalition in quickly developing a web tool called FIND! Child Care, aimed at connecting essential workers with open child care slots. Proficient in Mandarin, lived in China 12 years. Bachelor’s, Duke University; Master of Public Administration, Harvard
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ “I just wrapped up Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee, the follow-up novel to To Kill a Mockingbird. I loved a peek into Scout grown up but also the chance to see the Atticus through the lens of a grown daughter. I think a lot of us these days are rethinking our understanding and experiences of race; this novel explores Scout revisiting a town and family she thought she knew.”
Taylor Willis Director
The Welman Project
With close friend
Vanessa Barker, Willis co-founded The Welman Project in 2016 in Fort Worth, aiming to collect donations of everything from art supplies to containers, find those items new homes with teachers and classrooms, and ease pressure on the landfill. The Welman Project recently moved to a new location on Fort Worth’s West Side.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Just wait, Fort Worth actually becomes the coolest place to live by the time you’re in your 30s.”
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: King Tut HOW I GIVE BACK “Fort Worth nonprofits work so beautifully together and really show up to support each other, too. I know how much it means to have our friends from other organizations use their limited time to give us advice, fill a volunteer slot, or even just show up for an event, so I do the same as much as possible.”
COVID-19 shut down the numerous annual fundraising galas that raise millions annually for Fort Worth charities, forcing nonprofits to find new ways to reach out to the city’s generous philanthropists.
Larry Anfin Principal K&L Ventures
Larry Anfin and wife Karen are ubiquitous, serving on numerous boards and — preCOVID-19 — highly visible at fundraisers and other community events. Anfin is a grandson of the late John McMillan, who cofounded Coors Distributing Company of Fort Worth and ran it until he died in 2001. The Anfin family — Larry, who worked at the company from 1974 to 2014, and his three brothers — sold the company to Andrews Distributing Co. in 2014. By his estimation, Anfin serves on 22 community boards.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Learn from others. It's OK to not have all the answers.”
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: Del Frisco's LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I do not like Zoom meetings.”
Ramona Bass, wife of Lee Bass, is longtime co-chair of the Fort Worth Zoo board and one of the country’s most noted supporters of conservation. Bass led creation of the zoo’s most popular Texas Wild! area in 2001. In 1993, she and her husband founded the Lee and Ramona Bass Foundation to award grants for Texas education, community programs and projects for arts and entertainment; and national and regional conservation, education and research. The foundation had $58.3 million in net assets as of 2019. Grants and gifts paid during 2019, or approved for future payment, according to a federal filing, include the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art; Fort Worth Art Association Endowment Foundation, for the Modern Art Museum; The International Rhino Foundation; Parks and Wildlife Foundation of Texas; The Peregrine Fund; San Antonio River Foundation; University of Texas at Austin; U.S. Department of Agriculture; and Vanderbilt University.
Anne T. Bass
Anne T. Bass and husband Robert Bass direct their philanthropy through their Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Foundation, which had $85 million in net assets at the end of 2018, most recent year for which information is available. DFW grant and contribution recipients paid during the year or approved for future payment include AIDS Outreach Center, Fort Worth; The Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Fund; AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas; Boys & Girls Clubs, Fort Worth; Brite Divinity School; Center for Transforming Lives; DRC; Fort Worth Museum of Science and History; Fort Worth Youth Orchestra; Gill Children’s Services; Goodwill Industries North Central Texas; James L. West Alzheimer’s Center; Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County; North Central Texas Academy; Presbyterian Night Shelter; SafeHaven of Tarrant County; Saving Hope Foundation; Texas Ballet Theater; Texas Health Resources; The Salvation Army; and The Warm Place.
Cancer and adoptions remain big volunteer passions of Joan Katz. A three-time survivor who spearheaded the establishment of the Joan Katz Cancer Research Center in 2010 at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center, Katz is a member of the executive committee and survivor focus group. In 1992, Katz co-founded the Susan G. Komen Tarrant County affiliate and Race for the Cure. She is a member of the board and strategic planning and governance committees. Katz and her husband, Howard, are adoptive parents. In 1997, Howard Katz started The Gladney Cup fundraiser benefiting The Gladney Center for Adoption.
Mercedes Bass Chairman Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Mercedes Bass, former wife of Sid Bass, is chair of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra board, which this winter completed a search for a new music director to replace Miguel Harth-Bedoya, who retired from the orchestra after 20 years. Bass in February announced the hiring of Robert Spano to become music director. Spano became music director designate starting April and will assume the title of music director on Aug. 1, 2022.
Olivia Kearney has long been connected to various Fort Worth charities. One of her favorites is Jewel Charity and its beneficiary, Cook Children’s. Kearney is a committee member for the Fourth Annual Jewel Charity Invitational this fall. She also is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Fort Worth.
Marsha Kleinheinz
Marsha Kleinheinz and her husband, John, direct their giving through their Kleinheinz Family Foundation for the Arts and Education. Major gifts in 2018, the most recent year for which information was available, included: $2.1 million to Stanford University (John Kleinheinz alma mater); $876,000 to Idea Public Schools in Fort Worth; $837,300 to Uplift Education in Fort Worth; $550,000 to the Fort Worth Zoo; $200,000 apiece to the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, and Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; $171,766 to Lena Pope; $120,000 to the Van Cliburn Foundation; $75,000 to Performing Arts Fort Worth, owner and operator of Bass Hall; $75,000 to Teach for America; and $75,000 to the Texas Tribune.
Marty Leonard was introduced to golf at age 3 by her father, Marvin Leonard, who founded 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 and Tech Center in the city. She’s a longtime supporter of Lena Pope, serving on the Lena Pope, Baylor Scott & White All Saints Foundation, and Kids Who Care boards. She is vice president of the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) board, having been first elected in 2006. She and fellow board member Leah King made up the two-person search committee that headed up TRWD’s search for a new general manager. The TRWD on May 18 announced it hired Dan Buhman as the agency’s seventh general manager in its 100-year history, replacing Jim Oliver. Leonard is a graduate of SMU.
Kit Moncrief is a familiar figure in the North Texas philanthropic community. She and husband Charlie, who died in January, have supported a number of causes. Moncrief co-founded the Saving Hope Foundation, an organization that aims to end animal abuse and neglect through advocacy, education, and spay-neuter programs. President, National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame; co-chair, Fort Worth Zoological Association; first woman vice-chair, TCU board; past-president and current vice president, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Foundation; vice president, Moncrief Cancer Foundation; board member, UT Southwestern Moncrief Cancer Institute, Brown Lupton Foundation, Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I really appreciate my friends and family more. And, I learned how to Zoom!”
Rosie Moncrief, Fort Worth’s former “first lady,” devotes her time to issues involving children, senior citizens, health care, and human trafficking. Recent board memberships include Community Hospice, The First Tee of Fort Worth, Cancer Care Services, Doris Kupferle Women’s Health Advisory Board of Harris Methodist Health Systems, Fort Worth Promotion Development Fund, and Happy Hill Farm. Moncrief also working on reducing the high incidence of cancer in our firefighters.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Your future rests on trust, integrity, and respect. Make sure your moral compass points N.”
SOMETHING I LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “We are more resilient than we ever knew.”
HOW I GIVE BACK “Quietly sharing resources with those in need.”
Louella Martin
Lou Martin and her husband, Nick, who died Jan. 1, have lavished gifts on numerous local organizations, including Texas Wesleyan University and Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center. Martin serves on the Texas Wesleyan, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra boards. She was Jewel Charity Ball 2020 president and served on the Jewel Charity Invitational 2020 for Cook Children’s.
Kelsey Patterson, wife of TCU Football Coach Gary Patterson, works to strengthen local public education. Through the Gary Patterson Foundation, founded to help the city’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods, she has raised substantial funds and awareness for struggling schools. Patterson is a founding board member of Saving Hope, which teaches and encourages safe and kind interactions with animals. Patterson’s most recent project — The Big Good — launched last fall, bringing together Gary Patterson, musician Leon Bridges, and others to improve the community.
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “We cannot use the current model for public education. It has not kept pace with advances in science and technology. We must change how we teach children and adapt methods to provide innovative and equitable opportunities to all students.”
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For more than 130 years, Jackson Walker has played a vital role in the growth and development of Texas business. Our Fort Worth lawyers, who live and work here, know what drives the Panther City forward and are ready to help clients navigate today’s increasingly complex legal landscape in almost any area of business law.
Accounting, consulting, human resources, advertising, public relations and marketing, and the law fill out “The 400’s” professional services lineup.
Larry Autrey Managing partner Whitley Penn
Larry Autrey, managing partner of the 500-employee Whitley Penn, has more than 30 years in tax, advisory, and business valuation with public and private clients. Former member, Cook Children’s Health Foundation board. BBA, accounting and finance, Texas Tech. MBA, data analytics, Abilene Christian
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Save everything you can, and commit to the most education you can while working part time to avoid borrowing.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I learned that I not only thrive, I survive on interaction with others, and video is a short-term solution.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “Having served on over 100 boards, I think service to charitable and business organizations is important. As your responsibilities change, finding ways to encourage your team to support these organizations is good for the individual and for the organization.”
Mike Flynn President Southland Tax
Mike Flynn is always busy at this time of year. His Southland firm’s mission is to get the lowest possible tax assessment for clients and pare the burden of tax administration. Southland uses a proprietary platform called Southwise. Flynn has more than 30 years in property tax consulting. Flynn serves on the boards of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, Davey O’Brien Foundation, and Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. BBA, TCU
Kenneth Barr CEO Barr Consulting Group
Mayor Kenneth Barr is a consultant on governmental relations and public affairs. Barr was elected to Tarrant County College’s District 7 in 2019 to a term that ends in May 2025. He was elected mayor four times, and he retired in 2003. Barr served 11 years as a member of the North Texas Tollway Authority, including chairman, and he played a key role in the development of several road projects, including the Chisholm Trail Parkway. He is chair of the Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth, and he serves on the executive committee of The Cliburn. Barr grew up in Fort Worth, attended public schools, and holds a bachelor’s in business form TCU. His father, Willard Barr, was mayor from 1965 to 1967.
Robert Fernandez CEO Fernandez & Co.
Robert Fernandez founded his public accounting firm in 1987, performing accounting, tax, and consulting for small and midsize businesses, part-time controller/CFO services, and working with international public accounting firms on special projects. Boards include executive committee of Fort Worth Zoo, Amon Carter Museum Ambassadors Council, The Women’s Center Foundation. BS, Vanderbilt
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “Havana Real, by Yoani Sanchez, portrays a strong woman standing up for human rights and liberty in her native Cuba, where I was born. She has endured physical and mental torture but continues to work to shed the light on abuses. A courageous woman wanting to improve the lives of ordinary Cubans, who struggle each day with limits on their freedoms, lack of basic food and necessities.”
Tony Ford CEO
Success Fort Worth
Tony Ford, a serial entrepreneur, coaches others through his Success Fort Worth, promotes Fort Worth as emerging entrepreneurial center. Founding CEO, RIDE Television Network; founding partner, Sidelights, Inc., which “reflectorized” America’s trucking fleets and rail cars; Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame for supporting other Fort Worth private business owners; co-creator, Fort Worth Inc. Entrepreneur of Excellence awards. BS, Oklahoma State
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Stop using people to get the things you want. Start serving people with the gifts you have.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “The book Hunting in a Farmers World describes the difference between entrepreneurs and everyone else. We are hunters, but because we make up only a small part of the population, we are often misunderstood.”
Darien George is founder and managing partner of Mackenzie Eason, an executive search and consulting firm, and founder of Talent Metrics, an AI cloud-based software that measures an organization’s culture and provides intelligence for executives. Shortlived run for Fort Worth City Council this year drew support but ended in early withdrawal. Co-author, Broken Handoff: Saving Your Assets, published by Brown Books. BBA, University of Texas at Arlington
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Listen more. Continue to take risks to build something bigger than yourself. Always be passionate about giving back to your community.”
SOMETHING I LEARNED NEW DURING COVID “I was able to go bike riding with my 6-year-old, Harrison. I finished building a treehouse for my kids and started on a massive restoration project of an old 1969 Airstream trailer.”
Ron Holifield CEO Strategic Government Resources
Ron Holifield’s Kellerbased SGR helps local governments recruit leaders. Current clients include over 300 local governments in 41 states. His firm recently participated in the selection of new Fort Worth Police chief Neil Noakes. Bachelor’s, Abilene Christian; master’s, public administration, Texas Tech
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Fear less. Risk more. Love louder.”
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: Roscoe's Smokehouse
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ:
"Death of the Org Chart provides a really practical way to move an organization away from traditional organizational structures and towards true and practical mission-based job descriptions. It is truly transformational thinking, especially in the post-COVID world of distributed organizations and remote work cultures.”
Ed Riefenstahl CEO The Alternative Board Fort Worth
Ed Riefenstahl is a longtime fixture on the Fort Worth entrepreneurial scene. Since 2006, he has served as director of experiential learning at TCU’s Neeley School of Business’ MBA Program. In 2006, he founded The Alternative Board of Fort Worth, pairing entrepreneurs and business owners with peer-owner boards and consulting. Fifteen years ago, started Neeley & Associates Consultants, under which MBA students consult fee-paying clients. In 2020, joined board of Board Development Systems, a nonprofit started by United Way of Tarrant County and Leadership Fort Worth that preps people for nonprofit governance. BA, University of Pittsburgh; MBA, Emory; Graduate Diploma in Business Administration, Manchester Business School, U.K.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Write what you want your obituary to read.”
John Mackel Managing partner Weaver
John Mackel has been with the Weaver public accounting firm in Fort Worth for 20 years and was promoted to CEO in 2015. Mackel has served on Weaver’s executive committee since 2009. He has focused his practice on audit, attestation, and advisory services, primarily in oil and gas, renewable energy and investment management, including hedge funds, private equity and broker dealers. He began his career in audit for KPMG. He has a BBA from Sam Houston State University.
Bob Mitchell Executive recruiter
WhitneySmith Co.
Bob Mitchell is one of Fort Worth’s connectors, spending years in banking and insurance before jumping to executive recruiting for WhitneySmith. Co-host of a popular downtown breakfast club for years. BS, psychology, Loyola University; MS, financial services, The American College, Brynmar
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Any work done well is work to be proud of, so be of value in whatever you do; appreciate others for their value added.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ:
“Read simultaneously God's Shadow, by Alan Mikhall — perspective. Leadership, by Doris Kerns Goodwin — perspective.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “Over-commitment stress — social events, civic events, celebrations, etc. — may have diminishing returns for quality of life and not be imperative.”
Whit Smith President WhitneySmith Co.
Whit Smith founded the WhitneySmith fullservice human resources firm in 1989 in Fort Worth, currently providing services to more than 1,500 companies across the U.S. and Canada. Serves as expert witness and consulting expert in matters relating to discrimination, age, disability, sexual harassment, mitigation (employability and job search effort), recruitment practices, policy issues, and tort claims involving negligent hiring, negligent retention, and wrongful termination. Bachelor’s, personnel management and marketing, University of Texas at Austin. Completed Southwestern Graduate School of Banking program, SMU. Director, Baylor Scott & White All Saints Foundation; former board chair, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.
Estrus Tucker Co-founder DEI Consultants
Estrus Tucker’s DEI Consultants specializes in diversity, equity and inclusion training, and implementation for corporations, nonprofits, and membership organizations. Tucker was principal consultant for Fort Worth’s Race and Culture Task Force that examined inequity and grew out of a high-profile police confrontation. He serves on the Tarrant County Workforce Development Board and Brite Divinity School Board of Visitors, TCU. Tucker lives in West Fort Worth’s Como neighborhood, where he grew up. BS, psychology, University of Texas at Arlington
Stuart Balcom CEO
The Balcom Agency
Stuart Balcom grew up around the advertising business; his father worked for and owned several agencies. In college, Balcom started an agency using University of Texas students as staff. After college, he worked for several agencies and then started Balcom Agency in 1993 in Fort Worth. The agency has won numerous awards, including the 2018 Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame Governor’s Award. Balcom is a cyclist and climber. He holds a bachelor’s from the University of Texas at Austin.
Tom Buxton CEO Buxton
Tom Buxton, a longtime Tandy Corp. real estate executive, left Tandy and started his own analytics firm in 1994. Buxton built the industry-leading Fort Worth firm on incisive analysis meant to provide clients recommendations on where to locate, based on who their customer is, where they are, and what value they have to the company. Today, Buxton estimates it’s worked with more than 5,000 retail, restaurant, consumer packaged goods, health care, private equity, and public sector organizations. Buxton has been named a top influencer of retail by the National Retail Federation, one who “influences the future of retail real estate” by Retail Traffic Magazine. Under his leadership, the company has been featured on the Fast 50 list by Fast Company, a silver award winner in the Most Innovative Company of the Year category at the American Business Awards.
Ashley Freer
Principal group director and head of strategy
The Balcom Agency
Ashley Freer, a partner at The Balcom Agency, leads a group that develops strategy for clients, including Cook Children’s Health Care System, Renfro Foods, The PARC, and Presbyterian Night Shelter. 2019-20 president, Junior League of Fort Worth. BA, communication, Lee University; Master of Divinity, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “I've relied on Luna Grill's kebab plate for lunch takeout more times than I can remember.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I have a minor in history, so I love to read nonfiction and historical fiction to fill in knowledge gaps. I recently read about the ‘book women’ of the Depression who brought reading material via horseback to mountain communities. A job, yes. But it was also an act of service that brought joy and multigenerational life change.”
Chris Gavras President The CG Group
Chris Gavras has been a strategic communications adviser in Tarrant County for more than 25 years. His firm advises nearly two dozen clients, including Fortune 100 corporations, privately held companies, several North Texas law firms, professional and trade associations, philanthropic leaders, sports entities, commercial developers, and higher education institutions. Gavras advises several North Texas elected officials. Gavras serves on the Davey O’Brien Foundation board.
Gail Cooksey CEO Cooksey
Gail Cooksey founded Cooksey Communications in 1994 to lever her extensive corporate public relations experience and deep network of Dallas-Fort Worth civic, media, government and business contacts. Cooksey, a former journalist who transitioned to corporate and agency public relations, leaned on her storytelling insights to build messages. The firm’s clients include Hillwood’s AllianceTexas. Prior to starting the firm, Cooksey served as a senior vice president of marketing at various Texas banks. She holds a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.
Jennifer Henderson President JO Design
Jennifer Henderson founded her own marketing communications shop in 1988, offering PR, brand development, marketing, communications, social media and graphic design. In 2013, she founded The Cause Agency in Fort Worth, offering marketing and PR to local nonprofits at discounted rates. In 2017, Cause launched its first fundraiser, Common Thread, choosing six causes. BA, marketing, Texas Wesleyan University
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “I really have enjoyed Shaneboys in Rendon, Goldee’s Barbeque in Kennedale and Thai Spice on Magnolia.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ “The art of negotiating.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “Learning how wonderful peace and quiet really is. I was also forced to learn the art of slowing down — mindfulness!”
Beth Hutson CEO/Executive producer Elevated Content Co.
Beth Hutson’s creative spirit has taken her from Hutson Creative, which she launched in 2004, to Elevated Content Co., the public relations and marketing brand she created and migrated to in 2019. The agency specializes in creating and distributing content for lifestyle and entertainment brands, including “collections” of authentic brand stories, videos, photography assets and visual identity packages. Elevated Content Co. also provides social media, public relations, and television development services. Additionally, Hutson runs The Elevated Elixir — the mocktail arm of Elevated Content Co. that offers alcohol-free recipes and experiences.
Linda Pavlik CEO Pavlik & Associates
Linda Pavlik has more than 30 years in communications. Many business clients work internationally. Government clients include municipalities in the Southwest, North Central Texas Council of Governments, State of Texas, DFW Airport, and transit agencies. “Always in focus is community sustainability.” BA, journalism, Oklahoma
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Start taking notes about your experiences. Note how your perspectives will change as you grow. Your life might be book worthy one day.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ:
“Over the past several months, I focused on Grace Halsell and her series of first-person books dealing with the ‘racial divides’ across the globe. Her books were about Blacks in Harlem and Mississippi; Christian, Jewish families in the Holy Land; Chinese fishermen in Hong Kong; and simply put, ‘the Americas.’”
George Popstefanov CEO PMG
George Popstefanov left his native Macedonia for the U.S. and opportunity and ended up at TCU at age 19. After college, he joined a small digital agency and worked there several years before founding the PMG digital agency in 2010 in Fort Worth. PMG, whose services range from search engine optimization to social media, has appeared on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing companies. PMG has generated a second Fort Worth company, Koddi, a digital agency for the travel industry, which appeared on the 2019 Inc. 5000 with $27.3 million in revenue and 1,489% three-year growth. PMG today has offices in Fort Worth, Dallas, Austin, London, and New York. Its clients include Apple, Sephora, Old Navy, Cole Haan, and Survey Monkey.
Frost Prioleau Co-founder Simpli.Fi
Frost Prioleau co-founded Simpli.Fi, a company that runs online auctions for digital advertising slots based on targeting and optimization, in 2010 in Fort Worth. The company has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing U.S. companies. It recently moved its headquarters to the Fort Worth Stockyards’ redeveloped Mule Alley. Prioleau graduated Princeton University with a bachelor of science in engineering management systems. Before Simpli.Fi, Prioleau founded Personifi, a contextual and behavioral targeting company. The firm was acquired by Collective Media in 2008. Considered a thought leader in online advertising, Prioleau often speaks on the topic at industry trade shows.
Partner, co-founder Corley + Pipes
Kasey Pipes is co-founder of the 11-year-old Corley + Pipes, a public affairs firm with Washington and Fort Worth offices. Pipes serves as national spokesman for several corporations and coalitions. Clients include Under Armour; IMG Worldwide; University of Texas at Austin; DFW Airport; Compete America high-tech coalition; Verizon; Justin Boot Co.; Bowl Championship Series. Chief speechwriter for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and served President George W. Bush for five years. Wrote the 2019's After the Fall: The Remarkable Comeback of Richard Nixon. Bachelor’s, Abilene Christian; master’s, Johns Hopkins and Harvard
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “Just reread the Matheny Manifesto. It was written to parents who coach Select or Little League. But its message applies to everyone. Put your own ego aside and do what's best for your kid (or client).”
Bruce Raben CEO ADVice
Bruce Raben is highly visible on Fort Worth’s startup and entrepreneurial scene, offering “targeted networking” and introductions, marketing and public relations, business development, and advertising and sponsorship creation. “Third best networker in area and can intro you to top two.” Clients include banks, law and accounting firms, startups, real estate developers, venture capitalists, nonprofits and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. A longtime exnewspaper executive, Raben formerly cowrote the weekly B2B insider column “Mr. B” for the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.
Holland Sanders CEO Holland Collective
Holland Sanders launched her boutique agency in 2016, focusing on brands and storytelling and bringing collective resources to bear. Sanders grew up in Arlington, worked for the Concussion agency, and moved to the Fort Worth Opera and became its marketing director before going out on her own. She won the 2014 Communicator of the Year Award from the Center for Nonprofit Management for her work at the Opera. Sanders holds a bachelor’s from the University of Texas at Arlington.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Be bold. As a woman, we find ourselves putting far too much stake in the perception of being a certain type of lady. I would tell myself to be unafraid of the power you possess. Be fierce, have fun, and learn as much as you can about your potential as early as you can so that you can harness that confidence and change the world.”
Tom Stallings Founder Mosaic Strategy Partners
Tom Stallings and partners founded Mosaic in 2017 as a full-service public affairs firm using data analysis to equip clients with knowledge on constituents, stakeholders and target audiences, and help win support for public-facing projects. Ex-chief of staff to County Judge Glen Whitley and former congressional chief of staff and senate adviser. BBA and MBA, TCU
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Make sure you're ready to chart your course in a different direction if and when things don't work out as you had hoped. No matter what circumstances come your way, be yourself, be confident, be consistent, be trustworthy, be reliable, be bold, be honest, be kind, be content, be funny, be calm, be grateful, be respectful, be dependable, be passionate, be empathetic, be active, be a great listener, be faithful, be generous, and be a good human.”
Red Sanders President Red Productions
Red Sanders earned a bachelor’s in radio, TV, and film from TCU in 2004 and stayed in Fort Worth. His Red Productions: full-service media production in national TV ads, digital content, brand films, corporate communications. His Red Entertainment: film and TV development, Backlot Studio & Workspace with 12,000 square feet of rentable office space, sound stage. Produced several feature films, helped found Fort Worth Film Commission.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Lean into that feeling you get when you're nervous about something. If it scares you, that's good.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: NO RULES RULES: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention. “They pay top-of-the-market salaries to build up a talent density of high performers and remove pretty much all of the standard rules and policies a company might have for employees.”
Bret Starr CEO
The Starr Conspiracy
Bret Starr originally founded the agency in 1999 on the Near Southside, becoming one of the district’s creative anchors. He came up with the idea for a B2B marketing agency when, after working in sales and marketing leadership roles for HR tech companies, he tired of hiring firms he had to train in his business. Starr has a bachelor’s in English literature from Southwestern University and a master’s in criminology from the University of North Texas.
Ken Schaefer President Schaefer Advertising
Co.
As owner and namesake of Schaefer Advertising, Ken Schaefer has built the agency on core values centered around the company’s mission: “Make Life Better.” Schaefer Advertising over 25 years has won numerous awards. Schaefer is a member of Near Southside, Inc.’s board. BBA, marketing, Stephen F. Austin. While there he started a business that he sold his junior year, which funded a restaurant startup. Schaefer and his wife involved, Christ Chapel Bible Church and Volunteers for Christ, Brazil.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: Talking to Strangers, by Malcolm Gladwell. “We are in contact all the time with people whose assumptions, perspectives, and backgrounds are different than our own. Yet we all drastically overestimate our ability to translate, interpret, and understand those with whom we are in contact.”
Allen Wallach CEO Pavlov Agency
Allen Wallach has led his PAVLOV agency to annual billings of more than $10 million. Clients include DFW Airport, Chesapeake Energy, Dean Foods, Texas Motor Speedway, and TCU. Wallach, co-founder of the Concussion agency, bought out his partner in 2013 and rebranded as PAVLOV. He invented and sold Koozball, the first foam football and drink koozie, after putting it into 7-Eleven and Walmart. Bachelor’s, advertising/PR, TCU
Marianne Auld Managing partner Kelly Hart and Hallman
Marianne Auld is managing partner of Kelly Hart and chair of the firm's Appellate section. She has briefed and argued dozens of appeals in both state and federal courts. Auld began her career as a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Following her clerkship, she joined Kelly Hart as an associate. Later, she served as a tenured law professor at Baylor Law School. Auld rejoined Kelly Hart in 2008 as a partner in the appellate section. She serves on several boards, including chair of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. BA and law degrees, Baylor
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ “I loved The Splendid and the Vile. It is a deeply moving and meaningful lesson in effective leadership. And I loved learning more about Churchill’s family. I get a real kick out of the fact that his daughter Mary became an anti-aircraft gunner.”
John Allen Chalk Member Whitaker Chalk
John Allen Chalk is a recognized expert in alternative dispute resolution. A winner of the Tarrant County Bar Association’s Blackstone award for ethical ideals, courage and service, Chalk pplies cost-benefit and risk analysis to help his clients achieve efficient resolutions to their disputes. Chalk focuses on commercial transactions and litigation, state and federal regulatory matters, healthcare and ADR proceedings, and works domestically and internationally. He was recognized by Best Lawyers and published in the 24th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America 2019 and annually since, in the fields of arbitration and mediation. BS and MA, Tennessee Tech; law degree, University of Texas at Austin
Marvin Blum Founder and managing partner
The Blum Firm
Marvin Blum is boardcertified in estate planning and probate law and is an expert on succession in familyowned businesses. A CPA, he received his law degree from the University of Texas, graduating second in his class. BBA, accounting, UT. Worth magazine named Blum to its prestigious list of “Nation’s Top 100 Attorneys.” Blum twice had the honor of asking questions to Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway annual meetings, attracting international media attention.
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “I really have enjoyed Shaneboys in Rendon, Goldee’s Barbeque in Kennedale and Thai Spice on Magnolia.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ “The art of negotiating.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “Learning how wonderful peace and quiet really is. I was also forced to learn the art of slowing down.”
Janet Hahn Shareholder
Decker Jones
Janet Hahn began working at Decker Jones as a legal secretary in the 1980s. She attended night school during that time to earn a paralegal degree and to become the firm’s first paralegal. After attending night school to obtain her undergraduate degree, while working full time at Decker Jones, Hahn earned her law degree from Baylor Law School. She specializes in probate and estate and business law. Hahn has served on numerous charitable and civic committees and boards such as The Women’s Center of Tarrant County, Tarrant County College Foundation, Baylor Scott and White All Saints Medical Center, and Women Steering Business, a nonprofit that raises money to buy livestock from girls exhibiting animals during the Fort Worth Stock Show’s annual Junior Sale of Champions.
Vianei Braun Shareholder Decker Jones
Vianei Braun has been representing employers for more than 25 years, providing advice on employment law compliance and avoiding litigation. Braun’s has represented large publicly traded companies, governmental entities, small to mid-sized businesses and professionals and executives. Bachelor’s, age 19, Princeton; law degree, University of Texas at Austin
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ “I was fascinated by The Man Who Ate Too MuchThe Life of James Beard. Beard came awfully close to being a failed opera singer, rather than the founding father of American food culture.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I learned that I don't miss traveling to legal conferences and spending all day listening to speakers and standing in hotel buffet lines. Eventually, I may want to go back for some in-person fellowship, but I hope virtual options are here to stay.”
Jackson Walker
Albon Head has practiced in the federal and state courts in Texas and in numerous other jurisdictions since 1971, with experience in lengthy jury and non-jury trials in complex business litigation, contract disputes, real estate conflicts, eminent domain and condemnation, pipeline and right-of-way litigation, and railroad litigation. He has defended major oil companies against environmental claims relating to abandoned tanks and abandoned refineries. Head was engaged in formation and representation of The Texas Rangers, Ltd. in its purchase and operation of the franchise during the mid1970s, and handled litigation and related matters for the Rangers during George W. Bush’s ownership. Head successfully handled all contested litigation matters for the court-appointed receiver in the recent sale of the iconic W.T. Waggoner Ranch. BA, law degree, SMU
Laura Hilton Hallmon Partner Cantey Hanger
Laura Hilton Hallmon is board-certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell, and chairs Cantey Hanger’s Labor and Employment Practice. Hallmon is a 1996 graduate of Baylor University and received her law degree from Baylor in 1999. A career-long employment law litigator, Hallmon focuses her practice on the prosecution and defense of state and federal employment law matters, including harassment and discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour disputes and restrictive covenants prohibiting competition. Hallmon also counsels clients on litigation avoidance through effective employment practices and compliance. BA, law degrees, Baylor
David Keltner Partner
Kelly Hart and Hallman
Formerly a Justice on the Texas Court of Appeals, David Keltner has been lead counsel in over 300 appellate decisions. He was honored by Texas Lawyer as the Go-To Appellate Lawyer in Texas. Texas Super Lawyers selected him as one of the Top 10 Lawyers in Texas for the last fourteen years. He was ranked No. 1 in 2009-2011. The Texas Bar Foundation honored him with the inaugural Gregory S. Coleman Outstanding Appellate Lawyer Award, and he was named Best Lawyers Appellate Lawyer of the Year for Dallas/Fort Worth in 2016 and 2018. Keltner also won the Tarrant County Bar Association’s Blackstone Award in 2018, presented to a lawyer who has demonstrated excellence and courage in the practice of law. Keltner also has been recognized nationally as a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, one of only 320 in the country. BA, Trinity University; law degree, SMU
Jim Lane has practiced law for almost 40 years, representing people who face a wide range of legal issues and problems, including criminal defense and personal injury. A U.S. Army captain who served in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, he defends military men and women facing court martial. Lane has defended clients including police officers and firefighters against felony and misdemeanor criminal charges in state and federal courts. Lane, a pilot, also defends pilots who are facing Federal Aviation Administration enforcement actions. He serves as the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's legal plan attorney. Lane also is a board member of the Tarrant Regional Water District, under the microscope its role in the embattled Panther Island flood control project.
Andrew Lombardi
Senior vice president, general counsel Crescent Real Estate Equities
Andrew Lombardi is responsible for the legal function of the Fort Worth-based Crescent and provides oversight for human resources, records management and risk and compliance. He has been instrumental in structuring equity and debt related to real estate transactions secured through the company’s GP Invitation Fund I. Crescent uses the invitation-only GPI Fund, launched in 2016, to acquire, develop and operate real estate investments. Lombardi holds a BBA in Accounting and Finance from TCU’s Neeley School of Business and law degree from SMU. Lombardi serves on the Chancellor’s Young Advisory Council and was an adjunct professor of management from 2011 to 2016, a National Alumni Board director from 2010 to 2014, and a Fort Worth Young Alumni Board director from 2005 to 2013.
Dee Kelly Jr. Partner
Kelly Hart and Hallman
Dee Kelly, Jr. is a partner at Kelly Hart & Hallman and served as the firm’s managing partner from 2005-2016. He is a member of the firm’s Litigation and Administrative Law practice groups and serves on its executive committee. Kelly represents corporate and individual clients in business litigation in state and federal courts, and he also provides advice and representation to clients with matters pending before governmental and administrative bodies. U.S. News and World Report has included Kelly on The Best Lawyers in America ranking every year since 2007. Kelly is a trustee for TCU and the University of Texas Law School Foundation. Kelly is a budding avocational novelist, author of three books under the pseudonym Landon Wallace. Widely viewed as frontrunner for Fort Worth mayor this spring, before he decided against running. BA and law degrees, University of Texas at Austin
Hunter McLean
Member
Whitaker Chalk
Hunter McLean focuses his practice on representing clients in commercial and business disputes, with an emphasis on large complex litigation. McLean has significant experience with complex disputes involving contracts, fraud, employment agreements, trade secrets, covenants not to compete, construction, real estate, leases, mineral interests, oil and gas, insurance coverage, personal injury, products liability, and health care. Has obtained favorable verdicts, arbitration awards, and settlements on behalf of clients and successfully defended clients against multimillion-dollar claims. He’s also an expert in alternative dispute resolution. BBA, SMU; law degree University of Houston
Brian Newby
Managing partner, Austin/Fort Worth Cantey Hanger
Brian Newby, in addition to serving as Cantey Hanger’s managing partner, heads the firm’s Public/Regulatory practice. He has extensive experience in commercial litigation and regulatory matters. With more than 30 years of courtroom and state administrative law experience, he specializes in assisting clients in resolving high-profile, complex issues. He counsels large and small businesses and state and local governmental entities on a wide variety of administrative law and legislative initiatives impacting their day-to-day operations. Newby’s clients include leaders in education, water, transportation, health care. Chief of staff and general counsel to Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and co-chair, Texas' Hurricane Ike recovery efforts. Retired major general, Air Force and reserves. BA, Texas Tech; law degree, University of Texas at Austin
Marshall Searcy Partner
Kelly Hart and Hallman
Marshall Searcy has tried hundreds of cases throughout Texas and the United States, focused on commercial litigation, legal malpractice defense, and personal injury defense. Searcy has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 1997. Highlight reel includes successful defense of numerous major antitrust claims against a major oil company in several jurisdictions; successful prosecution of multi-lawsuit claims on behalf of an independent producer resulting in two of the largest verdicts in the history of Potter County; successful defense of federal bribery charges against a public corporation engaged in government contracting work; and successful defense of a taxpayer charged with federal tax evasion aggregating into the billions of dollars. BA and law degrees, University of Texas at Austin
Andrew Rosell Shareholder; chair, I nvestment Management & Private Funds Industry Group Winstead PC
Andrew Rosell is a member of Winstead's Corporate, Securities/Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group, with a diverse practice representing private investment fund managers, wealth managers, mutual fund managers, family offices and public and private companies engaged in strategic transactions. Rosell focuses on representing registered investment advisers in formation and structuring, regulatory compliance, strategic transactions, strategic mergers and acquisitions, investment portfolio transactions, due diligence, fund formation and liquidation and business cessation. He is a member of the boards of Cook Children’s Medical Foundation, Cook Children’s Medical System, and Cook Children’s Health Plan. Lombardi is former general counsel and chief compliance officer at Kleinheinz Capital Partners, Inc. BBA and law degrees, SMU
Jason Smith Managing partner Law Offices of Jason Smith
Jason Smith’s URL –letsgotocourt.com – says it all. Smith, in practice for more than 20 years, estimates he’s obtained jury verdicts in dozens of employment and personal injury cases in Tarrant, Dallas, Johnson, Parker and Wise counties, including the first sexual harassment jury verdict in Tarrant County. “Jason has a proven record of taking Corporate America, insurance companies and the government to court and winning,” his web site states. Smith is a director of the Tarrant County Bar Association board, past president of the Tarrant County Trial Lawyers Association, and past president of the Tarrant County Bar Association Labor and Employment Section. BA, St. Mary’s University; law degree, Texas Tech
Jay Rutherford Partner, Fort Worth Jackson Walker
Jay Rutherford has over 25 years representing management clients in employment litigation and avoiding litigation. Rutherford represents clients in labor issues such as labor arbitration, collective bargaining issues, and defense of unfair labor practice charges, employment discrimination, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, civil rights, and other employment related matters, such as hiring and disciplining employees, compensation, employee benefit plans, insurance benefits disputes, management training, employment handbooks, employment contracts, independent contractor agreements, reductions in force, covenants not-to-compete and the protection of confidential and proprietary information. Rutherford became co-chair of the Labor and Employment practice group for Jackson Walker in 2014. BS, Texas Tech, law degree, University of Texas at Austin
Sharen Wilson
District Attorney
Tarrant County District Attorney
Sharen Wilson took office as District Attorney in 2015, becoming the first woman to hold the office and the 14th DA in the history of Tarrant County. Wilson reorganized the office and created specialized units, including ones for prosecution of intimate partner violence and elder financial fraud, two increasingly prevalent crimes. She also created the county’s first Conviction Integrity Unit. Wilson was previously a criminal district judge in Tarrant County and earned a reputation for tough sentencing. Wilson holds a law degree from Texas Tech.
ENHANCING OUR URBAN FABRIC.
PRESERVING OUR CHARACTER.
Transwestern congratulates Jack Huff for his inclusion in The 400 Most Influential People.
Fort Worth’s skyline continues to change, even through COVID-19, with architects, engineers, brokerages, construction companies, developers, investors, management companies, and homebuilders playing major roles in the city’s real estate landscape.
Michael Bennett CEO Bennett Benner Partners
Michael Bennett has devoted his career to redevelopment of cities and preservation of the natural environment. After beginning his career in Texas, Bennett spent 12 years in Europe and New York before returning to Fort Worth, joining the firm in 2004 and becoming CEO in 2008. Bennett has led the design of many of the firm’s signature projects, including Frost Tower, MOLA at the Fort Worth Zoo, Erma Lowe Hall at TCU, Martin Center at Texas Wesleyan University, and the Woodshed Smokehouse on the Trinity River. He led the firm’s involvement in Sundance Square Plaza downtown. Current projects include Overton Park Elementary School, Kimpton Hotel Fort Worth, restoration of Heritage Park downtown. Bruce Benner announced this spring he’s leaving the firm to start another. Bachelor, music theory and composition, TCU; Master of Architecture, University of Texas at Arlington.
Jason Eggenburger Principal 97W
The work of Jason Eggenburger and Steven Halliday, co-founders of 97w, can be found all over Fort Worth in popular spots like Craftwork Coffee shops, Heim BBQ, Taco Heads, District 90, and Zoli’s Pizza. The firm’s vision: “Through design, we seek to make all of your wildest dreams come true.” Bachelor of Environmental Design, Texas A&M; Master of Architecture, Clemson.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “The Moby Grape Story details the highs and lows of a band in the late ’60s. I realize it takes a tremendous amount of will and want to keep a band or even business partnership together. It would have been exciting to see all the emerging bands and camaraderie between them during this small period.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “I find my greatest focus is sharing time and wisdom with my kids and other kids that I'm around.”
Travis Clegg Principal Peloton Land Solutions
Travis Clegg, an engineer, is a principal and business development manager at Peloton, providing program management for mixed-use and master-planned residential projects. Clegg has an extensive background in civil engineering design, entitlement, program management, and city and client coordination. He routinely represents clients at city planning and zoning meetings, city council meetings, and homeowner association presentations. Clegg is chairman of the PAC at the Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council and chair of the Hammer & Nails Committee PAC at the Greater Fort Worth Builders Association. He also chairs the Fort Worth Development Advisory Committee. BS, civil engineering, Texas Tech.
Mark Dabney Principal/Fort Worth market leader BOKA Powell
Mark Dabney leads BOKA Powell’s Fort Worth office and has participated in the renovation of Sundance West at Sundance Square downtown, Tarrant County College’s state-of-the-art Trinity River East Campus, the Museum of Living Art at the Fort Worth Zoo, Phases II and III of the West 7th development, Visit Fort Worth’s Main Street Visitor Center, and Sundance Square Plaza, including the Commerce Building, Westbrook Building, and Cassidy Building. Bachelor of Architecture, Texas Tech. Past president, Leadership Fort Worth.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Build a network of friends and colleagues and grow and improve that network every year.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “The book was about my direct ancestors that were the founding fathers of Granbury, Texas.”
Tom Galbreath Chairman of the Advisory Board Dunaway Associates
Tom Galbreath, a 35-year veteran of Dunaway, is the Fort Worth landscape architecture and planning firm’s new chairman, stepping into the role earlier this year when Chris Wilde was named new CEO. As chair, Galbreath works to establish and maintain Dunaway’s reputation, level of service, employee well-being, and overall financial security. Galbreath is actively involved in regional development organizations, serving as liaison between private sector development and municipal agencies. Galbreath began his career at Dunaway. Galbreath has a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Randy Gideon Co-founder L2L Ventures
Randy Gideon, a longtime Fort Worth architect, is part of a coalition of private developers, the City of Fort Worth, First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth, leading local foundations, and the DRC Solutions to End Homelessness agency that’s building a 48-unit, $4.7 million apartment complex in West Fort Worth for chronically homeless people. The project, at 4444 Quail Trail off of River Oaks Boulevard, is the first standalone, one partially funded by $5 million that Fort Worth has pledged for permanent supportive housing — apartments for people who’ve been homeless more than a year, have disabilities, and need case management. Gideon was a principal in the Gideon Toal architecture firm and retired from it more than a decade ago. Bachelor’s, architecture, University of Texas at Arlington.
Steven Halliday Partner 97W
Steven Halliday is the other half of 97w, the architecture firm he started with partner Jason Eggenburger. Their work can be spotted around the city in popular spots like Craftwork Coffee shops, Heim BBQ, Taco Heads, District 90, and Zoli’s Pizza. Bachelor’s, architecture, University of Houston.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Take better care of yourself! It's a marathon, not a sprint.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “Jeff Tweedy's How to Write One Song has a great message of how to live artfully. We must prioritize and make time to be creative.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “As a firm, 97w is committed to being part of the local community. We've taken pro bono projects for local nonprofits, donate and sponsor events at our neighborhood schools, and volunteer our time serving as advocates on neighborhood committees.”
Bob Pence Chairman Freese & Nichols
Bob Pence has been Freese & Nichols chairman since 2017, after serving as president and CEO for 15 years. He led the company through the difficult financial period that followed 9/11 and into a highly productive expansion that continues today. Under his leadership, Freese & Nichols added 12 offices, more than doubled its workforce, and added service lines in urban planning, oil and gas, and coastal engineering. Freese and Nichols became the first engineering/architecture firm to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and it received national honors for ethics and for employee satisfaction. Pence began his career at Freese & Nichols in 1978. He is an Army veteran and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M.
Sloan Harris CEO VLK Architects
Sloan Harris’ VLK Architects is moving its Fort Worth headquarters off of West Seventh and over to the Near Southside. Harris joined the firm in 2003. Since becoming principal and then partner, Harris’ vision triggered significant growth as the firm expanded to five locations from two, diversified its service markets, and more than doubled annual earned revenue. BS and master’s, architecture, and MBA, all University of Texas at Arlington.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “While the magnitude of what’s ahead of you can seem daunting, take each day one at a time and stay focused.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: Operation Paperclip. “There are always more depth and angles to every event that need to be learned and understood before setting your viewpoint.”
Alfred
Saenz Chairman and CEO Multatech Architects Engineers
Alfred Saenz joined Multatech in 1988 and became president and CEO in 1999, steering the firm toward a vision of becoming a full-service architectural and engineering firm. Multatech has added architecture and civil divisions to its already-successful mechanical, electrical, and plumbing group. Boards: North Texas Community Foundation, chair, 2018 – 20; former chair, Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Past boards: Fort Worth Opera, March of Dimes, Texas Health Resources. University of Texas at Arlington.
Rosa
Navejar
President and CEO
The Rios Group
Rosa Navejar has expanded her Fort Worth-based Rios Group, which provides subsurface utility engineering and utility coordination services in recent years with new offices in Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. The City of Dallas - Office of Business Diversity recognized The Rios Group as one of the 2019 4E Award recipients for Excellence, and the City of Austin - Small & Minority Business Resources recognized the firm as one of the 2018 Small Businesses of the Year. Navejar has long worked to support M/WBE programs and companies. Navejar was president and CEO of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, first woman to hold the post.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Nothing is given to you; life has many lessons, good and bad.”
Sparks
Brent Sparks runs the HKS Fort Worth office, which has served clients for 13 years. Sparks team works with clients to design environments for family-centered care. Fort Worth projects have included the Moncrief Cancer Institute and True Worth Bank. He’s been Fort Worth principal since 2004. Sparks has a BBA in architecture from Texas Tech.
Todd Burnette Managing director JLL
Todd Burnette is managing director in charge of the Fort Worth office for JLL. Burnette's expertise includes site selection, property dispositions and acquisitions, lease negotiations, and strategic consulting. Over the past 25 years in commercial real estate in Fort Worth, Burnette has negotiated more than 25 million square feet of commercial property leases, acquisitions, and dispositions. In the last four years, he has completed over 2,630 acres in site selection services for both corporations and public entities. Burnette has been the top producer in the Fort Worth office every year since it opened in 2002. Key clients: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Bell, Pier 1 Imports, Chesapeake Energy, Northwest ISD, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, Cantey Hanger, McDonald Sanders, Brackett & Ellis, Lockheed Martin, JP Morgan Chase, BBVA Compass, United Way of Tarrant County. BBA, SMU.
Ryan Matthews Managing director JLL
As a member of the Fort Worth tenant representation team, Ryan Matthews is responsible for developing new business relationships, performing financial analysis, lease structure, and purchase and sale negotiations for corporate office users. Matthews recently was responsible for disposing of a portfolio of XTO Energy properties in Downtown Fort Worth. Matthews has represented over 50 clients, many Fortune 500, with transactions exceeding $235 million. Key clients: Cook Children’s Healthcare System; Emdeon; Dunaway Associates; XTO Energy; Jackson Walker, LLP. BBA, TCU; law degree, Texas Wesleyan.
Stephen Coslik CEO Woodmont Companies
Stephen Coslik co-founded The Woodmont Co. in
1980. Developed 67 retail centers and over 10 million square feet. Staff grew to more than 150 employees from one. Today manages 15 million square feet of office space. BS, San Diego State; BS, finance, USC.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “In any relationship, always focus on providing more value that the other party is expecting.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “How we entered the Afghanistan war with great intentions to eradicate those responsible for 9/11 and how today nothing has really changed.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “I give back to my alma mater, San Diego State University, since I attribute much of where I am today to the time. I also donate my time to Fort Worth Academy, which had a truly profound effect upon my son, Avery.”
Will Northern Broker Northern Crain
Short-lived merger with RJ Williams & Co. unwound last year for remaining partners Will Northern and Michael Crain. Northern founded Northern Realty, 2010, grew it to include residential, commercial brokerage, property management. Also has expertise, assemblages. Learned real estate by managing, redeveloping his family's dozen historic buildings around San Saba courthouse. NoChairs Fort Worth Zoning Commission. BBA, entrepreneurial management, TCU.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Outsource areas where you are weakest and focus on your strengths. And, diversify.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “Serving on [Entrepreneur’s Organization] board as the Global Student Entrepreneur Award chair for Fort Worth. We coached and vetted student business owners and selected a representative onto the national competition to represent Fort Worth.”
Jack Huff Principal Transwestern
Jack Huff specializes in brokerage and investment in commercial real estate in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He has negotiated over 1,150 transactions since 1986, with a total consideration in excess of $1 billion. Prior to a merger with Transwestern, he was a founding member and principal at NAI Huff Partners, formerly NAI Stoneleigh Huff Brous McDowell. Specialization includes tenant representation, brokerage of office buildings, urban land and parking structures. Clients include BDO, Harris Finley & Bogle, Haynes & Boone, Keith Law Firm, Law Snakard & Gambill, Lockheed Martin, Lonestar Resources, Petroleum Club, PlainsCapital Bank, Range Resources, Thompson & Knight, Trademark, US Health Group, Virtuoso, Worthington National Bank. Bachelor’s, real estate and finance, University of Texas at Austin.
Bob Scully Senior vice president CBRE
Bob Scully is a senior vice president in Fort Worth within the CBRE Corporate Advisory Services division. A 28-year real estate veteran, Scully has handled more than 1,200 assignments, including corporate tenant representation, project leasing, acquisitions, dispositions, build-to-suits, sale-leasebacks, lease restructuring and renewals, subleases and corporate consulting. Scully has completed 75 million square feet of lease and sales transaction work for corporate, institutional and local owner and user clients. During the past two years, Scully closed 42 industrial and office lease and sale transactions totaling almost 4 million square feet and valued at more than $142 million. Scully is consistently recognized as one of CBRE’s top producers. BBA, marketing, TCU.
Gerald Alley CEO Con-Real
Gerald Alley, who founded Con-Real in 1979 in Arlington, has been working hard at setting his company up for its future. Con-Real provides construction, real estate, program management, and technology and innovation services to local and global clients. The company, which partnered with Manhattan Construction on the Texas Live! project in Arlington, has set up an innovation technology department, looking at technology such as 3D, drone, and virtual and augmented reality to improve construction processes. Alley wants to apply those innovations to the company’s core construction business. “What are we doing in our core business that we could make better?” Alley says. Bachelor’s, University of Arkansas; MBA, SMU.
John Avila Chairman Byrne
John Avila bought Byrne in 1995 after a career as a senior executive at several of the nation’s top commercial contractors, and he built into a major concern whose clients include Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. Sons Matt Avila and Paul Avila are the chief executive and chief operating officer, respectively, today. Avila retired as a Brigadier General from the U.S. National Guard after 32 years of service. He is a 1974 graduate of the University of Texas and 1997 graduate of the United States Army War College. Boards: Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Tarrant County Mental Health Foundation.
Scot Bennett
Fort Worth regional director
The Beck Group
Scot Bennett is responsible for Beck’s design and construction work delivered in Fort Worth and the region. Bennett has spent much of his career focused pursuing integrated projects, in which Beck is architect and builder. Bennett was integral in developing the Beck School of Construction, a partnership with the City of Fort Worth to grow minority and women-owned business and professionals. Degrees: Woodbury University, architecture; Arizona State, business.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Don’t be afraid to try new things. Spend time with your grandparents and parents; they aren't here forever. Don’t be stupid.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “That I got it through my AirPods while riding my bike on the Trinity River.”
Sandra McGlothlin Co-founder Empire Roofing
Sandra McGlothlin cofounded Empire Roofing in 1982 and has built it into a leading commercial roofer in the southern U.S., with 12 domestic locations, one in Mexico, and a client list that includes Fortune 500 companies. Empire has also been ranked in the top 10 largest roofing companies in the U.S. for the last five years by Roofing Contractor Magazine.McGlothlin co-founded other companies along the way: Empire Texas Equities is a real estate investment firm specializing in industrial properties, development, and raw land; Empire Disposal handles commercial construction, front load, and residential waste disposal. Empire Texas Equities develops and manages commercial properties and today has 127 commercial properties and more than 200 acres of land in prime industrial areas across Texas.
Zach Muckleroy CEO Muckleroy
&
Falls
Zach Muckleroy is new CEO of the Fort Worthbased Muckleroy & Falls, taking over for his father, the longtime contractor Harold Muckleroy, who retired with partner Max Falls. Muckleroy joined the company several years ago with two others who form the new ownership group. Harold Muckleroy and Falls repositioned the company several years for growth, as their successors came aboard. Revenue reached $86 million in 2018, up 87.44% from $45.9 million in 2015. The firm recently moved into a new headquarters fronting the Trinity River at University Drive. BBA, accounting and finance, real estate concentration, TCU.
Trent Prim
Owner principal PRIM Construction
The economy was headed into recession in 2007 when Trent Prim left his job at the construction company Linbeck to start a firm with his wife, Beth. The couple had one job in hand. Today, the company has a client roster that includes Oncor Electric Delivery, Cook Children’s, Billy Bob’s Texas, and Creative Arts Theatre and School (CATS) in Arlington. With Beth Prim as CEO, the company ranked 21 among the nation’s 50 fastest-growing women-owned or led, privately held businesses in 2017 — an annual list compiled by the Women Presidents’ Organization and American Express. PRIM has been building projects in Clearfork and Fort Worth’s River District. BS, business management, Auburn; MS, construction management, Texas A&M.
Mike Berry President Hillwood
Mike Berry joined Hillwood in 1998 — the year the company broke ground for Alliance Airport, an idea for an industrial airport he helped develop into the 27,000-acre, master-planned, community and global logistics hub known today as AllianceTexas. Alliance generated estimated $8.2 billion economic impact last year. Berry’s experience in complex public-private partnerships and holistic approach to creating large master-planned developments has been instrumental in Hillwood’s success. COVID-19 triggered a surge in business at Alliance’s distribution partners. Berry sees COVID-19 as accelerating development of next-generation distribution technology, like autonomous trucking. BS, economics, Vanderbilt; advanced management development, Harvard Graduate School of Design; MBA, TCU.
Bill Burton Executive vice president Hillwood
Bill Burton joined Hillwood in January 1989 and has been key player in transforming Hillwood’s AllianceTexas into the 27,000acre, master-planned development that is home to more than 533 major companies today. Burton’s expertise includes master planning, building development, sales, leasing, marketing, economic development, and negotiation. He has directed build-tosuit and lease transactions totaling more than 50 million square feet with Amazon, AT&T Nokia, Bridgestone-Firestone, General Mills, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, and Volkswagen of America. Burton has managed portfolio sales for more than $1 billion dollars and coordinated over 1,800 acres of land sale transactions with companies such as Citigroup, Deloitte, Fidelity Investments, Intel, Kraft Foods. BBA, University of Texas at Austin.
Andrew Blake Founder and managing partner Presidio Interests
Andrew Blake pursues transformative urban redevelopment projects. Presidio has acquired, developed, or redeveloped 12 urban infill commercial projects in Fort Worth, including Foch Street Warehouses, Magnolia + May. Blake founded Urban Green, nonprofit dedicated to planting trees in Fort Worth public places, and he serves Streams & Valleys advisory board, which Trinity River. BS, Vanderbilt; MBA, University of Texas at Austin.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Focus on progress, not perfection. Start asking for advice from smart, experienced people early and often.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ Entrepreneurship 2.0, by Jim Collins. “Well-written lessons in decades of studying entrepreneurs.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I knew the value of people getting together. But I had no idea just how important these in-person encounters are.”
Craig Cavileer Vice president Majestic Realty
Craig Cavileer is Majestic Realty’s executive in Fort Worth overseeing the major Fort Worth Stockyards redevelopment underway in partnership with Fort Worth’s Hickman family. Cavileer is leading the development team. The redevelopment and adaptive reuse of the historic Mule Barns have drawn corporate relocations and new restaurant and retail tenants. The new Drover Marriott Autograph hotel, a luxury property that anchors the west end of Mule Alley, opened this spring. Cavileer joined the Californiabased Majestic in 1988 as vice president of retail development and leasing. Cavileer is senior partner responsible for hospitality, mixed use, and other strategic developments throughout the U.S. BBA, marketing, Texas State.
Flora Brewer CEO Paulos Companies
Flora Brewer’s vision of economically viable housing for chronically homeless people in Fort Worth is gaining traction. Brewer, who redeveloped the old Palm Tree Apartments on Race Street near downtown Fort Worth for chronically homeless, is part of a coalition of private developers, City of Fort Worth, First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth, leading local foundations, and the DRC Solutions to End Homelessness in building a 48-unit, $4.7 million apartment project in West Fort Worth for chronically homeless people. The group hopes the project can be replicated in other parts of the city. Brewer’s Palm Tree won awards.
Bruce Conti CEO Conti Warehouses
The Fort Worth real estate investor Bruce Conti likes warehouses and industrial property and has a portfolio full of it. In one of his properties, at the southwest corner of Interstate 20 and Interstate 35W in Fort Worth, he’s carved out a section for growing entrepreneurial businesses. In another, a former retail center on Camp Bowie Boulevard in west Fort Worth, Conti’s divided a big grocery space into smaller ones and brought in retail tenants, including two he has ownership interests in: Wild Acre Brewing Co. and Lazy Daisy Coffee. In one of his industrial buildings farther down Camp Bowie, Conti has built the Neurological Recovery Center, a large rehab center for major injuries, including one his son suffered while away at college.
Brian
Crowell Founder Maverick Development Group
Brian Crowell and longtime partner Bud Hudgins estimate they’ve acquired, entitled, developed, or sold more than 7,000 Class A apartment units and brokered numerous multifamily parcels, 14 years. Crowell has founded Maverick Development to continue his partnership with The Hudgins Cos. and add resources, capabilities. BS, civil engineering, Texas Tech; BA, real estate and finance, University of North Texas; MS, real estate development, University of Texas at Arlington.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I just reread The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. A quote which I've found to be profoundly true: ‘And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.’”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “Started to learn how to play golf, learn how to fly a plane, and become proficient with Adobe Creative.”
Jennifer Farmer and her husband, Robb, own the former Pinkston Mortuary in Fort Worth’s Historic Southside, with plans to develop it into a movie theater and café. Such ideas, if they come to fruition, would help spur redevelopment in Southeast Fort Worth. The Evans-Rosedale intersection in Historic Southside has generated interest among developers, who have been toeing the water in recent years. The Farmers are no strangers to projects on the Near Southside. Jennifer Farmer is a member of Near Southside Inc.’s development committee.
Jacq Duncan co-CEO KinoD
Jacq Duncan is co-CEO of the Arlington-based KinoD design build firm. Duncan has been in engineering and construction for over 20 years. Duncan performed engineering design and construction services at the Federal Aviation Administration for more than 20 years. She is a member of the development committee for Near Southside, Inc. in Fort Worth. Duncan served on the City of Fort Worth Plan Commission and has served on the executive board of the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce. Duncan specializes in mixed-use, commercial and industrial real estate developments.
Crawford Edwards President Cassco Development Co.
Crawford Edwards is president of Cassco Development Co., Inc., developer of Clearfork in Fort Worth, and one of several members of Fort Worth’s Edwards family working in the company. Edwards works principally with cousin Paxton Motheral in running Clearfork. Edwards is the fifth generation of his family involved in managing his family’s ranching business. After graduating with a Bachelor of General Studies degree from Texas Christian University and the TCU Ranch Management program, he worked as a petroleum landman in West Texas.
Susan Gruppi Co-owner M2G Ventures
Susan Gruppi and her twin sister, Jessica Miller Essl, are the co-owners of M2G Ventures, the Fort Worth real estate development company that’s got a full plate these days. The Foundry District, a rebranding of industrial properties the sisters own off of White Settlement Road and Carroll Street, has held its own during COVID-19. On the Near Southside, another of the company’s latest deals, PROOF, an adaptive reuse of the building that used to be home to the Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co., is open and filling with office and entertainment tenants like Trinity Real Estate Investment Services and Bowlounge. M2G is also the retail leasing partner for the Mule Alley adaptive reuse project in the Fort Worth Stockyards, a project of Majestic Realty and Fort Worth’s Hickman family.
Dak Hatfield CEO Hatfield Advisers
Dak Hatfield founded his firm in 2005 as full-service commercial real estate company, with brokerage, investment, strategy, development, large-scale project management. Hatfield estimates firm has completed more than $100 million in development and redevelopment projects. Projects include multifamily, medical, creative office, retail, mixed-use. Hatfield has particular expertise in blending historic and new market tax credits with conventional debt and equity to finance urban development. BBA, finance/ real estate, TCU.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Continue having fun, enjoying life, and meeting all kinds of different people. Travel as often as possible, experiencing different cultures. Prepare yourself for opportunities, and when they present themselves, don't be afraid to take calculated risks.”
Brad Hickman CEO Hickman Enterprises
The Hickman family’s big Fort Worth Stockyards redevelopment in partnership with Majestic Realty is in full swing, with the redevelopment of the historic Mule Barns drawing corporate relocations and new retail and restaurant tenants, activity during COVID-19, and this spring’s opening of the luxury Hotel Drover Autograph Collection. Brad Hickman and his sister, Brenda Kostohryz, are the family’s leads in the partnership, which has stirred up bitter disputes among friends and family members in the Stockyards over preservation of history and authenticity. The property was assembled years ago by Holt Hickman, father of Brad Hickman and Kostohryz. Holt Hickman redeveloped the former hog and sheep pens into Stockyards Station and recruited the Tarantula tourist train; what to do with the bulk of the property fell to his children.
Terry Montesi CEO Trademark Property Co.
In 1992, Terry Montesi founded the Fort Worth–based Trademark, which has since developed or invested in about $2 billion and 11.4 million square feet of lifestyle retail, enclosed malls, and mixed-use properties across the country. In Fort Worth, Waterside, WestBend, Alliance Town Center. Montesi co-founded Huff, Brous, McDowell & Montesi. Serves: Union Gospel Mission board, Christ Chapel Bible Church building committee. Bachelor’s, Ole Miss; MBA, University of Texas at Austin.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Stop and make sure you remember and are aware of every experience. Find mentors and listen to them.”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “The Power of Ted helps point out a way to eliminate drama and move from being a victim to challenger ... the best way to help others.”
Manning CEO Trinity Works
Isaac Manning’s development work has taken him far afield in recent years to West Virginia; Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America on consulting for Hillwood Strategic Services; home in Fort Worth (consulting for AllianceTexas and Edwards Ranch), and Dallas (American Airlines Center). Manning founded Trinity Works, 2002, with primary focus on public-private partnerships. Volunteer work focused on Fort Worth public schools as an advisory board member for the Citizens for Great Schools PAC, which recruited and backed candidates for school board; and a member of the Fort Worth ISD’s Citizens Oversight Committee, to oversee progress on the spending of voter-approved bond money. BA, Vanderbilt; Master of Architecture, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University; and M.S. in architecture, environmental design & development concentration, MIT
Paxton Motheral Vice president Cassco Development Co.
Paxton Motheral and cousin Crawford Edwards have the lead in running development of the sprawling Edwards Ranch in the heart of the Chisholm Trail corridor. Motheral this spring had a brief flirtation with running for the open District 7 Fort Worth City Council seat, filing to run after Leonard Firestone announced he wouldn’t run, then withdrawing when Firestone changed his mind. BBA, real estate emphasis, TCU; BS, ranch management, TCU; MS, real estate development, MIT.
Jessica Miller Essl and her twin sister, Susan Gruppi, are the co-owners of M2G Ventures, the Fort Worth real estate development company that’s got a full plate these days. The Foundry District, a rebranding of industrial properties the sisters own off of White Settlement Road and Carroll Street, has held its own during COVID-19. On the Near Southside, another of the company’s latest deals, PROOF, an adaptive reuse of the building that used to be home to the Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co., is open and filling with office and entertainment tenants like Trinity Real Estate Investment Services and Bowlounge. M2G is also the retail leasing partner for the Mule Alley adaptive reuse project in the Fort Worth Stockyards, a project of Majestic Realty and Fort Worth’s Hickman family.
Trey Neville
Managing principal Graham Limited
Developer Trey Neville’s latest project — modern Hotel Revel on Eighth Avenue in Fort Worth’s Near Southside — is hard to miss. Neville's phase 1 next door is a mixed-use building whose tenants include tWabi House restaurant, specializes in urban mixed-use developments and has worked in commercial real estate for more than 20 years. Before starting Graham, Neville headed Fort Worth office for Stablemade Development and Brokerage. BS, finance, real estate emphasis, Texas Tech.
HOW I GIVE BACK: “My wife and I support Rivertree Academy, Presbyterian Night Shelter, Young Life, Academy 4, Search Ministries. We are trying to find a place in Como to build a healthy eating option. We had property under contract and could not rezone for restaurant use. We are pursuing other options and hope to have a location in place by the end of summer.”
Ken Newell Developer Trinity Lakes
Ken Newell and his brother, David Newell, developed the Riverbend Business Park years ago in East Fort Worth. In recent years, Ken Newell has been focusing on a development just across Interstate 820 loop from Riverbend: Trinity Lakes, a 1,600-acre, mixed-use project he began developing in 1999. A Trinity Railway Express station is in the works for the development on the line, whose stops include the CentrePort/ DFW Airport station. Newell grew up in development; his father started developing industrial property in 1954.
Chris Powers Founder/Executive chairman Fort Capital
Chris Powers’ Fort Capital continues to build out its River District development on Fort Worth’s West Side. Powers has said it’ll be Fort Capital’s last ground-up development, reasoning there are better places to put investors’ dollars and demand for warehouses and distribution centers will continue to grow as the world moves online. Fort Capital says it’s “aggressively seeking opportunities to acquire Class B Industrial and Urban Core Commercial/Land assets between $5 million and $50 million throughout the state of Texas. It is our goal to find exceptional, riskadjusted assets in high-growth markets.” Powers, who graduated from TCU, got his start in real estate, buying rental property while still in school.
Austin Reilly Broker Land Advisors Organization
Austin T. Reilly began his real estate career in 2008 with Burdine Realty Co., a boutique land brokerage firm in Fort Worth headed by his mentor Landry Burdine. In 2010, Reilly and Landry were tapped to run DFW office, Land Advisors Organization. Notable area projects include Walsh and Westchester Plaza. He participates in Tarrant Net’s Read2Win! literacy program in the Fort Worth schools. BA, American Studies, University of Richmond.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I just finished Conquest of Mind, by Eknath Easwaran, and was gripped by this quote: ‘Learn to discriminate between what is permanent and what is passing. Choose every day to do things that improve your health, promote lasting security, and deepen relationships — things that in the long run contribute to the well-being of society.’ "
Pretlow Riddick
President and principal Criterion Property Co.
Fort Worth’s Race Street and Scenic Bluff neighborhood continue to be a focus for Pretlow Riddick and his Dallas-based Criterion. Criterion is redeveloping the Race Street/ Belknap/Sylvania triangle with mixed uses. Criterion specializes in development, construction management, and asset management of investment-quality multifamily communities. BBA, University of Texas at Austin; MBA, George Washington University.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “American Dirt was about the struggle to overcome adversity on the trek to the U.S. from Mexico. It has been billed as The Grapes of Wrath of our times. While it wasn't that, it shines a bright light on the ability to survive in the search for a better life.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “I work closely with the amazing team at Oakhurst Elementary in Fort Worth.”
Tom Purvis
III
Co-founder L2L Ventures
Tom Purvis III is on board, as project manager with Randy Gideon, a coalition that’s building a 48-unit apartment complex in West Fort Worth near River Oaks that will be occupied by people who were formerly chronically homeless. It’s a nonprofit version of developer Flora Brewer’s purchase and rehab of the former Palm Tree Apartments on Race Street, east of downtown, into housing for chronically homeless people. The coalition includes Brewer, City of Fort Worth, Presbyterian Night Shelter, local foundations, and the DRC Solutions to End Homelessness, which does on-site case management for Palm Tree tenants and will do the same at the West Fort Worth project. Purvis and Gideon have said they hope to replicate the nonprofit model elsewhere in Fort Worth to meet the demand for permanent supportive housing.
Paris Rutherford’s Catalyst is well underway with construction of the Burnett Lofts, apartments and mixed uses being built on a package of city lots on the north side of Lancaster Avenue downtown. Catalyst and the city view the “SODO” district as a new gateway to downtown. Rutherford has worked for 30 years to create market-leading, mixed-use and residential districts, delivering profitable urban investment that capitalizes on demand for place. Graduate, USC and Harvard.
Eddie Vanston Developer
Eddie Vanston’s latest completed adaptive reuse project is the Near Southside’s Dickson-Jenkins Building Lofts, nee the Branch-Smith Building. The circa-1926 warehouse was an apparel factory. Years later, Branch-Smith Printing acquired the building. Vanston turned the building into industrial-style loft condos. Vanston, a transplanted New Yorker, for more than two decades has been buying historic Fort Worth buildings and converting them to residential uses. The Supreme Golf Warehouse and Markeen Apartments are two projects. Vanston maintains higher valuations are pushing developers like him out. He’s one of a chorus of voices worried that high rents will price Near Southside creatives out on their rents.
Corrie Watson Co-owner Frank Kent Enterprises
Corrie Watson and her twin brother, Will Churchill, triggered the latest rush to West Magnolia Avenue when they reinvested the proceeds from two major assets sales in Near Southside property. The twins recruited tenants they wanted, like MELT Ice Creams and Heim BBQ. Watson and Churchill sold the Kent & Cos. wines business in 2019. The twins also led the development of an all-inclusive playground at Trinity Park. Watson serves on the board of Ladies on the Lamb, which buys champion lambs from girls who show them at the Fort Worth Stock Show and place high enough in awards to enter the annual Junior Sale of Champions.
Jake Wagner Co-CEO Republic Property Group
Jake Wagner is co-CEO, with Tony Ruggieri, of the Dallas-based Republic Property Group, development partner on the 7,200-acre Walsh development in far West Fort Worth. Walsh selected Republic as master developer in 2015. At the time, F. Howard Walsh III said the family chose Republic based on innovative vision, youth, and experience. “They will be able to grow with this community.” Walsh and Ruggieri took over as co-CEOs in 2013. Bachelor’s, English, University of Texas at Austin.
F. Howard Walsh III
Principal Walsh Holdings
F. Howard Walsh III took over in 2019 as president of Walsh Cos., as longtime executive G. Malcolm Louden retired. Walsh heads the real estate division and his family’s representative in the ongoing development of the former Walsh Ranch in partnership with Republic Property Group of Dallas. He is the son of F. Howard Walsh, Jr., who died in 2016.
Ed Bass Co-owner Fine Line Diversified Development
Ed Bass ($2.2 billion estimated net worth, Forbes) took his family’s lead years ago in the development of Sundance Square downtown. Sundance shone and became a gathering spot after 2014 opening of Sundance Plaza. Late 2019, Ed and wife Sasha Bass announced they took 100% interest in the Sundance properties from the family, except for the garages held by Ed, Sasha, and brothers Sid and Lee Bass. Early 2020, Ed and Sasha Bass announced major management changes, bringing in outsider Henry S. Miller, among them. Later in the year, Sundance reverted to in-house management. Tenants angry over string of retail tenant losses, what they say is unresponsive management, and what they view as botched response to COVID-19. Bass and his brothers sold West Texas oil properties, 2017, to ExxonMobil for up to $6.5 billion. Bachelor’s, arts/sciences, Yale
Matt Mildren President co-founder
Tug Hill Real Estate Partners
Matt Mildren has over 25 years in leasing, development, and acquisitions of real estate properties. THREP is a private equity investment company focused on purchasing U.S. real estate. Portfolio includes office buildings, apartment complexes, shopping centers, medical office buildings, senior housing, and industrial buildings. Boards: Presbyterian Night Shelter, BBVA Compass, All Saints’ Episcopal School, Cristo Rey Fort Worth High School. BBA, TCU; Real Estate Advanced Finance Certificate, Harvard University.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Work hard and treat people right, then everything else will fall in place.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “I can truly work mobile thanks to my iPhone.”
Sasha Bass Co-owner Fine Line Diversified Development
Ed and Sasha Bass married 2018. Late in 2019, the couple announced they had taken 100% ownership interest in Bass family's Sundance Square holdings in downtown Fort Worth, excluding the City Center towers, which the couple said they held in partnership with Ed's brothers Sid Bass and Lee Bass. Sasha Bass took on a significantly more visible profile in management of Sundance Square after a raft of New Year’s 2020 changes, and with Ed dropping out of public view during COVID-19. Retail tenants angry about management changes, Sundance's response to COVID, loss of tenants, and communication. Anger largely directed at Sasha Bass. “Where’s the faith? Where’s the faith?” Sasha Bass said in interview earlier this year with Fort Worth Inc. Bachelor’s, University of Arizona.
Steve Murrin CEO RIver Ranch
Steve Murrin’s family bought a ranch west of Fort Worth in 1934. Murrin still lives at the West Fork Ranch and throws himself a big, well-attended birthday party each year. After he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1960 and served in the Air Force, Murrin entered real estate as a broker and later as an investor and developer. He and partners brought Wild West shows and rodeo back to Cowtown Coliseum in the Stockyards. Murrin — known for his cowboy profile, with big hat and handlebar mustache — owns River Ranch venue in the Stockyards and other real estate. Central figure in tensions in the Stockyards over the now-launched redevelopment of a big piece of the Stockyards by a partnership of Majestic Realty and Fort Worth’s Hickman family. Murrin and others argued development plan risks losing authenticity. The high-profile schism disrupted partnerships, friendships, and families.
John Goff CEO Crescent Real Estate
Self-made John Goff ($1.3 billion estimated net worth, Forbes) this spring won Fort Worth City Council approval of an incentive package that cleared the way for Crescent’s plan to build a $250 million luxury hotel, Class A office, apartment, retail, and restaurant package on 4.1 acres across from the Kimbell Art Museum. Fort Worth-based Crescent’s first development project here. Office building will house Goff’s businesses, including Crescent, which will move from downtown. Goff worked for the Fort Worth financier Richard Rainwater early in career, started his own firm. Crescent’s GP Invitation Fund I reports $3.5 billion in assets under management, 3 million square feet of office space, 3,740 hotel rooms, and Goff’s CanyonRanch luxury resort business. Goff co-chairs Fort Worth Now task force on reopening city. Recommendations to come. Graduate, University of Texas at Austin
Bobby Patton CEO TCRG Properties
Bobby Patton’s investments run the range of oil and gas, office buildings, ranches, cutting horses, and a minority stake in the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. Patton bought a 343-acre ranch from investor Jon Winkelreid, now San Francisco-based co-CEO of TPG. And when Alice Walton put 90 horses on the sale block, Patton bought many of them. More recently, he hired a Fort Worth fund manager to launch a venture capital fund, dovetailing with Fort Worth leaders’ pitch to have wealthy Fort Worth families invest locally in venture deals. First deal: the fund came in on a seed round with Ed Bass and Sasha Bass on a $500,000 investment in Fort Worth-based Gozova, developer of a truck-and-crew-on-demand app.
David Auld President and CEO D.R. Horton, Inc.
David V. Auld has been president and CEO since October 2014 of the Arlington-based D.R. Horton homebuilder, one of Tarrant County’s Fortune 500 headquarters. Auld was executive vice president and chief operating officer from November 2013 until October 2014. He was region president overseeing the company’s homebuilding operations in Florida, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama from 2005 to 2013. From 1988 to 2005, Auld was division president of the company’s Orlando Division. Prior to 1988, he worked for Texas American Bank and General Dynamics. Auld graduated from Texas Tech University in 1978 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting.
Johnny Campbell President and CEO City Center Management
Johnny Campbell switched hats in last year. Ed and Sasha Bass announced in late 2019 they’d taken 100% ownership of Sundance Square properties, except for the City Center office towers, held by family members. Ed and Sasha Bass severed unified management of the downtown properties on Jan. 1 last year. Campbell shifted over to run the office towers and garages. Amid criticism by Sundance tenants over uneven management at Sundance following the changes, Campbell remains widely viewed with favor. Campbell came to Sundance in 2001, led strong results, according to management site. “Under Johnny’s leadership, Sundance Square has grown dramatically. Sales have more than tripled since 2001, and five new buildings totaling 800,000 square feet have been added. The average weekly foot traffic has climbed to 123,000, and the annual marketing budget has quadrupled.”
Jack Rattikin Jr. Chairman Rattikin Title
The son of founder Jack Rattikin Sr., Jack Rattikin Jr. grew up in the title business. Rattikin graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s in business and law degree. Though he was protected from the 1950s draft during law school, after graduation in 1957, Rattikin joined the Army and served in the Transportation Corps in Virginia. After the Army, Rattikin returned to Texas, where he practiced criminal law for a short time before joining the title company in 1969. Rattikin served as president of the Texas Land and Title Association from 1974 – 1975 and the American Land and Title Association from 1984 – 1985.
Ramon Romero Jr. CEO
Ramon Romero Corp.
When not representing his Southeast Fort Worth District 90 in the Texas Legislature, Ramon Romero spends time tending to his portfolio of businesses: A-Fast Tile & Coping, Stone Mason Supply, rental homes and houses he flips. Romero remembers he looked for odd jobs from a young age to make money. Those included hanging out at the Poly car wash and offering to wash cars for anybody who stopped, scooping ice cream at the Ashburn’s Ice Cream Parlor, and working as an appointment setter for a health and life insurance company. In the mid-’90s, Romero helped form the first neighborhood association in his mother's neighborhood. City Councilman Ralph McCloud noticed and gave Romero his first city appointment.
Michael Dike Co-founder and president Village Homes
After graduating with a business degree from the University of Texas, Village Homes’ co-founder and president, Michael Dike, accepted a position at a leading Austin production homebuilder. The cookie-cutter design approach did not coincide with his vision, so Dike went on a mission to create a company from the ground up. In 1996, he discovered a like-minded financier in Fort Worth developer Jim Harris, and Village Homes was born. Village Homes has maintained a reputation for blending the style and quality of well-detailed existing homes with the open floor plans and efficiencies that today’s buyers expect.
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “TikTok actually has some great recipes. Learned from my 14-year-old daughter, Elizabeth.”
HOW I GIVE BACK: “Serving on Cook Children’s hospital board and volunteering at our local community center.”
Chandler Wonderly
Princpal
Olympus Property
Chandler Wonderly started the Fort Worth-based Olympus Property when he was a junior at Georgetown University. Olympus Property has grown from its original two units in 1992 to over 17,000 units today. With nearly 30 years of owning and operating multifamily real estate, Olympus has consistently delivered returns to investors, the firm says. “Our firm successfully navigated the financial crisis of 2007 – 2008 and delivered profits to investors without a single capital call.” Olympus estimates its portfolio is valued at over $3 billion and represents about 17,000 apartments.
Zareen Khan Brendel
Executive vice president, strategic growth
Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty
Born and reared in Fort Worth, Zareen Khan Brendel earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Stanford University before graduating from SMU’s law school. Brendel spent two years practicing transactional law at a big Fort Worth firm. In 2007, she began her real estate sales career providing services to developers, investors, homebuyers, and sellers. In August 2013, Brendel started Bloom Real Estate Group with two partners. In September 2015, Bloom was acquired by Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty. In 2016, Brendel stepped away from working with buyer and seller clients and took a management role as the director of sales in Fort Worth's Cultural District office. She became the chief sales officer in 2018, overseeing the entire sales organization, and she now serves as the executive vice president of strategic growth for the company.
Rick Wegman
Realtor
Christie's ULTERRE
Rick Wegman has been in Fort Worth real estate since 2003. He has over 16 years in residential brokerage and construction and was instrumental in growing HGC Residential Development into the area’s largest custom homebuilder. Wegman launched and owns an interior decorating firm, commercial construction company, and property management firm. He has listed and sold some of the area's most significant properties. Wegman is a Christie's Certified Luxury Specialist. He graduated from TCU and received master's and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from Nova Southeastern University.
Michael Crain Broker
Northern Crain
It’s been a big year for Michael Crain, elected in May by wide margin to a term on the Fort Worth City Council representing District 3. And last year, the 2019 merger of his real estate firm unraveled within months; he and remaining partner Will Northern rebranded Northern Crain. Crain, chief of staff at U.S. Embassy, Beijing, for President George W. Bush, returned to home state Texas after Bush. Crain and wife Joanna started a Fort Worth version of the Foodie Philanthropy nonprofit they launched in China. Crain started a franchise pizza restaurant in Fort Worth but closed within months. Became Councilman Brian Byrd’s district director, setting up Council run. BBA, Texas A&M; law degree, Texas Wesleyan; MBA, Rutgers.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Nothing will be handed to you, so work hard and prove your worth.”
Martha Williams
Realtor
WilliamsTrew
Martha Williams specializes in the relocation of corporate executives and is one of the top 1% of Realtors nationally, which she attributes to integrity, knowledge of neighborhoods, and a deep network that gives her “unparalleled access to some of the finest properties in the Fort Worth market.” Before co-founding Williams Trew in 2000, Williams worked for several real estate companies. She’s been in real estate for more than 37 years. Williams serves on the boards of Fort Worth Country Day School, UT Southwestern Medical Foundation in Dallas, and The Cliburn. She is a founding member of the Fort Worth Professional Women's Organization. She also is a former president of the Junior League of Fort Worth.
Jamey Ice Co-founder 6th Ave. Homes
Fort Worth native Jamey Ice co-founded 6th Ave LLC. Includes 6th Ave Homes one-stop shop, residential real estate; 6th Ave Storytelling modern marketing, brand firm; 6th Ave Commercial one-stop shop for commercial real estate; and 6th Ave Consulting. Ice co-founded BREWED restaurants; co-founded Green River Ordinance rock band. Band shared the stage with Bon Jovi, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Sting, Willie Nelson.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Slow down and enjoy the ride.”
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “Joe T. Garcia’s. Margaritas to go? Yes, please!” WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “Green Lights, by Matthew McConaughey, blew me away in an unexpected way. An absolute blast to read! A fantastic storyteller, risk taker, poet, and philosopher.”
John Zimmerman Realtor Compass
John Zimmerman has been a top-producing Fort Worth sales agent for nearly three decades, deeply involved in the development the Montserrat and La Cantera neighborhoods. Zimmerman has been ranked the No. 1 agent in Fort Worth for five years, No. 2 in the state, and among the top one-half percent of Realtors nationwide. Zimmerman studied finance and real estate at the University of Arkansas. He's lived in Fort Worth for nearly 30 years and lives in the Shady Oaks Country Club neighborhood.
The Martha Williams Group has unparalleled experience paired with impeccable client service, because we know it’s the little things that leave a lasting impression. Our passion is to make you feel right at home, wherever you want that to be.
University Christian Church Senior Minister recognized as one of “The 400” most influential leaders in Fort Worth.
YOU’RE VALUABLE, WORTHY OF LOVE , and already part of what Godʼs doing in the world. Here, you can experience Godʼs love for yourself and learn to carry that love with you WHEREVER YOU GO .
Traditional Worship: 9:00am & 11:00am Simple Worship: 9:30am - 9:50am Online Worship: 9:00am & 11:00am Website • Facebook • YouTube
The pandemic forced the shutdown of religious institutions last year, and many are still in the process of reopening, reaching back out to members, and determining how to do church again.
Mujahid Bakhach
Imam Islamic Association of Tarrant County
Mujahid Bakhach is imam of the Islamic Association of Tarrant County. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Islamic Jurisprudence, both from Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Bakhach is an international speaker on “Islam in America” and director of a radio program, “The Message of Islam.” Bakhach also is a certified mediator, negotiator, and arbitrator, with more than 20 years in providing workshops and lectures on mediation. He’s director of the Mediation Institute of North Texas. He teaches marriage counseling and mediation.
Andrew Bloom Rabbi Congregation Ahavath Sholom
Andrew Bloom has been rabbi at Congregation Ahavath Sholom since 2011. Growing up in Maryland, he made aliyah at 19 to Israel. Bloom studied education and history at State Teachers College — Seminar Hakibutzim in Tel Aviv and received his ordination and master’s degree at The Schechter Institute for Judaic Studies in Jerusalem. Bloom in 2017 was appointed by Mayor Betsy Price as a co-chair of Fort Worth’s Task Force on Race and Culture.
HOW I GIVE BACK “Read 2Win, DRC Solutions, Unbound Fort Worth, Cowtown Clergy. I make sure I volunteer outside of my synagogue in programs and projects whereby I can make a difference in someone's life. At this time, I am focusing on three areas: children's literacy, homelessness, and human trafficking.”
Chauncey Franks Chaplain
TCU Football
As chaplain for the TCU Football Team, Chauncey Franks oversees the Fellowship of Christian Athletes ministry at TCU, which reaches more than 400 TCU coaches and student athletes. Franks received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Midwestern State University, where he played football.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, by Emmanuel Acho. “This book helps break down barriers in order for conversations and life-on-life experiences to happen that can help bring about unity and healing.”
HOW I GIVE BACK “I have had the privilege of helping with Coach Patterson's Turkey Drive the last two years, which provides meals for thousands of individuals. I also get to partner with local churches to help serve people in their communities.”
Adam Greenway
President
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Adam W. Greenway became the ninth president of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in February 2019. Greenway holds a bachelor’s from Samford University, Master of Divinity from Southwestern Seminary, Ph.D. in Evangelism and Apologetics from Southern Seminary in 2007, and Master of Nonprofit Administration from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. Greenway has co-edited two books — The Great Commission Resurgence: Fulfilling God’s Mandate in Our Time and Evangelicals Engaging Emergent: A Discussion of the Emergent Church Movement — and has contributed to several others. Before being elected president of Southwestern, Greenway was dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Under his leadership, the Billy Graham School experienced record enrollment.
Tim Bruster
Senior pastor
First United Methodist Church Fort Worth
Tim Bruster became senior pastor of the 6,000-member First United Methodist Church in Fort Worth in 2003. He holds a bachelor’s in religion from Centenary College, Master of Divinity from SMU, and Doctor of Ministry from SMU. Bruster is a licensed pilot.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Be confident in your God-given gifts and abilities and use them to serve for the greater good.”
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “3 Parrots Taco Shop on Boat Club Road”
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “One of the most important is Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation, by Latosha Morrison. She approaches the subject of racism in a way that leads to deeper understanding of systemic racism and its long history. She also provides a theological framework for the crucial work of reconciliation.”
Cody McQueen
Lead pastor
Christ Chapel Bible Church
Cody McQueen is lead pastor at the nondenominational Christ Chapel, one of the county’s largest churches, with locations in Fort Worth, Aledo, and Burleson and about 10,000 regularly in attendance before COVID-19 disrupted churches. McQueen holds Master of Theology and Doctorate of Ministry degrees from the Dallas Theological Seminary. McQueen came to Christ Chapel after earning his master’s degree, having been connected to the church through one of his seminary professors. “He asked me what I planned to do after graduation,” McQueen says. “He must have had pity on me, because when I told him that I didn’t know, he asked for my résumé. The rest is history.” Before being named senior pastor, he was Life Stage 2 pastor, teaching pastor, and West Campus pastor.
Robert Morris Senior pastor Gateway Church
Robert Morris founded the Bible-based evangelistic Gateway Church in Southlake in 1999. Since then, it’s grown to 10 campuses; broadcast online and prison ministries; and what it estimates are more than 100,000 active attendees. Morris’ television program airs in more than 190 countries, and his radio program, “Worship & the Word with Pastor Robert,” airs in more than 2,800 U.S. radio markets across America. Morris is the author of The Blessed Life, Frequency, Beyond Blessed, and Take the Day Off. In 2018, Gateway opened its first prison campus at the Coffield Unit in Anderson County. In 2019, the church launched its first extension campus outside of Texas in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. As the church began navigating COVID, it rallied its members to help, using the phrase “Gateway Together.”
Ryon Price
Senior pastor
Broadway Baptist Church
Ryon Price is a graduate of Texas Tech University and the Duke Divinity School at Duke University. He’s been senior pastor at Broadway Baptist since 2017 and previously served churches in Lubbock, Vermont, and Durham, North Carolina. Price serves on the Brite Divinity School, Board of Visitors, Near Southside, Inc. board, and Mayor Betsy Price’s Faith-Based Cabinet.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “I'd say what I say to my own children every day as I drop them off at school: Be safe and be kind.” WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: “I just read Michael Curry's book, Love is the Way. It reminded me that the simple really can be so very profound.”
HOW I GIVE BACK “Through the ministries of Broadway Baptist Church. I'm grateful to serve a church that is both a thriving community of faith and also a lifeline for neighbors in need.”
Michael Olson Bishop Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth
Michael Olson was ordained bishop and installed as fourth bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth in January 2014. Olson was ordained a priest for the Diocese in 1994 and began his priestly ministry as parochial vicar of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Bedford. Olson was a charter recipient of the CRS Global Fellowship in 1993, through which he traveled to Egypt and Burkina Faso to study global development in social justice. He is also a past recipient of the Presidential Fellowship of Saint Louis University, where he studied at the Center for Health Care Ethics in the Catholic Tradition. In March 2011, he earned his doctorate in moral theology at the Academia Alfonsiana in Rome. The Fort Worth Diocese has more than 1 million Catholics.
Russ Peterman Senior minister University Christian Church
Russ Peterman became senior minister of University Christian Church in 2017. He serves on the Compassionate Fort Worth task force, Faith Based Workgroup of Read Fort Worth, and Mayor Betsy Price’s Faith-Based Cabinet. Peterman holds a Bachelor of Arts from TCU, Master of Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary, and Doctor of Ministry from Columbia Theological Seminary.
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “Happiness isn’t a destination but a lifelong journey.” WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ:
“In Sue Monk Kidd's latest book, The Book of Longings, she tells the story of Ana, a rebellious young woman, a gifted writer with a curious, brilliant mind who becomes the wife of Jesus. It's the powerful story of someone who fights to be heard. It is ambitious and visionary, an exquisite and unforgettable work of historical fiction.”
New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church
Kyev Tatum of late has used his pulpit to rail against excessive use of force by police. He’s focused his ministry on advocacy, traveling from Dallas to San Antonio with 40 students to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the hangings of 13 members of the mostly-black 24th U.S. Infantry. He lobbied city leaders to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King’s visit to Fort Worth. Tatum and peers created the Community Peacemakers, a program that trains Fort Worth residents to mediate community conflicts. Tatum graduated from Trimble Tech High School in Fort Worth and holds a bachelor’s from the University of North Texas.
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “The heart shines through regardless of race, religion, or region you are from. Love has no color.”
Brian Zimmerman Senior rabbi Beth-El Congregation
Brian Zimmerman is a 12th generation rabbi, following his father and grandfathers. Raised in New York, Zimmerman received a bachelor’s from Boston University. He moved to Hollywood, intent to work in film but changed his mind. He earned a Master of Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles and was ordained at Hebrew Union College in New York. Zimmerman served as the regional and rabbinic director for the South District of the Union for Reform Judaism, tending to the spiritual and physical needs of clergy and congregations in an 11-state district comprising 195 congregations. Zimmerman has merged his passions, Judaism and film, through his temple classes and other outside commitments. He was cochair of Cinema Emanu-El, a summer Jewish film festival that hosts over 2,000 attendees, and he was chair of film procurement for the Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival.
To
Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been on the campus of TCU since 1965. In 2010, Chauncey Franks arrived as the first FCA Character Coach dedicated solely to TCU, and now has a team of four missionaries on TCU’s campus. A ministry that started with a handful of students has impacted thousands of student athletes and coaches…and we’re not done yet! We’d love for you to be our teammate in what God is doing to build faith, character, and leadership in the lives of student athletes and coaches at TCU.
COVID-19 shut sports down for much of last year, but teams began to reemerge late in the year. The Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field — the team’s general manager is a newcomer to “The 400” — debuted in 2020 and hosted the National League Championship and World Series.
Jeremiah Donati Athletic director
Jeremiah Donati was named TCU’s director of intercollegiate athletics in December 2017, moving up from deputy. Donati is TCU’s eighth athletic director. He has played a key role in improving the student-athlete experience through donor-supported facility upgrades. The most recent project was the $113 million Legends Club & Suites at Amon G. Carter Stadium, completed in 2020. Other projects include new video boards for soccer and swimming and diving, resurfacing of the Sheridan and Clif Morris Football Practice Fields and Moncrief Field at Amon Carter, football locker room improvements, and graphics and banner updates in the Schollmaier Basketball Complex. Donati also secured a new equestrian facility closer to campus. In March 2019, Donati worked with TCU alumnus LaDainian Tomlinson to create The Tomlinson Student-Athlete Development Endowment Fund.
Gary
Patterson Head football coach TCU
Since taking over as TCU’s head football coach in December 2000, Gary Patterson has easily become one of Fort Worth’s most recognizable people. Patterson, the nation’s second longest-serving head coach, has won 22 national coach of the year awards and is the Horned Frogs' all-time winningest coach with 178 victories. Patterson led TCU to a 2014 Big 12 championship in its third season in the conference. TCU has won six conference championships in three leagues under Patterson. During his 23 years with the team, including three seasons as defensive coordinator, Patterson has seen TCU appear in 20 bowl games. TCU is 13-6 in bowl games with Patterson on its coaching staff and 11-6 under him as head coach. Off the field, Patterson and wife Kelsey support literacy, education, life skills, health, and family issues through The Gary Patterson Foundation.
Eddie Gossage CEO Texas Motor Speedway
Bruton Smith, the NASCAR Hall of Famer executive chairman of Speedway Motorsports, hired Eddie Gossage in 1995 to head the opening of Texas Motor Speedway in 1997. TMS annually hosts two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, two NASCAR XFINITY SERIES and Gander Outdoors Truck Series races, and an NTT IndyCar Series event, and is one of the city’s biggest draws. Gossage holds a Bachelor of Science from Middle Tennessee State University.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE LAST BOOK I READ: Sting-Ray Afternoons, Steve Rushin. “It took me back to the days growing up when the streetlight was your sign it was time to be home, and the neighborhood caste system was based on the kind of bicycle you rode.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “Little things are the big things. My wife. My kids. My grandkids.”
Dennis Roberson
Tournament manager
Charles Schwab Challenge
Dennis Roberson has been manager of the PGA TOUR’s annual stop at Colonial Country Club since 1985. Roberson is most visibly connected to the community through the substantial annual charitable gifts the tournament makes. In 2020, the tournament was the PGA TOUR’s first stop since COVID-19 broke out, with no fans allowed. Roberson’s responsibilities include coordinating with marketing, operations, charity, special events, media relations, volunteers, budget oversight, and strategic planning. He also helps coordinate with the PGA TOUR, television networks, club staff, city, title sponsor, and other partners. Roberson holds a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.
Jerry Jones Owner Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones’ Dallas Cowboys have been No. 1 among Forbes’ most valuable National Football League teams for 13 years. Forbes pegs Jones’ net worth at $8.8 billion, including a $5.5 billion valuation on the Cowboys, which he purchased for $150 million in 1989. The Cowboys have won three Super Bowls under Jones’ ownership. Jones, who made his initial fortune in oil and gas, continues to invest in energy and real estate. Jones’ leadership in marketing, promotion, salary cap, television contracts, and the development of stadiums as revenue centers has helped transform the NFL. Jones’ children — Stephen Jones, Charlotte Jones Anderson, and Jerry Jones, Jr. — are Cowboys executives. Jones and his wife, Gene, direct charitable giving through their Gene and Jerry Jones Foundation.
Chris Young General manager Texas Rangers Baseball Club
Chris Young is the Rangers’ new executive vice president and general manager, joining the team Dec. 4. The 41-year-old Young is involved in all areas of Rangers baseball operations under the president of baseball operations Jon Daniels, the former general manager. Young spent the previous three years working for Major League Baseball and was promoted to senior vice president, baseball operations, in February 2020. He oversaw the On-Field Operations and Umpiring Departments and served as the League’s principal liaison to Major League managers regarding play on the field, working on the application of playing rules and regulations, on-field standards and discipline, pace of play, and other special projects. Young was a pitcher who played 13 Major League seasons for five clubs. He is the ninth general manager in Rangers history.
Where does transportation go next in North Texas? How do we pay for it? Does the pandemic permanently change the way Texans move around? Our transportation leaders are charged with sorting that out.
Rachel Albright CEO and president Tarrant Transit Alliance
Rachel Albright directs the nonprofit Tarrant Transit Alliance, which builds support for funding regional transit in Fort Worth and the county. Projects she’s working on include working with the Glen Park neighborhood to improve bus stop conditions and Community Design Fort Worth on a Poly master plan and a project that seeks to understand what Fort Worth people love or want to change. Albright is a graduate of Fort Worth’s Southwest High School and the University of North Texas.
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: “Anywhere that serves bao buns or samosas: Tokyo Cafe, Cannon Chinese, Swad Indian, Maharaja Indian Restaurant.”
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “The pandemic has been a great teacher, instructing me on my privilege, grit, the interconnectivity of our community.”
Jeff Davis Chairman Trinity Metto
Jeff Davis, chairman of Trinity Metro and a past chairman of the Tarrant Transit Alliance, has been a central figure in the region’s efforts to expand public transit. Trinity Metro, in conversations with Fort Worth and other authorities, is working on establishing priorities, including potentially expanding bus services, use of ZIPZONE shuttles, and commuter rail. Davis, chairman of Republic Title in Fort Worth since 2004, holds an undergraduate degree from Princeton University, where he majored in religion, and law degree from SMU. He practiced commercial law for several years before he opened his own law practice and title company. Davis was president of Safeco Title for 16 years before he joined Republic. At 27, he was elected to the first single member district City Council in Fort Worth and served two terms representing East Fort Worth.
Bob Baulsir CEO Trinity Metro
Bob Baulsir heads the agency charged with expanding public transit into the area, with limited resources and conflicted public will. Baulsir became CEO in April 2019, moving up from senior vice president. He joined the agency in 2014 as project manager of TEXRail, the 27-mile commuter line that launched service between DFW Airport and Downtown Fort Worth and the Near Southside in January 2019. Trinity Metro’s now looking at a slate of options for expanding transit that include better bus service, use of ZIPZONE shuttles, and a southward extension of TEXRail into the Medical District. Baulsir holds a Bachelor of Science in business management from the University of Phoenix, with coursework at the State University of New York. Baulsir has worked in public agencies in New York and Ohio, including the Metro Regional Transit Authority in Akron.
Sean Donohue CEO
Dallas/Fort Worth Airport
Sean Donohue is CEO of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports and a primary economic engine for North Texas. Donohue is responsible for the management, operation, and strategic planning of the airport, which connects North Texas with nonstop service to more than 200 destinations in five continents. While traffic dropped off dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, DFW historically produces more than $37 billion in annual economic impact and generates an average 60,000 jobs. Donohue, who graduated Boston College with a Bachelor of Science in marketing, joined DFW in 2013, following 28 years in airlines in various executive roles with Virgin Australia Airlines and United Airlines.
Bill Davis Chairman Fort Worth & Western Railroad
Fort Worth oilman Bill Davis, chairman of Fort Worth & Western Railroad, is in the middle of Fort Worth’s renewed efforts to extend the TEXRail commuter line to the Medical District from T&P Station on the Near Southside. Davis’ railroad owns the right of way that TEXRail would need to run on for the station, which would be on the west side of Baylor All Saints Medical Center property at Mistletoe Boulevard. Davis chartered the railroad in 1988 to buy trackage from BNSF. He’s grown it to more than 275 miles of track through eight counties, from the original 6.25 miles. Davis’ Fort Worth and Texas roots run deep. He’s the son of Kenneth Davis, one of the founders of the Petroleum Club of Fort Worth. Davis and his wife, Mitzi, are prominent supporters of arts organizations.
Katie Farmer
President and CEO
Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Katie Farmer became CEO of BNSF effective Jan. 1, taking over for Carl Ice and becoming the first woman in nearly 200 years of railroads to head a Class I railway. Farmer, who holds a bachelor’s and MBA from TCU, was executive vice president of operations, a post she’d held since September 2018. She started her railroad career with BNSF in 1992 as a management trainee and held leadership positions within BNSF’s operations throughout her career. Farmer is a TCU trustee and member of the executive committee of the Fort Worth Symphony. Farmer is one of several CEOs of Fort Worth-based Berkshire Hathaway companies. BNSF, the largest U.S. railroad, is based in Fort Worth and employs about 36,000 people, with routes in 28 states and Canada.
John
Kleinheinz Principal Texas Central Partners
John Kleinheinz, a successful Fort Worth hedge fund manager and a philanthropist with his wife, Martha, is a principal in Texas Central Partners, which proposes to build a privately funded high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston. The group completed an initial $75 million investment round in 2015. “As a fund manager, I had the opportunity to invest in companies and projects all over the world,” Kleinheinz said at the time. “I am thrilled to invest in such an exciting project right here in Texas. The strong growth of our state’s economy and population requires significant infrastructure investments, and I believe Texas Central will pay dividends for the state of Texas, its citizens, and its environment for decades to come.” Kleinheinz began his career as an investment banker and established Kleinheinz Capital Partners in Fort Worth in 1996. He closed the fund in 2012 and returned its capital to investors.
Parker CEO American Airlines
Doug Parker managed American Airlines through what he called “the most challenging year in our company’s history.” For 2020, the Fort Worth-based airline lost $8.89 billion, compared to a $1.7 billion net profit in 2019, and incorporated more than $1.3 billion of “permanent non-volume, non-fuel efficiency cost-saving measures” into its 2021 operating plan. “We couldn’t be prouder of the American Airlines team and the great things they accomplished last year,” Parker said, when the airline announced its 2020 results. “Through collaboration, resourcefulness and hard work, our team did its part to keep the economy moving. The American team flew more customers than any other airline in 2020, and they did so safely and with the utmost care.” Parker was named chairman and CEO in 2013.
Bill Meadows is chairman emeritus at Hub International Services but has plenty on his plate elsewhere. A former chair of the DFW Airport board, who joined it in 2014 representing Fort Worth, he continues as a member. He also chairs the Commission for High Speed Rail in the Dallas/Fort Worth Region. Meadows also is president and co-chair of the Fort Worth Report, a nonprofit digital newspaper launched this spring, with a $1.2 million grant from the Burnett Foundation. Previously, Meadows served four terms on the Fort Worth City Council and is a former member of Texas Transportation Commission, North Texas Tollway Authority board, Tarrant County Regional Water District Advisory Board, Texas Water Development Board, City of Fort Worth Parks and Community Services Board, and Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce board.
Reed Pigman Jr. CEO Texas Jet
Reed Pigman grew up in aviation, beginning with a flight school started by his dad in 1939. In 1978, Pigman, a pilot who has a Learjet type rating, founded Texas Jet at Fort Worth’s Meacham Airport, selling fuel, hangar space, and service to pilots and aircraft owners. Texas Jet’s a perennial award winner, this year ranking fourth among U.S. fixed-based operators on the closely watched Professional Pilot magazine Pro Pilot PRASE survey, and No. 1 among independent FBOs.
BEST COVID TAKEOUT FOOD: Texas Pit BBQ. “A couple miles north of Meacham Airport — yummy ribs!”
ADVICE I’D GIVE MY 18-YEAR-OLD SELF: “It is better to make a poor decision than to make no decision at all. You can expect to make some poor decisions, so be prepared to learn from them.”
Michael Morris Director of transportation North Central Texas Council of Governments
Michael Morris, as director of transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, gets to help the region define its priorities for everything from roads to public transit — and then hunt funding. His office is amid three transportation studies, including one focusing on the western half of the Metroplex. Morris is working on extending TEXRail south to Fort Worth’s Medical District and with Arlington on better connectivity inside the city and to DFW Airport. He’s advocating for a westbound high-speed rail line to Fort Worth from Dallas if the proposed privately funded Texas Central Partners line connecting Dallas to Houston goes forward. Morris also is looking into an array of next-generation technologies, like hyperloop, in which vehicles travel at high speeds through sealed tubes. And still unknown is the lasting impact COVID-19 will have on transit usage.
Alicia Winkelblech Senior officer for strategic iniatives
City of Arlington
Alicia Winkelblech directs the City of Arlington’s Office of Strategic Initiatives, whose portfolio includes new approaches to city planning and transportation. The office has run three autonomous vehicle deployments since 2017: the existing RAPID autonomous on-demand shuttles and on- and off-street pilot programs. A Richland High School graduate, Winkelblech has more than 18 years in transportation and planning. She has a bachelor’s in environmental design from Texas A&M and a master’s in urban planning from the University of Washington.
LEARNED NEW DURING COVID: “Boredom and time to do ‘all those things’ does not exist for parents of young children, even in a pandemic! But we got time with our boys we would have never had otherwise, and the memories are priceless.”
At Suffolk, we’ve always sought the most inspiring solutions for our clients’ challenges. We pursue better in an industry ruled by the status quo. Because we’ve
never seen impossible as an obstacle, but as an invitation.
To take your vision and find new ways to make it a reality.
To look impossible in the eye, and prove it wrong.
Invest. Innovate. Build. Challenge your idea of what a construction company can do. suffolk.com | 901 Main Street | Suite 5100 |
| 469-872-5600
We are looking for entrepreneurs whose vision, creativity, and integrity have made Fort Worth the premier place to do business. Fort Worth Inc.’s Entrepreneur of Excellence Awards showcase and honor the contributions of exceptional entrepreneurs in the following industry categories:
please provide
and description of the
Winners will be announced at an awards gala later this year, and both finalists and winners will be featured in the Winter issue of Fort Worth Inc.
For more information and to begin your application, please visit fortworthinc.com/awards-programs/eoe
Here's the deal.
Looking for that perfect location for your next meeting or event? Whether it’s a large-scale soiree or a small corporate conference, these venues offer everything you need to make your gathering a success. From catering and entertainment to audio/video systems and furniture, the following pages can answer all your questions. Explained by the pros who are there to make your event run smoothly, this section will help you select the right venue for you or your company.
The information in this section is provided by the advertisers and has not been independently verified by Fort Worth Inc.
What types of events can your venue accommodate? Create a truly legendary event, perfect for parties, weddings, galas, and more. Groups of 10 – 400 guests can choose from five unique venues including The Barn, Legacy Hall, The Drover Boardroom, Vaquero Room, and Ranchero Room, with additional space located at the adjacent Stockyards Station.
What does your venue rental package include? On-site catering, the ability to accommodate special dietary needs, exclusive suppliers and event staff, as well as outdoor space and limited mobility accessibility are all part of the options available.
What are your venue’s tech capabilities and facilities? The latest multimedia and tech support as well as Wi-Fi, TV flip charts, and markers.
What is the biggest mistake people make when planning a meeting or event? The biggest opportunity we encounter with event planning is leaving enough space for the wait staff. Most planners like to maximize the space, but this can lead to challenges during meal service. Keep service parameters in mind for your next event.
What free advice can you offer readers? Don’t sweat the small stuff — that’s what your venue’s team is there for — to take care of all of the details and put you at ease. Allow your contact to help guide you through the planning process so you can enjoy your guests and the experience.
817.755.5557 | hoteldrover.com
What types of events can your venue accommodate? From receptions in the WXYZ Bar to corporate meetings, banquets, and social events, the Aloft’s unique event spaces set the scene for memorable gatherings. Guest rooms are also available.
What does your venue rental package include? Rental at Aloft always includes complimentary high-speed internet, stylish event tables and chairs, trendy décor options, and an experienced service staff, including an event manager. Meeting packages are also available with food and beverage options.
What sets your venue apart? The Aloft’s open, flexible meeting space is sleek and savvy with floor-to-ceiling windows and delightful city views. Meeting planners and guests alike love the natural light, flexible setup options, state-of-the-art audiovisual, and impressive catering choices.
What’s the biggest mistake people make when event planning? A key mistake of planners is trying to save money in the wrong places. If there’s good communication, the event manager will help them stick to their budget while also delivering a successful event!
817.885.7999 | marriott.com/dfwad
What types of events can your venue accommodate?
This Fort Worth venue offers clients a clean, open space with historic charm and modern amenities, perfect for weddings and receptions and corporate or private events.
What sets your venue apart? The conveniently located venue offers an open vendor policy which helps clients create the event as perfectly as they imagine it to be. And, two large outdoor spaces make for a very dynamic and memorable event space.
What security/sanitation protocols ensure groups meet safely? With all our rentals, clients are provided with on-site security to manage the parking lots, facility, and walkthroughs. Additionally, a high-grade cleaning crew sanitizes in between events.
What free advice can you offer readers? When you’re planning an event, consider your top three dates and book your venue first. Other plans can fall into place, but without securing a venue, it is harder to commit the other plans.
817.406.2745 | brikvenue.com
What types of events can your venue accommodate?
The Ostreum is one of the newest warehouse venues in Fort Worth accommodating weddings and corporate, nonprofit, private and networking events.
What does your venue rental package include? With any rental, our clients can use all our custom farm tables and chairs. During their event, they take access to our entire venue and its amenities, including a large parking lot for their guests and on-site security. Additionally, we have an open vendor policy and one on-staff member during your event.
What are your venue’s tech capabilities and facilities? We provide Wi-Fi and allow AV vendors under our open vendor policy.
What is the biggest mistake people make when planning a meeting or event? Clients may underestimate the time it takes to set up, host, and break down an event. Factoring in the time before, during, and after an event usually helps make the event most successful.
817.725.7711 | theostreum.com
What types of events can your venue accommodate? PalmWood can accommodate a range of events, from small, intimate gatherings in executive boardrooms to large conferences and social events that fit up to 475 guests. What does your venue rental package include? Our collections include our professional event staff; full-service, on-site catering; state-of-the-art, audiovisual technology; guest parking garage; covered and uncovered outdoor areas; and on-staff Sommelier.
What are your venue’s tech capabilities? PalmWood’s tech capabilities include projection screens and HD projector/display; reliable Wi-Fi; creative lighting options; audio and video conferencing; digital streaming and recording; and an assisted listening system.
What’s the biggest mistake people make when event planning? Unexpected situations and costs can occur if hosts do not understand the rental agreements. What free advice can you offer our readers? Hire a seasoned professional service with experience in remarkable events.
682.785.8876 | palmwoodevents.com
What types of events can your venue accommodate? With a ballroom, bar, and five breakout rooms, The Warehouse has space for banquets, weddings, concerts, galas, workshops, paint and sip, fundraisers, quinceañeras, bar/bat mitzvahs, and more.
What sets your venue apart? The grand banquet hall with a stage accommodates 300, ideal for banquets, dances, and wedding receptions. The venue location, 1125 E. Berry St., off I-35, makes it very accessible with plenty of free parking. What is the biggest mistake people make when planning a meeting or event? Not giving enough time to plan and put the event together. What free advice can you give our readers? Always have a plan if you’re going to be successful.
817.829.5848 | thewarehousedfw.com
Join us in honoring Fort Worth Inc.’s 2021 400 Most Influential People in Fort Worth and our first-ever Person of the Year — Mayor Betsy Price
For the first time, Fort Worth Inc. will honor one person from our list of the 400 Most Influential People in Fort Worth as the magazine’s Person of the Year. Fort Worth Inc. has chosen to bestow this award to Mayor Betsy Price, who has demonstrated significant contributions to making Greater Fort Worth a better place to live and work throughout her tenure as mayor. Join us as we celebrate the 400 winners and Mayor Price at a special cocktail reception.
EVENT DETAILS: Thursday, June 3 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM The Fort Worth Club $50 for individual tickets, $85 for groups of two For more information and to purchase tickets, go to: fortworthinc.com/events/2021-person-of-the-year-award-reception
SPONSORS PARTNER SPONSORS MEDIA SPONSOR
When it comes to influence, some apples don’t fall too far from the family tree. Here’s how a few members of The 400 relate to one another.
Lee Bass + Ramona Bass ➞ MARRIED
Anne T. Bass + Robert Bass ➞ MARRIED
Mercedes Bass + Sid Bass ➞ FORMERLY MARRIED
Ed Bass + Sasha Bass ➞ MARRIED
William A. “Tex” Moncrief Jr. + Gloria Moncrief Holmsten ➞ GRANDFATHER AND GRANDDAUGHTER
Gloria Moncrief Holmsten + Kit Moncrief ➞ DAUGHTER AND MOTHER
Mike Moncrief + Rosie Moncrief ➞ HUSBAND AND WIFE
Bob Ravnaas + Davis Ravnaas ➞ FATHER AND SON
Becky Renfro Borbolla + Doug Renfro ➞ COUSINS
Becky Renfro Borbolla + Henry Borbolla III ➞ MARRIED
Billy Rosenthal + Ashli Rosenthal Blumenfeld ➞ FATHER AND DAUGHTER
Gary Patterson + Kelsey Patterson ➞ MARRIED
Susan Gruppi + Jessica Miller Essl ➞ TWIN SISTERS
Jerry Durant + Tom Durant ➞ BROTHERS
Will Churchill + Corrie Watson ➞ TWINS
Karen Hixon Johnson + Mark L. Johnson ➞ SIBLINGS
Kimbell Fortson Wynne + Mitch Wynne ➞ MARRIED
Howard Katz + Joan Katz ➞ MARRIED
Charlie Powell + Beverly Powell ➞ MARRIED
John Kleinheinz + Marsha Kleinheinz ➞ MARRIED
Luther King + J. Bryan King ➞ FATHER AND SON
Pete Geren + Charlie Geren ➞ BROTHERS
Dee Kelly Jr + Craig Kelly ➞ BROTHERS
Paxton Motheral + Crawford Edwards ➞ COUSINS (not first cousins)
Technology is critical, but sometimes spending on IT can feel like a necessary evil. Plus, with all the jargon, it’s
John Q Adams, Jr 62
Neils Agather 90
Bobby Ahdieh 48
Nafees Alam 77
Rachel Albright 140
Devan Allen 54
Gerald Alley 119
Larry Anfin 98
Keith Argenbright 62
Felipe Armenta 77
David Auld 126
Marianne Auld 109
Larry Autrey 104
John Avila 119
Susan Bailey 62
Robbie Baker 83
Imam Mujahid Bakhach 132
Stuart Balcom 106
Lori Baldock 27
Laura Baldwin 26
Mike Ball 62
Daniel Banks 18
Richard Barajas 27
Vanessa Barker 92
Brad Barnes 18
Kenneth Barr 104
Anne T Bass 98
Ed Bass 125
Lee Bass 32
Mercedes Bass 98
Ramona Bass 98
Robert Bass 32
Sasha Bass 125
Sid Bass 32
Gus S Bates 31
Bob Baulsir 140
Brandon Bennett 54
Michael Bennett 116
Scot Bennett 119
Daniel Berce 27
Barclay Berdan 62
Mike Berry 120
Mitch Bettis 82
Greg Bird 74
Tad Bird 48
Gyna Bivens 54
Hayden Blackburn 40
Andrew Blake 120
Andrew Bloom 132
Marvin Blum 109
David Bonderman 32
Jon Bonnell 77
Henry Borbolla III 27
Karen Borta 82
Victor Boschini 48
Darlene Boudreaux 40
Rose Bradshaw 90
Elizabeth Brands 48
Douglas Bratton 32
Vianei Braun 109
Zareen Khan Brendel 127
Mike Brennan 40
Flora Brewer 120
Leon Bridges 18
Larry Brogdon 74
Roy C Brooks 54
Eddie Broussard 27
Jon Brumley 74
Tim Bruster 132
Bill Buechele 26
Todd Burnette 118
Bill Burton 120
Julie Butner 92
Stephen Butt 77
Tom Buxton 106
Brian Byrd 54
Johnny Campbell 126
Carlo Capua 77
E J Carrion 48
Wayne Carson 92
Carolyn Cason 26
Craig Cavileer 120
Diana Cervantes 62
John Allen Chalk 109
Wade Chappell 40
Will Churchill 83
Travis Clegg 116
Grant Coates 90
Steven Colwick 27
Jeffrey Conner 34
Richard Connor 82
Bruce Conti 120
David Cooke 54
Gail Cooksey 106
Stephen Coslik 118
David Cox 92
Michael Crain 127
Jim Crawford 77
Greg Crouchley 81
Kari Crowe Seher 78
Brian Crowell 121
Brian Crumley 74
Kathleen Culebro 18
Cameron Cushman 40
Rodney D'Souza 48
Mark Dabney 116
Bill Davis 140
Jeff Davis 140
Joseph DeLeon 63
Elyse Dickerson 63
Michael Dike 126
Brian Dixon 63
Jeremiah Donati 136
Sean Donohue 140
Paul Dorman 63
Mark Drennan 28
Jim DuBose 28
Jacq Duncan 121
Jerry Durant 83
Tom Durant 83
Robert Earley 63
Crawford Edwards 121
Jason Eggenburger 116
Randy Eisenman 32
Ashley Elgin 92
Rambo Elliott 18
Huner Enis 74
Jennifer Farmer 121
Katie Farmer 140
Bob Ferguson 26
Deborah Ferguson 82
Thomas Ferguson 81
Robert Fernandez 104
Gary Fickes 55
Jim Finley 74
Carlos Flores 55
Mike Flynn 104
Stuart Flynn 63
Tony Ford 104
Kay Fortson 18
Michael Fouraker 19
Eric Fox 72
Bruce Frankel 92
Chauncey Franks 132
Simon Fraser 64
Ashley Freer 106
Arnold Gachman 73
Tom Galbreath 116
Chris Gavras 106
Brandom Gengelbach 40
Darien George 104
Charlie Geren 55
Pete Geren 90
Randy Gideon 116
Eugene Giovannini 49
John Goff 125
Craig Goldman 55
Elliot Goldman 93
Eddie Gossage 136 Kay Granger 55
Kelly Allen Gray 55
Tony Green 19
Muckleroy 119
Mattie Parker 50 Wayne Parkman 29
Shawn Parsley 65
Marcus Paslay 79
Gary Patterson 136
Kelsey Patterson 99
Bobby Patton 125
Mike Pavell 29 Linda Pavlik 107
Cheraya Peña 93
Nizam Peerwani 65
Bob Pence 117
John Pergande 31
Russ Peterman 133 Stacey Pierce 42
