meet the team
Andy Smith
Committee Chair
Director, Giving and Volunteering, Texas Instruments; Executive Director, TI Foundation
Connie Blass O'Neill
Communities Foundation of Texas Board Chair; Civic Leader​
Kristin Boyer
Executive Director, Trellis Foundation​
Deborah Cordova
Partner, Walsh McGurk Cordova Nixon Attorneys at Law​
Michael Dardick
Executive Chairman, Granite Properties​
Jill Louis
Managing Partner, Perkins Coie – Dallas ​
Elaine Mendoza
Founder, President & CEO, Conceptual MindWorks, Inc​
Alfreda Norman
Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas​
Chris Reynolds
Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy officer Toyota Motor North America​
Hon. Florence Shapiro
Partner, Shapiro Linn Strategic Consulting
Kerri Briggs, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Educate Texas
Reo Pruiett, Ed.D
Chief Programs and Engagement Officer
Priscilla Aquino-Garza, Ph.D.
Senior Director, Programs, Teaching & Leading
David Deggs Ph.D.
Senior Director, Higher Education
Jason Green
Senior Director, AI Strategy & System Alignment
Amy Desler
Senior Director, External Affairs
Yvonne Alm
Deputy Director, Programs, Teaching & Leading
Andrew Baca
Deputy Director, Programs, College & Career Readiness
Lynette Balkcom, Ph.D.
Director, Rural CCMR Accelerator Program
Lance Bennett
Deputy Director, Higher Education
Samantha Boiser, M.Ed.
Deputy Director, Policy & Advocacy
Juan Bosquez, MS
Deputy Director, Programs, College & Career Readiness
Kate Carpenter
Associate, Policy and Advocacy
Amy Chapman
Executive Assistant
Andres Chavez III
Deputy Director, Programs
Jennifer Coop
Deputy Director, Programs, College & Career Readiness
Julia Estelle Cotton
Deputy Director, Marketing and Communications
Amy Draper, Ed.D.
Deputy Director, Programs
Ernesto Farias
Strategic Operations Manager
Fallan Frank, Ph.D.
Deputy Director, Programs, Higher Education
Jay Guillory
Associate, Programs
Ellen Hatcher
Director, Strategic Partnerships
Ciara Simpson Holland, M.Ed
Deputy Director, Programs
Monica Jones
Director, Higher Education
Lea La Noue
Program Assistant
Paola Loera
Associate, Access and Transition
Rebeca Lopez
Director, RGV FOCUS
Grace Lu
Associate, AI Strategy & System Alignment
Lakesha Mitchell
Deputy Director, Programs
Gina Moraida
Associate, RGV FOCUS
Channing Parker
Associate, Programs
Aliysa Patel
Deputy Director, Programs, College & Career Readiness
Meg Perkins
Associate, Strategic Partnerships
Tiffani Polk
Deputy Director, Pathways
Farhana Rabbi
Deputy Director, Programs, Texas Impact Network
Luis Ramirez
Associate, Programs
Tanisia Revis
Deputy Director, Programs, College & Career Readiness
Joseph Reyes
Deputy Director, Programs, Teaching & Leading
Cristian Salinas
Associate, Programs, College & Career Readiness
Khirstian Satcher
Associate, Programs
Karina Siu
Deputy Director, Programs, College & Career Readiness
Kendra Strange
Director of Higher Education, Access and Transition
Erik Tanner
Deputy Director, Transfer & Credit Mobility
Clarissa Torres
Director, Programs
Gregory Vaughn
Employer Partnership Specialist
Breanna Walker
Associate, Strategic Partnerships
Joanna Warren
Director, Policy and Advocacy
Kenya Wilson
Director, Programs, College & Career Readiness
Michelle Wisdom
Director, Programs, College & Career Readiness