Brian Ainsworth

Managing Director at Goldman Sachs

Mr. Ainsworth is a former Managing Director at Goldman Sachs where he was Co-CEO of the Realty Management Division. Prior to its integration into Goldman Sachs in 2013, Realty Management Division

was nown as Archon Gro , .P., a diversi ed international real estate services and advisory com any with o ces located in Asia, Europe, and the United States.

Prior to returning to Texas in 2010, Mr. Ainsworth resided in Paris, France, where he was the CEO of Archon Europe for nine years, which includes Archon Group France, Archon Group Italy, Archon Group Deutschland, and Archon Capital Bank Deutschland. These platforms were fully owned entities of Goldman Sachs Group and provide full service asset management services for loans (including distressed product) and real estate.

Mr. Ainsworth graduated in 1985 and is a second generation Austin College graduate (Rev. Jim T. Ainsworth ’61). He en oys shing, gol ng and skiing. Mr. Ainsworth resides in Dallas with his wife, Sharon, and their four children.

John M. Andersen, M.D.

Professor of PediatricsVice Chair of Clinical OperationsDepartment of Pediatrics, Division of GastroenterologyUT Southwestern Medical School

Dr. Andersen received his B.A. from Austin College in 1966 and his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1970. He is Professor of Pediatrics and Vice Chair of Clinical Operations at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He has served on the Austin College President’s Advisory Forum and as a Leadership Institute mentor, as well as a volunteer to help place students in internships. Dr. Andersen and his wife, Dr. Anne Andersen, are the parents of two sons, both Austin College graduates.

Lee Dean Ardell

Banking Consultant, Dean Ardell Interests

Mrs. Ardell received her B.A. from Austin College in 1974 and her M.L.S. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1975. She retired from Banc One Securities Corporation as a

Vice President and has worked as a consultant for a number of community banks in the areas of investments and asset/liability management. She is currently a Director of Texas First Banks in Texas City and serves on the board of the Texas Presbyterian Foundation. Mrs. Ardell is a member of First Presbyterian Church of Houston and is married to Bob Ardell, a graduate and trustee of Monmouth College in Illinois. They have two daughters and four grandchildren. Her interests include golf, travel, genealogy, and creative writing.

Lawrence (Scott) Austin

Partner in the law rm of Hunton Williams

Mr. Austin practices in the Dallas and Atlanta o ces of Hunton Williams. He focuses on employee bene ts law and advises businesses in matters involving compensation and employee bene ts, including retirement

and health care plans and executive compensation. He is also heavily involved in the rm’s transactional practice and has signi cant experience in negotiating and drafting the employee bene t aspects of business mergers and ac uisitions. Mr. Austin also regularly advises companies in connection with in uiries and audits by the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, and Pension Bene t Guaranty Corporation, and he provides substantive support in ERISA litigation matters.

Mr. Austin received his J.D. from Baylor University in 1986 and his B.A. in business administration and economics from Austin College in 1983. He and his wife, Denise, are members of Highland Park Presbyterian Church. He loves the ne arts, including music and dance, and strongly supports the ballet, particularly since his daughter, Sarah, is a professional ballerina. Mr. Austin also enjoys athletics and played basketball at Austin College. He, his wife, Denise, and his daughter, Claire, are all avid tennis players.

James D. Baskin III

Attorney, Scott, Douglass McConnico, L.L.P.

Mr. Baskin received his B.A. from Austin College in 1975 and earned his J.D. degree at the University of Texas. He is a member of the California Bar Association, Texas

Bar Association, Texas Bar Foundation, and American Trial Lawyers Association. He is of-counsel to the Austin rm of Scott, Douglass McConnico, L.L.P.

Mr. Baskin previously served on the Austin College Alumni Association Board and President’s Advisory Forum. He and his wife, Elizabeth, are members of Congregation Beth Israel in Austin. Mr. Baskin serves on the board and as co-chair of the Civil Rights Committee of the Austin chapter of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL); on the board of the Hispanic Scholarship Consortium; and as a member of the Federal Club Council of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). His leisure activities include sailing, art, travel, and motorcycle riding.

Brent E. Christopher

President CEO, Communities Foundation of Texas

Mr. Christopher earned his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Texas, where he was a Robert S. Strauss Scholar and administrative editor of the Texas International Law Journal. He received a master’s degree in political economy and political culture as a Rotary Foundation Scholar at the University

of Nottingham in Nottingham, England, and his B.B.A. in public administration and economics from Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Prior to joining Communities Foundation of Texas, Mr. Christopher served as director of development for the giving programs at Children’s Medical Center Dallas during the hospital’s successful $150 million wePromise Campaign. Before his post with Children’s, he served as general counsel and vice president for advancement at Dallas Baptist University. Early in his professional career, Mr. Christopher practiced law at Cowles Thompson, P.C., in Dallas.

Mr. Christopher serves on the boards of directors for Safer Dallas Better Dallas and Passion for Children’s. He recently completed a three-year term as chair of the Advisory Board of CF Insights, an initiative through the Community Foundations Leadership Team at the Council on Foundations and FSG to gather, analyze, and share data with community foundations to improve their performance and sustainability. He is also a strategy committee member of the Alliance for Charitable Reform, which educates policymakers about philanthropy and the role it plays in communities. Among his other activities, he served locally on the President’s Advisory Council for the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, where he also was an original member of the Brinker International Forum Board of Advisors. He is a member of the Crystal Charity Ball Advisory Board, the Advisory Board of Uplift Education, the Board of Advisors of Entrepreneurs For North Texas, the Advisory Council of the Center for Nonpro t Management, the Community Advisory Board of the Junior League of Dallas, the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development Executive Board at Southern Methodist University, the United Way Metropolitan Dallas Income Impact Council and the UNT Dallas 21st Century Commission. Brent is an active member of the Dallas Chapter of Young Presidents’ Organization and The Dallas Assembly, for which he served as president in 2010-11. He also is a former trustee of The Foundation at Highland Park Presbyterian Church.

Mr. Christopher resides in Dallas with his children.

Joseph J. Cli ord

Senior Pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Dallas

Dr. Cli ord, an ordained minister since 1997, arrived at First Presbyterian Church in December 2006. He graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science

in economics in 1988. After six years in banking and nance, he answered a call to ordained ministry. He graduated from Columbia Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity and earned a Doctor of Ministry in preaching from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.

He serves on the board of trustees of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, as well as the pastoral care advisory board of Children’s Medical Center and the board of Family Gateway, a non-pro t working to end child homelessness in Dallas. He is also a member of the Dallas Assembly. Dr. Cli ord and his wife, Jennifer, have been married since 1990. They are blessed with two children. Time away from work is

lled with family activities. For rest and relaxation, he enjoys reading novels and poetry, listening to all types of music—especially U2—attempting to play golf, and cheering on his favorite sports teams.

David R. Corrigan

President and CEO of Corrigan Investments, Inc.

Mr. Corrigan is president and CEO of Corrigan Investments, Inc., a commercial real estate development and investment rm based in Dallas, Texas. He served as the

2010 Chairman of the Dallas Regional Chamber, a vibrant organization with approximately 3,000 north Texas business members representing nearly 600,000 employees. At Corrigan Investments, Inc., Mr. Corrigan is carrying on a family tradition. His grandfather, Leo F. Corrigan, Sr., began in commercial real estate by pioneering suburban strip shopping centers, bouti ue hotels, and mixed-use developments. Mr. Corrigan is also carrying on his family’s long tradition of community service by serving on multiple boards and organizations devoted to the community needs, such as the Perot Museum of Nature Science, The Lamplighter School, and The Salesmanship Club of Dallas. He graduated in 1981 from Austin College with a B.A. in Business Administration.

William M. “Bill” Crook

Vice President/Associate General Counsel, Weingarten Realty Investors

Mr. Crook is the Associate General Counsel of Weingarten Realty Investors, a publicly held Real Estate Investment Trust involved in the long-term ownership, management, ac uisition, development and redevelopment

of shopping centers throughout the United States. Following graduation from Austin College, he was a banker before going to law school. Prior to joining Weingarten, he was in private practice.

Mr. Crook received his B.A. from Austin College in 1980 and his J.D. from the University of Houston in 1989. He was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Honor at Austin College in 1988, received the Heywood C. Clemons Volunteer Service Award in 1997, served as president of the Austin College Alumni Board from 2000 to 2002, and is a member of the Robert T. Mason Society. He is a member of the Houston Bar Association, the Houston Bar Foundation, the Texas State Bar Association, the State Bar Foundation, and the International Council of Shopping Center Owners. He is involved in Special Olympics, not only as the father of a Special Olympics athlete, but as a coach, uni ed partner and is currently serving as Co-Chair of the Houston Bar Association Special Olympics Committee. He has participated multiple times in the Special Olympics National Invitational Golf Tournament as a uni ed partner, and served as a coach for Team Texas at the National Games for Special Olympics. He resides in Houston with his wife, Clyde, and they have two children, Elizabeth and Alex. They are active members of Memorial Drive United Methodist Church.

Joan K. Darden

Founder and Vice President, Darden Energy Group

Mrs. Darden worked for Southwest Airlines for 20 years prior to forming Darden Energy. A recipient of the Philanthropy Award from the National Charity League, she has

served as a committee chair of the Tarrant Area Food Bank and is a member of the Fort Worth Garden Club, Pan-Texas Assembly, and the Suicide Awareness Coalition of Tarrant County Run for Life Committee. She served on the board of directors of Casa Mañana and was a member of the Super Bowl XLV Concert Series Committee. She served as event chair and committee member for the All Church Home for Children from 2005 to 2009.

Mrs. Darden received her B.A. from Austin College in 1987 and is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth. She and her husband, Toby, have six children, Grace, Kate, Rachel, Samantha, Lauren, and Jack. Her personal interests include cooking, gardening, shing, and travel.

Bill Douglass

CEO, Douglass Distributing

Mr. Douglass holds a B.S. degree from Muhlenberg College and was a Commissioned O cer in the United States Marine Corps and United States Army. He began his marketing career with Humble Oil (Exxon) and

rose through various marketing management and government relations assignments before resigning in 1981 to ac uire his company from Exxon. Today, Douglass Distributing employs over 300 people and operates a petroleum distribution company and convenience stores in north Texas. Mr. Douglass is on the Board of Directors of Cumberland Gulf Group of Companies, Chairman of the Board of The Fuels Institute in Washington D.C., and is past Chair of The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). He has held various public o ces including past Chairman of Wesley Village Retirement Community, Director of Texoma Health Care System, past Chairman of the Sherman Community Hospital, past Chairman of the Sherman Economic Development Corporation, and past Chairman of the American Petroleum Institute’s General Committee for State Government Relations. Mr. Douglass is a past lay leader and past chairman of the board of trustees at Grace United Methodist Church where his wife, Joan, has been a Sunday school teacher for more than 30 years. Bill and Joan Douglass have two grown children, Brad and Diane, who are partners in the Douglass companies. Mr. Douglass’ personal interests include community development, government relations activities, and auto racing.

F. R. (Buck) Files, Jr.

Attorney Bain, Files, Jarrett, Bain Harrison, P.C.

Buck Files is a board certi ed criminal defense lawyer who represents clients before the Texas and United States courts. He is a past president of the State Bar of Texas and has been

inducted into the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Hall of Fame. Mr. Files is an alumnus of Austin College [B.A. (1960)] and Southern Methodist University [J.D. (1963) and M.L.A. (1974)]. Mr. Files served in the United States Marine Corps, attaining the rank of Captain. He is an elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Tyler. His hobbies include travel and photography. Mr. Files and his wife, Robyn ’62, have two children, Jennifer Beerline ’89 and Trey Files, and three grandchildren: Romy Files, Lucy Beerline (deceased), and Braden Theodore Beerline.

Craig Florence

Partner, Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP

Mr. Florence focuses on commercial and intellectual property litigation. He handles cases in federal and state courts and in arbitrations throughout the United States. He is also actively involved in rm management where

he currently serves as a member of the rm’s Management Committee.

Aside from his law practice, Mr. Florence has a history of community involvement, including serving on Carter BloodCare’s board of directors and Preservation Dallas’s board of trustees. He also served as a member of the Dallas Citizen’s Council and as Second Vice President of the Austin College Alumni Association board. He most recently served on the Austin College President’s Visiting Council. He received his B.A. from Austin College in 1984 and his J.D. from Baylor Law School in 1987.

Mr. Florence is married to Kristi and they have two daughters, Erin and Caroline. He enjoys family, cycling, and travel.

Michael N. Foster, Jr.

President/CEO, BASA Resources, Inc.

Mr. Foster received his B.A. in 1986 from Austin College where he majored in Business Administration. He is president and CEO of BASA Resources, Inc., a Dallas based independent oil and gas producer whose strategic

focus is on the analysis, ac uisition, and management of proven developed producing reserves.

Mr. Foster is an active member and also serves on the board of the Dallas Petroleum Club. He serves on the board of the Texas Energy Alliance, the East Texas Saltwater Disposal Company, as well as Serious Air, a public foundation. He was a member of the “A” Association and formerly served on the President’s Advisory Forum at Austin College.

Mr. Foster loves golf, traveling, and his family. He and his wife, Rexanne, have three children, Brianna, Luke, and Libbie, and are members of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas.

Rebecca Moseley Ga ord

Community Volunteer

Mrs. Ga ord received her B.A. from Austin College in 1972 and her M.A. from Southern Methodist University in 1978. Mrs. Ga ord is an elder at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas. She also serves

on the Senior Board of Mo-Ranch Presbyterian Assembly, having recently completed 12 years of service on its Board of Trustees. She and her husband, Ron, have one daughter, Jennifer, and son-in-law, Don, and one son, David, and daughter-in-law, Giselle, who both graduated from AC in 2000 and have three sons, Dean, Eirik, and Finn. In her leisure time, Mrs. Ga ord enjoys travel, golf, and spending time with her family.

Donald M. Gibson

Cardiovascular Surgeon, Houston Cardiac Surgery Associates

Dr. Gibson received his B.A. from Austin College in 1975, his M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine in 1978, and his M.B.A. from LeTourneau University in 2000.

His professional and civic activities include the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, and Texas Surgical Society. He is a past member of the Board of Trustees of Memorial Herman Healthcare System. He has served as a member of the Board of the Austin College Alumni Association (2001-2007). Presently, he serves as the Chief Medical O cer of Memorial City Hospital.

Dr. Gibson’s personal interests include golf and tae kwon do (Black Belt). He and his wife, Diane, who is also a physician, are the parents of Tyler, Elizabeth, Victoria, and Marion. They are active with St. John the Divine Episcopal Church.

Dennis E. Gonier

Executive Consultant, DGC Group

Mr. Gonier received his B.A. from Austin College in 1983. He was valedictorian of his class, a Hatton Sumners Scholar, and Esmark Foundation Scholar. Mr. Gonier also has done graduate work in Social Science at the Institute of Urban Studies of the University of Texas. He has been honored as a Distinguished Alumnus of Austin College and was inducted into Austin

College’s Stephen F. Austin Society and Emily Austin Society for higher education philanthropy.

Mr. Gonier leads the DGC Group, an elite consulting rm that serves the leadership of corporate America with insight, analysis and counsel that is widely respected and highly valued. His résumé of experience and accomplishments has established him as a gifted business leader, respected pioneer and innovator. His rm focuses on business strategies, customer service, consumer research, product strategy, digital and database marketing.

Mr. Gonier served as CEO of TARP Worldwide (www.tarp.com) from 2006-2013 leading a preeminent research rm that helped Global 2000 clients and the U.S. Government measure and improve services we all know and deal with everyday. Prior to taking the reigns at TARP, Mr. Gonier helped lead America Online from 1995 to 2005; while serving as Executive Vice President he was credited with helping AOL change its business practices while delivering over $1BB in pro t after the TW merger and during our nation’s transition to broadband. Prior to AOL, Mr. Gonier was the founder and CEO of Digital Marketing Services (DMS), a successful online marketing services company that pioneered Internet loyalty strategies and launched online research as an alternative to phone surveys; AOL bought DMS in 1999. Referred to by the Advertising Research Federation as one of the “founding fathers of online research,” Mr. Gonier’s innovative thinking now dominates the marketing research industry. He has been named one of the “top ten 21st Century Stars changing the face of consumer intelligence and marketing” by American Demographics, and he has been uoted in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times and he has been published in several academic journals. He is a highly re uested speaker for conferences and universities worldwide.

In addition to Austin College Board of Trustees, Mr. Gonier has been active on several boards including Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO) and the Osgood Center for International Studies.

Mr. Gonier is passionate about education, America’s Warriors and Veterans, WWII, y- shing, music and considers himself the “funniest person” he knows. He is married to Adelina and they welcomed their rst child, Emma, into the world March 6, 2013, making her AC Class of 2035! His son, Devin, is 2009 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Austin College; he currently lives and works as a teacher and entrepreneur in Central China. His nephew, David, also graduated from Austin College in 2010.

Sarah Gunderson

Director of Operations at RealPage, Inc., and Community Volunteer.

Ms. Gunderson is Director of Opera-tions at RealPage, Inc., one of the top software providers for the multifam-ily industry. She has over 25 years of property management experience.

Prior to her work in private industry, she spent ve years in public accounting and continues to hold her certi cation as a CPA.

Ms. Gunderson serves a number of roles in several nonpro t organizations: board member and treasurer for North Texas Basset Hound Rescue, Council for the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and volunteer for The Stew Pot.

A 1981 graduate of Austin College, Ms. Gunderson is the 2008 recipient of the Heywood C. Clemons Volunteer of the Year award and has held a number of positions, including presi-dent, in her 11 years of service on the Austin College Alumni Board. She received an M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University in 1982.

Tom Hall

Owner and Attorney, Law O ces of Tom Hall

Mr. Hall received his B.A. from Austin College in 1978 and his J.D. from the Texas Tech School of Law in 1981. His professional and civic activities include Board Certi ed Personal Injury Trial Law Texas Board of Legal Specialization (1988-present), Texas Tech School of Law Foundation Board of Trustees (1989-present) including overseeing Texas Tech

School of Law Foundation investments and currently serving as president elect. He has been an adjunct professor of law at Texas Tech School of Law for ten years, teaching trial advocacy, pretrial litigation tactics, skills state and federal, and Texas civil procedure. Mr. Hall also served as director of Tarrant County Trial Lawyers (2005-2009).

He received the Texas Tech School of Law Distinguished Service Award 2009 and was listed as a Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly and as Best Attorneys in Fort Worth by Fort Worth Magazine. Mr. Hall was invited into membership in The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in January 2011. He was elected to the Best Lawyers in America for professional negligence and malpractice for years 2011 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Mr. Hall has started and run several successful business ventures in land and ranch development, oil and gas investing, as well as housing and commercial real estate.

At Austin College, Mr. Hall was the founder and president of the “L” Association, a mentor for Leadership Institute students (1998-2002), and an Alumni Board member. He was inducted into Austin College’s Stephen F. Austin Society for higher education philanthropy. In 2005, he was the Austin College Opening Convocation speaker, and he has served as host or speaker at many Austin College events in Fort Worth.

Mr. Hall’s interests include shing, golf, travel, and ranching. He has a daughter, Devon Ann, who graduated in 2013 from Austin College, and a son T.J. Tom is active with Lone Camp Baptist and Compass Community churches.

Mary Ann Harris

Community Volunteer

Mrs. Harris received her B.A. from Austin College in 1970 and her M.A. from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1974.

She taught high school English and humanities for twenty years, rst at R. L. Paschal High School and later at Fort Worth Country Day School. In between those two careers, she returned to graduate school and nished the coursework for a doctorate in humanities/comparative literature.

Mrs. Harris is a past member of the Tarrant County Board of Communities in Schools. She served on the Board of The Women’s Center of Tarrant County from 2003-2009. Since 1980, she has periodically served as a volunteer for the Cliburn International Piano Competition. She has tutored and worked in outreach for the Edna Gladney Center for Adoption, and tutored in the English in Action program in Basalt, Colorado. Currently, she is mentoring a group of students in the Roaring Fork Valley Pre-Collegiate Program, which helps rst-generation students to achieve their full potential and to navigate career, college, and scholarship opportunities. Mrs. Harris has served on the Austin College Alumni Association Board and on the Austin College President’s Advisory Forum.

She and her husband, Jim (‘67), are members of First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth. They have two grown children, son Mark and daughter Anna. Mrs. Harris enjoys reading, lm, travel, music, and gathering with Austin College friends, as well as tutoring for college and graduate school essays.

James J. Hartnett, Jr.

Attorney, The Hartnett Law Firm

Mr. Hartnett was born in Austin, Texas, and received his B.A. from Austin College in 1979 and his J.D. from the University of Texas Law School in 1983. He is a partner at The Hartnett Law Firm in Dallas. His professional

and civic activities include memberships in the State Bar of Texas, Dallas Bar Association, and American Trial Lawyers Association. He is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and general counsel for Cistercian Prep School and Cistercian Monastery, as well as a former board member of the Dallas Bar Association’s Probate Trusts and Estates section, and former Barrister of Southwestern Legal Foundation’s Patrick E. Higginbotham Inn of Court. He is a former member of the Austin College Alumni Board and the “A” Association board.

Awards Mr. Hartnett has received include Texas Lawyer’s “Go To” Lawyer in Trusts and Estates in 2002 and 2012, Texas Lawyer’s “Top Notch” Lawyer in Trusts and Estates in 2007, Best Lawyers in America and D Magazine’s Best Lawyers in Dallas, as well as a 2004 Distinguished Alumnus Award from Cistercian Prep School.

Mr. Hartnett and his wife, Anne, are members of the St. Monica Catholic Church in Dallas. They have one daughter, Tanner, and two sons, James III and Michael.

M. Steve Jones

President, Sherman O ce of Bank of Texas, N.A.

Mr. Jones received his B.B.A. in Finance from Texas Tech University and his banking degree from the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado. Mr.

Jones serves as a member of the Boards of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital—WNJ, the Sherman Education Foundation, and Goodwill Industries of Northeast Texas, Inc. He is a recipient of the 1997 Heywood C. Clemons Volunteer Service Award. He is a member of the Sherman Rotary Club and has been active in the Austin College Leadership Institute Mentor Program. Mr. Jones and his wife, Ginny, have two grown sons, and are members of the First United Methodist Church of Sherman. In his spare time, he enjoys family activities, as well as golf, tennis, and other sports.

Ronald Kirk  Senior of Counsel 

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Dallas, Texas  

 Ron Kirk joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in April 

2013, where he focuses on providing strategic 

advice to companies with global interests.  He 

served as the 16th United States Trade 

Representative (USTR) and was a member of 

President Obama’s Cabinet, serving as the President’s principal trade 

advisor, negotiator and spokesperson on trade issues.  Prior to joining 

USTR, he was a partner at Vinson & Elkins LLP, where his principal area 

of practice was public finance and public policy.  

Ambassador Kirk draws upon more than 30 years of diverse legislative 

and economic experience on local, state, and federal levels.  As the first 

African American Mayor of Dallas (1995‐2001), he earned a reputation 

for bringing together diverse coalitions to get things done.  During his 

tenure as Mayor, Ambassador Kirk expanded Dallas’ reach to the world 

through a range of trade programs, including numerous trade missions.   

Named one of “The 50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers in America” 

by The National Law Journal (2008) and one of the nation’s top 

government relations lawyers by The Best Lawyers in America® (2007‐

2009), Ambassador Kirk received the Mickey Leland Leadership Award 

from Texas Southern University in 2004, the University of Texas 

Distinguished Alumni Award in 2001, the Woodrow Wilson Center for 

Public Policy’s Outstanding Public Service Award in 2000, the Young 

Texas Exes Award in 1995, and the Austin College Distinguished 

Alumni Award in 1994.  Additionally, he received an Honorary Doctor 

of Humane Letters from Austin College in 2006.  He currently serves on 

the Advisory Board of SMU’s Hart Global Leaders Forum. 

Ambassador Kirk was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and received his 

Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and sociology from Austin 

College.  He completed his law degree at the University of Texas School 

of Law in 1979.  He is married to Matrice Ellis‐Kirk, and they have two 

daughters, Elizabeth Alexandra and Catherine Victoria. 

Je rey Landsberg

Owner, Tri-County, Inc.

Mr. Landsberg received his B.A. from Austin College in 1981. He is currently a Hobby Toy distributor and manages a retail toy and hobby Web site and store. Mr. Landsberg has previously served on the Austin

College President’s Advisory Forum. His community activities include serving on the Volunteer Council of the Denton State School. He serves on other boards, including a family foundation, and is active in local politics. He is an active member of Temple Shalom in Dallas. Mr. Landsberg and his wife, Linda, have three boys, Colin, Noah, and Ryan. In his leisure time, he enjoys family activities and photography.

Todd Liles

Director, Silicon Valley Bank

Mr. Liles is Director of Market Strategy for Silicon Valley Bank in San Francisco. Prior to joining SVB, he held similar positions at Visa, Charles Schwab, Gap Inc. Mr. Liles graduated from Austin College in

1987 with concentrations in business and political science and was a member of several student organizations, including Rho Lambda Theta fraternity. He earned his MBA from Owen School of Management at Vanderbilt University with double majors in marketing and human resource management.

Mr. Liles has supported several non-pro t organizations, including serving on the board of directors of AIDS Foundation Houston, where he held the position of board vice chair, and on the board of directors for San Francisco-based Friends of the Urban Forest. Mr. Liles’ family has been long, ardent supporters of Austin College. Mr. Liles served on the President’s Visiting Council 2012-2014, his sister, Laura Liles, graduated from AC in 1990 and serves on the President’s Visiting Council, and his mother, Linda Elsey, serves on the Senior Board of Trustees.

Patricia M. Manning-Courtney

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Co-Director Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical CenterDirector, The Kelly O’Leary Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders

Dr. Manning-Courtney received her B.A. from Austin College in 1987 and her M.D. from the University of Cincinnati in 1991. She is currently an Honorary Board member of the Autism Society of Greater Cincinnati, Executive Council member on the Regional Autism Advisory Council, a Fellow on the American Board of Pediatrics, and member of the Autism Subcommittee of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Manning-Courtney was previously an appointee on the Governor’s Task Force on Autism for Ohio and an Expert Panel member for the Ohio Autism Education and Screening Pilot Project. She has had numerous scienti c papers published in medical journals and has written one book, .

Dr. Manning-Courtney and her husband, Bill, have three children and are members of Northern Hill Fellowship Unitarian Universalist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her personal interests include traveling, skiing, scuba diving, reading, and yoga.

Holly Massingill  Residential Realtor 

Keller Williams Realty in Austin, Texas 

 

Holly Massingill is also the sole proprietor 

of a small retail store, Lone Star Legacies, 

located just one block from the Texas State 

Capitol. Prior to her current profession as real estate broker 

associate, she owned and operated a political fundraising 

consulting firm for 10 years.  In that capacity she was among 

the top political fundraisers in the state responsible for raising 

millions of dollars for a variety of political candidates and 

causes throughout Texas.   

 

Holly graduated cum laude from Austin College with a B.A. in 

Communications in 1994. While at Austin College, she was a 

member of several organizations including Kappa Gamma Chi 

and the cheerleading squad. 

 

Holly is very active in her community.  She serves in leadership 

positions with The Junior League of Austin, The Sine Die 

Scholarship Foundation, and the Eanes Education Foundation, 

and is a volunteer advocate with CASA of Travis County.  She 

is also proud to have served as a mentor and teacher for new 

real estate professionals within her company. 

 

Holly and her husband, Gavin Massingill—who considers 

himself an honorary ‘Roo—live in Rollingwood, Texas, with 

their son, Mace.  

 

Luan Beaty Mendel

Community Volunteer

Mrs. Mendel received her B.A. in 1975 and her M.A. in 1976, both from Austin College. She taught English and American History at the middle school level for ve years. Mrs. Mendel received her M.A. in

Theological Studies from the Church Divinity School of the Paci c in Berkeley in 1995. She created and directed the Noah Project, a church-based after school program for low-income students in Santa Ana, California, in 1997. Mrs. Mendel was a founder of THINK Together, a non-pro t organization operating after school programs throughout Orange County, where she worked as program director until 2004. She was also a founding board member of Hands Together, a non-pro t early education and childcare center. Mrs. Mendel currently serves on the board of the Mammoth Lakes Foundation and writes both ction and non- ction. Her

rst novel, Yard Sale, was published in March 2010, and she completed her rst screenplay in 2012.

Mrs. Mendel and her husband, John ’76, have two grown sons. Her personal interests include downhill and cross country skiing, as well as hiking and backpacking in California’s Sierra Nevada.

James W. (Wes) Mo ett

Managing Director, Goldman Sachs, Residential Mortgage Asset Management

Mr. Mo ett received his B.A. from Austin College in 1982 and M.B.A degree from the University of Tulsa. He has had numerous responsibilities

at Archon Group (subsidiary of Goldman Sachs) including CEO of several companies primarily focused on commercial real estate nance, commercial mortgages, and residential mortgages. As an alumnus of Austin College, Mr. Mo ett formerly served on the Alumni Association Board, Business Advisory Council, and on the President’s Advisory Forum. He and his wife, Marilyn, are the parents of one son, Cole, and one daughter, Weston, a 2013 graduate of Austin College. In his leisure time, he enjoys sports and travel.

Fazlur Rahman

Oncologist; and Education and Social Advocate

Dr. Rahman received his medical degree from Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh, and completed residencies and a fellowship at Long Island Jewish Medical Center-Queens Hospital Center in New York City and at Baylor College

of Medicine in Houston. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Medical Oncology, American Board of Hematology, and American Board of Internal Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Hematology, American Federation for Medical Research, and other organizations. Dr. Rahman also served in the Clinical Practice Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Editorial Committee of the Texas Medical Association Journal.

Dr. Rahman is a longtime member of the selection committee for the West Texas Medical Associates Distinguished Lectureship in Science at Angelo State University. His community activities include serving on the boards of Hospice of San Angelo, American Cancer Society, and Adult Day Care. Currently, he is an advisory council member of the Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics at the School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio; and is an adjunct professor of biology (Medical Humanities and Ethics) at Angelo State University. He and his wife, Jahanara, have four children, and two of them, Gulshan and Happy, are Austin College graduates.

Dr. Rahman enjoys reading, writing, arts and literature, studying comparative religion, and hiking in parks and wilderness. He has written and spoken widely on medical, social, educational and ethical issues. His essays and stories on these subjects have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Christian

New England Journal of Medicine, and other publications. He also occasionally contributes to the Dallas Morning News.

Kirk L. Rimer

Crow Holdings Capital Investment Partners

Mr. Rimer is co-head of Crow Holdings Capital Investment Partners with responsibility for the oversight of the Partner Advisory Team and Operations. Since joining CHC in

2010, he has played an integral role in helping build the rm’s investment strategy and in expanding the rm’s partner base. Mr. Rimer is Chairman of the Don Jackson Center for Financial Studies at Southern Methodist University and sits on the Executive Board for SMU’s Cox School of Business. He is Director for the Baylor Health Care System Foundation.

Prior to joining CHC, Mr. Rimer spent 21 years at Goldman Sachs where he worked with individual investors and corporations, with a focus on risk management and e uity investments. He served as Managing Director and Southwest Regional Manager for the Private Wealth Management Division. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Kirk spent nine years as a naval aviator for the United States Navy.

Kirk received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Missouri in 1980 and an MBA from Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business in 1989.

Annadele H. Ross

Community Volunteer

Ms. Ross received her B.A. from Austin College in 1966. She received her M.L.S. from the University of North Texas and her M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University. She served as President of the Dallas Glass

Club and Dallas Women’s Foundation. She has served on the boards of directors of the Episcopal Church Foundation, Planned Parenthood of Northeast Texas, Our Friend’s Place, and The Dallas Summit. Ms. Ross is a Master Tree Farmer and her interests include reading, gardening, cooking, swimming, and travel.

Steven S. Schi

Managing Partner of Schi Company, Kerens Oil, and Texas AMP.

Mr. Schi received his B.A. from Austin College in 1971 and his J.D. from Southern Methodist Law School in 1974. After a few years in private practice, he started an independent

oil company and continues in that business today. Schi Company and Texas AMP are involved in several small

businesses that include restaurants, real estate, and technology.

Mr. Schi is a member of the Board of Directors of CARE in Dallas, an organization involved in the education and prevention of alcohol and drug abuse. He is a past board member of DOCA, an organization involved in educating the public about the activities of the United States Defense community and supporting our armed forces members.

He has been a member of the Austin College “A” Association since graduation and served as its president. He was on the Alumni Association Board for several years.

He and his wife, Pat, live in Dallas and enjoy traveling, golf, and tennis. They have two children, daughter Devon and son Denham.

Ron Seal

Chief Executive O cer, Texoma Medical Center

Ronald T. Seal, who started his tenure at Texoma Medical Center, a subsidiary of Universal Health Services, in November 2010, has more than 33 years of healthcare management experience. Since arriving, Mr. Seal has been committed to enhancing

TMC’s tradition of high- uality and compassionate patient care, with a goal for the organization to become this region’s “best of the best.”

In 2011, Universal Health Services named Texoma Medical Center their #1 Hospital in Service Excellence. More recently, Texoma Medical Center received the Overall Quality Award from UHS for 2012 and 2013 performance based on core measure results. Mr. Seal also personally received the UHS Chairman’s Council award for his inspiration and leadership as a Chief Executive O cer. In the past two years, TMC has grown 28% in admissions while continuing the expansion and diversi cation of services to better serve patients in the entire Texoma region.

Previously, Mr. Seal was the CEO at Wesley Health System in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, a division of Triad Health Systems. During his time, Wesley Health System earned Triad’s Bronze Hospital of the Year Award, an honor given for excellence in performance in all operational areas. Patient and employee satisfaction scores exceeded national averages, which contributed to the facility being ranked as the number one hospital in Mississippi for uality by the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services (CMS). In addition, he was named CEO of the Year twice while with Triad.

Mr. Seal earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge and completed additional graduate studies in Business and Healthcare Administration. He remains an avid LSU fan and loyal supporter of his alma mater. Mr. Seal and his wife, Marcia, have three grown daughters and seven grandchildren.

Honorable Rebecca Simmons

Associate General Counsel, LitigationAcelityFormer Justice, Fourth Court of AppealsSitting by assignment on appellate and district cases

Rebecca Simmons is currently Associate General Counsel, Litigation for Acelity, a global wound care and regenerative medicine company. She formerly served

on both the Fourth Court of Appeals and the 408th Judicial District Court of Bexar County, and currently sits by assignment on selected appellate and district court cases.

Justice Simmons received her B.A. in political science and history from Austin College in 1978 and is a graduate of Baylor University School of Law, where she served on the editorial board of the Baylor Law Review. Following law school, she served as a brie ng attorney for the Texas Supreme Court. She lives in San Antonio, where she practiced trial and appellate law for 20 years before being appointed to the bench. She has taught as an adjunct professor at St. Mary’s University School of Law since 1994 and fre uently contributes to the St. Mary’s Law Journal. She received a Distinguished Alumna Award from Austin College in 2006. Recently Justice Simmons was recognized as one of Texas Lawyer’s 2014 Winning Women of Texas.

Currently immediate past president of the San Antonio Bar Association, Justice Simmons serves on the Rules Committee and the Pattern Jury Charge Committee of the State Bar of Texas. She also serves as Chair of the Judicial Committee on Information and Technology which recommends standards and technology for the Texas judicial system. She is a member of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, where she is a religious education instructor and has served on various parish boards.

Justice Simmons enjoys biking, running, cooking and reading. She and her husband, Dr. Richard Clemons, also an Austin College alumnus, have three children, Rachael, Sarah, and Patrick.

Becky Russell Sykes

Consultant to Nonpro ts, Community Volunteer

Mrs. Sykes received her B.A. from Austin College in 1967. After working in nonpro t leadership positions for 25 years, she retired in 2011 as President and CEO of the Dallas

Women’s Foundation, which she helped to found it in 1985. A public community foundation, it remains the largest regional women’s fund, granting out $3-5 million annually. Mrs. Sykes is now a community volunteer and a fundraising and strategic planning consultant to nonpro ts. She is a member of the Women’s Council of Greater Dallas, the Dallas Summit, the League of Women Voters of Dallas, the Junior League of Dallas, the Women’s Issues Network and the International Women’s Forum. Mrs. Sykes has served on the Dallas City Plan Commission, and the boards of the Dallas YWCA, the Junior League of Dallas, as president of the Austin College Alumni Board, and chairs the Finance Committee as an Elder at First Presbyterian Church, Dallas. She is a 2008 recipient of the Austin College Distinguished Alumni Award and has received a number of other leadership awards, including the Athena Award from the Dallas Regional Chamber. Mrs. Sykes and her husband, Larry, have two grown sons and two grandsons. In her spare time, Becky enjoys traveling, gardening, spending time with her grandsons, and reading.

Linda Plummer Ward

Physician, Tri Star Southern Hills Medical Center

Dr. Plummer Ward practices emergency medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. She is an Austin College graduate who received her M.D. from the University of Tennessee College of

Medicine. She has served the TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center Emergency Department for over 30 years, where she was medical director in years past. At present, she serves the hospital as Chief of Sta .

She served the Nashville community as a board member of Crittenden Services for the reduction of teen pregnancies. Until 2003, she was a member of the Nashville Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, advocating the promotion of women of color in leadership roles and a greater voice in decision making in the greater Nashville community. The churches in Nashville provide the predominance of her community service activity. She and her husband, Dr. Robert Ward, are active members of the Lake Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee. There she participates in the Sunday School, the Angelic Voices, and the Health and Holistic Ministry.

Thomas C. Welfelt

Member Welfelt Properties LLC

Mr. Welfelt received his B.A. in business administration in 1974 from Austin College. He is a member of Welfelt Properties LLC, a Dallas based company that holds oil and gas properties.

Mr. Welfelt and his wife, Hallie, live in Dallas and he loves y shing.

Ruth Whiteside

Director, Foreign Service Institute U.S. Department of State (ret)

Ms. Whiteside recently retired as a career member of the Senior Executive Service at the Department of State, and served in the Foreign Service from 1978 to 1984.

From 2006 until her retirement, Ms. Whiteside served as Director of the Foreign Service Institute, with responsibility for training State Department employees and those from agencies across the government. From 2001 to 2006, she served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the O ce of the Director General, Bureau of Human Resources.

Ms. Whiteside’s Department of State assignments included service in Spain, the Policy Planning Sta , the Bureau of European A airs, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, and Executive Assistant to the Department’s Under Secretary of State for Management. Her awards include two Distinguished Presidential Rank Awards and the Department’s Distinguished Honor Award.

Ms. Whiteside grew up in Texas. She received her B.A. in history from Austin College in 1964, an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Texas, and a Ph.D in History from Rice University. Ms. Whiteside enjoys travel, gardening, outdoor activities, and is active in community service. Ms. Whiteside’s husband James Shelhamer is a Physician at the National Institutes of Health. They have a married daughter and are active members of the Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC.

Todd A. Williams

Executive Director, The Commit! PartnershipFounder, Williams Family Foundation

Highly committed to public education, Mr. Williams currently serves as the founding Chairman and Executive Director of The Commit! Partnership, a consortium of over 100 institutions (including ten school districts and seven higher ed institutions educating over 400,000 students) that is focused on

meaningfully improving college and career readiness levels across Dallas County. He also serves as the Education Policy Advisor to Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings.

In addition to serving as Board Chair for Austin College, Mr. Williams with his wife, Abby, chairs the regional advisory board for Teach for America in Dallas/Fort Worth. They helped establish the Williams Preparatory School, a K-12 free tuition public charter school operated by Uplift Education that educates over 1,200 primarily low-income children in northwest Dallas. 100% of its graduates since its rst senior class in 2011 have been accepted to a four-year college or university.

Mr. Williams is the former Chair of the Citizen Budget Review Commission for Dallas ISD ($1.5 billion budget educating 157,000 students) and the former Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees for Uplift Education, a public charter school management organization with almost 10,000 students served in Dallas, Irving, Fort Worth, and Arlington. He is also a founding board member and former chairman of the Real Estate Finance and Investment Center at the University of Texas and a former chairman of the Real Estate Council of Dallas, the city’s largest real estate organization. Prior to dedicating his e orts full time as a volunteer to public education in Dallas, Mr. Williams served as both partner and global co-head of Goldman Sachs’ real estate private e uity investment area, retiring in 2009 following a 20-year career with the rm in their New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas o ces. Total assets under management purchased by GS-managed real estate funds exceeded $100 billion in cost, including $10 billion of e uity invested by Goldman Sachs and its managing partners.

A Dallas ISD graduate from Bryan Adams High School, Mr. Williams earned an M.B.A. with distinction from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1989 and graduated with a B.A. in Economics from Austin College in 1982.