Dallas Regional Chamber Announces Leadership Dallas Class of 2019

Emerging business and community leaders selected to participate in Leadership Dallas,
the Dallas Region’s premier leadership development program.

DALLAS (August 6, 2018) – The Dallas Regional Chamber today announced the 44th class of Leadership Dallas, the premier leadership development program in the Dallas Region.

Founded in 1975, Leadership Dallas prepares a diverse group of leaders to serve as agents and sustainers of positive change for the quality of life in the Dallas Region. The program serves as a opportunity for individuals who are both acknowledged and aspiring leaders to continue their professional development and further cultivate a demonstrated commitment to the serving the community.

“The Leadership Dallas Class of 2019 was selected based on each individual’s commitment to community and high potential for leadership within their organizations and in the Dallas Region,” said Dale Petroskey, President and CEO of the Dallas Regional Chamber. “It is an honor to welcome this new class, and we at the DRC look forward to continued collaboration as we help make Dallas the best place in America to live, work, and do business.”

During the 10-month educational program, participants develop leadership capabilities as they build strong relationships with fellow classmates and current community leaders. Through lectures, discussion groups, on-site visits, simulations, class projects, and other leadership development activities, participants gain a deeper understanding of the critical issues facing the Dallas Region and are challenged to apply their talents towards addressing these issues in the future.

“Leadership Dallas participants are immersed in the history and current affairs of the Dallas Region to identify the challenges we face as a community,” said Cindy Masters, Director of Leadership Programs for the Dallas Regional Chamber. “It is our hope that each Leadership Dallas graduate will use the knowledge and enhanced leadership skills gained through the program to bring positive change to the Dallas Region.”

Leadership Dallas has more than 2,200 graduates who continue to provide positive change in the region. Many alumni have achieved the top executive role at their current organizations, founded their own businesses, or gone on to a career in public service. Leadership Dallas alumni include former police chiefs, former U.S. Ambassadors, and elected officials at the city, state, and national levels.

The members of the Leadership Dallas Class of 2019 are:

Name Company Title
Michelle Reed Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Partner
Sara Kite AT&T Director of Executive Communications
Billy Turner Axxess Director of Human Resources
Samir Bhavsar Baker Botts, LLP Intellectual Property Partner
Jaime Walkowiak Baylor Scott & White Research Institute COO Baylor Scott & White Research Institute,
SVP Baylor Scott & White Health
Ben Riemer Bell Nunnally Partner
Troy Ashby Benchmark Search President and Founder
Greg MacPherson Big Thought Senior Director of Research,
Evaluation & Design
Bharath Thankavel Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Medical Director of Value Based Care
Jimmy Tran CBRE Vice President of Strategy and
Corporate Development
Jadd Masso Clark Hill Strasburger Partner
Will Haynes II Colliers International Associate
Andy Scripps Communities Foundation of Texas /
Educate Texas
Deputy Director, Strategy
Leah Williams Dala Communications President & CEO
Patrick Dougherty Dougherty Wealth Management, LLC President
Jayda Batchelder Education Opens Doors Founding Executive Director
Andrea Carter Ernst & Young Partner
Elizabeth Sobel Blum Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Senior Advisor of Community Development
Jason Freeman Freeman Law, PLLC Founding Member
Jonathan Hall Frost Bank Vice President
Maria Gomez GFF Architects Principal
Matt Shem Hill & Wilkinson, General Contractors Vice President
Brooks Quinlan Hope Cottage, Inc. Chief Executive Officer
Chauncey Lane Husch Blackwell LLP Partner
Molly Lang J.P. Morgan Vice President
Joanna Singleton Jackson Spalding Partner
Kyle Masters JE Dunn Construction Vice President
Brooke Bailey Junior League of Dallas, Inc. President-Elect
Michael Horne KIPP Texas Public Schools –
Dallas-Fort Worth
Regional Superintendent
Greg McAllister Littler Employment Defense Attorney
Elliotte’ Dunlap Microsoft Senior Partner Solution Sales Executive
Jessica Spaniol Munck Wilson Mandala, LLP Senior Associate
Justin Parscale Perkins+Will Associate Principal
Amber Scanlan PNC Senior Vice President & Director of Client &
Community Relations
Tisha Vaidya Presidium Director, Acquisitions & Development
Crystal Wright PwC Managing Director
LaurieGrace Bouldin Rethink Results LLC CEO & Founder
Renita Joyce Garrett Sendero Senior Manager
Angela Zambrano Sidley Austin LLP Partner
Monica del Rio Southwest Airlines Senior Regional Leader, Airport Affairs
Heather Bonfield Talent Suite Vice President, Client Engagement
Rea Foster Teach For America –
Dallas-Fort Worth
Chief Operating Officer
Paul Howell Texas Capital Bank Executive Vice President,
Head of Corporate and Commercial Banking
Ashleigh Kinney Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children Director of Patient Experience
Gabrielle Madison Thomson Reuters Director, Community Relations
Ana Meade Toyota Motor North America Senior Manager, Social Innovation
Damion Pourciau Turner Construction Company Project Executive
Leandre Johns Uber Technologies External Affairs Manager
Ashley Brundage United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Senior Vice President of Community Impact
Cynthia Perez Vadillo University of North Texas at Dallas Assistant Director of External Relations
and Development
Colbey Walker UT Southwestern Medical Center Administrator of Emergency Medicine
Shan Zaidi VF Partners Principal
Stephanie Wilcox WFAA Director of Community Marketing
Lillian Jersa Willis Towers Watson Director, Retirement
Mirjam Kirk

For more Leadership Dallas information visit: www.dallaschamber.org/leadership.

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About the Dallas Regional Chamber
The Dallas Regional Chamber is the voice of business and the champion of economic development and growth in the Dallas Region. We work with our 1,200 member companies and regional partners to strengthen our business community by advocating for pro-growth public policies, improving our educational system, attracting talented workers from around the world, and enhancing the quality of life for all. Our goal is to make Dallas the best place in America to live, work, and do business.

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