Meet the Participants of our HOLT Advanced Leadership Program
Alexandra Torres
I obtained a Bachelor's in Social Work from the University of Texas at El Paso and relocated to the San Antonio Area in 2008. I began my career at Child Protective Services in San Antonio, TX as an investigator in a specialized unit investigating sexual abuse cases. Throughout my time at CPS, I was able to learn to work collaboratively with multiple agencies in the city to help the children and families in my caseload.
In 2013 I became a CPS Supervisor and lead a unit of investigators and worked closely with Childsafe and admired the services they provided to the families in the investigations. I accepted a position with Children’s Alliance of South Texas, A Child Advocacy Center in 2015 to serve the rural counties surrounding the San Antonio Area. Since being with Children’s Alliance of South Texas I have had multiple roles such as Forensic Interviewer, Statewide Intake Coordinator, and the Partner Relations Coordinator, eventually becoming the Program Services Director in January of 2017. In 2019 I became the Executive Director at Children’s Alliance of South Texas and have led a team of 16 employees to enhance our services to these rural counties and communities we serve. I bring more than 12 years of service to the child abuse field.
I enjoy spending time with my family and have two boys, ages 2 and 3 that keep me busy and on my toes. I love to read, watch crime documentaries, listed to podcasts and love to go to movies with my husband of 6 years.
Allison Martinez
Allison Martinez is the Vice President of Programs at Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) and she has a tenure of over 10 years with the organization. Allison leads a team of 25 program staff and more than 700 dedicated volunteers to advocate for the best interest of abused and neglected children in the foster care system. CASA is a national nonprofit that has been serving the San Antonio community for over 36 years.
Allison has a passion for working with children and families and ensuring that they are given every chance and opportunity for a bright future. Prior to CASA, she was a CPS Investigator for three years in Bexar County conducting child abuse and neglect investigations. Allison has her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of North Florida, with a focus on child development and criminal justice.
Allison is a San Antonio native and is the proud mother of two amazing daughters that inspire her every day.
Anne Kinsey
Anne Kinsey is Board President and Team Director of the Alamo Heights Mules Cycling Team, a cross-country mountain bike team for 6th through 12th graders in the Alamo Heights Independent School District that rides and races in the Texas League of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. She also serves as Board President and Team Manager for Team Enduro Lab, a junior enduro team for athletes in grades 5 through 12 throughout South Texas.
Anne is the Vice President, Exhibits for Evergreen Exhibitions, the leading provider of family-oriented learning experiences to science, natural history and children’s museums throughout the world. She oversees the development, project management, museum sales, touring, and operations of exhibitions and has considerable experience in project and technical management of exhibits. Born in New Jersey and raised in Pennsylvania, Anne graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Syracuse University in Production and English Textual Studies.
Becca Najera
Becca joined MSWC 18 years ago as a Promotora / Community Health Worker and works passionately to help transform the neighborhoods she serves. Through the years Becca has been inspired to evolve towards meeting the Human Resources, Financial Management and Facilities Management needs of her organization.
In community collaboration she’s chaired a health and wellness council, works towards preserving cultural histories and is a strong advocate for social, restorative and transformative justice.
Becca inspired audiences as an Associate Educator at Artpace for 13 years. When she was not engaging students with contemporary art and art making she is a creative singer/songwriter performing with bands locally and beyond.
The Martinez Street Women’s Center and Artpace are not the only organizations to recognize Becca’s talents- in 2011 she was named the Mc Nay Docent Council, Educator of the year.
Ben Hackett
Ben Hackett is the Development Director for YOSA (Youth Orchestras of San Antonio). He joined YOSA in 2013 and has served numerous roles for the organization in development and program operations. Ben is also a volunteer member of the Leadership Team for Young Nonprofit Professionals (YNP) of San Antonio. A native of San Antonio, Ben earned his B.M. in Music Composition from Texas Tech University and an M.A. in Music Theory and Composition from Montclair State University in New Jersey. Ben is a self-proclaimed “foodie” and enjoys spending quality time with this wife, two sons, and dog.
Carrie Kimbell
I am Carrie Kimbell and I am the Executive Director for First Tee – Greater San Antonio, this is a youth development organization that teaches character development and leaderships skills through the game of golf. The organization impacts over 30,000 youth in the San Antonio community each year. The first 15 years of my career were spent in various roles in the golf industry including, corporate sales manager for Medinah Country Club, marketing manager for a major golf management firm, operations manager at a golf facility as well as a teacher of the game.
After having my two boys, I was given an opportunity to transition to the corporate world and spent five years at Rackspace quickly working my way up to Enterprise Sales Executive on their largest account, honing my sales experience. I then took a role with Thousand Eyes, a network monitoring software company for a brief time before being notified my current role was available.
Being executive director of First Tee – Greater San Antonio allows me to give back to a game that has given me so much. It has been a tremendous opportunity that culminates all my career experience while giving back to the community that I love. I am extremely grateful for being accepted into the Holt CAT Advanced Leadership Program and be able to grow as a leader and be able to follow in the footsteps of my greatest mentors and leaders.
Cathy Valdez
Ms. Valdez graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Music from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. After realizing that she didn’t want to teach music, she moved to Houston and began a career in workforce development with Houston Works, the grant recipient and administrative entity for State Job Training funds for the Gulf Coast Region. For 10 years, she was responsible for monitoring and oversight of subcontractors awarded job training funds through Houston Works.
In 1994, Ms. Valdez was recruited to San Antonio to set up the monitoring and oversight department for the newly established Alamo Workforce Development (AWD) agency. During her tenure with AWD, she established and managed the Alamo Career Transition Center at Kelly AFB. This project assisted more than 6,000 civilian employees to successfully transition into other careers due to the closure of Kelly AFB. Ms. Valdez was recruited by Lockheed Martin to manage and complete the final two years of the Kelly AFB project.
In 2006, Ms. Valdez joined Project MEND as a grant writing consultant and in 2007, she became the agency’s Executive Director. During her tenure, she has more than tripled the agency’s budget, staffing, program services, and reach throughout Texas. She has established national recognition for Project MEND and its services and has served on the National Task Force for Assistive Technology Reuse led by Georgia Tech’s Pass It On Center that serves as the National Assistive Technology Device Reutilization Coordination and Technical Assistance Center.
In 2016, she led her Project MEND team to Washington, DC, where she accepted the Newman’s Own Award presented to her at the Pentagon by General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for Project MEND’s service to military and veteran families.
Today, Ms. Valdez is in the final stage of completing a capital campaign to build a state-of-the-art facility that will combine both administrative and warehouse staff under one roof and bring more efficient delivery of services to clients. Project MEND’s team is expected to be in the new facility by October 2021.
Christina Casella
Christina Casella was born and raised in San Antonio and returned after earning a B.F.A. from Sam Houston State University. Soon after, Christina joined The Public Theatre of San Antonio as Director of Education and Community Outreach. While in this role, the education program grew from one program serving 50 students ages 5-18 to nine programs serving over 150 students ages 5-85. After two years, Christina was promoted to The Playhouse’s role of Advancement Director where she managed the Education and Outreach, Marketing & Public Relations, and Development departments. After almost three years at The Playhouse, Christina received the opportunity to join the Witte Museum team as the Manager of Gallery, Theater, and Community Outreach in January of 2016.
In just a few short months, Christina rose to the position of Director of Play and co-director of the Education and Public Programs team. She continued to oversee the Gallery Theater and Community Outreach programs as well as undertaking the revitalization of the museum's historic Camp program. Her time at the Witte overlapped with the institution’s historic $100 million reopening where Christina participated in all programming decisions for the museum. While at the Witte Museum, Christina launched her side business, cccreate. cccreate is a creative design and digital media company that consults and serves local and national companies and nonprofits.
In August of 2018, Christina made the decision to launch cccreate as a full-time endeavor. In August 2019 while cccreate continued to thrive, she accepted the position as Theatre Director at Lytle High School. Teaching in public school continued to fuel her passion for serving youth while realizing that their needs are not fully met in the classroom. This informed her decision to return to the nonprofit sector in January of 2021 as Chief Development Officer for SA Youth.
Curtis Lindesay
Mr. Curtis Lindesay is the President / Executive Director of the Cibolo Enrichment Foundation founded in December 2017.
He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel with 28 years of service in the United States Army
Originally from St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, he has lived in the San Antonio area since 2003 and currently resides in the city of Cibolo, Texas.
Mr. Lindesay has a Master’s in Quality Systems Management from the National Graduate School of Business and is a Six Sigma Professional. He is also an ordained minister and serves as the Community Outreach Minister at Fountain of Life Community Church in New Braunfels, Texas.
Mr. Lindesay provides over 20 years of non-profit and ministry experience to include outreach programs, youth ministry, church administration, media, and church operations. Mr. Lindesay is a leader with a vision to invest his community through Partnership, Empowerment and Knowledge.
Jeff Arndt
Jeffrey C. Arndt is the President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Metropolitan Transit. VIA provides transportation services to the fast-growing city of San Antonio, identified as the 7th largest city in the United States.
Arndt joined VIA in February 2012 as Deputy CEO/Chief of Business Support Services. He has served the transit community for over 40 years and has a broad range of expertise in operations, planning and finance. He is continuously working to improve the livability and sustainability of the region through development of attractive mobility choices.
Since joining VIA, Mr. Arndt has focused on improving service and introducing innovation. With funding assistance through the City of San Antonio, he has been able to expand the high frequency bus network from zero routes in 2012 to about a dozen routes in 2019. Other improvements include conversion of the bus fleet to compressed natural gas, introduction of free Wi-Fi on all VIA buses and VIAtrans vans, and successfully piloting Mobility on Demand service to replace poorly performing bus services.
Arndt previously worked for Houston METRO for 25 years and achieved the position of senior vice president of operations/chief operating officer before moving on to the Texas A & M Transportation Institute (TTI). Arndt spent five years as a research scientist/research specialist at TTI.
Arndt holds a M.A. in Public Administration from the University of Houston and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He currently serves numerous local and regional Boards, including the South West Transit Association (Immediate Past Chair), San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, Visit San Antonio (Immediate Past Chair), SAGE, TEX-21 and the San Antonio Housing Commission. He is an alumnus of Leadership APTA and Leadership San Antonio.
Katie Vela
Born and raised in San Antonio, Katie joined the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless (SARAH) in 2015 to help launch the Continuum of Care (CoC) Lead Agency for San Antonio/Bexar County. In October 2020, the Board of Directors appointed Katie to serve as SARAH’s Executive Director. Previously, she worked at Haven for Hope as the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Project Coordinator and as a Data Tracking Specialist in the Bexar County Budget Office. Katie is the Co-Chair of the Trauma-Informed Workgroup for Homelessness and Housing and Co-Chairs the newly formed Leadership Circle for UTSA’s College of Health, Community and Policy (HCaP) program. She holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Texas-San Antonio with a Nonprofit Administration and Leadership Certificate and a bachelor’s degree from Texas State University. Katie’s focus areas for SARAH include implementing the community’s homeless strategic plan and the WE SAY plan to end youth homelessness. In addition, she has prioritized improving the coordination, efficiency, and community awareness of Homelink, the local Coordinated Entry System, to ensure the most vulnerable residents experiencing homelessness in San Antonio have a place to call home.
Mark E. Eads
Mark E. Eads is the Executive Director of Sunshine Cottage and proud to be part of the top program in the world for Deaf and Hard of hearing children. He was the Superintendent of Schools for the Southside ISD joining their team in May of 2016 He retired from public education in June of 2020 after serving districts and children for over 30 years. Previously he served San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District, having joined the District in May 2011. Eads had served as the Superintendent of Schools of Snyder ISD since December 2008. Prior to that, he was Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Public Relations for Medina Valley ISD in Castroville, Texas, from 2002-2008. While with Medina Valley ISD, Eads created the Human Resources Department, re-established the Education Foundation, and served as the Public Relations Officer.
From 2000-2002, Eads worked with the Region 20 Education Service Center as an Education Specialist working with Leadership, Assessment, and Development. While he was a secondary principal in Medina ISD in Medina, Texas (1995-2000), he led the District to their first Exemplary rating, and maintained the rating for three consecutive years. He was a classroom teacher and Assistant Principal with Tuloso Midway ISD in Corpus Christi, Texas, from 1990-1995. Before he entered the field of education, Eads was a financial planner and loan officer for five years in Corpus Christi and put himself through college managing a child care learning center.
Eads received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Corpus Christi State University and a Master of Science in Education from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. His certifications include Secondary Business Administration and Elementary Self-Contained, Mid-Management Administrator (1993) and Superintendent (1996). He maintains membership in the Texas Association of School Administrators and in the Texas Association of School Boards.
Eads balances his professional career with a strong family life. His wife Shawna is a neonatal nurse practitioner; they have been married for 40 years. They have two daughters and a son: Amanda, Megan, and Tyler -- all graduates of Texas A&M. Mark and Shawna are also blessed with six grandchildren. The family enjoys outdoor activities and physical fitness; they have trained together to compete in half-marathons.
Eads believes that the nine years he spent in the business sector, coupled with 31 years in the classroom and school administration, have prepared him to serve as an educational leader. He considers himself a “bridge builder” who looks forward to working closely with community partnerships.
He offers that the foundation of his leadership is based on the book, The Servant, by James Hunter. Eads says, “I believe that education is a process of continuous growth for students and educators. Although often confused as being a finished product, education is never complete. We have a responsibility to teach and inspire everyone to be lifelong learners.”
Rachel Trevino
Rachel Trevino joined the McNay leadership team in 2018 as Head of Communications and Marketing. She spends her days leading a talented team of marketing, communication, design, and multimedia specialists as they share the great stories of the first modern art museum in Texas. Rachel focuses on developing internal and external communications and marketing strategies related to the Museum’s new strategic plan. Her department’s efforts helps maximize awareness of the McNay locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Prior to joining the McNay, Rachel spent the bulk of her career in an integrated communications agency environment where she managed more than 30 clients in a variety of industries, including: nonprofit, political, pharmaceutical, government, retail, and more. When she’s not at work, Rachel enjoys spending time with her husband, two daughters, and their 75-pound rescue dog, Rye.
Yvonne de la Rosa
Yvonne M. De La Rosa is the Executive Director of Teatro De Artes De Juan Seguin (Teatro) in Seguin, TX. Teatro is a non-profit arts organization that promotes a better understanding of the Mexican American culture by the teaching, study, practice and performance of the arts. Teatro incorporates: Public Pedagogy; Community Cultural Wealth; Culturally Relevant Pedagogy; Community Education through the Arts; and Community Learning Exchange to help youth and families engage in a process of identity formation, as well as, community building and development. Yvonne has served in numerous capacities in the organization such as a founding member of the Ballet Folklórico De La Rosa and Mariachi Juvenil, Poet, Dance Instructor, Artistic Director, and now Executive Director. She is a native of Seguin, Texas and has been a public educator for 23 years, teaching and coaching scholars in 6th-12th grade holding certifications in: EC-12 Principal; English as a Second Language; Office Education; Technology Applications; and Physical Education. She is also an adjunct instructor at St. Philip’s College where she serves higher education scholars in the Kinesiology Department. Lastly, Yvonne is a Texas State University PhD candidate in the Adult, Professional, Community Education Doctoral program. Her dissertation research is exploring the struggle and resiliency of the Mexican American community in Seguin as they attempt to maintain, teach, and celebrate their Mexican American roots, customs, knowledge, and celebrations through community education. She aims to provide insight into public pedagogy as it relates to learning, teaching, and leading as a means to record the growth and change within the community.
Donald Mason
Donald Mason is an arts administrator and non-profit champion, with two decades of experience across a spectrum of industries and organizations, with emphasis in the arts and culture sphere. He has a background in radio production, music photojournalism, talent management, as well as performed in the funk band, Soul Funkin Dangerous.
Originally from Midland, TX, Donald has lived most of his life in Lexington, KY, and made his Texas return to San Antonio, TX in January 2020. Donald arrived in San Antonio to take the position of Executive Director of the Classical Music Institute, after serving in the same position for five years at the Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center in Lexington, KY.
Donald continues to be actively engaged his new community. Currently, he serves on the Carver Community Cultural Center Development Board, United Way San Antonio Emerging Leaders, City of San Antonio Performing Arts Review Committee, New Leaders Council Alumni Engagement Committee, and volunteered creative services for Voices De La Luna and ExtraLife Charity Stream through Monocle, LLC.
Donald is a dog father to his Boxer partner, Maxwell, long time vocal artist, Hamilton fanatic, and looks forward to globetrotting once the pandemic is in a safer place. There’s a million things he hasn’t done, but just you wait…
Joshua Mireles
Joshua Mireles was born in San Antonio’s Westside and, after experiences that took him to foreign countries, has returned to the Westside to contribute to the community that is closest to his heart.
Beginning during his high school years, Josh found great satisfaction in volunteering at organizations with strong social service programs. So, it wasn’t a stretch when he attended the University of Texas at San Antonio, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Counseling.
Fresh out of college, his first job was in Seguin working with court-mandated clients, but San Antonio beckoned and he wound up back on San Antonio’s Westside, not far from where he grew up. He found himself at House of Neighborly Service as a mental health specialist, working with families and children to address developmental delays and provide treatment plans.
After four and a half years, he was called to missionary work, spending three years in parts of Central Africa and Northern Europe. During his missionary work he continued to interact with the communities he served, enjoying the opportunities to meet people from different cultures. As he says: “No matter where you go, people are the same, once you get to know them”.
It’s this philosophy that guided him upon his return to San Antonio, right back to House of Neighborly Service! Two years ago, he was promoted to Director of Programs and has played a role in the expansion of services to his community.
Along with his duties at HNS, Josh is very involved in the nonprofit community and continues to increase his skill set through training and collaboration. What drives Josh is the goal of a Westside with access to services and opportunities that are equitable to those available to San Antonio residents residing in more affluent neighborhoods.
Lauren Geraghty
Lauren’s professional background began in organizational development with a private investment firm before she made the transition into education and spent over 4 years supporting the launch of a San Antonio based education non-profit and an education-consulting firm with national reach. In her current role as Chief Strategy Officer for CIS-SA, Lauren manages the agency’s Grants & Contracts, Data & Reporting, and Community Education and Engagement departments. Lauren graduated from Health Careers High School in San Antonio and attended Texas State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in English and History, and a Master’s in Literature. Lauren is a certified ACE Interface Master Trainer and actively collaborates with local and national organizations to amplify youth development strategies. She lives in San Antonio with her family and spends her free time reading and exploring nature with her 6-year-old son.
Martha Olivas Gonzalez
Martha Olivos-Gonzalez is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Texas A&M University – San Antonio. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business from St. Mary’s University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Texas A&M International University. Martha has over 15 years’ experience in Human Resources and since 2015 is a Senior Certified Human Resources Professional with HRCI, and a SHRM-SCP with the Society of Human Resources Management.
Before moving to San Antonio Martha had been living in Laredo, Texas and worked as the Executive Director of the Laredo Center for the Arts, Human Resources Manager at the International Bank of Commerce, and as the HR Director at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU).
Martha also prioritized volunteering with community and civic groups, and served in officer positions at several. These groups included the Children’s Advocacy Center, the Laredo Area Community Foundation, Casa de Misericordia, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation committee, Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association, City of Laredo Third Party Funding Advisory Committee and United Day School Parent Teachers Association.
Martha is excited to be working at Texas A&M University – San Antonio because she has witnessed the powerful and transformative effect higher education, coupled with a motivated student population, can have on a community and individual’s lives. Martha believes this young four-year higher education institution in south San Antonio will have a monumental effect on San Antonio and south Texas. She is motivated daily by the student body, the exceptional professors and instructors and all her colleagues that are drawn to work together on this significant educational addition to San Antonio.
Martha is married to Adan A. Gonzalez, attorney, and they have three children. Martha and her husband enjoy cooking, films and playing tennis.
Dr. Rosalind Harris
Serving over twenty years as a Civil Servant she stepped out on faith to resign from her position at the U. S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Texas. Dr. Rosalind Harris then began the journey of providing faith-based programs for youth and families. Dr. Harris is a graduate of Rockbridge University Seminary and received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Trinity Theological Seminary because of developing faith-based programs in her thirteen years in faith-based youth and family prevention/intervention ministry in Bexar and surrounding counties. These faith-based programs were taught in the Judson and East Central ISDs and charter schools as prevention curriculum. Dr. Harris completed Military Veteran Services Non-Profit Certification in May 2013 with San Antonio Area Foundation and St. Mary’s University; and San Antonio Area Foundation and Our Lady of the Lake Non-Profit Leadership Academy in June 2013. Recognized as the 2016 Community Game Changer Award by Alpha Phi Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho, Inc. Dr. Harris most recent recognition is the Stellar Leadership Award by The E Rotary Club of San Antonio. She is a Charter Member of The E Rotary Club of San Antonio; a Guardian of San Antonio Cancer Council; and Friend of Impact San Antonio. Dr. Harris is also a Ordained and Licensed Minister.
Elaine Bennet
Elaine Bennett has planted deep roots in Seguin, Texas, beginning with her college years at Texas Lutheran College, from where she obtained a BA in accounting. Since 1994, she has been employed by Guadalupe Regional Medical Center, a not-for-profit hospital and the only city/county-owned community hospital in the state of Texas with no tax support. For over 20 years, Elaine worked in accounting roles from accounts payable to the Controller and Executive Director of Finance and Resource Management.
During that period, she obtained an executive MBA from the University of Texas at San Antonio. In 2017, she was promoted within the organization to CEO of the Guadalupe Regional Medical Foundation (GRMF), the public charity and foundation that supports the hospital's mission. Under her sole direction, GRMF has raised over $2 million over the past three years through various successful grant writing and fundraising initiatives.
Elaine has volunteered her time in various organizations to promote and support Seguin. She was Past Chair of the Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce and current Chair of the Public Affairs Committee. She serves as a board member for the Seguin Economic Development Cooperation.
She was past vice president of the New Braunfels Christian Academy (NBCA) school board, followed by leadership roles with the Seguin Independent School District, including Key Communicators Committee, Bond Advisory, School Health Advisory Council, Health Occupation Students of America, and Project Graduation. She has served as church council president at Seguin's Faith Lutheran Church.
A specific passion for Elaine has been to address food insecurity in the community, a task she has spearheaded the coordination with local government and the San Antonio and New Braunfels Food Banks. She volunteers as a driver for Meals on Wheels. Elaine's passion is empowering people to be self-sufficient and making a positive difference in her community.
Dr. Julie Strentzch
Dr. Julie Strentzsch is the Chief Operating Officer for Roy Maas Youth Alternatives. Over the last five years, Dr. Strentzsch has reinvigorated and updated the clinical and program practices of RMYA. Creating a seamless integration, which in turn, significantly improved agency outcomes. Recently, Julie collaborated with Communities In Schools of San Antonio and the City of San Antonio to provide critical housing and supplementary support options to homeless youth 16-24 via the NXT Level program.
Julie worked with Bexar County Juvenile Probation to develop the first 24-hour drop-in center in Texas through a grant with the victims of crime act. She currently sits on the Bexar County Care Coordination team leading the charge to expand programming services for Child Sex Trafficked Youth in San Antonio. Julie is currently working in collaboration with University of Texas at San Antonio to begin to create evidence-based drop-in services and programming.
Julie is a fierce advocate for children and their families. She is a licensed professional counselor and specializes with those diagnosed with stress and anxiety spectrum disorders. Most recently, Julie became a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner and is excited to train the community on how to best address trauma in the community.
While Julie is a transplant to Texas, she has lived here for 40 years and calls it home. She and her husband have been married for 33 years. They have three dachshunds who keep them busy. Julie and Scott love to scuba dive and travel to various island destinations. They look forward to traveling again soon.
Lauren Priestas
Lauren Priestas is the Executive Director of Hopecam, a national nonprofit that helps children with cancer overcome social isolation by virtually connecting them to their classmates, friends, and family while in treatment. She finds inspiration every day in the amazing children and families Hopecam serves.
Lauren has been with Hopecam for 5 years, beginning as the Development Director and was instrumental in raising over 1.3 million dollars her first year, which is the largest fundraising campaign for the organization.
Lauren has over 20 years of experience working as a leader in the advancement services, fundraising and development fields. Previously, she worked for various nonprofits in the Washington D.C. metro area including working for over 12 years at the Landon School as Director of Development Operations and on the school’s 52-million-dollar campaign. Prior to that, she held the position of Director of Prospect Management and Development Operations at The Madeira School where she worked on their 60-million-dollar centennial endowment campaign.
Lauren is a native of Richmond, Virginia and holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland. She resides in Braddock Heights, MD with her boyfriend and 2 kids. Outside of work, you can find Lauren tending her gardens, relaxing on the Chesapeake Bay, taking a dance class or cheering her kids on at softball and hockey games.
Mary Thorsby
A longtime community builder and connector, Mary joined ABODE Contemplative Care for the Dying as Executive Director at the end October 2019. ABODE provides a home and 24/7 care for those who are terminally ill and entering their last three months, weeks or even days of life at no charge to them or their families.
ABODE hired Mary to the Summer 2019 Omega Home Network National Conference in San Antonio. Through the course of that project, she became so drawn to ABODE that when the executive director position opened, she jumped at the chance to contribute her skills, talents and passion to the organization.
“Our staff and volunteers have the most beautiful ability to make our Guests feel welcomed, valued and celebrated,” Mary says. “What a wonderful way to touch people’s lives at the very end of their lives – it’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever experienced.”
Prior to ABODE, Mary spent more than 20 years working with and advising entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits in the realm of strategy, outreach and marketing communications. Past clients include Apple, Levi Strauss, Genentech, Wells Fargo and Amgen.
A lifelong learner, Mary earned her business and journalism degrees from Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., and more recently earned an Entrepreneurship MBA from the University of Louisville. Mary has also taught marketing and operations management at the Fashion Institute for Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in San Francisco.
Sarah Dingivan
Sarah Dingivan is the Executive Director of the San Antonio Legal Services Association (SALSA), a pro bono legal organization that provides free services to at-risk, indigent and vulnerable members of the San Antonio community. Sarah previously served as the Managing Attorney for SALSA’s predecessor, the Community Justice Program (CJP) and assisted the program with transitioning from a local bar association program to an independent and self-sustaining operation.
Sarah also spent six years on active duty with the United States Air Force as a member of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps, where she represented the Air Force, active duty servicemembers, and retirees on topics ranging from civil legal assistance to criminal law.
Although she now calls San Antonio home, Sarah is originally from Mobile, Alabama and attended college and law school at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Sarah is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and a recipient of the 2019 Emory University 40 under 40 award.
Ernesto Rosales
Ernesto Rosales is the President of Dreams Foundation for Children/ Fundación Sueños.
I was born in San Salvador, El Salvador. I am the oldest of 3 siblings. We left El Salvador as refugees of war to Canada in 1990. In 1997 Oak Hills Church in San Antonio sponsored my parents as missionaries in El Salvador. They planted multiple Churches and in 1999 founded Fundación Sueños (Dreams Foundation) as a 501c3. My parentsp’ assion to help the most impoverished led their mission to provide support to over 100 children and their families with spiritual and physical needs to include: homes, food, clothing, education, family counseling, and medical services.
My mom Sonia passed away in 2010 from cancer and the foundation lost momentum. Since her passing my dad could not handle the pressure on his own, as she was the heart and soul behind the mission. I joined Fundación Sueños as VP in 2018 with the goal of raising funds for projects related to helping the most at risk youths.
I also work as a Manager for a local technology company. We are a for profit member of the Non-Profit Council in San Antonio. We have been partnering with more and more non-profit organizations in San Antonio and surrounding to help maximize their dollars towards technology.
I took on the role of President of Dreams Foundation in November of 2020 after my father passed away. I want to continue my parent’s legacy. I want to continue my parents’ vision for helping children in El Salvador. I have a commitment to my board members and the children of El Salvador. My hope is that this program will give me the tools and resources to be a better leader and take the foundation to the next level.
Kate Carey
Kate Carey joined the McNay education department in 2004. Promoted to Head of Education in 2017, Carey serves on the Museum leadership team and oversees McNay docents (volunteers who give school tours) and education programs (virtual and in-person). Carey exercised a co-curator role in exhibitions American Dreams: Classic Cars and Postwar Paintings (2019), Fashion Nirvana: Runway to Everyday (2020), and Selena Forever/Siempre Selena (2020-2021). Carey is a graduate of Austin College with a Master’s in Teaching and UTSA with and MA in Art History. A San Antonio food ambassador, Carey enjoys sharing food and drinks with McNay colleagues and friends at Barbaro, Extra Fine, and Hot Joy, restaurants her family owns, and spending time with her two daughters in San Antonio parks and splash pads. A favorite work of art in the McNay Collection is Chakaia Booker’s sculpture Position Preferred because the whole thing is made from rubber. Visitors can see the tire tread and smell the unmistakable rubbery scent (without getting too close, of course).
Lori Price
Lori Price is the Executive Director of Youth Code Jam, a San Antonio-based nonprofit specializing in creating environments where all children can be successful problem-solvers with code. She has a B.S. in Political Science from Indiana State University and an M.S. in Project Management from Pennsylvania State University. Lori is passionate about speaking kindness, seeing the potential in others, Clifton Strengths and dark chocolate. When she's not working, Lori can be found gardening, trying to keep up with her teenagers, binge-watching TV with her husband, and drinking coffee (often several at once.)
Dr. Milton B. Harris
Dr. Harris is owner broker MB Harris Properties, LLC. Executive Director of the 100 Black Men of San Antonio, Inc, President Van Courtlandt Foundation, and Founding Board Secretary San Antonio Preparatory Charter School. Founding Board Chair S.H. James Prep Academy, Chair Alamo Fiesta District Boy Scouts of America.
Prior to these positions Dr. Harris served 20 years in the United States Air Force. After retiring from the military Dr. Harris went into business opening a Real Estate Brokerage and is the owner of MB Harris Properties, LLC., a real estate investment company. He is a past recipient of the San Antonio Black Achievement Award for Business. He is recognized for philanthropy, community leadership and entrepreneurship throughout San Antonio and was recognized by 100 Black Men as mentor of the year in 2017.
Dr. Harris is married to Rhonda Harris and together they have four sons. He enjoys serving his community as a community leader and youth mentor. During his educational journey Dr. Harris earned the Doctor of Business Administration in Finance from Walden University, an MBA in Procurement & Acquisitions Management from Webster University, and a BS in Industrial Technology from Southern Illinois University. He is currently enrolled in the Holt Advanced Leadership Program facilitated by the San Antonio Area Foundation.
Stacey Kline Schwartz
Currently, the President and Chief Executive Officer of San Antonio Jewish Senior Services (SAJSS), Stacey works with a small but dedicated staff and board to help address the needs and enrich the quality of life for older adults in the Jewish community through direct and partnership programming and support services. Stacey started with SAJSS in 2018 as Executive Director and has dramatically increased fundraising, support for the endowment, direct programming to older adults, and expanded community partnerships since then.
SAJSS provides transportation for older adults to medical appointments as well as services, events, classes, and programs at local Jewish institutions. SAJSS also delivers special sabbath and holiday food packages to 500 older adults affiliated with the Jewish community. SAJSS works closely with partner organizations in the Jewish and broader community to provide programs and support to older adults in San Antonio.
Prior to joining SAJSS, Stacey was the Executive Vice President of Philanthropy at LiftFund where she was tasked with creating an individual giving department and secured LiftFund’s first six figure personal gifts. Stacey also developed a lunch program to expose community leaders to LiftFund clients to demonstrate LiftFund’s impact on underserved entrepreneurs. Before LiftFund, Stacey was the Director of Development for KIPP San Antonio Public Schools. Along with fundraising, Stacey created a public speaking program for KIPP high school students. When Stacey first moved back to San Antonio from Scottsdale, Arizona, she was hired as the Director of Women’s Philanthropy for the Jewish Federation of San Antonio and worked on major gifts fundraising. Stacey’s career has spanned communications and marketing, all aspects of fundraising, nonprofit management, pharmaceutical sales, business management and consulting, public speaking, and moderating.
Stacey, a 5th generation Texan and San Antonio native, graduated from Churchill High School and then Princeton University with a BA in Psychology. After leaving Texas, Stacey lived in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Arizona and is glad to be back working to strengthen her home community. Stacey is involved in various organizations in the community including the Nonprofit Council and the Board of the Shmuel Bass Torah Academy of San Antonio (TASA). Stacey has been married to her husband, Adam, for almost 30 years, and is the proud parent of four children + one in-law: Jacob, the oldest, graduated from ISA, then Harvard University, is married to Miryam, and lives in NJ; Alisa, also graduated from ISA and is a student at Brandeis University; Noah just graduated from Churchill High School and is headed to Oberlin College in the fall to play football; and Shayna just completed 7th grade at the TASA Jewish day school.