James “Jim” Wilson Jeffcoat, Jr. (born April 1, 1961) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills. He was most recently an assistant football coach for the Dallas Renegades of the XFL. He played college football at Arizona State University.

The Dallas Youth Commission is a group of civically engaged and diverse youth located in the City of Dallas. The Youth Commission provides a much needed voice for students here in Dallas with a purpose to address and advocate for issues and bring impactful change to the community. The Youth Commission is governed by a talented fifteen member board consisting of high school students (grade 9-12) and aims to serve their community while gaining the tools necessary to become effective and dedicated leaders in the future.

Eric Johnson is the 60th Mayor of Dallas, Texas, elected in June 2019. Prior to becoming mayor, Johnson served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives where he represented the City of Dallas from April 2010 to June 2019. During his tenure in the Texas Legislature, Johnson served on several legislative committees, including Appropriations, Ways and Means, Higher Education and Natural Resources. He also served as chairman of the Dallas Area Legislative Delegation.
Johnson was born in Dallas and attended Dallas Independent School District schools through first grade before earning a scholarship to Greenhill School through the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. He attended Harvard College, where he graduated cum laude with a degree in History. Johnson also holds a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a master's degree in Public Affairs from the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. He is an alumnus of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Chad West was elected to the Dallas City Council in May 2019 to represent District 1 and the citizens of Oak Cliff. The son of a retired farmer and a teacher/principal, Chad first came to Texas over 20 years ago with the U.S. Army, where he first served at Fort Sam Houston and later traveled overseas to Hungary and Bosnia. After completing his military tour, Chad was honorably discharged as a combat veteran and attended law school at Texas Tech School of Law, where he graduated with honors.

Prior to his election to the Dallas City Council, Chad served on the Dallas City Plan Commission from 2017 to 2018. As District 1's representative on the CPC, Chad played key roles in advocating for and drafting ordinances for Live-Work, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs or Granny Flats) and Inclusionary Zoning, all of which are currently being used by Dallas to create more rooftops for residents of all income levels.

A South Dallas native, Diane Ragsdale is a cofounder of South Dallas/Fair Park Innercity Community Development Corporation (ICDC) which was founded in 1986 and has been the Managing Director of ICDC since 2004.

Under her leadership the South Dallas/Fair Park Innercity Community Development Corporation (ICDC) continues its mission of building lives and revitalizing neighborhoods with several ongoing initiatives. These initiatives include building over 250 homes, providing much needed home ownership opportunities; purchasing and revitalizing a retail center; introducing low-income innercity youth to the possibilities of business ownership as a viable career option; building an office complex for commercial and retail development; creating a business incubator center to support the growth of new and existing businesses; building a health care facility and the development of a partnership with Dallas College to provide work training programs from the South Dallas Training Center located on ICDC’s campus.

Diane is a lifelong member of Kirkwood Temple CME Church, serving as a Sunday school teacher, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Chair of the Social Justice Committee, and a member of the Health Ministry.

A graduate of the great James Madison High School, Ms. Ragsdale received her BS Degree in Nursing from Dallas Baptist University. As a registered nurse, she has worked with a variety of institutions, including the VNA and the Veterans’ Administration. With over 20 years experience as a healthcare administrator, her management expertise includes planning, budgeting, operations, and supervisory functions.

Mentored by the late civil rights pioneer and Dallas City Council member Juanita Craft, Ms Ragsdale’s civic involvement began as a member of the NAACP Youth Council. During her high school years, she also served as a youth organizer for the South Dallas Information Center under the leadership of organizer-activist and former city council member, the Honorable Al Lipscomb. In addition, Ms. Ragsdale served as an activist with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference under the leadership of Rev. Peter Johnson and national SCLC staffer, Rev. James Orange. Appointed to the Dallas City Plan Commission by the late Councilwoman Elsie Fay Heggins, Ms. Ragsdale was a consistent and effective advocate for the South Dallas/Fair Park neighborhoods fighting passionately against zoning and thoroughfare incursions that destroyed neighborhood cohesiveness.

Moving from appointed to elected office as a member of the Dallas City Council, Ms. Ragsdale continued to be a staunch advocate for planned economic development and neighborhood self-determination. She was also one of the driving forces toward single member districts to increase African American and Latino/a representation on the Dallas City Council known as the 14-1 plan. While serving on the Dallas City Council she was elected Deputy Mayor Pro Tem by her City Council colleagues. She worked on issues such as affordable and decent housing, accessible and affordable health care, equitable distribution of resources, fighting against police abuse, and advocating for community-based business development. As member of the Dallas City Council, Ms. Ragsdale was the visionary and lead sponsor of the South Dallas/Fair Park Trust Fund which provided funding for non-profits and for- profits located in South Dallas/Fair Park. This organization is now known as South Dallas/Fair Park Opportunity Fund.

In addition to ICDC, Ms. Ragsdale has helped to found numerous community-based organizations, including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Health Center and Common Ground Economic Development Corporation.

Ms. Ragsdale continues to live in Sunny South Dallas and is a strong organizer for community self-determination through education, mobilization and organization.

She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including:

• Invisible Giants Award -- Voting Rights Museum of Selma, AL
• Community Service Award -- National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs
• A. Maceo Smith Community Service Award -- African American Museum of Life and Culture
• Civil Rights Award -- Dallas NAACP
• Outstanding Texan Award -- Texas Legislative Black Caucus
• President’s Award -- Dallas Urban League;
• Sojourner Truth National Award -- South Dallas Business and Professional Women’s Club
• Mary McLeod Bethune Community Service Award -- National Council of Negro Women
• Trailblazer Award -- African American Pastor’s Coalition
• Community and Economic Development - Juanita Craft Awards of Dallas NAACP
• Legacy Award- Juanita Craft Humanitarian Awards
• Humanitarian Award-Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc.

In addition to these awards, the Library and Media Center of her alma mater, James Madison High, has been named in her honor. Also, in honor of her work and commitment, the training center room of the Child Care Dallas Center in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Complex bears her name. The oral history of Ms. Ragsdale has been documented, in part by the University of North Texas, University of Texas at Arlington, and SMU Oral History programs where they are available to the public.

Ms Ragsdale’s journey as a childhood activist, an organizer, a City Plan Commission member, Registered Nurse, Dallas City Council member and Co-founder and Director of the nonprofit, South Dallas/ Fair Park Innercity Community Development Corporation have all continued to provide her with knowledge and valuable experiences that will move the struggle for social justice and equity forward.

Ms. Ragsdale’s work and her witness are reinforced by her fervent belief that there are many blessings in serving the community. She is driven by the Biblical admonition, “whatsoever you do unto the least of these” and by the directive from the prophet Micah to Do Justice.

Andrea Russell has more than 25 years of experience in marketing, sales and customer segmentation. As Vice President and General Manager of NRG Retail and Reliant Residential, Andrea is responsible for Reliant brand awareness, marketing, sales, margin management and financial results. In her most recent role as General Manager of Cirro Energy, Andrea increased brand awareness, customer count and earnings to historically high levels. Prior to joining NRG in 2011, Andrea held marketing and sales management positions for Direct Energy and AT&T. At Direct Energy, Andrea was responsible for brand awareness and customer acquisition across multiple channels. At AT&T, she planned and launched AT&T Local Service in 10 unique markets, received multiple President’s Awards and was nominated by her peers to participate in the AT&T Leadership Development Program for future executives. Andrea earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Our Lady of the Lake University. She serves on the North Texas Commission Board of Directors. Andrea lives in Dallas and is active in the National Charity League with her two daughters.

Ms. Candace E. Wicks was named Dallas ISD Teacher of the Year in 2007, retired from the district after a 30-year impressive career as an Early Childhood Educator in 2019. She is the Vice-Chair of the City of Dallas Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Advisory Board Member District 3. Ms. Wicks is a Diamond Life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. -Dallas Alumnae Chapter. She serves as a representative of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc.-Dallas and served as the Southwest Regional Director of the National Pan Hellenic Council. She’s Division 1 Parliamentarian for the American Legion Auxiliary, Charter member of Remembering Black Dallas, Inc. and a Deaconess of New Hope Baptist Church.

Kamini Mamdani is the founder and CEO of CHAI.COM, an online chai company. She also serves as a trustee on the board of the Greenhill School and has held a number of leadership roles including 20-22 Greenhill Fund co-chair & member of the Family Council on Equity & Inclusion. Kamini serves on the board of Family Gateway, a local non-profit that provides stability to families and children affected by homelessness and co-chairs the Community Engagement committee. She serves as a member of the Orchid Giving Circle, a philanthropic group that supports the Asian-American community in north Texas where she sits on the Grants committee. Kamini was a founding member of SAAVE TX, an organization that empowers south Asians to be politically engaged. Kamini is an alumna of Southern Methodist University and Texas Woman’s University. She and her husband, Malik, enjoy spending time with their 3 children and puppy.

The Reverend Dr. Neil G. Thomas is the Senior Pastor of Cathedral of Hope of Dallas, called and elected by the 4,500-member congregation on April 12, 2015, following a year-long search. He began his tenure on June 3, 2015.

In 2015 he has been granted Privilege of Call in the United Church of Christ.

Prior to his arrival at Cathedral of Hope, Dr. Thomas served as Senior Pastor of two Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC); MCC Bournemouth, England (1989-2002) and Founders Metropolitan Community Church, Los Angeles (2002-2015), the founding church of Metropolitan Community Churches, an international movement of churches reaching in and beyond the gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, and inter-sex community.

A member of Metropolitan Community Churches since 1981, Rev. Neil has served in numerous denominational positions including Chair, Board of Ordained Ministries (European District); Member, Elder’s Task Force on Education; Member, European District Committee; Member, Board of Samaritan College in Europe; Supervising Pastor, and Ecumenical Officer. He has served on the Moderator’s Advising Team and consultant to the Office of Formation and Leadership Development.

As a native of Bournemouth, England, Dr. Thomas was born into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. His family left the Mormon Church in his early years.

Dr. Thomas is a sought-after speaker and contributor to local, national, and international conversations around the intersectionality of faith, color, gender, gender-identity and sexual orientation.

Harbhajan Singh Virdee is a member of the DFW Sikh community and serves as a member of Interfaith Council of Thanks-Giving Foundation of Dallas and serves on the leadership council of Faith Forward Dallas. He has been active in interfaith work representing Sikh traditions. Professionally, he is a self -employed Telecommunications Engineer.

Deby Elliott, member of the Baha'i Faith

Rabbi Andrew Marc Paley is the Senior Rabbi and Spiritual Leader of Temple Shalom, a Reform congregation, in Dallas, Texas. Ordained by the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1995, Rabbi Paley holds a Master’s Degree in Hebrew Letters from H.U.C. – J.I.R and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from The Ohio State University as well as a certificate in marital and pre-marital counseling.

His commitment to the Jewish community of Dallas is evidenced by his involvement in local and national Jewish organizations. Rabbi Paley is a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Southwest Association of Reform Rabbis, a Past President of the Rabbinical Association of Greater Dallas and is an Honorary Director of the Dallas Hebrew Free Loan Association.

Locally, Rabbi Paley is a member of the Mayor’s Task Force on Poverty, a member of the executive committee of Faith Forward: An Interfaith Task Force of Thanksgiving Square of Dallas and is a member of the Interfaith Advisory Committee of the North Texas Food Bank.

Rabbi Paley believes in the value of sharing experience and insights gained from more than 20 years in the rabbinate and Jewish communal life. He is a mentor for his younger colleagues in the CCAR, a mentor to rabbinical students through Hebrew Union College, an AIPAC Leffer Fellow mentor, and serves as the National Secretary of Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity.

Rabbi Paley has edited two prayer books, one for the Sabbath and one for families for the High Holy days as well as authored numerous articles.

Rabbi Paley is married to Deborah Niederman, the Past President of the Association for Reform Jewish Educators and the Director of Religious School & Young Family Programs at Temple Shalom, and is the father of two children, Molly, a 2020 graduate of Duke University and Samuel, who attends Clark University (MA).

Imam Omar Suleiman is the Founder and President of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, and an Adjunct Professor of Islamic Studies in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at SMU (Southern Methodist University). He is also the Resident Scholar at Valley Ranch Islamic Center and Co-Chair Emeritus of Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square.

Mrs. Clara Brown Trimble, Advisory Board Chair. Appointed October 2021, by Mayor Eric Johnson - District 15. Volunteered 30 years at the MLK, Jr. Center. Serving as the liaison for two Dallas County Elected Officials. In 2019, I retired from Dallas County and was appointed to the Advisory Board by Adam McGough, District-10.

Eddie Elaine Sacks serving her 4th term on the MLK Advisory Board, District 1 Leader. Mrs. Sacks also serves as Secretary of The Congressional Black Caucus Veterans Brain Trust state of Texas. She received a Congressional Honor Award for her work in the Community. Elaine Sacks serves the Dallas Chapter NAACP as Asst. Secretary.

Pastor Vernon Falls is an Assistant Pastor at Cathedral of Deliverance and has been ministering for 45 years. He is married with 3 wonderful children. A faithful servant of God.

As the Dallas City Council Member for District 3, Casey was elected by his peers to serve in Mayor Pro Tem in 2018. He serves as chair of the Housing and Homeless Solutions Committee, where he will lead the council through a racial equity audit of the city's first comprehensive housing policy. He also will the lead the city's effort in the collaboration, Dallas Real Time Housing, with the goal to cut the homeless population in half in the next two years.
He serves as vice-chair of the Workforce, Education, and Equity Committee, which is the Mayor's top priority for his first term. This committee is responsible for overseeing the city's workforce development strategy and implementation of the city's resilience plan to make Dallas a more equitable city.
He serves on the Public Safety Committee, where we led the council's effort to establish the Community Police Oversight Board.
He was recently appointed as vice-chair of the REAL (Racial Equity And Leadership) Council for the National League of Cities.

Rev. Danielle Ayers serves as the Pastor of Justice at Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas, TX, a 12,000-member house of worship under the leadership of Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III. Ayers uses her gifts and talents to mobilize and organize around justice issues and movements.

Ayers gives liberating leadership to the public policy and social activism initiatives at Friendship West. Ayers also serves as the Co-convener of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, a delegate of the Transatlantic Roundtable on Religion and Race and serves as a board member to the Faith Cooperative Federal Credit Union and Texas Impact.

Using her gifts and talents as Pastor of Justice, Ayers mobilizes and organizes the church and community around various issues such as wrongful convictions, mass incarceration, predatory lending, zoning, food deserts, voting participation, legal resources and just restoration for Haiti to name a few. Ayers also lends her voice on panels around social issues and conducts workshops for developing justice ministries.

Ayers gives direction to the Justice Ministry which consist of the following essential impact areas: economic development, education, employment, legal, political action, environmental justice, technology and youth. In addition, she provides leadership to the Village Co-op which consists of a community garden, a Fair-Trade Justice program and a supply chain support for farmers.

Ayers holds a B.B.A. in Marketing from The University of Memphis and a Master of Divinity at Brite Divinity School. Ayers is the co-author of “To Serve This Present Age: Justice Ministers in the Black Church”. Ayers is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Dr. Eric J Ban is the Executive Director of Economic Mobility Systems at the Commit Partnership supporting state, regional, and institutional data and system solutions. Dr. Ban came to this position from designing and launching the Dallas County Promise and assisting multiple regions of Texas with developing their postsecondary regional collaborative strategy. Dr. Ban served as the Senior Vice President of Program Innovation at Dallas-based Academic Partnerships, where he developed programs and solutions for universities to better serve students through online programs around the world. Dr. Ban has been a high school principal, teacher, and coach as well as a visiting professor at Indiana University.

Carolyn King Arnold was elected once again to the Dallas City Council in June 2019 to represent District 4 during a municipal run off. She returned to the horseshoe after being reelected in the special runoff election in December 2018. She won her first election in May 2015 with 51% of the vote over seven (7) candidates.

Adam Bazaldua was elected to the Dallas City Council in June 2019 and is the youngest person to ever serve on the Council.
Adam is a dedicated husband and father, a local teacher and a community advocate. Adam is focused on the need for neighborhood safety improvements, solving the City's growing homeless population, and attracting local businesses that better serve each neighborhood's needs. He is a dedicated advocate for economic growth that benefits the existing residents of the community.

Tennell Atkins was first elected in June 2007 to represent Dallas City Council District 8, the southernmost district of Dallas. He began his 7th term as a Dallas City Council Member in June 2021. As the Dallas City Council representative for District 8, the Councilmember is committed to promoting economic development, including new business recruitment, enhanced human capital support, and infrastructure renewal.

Councilmember Atkins serves as the Chair of the Economic Development Committee, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Affairs, and Vice-Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He also serves on Government Performance and Financial Management Committee, Public Safety Committee, Ad Hoc Committee on General Investigating & Ethics and the Ad Hoc Committee on COVID-19 Recovery & Assistance.

Councilmember Atkins has been an active participant and supporter of several local and national civic organizations, including the Charlie Taylor Foundation and the Southern Methodist University Doak Walker Board, just to name a few. He was elected to serve on the board of National League of Cities in 2013 and was on the Economic Development Policy Committee in 2011. He served as the secretary of the Texas Association of Black City Council Members (TABCCM). In 2014, he was nominated by Mayor Michael S. Rawlings to serve as the Co-Chair of the Mayor's Poverty Task Force. He was also appointed by Mayor Michael S. Rawlings to represent the City of Dallas on the board of the premier transportation policy organization which counts as among its members' numerous cities and counties in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas – Transportation Excellence for the 21st Century (TEX-21).

Councilman Atkins graduated from Bishop Dunne High School in 1974. He then attended SMU on a four-year scholarship and was a part of the first class to graduate from SMU's Cox School of Business.

Councilman Atkins lives in Dallas with his wife Marshella Atkins and has twin sons and five grandchildren.

Councilmember Adam McGough serves as the District 10 Dallas City Council representative. Elected in 2015, Adam is serving in his fourth and final term as the representative of northeast Dallas, including Lake Highlands and Hamilton Park.

Adam serves as the Chair for the Public Safety Committee and is a member of the Economic Development; Government Performance & Financial Management; Workforce, Education, & Equity; Ad Hoc General Investigating & Ethics; and Ad Hoc Legislative Affairs Committees. Additionally, he is the Mayor's appointee to the Regional Transportation Council, the chair of the Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition and the vice chair of TEX-21, a grassroots organization focused on improving transportation infrastructure in Texas.

In 2015, he was named by the Dallas Morning News "Council Rookie of the Year," for his leadership in negotiating revisions to Chapter 27 of the Dallas City Code to improve minimum property standards, leading improvements to nuisance-abatement laws, negotiating a compromise on the Trinity River Project and for his appointment to draft a compromise agreement for the privatization of Fair Park. In June 2016, Adam released an #ALLinD10 Accountability Plan to improve quality of life and spur economic development in District 10 and remains committed to working collectively and strategically to accomplish those goals.

A native of Nacogdoches, Texas, Adam earned a B.A. in Economics as a University of Texas at Austin Longhorn before earning his J.D. from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. While in law school, Adam served on Law Review, earned status as a "Master Advocate" for the Board of Advocates and had the opportunity to study English Comparative Law and Employment Law at the University of Oxford in England while participating in Alternative Dispute Resolution courses. Here, Adam developed a passion for mediation and sought a Masters of Law, L.L.M, from Pepperdine University School of Law's Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution in addition to earning several certificates at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.

Jaynie Schultz began her business career in 1988 when she and her mother designed, built, and operated Garrett Creek Ranch Conference Center in Paradise, Texas. The retreat center operated until 2013 when it was sold to Camp Summit, a camp for special needs children and adults. In 2009 Jaynie created Retreat Central, an online directory and marketing firm for camp retreat centers. Retreat Central was sold in 2018, and now Jaynie focuses on family investments, philanthropy, and volunteering.
Her community service career began in 1988 when she joined the grants committee of the Dallas (now Texas) Women’s Foundation.
In 2014 she was appointed to the Dallas City Plan Commission (District 11) which she served until September 2020 (Vice Chair 2019-2020). She chaired the Urban Design Committee (2014-2020), served on the City’s Market Value Analysis Committee, and sits on the Welcoming Communities Committee for the City of Dallas. Jaynie currently serves on the Muslim Jewish Advisory Council of the American Jewish Committee and the Akiba Yavneh Foundation.
Jaynie is President of the Foundation for CityLab High School, a DISD Choice school for architecture, urban planning and design, and environmental studies. This school is the only high school in downtown Dallas.
Nationally Jaynie serves the global community through the Advisory Council of We Repair, a global service organization.

Council Member Cara Mendelsohn was elected to the Dallas City Council in May 2019 to represent District 12 in Far North Dallas. Cara is an accomplished nonprofit executive and volunteer leader with a passion for building stronger communities. On the Dallas City Council, Council Member Mendelsohn serves as Chair of the Government Performance and Financial Management committee, Vice Chair of Housing and Homeless Solutions Committee, Vice Chair of the Legislative Committee, and is a member of the public safety, transportation, and COVID-19 ad hoc committees. She was appointed to the Regional Transportation Council and elected to the National League of Cities Women in Municipal Government board of directors.

Professionally, before joining the City Council, Cara served as Executive Director of Rebuilding Together North Texas, a director of Visiting Nurse Association of Texas/Meals on Wheels of Dallas County, a director of The Samaritan Inn homeless shelter, and Chairman of the Collin County Homeless Coalition. Prior to having children, Cara had a career in human resource management in the banking and insurance industries. Cara has served the City of Dallas as a volunteer on several task forces, commissions and committees, including the Vice Chair of the Citizen’s Homelessness Commission, the Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness, the 2017 Bond Committee and Housing Policy Task Force committees.

Cara has an extensive record of volunteer service to the North Texas community that has been recognized with many civic awards, including "Volunteer of the Year" for Collin County from Volunteer Center of North Texas, two Life Member awards from PTA, the Service Learning Partnership Award from Collin College, the Homeless Advocate Award from the Baron and Blue Foundation, the Community Impact Award from Plano ISD, the Environmental Education Award from the City of Plano, the Shofar Award from Boy Scouts of America’s National Committee on Jewish Scouting, and the Board Leadership Award and a 15-year Board Service Award from Jewish Family Service of Dallas, of which she served as President for 2 years.

Gay Donnell Willis' professional experience includes managing accounts for Fortune 50 companies at a global advertising firm, as well as a promotions and broadcast career at the CBS affiliate in Lubbock, Texas. Gay most recently served as President & CEO of the Turtle Creek Conservancy for nine years, during which time the nonprofit organization's budget doubled, a public private partnership helped link Turtle Creek Park to the Katy Trail with a $1.7 million ramp project, as well as creating a $1,000,000 endowment and securing an additional five acres of parkland under the Conservancy's oversight—growing urban park space by 24%. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).

Gay was Hon. Jennifer Gates appointee to the Vickery Meadow TIF Board, the 2017 Dallas Bond Committee/Critical Facilities SubCommittee and the Community Development Commission where she served on the Financial Oversight and Public Improvement Subcommittees. She has also served on the 2020 DISD Bond Commmittee/Safety & Security Subcommittee, as well as the Site Based Decision Making Committee at Emmett J. Conrad High School.

Her community career includes service as a 19 year active in the Junior League of Dallas, culminating as Community Vice President over 1,100 volunteers donating 120,000 hours across 40 nonprofit agencies, and oversight of two grantmaking bodies that distributed over $1.1 million, including Grants for Innovative Teaching. Gay co-chaired the 20th Anniversary of the Family Place Partners Card, that raised over $1,132,000 to help break the cycle of family violence. Other co-chair roles included the Walk to End Alzheimers, Friends of the Dallas Public Library Gala and Tex Protects Gala Dinner.

Gay is a graduate of the inaugural Leadership ISD '10, Leadership Dallas '14, and Leadership Texas Women '17.

Clay Jenkins is the Dallas County Commissioners Court Judge in Texas. Jenkins assumed office in 2011. Jenkins' current term ends on December 31, 2022. Jenkins ran for re-election for Dallas County Commissioners Court Judge in Texas. Jenkins won in the general election on November 6, 2018. Jenkins earned his J.D. from Baylor University in 1987. Prior to taking the bench, Jenkins practiced law out of his own firm, Jenkins & Jenkins. His professional experience also includes co-owning Brown Dental Health Services.

Jasmine Crockett is a member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 100. She assumed office on January 12, 2021. Her current term ends on January 10, 2023. Crockett is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 30th Congressional District. She is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 1, 2022. Jasmine Crockett was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She earned a bachelor's degree from Rhodes College in 2003 and a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 2006. Crockett’s career experience includes working as an attorney in the areas of criminal defense, civil rights, and personal injury.

Award-winning investigative reporter Demond Fernandez joined WFAA-TV, Channel 8 News, in June 2014. Most days, you can catch him covering stories and breaking news across southern Dallas, and occasionally filling in on the weekend anchor desk.
Demond’s covered a variety of local and national stories from newsrooms in Houston, San Antonio, and Flint, Michigan. His broadcasting career began in Lansing, Michigan where he worked as a general assignment reporter by day and as a student at Thomas Cooley Law School by night.

Tashara Parker is a traffic reporter and anchor featured on WFAA's Daybreak. She joined the Dallas, Texas station in 2019.
For more than six years, Parker has covered the region’s most prominent news stories in a way that is effective, unique, and undeniably her own. She currently covers traffic, breaking news, and inspirational stories throughout the week. She brings experience, vibrancy, and authenticity -- capturing the attention of D-FW viewers in an engaging and informative way, all while creating loyalty.

One of the nation's most prominent scholars, Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr., is a passionate educator, author, political commentator, and public intellectual who examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. His writings, including "Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul", "In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America", and his most recent, the New York Times bestseller, "Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own", takes an exhaustive look at Black communities, the difficulties of race in the United States and the challenges we face as a democracy. Of Baldwin, Glaude writes, "Baldwin's writing does not bear witness to the glory of America. It reveals the country's sins and the illusion of innocence that blinds us to the reality of others. Baldwin's vision requires a confrontation with our history (with slavery, Jim Crow segregation, with whiteness) to overcome its hold on us. Not to posit the greatness of America, but to establish the ground upon which to imagine the country anew."
A highly accomplished and respected scholar of religion, Glaude is a former president of the American Academy of Religion. His books on religion and philosophy include "An Uncommon Faith: A Pragmatic Approach to the Study of African American Religion", "African American Religion: A Very Short Introduction", and "Exodus! Religion, Race and Nation in Early 19th Century Black America", which was awarded the Modern Language Association's William Sanders Scarborough Book Prize.
Glaude is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and Chair of the Department of African American Studies, a program he first became involved with shaping as a doctoral candidate in Religion at Princeton. He is also on the Morehouse College Board of Trustees. He frequently appears in the media, as a columnist for TIME Magazine and as an MSNBC contributor on programs like Morning Joe and Deadline Whitehouse with Nicolle Wallace. He also regularly appears on Meet the Press on Sundays. Combining a scholar's knowledge of history, a political commentator's take on the latest events, and an activist's passion for social justice, Glaude challenges all of us to examine our collective American conscience.

Opal Lee is an American retired teacher, counselor, and activist in the movement to make Juneteenth a federally-recognized holiday. She is often described as the "grandmother of Juneteenth". On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed Senate Bill S. 475, making Juneteenth the eleventh federal holiday.

Rev. Tyrone Pettiford II was born December 18, 1971, in Washington, DC. He was educated in the Prince George’s County Public School system graduating from Largo High School in 1989. He went on to attend Texas College in Tyler, TX graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Mathematics. He served in the US Coast Guard for 8 years as Lieutenant in Houston TX, Galveston TX, Corpus Christi TX, Mobile AL, and Washington DC. He accepted the call to preach in December of 2000 while attending the Metropolitan CME Church in Houston, TX. He preached his first sermon July 14, 2002. He then served as an Associate Minister at Carter Metropolitan CME church (Fort Worth, TX) for 4 years from August 2002 – August 2006 serving in the Transportation and Evangelism ministries. He was ordained Deacon in the 2006 at the DFW Annual Conference. He was then ordained Elder and elected to Full Connection in the 2009 DFW Annual Conference.
His pastoral ministry is based on 1 Peter 5: 1-5 and Acts 20:28 which provide a definition for pastoral ministry. The “elder” or “pastor” is shepherd of God’s flock and provides oversight to the souls of those entrusted. He believes the pastor is to lead them through the sanctification process. Regardless of age or time he is to bring Christ and souls to meet by the “foolishness of preaching” in the eyes of carnal wisdom. He is chosen by God and “called” to help other poor men to come to Jesus by the Word of God and the word expressed through his life. Rev. Pettiford has served in that very capacity as pastor since his first assignment to New Hope-Corinth CME Church in Malakoff, TX in 2006 where the church grew from a small mission church worshipping part time two Sundays every month to a full-time multi-generational ministry. He was then moved to the Benson Chapel CME Church in Fort Worth TX for 2 years from 2008 – 2010 before his assignment to the Hughes Chapel CME in Mineral Wells TX where he led that congregation in ministry renewal and church renovation projects.
He now serves as Sr. Pastor of the Carter Temple CME Church in Desoto, TX. He is married to Ora R. Pettiford, and they reside in Midlothian, TX. They enjoy a blended family of children including Caleb (30), Walter (26), Emani (24), Tre (19), Zakyra (17) and Dareon (13).

Diana Flores serves on the Dallas College Board of Trustees representing District 6 since 1996. She is the longest-serving Latina elected official in North Texas. She has served as Board Chair and was the first Latina/o in the history of Dallas College to Chair the Board.
Education is her passion. She knows that a college education can lift a family from poverty to the middle class within a generation. She is committed to helping students access and afford an education in the seven campuses of Dallas College. She is especially interested in those who come from families who have no college degrees.
In 1998, she led Dallas College to be the first institution of higher education in the nation to officially allow undocumented students to enroll and begin their college education paying the same tuition as resident students. In 2004 she advocated for building community campuses in West Dallas and in Pleasant Grove, two of the areas in Dallas County with the lowest educational attainment. The community campuses have been in operation for approximately 10 years allowing easy access to GED, ESL, workforce training or college coursesfor residents in those two areas of Dallas County.
She is a founder of the Llaves del Exito/Keys to Success College Fair for Families held from 2001-17 by having Dallas College work with Dallas ISD, university and nonprofit partners to inform students and their parents about college admissions, financial aid and how to succeed in graduating from college. In its 16 years, the college fair directly served over 20,000 students and parents.
Professionally, Ms. Flores serves as the Vice President of Organizational Development for the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In her role, Ms. Flores is responsible for working with the President/CEO to operationalize the GDHCC’s strategic plan, grant writing, program planning and administration, and Board affairs. She has been successful in securing over $5M in grant funding from the federal government and other entities for entrepreneur training programs.
Ms. Flores has a Master of Science degree in Public Leadership from UNT Dallas and a Bachelor’s degree from Dallas Baptist University. She serves the community in many capacities by volunteering her time with numerous organizations. She has received many awards for her work, including the LULAC National Presidential Medal for Leadership in Education. She is included in three books recognizing Latina/o leadership:

• Chicanas in Charge: Texas Women in the Public Arena
• Latinas in the United States: A Historical Encyclopedia
• 500 Years of Chicana Women’s History

She resides in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas and is the proud mother of 5, grandmother of 17 and great grandmother of three.

Dr. Michael J. Sorrell is the longest-serving President in the 149-year history of Paul Quinn College. During his 15 years of leadership, Paul Quinn has become a national movement for its efforts to remake all of higher education to become more responsive to student and societal needs. Among Paul Quinn’s numerous accomplishments are the following: creating the New Urban Work College Model; addressing food insecurity by converting its football field into an urban farm; fighting environmental racism with the creation of the Urban Research Institute; and rewriting all institutional fundraising records. Recently, President George W. Bush awarded him the Bush Institute Trailblazer Citation. He’s been named one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders by Fortune Magazine, and Time called him one of the “31 People Changing the South.” Michael received his J.D. and M.A. in Public Policy from Duke University and his Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated from Oberlin College with a B.A. in Government.

Dr. Lindsey L. Wilson is the Equity Officer for the City of Dallas’ Office of Equity and Inclusion – Equity Division. In this position, Dr. Wilson leads the citywide equity efforts across city departments, with the goal of embedding Dallas’ core value of Equity in all that the city does from budgeting, policies, programs, community engagement and overall service delivery. As the Equity Officer, Lindsey supports staff, leadership and the community in normalizing, organizing, and operationalizing equity to help shape a city government and Dallas where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Dr. Wilson works internally with city departments to provide professional development, technical assistance and education surrounding equitable principles and practices. In addition, to facilitating critical conversations about targeted efforts to reduce racial disparities, the analyzation of policies and procedures, and building and strengthening robust community collaborations.

In her previous role as the Senior Program Coordinator for Snohomish County, Dr. Wilson served in various capacities advancing equity in Everett, Washington. She holds over 10 years of experience in local government and has a background in postsecondary education as she supported the University of Washington’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through the development and oversight of graduate student programming for racially diverse populations.

Dr. Wilson holds a master’s in counseling and doctoral degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Washington, Seattle, where she examined the intersection of race, community engagement, gender, and socioeconomics. Throughout her career, she has focused on racial disparities and the impact of narratives. Her work challenges the status quo and has been published in peer reviewed journals. Dr. Wilson’s motto is equity is everyone’s work and seeks to centralize it in all of her endeavors.

Susana Cordova has worked in K-12 education for over 30 years. A Denver native, she joined Dallas ISD as the Deputy Superintendent for Leading and Learning, where she oversees school leadership, academic programming, innovation strategies and human capital management.

Prior to joining Dallas ISD, Susana was the Superintendent of the Denver Public Schools. She worked in DPS schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Cordova believes in the power of our schools to change our city for the better. "Schools have the transformative power to build great cities for everyone. We must create equity for all children, not by accident but by design, so that we nurture them to grow and achieve at high levels."

Jaime Resendez is the son of Mexican immigrants and a native of Pleasant Grove. He served 8 years as an engineer in the U.S. Army, including a year-long tour of duty in Baghdad, Iraq. He holds a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and is licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of Texas and in Federal Court. He was elected to the Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees in 2016, and then to the Dallas City Council in 2021, representing District 5 in southeast Dallas. After his reelection in June, he was chosen as his colleagues to serve as the Deputy Mayor Pro Tem.

Dr. Belay Reddick, organizer of the Change is Possible Tour, is the author of Now, Let Me Tell You How I Really Feel, motivational speaker, and an ex-inmate, having served over 16 years in federal prison for a nonviolent offense. Often labeled the “poster child” for the three Rs: rehabilitation, redemption, and re-entry, he has become one of the most inspirational speakers in the country. His remarkable story has inspired thousands and worth replicating many more times. Dr. Belay Reddick is a criminal justice reform activist, former federal prisoner, top inspirational speaker, and published author of Now, Let Me Tell You How I Really Feel. Dr. Reddick’s story has been featured on CBS-3 News Memphis, ABC-24 News Memphis, Fox-29 News Philadelphia, NBC-5 News Dallas, Fox-4 News Fort Worth, Florida Star, Jacksonville Free Press, and Florida Times-Union. In the summer of 2019, Dr. Reddick wrote a letter to FedEx World Headquarters about second chance hiring for felons, which ended up on founder and chairman Frederick Smith’s desk. After the FedEx peak season ended, key HR leaders from the company visited Dr. Reddick at a federal prison in Arkansas, where he was housed. Four months later, Dr. Reddick went from ex-fed to FedEx.

Antong Lucky, the founder and former leader of the Dallas 415 Bloods Gang, is the now President of Urban Specialists and O.G.U (Original Gangstas Unite-versity). At an early age, Lucky was embroiled in a life of crime, gang violence and drug dealing that ultimately landed him in prison. In prison Antong denounced his gang affiliation, started to read a lot of books to educate himself and began working to unite the rival gangs.

Antong quickly rose to become one of the most respected and sought-after mentors in prison. His teachings of conflict resolution taught fellow inmates how not to use violence as their primary language but instead practice peace. Upon release from prison, Antong met Omar Jahwar, who became his mentor.

Antong has spent the last twenty years working alongside Bishop Omar Jahwar to end violence in communities by training OGs (Original Guides) across the country to effectively mentor youth away from a life of gangs, crime, and violence. Most recently Antong trained police officers on effective community engagement strategies. Antong is a sought-out speaker on issues of eradicating violence, Re-entry, criminal justice reform and bridging the gap between law enforcement and community.

Jesuorobo A. Enobakhare, Jr. is the Chairman of the Community Police Oversight Board for the city of Dallas and the founder and mind behind Jesuorobo’s Thoughts, an informative blog that covers an array of topics including politics, social injustices, and current events.

A passionate Community Leader and Activist, Jesuorobo has also served on the Texas Democratic Party Executive Committee representing Texas Senate District 12. Jesuorobo is a Spring 91 Initiate of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc - Rho Iota Chapter at Tulane University and is an active member of the Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter – Dallas, TX. He currently serves as the College Chapter Advisor for the Iota Kappa Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha located at Paul Quinn College and leads Alpha Phi Alpha Social Action efforts for state of Texas.

Jesuorobo is a member of Disciple Central Community Church. When he is not busy serving the community, he is either at the movies, watching football, reading comic books, or doing all things Sci-Fi.

Cheryl Williams earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Missouri School of Law located in Columbia, Missouri and received her bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University located in Huntsville, Texas. Immediately after law school, Judge Williams served as an Enforcement Attorney for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Later moving into private practice, she represented individuals in both civil and criminal cases.

She was appointed to serve as a municipal judge in 1999 for the City of Dallas presiding over class c misdemeanors, traffic, and ordinance violations. She also serves as a magistrate for the five counties within the City of Dallas boundaries, issuing arrest and search warrants for law enforcement personnel for criminal offenses. Judge Williams presides over the South Dallas Community Court, a Restorative Justice court for offenders who receive swift justice for various offense most of which are quality of life offenses. She also serves as Judge of the Prostitution Diversion Initiative and the Drug Treatment Court which are housed at the South Dallas Community Court. This Court was selected by the Bureau of Justice Administration and the Center for Court Innovation as a community court “Mentor” site, where other cities and countries visit to learn how to implement and operate a community court.

Judge Williams has been actively involved with women and children’s issues and has been honored by Women Called Moses Domestic Violence Coalition and by Boy Scouts of America with the Whitney M. Young Award and the Silver Beaver Award. She has also been recognized by her peers with the J.L. Turner Legal Association’s Distinguished Jurist Award. Judge Williams is an active member in bar associations, non-profit organizations, and civic organizations which includes serving on the Board of Directors for The Alliance for Greater Works. Judge Williams also is a Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor. She has also served as the past chair of the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid of Northwest Texas; a Life member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; membership in Omicron Mu Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.; as chair of Program Specialist - Circle 10 Council of Boy Scouts of America and as a past chair of Mustang District of Circle 10 Council of Boy Scouts of America. Judge Williams has been a speaker to bar associations, conferences, schools, community-based organizations, social and religious groups regarding juveniles in municipal court, community courts and substance abuse treatment courts.

Dione Sims is the granddaughter of the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” and the founder of Unity Unlimited, Inc. producer of the now historic Opal’s Walk to DC campaign and the I AM JUNETEENTH Festival. As producer of the annual Juneteenth Fort Worth Celebration with her grandmother Opal Lee, Dione believes in the power of Juneteenth to bring people together to talk about the real issues facing our country. As we understand the importance of maintaining the freedoms gained by the enslaved when the abolition of slavery was enforced, we as a people will understand how important it is for the future of our country to know our history and not take those freedoms for granted. Mrs. Sims brings the historic relevance of Juneteenth to the present through highlighting the significance of maintaining the 12 Freedoms Gained. Through their efforts to reduce recidivism, the Opal’s Farm program seeks to help returning citizens to exercise these freedoms so that “their time served is not time wasted.”

Recently named the founding Executive Director of the National Juneteenth Museum set to open Summer 2024, Mrs. Sims will seek to educate the world about the power of freedom and not just the holiday of Juneteenth. There with Ms. Opal when President Biden signed the bill making Juneteenth the 12th federal holiday, Mrs. Sims and Ms. Lee hope to show why Juneteenth is a Road to Unity as they expound on the collaboration that was necessary to secure freedom for everyone.

Southern California Native, Judge Julia Hayes earned her Juris Doctor degree from Syracuse University, College of Law. She also received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Davis in 1998. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Hayes worked as a Law Clerk with the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Dallas, Texas. She also worked at the University of Texas, Dallas, where she managed the Technology Transfer Division of the Research and Graduate Education Program. Subsequently, Judge Hayes started a law practice, defending criminal and family law cases. In November of 2010, Judge Hayes became the first African American, first female, and the youngest Judge ever to be elected to preside over Dallas County Criminal Court No. 2. She was then reelected in 2014 and 2018. She is the mother of one son and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Omicron Mu Omega Chapter here in Dallas, TX.

Mar Butler is a motivational speaker and coach who empowers young people who make harmful choices with tools to rebuild their lives. He knows firsthand how making destructive decisions can impact a young person’s life.

Ten years ago, Butler returned from prison on gun and robbery charges connected to a violent illegal drug transaction where the victims were people from his own neighborhood. The incident was a part of the life -- the "hustle" -- he chose when during the post 9-1-1 economic downfall, he was laid off from a lucrative second- chance computer sales job after an earlier incarceration.

The climb back this time was tougher. He rose at 3:45, jogged a half mile to the train station and caught a 5 am train to Fort Worth for a minimum-wage demolition job. With support and encouragement from people who believed in him, Butler launched a motivational speaking and life coach business. He approaches his work by understanding why individuals make decisions that harm themselves and others and using that “why” to help them redirect their drive to make meaningful and positive choices.

Butler made negative decisions as a youth, in part, because he saw his father and other men in his life in a revolving door in and out of prison. His work today is also tied to what he saw as a youth. His mother was constantly praying and held fast to her faith knowing he would turn his life around and use his powerful voice to lead and help others.

As part of his work, Butler advocates for policies that support individuals like his younger brother who is serving a life sentence for capital murder related to a crime where a person he was with took someone’s life. A believer in restorative justice, Butler works closely with No More Violence where he connects young people with murder victims’ mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers who share powerful stories of the impact of losing loved ones to violence.

A member of the City of Dallas Advisory Board Member for the Office of Equity and Inclusion and a co-founder of the soon to be launched Black Male Alliance (BMA) group, he is a boots-on-the-ground mentor, role model and activist. He’s also an avid facilitator for Miles of Freedom outreach prison Re-Entry to Employment workshop.

Mar Butler has worked professionally as a facilitator, a speaker and mentor with Dallas Independent School District, an All-Pro Dads role model, and a volunteer mentor with the Dallas County Criminal Court District’s Intercept program.

He now serves as the Program Director for the Violence interrupter group called Dallas CRED whose sole objective is to combat violence crime by offering positive and safe alternatives to prevent negative behavior.

Mar Butler’s hand-picked team of individuals all share the same background as he did, which provides a sense of trust from the people they aim to reach in the community.

As a result, the city of Dallas has seen a significant decrease in crime since he began this journey and was granted the “Everyday Heroes “ award by Amnesty International in 2021.

Judge Amber Givens is a dedicated public servant. She currently presides over the 282nd Judicial District Court in Dallas County, Texas. Before taking office on January 1, 2015, Judge Givens served as an Assistant District Attorney in New York and Texas for eight years. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Tuskegee University and earned a Juris Doctor Degree from the Syracuse University College of Law.

Judge Givens believes that everyone is entitled to a just and fair system, which is evidenced by the two programs she has implemented since taking the bench. Both the Word of Mouth series and Empowerment Program have been featured on KDFW Fox4. The Word of Mouth series gives the public access to the inner workings of the criminal justice system and demystifies the system. The Empowerment Program is designed to equip probationers with the necessary support and life skills to successfully complete probation.

Judge Givens' public service extends beyond the courtroom as she serves on the Advisory Board of the Oak Cliff Boys and Girls Club, the Dallas County Juvenile Board, and the Advisory Board of the Dallas Women Lawyers Association amongst other organizations. In 2015, she was elected as a Texas Bar Foundation Fellow. Each year the top 1/3 of 1% of Texas attorneys are invited to become Fellows. This is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a member of the State Bar of Texas. Most recently, Judge Givens was awarded the honor of being selected as the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Outstanding Mentor for 2020-2021.

Judge Givens is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. [Alpha Xi Omega Chapter] and Concord Church.

Dr. Roberto de la Cruz Chief Clinical Officer Parkland Hospital
With more than 24 years of experience in a variety of clinical and leadership roles at Parkland, Roberto de la Cruz served as Chief Hospitalist at Parkland before being named Chief Medical Officer in January 2016. In addition, he is a Clinical Professor in Internal Medicine at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He served as Associate Medical Director of Parkland’s East Dallas Health Center, now known as Hatcher Station Health Center, from 1998 to 2000. He also completed a two-year appointment to Parkland’s Board of Managers from 2011 to 2013 and completed a ten-year service on the Board of Directors of the Parkland Foundation.
Dr. de la Cruz is a 15-year veteran of Hospitalist Medicine and was Associate Medical Director of the Texas Primary Care Hospitalist Service at Baylor Medical Center. He attended medical school at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine and completed his Internal Medicine residency training at UT Southwestern and Parkland. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and has experience in Palliative Care and Hospice Medicine.
Dr. de la Cruz received the Distinguished Physician Award at Parkland in 1999, the John S. Miller Outstanding House Officer Award at UT Southwestern in 1996 and the Teaching Award at Baylor University Medical Center in 2004. He is a member of the Society of Hospital Medicine and American College of Physicians.
After visiting his native Puerto Rico in 2017 to see firsthand the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria that plunged the island’s 3.4 million residents into a humanitarian crisis, Dr. de la Cruz knew he needed to do something. In early 2018, he took a two-month leave from Parkland to work with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Puerto Rico. His job was to help determine the current state of health care on the island and its capacity to prepare for the next storm. At the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria, Dr. de la Cruz said, “I believe Puerto Rico will recover, but it will look different. This is not something that is going to take months; it will take years.”

What do the beneficiaries most crave? CoSpero’s Managing Partner, Harold Hogue believes the answer to this question is the foundation to building a social impact strategy that actually creates change, not just activity. He founded CoSpero to help bold and compassionate decision-makers design programs and services that create a meaningful impact, while intentionally addressing systemic inequities .
A proud alum and former student-athlete of Ball State University, Harold began his career as an educator and football coach where he encountered many well-meaning services that were missing the mark because of unintentional misalignment with the end client. As he took on positions as a volunteer, nonprofit professional, and school system employee, Harold continued to grapple with the complexity of uncovering and meeting true community needs, all while strapped for capacity and operating within systems that often stifle innovation.
Harold believes the path to true community flourishing takes everyone from the single mom in a food pantry, to season board members, grassroots organizers to career politicians; Harold’s gift is being able to find commonality and synergy with them all. In founding CoSpero, he saw an opportunity to take his knowledge and experience and build a bridge between the incredible vision and generosity of the social sector with the authentic, underlying pain points of the community.
Harold has nearly a decade of experience working in the social sector and education, and also holds a masters degree in education leadership from the University of North Texas. He currently lives in Southern Dallas with his Chanel (whom he calls “brilliant” and his two vibrant toddlers, Fitz and Harper.

Subject Matter Expert: Community Engagement, Racial Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Education, Social Impact,, Measuring Impact, and more!

Jared Fitzpatrick is the Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for the Dallas Regional Chamber (DRC). In this role, Jared is responsible for helping the DRC’s over 800 member companies advance DEI in their organizations. Jared works closely with the permanent DRC Board-level DEI Council, and its four sub-councils, which are focused on Diversity in Leadership, Education & Workforce, Community Investment in Underserved Areas, and Policing and Criminal Justice Policies.
Jared also serves as an Advisor for Kanarys, a Dallas-based data and analytics startup focused on DEI. Previously, Jared served as the Senior Culture and Human Resources Strategy Advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Prior to that, Jared worked as a management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Huron Consulting Group, serving Fortune 100 clients.
Jared holds a diversity and inclusion certification from the Yale School of Management, an MBA and a Masters in Health Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Houston. He also holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Change Management Practitioner, and Project Management Professional (PMP) certifications.
Jared grew up all over the country but claims Dallas, Texas as home.

Sarah Cotton Nelson is CFT’s chief philanthropy officer, leading a team of 14 in support of Thriving Communities for All. Throughout her time with the foundation, Sarah has led efforts to enhance CFT’s policies and procedures to ensure more racially, geographically and culturally inclusive and equitable grantmaking and community-responsive nonprofit capacity building. She has a unique ability to connect people to data to catalyze community members to engage in issues which take a village to solve.
Prior to joining CFT in 2008, Sarah spent 12 years working as researcher with the RAND Corporation’s Survey Research Group. Additionally, she built experience across the nonprofit world advocating for wetlands protection in Latin America, running a youth center in downtown Los Angeles, helping nonprofits in El Salvador navigate the government’s legalization process following the end of that country’s civil war, and collecting learnings across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana from disaster response and recovery experiences following Hurricane Katrina.
Sarah was named to the Dallas Innovates list of “2018 Movers and Shakers: North Texas Social Innovators You Should Know.” She was a 2017 Presidential Leadership Scholar, a 2016 GEO Change Leaders in Philanthropy fellow, a 2003 American Marshall Memorial Fellow and a 1997 graduate fellow in public policy and economics at Pontifícia Universidad Católica in Chile. Sarah holds a bachelor’s in international development and Spanish from the University of California at Berkeley.

An attorney and local government official, Liz Cedillo-Pereira serves as the Chief of Equity and Inclusion for the City of Dallas. Liz has executive leadership oversight of the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability, the Office of Equity and Inclusion including the Resilience, Equity, Human Rights, Fair Housing and Immigrant Affairs divisions, the Office of Ethics and Compliance, and 311 Customer Service.
Liz was the founding Director of the City of Dallas’ Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs (WCIA), established in March 2017. In that capacity, she led the community-driven process to develop a comprehensive Strategic Welcoming Plan for the City of Dallas that was unanimously adopted by the City Council in 2018 and led to the City being certified welcoming community for the community-driven and wholistic approach to immigrant inclusion and incorporation.
Prior to joining the City’s executive management team, Liz served as a presidential appointee in the Obama/Biden Administration as the Senior Advisor to Director Sarah R. Saldaña at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement where she focused on advancing humane implementation of immigration policies. Additionally, Liz oversaw the development of the Office of Community Engagement to foster trust and improve relations in communities across the U.S.
A proud Dallasite, Liz has twenty years of experience at the federal, state, and local level in law, policy development, social justice and community and civic engagement. Liz is married to Oscar Pereira, an aeronautical engineer, and they are blessed with Amanda, Gabriela, and Oscar Samuel.

Eva DeLuna Castro oversees Every Texan’s work on fiscal and budget policy and is also the interim director of Research & Data. She joined Every Texan in 1998, when it was the Center for Public Policy Priorities. Previously, she was an Analyst for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, researching policy issues related to Texas revenue sources, public spending, and demographic and socioeconomic trends. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University in 1988 and a Master’s degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin in 1997.

Pastor Donna, an Ordained Pastor, is a native of Dallas, Texas and is the proud in the Lord wife of Bishop J. Lee Slater. She is a mother of four and loving grandmother of three.
She and her husband, are co-founders of New Millennium Bible Fellowship, serving the Southeast Dallas, Pleasant Grove, Texas communities. The NMBF Praise Center ministry was birth with 11 partners, (5 adults and 6 children) in January 2001.

Ann Williams is a graduate of Lincoln High School and received an undergraduate degree from Prairie View A&M University and was the first African American to receive a Master of Arts degree in Dance from Texas Woman’s University. She is the Founder of The Dallas Black Dance Theatre. She and her late husband, Nathaniel Williams are the parents of one daughter, Angelia Williams, a graduate of Florida A&M University. Retired, Mrs. Williams is an active member of several Community Organizations and enjoys playing Bridge.

Kelly Don Drake is a Dallas native and current resident of the Casa View Heights neighborhood. Kelly proudly represents District 9.

Dr. José Dela Cruz is currently the Dean of K12 Partnerships for Dallas College. In addition to his service on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Advisory Board for the City of Dallas, Dr. Dela Cruz serves as a member of the Oklahoma City Ballet Associate Board of Directors. He earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Oklahoma and earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Oklahoma State University with his dissertation research focusing on the college experience of undocumented Latino students.

Cannon is a native of Memphis, Tennessee, and a resident of Dallas for the last 10 years. In addition to his day job in the IT realm he is a community, LGBTQ, and political activist. In 2015 he co-founded the community safety organization Take Back Oak Lawn and spent 5 years as the Political Affairs Chair of the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas while also serving 6 years as President of Dallas Stonewall Young Democrats. When not working or getting into some good trouble he enjoys spending quality time with his adorable Beagle, Archie.

Carrie Headington is the Canon Evangelist for the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas and Founder of the Good News Initiative, sharing the good news of Jesus in word and action locally and globally.

Jerry Minx is a pastor, evangelist, and mostly lover of Jesus Christ. He served as a lay pastor on a Teamster Union freight dock for 30 years, after which he joined the staff at Lake Pointe Church and has served there for the past 17 years in the positions of Associate Pastor of Evangelism, Director of Pastoral Care, and now his current position of Director of Local Missions. He has led revivals in Haiti, Nigeria, Ghana, and Mexico as well as at home, and has taught courses in evangelism both home and abroad. His life’s mission is to make Christ known and to mentor others on how to share their faith naturally.

Pastor Clifford Wayne and First Lady Bridget Mitchell are founders of Encouraging Word Bible Fellowship in Balch Springs, TX established in 2005. Both Mitchells work in Education and are proud parents of two 2021 College Graduate sons.

Pastor Jared Peña is pastor of Alive Church, Dallas, Texas. He is a dynamic leader in Pleasant Grove and surrounding areas. His work in the community is a mirror of the desires of Alive church, creating an environment where all people can have a passion for God.

Bishop J. Lee Slater is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. He is a graduate of Tulane University, New Orleans, La. Bishop Slater relocated to Dallas Texas after he received a try-out with the Dallas Cowboys. While remaining in Dallas he married his Texas Queen Donna. They have been married for 33 years.

Bishop J. Lee Slater has served on various committees Local and National. He and Pastor Donna are also co-founders of Joint Heirs Fellowship of Pastors International, serving and mentoring households of faith in pastoral leadership.

The Rt. Rev. George Sumner was elected as the Seventh bishop for the Diocese of Dallas during a Special Convention in May 2015. His consecration was Nov. 14, 2015. As bishop he oversees the administrative needs throughout the diocese and is chief pastor for more than 31,000 Episcopalians, 200 clergy and 100 congregations. Prior to his election, Sumner served as principal of Wycliffe College in Toronto, Canada. He was the dean of a growing seminary and was the chief administrator responsible for strategic planning; encouraging young, future priests; stewardship; building relations with bishops; and overseeing clergy's continuing education. Sumner has a Ph.D. in theology from Yale and has written a book about priestly calling and a commentary on Daniel. He also has a M.Div. from Yale Divinity School and a B.A. from Harvard College. Sumner and his wife, Stephanie, have two adult children.

Maya Waldon is a very intelligent, and busy 7th grader and youth leader. She is active in her church youth ministry at New Millennium Bible Fellowship, while also serving as a Junior Armor Bearer and a M-Cubed Media ministry assistant. Maya is a student athlete playing volleyball, a passionate actress participating in UIL Theatre competition, and an avid writer, all while maintaining straight A's and completing community service hours for the National Junior Honor Society.

Trent graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. He is married with two children, girls. He is regularly active in the community. Trent has served on the Dallas Housing Finance Corporation since 2012 to 2019 and for the past two years served on the MLK Community Center board. He has also served on the Citizens Police Review Board. Trent sits on the Collin County Regional board for Big Brother Big Sister and the HeROs (He Respects Others) auxiliary board for Genesis Women’s Shelter. He is active with my Alma matter Baylor and currently serves as the President for the Alumni Board of Advocates and served on the Baylor Alumni Business Professionals steering committee.