2025 Business Week

About Jake: Jake Bailey has over 16 years of oil and gas experience prior to starting Trellis Energy Partners. Jake founded Split Rock Resources (“SRR”) in 2019 with an initial commitment of up to $25MM. Based on early success, he was able to raise over $100MM in commitments with North Hudson Resource Partners. SRR generated over a 3.5x return after the successful sale of its final properties in 2024. Prior to SRR, Jake managed existing assets for Crestline Investors and evaluated new deals in the oil and gas space. He oversaw an ~80,000 acre operated position in the Bakken along with ~150 non-op wellbore interests in the DJ Basin. Before joining Crestline, he served as CFO at Tana Exploration, a subsidiary of TRT Holdings, which had operated assets in the East Texas, onshore South Louisiana, shallow water offshore Louisiana, and the Gulf of Mexico. Jake also has experience in the Woodbine with an East Texas operator. He began his career with a contract driller covering basins in Texas, Arkoma, and Appalachia. Mr. Bailey has a BBA in Accounting and a BS in Psychology from the University of Georgia, an MBA from the University of Texas at Arlington and is certified in Corporate FP&A.

About Calvin: Calvin J. Banks Jr. is responsible for the people development and organizational culture strategies at Pyramid Global Hospitality. Calvin brings more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, food service, and hotel management industry. He has spent time in leadership roles with organizations such as The Broadmoor, Gaylord Hotels, and Six Flags Entertainment. As an advocate for the hospitality industry, Calvin is the recent past Chairman of the Education and Certification Advisory Committee for the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI). He is an inaugural member of the Advisory Council for the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (ICHRIE). In addition, he served as President of CHART, an Association of Hospitality Trainers. Calvin takes great pleasure in helping people grow and cultures thrive.

About Brandon: Over the last 38 years, Brandon has worked in a variety of real estate banking industry positions in Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, and Sacramento. Brandon is now responsible for growing and managing the overall banking activities within the Tarrant County market for Amegy Bank of Texas. Brandon previously spent 18 years with Bank of America. Brandon is a native of Fort Worth, Texas and received his B.B.A in Real Estate and Urban Land Development from the University of Texas at Austin.

About Cliff: Cliff Bogart, CCIM CRE is an active commercial real estate broker, consultant, and instructor, a veteran of the Houston, Dallas, and Austin, Texas commercial real estate markets since 1979. He founded The Vanguard Commercial Group, Inc., a full-service commercial brokerage firm, in 1995. Throughout his career Cliff has been directly responsible for marketing and leasing over 7 million square feet of commercial space from both the Landlord and Tenant perspective. In addition, Cliff has represented numerous Investors and Users in the purchase and sale of commercial property including Office, Retail, Industrial, Multi-Family, and Land. Cliff currently serves as the Designated Broker for eXp Commercial for the state of Texas. Cliff has been a Continuing Education commercial real estate course writer and instructor for the Texas Real Estate Commission since 2001. In 2005 Cliff became a faculty member then Senior Instructor for the CCIM Institute teaching CI 101 -Financial Analysis for Commercial Investment Real Estate, CI 103 – User Decision Analysis for Commercial Real Estate, and various Ward Center courses including Commercial Real Estate Negotiations. Cliff was awarded Instructor of the Year for CI 103 in 2011. In 2018 Cliff was invited, approved, and awarded the prestigious Counselor of Real Estate (CRE) designation, given to the top professionals in their field of commercial real estate. Cliff is a 1976 graduate of Michigan State University with a BA in Business. He received his CCIM designation in 1995. He has been married to his wife Cheryl since 1978 and they have four grown children. Cliff is an avid runner and fitness advocate and enjoys reading about topics of ancient history and science.

About Jeanne: Hailing from a family deeply rooted in the construction industry, Jeanne Boyd Curtis, emerged as a leader early on. Growing up in Texas, she was immersed in the trade, spending her childhood summers working in her grandfather’s lumber yard. While in college, she received her Property & Casualty Adjusters License and made extra money working storm claims with her father. After earning her degree, Jeanne dedicated 22 years to public education with 12 of those years serving as an Elementary School Principal. In 2015, Jeanne transitioned from education to work full-time with her father at Boyd Bone Dry. As the company’s current CEO, Jeanne is committed to maintaining high-quality standards, ensuring the company’s ongoing success, and preserving a legacy of excellence in the construction industry. Beyond leading a successful commercial roofing company, Jeanne, also serves as a consultant and appraiser for both commercial and residential properties. She is the President of the Roofing Contractors Association of Texas (RCAT) and holds a licensure as a commercial and residential roofer. Additionally, she is an active member of the National Roofing Contractors Association, Future Executives Institute. In April 2024, Jeanne and her family proudly celebrated 50 years of hard work and dedication in the industry solidifying their reputation in the construction field.

About Caio: Caio "Kyle" Braga is a veteran international trade executive bringing 25+ years of expertise to the Trade & Development sector. As Co-Founder and Principal of InvoiSec®, he leads a Supply Chain Finance platform that has facilitated over US$60 million in cross-border transactions, empowering SMEs in global trade. An accomplished aviator since earning his pilot's license in the 1990s, Kyle combines his entrepreneurial acumen with his passion for flight, serving as North America Sales & Marketing Manager for a Texas-based aircraft manufacturer since 2019.

About Paul: Paul Brodie is a 21-time Bestselling Author and CEO of Brodie Consulting Group. He helps people share their story and positions them as an expert in their field. His company, Brodie Consulting, accomplishes this by helping their clients create, publish, and launch their books to a guaranteed best seller with over 170 consecutive best selling launches in all genres and 42 best selling launches in 2024. Paul is a lifelong learner and earned an M.A. in Teaching from Louisiana College and B.B.A. in Management from the University of Texas at Arlington. Paul is a proud Rotarian and holds membership in the Corporate Leadership Council of the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Rotary Club of Arlington Highlands, River Legacy Foundation, and the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce. His leadership and service has been recognized on multiple occasions, including being a recipient of the 2023 and 2024 MAVS100 from UT Arlington in recognition of business revenue growth, and the Rotarian of the Year and President’s Award from the Rotary Club of Arlington Highlands. Paul resides in Arlington, TX and can be reached at Brodie@BrodieConsultingGroup.com and www.BrodieConsultingGroup.com for speaking and consulting opportunities.

About Brian: Brian Chase leads Bell’s international and U.S. state and local government affairs and public policy team in support of the company’s global operations, sales and services. His team is also responsible for developing and executing industrial participation strategies in support of global commercial and military sales. He previously served as Director of Future Vertical Lift Enterprise Alignment, where he led changes across the Bell enterprise – including manufacturing, assembly, IT, supply chain, sustainment, and human resources – to support the U.S. Department of Defense’s Future Vertical Lift program. During his Bell tenure he has also led the global communications team, where he was responsible for the company’s media relations, crisis communications, issues management, executive communications and employee communications. Chase joined Bell Helicopter in December 2010 after serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for former U.S. Congressman Jeb Hensarling (TX). Prior to his tenure with Congressman Hensarling’s office, he served in President George W. Bush’s Administration as NASA’s Assistant Administrator for Legislative Affairs, where he was responsible for the agency’s federal, state, and local government affairs. He held increasingly senior roles in the space industry before joining the Bush Administration, including Vice President of Washington Operations for the Space Foundation, leading state relations and strategic communications for NASA contractor United Space Alliance, and serving in senior policy and communications roles for former U.S. Congressman Dave Weldon (FL). He began his career at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, working on the International Space Station program. Chase, a North Texas native, earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. He serves on the board of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife reside in Mansfield with their three children.

About Drew: Drew Chumley is a founding Partner at Seamless and is a leader in the firm’s Fort Worth office. In addition to his leadership and management roles at Seamless, Mr. Chumley is principally involved in the firm’s outsourced accounting and tax practice. Mr. Chumley has more than 16 years of taxation and accounting experience across a variety of industries, entity types and sizes, ranging from startups to middle market as well as high net worth individuals. Throughout his career, he has developed scalable systems and frameworks that have enabled growth as both an internal party within an organization and externally as a consultant. Mr. Chumley has a depth of experience with financial reporting, tax planning, systems implementations, and private equity due diligence. He believes a wholistic approach to accounting and tax is the most effective method for properly allocating resources and avoiding end of year surprises. Prior to Seamless, Mr. Chumley worked at a regional accounting firm specializing in comprehensive accounting and tax services for lower middle market and high net worth individuals; he also previously worked at a Big 4 public accounting firm in their private equity tax group and as well as time in industry at the Controller/CFO level . Mr. Chumley graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Texas at Arlington. Mr. Chumley holds the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation.

About Shirley: Shirley Cox joined the team of professionals at Amegy Bank of Texas in May 2021. She is the Arlington Commercial Banking Manager and is focused on growing the commercial market and team. She also is assisting not-for-profit entities with their banking needs across DFW including tax-exempt lending. She brings with her over 30 years of banking experience which included leading lending teams both on the commercial side as well as working with not-for-profit entities. Shirley lives in Arlington and has been an active community volunteer and is currently the Vice Chair for Arlington Charities.

About Russ: Russ Douglas: Russ Douglas currently serves as a Sr Solution Architect in Broadcom Strategic division. Broadcom Inc. (Nasdaq: AVGO), a global technology leader that designs, develops and supplies semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions. Russ has over 43 years of experience in IT strategy and planning, organizational realignment, enterprise architecture, system integration, infrastructure and operations, data architecture, and business intelligence. He also is the former Chair on the University of North Texas Information Technology & Decision Science (ITDS) Board, Southern Methodist University (SMU)-Future of Work Advisory Board, and was a 2020 Census Partner. Russ earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems and a minor in Economics from the University of Texas – Arlington.

About Xavier: American investor, speaker, author, philanthropist and entrepreneur. Two decades as a dynamic force in the world of business with a flair for turning complexities into opportunities. My educational arsenal boasts qualifications in finance, accounting, strategic planning, and executive leadership stewarding over $5 billion in organizational activity. Professionally, I am navigating the dynamic realms of private equity, mergers & acquisitions, technology, venture capital, and real estate. I’m standing at the crossroads of innovation and economics. In the community, I am also known for my dedication to bridging the gap and creating opportunities for young entrepreneurs.

About Marc: Marc Farmer is a commercial appraiser with over 35 years of experience reviewing appraisal reports for commercial real estate loans for various financial institutions. Most recently, managing a pipeline of complex valuation projects across all property types on a national basis. Mr. Farmer is a state-certified appraiser and a licensed real estate broker in the State of Texas.

About Nancy: Chief Executive Officer

About Amber: Amber Garrison is the Marketing Director at Park Place Dealerships, a 37-year-old luxury automobile group that employs more than 1,400 members in Dallas-Fort Worth. Ms. Garrison joined Asbury Automotive Group, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Duluth, GA, as a Social Media Specialist in 2017 after graduating from the University of Louisville with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Communications. She was involved with the launch and branding of Asbury’s Clicklane, a complete online car buying tool and selling experience, in 2020. She joined Park Place in 2022, where she oversees the marketing and internal communications for three collision centers, an auto auction, and nine full-service dealerships representing Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Land Rover, Acura, and Sprinter Vans.

About Rual: Raul H. Gonzalez was born in El Paso and has been with Passman & Jones since 1983, starting as the firm’s court runner. He has served as the Director of Administration for the firm since 1989, overseeing all business and administrative support functions, including business development, facilities, finance, employee benefits, information technology, and marketing. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1985. After surviving prostate cancer at the age of 44, he was inspired to pursue elected public service. He currently serves as the Deputy Mayor Pro Tempore for the City of Arlington. Before his tenure on the city council, he was a member of the Mansfield Independent School District (MISD) School Board from 2010 to 2020, serving as President from 2016 to 2018. Together with his wife, he established the Raul H. and Kerry G. Gonzalez Endowed Scholarship, which is awarded annually to a student from either the Arlington Independent School District (AISD) or MISD who attends the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA).

About Dustin: Graduated from UT Arlington with a degree in Finance. I have been with Frost Bank for 6 years. At Frost I’ve held titles of Associate Relationship Manager (I, II, III), Relationship Banking Officer, AVP – Relationship Manager of Commercial Banking. Prior to that I held roles in finance / accounting at a privately owned Fort Worth company, and retail banking. Community Involvement includes - Academy 4, Junior Achievement, and Meals on Wheels. I also volunteer to teach credit classes to small business owners, students, and Frost analysts. I live on my family’s farm in Springtown with my wife, 4 rescue dogs, and 3 rescue cows. Additionally, I do part time beekeeping.

About Rhea: Dr. Rhea Horton is not your average career coach—she’s your go-to strategist for breaking barriers, owning your worth, and landing the opportunities you deserve! Originally from Chicago, she took her passion for psychology and business from Loyola University Chicago all the way to Texas, earning her MA and PhD in Counseling Psychology (specializing in Business and Diversity) at Texas Woman’s University. With over 15 years in Talent and Career Development across Tech, Consulting, and Higher Ed, plus a certification as a Diversity Professional®, Rhea is all about creating real change for underrepresented professionals. As the founder of The Culture Coach and Career Bliss LLC, she transforms workplace cultures and helps women and people of color navigate their careers with confidence. When she’s not coaching or leading game-changing initiatives, she’s a proud boy mom of 2, a community volunteer, and probably enjoying a family outing somewhere in Dallas. If you’re ready to take charge of your career, Rhea’s the mentor you need in your corner!

About Bonnie: A native of Northeast Oklahoma, Bonnie grew up on a ranch and later earned a bachelor's degree in Statistics from Oklahoma State University. With over two decades of experience in consulting at Decision Analyst, she has guided global companies across diverse sectors, including retail, consumer packaged goods, healthcare, and hospitality, in achieving strategic research and business objectives. "Collaborating with exceptional colleagues and clients has been an incredible privilege," shares Janzen. At Decision Analyst, she leverages her expertise to empower clients in driving business growth. We thrive on tackling complex challenges, such as strategic planning, new product launches, market segmentation, brand building, messaging strategies, and enhancing customer experiences. Bonnie is deeply committed to community service. She has dedicated years to supporting children's health organizations, including Children's Health (Children's Medical Center) in Dallas and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

About Trey: Trey Knapp currently serves as Chief Financial Officer for the Sewell Automotive Companies, one of the largest and most iconic automotive retailers in the country. Prior to joining Sewell in 2009; Trey worked in public accounting for Forvis Mazars LLP (formerly Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP (DHG)) for ten years, focusing on automotive dealership audit, taxation, and consulting. At Sewell, Trey oversees the consolidated accounting, internal audit, and corporate FP&A functions. Within these functions are the various transactional accounting processes, financial statement preparation, insurance procurement and claims processing, state and federal income taxes, financial statement audits, budgeting and forecasting, business acquisitions, family office matters, and consolidated treasury functions. In addition to overseeing over 150 accounting associates, a significant portion of Trey's time is invested in bridging dealership operations with financial reporting in a way that builds a trusting partnership between these two critically important teams. In 2019, Trey temporarily put aside his accounting responsibilities, and served a four-month rotation as Pre-owned Sales Manager at Sewell Lexus Dallas, to better hone front-line operations appreciation and understanding. Trey is passionate about learning, reading, operational excellence, and most of all, automobiles. Trey is an active member of the Dallas chapter of Financial Executives International (FEI), Vice President of the Texas Association of Blind Athletes, Board Member at Large of the Carroll Education Foundation, Parliamentarian for the Carrol Band Boosters, volunteers for The Community Storehouse, and serves on the Executive Board of the First United Methodist Church of Colleyville. In 2022, Trey was highlighted by both the FEI Dallas Member Spotlight and the DHG Alumni Spotlight. In 2021, the Dallas Business Journal recognized Trey as CFO of the Year. Trey graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2002 with both a Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting and Masters of Science in Accounting. Trey, his wife Amy, their son Elijah, and German exchange student Florian, live in Southlake, Texas. Trey loves cooking, especially grilling and baking. His family enjoys taking road trips to small Texas towns to find hidden-gem, family-owned restaurants.

About Jeffrey: Jeffrey Kurland has served as the Director of Finance for the research enterprise at Cook Children’s Health Care System in Fort Worth, Texas for almost 10 years. He has over 20 years of experience in public accounting, operations management, non-profit tax and auditing and clinical trial financial management. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant, and earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Minnesota. He has spoken nationally on clinical trial financial management and managing research programs. He is also a current board member for the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants – Fort Worth Chapter

About Tanya: Tanya LeBlanc is a boy mom of a 7-year-old and a stepmom to two amazing young adults who are currently pursuing higher education at University of Alberta and University of Victoria in Canada. During her college years and after completing her Bachelor of Science in Bioenvironmental Science at Texas A&M University, Tanya worked as a lab and field technician for 6 years in the water treatment industry. Although naturally a reserved young woman, she harbored a deep desire to push beyond her comfort zone which led her to make the bold decision that challenged her introverted nature: entering the world of sales. This leap of faith, taken over 17 years ago, proved to be a transformative one. Tanya not only conquered her initial apprehension but also thrived in the industrial and traditionally male-dominated sales environment. Her journey since then has seen her excel in various aspects of sales, marketing, and leadership. Today, she leverages her experience and expertise as a consultant, teacher, and coach, with a strong focus on strategic communication, development and implementation of innovative best practices and empowering others to achieve their full potential in both their professional and personal lives. If you would have asked her 20 years if she would ever be doing what she’s doing now, Tanya would have laughed in your face. As a lifelong learner and someone who relates well to others, one of her superpowers is the ability to pick up on people’s underlying motivations and unique strengths. She feels we all serve a greater purpose than any job description could outline and strives to serve her own purpose diplomatically and with authenticity. Tanya loves to help others put intention into practice, realize their own superpowers and discover their value aligned purpose.

About Varun: Varun Mallipaddi is an accomplished Corporate/Commercial Banking professional with a proven track record of excellence spanning over a decade. Currently serving at Frost Bank in Fort Worth, Texas since 2014, Varun adeptly manages existing client relationships while facilitating new business opportunities, with a keen focus on compliance and risk management. He specializes in working closely with HNW Individuals, Family Offices and its related legacy businesses, and Private Equity Funds to provide unique bridge financing facilities to optimize liquidity and cash flow needs. Prior to his tenure in banking, Varun demonstrated exemplary leadership skills at The University of Texas at Arlington, where he served as Student Congress President and represented over 33,000+ student body. Varun also spearheaded impactful initiatives to enhance student engagement and representation. Notably, he chaired the University's Tuition Review Committee, and was a member of UT System Student Advisory Committee, playing a pivotal role in shaping institutional policies. Varun holds a BBA in Finance from The University of Texas at Arlington. He has been serving on The Fort Worth Public Library Foundation board since 2018 and is an active member of its Executive, Finance committees and chairs the annual fundraising committee. Additionally, Varun has been nominated to the Chancellor’s Centurions, a young professional advisory group to the Chancellor of the UT System; and was recently nominated to be on the Downtown Fort Worth Inc (DTFW Inc) Board. Complemented by his active involvement in community organizations and fluency in English, Telugu, and Hindi, Varun embodies a multifaceted professional committed to driving excellence in both corporate and civic arenas.

About Lloyd: Lloyd Nelson is the Vice President at Lockton Dunning. He is also the founder Blockchain Ventures. Mr. Nelson is a seasoned employee benefits professional who is passionate about healthcare, technology, transparency, navigation, and employee wellbeing. He is driven to make his client’s businesses better. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the industry with a unique perspective in leveraging technology to personalize the benefits experience for employees, while increasing satisfaction and retention, and driving down cost. Mr. Nelson graduated from Northwood University and is an MBA Candidate with MIT Sloan School of Management.

About Rina: Rina Parikh is a Certified Public Accountant and an audit partner in the Dallas office of Grant Thornton. With more than 20 years of public accounting experience, Rina has focused primarily on auditing both public and private companies, including financial services, banks & lending institutions, specialty finance companies, real estate entities, and asset management companies. Rina has significant experience in conducting financial statement audits as well as internal control examinations. Rina has extensive experience in evaluating and testing processes and internal controls, including SOX compliance for public companies. Rina has assisted several companies with initial public offering, additional equity and debt offering filing reports as required by the 1933 and 1934 Securities Acts. Rina leads asset management and real estate industry efforts for Dallas office, focused on increasing industry development and branding efforts. She is actively involved with multiple industry groups internally and externally. Rina serves as executive sponsor for Dallas office Women’s initiative focusing on recruitment, retention and development of women, including implementing leadership programs, organizing internal and external networking events, implementing professional development and business development programs for women. Rina is also a national sponsor for firm’s Future Leaders business resource group. Rina also leads and supports training initiative, including technical and professional development trainings of audit service professionals for Dallas office.

About Kevin: Kevin Peters recently celebrated 35 years of service with Decision Analyst and is the CIO. He is on the Industry Board of Advisors for Computer Science and Engineering. He is a UTA alumn with a BBA in Marketing and BS in Information Systems. On a personal note; as a student he met his wife in one of UTA's business school student organizations.

About Mike: Mike has been building lasting relationships and tailoring customized financial strategies for successful families and business owners as a financial advisor for over 30 years. His wealth of knowledge and experience allows him to understand his clients’ goals and determine the most efficient ways to prioritize and work toward them. Operating with a top-shelf service model, Mike provides true customization of investment strategies, including substantial use of alternatives to traditional stocks and bonds. Mike knows that successful people tend to lead busy lives, often having complex and conflicting goals. He helps these clients prepare their legacies by working with the next generation and maximizing their philanthropic desires. Mike is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional as well as a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) and holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst℠ certification. These designations are awarded to individuals who demonstrate high levels of competency and attention to detail in financial services. These accolades are supported by a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance from the University of Texas at Arlington. On a day-to-day basis, Mike coordinates with his clients’ other professionals, such as CPAs and attorneys, to provide a comprehensive and multifaceted strategy for each of their financial planning needs. His passion for success is driven by the relationships he has spent his career building while serving similarly successful professionals and business owners. Mike’s clients usually come to him with net assets of seven figures or higher. To meet the unique needs of this clientele, he believes in investing in alternative asset classes, such as income-producing real estate and private lending to smooth out the normal bumps of traditional stocks and bonds. Outside the office, Mike is an active member of his local community. He and his family support women’s shelters, local animal shelters, veterans, first responders, and the Snowdrop Foundation, an organization that provides academic scholarships to students affected by pediatric cancer. His hobbies include running charity marathons, traveling, as well as watching college football and professional soccer. Originally born in Southern California, Mike has lived in Arlington, Texas for most of his life. He still resides there with his wife of 30 years, Linda. They have three great and independent children, Matt, Maddy and Marisa.

About Molly: Molly Sandlin is a 2014 UTA MBA Cohort grad and the President and founder of CAET Project Management Consultants. She and her husband started the project management firm in 2016. Molly and her team of Project Manager’s support capital facility/construction projects for clients like American Airlines, Oncor, and Cognizant. The team is currently partnered on three design contracts at DFW, including the design for Terminal C and the Terminal C parking garages. Molly and two other consultants worked closely with American Airlines and the other 30+ carriers at DFW to renegotiate the 10-year lease that was signed into effect in 2023. Molly expanded her services and started CAET Construction in late 2021. Since that time, the CAET Construction team has built 3 new McDonald’s restaurants and have completed countless remodels for McDonald’s, Rita’s Italian Ice, and Enterprise Car Rental.

About Amanda: Amanda L. Sargent, LMSW, is an empowerment coach, community administrative practitioner, and a champion for civic engagement. She has held various roles, including Director for Civic Partnerships and Strategies at Dallas College, and has worked with numerous organizations to enhance opportunities for youth and all students. Sargent has helped students secure over $80 million in scholarships and has been recognized for her exceptional teaching from Stanford University. She served as an elected official with DeSoto ISD Board of Trustees and is an adjunct professor at East Texas A&M University. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated and is the Founder and CEO of Get Your Life, Ltd. Co, where she empowers people to achieve their dreams. Ms. Sargent has dedicated herself to supporting students and communities to realize their potential through education, advocacy, and overall wellness.

About TJ: Mr. Thomas (TJ) Schier, Jr. Mr. Schier is the CEO and Founder of SmashSwing Immersive and the SMART Restaurant Group. SmashSwing Immersive, is a patent-pending, multi-player gamified golf simulator which is revolutionizing the competitive socializing space. He is a leading brand builder, operator and culture creator primarily in the competitive socializing, family entertainment and hospitality franchising space. He currently is a leading hospitality speaker and founder of Mr. Schier earned his BBA in Finance and MBA in Finance from The University of Texas.

About Nichole: Human Resource Professional with a Masters in Human Resource Management, a minor in Disability Studies, and a Diversity Certificate. As a Senior Analyst HRBP to over 960 clients, I like to create a positive, collaborative, and “open space” for my leaders and clients to “Hear and Be Heard” and have important dialogue in order to “Collaborate to Win” and help each other learn from one another. This enables individuals to bring their whole selves to work when supporting Aero 100, and helps “Accelerate Change” by ensuring their voice, opinion, and feedback is heard. In addition to my daily HRBP duties, I have driven Digital Transformation, creating and streamlining multiple processes to support meeting 100% Quality and 100% On Time. Starting at Lockheed Martin in May 2019, my roles and responsibilities have included guiding and influencing leader’s decisions for leadership hiring, promotions, gate waivers, contingency planning, and performance & employee personnel issues. I have executed and driven a 100% spent on over a yearly $2.3 million recognition and discretionary budget for the entire Engineering & Technology function over the last few years. I created and implemented the “Executive Inclusion Mentoring” for Engineering and Technology within Aeronautics, setting the tone/expectations for the program, which is now on its fifth year. One of my biggest passions is diversity, as I feel it is not only beneficial to your employees, but potential customers that you do business with. Our greatest strength is our ability to listen and learn from one another.

About Adam: Calculated Risk is an investment company with a portfolio of Harley-Davidson dealerships, real estate and other strategic interests led by founder Adam Smith. Smith was born and raised in the DFW area. He graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1998 with a degree in business administration. Adam joined the Harley-Davidson motorcycle business in 1991. In 1996, Smith opened his first Harley-Davidson dealership in Grand Prairie, Texas, making him the youngest individual to own and operate a Harley-Davidson dealership at the age of 22. Eventually, he became one of the very few Harley-Davidson dealership group owners in the country. As an established and respected resource in the powersports arena, Adam evolved the Calculated Risk brand from dealer ownership/management to an investment business offering dealership and small-to-mid-size business advisory services and real estate investing. In May 2022, Adam sold his eight Calculated Risk dealerships, including Texas’ largest Harley-Davidson dealership, to Navigant Oak, LLC, a private holding company. The sale to Navigant Oak represents one of the first dealership acquisitions by a financial buyer in the Harley-Davidson arena. Previously, the parent company typically prevented family offices and private equity investors from acquiring dealership franchises. However, in Smith’s role as 2018 president of Harley-Davidson’s Dealer Advisory Council, he was instrumental in working toward relaxing ownership restrictions to facilitate growth for all dealer owners. The Calculated Risk sale to Navigant Oak allows Smith to retain 20% ownership of his dealerships as well as a seat on the board of directors. In addition to his advisory board role with Navigant Oak, Smith serves as an advisory board member for multiple companies including Diamond C Trailers. Adam enjoys speaking to aspiring entrepreneurs and students with entrepreneurial ambitions. His easy-going presentation style not only makes him relatable but highly approachable. Through the lens of his personal experiences, Adam shares compelling stories of his remarkable entrepreneurial journey and the strategic framework that propelled him to success.

About Alan: Alan is a Managing Director within the Financial Services Internal Audit practice based out of the Dallas office and has been with Protiviti since 2012. Alan has a BBA in Accounting and an MBA (emphasis IT management) from the University of Texas at Arlington. With over 15+ years of internal audit experience, Alan has utilized his internal audit, IT audit, SOX, and IT consulting experience across all asset classes within the Financial Services Industry. As the US Real Estate, Mortgage & Consumer Lending Internal Audit Practice Lead, Alan is also responsible for development and execution of strategy, thought leadership and industry insights, solution innovation and improvement, and collaboration across global delivery teams.

About Keith: Keith is a seasoned Senior Learning and Development leader with over thirty years of experience in the hospitality industry. He is the Senior Director of Learning and Development at On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, focusing on continuous learning and operational excellence. Previously, as Vice President of Learning and Organizational Development at Puttshack, he spearheaded training initiatives and facilitated rapid expansion from two to over fourteen venues in just eighteen months. Keith has also held significant roles at Uncle Julio's Corporation and Del Frisco's Restaurant Group, where he developed strategies to boost employee engagement and succession planning while enhancing team performance and training frameworks. With expertise in communication, public speaking, and strategic planning, Keith empowers individuals and organizations. His experience includes collaborating with vendors, overseeing cross-functional teams, and implementing leading programs in human resources and leadership training. Committed to excellence, he drives transformational change while mentoring future leaders in the hospitality sector.

About Rachel: Rachel joined JTaylor in 2016 as an associate in the assurance department. She graduated from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor in Accounting in May of 2015 as well as a Master of Accounting with an emphasis in Assurance in May of 2016. Since Rachel began working in public accounting, she has obtained experience working with clients in a variety of industries, including employee benefit plans, construction, manufacturing, architecture/engineering, and more. She has experience working in and around financial statements, identifying material misstatements, and proposing solutions to correct financial statement reporting. Rachel is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of Texas.

About Thomas: Jerry Thomas is the President/CEO and Chairman of the Board. Decision Analyst is a leading marketing research and analytical consulting firm serving major US corporations throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Mr. Thomas founded the company Decision Analyst in 1978. Since its formation, he has worked with clients such as Del Monte, Verizon, AT&T, Texas Instruments, Kraft Foods, Nabisco, and American Airlines. Mr. Thomas obtained his Master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington, and postgraduate work in economics at Southern Methodist University.

About Sharon: Sharon Washburn is a Vice President and financial planner with The Clements Group at Morgan Stanley in the firm’s Spring Valley branch. She has more than three decades of experience in financial services. She has been with Morgan Stanley and predecessor firms since July 1993. Prior to joining The Clements Group in 2017, Sharon was with a retirement planning group at Morgan Stanley focusing on estate planning strategies and retirement planning. There, she gained valuable experience working with estates and helping families fully understand the estate planning process. Known for her strong desire to empower clients through education, Sharon serves high-net-worth individuals, foundations and Fortune 500 companies and their employee plans. She is highly adept at working with corporate stock plans, including option, purchase, and restricted stock plans. Sharon has worked with The Clements Group’s Executive Financial Services team, which is responsible for Rule 144 stock sales and 10b5-1 sales plans and has proven to be an excellent collaborator with financial teams of individual investors to make sure they have a sound strategy in place for their stock awards. Sharon is also extremely skilled at helping individuals navigate the financial issues that arise due to major life changes, such as marriage, death, employment and divorce. She is Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® and a member of The Institute for Divorced Financial Analysts. While high stress often accompanies major life changes, Sharon serves as a reassuring beacon of light for her clients during these periods because she is personally familiar with the rigors of change, having grown up in a military family that moved five times during her youth. Sharon is a graduate of The University of Texas at Arlington, where in 1986 she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Following graduation, she worked for Judson Malkin & Bloom (JMB), concentrating on real estate limited partnerships. In 1989, she joined PaineWebber (now UBS). In her free time, Sharon enjoys listening to music, traveling, and spending time with her adorable dog, Ranger and cats Loui and Tanner. A resident of North Dallas, she’s an avid sports fan and supports all of the teams in the Dallas Metroplex -- in addition to several charities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

About Stan: Stan Waterhouse is a seasoned executive and board leader with over 30 years of experience driving organizational growth, innovation, and strategic transformation. His career spans hospitality, senior living, affordable housing, and real estate—industries where he has consistently delivered exceptional results and inspired high-performing teams. As Managing Director of CSW Advisory, LLC, he provides strategic guidance to senior living and affordable housing providers, helping them navigate development and long-term growth. With a deep belief in driving sustainable investments that strengthen communities, Waterhouse is currently driving over $1B in Public-Private Partnerships in affordable housing projects across Texas and the Sunbelt. Previously, Waterhouse was President, CEO, and Vice Chairman of Senior Quality Lifestyles Corporation, a $1 billion luxury senior living enterprise, where he led a successful evolution to increase revenues, efficiency and customer satisfaction. His career also includes leadership roles at ClubCorp, Ginn Resorts and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, where he played a pivotal role in revenue growth and operational excellence in the luxury hospitality sector. A passionate educator, Waterhouse has lectured on international business and operational strategy at institutions such as the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at El Paso and Texas Woman’s University. Waterhouse earned his MBA from Wake Forest University. His career reflects a steadfast commitment to leadership, innovation, and sustainable growth.