Graduate-Level Leadership Program Aims to Build Regional Stewards
IRVING, TEXAS – The North Texas Commission, the one and only public-private regional organization; and the North Texas Future Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to solving critical issues affecting North Texas’ growth, announce the inaugural class of Leadership North Texas.
The class is made up of 26 leaders throughout the region who have a commitment to civic engagement and to the North Texas region. The 2009-2010 class will learn best practices in regional stewardship from experts and other regions that have successfully addressed regional issues and challenges facing North Texas.
The inaugural class of Leadership North Texas will include:
- Teresa Adrian, Management Operations Director, City of Irving
- Kimberly Burks Agoro, CEO, Akiba Holdings, LLC
- Richard Ashton, CFO, One Prime LP
- Jodi Beard, General Manager, Fort Worth Marriott Hotels, Texas Western Hospitality
- Joel Burns, City Councilman, City of Fort Worth
- Sherry Tucker David, community volunteer in McKinney
- Fran Eichorst, Vice President, Public Affairs/Regional Site Leader, Fidelity Investments
- Charlie Florsheim, Associate Attorney, Cantey Hanger
- Jon Fortune, Assistant City Manager, City of Denton
- Lura Hammond, Owner, Leadership on the Move
- Mayor John Harper, City of Rowlett
- Thomas Haster, Group Manager, Freese & Nichols, Inc.
- Greg Hirsch, City Councilman, Town of Addison
- Scott Jessen, Executive Vice President, Colliers International
- Lucille Johnson, Assistant to the Executive Director, North Central Texas Council of Governments
- Richard Massimilian, Business Consultant
- Sue Matkin, Assistant Vice President Community Development, United Way of Tarrant County
- Brett McClung, President, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth
- David Morgan, Assistant City Manager, City of Richardson
- Pritish Patel, President, Pearl Real Estate
- Terry Preuninger, Region Manager, Oncor Electric Delivery
- Terri Ricketts, Public Affairs Manager Texas Region, IESI
- Amy Schultz, Associate Vice President, Communication and Community Relations, University of Texas at Arlington
- Kevin Smith, Executive Director of Support Services and Corporate Compliance Officer, Methodist Richardson Medical Center
- Lissa Smith, City Councilmember, City of Plano
- Harold Strong, Discovery Park, University of North Texas
- Julie Wilson, Vice President, Public Affairs, Chesapeake Energy Corporation
“This strong inaugural class will set the tone for what promises to be one of the premier programs in the region,” said Dan S. Petty, president and CEO of the North Texas Commission. “As a regional leadership program, Leadership North Texas provides community leaders a chance to work with their peers across the area to address those issues unique to North Texas.”
Through nine program days during 2009, the participants will spend time discussing several key subjects relevant to North Texas:
- North Texas History
- Regionalism
- The North Texas Economy
- Workforce
- North Texas Education
- Sustainable Development in North Texas
- Building and Sustaining a Healthy Region
- Moving People and Goods Efficiently Throughout the Region
- Plan for Civic Engagement Across the Region
The program, supported for the first year by Chesapeake Energy Corporation, will feature a combination of locally-renowned and nationally recognized speakers to bring varied and unique perspectives on the assets of our region, as well as opportunities for collaboration and growth.
“Through Leadership North Texas, we are striving to demonstrate how several key issues are more than local or community issues, but regional issues,” said Petty. “Leadership North Texas is about what can be achieved if everyone is working together to develop solutions.”
The North Texas Future Fund was established as a 501(c)3 in 2001. The founding leaders instituted a vision and mission that called to action collaborative efforts in North Texas to identify critical issues in education and development of a quality workforce and to develop proactive strategies to address these issues.
Established in 1971, the North Texas Commission is a regional non-profit consortium of businesses, cities, counties, chambers of commerce, economic development entities and higher education institutions in the North Texas Region. The Commission is the one and only public-private regional organization committed to enhancing the overall economic vitality and quality of life of North Texas. NTC improves the economy, infrastructure and lifestyle of North Texas by leading and directing regionally cooperative initiatives to accomplish objectives in four primary areas: transportation, aviation, environment and long-range strategies.
