Dr. Patricia K. Allen was elected to the Houston ISD Board of Education in December of 2019. She served her initial year as an officer – Board Secretary, then was elected by her peers to serve as the Board President during her second year in office. She is a third-generation career educator who retired in…
Dr. Ira K. Blake is the 5th president of the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL), one of the region’s top public universities. A native of Arkansas, President Blake grew up in Fontana, California, and is the first woman and first African American to serve in the role. Since she arrived at UHCL, President Blake has…
Linda M. Rhodes brings more than 26 years in nonprofit leadership and development to her role as the Executive Director of The Women’s Fund for Health Education and Resiliency. Under her leadership, the organization has exponentially grown its community outreach footprint, annual revenues, and the number of staff employed. Rhodes has collaborated with community partners…
Melanie Miles is a board-certified family law attorney who has served the citizens of Harris County for over 25 years. She is a native of Houston, Texas, and grew up in the Third Ward and Braeswood areas. After graduating from Bellaire High School, she went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree from Howard University and…
Lauren Haller Fontaine is Senior Director & Legal Counsel – Operations at Pattern Energy Group LP, a renewable energy company focusing on the clean energies of wind, solar, transmission, storage, and advanced energy technologies with operations in the U.S., Canada, and Japan, as well as additional development projects in Mexico. At Pattern, Lauren supports the…
Dr. Cherry Ross Gooden formerly served as an Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Curriculum & Instruction in the College of Education at Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas. This 1964 graduate of Texas Southern University earned a B.S. in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in…
Dr. Janet Wormack is a recent transplant to the Houston, Texas community. She currently serves as the vice chancellor of finance and administration at Houston Community College providing leadership and oversight of a dynamic leadership team including talent engagement, facilities and capital improvement, public safety, budget and finance, financial aid, information technology and procurement. She…
Jennifer St. Julian Wooden wears many hats, holding several roles in her career, volunteer and family life. She has almost two decades of experience in the fields of public relations, performing arts, design and sales and marketing. Wooden currently serves as the director of the Humble Civic Center & Arena Complex, the Charles Bender Theatre…
Dr. Tamara Williams is the president of Chamberlain University’s Houston campus. She brings nearly 20 years of combined experience in nursing practice and nursing education to her role. Prior to joining Chamberlain University, Dr. Williams was a cardiac clinical nurse specialist at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She has extensive clinical experience…
Carolyn Watson is Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at JPMorgan Chase. She directs the JPMorgan Chase Foundation’s philanthropic investments for Houston, Austin, San Antonio and El Paso, which collectively employ more than 10,000 people. The approach of each high-impact investment is to leverage the company’s strength – and the dedication of its talented employees – to…