GREATER TEXAS FOUNDATION - Key Persons
joined the foundation in January 2008, but her service to the organization began in 2001 as an employee of Greater Texas Foundation's former subsidiary organizations. As Chief Financial Officer, Amber is responsible for the financial operations of the foundation, including the oversight of the investment portfolio, student loan portfolio, and grant disbursements. Specific duties include audit and tax matters, support to the board of directors, the budget process, cash management, accounts payable, and payroll.
Amber graduated from Texas A&M University in May 1999 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and accounting. In January 2006, she received certification as a Certified Public Accountant from the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, and currently serves as Executive Director for the Brazos Valley Chapter of Certified Public Accountants.
In addition to spending time with her husband and three daughters, Amber enjoys exercising, outdoor activities, and spending time on her family's ranch.
Job Titles:
- Director of Grants Management
Carol received her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology from Shippensburg University. After working in her field of study for several years, she entered the world of philanthropy in 1995 and has maintained that career path ever since. With over twenty years' experience in grantmaking, Carol joined the foundation in July 2007 serving as its first Grant Manager. She then became the Director of Grants Management with the expansion of the grants team in 2017.
Outside of work, Carol enjoys anything that has to do with her dogs and basically all dogs in general.
Job Titles:
- Senior Grants Management Associate
Chris received his M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, and he completed a B.A. in International Studies and Spanish at Texas A&M University. A proud husband and father of three children, he serves in the PTO and enjoys Aggie sports.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Co - Chair, Charitable Activities
Dr. Alonzo Sosa received his Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with a Minor in English from East Texas State University. He went on to earn his Masters degree in Elementary Education and Doctorate in Supervision, Curriculum, & Instruction, both also from East Texas State University, now Texas A&M University-Commerce. Following the completion of his Doctorate he began teaching at Texas Christian University (TCU) until 1976. He then went to work for his alma mater, teaching for 17 years and retiring as an Associate Professor in 2003.
Dr. Sosa has served on Greater Texas Foundation's board since 1986. He currently co-chairs the Charitable Activities Committee and serves on the Audit & Accountability Committee.
He lives in Garland, TX with his wife, Sylvia.
Job Titles:
- Programs & Strategy Officer
Andrea also served as a graduate assistant for Lumina Foundation where she contributed to the Latino Student Success portfolio. Dr. Robledo holds a B.A. in Psychology from Texas A&M University, an M.A. in Applied Anthropology from University of North Texas, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University.
Her broad educational training and years of experience have focused on improving educational outcomes for students of color. She loves to spend time with family and friends. In addition to being a staunch supporter of higher education, she also enjoys dancing to Latin music (she's a huge Selena fan) and watching Aggie football.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Chairman, Strategy & Learning
- Professor Emeritus in the Department of Educational Leadership
Dr. Thompson is a professor emeritus in the department of Educational Leadership, Research, and Technology at Western Michigan University, where he previously served as Vice President for Research/Dean of the Graduate College, and Dean of the College of Education. He began his academic career at the University of Michigan and held joint professorial appointments in Education and Urban Studies; he also directed PURA, an evaluative metropolitan research center. On the national level, he served as Division Director and Assistant Director of the Education and Human Resources Directorate for the National Science Foundation. Currently, Dr. Thompson serves as a consultant to numerous foundations, public agencies, and Fortune 500 corporations.
Dr. Thompson has served on Greater Texas Foundation's board since 2014. He currently chairs the Committee on Strategy and Learning and serves on the Charitable Activities and Audit & Accountability Committees.
Dr. Thompson lives in Chicago with his wife, Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, and their daughter Taylor.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Co - Chair, Charitable Activities
- Member of Greater Texas Foundation 's Board
Dr. John Moss received his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Arts from East Texas State Teachers College. He later went on to earn his Master's degree in Industrial Arts, also from East Texas State Teachers College and eventually earn his Doctorate in Industrial Arts at the University of Missouri - Columbia. Upon the completion of his doctorate, Dr. Moss served for nine years as a professor and assistant dean of the College of Education at East Texas State University-Commerce. In 1971 he became founding president of ETSU-Texarkana and served in that position until his retirement in 1994.
Dr. Moss has been a member of Greater Texas Foundation's board since 1989. As past chair of the board, he is a member of the Executive Committee. He also co-chairs the Charitable Activities Committee and serves on the Audit & Accountability and Strategy & Learning Committees.
He lives in Pecan Gap, TX with his wife, Peggy.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Advisor to the Charitable Activities
Dr. Mary Hendrix serves as an advisor to the Charitable Activities Committee.
Dr. Hendrix is passionate about students and the life-changing impact of education. A first-generation college student herself, she has devoted the past 40 years to making a difference in the lives of students. She retired from Texas A&M University-Commerce in 2016 after serving in a variety of key leadership positions, including Provost and the university's first Vice-President for Student Access and Success-an unprecedented organizational structure that resulted in significant enrollment gains and improved persistence and graduation rates.
A former public school teacher, counselor, and administrator, Dr. Hendrix has also served as an educational consultant to state departments of education, regional educational consortia, community colleges, and public schools. She has authored a state‑adopted textbook for seventh and eighth graders for career investigation and educational planning, numerous instructional manuals, and has secured grants in excess of $22 million to support her passion for raising academic expectations for students to meet real-world requirements, improving instructional strategies, using technology as a medium to foster student access to educational opportunities, and improving college readiness and student success. She has served on advisory committees for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, American Council on Education, and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges.
She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and has a master's degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Student Personnel and Guidance.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of Greater Texas Foundation 's Board
- Vice Chair / Chair, Finance & Investment
Dr. Samuel Gillespie received his Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from the University of Illinois, Urbana. He went on to earn both his Masters and Doctorate degrees in Marketing also from the University of Illinois. Following his degree completion, he taught for 33 years as a Marketing professor at Texas A&M. He retired from Texas A&M as Professor Emeritus in 2001.
Dr. Gillespie is a member of Greater Texas Foundation's board, serving since 1984 and is currently the Vice Chair. He chairs the Finance & Investment Committee and serves on the Executive Committee and Charitable Activities Committee.
He lives in California with his wife, Patricia.
Dr. Terry Jones received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Austin College. He went on to earn his M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine. Following the completion of his medical degree, Dr. Jones started his dermatology practice, where he has worked for the last 31 years.
Dr. Jones has served on Greater Texas Foundation's board since 1995 and currently serves as a member of the Audit & Accountability, Strategy & Learning, and Finance & Investment Committees.
Erin joined the foundation in January 2008. As Senior Accountant, her primary responsibility is assisting the Chief Financial Officer in planning, establishing processes and procedures, developing appropriate benchmarks and standards, and ensuring compliance with accounting standards and best practices in the nonprofit field.
Erin comes from a strong background in business finance and accounting. Erin graduated from Texas A&M University in August 2001 with a bachelor of business administration in accounting. Her nonprofit accounting experience began in 2004 when she was hired as the accounts payable specialist for LoanStar, a former subsidiary organization of Greater Texas Foundation. While there she was promoted up to senior associate accountant and progressively took on additional responsibilities in budget development, cash management, audit, and student loan portfolio management.
Erin enjoys spending time with family and friends. She is married and has two children.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Advisor to the Finance & Investment Committee
Janet Handley serves as an advisor to the Finance & Investment Committee.
Ms. Handley graduated Summa Cum Laude from Texas A&M University in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics. She began her career at Shell Oil in Houston and began working for the Shell Pension Trust in 1993, and directed the Equities portfolio at the time she left in 2001.
Ms. Handley launched the Investment Office for the Texas A&M Foundation in April 2001 when it had assets of about $400 million. She built the staff to a total of four and the assets grew from $400 million to approximately $1.5 billion at the time of her retirement at the end of 2016. Additionally, she migrated the portfolio from one consisting almost exclusively of public equities and bonds to a highly diversified ‘endowment-style' portfolio.
Ms. Handley serves on the Board of Directors for UTIMCO. This investment management company has assets under management of over $45 billion. Its ‘flagship' asset is the PUF (Permanent University Fund) which provides funding to both The University of Texas and Texas A&M University. She has previously served on the Investment Committee for the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the Venture Capital Advisory Board for Commonfund Capital.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Advisor to the Audit & Accountability Committee
Jodi Jones serves as an advisor to the Audit & Accountability Committee.
Ms. Jones is a partner in the College Station office of Seidel Schroeder and currently heads up the firm tax department for multiple locations. She has practiced in public accounting for over 30 years in her original hometown of Ft. Worth followed by her home in Bryan/College Station. Her practice includes federal tax planning and preparation for individuals, flow thru entities, and corporations with niche expertise in real estate and physician practices.
Ms. Jones has a strong passion for children and education and has focused her volunteer efforts on Bryan ISD host programs, classroom volunteers, BISD Strategic Plan Action Team, and Junior Achievement. She has served her profession with board and committee positions of the Brazos Valley Chapter of CPAs and Texas Society of CPAs. Additionally, she was a founding board member of Sundance Equine Assisted Therapies-an organization dedicated to improving the health and quality of life for children and adults living with disabilities using therapeutic equestrian activities and is an active board member of Ablaze Ministries.
Ms. Jones received a B.B.A. from Texas A&M in 1989 with a major in accounting and her CPA license from the State of Texas in 1992. She and her husband, Walt (a native of the Brazos Valley), have two grown children. As empty nesters, they continue to pursue their interests in the outdoors including camping, hiking, and traveling.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Board of Directors
Judy served as the foundation's interim executive director and first CEO in 2006. Prior to that her service began in 1987 as the first employee with one of Greater Texas Foundation's former subsidiary organizations. Since January 2007, Judy has acted as a consultant to the foundation primarily in the management of the foundation's student loan portfolio.
Judy became a member of the Board of Directors in April 2009, and currently serves on the Finance & Investment and Strategy & Learning Committees.
Judy holds a bachelor's degree in Education from Texas A&M University. She has worked with several civic organizations such as: The Prenatal Clinic, The Woman's Club, Junior League of Bryan College Station, Leadership Brazos, Voices for Children (CASA), and Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley. She is married to Larry Holt, and they have one son.
Job Titles:
- As Director of Programs and Strategy
- Director of Programs & Strategy
is responsible for implementing the foundation's strategic plan to ensure all Texas students are prepared for, have access to, persist in, and complete a postsecondary credential. Leslie has served the foundation in multiple roles, including as the foundation's first project associate and the foundation's first strategy manager. The work is strongly aligned with her personal mission to improve individual, family, and societal outcomes through education.
Leslie has a Master of Public Service Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, both from Texas A&M University. She works from her home in Nashville, Tennessee and has also worked for Greater Texas Foundation from Geneva, Switzerland.
Mr. A.D. James, Jr. received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business from Langston University. He then served as Langston's Director of Admissions and Records. He went on to earn his Masters degree in Business from Oklahoma State University. Following the completion of his master's, Mr. James worked for Prairie View A&M for 34 years. Since 2005, he has served as the Executive Director of Student Financial Aid Services for Tuskegee University.
Mr. James has served on Greater Texas Foundation's board since 1994 and currently serves as a member of the Charitable Activities, Strategy & Learning, and Finance & Investment Committees.
He lives in Spring, TX with his wife, Sharon.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of Greater Texas Foundation 's Board
- Secretary / Chair, Audit & Accountability
Mr. Bill Youngkin received his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education from Texas A&M University in 1969. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the United States Army. He served in Vietnam. Upon his return he attended Baylor College of Law, completing his law degree in 1975. Mr. Youngkin immediately started practicing law in Brazos County and has continued for the past 43 years. He is the senior partner at Youngkin, Doss & Associates in Bryan, Texas.
Mr. Youngkin has been a member of Greater Texas Foundation's board since 1983. He currently serves as Secretary of the Board, chairs the Audit & Accountability Committee, and serves on the Finance & Investment Committee.
He lives in Bryan, TX with his wife of 46 years, Marilyn.
Mr. Ralph Rushing received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Texas State University. He later went on to earn his Masters degree in Finance, also from Texas State University. For 28 years, Mr. Rushing worked for multiple Texas Higher Education Authorities, including the Greater Texas Student Loan Corporation (GTSLC). Upon GTSLC's conversion, Mr. Rushing finished his career with Nelnet Corporation, retiring in 2008.
Mr. Rushing acted as a financial adviser to the Greater Texas Foundation Board until joining in 2009, and currently serves as Chair of the Board and the Executive Committee.
He lives in on his ranch in Waxahachie, TX.
joined the Greater Texas Foundation team in December 2019. As Office Manager, she does a bit of everything to keep the foundation's operations running smoothly. Nancy's background of property management, office management, bookkeeping, and event planning make her well-suited for this work. Born and raised in West Texas, a lot of her adult life was spent in Wyoming and Colorado. She is happy to call College Station her home, where her Texas drawl does not stand out in a crowd.
Nancy enjoys quilting, baking, celebrating holidays, spending time with her 10 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild, and-most recently-pickleball!
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- President
joined Greater Texas Foundation as President and CEO in September 2017. Ms. McMillin has worked in the field of higher education non-profit management for over 20 years. Prior to joining GTF, she held a number of leadership roles at TG (now Trellis Company) as its Vice President of Operations and its Senior Vice President for Customer Relations and Business Operations prior to leading the corporation for over 10 years as its President & CEO. Before joining TG, she worked for Guaranty Federal Bank for 11 years as Assistant Vice President of Retail Services and Vice President and Director of Deposit Operations. Most recently, she was the Principal and Managing Consultant for Iolite Consulting Services, focusing her practice on executive management, higher education and financial services consulting.
Ms. McMillin has served on the boards of the National College Access Network (NCAN), the National Student Clearinghouse, the National Council of Higher Education Resources (NCHER), ELM Resources and as the past President of the National Association of Student Loan Administrators (NASLA). She is active in the non-profit community as past Chair and board member of the United Way of Williamson County as well as Southwestern University's Board of Visitors.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she grew up in Midland, Michigan and is a graduate of Midland High School. She received her Bachelor of Arts from St. Edward's University, graduating summa cum laude.
A proud Texan by choice, Sue enjoys spending time with family, friends and any animal that crosses her path, as well as exploring new restaurants, music and movies.
Job Titles:
- As Project Associate
- Programs & Strategy Associate
Tessa holds a bachelor's degree in Middle Eastern Studies/Arabic from Brigham Young University and a master's degree in International Affairs from the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. Tessa is a proud wife and mother to a wonderful little girl and a wild Australian Cattle Dog.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Advisor to the Strategy & Learning
- Member of ACT 's Center for Equity
As a leader in higher education and philanthropy, Tina serves as a member of ACT's Center for Equity in Learning team as vice president of philanthropic partnerships. In this position Gridiron cultivates and establishes external philanthropic partners to help the Center close gaps in equity, opportunity and achievement for learners from underserved populations.
As an experienced philanthropic professional with over 10 years of service at Lumina Foundation and two years leading a philanthropic consulting company, Tina consistently demonstrates a commitment to enhancing the impact of private, family, community and corporate grantmaking. Tina actively seeks to model purpose-driven leadership and is skilled in nonprofit strategy, public/private partnerships, initiative design, and grant portfolio analysis. Tina is an insightful collaborator with a consistent commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
She holds an MA focused in Higher Education from Stanford University, an MA in Sociology from Stanford University and a BA in Political Science.