Board of Directors

  • On July 26, 2020, the Uplift Board of Directors released a letter to Uplift families outlining its commitment to improve and increase its efforts toward diversity, equity, and inclusion for our organization, staff and scholars. Read the full letter.

    Uplift Education has a board of appointed community leaders and volunteers that help guide the direction and future of the network as a whole.

    Board meetings are open to the public.  Click any of the Quick Links for more information.

    Community Forum Rules and Procedures:

    • Speakers will have three (3) minutes speak.
    • Only those persons who registered to speak per the rules on the posted agenda may address the Board.
    • Speakers will be called in the order they registered to speak.
    • Only the person who registered to speak, may address the Board. There will be no substitution of speakers.
    • Groups consisting of two or more persons shall appoint on person to address the Board.
    • The Community Forum is not a Q&A session with the Board; rather, speakers will have three (3) minutes to provide commentary to the Board.

    The Board appreciates respectful, courteous, and professional behavior from speakers and other attendees.  It is a violation of law to breach the peace during Uplift Education board meetings.   Attendees breaching the peace will be warned, asked to leave the meeting or district property, or cited or arrested by police, as well as prohibited, at the discretion of the Uplift Board or Uplift Administration, from attending future Uplift Board meetings.

Board of Directors 2023-24

  • Cullum Clark*

    Chairman of the Board
    Director of the Bush Institute, Economic Growth Initiative

    Dr. Lael Melville*

    Vice-Chairman of the Board

    CEO, The Melville Family Foundation

    Cristina Barbosa

    Community Volunteer and Executive Director of the Michael Young Family Foundation

    Roslyn Barker

    Executive Chief of Staff, Toyota North America

    John Beckert*

    Chair- Development and External Affairs Committee
    Operating Partner, Highlander Partners, L.P.

    Dr. Michielle Benson

    Executive Director, The Arts for Minority Youth

    Simon Chen

    Chief Accounting Officer, Varsity Brands

    Adam Cox

    Partner, Bain & Company

    Pilar Davies*

    Co-Chair - School Engagement Committee

    Tony Dona

     

    Former Chairman of the Board

    Executive Director, Greystar-Thackeray

    Richard Frapart

    Former Chairman of the Board

    Honorary Member of the Executive Committee
    Chief Operating Officer, Stratford Land

    Ricky Garcia*

    Senior Program Manager, Schwab Community Services & Charles Schwab Foundation

    Mandy Ginsberg

     

    Rusty Jaggers

    Community Volunteer

    Cameron Johnson*

    Chair- Real Estate Committee
    CEO, Nickson

    Andre McEwing*

    Chair- Uplift Fort Worth Advisory Board
    Supplier Diversity Manager, Tarrant County College

    Elena McFann

    President, Medicare, Government Business Division, Anthem, Inc.

    John McPherson*

    Chair - Strategic Planning Committee, Finance
    Vice Chairman, Forterra, Inc.

    Harold Montgomery

    Managing Partner, T9 Fund, LP

    Yanela Montoya

    Director of Advocacy, Dallas Afterschool

    Todd Rapp

    Chief Executive Officer, PineBridge Partners LP

    Giovanny Sanchez

    Account Executive, Perry Weather

    James Stanton*

    Chair- Advocacy Committee
    Partner, Stanton LLP

    Ed Tauriac*

    Chair - Audit Committee
    Senior Strategic Advisory, FTI Consulting

    Christine VanDeVelde*

    Co-Chair - School Engagement Committee

    Author, Journalist and Speaker

    Peter Zwick

    Partner, Jones Day

    Kevin Bryant

    Former Chairman of the Board

    General Counsel, Crow Holdings

    Melissa McNeil

    Former Chairman of the Board

    Ryan Moss

    Former Chairman of the Board

    Executive Vice President & CFO, Lucid Energy Group

    *denotes executive committee