Board of Directors
Chair
WILLIAM F. BURGE, III
Mr. Burge is CEO of Ayreshire Corporation. He is also a former Managing Director and Vice Chairman of the Board of Mitsubishi Estate Company Associates, USA. He has experience in commercial and residential real estate development in Houston, Dallas, New York, New Orleans and Atlanta.
He served as Chairman of the Harris County/Houston Sports Authority from 1996 through 2006 and oversaw the development of landmark public projects for both Harris County and the City of Houston. The impressive lists of public projects includes the $300mm Houston Metro Railway System, $450mm Reliant Center NFL Stadium, $200mm Toyota Center NBA Arena and the $215mm Minute Maid Park Baseball Stadium. He currently has a consulting arrangement with Entergy, whose corporate offices Ayrshire built in downtown New Orleans. Mr. Burge currently serves as Chairman of the Grand Parkway Association, as well as Chairman of the Harris County Housing Finance Corporation. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Wallis State Bank and formerly served on the Board of Whitney National Bank. He is a Board Member of the West Houston Association, which he formerly chaired, and is also a former Trustee of the University of Houston Foundation. He is also on the Board of the Urban Land Institute Foundation as well as the Narramore Christian Foundation. Mr. Burge is currently on the Texas Bowl Board of Directors. His most recent appointment is as the Chairman of the Board of the Houston Health Foundation, Inc.
Vice Chair
JONITA REYNOLDS, PH.D
Dr. Jonita Reynolds, affectionately called Dr. J, is a native Houstonian, and a notable leader in the community.
Since 2004, she has served in leadership roles within the community services sector. She also previously acted as the Director of Strategic Management and Quality Improvement for the Houston Independent School District. Dr. Reynolds received her Master’s and Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Houston. Dr. Reynolds is a founding board member of the Houston Health Foundation.
Treasurer
MARK ZEIDMAN
Mark Zeidman is CEO of GO Houston Realty LLC and is a born and bred Houstonian. He formerly served as the Vice President and Sponsoring Broker of Friedman Real Estate Houston.
He has also served as the Vice President of Acquisitions and the Chief Lending Officer of PrivCap Companies, where he was responsible to select and acquire commercial real estate properties around the Southeastern US to yield a maximum return on investment for investors. Mark has a passion for directly engaging individuals, whether it be by advising clients regarding maximizing returns on their real estate investments or serving real individuals.
Mark received his B.B.A. in Economics from St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX and his Master’s Degree in Business from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL. Mark has a passion for serving, having participated and led numerous community-oriented groups. He was a board member of the Children’s Museum in Boca Raton and co-founded South Florida Gives Back – a group of young professionals that regularly volunteered in their communities. He has actively participated in Habitat for Humanity as well as in Miracle League, a little league baseball program for special needs children to promote inclusivity and empowerment. Moreover, he served as a member for the Chamber of Commerce for Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Boynton Beach. Currently, he volunteers on two committees for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. He would love nothing more than to continue this history of service in his hometown of Houston.
Secretary, Ex-Officio
STEPHEN L. WILLIAMS, M.ED, MPA
Mr. Williams joined the City of Houston as the Director of the Houston Health Department (HHD) in June of 2004. Mr. Williams serves on several boards of community, professional and civil rights organizations.
He received his Masters in Public Administration from Baruch College, City University New York, a Masters of Education from Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama and his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology/Social Work from Huntingdon College also in Montgomery, Alabama.He is the most recent past president of the Texas Association of Local Health Officials. HHD is a full service public health department with approximately 1,000 employees.
ROBERTA BENTLEY
Roberta is a Medical Science Liaison with 18 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Her previous roles centered on projects aimed at increasing immunization rates in adolescents and adults. Prior to working in the pharmaceutical industry, Roberta was a certified ophthalmic medical technologist and retinal angiographer. Her family owns an optical company and her passion for eye care started early in life. Roberta is passionate about people and forging connections that will make a difference in underserved populations.
HELYNA BLEDSOE THOMPSON
Bio coming soon
KAYLAN DUNN
Kaylan Dunn is a litigation partner in the Houston office of Hunton Andrews Kurth where she has practiced for the last 12 years. Kaylan’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation in both state and federal district courts as well as bankruptcy courts for clients across sectors, including the energy, banking, and real estate fields. She is actively involved in Hunton Andrews Kurth’s initiatives as co-chair of the Houston office’s Diversity and Inclusion committee, and serves on the firm’s pro bono and women’s mentoring committees, annually committing between 100 and 200 hours to diversity and inclusion, pro bono, and mentorship initiatives. She is a graduate of TCU and South Texas College of Law. Kaylan currently sits on the Board of the Houston Bar Association, co-chairs of the HBA’s Lawyers for Literacy Committee, and serves on the Board of the HBA’s Houston Volunteer Lawyers program. She formerly served as the Treasurer of the HBA’s Dispute Resolution Center. She is a member of Dress for Success Houston’s Corporate Guild, volunteers with DFSH’s Child Watch program, and serves as a mentor in its Woman2Woman mentorship program.
KIRSTEN GALTNEY
Kirsten has been a Registered Nurse since 2005 and Family Nurse Practitioner since 2012. Across her diverse roles in the hospital, community, and private practice settings she has always thrived caring for patients of all ages. She began her nursing career taking care of infants in a neonatal ICU and also worked in primary care before finding her calling in women’s health. She still keeps in touch with some of her first patients and their families.
Kirsten’s true passion is in women’s health and making sure women continue to have access to quality health care. For the past 8 years, she has been working with Planned Parenthood where she focuses on prescribing birth control, conducting well women exams, performing IUD insertions, and treating various health conditions.
When Kirsten is not working, she enjoys spending her time with her husband, caring for their 2 children, volunteering at their children’s school, coaching youth soccer and softball teams and exercising.
ROBERTA BENTLEY
Mark Zeidman, a born and bred Houstonian, currently serves as the Vice President and Sponsoring Broker of Friedman Real Estate Houston. He oversees all day-to-day operations of the company’s activities and responsibilities in Texas. Formerly, he served as the Vice President of Acquisitions and the Chief Lending Officer of PrivCap Companies, where he was responsible to select and acquire commercial real estate properties around the Southeastern US to yield a maximum return on investment for investors. Mark has a passion for directly engaging individuals, whether it be by advising clients regarding maximizing returns on their real estate investments or serving real individuals. Mark received his B.B.A. in Economics from St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX and his Master’s Degree in Business from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL.
LAUREN GRAY
Bio coming soon
ANN MASON
Ms. Mason is a veteran of the petrochemical industry, having moved to Houston to serve as the Manager of New Business Development with Occidental. She has also worked as a Product Manager with Coca-Cola Co. and as a sales and marketing consultant for Pioneer Chlor-Alkali. Ms. Mason served on the founding board of the Children’s Museum of Houston and volunteered with Duchesne Academy and Episcopal High School.
HEMINA PATEL, MBA, CPA
Ms. Patel is Director of Contract Administration with Community Health Choice, Inc., a non-profit health insurance company with a service area of Harris and surrounding counties. Ms. Patel was born in India but identifies Houston as home, where she received a Bachelor’s in Accounting, a Master in Business Administration, and a CPA license. Ms. Patel’s previous experience includes 12 years at the Harris Health System where her last role was as Program Director of Contract Administration. Ms. Patel also has experience in public accounting. Ms. Patel is an active volunteer with the See to Succeed Program and is a proven leader in contract management, accounting, and finance.
RUSSELL RICHARD
Russell Richard is an author, thought leader, public speaker, and executive coach with expansive executive leadership experience across corporate and nonprofit sectors. He has worked with and trained thousands of business, political, community, and nonprofit leaders over the last two decades.
A frequent contributor to print and digital publications (Houston Business Journal, American Press, International Focus Magazine). Russell is the author of 62 published articles and three books: Leadership: The View from Here, Beyond Words: An Intersection of Philosophy, Inspiration, and Poetry.
Russell serves as the Senior Vice President of Leadership Initiatives, Alumni Engagement and Community Outreach for the Center for Houston’s Future. In his role as Senior Vice President, he serves as key member of the executive team responsible for managing and allocating the organization’s annual operating budget, overseeing all leadership initiatives and advancing the organization’s mission.
Prior to joining Center for Houston’s Future, Russell served as a Corporate Public Affairs Executive for The Kroger Company. In his role he planned and directed all aspects of the company’s public affairs policies, objectives, and initiatives including public relations, community outreach, corporate philanthropy, crisis management, government affairs, and customer service in the Texas and Louisiana markets.
Prior to The Kroger Company, Russell worked for Farmers Insurance and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, respectively, where he led risk management teams and was responsible for client service for national business accounts.
Russell is native of Louisiana. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana Tech University and a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University.
ROBERTA BENTLEY
Mark Zeidman, a born and bred Houstonian, currently serves as the Vice President and Sponsoring Broker of Friedman Real Estate Houston. He oversees all day-to-day operations of the company’s activities and responsibilities in Texas. Formerly, he served as the Vice President of Acquisitions and the Chief Lending Officer of PrivCap Companies, where he was responsible to select and acquire commercial real estate properties around the Southeastern US to yield a maximum return on investment for investors. Mark has a passion for directly engaging individuals, whether it be by advising clients regarding maximizing returns on their real estate investments or serving real individuals. Mark received his B.B.A. in Economics from St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX and his Master’s Degree in Business from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL.
JOEY ROMANO
Joey Romano is President of Local Sun Energy, a renewable energy company that develops, generates, and retails solar powered electricity. With Local Sun, Joey developed Houston’s first merchant solar power project and Texas’s first community solar program in an area served by retail choice. Prior to founding Local Sun, Joey led an off-grid solar company called Mobile Grid and developed the Mirabeau B at Hyde Park, a sustainable apartment building in Houston. Joey has previously served on the boards of Aurora Picture Show and Nameless Sound
VICTOR RODRIGUEZ, D.D.S, MED
Dr. Victor Rodriguez has a private practice in general dentistry in the Clear Lake area of Houston, Texas. family and cosmetic dentistry. He is the immediate past president of the Houston Dental Society and currently serves on the Texas Dental Association Board. He is also past president of the University of Texas Dental School Alumni Association. Dr. Rodriguez also served as the president of the Hispanic Dental Association in 2010 and remains an active member of the Board.
Dr. Rodriguez has been the recipient of numerous service awards from local, state and national dental associations. For the past three years he has been recognized as one of Houston’s top dentists by Houstonian Magazine. Dr. Rodriguez was born and raised on the east side of Houston, Texas. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin and received a Doctor of Dental Surgery from the UT Health School of Dentistry in Houston. To pursue his interests in education, he received his Masters of Education from the University of Houston in 2013. Dr. Rodriguez is currently a volunteer clinical assistant professor at UT Health School of Dentistry Houston. Dr. Rodriguez has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the field of dentistry and consistently advanced access to dental services among Houston’s underserved populations.
JOEL SHANNON, JD
Mr. Shannon has been active in the start up of the Houston Health Foundation’s work with the See to Succeed Program. He serves on the board of the Houston Health Foundation as its Treasurer. He also served as Vice Chair of the board of El Centro de Corazon, a Federally Qualified Health Center located in Houston’s East End. Mr. Shannonhas also served on the boards of Crossroads School, Portfolio Residential Services, Essilor Vision Foundation, and Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries. He has served Episcopal High School as Executive Board Chair, Founder, and Trustee. Mr. Shannon was a partner with Andrews Kurth LLP and led the law firm’s Commercial Real Estate Group. He is married to Margaret Shannon and has four children and four grandsons.
MARGARET SHANNON, JD
Ms. Shannon is a retired attorney and oilfield services company executive. She has served in leadership positions of several Houston not-for-profit organizations in various fields, including health care, women’s leadership, and South Texas College of Law. She has served on the board of directors of a public Dallas-based oil and gas company. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Quanta Services, a public company based in Houston. Quanta Services is the leading specialty contractor with the largest skilled labor force in North America – providing fully integrated infrastructure solutions for the utility, energy, and communications industries.
ROBERTA BENTLEY
Mark Zeidman, a born and bred Houstonian, currently serves as the Vice President and Sponsoring Broker of Friedman Real Estate Houston. He oversees all day-to-day operations of the company’s activities and responsibilities in Texas. Formerly, he served as the Vice President of Acquisitions and the Chief Lending Officer of PrivCap Companies, where he was responsible to select and acquire commercial real estate properties around the Southeastern US to yield a maximum return on investment for investors. Mark has a passion for directly engaging individuals, whether it be by advising clients regarding maximizing returns on their real estate investments or serving real individuals. Mark received his B.B.A. in Economics from St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX and his Master’s Degree in Business from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL.
SPENCER TILLMAN
Spencer Tillman is a sports broadcaster, former NFL player ,journalist, businessman, churchgoer, devoted husband, and father. Mr. Tillman currently cohosts of KTRK’s Houston Texans Inside the Game, a 30-minute weekly post-game recap and analysis program. He has written pieces for the Wall Street Journal, the San Francisco Chronical and the Houston Chronical and others. . In 1999, Tillman joined CBS Sports for College Football Today as well as to cover NCAA Men’s Basketball.
Mr. Tillman’s book, Scoring in the Red Zone, is the basis for his frequent lectures on the topic of youth success and leadership. His work with local Houston area school districts underscores his commitment to this work. An all- American Running Back for the University of Oklahoma, has started and ended his pro-career with the Houston Oilers and in between played with the San Francisco 49ers, where he won the Super Bowl and served as team captain. Mr. Tillman earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and communications from the University of Oklahoma. Mr. Tillman possesses an in-depth knowledge of media and broadcasting and demonstrates a commitment to developing leadership capacity in youth.
ROBERTA BENTLEY
Mark Zeidman, a born and bred Houstonian, currently serves as the Vice President and Sponsoring Broker of Friedman Real Estate Houston. He oversees all day-to-day operations of the company’s activities and responsibilities in Texas. Formerly, he served as the Vice President of Acquisitions and the Chief Lending Officer of PrivCap Companies, where he was responsible to select and acquire commercial real estate properties around the Southeastern US to yield a maximum return on investment for investors. Mark has a passion for directly engaging individuals, whether it be by advising clients regarding maximizing returns on their real estate investments or serving real individuals. Mark received his B.B.A. in Economics from St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX and his Master’s Degree in Business from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL.