JC Penney
Sharmeelee Bala, Chief Information Officer
Since taking the reins as CEO and chairman of JC Penney last November, former Levi Strauss & Co. and Walmart exec Marc Rosen has been busy building out his C-Suite. New to his team is Sharmeelee Bala, who will lead IT operations for the global retailer, spearheading efforts to unify the brand’s physical and digital assets. Most recently, Bala served as head of product engineering for Gap Inc., which she originally joined as vice president of engineering. Prior to that, she moved through the ranks at Walmart, where she worked for 20 years.
Education: BITS Pilsani (Meng)
Katie Mullen, Chief Digital and Transformation Officer
Also joining the executive team is Katie Mullen, who will be tasked with growing JC Penney’s e-commerce business in her new role. She will also lead the company’s enterprise strategy and transformation plan. Mullen previously spent three years at Neiman Marcus Group, where she served as chief transformation officer and chief digital officer.
Education: University of Pennsylvania (MBA), Princeton University (B.A.)
Johnson & Sekin
Jessica Wescott, Chief Financial Officer
Jessica Wescott has been tapped to lead financial strategy and growth for branding and advertising agency Johnson & Sekin. She previously served as CFO and COO of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, where she worked for four years. Prior to that, was with Mooyah Burgers Fries and Shakes, most recently as vice president of development and finance. Dallas-based Johnson & Sekin was formed by creative veterans Kent Johnson and Chris Sekin in 2008.
Education: Austin College (B.A.)
Emily Florio, Chief Strategy Officer
Emily Florio has been promoted to a new role after joining Johnson & Sekin as director of strategy. She previously ran her own marketing agency, and before that, held various marketing leadership roles at JC Penney, ending with a post as vice president of marketing and communications. In her new role, Florio will will provide business strategy advice to the firm’s clients.
Education: The University of Texas at Austin (B.S.)
Kat Kornegay, Chief Purpose Officer
Kat Kornegay has been with Johnson & Sekin for nearly a decade, previously serving as account director and digital director. Newly promoted Kornegay now helps brands, teams, and organizations across industries determine and showcase their greater purpose.
Education: Austin College (B.A.)
Shannon Phillips, Chief Design Officer
Shannon Phillips has held design leadership roles at Johnson & Sekin since 2010. In her new C-suite position, she leads the design team’s work on logos, labels, packaging, print ads, websites, and more. She previously served as associate creative director at Dallas-based marketing company Firehouse.
Education: Art Institute of Houston (B.A.)
ActivePure Technologies
Melinda Chudleigh, Chief People Officer
Prior to her new role at surface and air purification company ActivePure, Melinda Chudleigh was founder and principal consultant at Achieving More Together, a private startup that helped companies with organizational development during mergers and acquisitions deals. Dallas-based ActivePure has been focused on air purification and products technologies since 1924.
Education: University of Utah (M.S.), Weber State University (B.S.)
iDonate
Mary Flynn Barton, Chief Revenue Officer
In her new role at iDonate, Mary Flynn Barton is focused on expanding the donation software company’s client list. Barton previously spent more than 10 years in various roles at California-based Coupa Software, leading sales teams through the company’s rapid growth. She most recently served as regional vice president for the north central region. Prior to that, Barton spent nearly a decade working in the nonprofit and education space, with roles at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Loyola University New Orleans, and the University of Texas at Austin.
Education: Loyola University New Orleans (BBA)
JLL
Geoff Shelton, Senior Vice President
Global commercial real estate team JLL has added to its executive team in Fort Worth, with the hiring of Geoff Shelton as senior vice president. Shelton joins from Holt Lunsford Commercial, where he served as managing principal of its Fort Worth and Las Colinas office divisions. During his tenure there, he completed more than 1,000 transactions.
Education: The University of Texas at Austin (B.A.)
CASPR Group
Kecia Gray, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Public Relations
In her new role, Kecia Gray will guide marketing and communications for CASPR Group as it manages increased demand for its air purification technology. She most recently ran her own marketing agency for seven years. CASPR Group was founded 18 years ago by Dr. Chrisophe Suchy, who leads the company with Executive Chairwoman Gail Warrior Suchy and CEO Derek Blount.
Education: University of North Texas (B.A.)
North Dallas Bank & Trust Co.
Gina Brown, Senior Vice President and Enterprise Risk Manager
As part of a number of promotions at North Dallas Bank & Trust Co., Gina Brown has been elevated to senior vice president and enterprise risk manager from her previous post as senior vice president and compliance officer. In her new role, she will oversee all risk management for the organization. Prior to joining the company in 2014, she was vice president and compliance officer at FirstCapital Bank of Texas.
Education: University of Texas Permian Basin (B.A.), Midland College (AAS)
Mai Ly Kwan, Vice President, Trust and Wealth Management Operations Manager
Mai Ly Kwan has been with NDBT for more than 20 years in various roles, including IT systems analyst, and most recently, business solutions officer. Her new role puts her in charge of trust and wealth operations.
Education: The University of Texas at Dallas (B.A.)
Jamie Flores, Vice President, Accounting
Jamie Flores began as a staff accountant for North Dallas Bank & Trust Co. in 2016 and has been climbing the ranks at the company ever since. Most recently, she served as assistant vice president and financial reporting manager.
Education: Colorado State University (MPAcc, B.A.)
Kenya Buie, Vice President, Dallas Banking Center
Kenya Buie, who joined North Dallas Bank & Trust Co. in 2018, will continue overseeing the company’s Dallas banking center, where she previously served as assistant vice president. Prior to joining the financial institution, she was assistant manager at Arvest Bank.
Megly Wester, Vice President, Addison Banking Center
Megly Wester continues her role as a banking center manager in the Addison banking center, after joining NDBT as a senior relationship banker in 2018. She was promoted from her most recent post, assistant vice president. Prior to joining NDBT, Wester was banking team lead officer at Northern Trust Corp.
Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation
Dr. Yolande Pengetnze, Vice President, Clinical Leadership
As vice president of clinical leadership, Dr. Yolande Pengetnze leads multiple projects at PCCI, including a population health quality improvement project on pediatric asthma and the development of a program supporting the prevention of pre-term births. She joined the organization in 2013 as a physician scientist, while remaining part of the clinical faculty at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Education: University of Yaounde (M.D.), The University of Texas Southwestern (M.S.)
Albert Karam, Vice President, Data Strategy Analytics
In his new role, Albert Karam focuses on data science platforms, infrastructure, and innovative patient care solutions. He also creates predictive algorithms and provides real-time decision support to Parkland and other DFW institutions. Karam joined PCCI in 2016 as an associate consultant.
Education: The University of Texas at Dallas (MBA, M.S.), Spring Hill College (B.S.)
BOK Financial
S. Scott Simmons, Asset-Based Lending Team Member
As part of the asset-based lending team, S. Scott Simmons will direct and support BOK Financial’s and Bank of Texas’ corporate lending groups in Texas, accessing middle market asset-based lending opportunities through private equity sponsors, investment banking, and advisory firms. Simmons has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, most recently serving as senior vice president of business development at Webster Business Credit.
Education: University of North Texas (BBA)
Board Appointments
The Dallas Foundation
Robert “Bobby” Bisor, Board of Governance Member
Robert “Bobby” Bisor serves as a principal with Dallas-based private equity and real estate investment firm First Western Capital. He also serves as CEO of The Bisor Group, a governmental and community relations consulting firm he founded in 2004. Bobby retired from public service in 2019 following a 24-year career with Texas A&M University and 30 years with the State of Texas.
Education: Texas A&M University (M.S., B.S.)
Susana Cordova, Board of Governance Member
Susan Cordova currently oversees Leading and Learning for the 155,000 students and 230 schools in Dallas ISD as well as leading human capital management for the district’s 22,000 employees as deputy superintendent. Cordova has more than 30 years of experience in education. She served as superintendent of Denver Public Schools, Colorado’s largest school district.
Education: University of Colorado at Dever (M.Ed), University of Denver (B.A.)
Jaimee Eddington, Board of Governance Member
Jaimee Eddington is the regional leader for the Americas at Heidrick & Struggles, a global leadership advisory and talent firm, where she advises clients including Fortune 500 companies on board composition, talent management, the changing role of the CFO, and more. Prior to joining Heidrick & Struggles, Eddington was an investment banker, focusing primarily on mergers and acquisitions, and equity and debt offerings.
Education: Harvard University (MBA), University of Virginia (B.A.)
Kevin Murphy, Board of Governance Member
Kevin Murphy is president of ExxonMobil Foundation, the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corp., and manager of corporate citizenship and global community investments for Exxon. His previous positions include global issues manager, public and government affairs manager of ExxonMobil Gas & Power Marketing Co. and manager of state government relations.
Education: Indiana University (J.D., B.A.)
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