Ecobat
Thomas Slabe, Chief Executive Officer
Battery Recycling company Ecobat has appointed Thomas P. Slabe as CEO and member of the board of directors. He succeeds Marcus Randolph, who is stepping into a chairman role. Prior to Ecobat, Slabe was president and CEO of manufacturing company Neenah Enterprises. He also was a longtime exec at Contech Engineered Solutions.
Education: Cleveland State University (MBA, BBA)
First United Bank
Brian Johnson, Chief Financial Officer
First United Bank has named Brian Johnson as its new CFO, reporting directly to Greg Massey, chairman and CEO. Johnson has more than 20 years of financial services experience, previously serving as CFO among other positions in the Dallas office of MoneyGram International. He also held various roles with Commerce Street Capital, Hudson Advisors/Lone Star Funds, and Bear, Sterns & Co.
Education: Bucknell University (BS)
Weber Shandwick
Alison McMillon, Dallas Market Leader
PR firm Weber Shandwick has announced that Alison McMillon will be named the new Dallas Market Leader. McMillon has been with the company for 20 years and has experience in corporate, crisis and issues, consumer and internal communications, and more. McMillon previously served as general deputy manager for the company from 2022 to 2023.
Education: Baylor University (BA)
Commerce Bank
Russ Rockenbach, North Texas Market President
Commerce Bank has announced Russ Rockenbach as the North Texas Market President. Rockenbach previously served as the Senior Banking Officer and Regional Banking Practice Leader of Northern Trust Corporation for 32 years, from 1991 to 2023. He is also a Community Leadership Board Member for the North Texas branch of the American Diabetes Association, serving since 2021.
Education: Northwestern University (MBA), Northern Illinois University (BS)
Dykema
Brandy R. Manning, Co-Director of Energy Industry Group
National law firm Dykema has named Brandy R. Manning as co-director of the firm’s Energy Industry Group. Manning has over 20 years of legal experience in oil and gas and general business matters and is board-certified in civil appellate law. Manning is admitted to practice law in both Texas and New Mexico. Before her legal career, Manning was a senior planning analyst for energy company Phillips 66.
Education: University of Texas (JD), Texas A&M University (BBA)
Weitzman
Lynn Van Amburgh, Senior Vice President
Commercial real estate company Weitzman has promoted leasing professional Lynn Van Amburgh to senior vice president of the company’s Dallas-Fort Worth office. Van Amburgh will be responsible for leasing a portfolio of retail properties in the area, including Golden Triangle Mall in Denton. She is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers. Her retail leasing experience includes Galleria Dallas, NorthPark Center, The Crescent, and Highland Park Village.
Education: University of Alabama (BS)
Ben Terry, Senior Vice President, Director of Portfolio Leasing
Weitzman has promoted Ben Terry to senior vice president and director of portfolio leasing. Terry, who joined the retail brokerage in 2022, has more than 20 years of industry experience. Prior to Weitzman, Terry was director of real estate in Southern California for Kimco Realty. He is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors.
Education: University of Southern California (BS)
Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr
Clifton Squibb, Shareholder
Law firm Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr has added Clifton Squibb as a shareholder in the firm’s energy practice. Squibb previously served and was a founding partner at Hamilton Squibb & Shores, and is board certified in oil, gas & mineral law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Squibb has served as an adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Education: Southern Methodist University (JD) London School of Economics & Political Science (MSc), University of Virginia (BA)
Leon Capital Group
Cory Calvert, Head of Capital Formation
Family holding company Leon Capital Group has named Cory Calvert as head of capital formation for the group’s investment managing company. Calvert previously served as Head of U.S. Wealth at Apollo Global Management. He served as CEO/Head of Distribution at Griffin Capital Securities and National Sales Manager at Cole Capital.
Education: University of Denver (JD), Brigham Young University (BA)
Texas Security Bank
Ben Parkey, Chief Banking Officer
Texas Security bank has promoted the bank’s Dallas Managing Director Ben Parkey to chief banking officer. Parkey brings more than 20 years of industry experience to the role. Prior to joining the company in 2013, Parkey was senior vice president of PlainsCapital Bank, manager of commercial banking in Dallas at Mutual of Omaha Bank, and vice president of Commercial Banking at Bank of Texas.
Education: Southern Methodist University (BA)
CityVet
Dr. Erin Tate, Vice President of Clinical Development
CityVet has promoted longtime partner Dr. Erin Tate to vice president of clinical development. Tate was one of the first veterinarians to join the company in 2004. Her most recent roles were lead partner at CityVet Preston Forest and supporting partner at CityVet Preston Hollow. In her new role, Tate will support Dr. Paul Kline, chief veterinary officer.
Education: University of North Texas (BS), Texas A&M University (DVM)
Board Appointments
DreamSpring
Alice Rodriguez, Vice Chair, Chair-Elect
Nonprofit organization and loan agency DreamSpring has named Alice Rodriguez vice chair and chair-elect of the board. Rodriguez served for more than 30 years as an executive at JPMorgan Chase before retiring. She’s also a former chair of the U.S Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and co-owner of Dallas boutique homebuilder Kendall Milagro.
Education: University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley (BS)
Irvin Ashford Jr., Secretary
DreamSpring has announced that Irvin Ashford Jr. will step into the role of secretary for the nonprofit. Ashford currently serves as managing director and head of fair and responsible banking at Charles Schwab. He previously served for more than 20 years at Comerica Bank, most recently as chief community officer.
Education: The University of Texas at Austin (MPAff.), University of Dallas (MBA), Oberlin College (BA)
The Dallas Foundation
Tim C. Hafer, Board of Governors
Tim Hafer has worked at Kronos Worldwide since 1999 and has served as executive vice president and CFO of the company since 2022. He previously held finance and accounting positions at Fujitsu, ICL Systems, Halter Capital Corp., and Millennia. He was an audit manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1985 to 1993. Also, he has served on various nonprofit boards such as Shared Housing and Collin County Women’s Shelter and is on The Dallas Foundation’s Audit and Risk Management Committee.
Education: University of North Texas (BS, MS)
Rev. Dr. Lael Melville, Board of Governors
Rev. Dr. Lael Melville is the CEO and co-founder of The Randolph W. and Dr. Lael C. Melville Family Foundation. She currently serves as board director for the North Texas Food Bank, UT Southwestern, and Uplift Education, for which she serves as co-chair. At The Dallas Foundation, she is member of the advisory committee of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. Melville is also the founder of the Women of God prayer group and N.E.T. Cohort.
Education: Southern Methodist University, Princeton University
Bridget Moreno Lopez, Board of Governors
Bridget Moreno Lopez is currently a managing partner of the Dallas office of Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson and is a member of the firm’s management committee. Lopez served as a felony prosecutor for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office from 2000 to 2004. She also served on the board of directors of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport from 2015 to 2018.
Education: Texas Tech University (BA, JD)
Susan Salka, Board of Governors
Susan Salka is the retired CEO and president of AMN Healthcare, serving the company from 1990 to 2022. She currently serves at the honorary consul to Guatemala for the U.S. Department of State and has held director roles at McKesson Corp., Beckman Coulter, and Playtex Products. Additionally, Salka held positions at Columbia University School of Nursing and Directors & Boards magazine’s editorial advisory board.
Education: San Diego State University (MBA), Chadron State College (BA)
Joe Schloesser, Board of Governors
Joe Schloesser has held the vice president of contractor and supplier information management at ISN since 2016. He has held leadership positions for ISN’s global operations, M&A functions, Monarch consulting, research development team, and business development teams across oil, gas, manufacturing, and other industries. He previously held executive roles at Iron Mountain and Bank of America.
Education: MIT (MBA), Boston University (BS)
Courtney Underwood, Board of Governors
Courtney Underwood is an advocate for survivors of sexual assault in North Texas. She established multiple Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) programs as well as a forensic clinic called Courtney’s SAFE Place. She has contributed to the passing of Senate Bill 1191, mandating rape kits in Texas ERs. Underwood serves as chairman for nonprofit organizations such as Safer Dallas Better Dallas. She previously worked at Underwood Financial for six years.
Education: Southern Methodist University (BA)
National Medal of Honor Museum
Ryan McCarthy, Board of Directors
Former U.S. Army Ranger Ryan McCarthy was sworn in as the 24th Secretary of the Army in 2019 and served until 2021. He previously was Undersecretary and was a special assistant to the 22nd Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack H. Obama. Prior to this he was vice president of the Lockheed Martin Corp. McCarthy was inducted into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame in 2019.
Education: University of Maryland (MBA), Virginia Military Institute (BA)
Fawn Weaver, Board of Directors
The CEO and founder of private investment company Grant Sidney, Fawn Weaver is a New York Times bestselling author and the first non-celebrity Black American woman to found and lead a billion-dollar enterprise, premium whiskey brand Uncle Nearest/ She also established African American heritage nonprofit,the Nearest Green Foundation and serves as a director of Endeavor Group Holdings.
Education: University of Alabama (BA), Harvard Business School
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