John Fisher of Temple is a retired Special Agent with the Texas Department of Public Safety. He is a member of Contemporaries of Temple Texas, Temple Founders Lions Club, Marine Corps League, and the Texas Municipal Police Association and a volunteer at Crossroads Church Belton. Fisher received a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Kaplan University and an honorable discharge from the United States Marine Corps.

Marlene S. McMichael of Georgetown currently co-hosts a radio talk show on The Bridge Austin. She spent many years as a government affairs specialist in Austin and Washington, D.C. She is actively involved in her community’s nonprofit sector, having served on many local boards and commissions. McMichael received a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science from Texas State University, graduating Summa Cum Laude, and she earned a certified public manager designation from the William P. Hobby Center for Public Service.

Abidali “Abid” Neemuchwala of Little Elm is a technology executive and investor. He is co-founder and director of Dallas Venture Capital and chairman of AXISCADES Inc. Additionally, he is a board member of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Neemuchwala received a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication from the National Institute of Technology, Raipur, India, and a master’s degree in industrial management from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India.

Karin Morris of Highland Village is the senior vice president of community impact for the Texas Rangers Baseball Club and serves as executive director of the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation. She is an advisory board member for Women in Sports Entertainment, treasurer of Young Men’s Service League – Integrity Chapter, board member of the Arlington Education Foundation, and board member at-large for the Marcus Marauders Baseball Booster Club. Morris received a Bachelor of Science in International Business from Marquette University.

Katie Casstevens (TEA Designee) of Austin is the Chief of Staff in the Office of Operations at the Texas Education Agency, where she provides direct support to the divisions of Communications, Human Resources, Organizational Development, Government Relations, and Agency Operations. Originally from San Antonio and a product of Texas public schools, Katie earned master’s degrees in both Social Work and Public Affairs at UT Austin, earning a certificate in nonprofit studies.

Prior to TEA, spent over 7 years at the Austin Independent School District spearheading transformative initiatives. Notably, she led the implementation of a pioneering unified enrollment system, streamlining processes and enhancing accessibility for families. She also led the expansion of the Community Schools model across the district to reduce barriers to student-learning and managed a TEA Community Partnerships initiative grant to align school-based supports and academic programming in the Northeast feeder pattern. Additionally, Katie has experience working with community-based nonprofits, most notably serving as a Bilingual Case Manager for the Round Rock-based nonprofit STARRY.

Jie Li of Austin is an angel investor/venture partner. She is a mentor for Techstars and a mentor and judge for Harvard Innovation Labs. In addition she is the chair for Harvard Business School Alumnae Austin Circles, board member of Harvard Club of Austin, and co-chair of Kealing Middle School Advisory Council. Li received a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Adrianna Cuéllar Rojas of Austin is CEO of TexProtects. She is a steering committee member of the Austin Community Foundation’s Hispanic Impact Fund and the fundraising chair of Foundation Communities. Rojas received a Bachelor of Arts from Trinity University and a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin.

Ashleigh Feuerbacher of Stephenville is the Vice President and Chief Project Manager of the Stephenville Economic Development Authority. She is a member of the International Economic Development Council, the Texas Economic Development Council, and 50 Women Strong. She is a volunteer for Stephenville Downtown Merchants, Graham Street Youth, Erath County 4-H, Stephenville FFA Booster Club and mentor for Foster’s Home For Children. Feuerbacher received a Bachelor of Business Administration and is currently seeking a Master of Business Administration from Tarleton State University.

Verlene Dickson of Amarillo is the Director of the Veteran Resource Center, a division of Family Support Service. She served in the United States Army until she retired from the military in 2013. She is a member and club treasurer of the Amarillo Community Lion’s Club and a member and Quartermaster of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 430. Dickson received a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and a Master’s in Religion from Liberty University.

Dan Leal of Bastrop is the Chief Executive Officer of Seedling Foundation in Austin and has served as a nonprofit executive director in youth-serving agencies for 20 years. Seedling provides school-based mentoring for children impacted by parental incarceration. He was the 2020 Chair of One Voice Central Texas, a membership organization of nonprofit health and human services executives in the Greater Austin Area. He is a current member of the Rotary E-Club of Central Texas and is a mentor for Seedling. Dan received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Texas.