Senior Manager, Strategy Operations, Greater Austin YMCA

Bethany Dawson (she/her), MPH, LSSGB, is a public health professional from Brownsville, TX with over a decade of experience in health promotion, strategic operations, and programming. After an Americorps service year as a full-time tutor in a K-12 public school, she received her Master’s Degree in Public Health with a focus in Epidemiology. She spent 7+ years with an Austin-based nutrition education nonprofit before joining the Greater Austin YMCA as the Senior Manager of Strategy Operations, where she currently focuses on organizational strategy deployment, process improvement, and executive project management. She enjoys spending her time traveling, playing strategic board & card games, cooking, copy-editing for friends, and watching game shows and improv comedy.

Founder, Nonprofit CFOs

Sean Hale, has served a variety of nonprofits professionally since 1999. During his 20 years as a nonprofit employee, he made improvements that reduced waste, generated new revenue, boosted staff productivity and morale, grew financial transparency, and shrank risk. He has also helped boards and management to navigate complex situations. Sean has consistently left the organizations stronger and ready for their next stage of growth.

In 2020, he founded Nonprofit CFOs (formerly Sean Hale Consulting) now a 12-person team that helps small and medium-sized nonprofits ensure they have strong, effective financial management. Services include interim staffing, fractional CFO, and indirect cost rate calculations.

Over the years he has served on a variety of boards. He currently volunteers as an officer in two: the Austin Nonprofit Financial Leadership Group and the League for Nonprofit Human Capital.
Sean holds a Master’s degree and Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Texas at Austin.

Public Affairs Officer, Greater Austin YMCA

Sean Doles (he/him) began his YMCA career in 1999 and currently serves as Public Affairs Officer. During his tenure with the Austin Y, Sean has overseen significant growth in membership, programs and fundraising along with the launch of innovative programming to address childhood obesity, drowning prevention and chronic disease prevention. A native of New Orleans, Sean is a graduate of the University of Southern California and author of two books about his hometown, Saving Mr. Bingle, and All Saints Day. Married for over 25 years, he is the proud father of two sons.

Section Chief, Voluntary Agency Liaison, Texas Division of Emergency Management – TDEM

Courtney Goss serves as the State Voluntary Agency Liaison (VAL) within the Incident Support Task Force at the Texas Division of Emergency Management. In this role, she supports community preparedness, response, and long-term recovery initiatives, focusing on volunteer and donation management, engagement with faith-based, community, and philanthropic organizations, and VOAD coordination. She is passionate about advocating for disaster survivors, fostering authentic connections, and equipping resilient, prepared communities that can better withstand and recover from all types of disasters.

Business Insurance Advisor, Marsh McLennan Agency

William Page, BA, CIC, CRM, has been with Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) and its predecessors in Austin for 22 years. He specializes in providing business and personal insurance solutions for commercial clients, as well as individuals and families. William serves as a board member of RBI Austin, an organization focused on engaging and developing inner-city youth in Austin through athletic, academic, and spiritual initiatives, empowering them to transform their communities. He is a past president and board member of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas and has previously been a member of the Seton Forum. A lifelong Austin resident, William attended McCallum High School and graduated from Texas Christian University, where he played baseball and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He and his family are active members of Austin Ridge Bible Church.

An outdoor enthusiast, William enjoys a variety of activities including exercising, hiking, hunting and fishing. William also dedicated many years to coaching Western Hills Little League, where he helped the team achieve a state runner-up title in 2019. William is married to Marly Page, and they have three children: Holland (18), Annelise (16), and McKean (13).

Director of Special Projects, Catholic Charities Central Texas

Brooke Swate, LMSW, is the Director of Special Projects at Catholic Charities of Central Texas. She attended The University of Texas where she obtained a Masters Degree in Social Work.

Director of National Bridgebuilding Initiatives, Interfaith America

Earl Grandberry, MDiv, leads national bridgebuilding efforts at Interfaith America, uniting diverse communities to address critical societal challenges in pursuit of the common good. With over 15 years of experience in advocacy, civic engagement, and community development, Earl is passionate about fostering meaningful change. He partners with leaders nationwide to design inclusive programs that promote collaboration and resilience. His belief in the power of transformation drives his work to bridge divides and build a more impactful society. Outside of work, Earl enjoys learning, organizing community leaders, and spending time with family and friends.

VP of Grants and Evaluation, The Women’s Home

For almost twenty years, Bethany Fields (she/her) has brought strategic growth to the non-profit sector by building positive, collaborative relationships with funders and using her analytical superpowers to enhance program impact. She holds an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from the University of Houston and loves to implement innovative strategies to bring mission-focused visions to life.

CEO, Mission Capital

With over 30 years’ experience in sales, marketing, project management, and business development, Ira Williams (he/him) is a uniquely capable business leader who has worked with Fortune 50 firms and with new ventures. He has a proven record of success securing strategic partnerships and driving growth for large and small enterprises. A graduate of the Harvard Business School, Ira has worked with firms such as Castlight Health, and Dell Inc. Over time, he has garnered significant expertise in the digital health, new media content, and e-commerce sectors. Ira is the Chief Executive of Mission Capital, a capacity building organization focused on facilitating the growth of non-profits in Central Texas. Ira is also Founder and CEO of Debut Ventures, Inc. (DVI), a family controlled holding company. Through DVI, he also has served in interim CxO roles with multiple start-up companies around the U.S.

In 2006, Ira published his first book, entitled Speak Softly…What’s Happened to American Humility? In addition to celebrating a misunderstood virtue, all proceeds from the book are donated to charitable organizations. Ira lives in the Austin area with his wife Carmen, and they have two adult children, Gabrielle and Ira IV.

Research Associate and Faculty, TRGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service

SarahJane Rehnborg (she/her), PhD, CVA, has served as Director and Associate Director of the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service during her tenure at the LBJ School at UT Austin. Her expertise in volunteerism lead her to create the Index for Volunteer Engagement as well as other research and teaching in the field. In the early 90’s, Rehnborg was instrumental in writing the first proposal to bring national service funding to the State of Texas. On a national level, she was President of the Board of the national professional association for volunteer engagement professionals and continues to advise the Ellis Foundation. Currently Rehnborg is enjoying her part time status with the University while she focuses on her own volunteer service, her grandchildren and her many crafting pursuits including quilting and embroidery.