Education
Texas Wesleyan School of Law named Aric Short, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of law, as interim dean of the law school and Professor Maxine Harrington as associate dean for academic affairs. Texas Wesleyan President Frederick G. Slabach announced Short’s appointment in May. Short has spent 10 years at the law school. As associate dean for academic affairs, he emphasized and expanded experiential learning and professionalism training. He has been instrumental in the law school’s transition to Texas A&M University, providing leadership for all matters related to the potential acquisition. Prior to his administrative work, Short taught property, wills and estates, and other property-related courses, and he was voted Professor of the Year six times. His research and scholarship have focused on housing-related discrimination and the litigation of human rights claims in U.S. courts. Before entering academia, Short practiced law at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering in Washington, D.C., and Vinson & Elkins in Austin. Harrington has been a member of the law school faculty since 2003. Upon graduation from law school, Harrington served as law clerk to Judge George R. Gallagher of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. She also was in-house counsel for Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital, which was part of the National Institute of Mental Health and the only civilian federal psychiatric hospital. After relocating to Texas, she entered private practice and became a named shareholder of Broude, Nelson & Harrington PC, where she was lead defense counsel in medical malpractice cases.
Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations Rob Mart has joined the Balcom Agency as director of strategy and planning, bringing more than 30 years of experience in health care strategic marketing. Prior to joining Balcom, Mart was director of global marketing for ConvaTec Inc., headquartered in Skillman, N.J. He has extensive experience in the health care industry, including positions at Walco International Inc., Healthpoint Ltd. and Molnycke Health Care, AB. Mart also worked as director of strategic marketing and product director at Johnson & Johnson Medical Inc. Mart earned his bachelor’s degree in resource management from Rutgers University and an MBA from Baylor University.
Architecture & Engineering GSBS Architects added Eric Brooks to its staff. Brooks is a licensed architect with more than 13 years of experience in design and project management. He is also a LEED accredited professional. Brooks will manage architecture projects as well as contribute to the marketing efforts. He was formerly an assistant vice president at CMA Architects, where he managed notable projects, including Beck’s Prime Restaurants, the Gateway Shopping Center in Burleson, Hannity Place Apartments and numerous Chipotle and Potbelly restaurants. He received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Texas State University and an MBA in finance and a master’s degree in architecture both from the University of Houston. Brooks is a mentor in the ACE Mentor Program, which introduces area high school students to career opportunities in the architecture and engineering industry. SmithGroupJJR hired David Winfrey as leader of its Health and Science & Technology Studio at its Dallas office. Winfrey joins SmithGroupJJR from Perkins+Will, where he served as senior project designer for the new Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance campus in Fort Worth. Winfrey also was senior project designer for the $62 million Methodist Dallas Medical Center Trauma Tower expansion and renovation, slated for completion in the fall of 2014. Winfrey graduated with a bachelor’s degree in design in architecture from the University of Florida. He is a registered architect in Texas and a member of the American Institute of Architects. Speed Fab-Crete appointed Knox Ross as director of infrastructure projects. In this position, Ross will evaluate, monitor and benchmark the company’s line of precast concrete building products. He also will assist with project management and the associated specialties of planning and scheduling, cost estimating and cost/schedule control. Ross brings executive project management, estimating and personnel management experience. Prior to joining Speed Fab-Crete, he served as division manager for a Fort Worth-based general contractor, leading the firm to receive the Contractor of the Year award in 2002 and 2007 from the American Public Works Association’s North Central Texas Branch. Ross’ background includes two terms as mayor of the city of Aledo, from 1990 to 1994, and al term as mayor protem. Ross earned two degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. He graduated with honors in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in social and behavioral sciences and a master’s degree in American civilization in 1977.
Banking & Finance Justin Coon is the new senior credit analyst at Worthington National Bank’s downtown Fort Worth Sundance Square location. Coon will support operations and the lending functions of the bank. He most recently was vice president of commercial banking at Worthington’s Colleyville location. Coon is a graduate of Baylor University with a bachelor’s degree in finance and brings more than nine years of banking experience to Worthington. He is active in the HEB and Colleyville chambers of commerce and is an alumnus of the Leadership Mansfield program. In addition, he is a member of the Keller Rotary Club and the Tarrant County Bankers Association and is the past president of the Fort Worth Sigma Chi Alumni Club. He is also a coach in special needs sports league, SuperKids, and is active in the Baylor Business Network of Fort Worth. Greg Harris has joined sister companies Loan Portfolio Servicing and Caprock Auto Remarketing as director of business development. Harris brings nearly 30 years of experience in subprime auto finance, auction sales and vehicle remarketing. He joins the team from his previous position at Manheim Auto Auctions, where he was part of the market sales group. While at Manheim, Harris increased year-over-year dealer consignment activity and Manheim product utilization. Prior to his role at Manheim, Harris was director of vehicle remarketing at Triad Financial. He also spent 12 years at Honda Financial Services helping lead remarketing initiatives. Harris’ previous experience includes collections and recovery work with Nissan Motor Acceptance and Ford Motor Credit. J.A. (Jay) Garrison, founder of J.A. Garrison & Co. Certified Public Accountants, purchased an office facility at 6912 N.E. Loop 820 in North Richland Hills and has relocated the firm’s Fort Worth headquarters to the new location. A graduate of Stephen F. Austin University, Garrison began his career as a staff accountant for a Fort Worth firm. He had accounting management positions before starting his own business in 1984. Garrison is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, Texas Society of CPAs and Texas Association of Certified Public Accountants.
Boards & Organizations Tarrant County Back to School Roundup added two new board members: Tawna Wolfe, business development coordinator for Tarrant County Credit Union, and Corey Fickes, an attorney with Fort Worth law firm Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP. Wolfe will serve as the organization’s financial manager. She has been with TCCU since 2001. She also serves on the Tarrant Area Food Bank committee for Kick the Can and volunteers at several other community organizations. Fickes is on the board of the Keller Independent School District Education Foundation. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in finance and is a 2007graduate of Texas Tech University School of Law. Jim Wales, a longtime board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star, has been elected chairman. Wales has more than 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Most recently he co-founded TEAK Midstream LLC in 2009, which was sold recently to Atlas Pipeline. He also was part of the management team that founded Crosstex Energy Services, where he managed several divisions of the company and was accountable for the P&L of each. He led the business development group as well as Crosstex’s Southern Division. He was also head of the commercial division for the company. He retired from Crosstex in 2007. Prior to Crosstex, Wales was one of the founders of Sunrise Energy Services Inc. Wales started his career in 1976 as an engineer with Union Carbide. In 1981 he joined Producers Gas Co., a subsidiary of Lear Petroleum, where he served as manager of its Mid-Continent office. In 1986, he joined Sunrise as executive vice president of supply, marketing and transportation. In 1993-1994, Wales was the chief operating officer for Triumph Natural Gas Inc. During this period he also served as the chairman of the National Energy Services Association. Wales earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the South Texas College of Law.
Honors & Awards Carol Glover, creative director at the Balcom Agency, received the 2013 Silver Medal Award from the American Advertising Federation-Fort Worth chapter. She is the second Balcom team member to receive the Silver Medal Award. Production director Lynne Swihart was the 2009 recipient. Glover earned both a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in English from Texas Christian University. She has been an adjunct professor for her alma mater for 18 years. Glover has a long history in Fort Worth, notably at Witherspoon Marketing Communications, where she worked as senior writer, creative director and vice president. Glover joined Balcom in 2004 and leads a team of art directors, writers, Web developers, social media specialists and designers. Julie K. Sherman has won the 2012 Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas Exceptional Pro Bono Service Award. Sherman is in the litigation section of Cantey Hanger LLP, where she has worked 17 years. She is a paralegal for attorneys Carol Traylor, Mark Daniel, Andy Keetch and Brad Poulos. She is a board-certified paralegal, Texas Board of Legal Specialization-Personal Injury Trial Law. She attended the paralegal studies program at Tarrant County College. Sherman has had several board positions and chairmanships with the State Bar of Texas-Paralegal Division, including the Advanced Paralegal Seminar Planning Committee. She has been a member of the Fort Worth Paralegal Association since 1989, the State Bar Paralegal Division since 1986 and the State Bar College since 2007. She was selected the 2006 Fort Worth Paralegal Association Paralegal of the Year and has had several board and chairmanship positions with the association, including 2010 president. Sherman is involved in community service, in particular the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and Tarrant Area Food Bank. She also is a Paralegal Program instructor at the University of Texas at Arlington. The Fort Worth Independent School District and Elsie I. Shiro, the senior officer of budget and finance, have been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. The district received the award for the comprehensive annual financial report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012. At that time, Shiro was the district’s controller. The Medical Center Arlington Trauma Center has been designated as a Level III Trauma Facility by the Texas Department of State Health Services. MCA is the only designated trauma hospital in Arlington. It also received an “A” Hospital Safety Score from The Leapfrog Group, an independent, national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. Allied Electronics, a trading brand of Electrocomponents plc, recently received the 2012 Boeing Performance Excellence Award – Silver Level from its customer The Boeing Co. Texas Health Resources was named by Computerworld magazine as one of the top 100 workplaces for information technology professionals. Texas Health placed No. 31 on the national list. The KRLD Afternoon News has been named the winner of the 2013 National Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast for large market radio. The award will be presented at a gala on Oct. 14 in New York City.
Law Matthias J. Kleinsasser joined Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP as an associate in the Litigation Practice Group. Previously, Kleinsasser was an associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in Dallas. He also clerked for Judge D. Michael Lynn, United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Texas. Kleinsasser graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in history and received his law degree in 2010 from The University of Texas School of Law. He is a contributing writer to the forthcoming Bloomberg Law Bankruptcy Treatise and a contributing editor of the Collier Handbook For Trustees And Debtors In Possession. Kleinsasser is a member of The Honorable John C. Ford American Inn of Court, the Bankruptcy Law Section of the Tarrant County Bar Association and the DFW Association of Young Bankruptcy Lawyers.
Nonprofit Organizations Julie Thomas, CEO of the Volunteer Center of North Texas since 1987, announced that she is stepping down from her day-to-day responsibilities. She will remain in her current position until a new leader is found and will continue to support the center’s fundraising and development efforts. Programs spearheaded by Thomas include a partnership with local courts to have offenders complete community service hours; the Corporate Social Responsibility program to partner with companies to donate used office furniture, equipment and surplus inventory; and the VeriFYI program that has provided more than 1 million background checks on volunteers for schools, hospitals and other organizations in Collin, Dallas and Tarrant counties.
Tourism, Entertainment & Leisure The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl recently added Bryan Delgado as event supervisor. Delgado, a 2008 journalism graduate from the University of Oklahoma, also has a master’s degree in business administration and sports administration from Ohio University. He most recently was the communications coordinator of the Salesmanship Club of Dallas; he worked in sales, marketing and media operations during the last year for the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Before attending Ohio, Delgado also worked two years as part of the media and marketing team for the annual AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic collegiate football game. His experience includes work as a marketing assistant for the Big South Conference and as a ticket sales intern for the Houston Aeros hockey team.
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