BoardBuild has announced the addition of 5 new board members: Sandra Garcia Acevedo, Vianei Lopez Braun, Anthony Placencio, Brian Renteria, James Sackey. The new board members join existing board members Jeffrey Allison, Kathryn Ball, Matthew Ciardiello, D.J. Harrell, Elise Kensinger, Gregory Nielsen, Willie Rankin, Ed Riefenstahl, and Beth Watson.
“Expansion of BoardBuild’s board of directors to include industry experts from across the country has allowed BoardBuild to build a best-in-class board. We even used our own platform to identify and recruit to specific skill sets, demographics and industry representation,” said Pamela Cannell, BoardBuild CEO
BoardBuild also welcomes two staff members: John Hernandez, Director of Strategy, and Krista Johnson, Director of Communication and Training.
Founded in 2019, BoardBuild is on a mission to strengthen communities through the training and matching of emerging and established leaders with qualified nonprofit boards. In a recent survey*, 100% of the individual participants felt the knowledge gained from BoardBuild will help them become better community trustees. The survey also found that 100% of the nonprofit participants identified potential new board members as a result of posting an open position on the platform.
New Board Member Bios from BoardBuild
Sandra Garcia Acevedo
Sandra Garcia Acevedo is a Diversity Compliance Specialist who understands the need for keeping order, maintaining systems and communication with clients. She serves as the Vice Chair of Membership for the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas, serves on the board of the Presbyterian Night Shelter, the Methodist Justice Ministry, Board for the American Diabetes Association and CoAct North Texas, and BoardBuild. Sandra obtained the Dale Carnegie Leadership Certificate and the Fort Worth Business Mentor Award in 2018. She is committed to her community and is passionate about servanthood. She believes in giving back and through her relationship building skills she has continued to be involved with the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce where she leads the Ambassador Program.
Vianei Lopez Braun
Vianei is a shareholder in Decker Jones, P.C., a full-service law firm located in Fort Worth. She heads the labor and employment law section for Decker Jones, and serves as the firm’s Chief Development Officer. Vianei is a member of the Board of Directors of First Financial Bankshares, Inc. (FFIN – NASDAQ) and serves on the board’s Compensation Committee. She also serves on the Advisory Board of First Financial Bank’s Fort Worth Region and as a Board Member for BoardBuild. Vianei is the Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Fort Worth Public Library Foundation. Vianei is an honors graduate of Princeton University and the University of Texas School of Law. She has been recognized as a Texas Monthly “Super Lawyer” in Labor & Employment law, and has been selected as a “Top Lawyer” in Labor & Employment law by Fort Worth Texas. She has been honored as a “Great Woman of Texas” by the Fort Worth Business Press, and as a member of the “Fort Worth 400” by FW Inc.
Anthony Placencio
Anthony Placencio has over 15 years of experience in public accounting. In addition to a rotation in a Big Four firm’s National Office he has served both SEC registrants and private companies in various industries, including health care, life sciences and technology. Anthony is currently the Fort Worth Audit Leader and North Texas Health Care Audit Leader for RSM US LLP. In addition to BoardBuild, Anthony currently serves on the Accounting Advisory Board for Texas Christian University, MJ Neeley School of Business and the board of Leadership Fort Worth. He is a member of Leadership Fort Worth’s 2021 LeadershipClass. Anthony graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, Finance and Economics. He earned his Certified Public Accountant license from the State of California in 2008.
Brian Renteria
Brian Renteria is a Certification Officer at Texas Wesleyan University. With 15 years of service in public education, Brian is translating his skills and experience as a community servant to assist in building the capacity of future educators. From Math Educator to Data Analyst to Campus Leadership, Brian’s ability to guide instructional practices, facilitate professional learning communities and guide organizational development will be the foundation of his contribution to our community. Brian is a native of Fort Worth and graduate of Fort Worth ISD, Texas Wesleyan University and the University of Texas at Arlington, Fort Worth Campus. Brian’s commitment to developing as a public servant is founded in his completion of the SteerFW Keyholders Program and Leadership Fort Worth. In recent years, Brian has devoted his time beyond his career to his 5 year old twins and wife. Looking to the future, Brian is excited to return to participating in community stewardship by joining BoardBuild as a member of the Board of Directors.
James Sackey
James Sackey is the Director of Amleon Hospitality Holding Company and has worked in the hospitality industry for over 15 years. He is an entrepreneur and active committee member of several nonprofit organizations in the DFW metroplex including: Social Venture Partners Dallas, DFW Urban League Young Professionals, North Dallas Chamber of Commerce, and Deep Vellum Publishing. James currently serves on the board of directors for BoardBuild. James holds multiple managerial credentials in the hospitality industry as well as the nonprofit sector ranging from nonprofit management programs to fund raising programs administered by Dini Spheris and the Center For Nonprofit Management in Dallas, Texas. He also holds a Bachelor’s in Technical Management Specializing in Finance from DeVry University and has completed the Applied Financial Management program administered by Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Staff Member Bios
John Hernandez
John Hernandez has over 25 years of experience and is well-versed in 5 industries including Business Strategy, Construction, Entrepreneurship, Wealth Management and Non-Profit Management. His diverse yet distinct experience has enhanced his ability to bring a holistic approach to various aspects of business and professional development. He has served the Fort Worth community in various capacities in the past 16 years and is an alum of Southern Methodist University (SMU) where he earned his MBA . He is a native Texan who remains an active member of the academic and business community at large. He has had the honor of serving on several different boards and committees, including: Communities in Schools Greater Tarrant County, Cancer Care Services, Texans Can Academies Board Trustee, Downtown Fort Worth Inc., Visit Fort Worth, LeaderPrime Advisory Committee, FW Minority Business Advisory Committee, Blue Zones Advisory Committee, and has served as an Honorary Commander (Alum) at Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base (NAS/JRB) in Fort Worth.
Krista Johnson
As a dynamic professional with nearly 15 years of experience, Krista Johnson is known for her passion for human behavior, adult learning, and strategic communication. Krista has spent a majority of her career as a corporate creative, leading the creation of innovative learning experiences for one of the world’s largest luxury beauty retailers, Sephora. Krista is a AB-NLP certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner and a Fierce Conversations certified trainer. She is an active coach for young women in business, a dedicated mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters, and serves as a Dallas Chapter Leader of UPWARD, a nonprofit that helps women build their professional networks and move up in their careers. She holds B.A. and B.S. degrees in Anthropology and Religion from Missouri State University and pursued a M.A. in Human Dynamics from Western International University. In 2022, Krista will begin her PhD program in Industrial and Organizational Psychology.