Leadership

 President - Scott White 
 Founder and President, BizCom Associates

 16301 Quorum Drive Suite 150A * Addison, TX 75001
 (972) 728-1450 * Fax: (972) 661-0261
 scottwhite@bizcompr.com  

Scott is a founder of Biz Com Associates, a 15-year-old Dallas agency that specialties in working with franchise companies, entrepreneurs and other creative business leaders. He has more than 25 years experience in public relations, advertising, and journalism. A graduate of North Texas State University, he has worked in the newspaper, magazine, book publishing and TV fields. He has won dozens of awards working as editor, producer and writer for a variety of newspapers, magazines and production companies. He has helped young, start-up companies develop communications programs to support their growth strategies and he has helped mature, multinationals develop strategies to reach new markets or expand their share of existing markets. He frequently speaks on corporate communications, local store marketing and crisis communications.

Larry Meltzer is a Agency Principal and Creative Director of MM2 Public Relations. In this role, he directs the agency's creative product and serves as a knowledge resource for brand-building and media trends. Prior to launching MM2 Public Relations in 2009, he was Founding Partner and Chief Imagination Office of BlueCurrent Public Relations, an Omnicom Group public relations firm.  He also served as a senior partner in the Dallas office of Fleishman-Hillard, working during a five-year period with agency clients that included SBC Communications, Dell Computer Corporation, Prodigy Internet, Blockbuster Entertainment, and Omni Hotels. Before joining Fleishman-Hillard, Larry was principal of Meltzer & Martin Public Relations, providing public relations counsel and services on a national level for many well-known companies. His previous experience includes positions with Tracy-Locke Public Relations, Burson-Marsteller, and Bozell & Jacobs. Larry has served as a judge for TPRA's Silver Spur/Best of Texas program, and most recently was Finance Chair for the 2005 annual conference.

 Secretary - Melanie Villalobos 
 Vice President, Corporate and Employee Relations, San Antonio Housing Authority

 818 South Flores * San Antonio, TX 78204
 (210) 477-6130 * Fax: (210) 477-6127
 Melanie_villalobos@saha.org

Melanie Villalobos serves as the Vice President, Corporate and Employee Relations of the San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA), serving as principle liaison between the President/CEO and SAHA's nearly 700 staff members, with the responsibility for administering and supervising the day-to-day operations of the agency. Prior to her present position, she served as Vice President of the agency's Corporate Relations department, where she served as spokesperson for one of the nation's largest public housing authorities, and was responsible for SAHA's strategic communications, public relations, community relations, governmental relations and public affairs activities. Prior to joining SAHA in 2003, Melanie was a principal of San Antonio-based Curnutt/Hovis Public Relations, in which she provided consulting services to clients in the fields of health care, technology, manufacturing, government, homebuilding, and others. She has been a member of TPRA for most of her public relations career, which has spanned more than two decades. A graduate of Trinity University, Melanie is also a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), the Association of Women in Communications (AWC), and the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, (NAHRO).

 Treasurer - Nan Powers Varoga
 PR Consultant, Varoga & Associates

 1613 Marshall * Houston, TX 77006
 (281) 236-1973
 nvaroga@yahoo.com

Co-founder of Varoga & Associates, which provides public affairs assistance and campaign services to a select group of public, private and non-profit organizations. She is the former Director of Public Affairs for The Houston A+ Challenge, where she directed all internal and external communications, media relations, technology, government relations and fundraising. She is a Houston native and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Journalism degree. She is a co-founder of The Friends of the Times-Picayune Relief Fund, chairs the Communications Committee for the Texas Public Relations Association and served on the TPRA Board of Directors. Nan previously served as Director of Communications with the Texas Gulf Coast Chapter of the March of Dimes. As a newspaper reporter for 15 years, Nan covered the Senate, House and the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.; economics and personal finance for the New Orleans Times-Picayune; and wrote for the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and USA Today.

 Past President- Graham B. Painter, APR
 Executive VP Corporate Communications, Sterling Bank

 2550 N Loop West * Houston, TX 77092
 (713) 507-2770 * Fax: (713) 334-1110
 graham.painter@banksterling.com

Graham Painter has been working in public relations for 35 years. A graduate of the University of Houston, he joined Houston Lighting & Power Company in 1973, where he held a wide range of public relations positions. He also worked on legislative advocacy initiatives in Austin and Washington, D.C., and on international public relations related to the company's interests in Europe and Latin America. In the 1990's, he was named vice president of public affairs at CenterPoint Energy, HL&P's successor. In 2002, he joined Sterling Bank and its parent, Sterling Bancshares, Inc., where he serves as executive vice president of corporate communications.

He was named Outstanding PR Practitioner by TPRA in 2006 and received the Legacy Award from PRSA's Houston Chapter that same year. A senior fellow in the American Leadership Forum and a graduate of the Center for Houston's Future, he served on the Advertising Review Committee of the State Bar of Texas from 2004 through 2007.

Graham has held a number of executive positions in professional and trade associations, including president of TPRA, president of the Houston Chapter of PRSA, and chairman of the communications committee of the Edison Electric Institute. He previously served as president of the Houston-Harris County Immunization Registry, the Travelers' Aid Society of Texas, and as a member of the board of the Press Club Foundation of Houston, the Salvation Army, and the Gulf Coast March of Dimes. 

Beth Ann Black
 Sr. Media Relations Specialist, B.A. Black Public Relations, LLC

 147 Kingston Cr. * Coppell, TX 75019
 (972) 745-7638 * Fax: (972) 304-2075
 bethann@bablackpr.com

Owns B.A.Black Public Relations, LLC, a boutique public relations firm that provides public relations services, including media relations, crisis preparedness/response, external/internal corporate collateral/ communications and community relations that deals with issue/risk management. Based in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, the firm develops and implements plans for clients to achieve visibility and awareness that support long-term growth, profitability and positioning. Black publishes the FINDERBINDER® DFW Media Directory, a comprehensive guide to print and broadcast media in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. This publication offers listings that include contact information for media, statistics, ad rates and production data. As a senior public relations consultant, Black maintains extensive media relationships. Her background includes working with PR agencies (Victory Marketing & Communications and Edelman Worldwide), in corporate America (Mobil), with nonprofit agencies (Easter Seals and United Way) and for various media including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, El Paso Herald-Post and Young Presidents' Organization's Worldwide magazine. Black earned a Bachelor of Journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin, is married and has three grown, graduated-from-college and gainfully-employed daughters. She is "retiring" from four years as treasurer for PRSA Dallas Chapter and is an elder at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, leading the Stewardship campaign. 

 Sheri Davidson Smith
 President, Publicis PR

 14185 N Dallas Pkwy * Dallas, TX 75254
 (972) 628-7766 * Fax: (972) 628-7750
 sheri.smith@publicis-pr.com

President of Publicis PR, part of the fourth largest communications agency in the world. She specializes in lifestyle marketing PR, with an emphasis on word of mouth and marketing to females. Sheri is an award-winning communications professional with nearly 20 years of agency experience building brands through integrated communications initiatives, particularly brand advocate opportunities. She co-chaired the 2005 Texas Public Relations Association's (TPRA) Silver Spur & Best of Texas Awards ceremony and banquet "Herculean Achievements" and has served as a judge for the annual competition. Sheri is the 2007 Dallas Ad League Eagle Awards recipient for "Best PR Practitioner." In addition to TPRA, she is a member of PRSA and represents Publicis' Dallas office with Council of Public Relations Firms, WOMMA and Dallas Ad League.

 Steven Eames
 Vice President Corporate Communications, CVR Energy

 2277 Plaza Drive Suite 500 * Sugar Land, TX 77479
 (281) 207-3550 * Fax: (281) 207-3551
 smeames@cvrenergy.com

As vice president of corporate communications for CVR Energy, Inc., in Sugar Land, Eames contributes to virtually every aspect of the company's communications, investor relations and marketing programs. Prior to Eames joining CVR Energy when it went public in 2007, the company had been a cornerstone client of The Alliant Group, a broadly focused public relations company which Eames founded in 2001 to serve high-tech, energy, finance, hospitality and general corporate clients across the nation. During his more than 30 years in public relations, Eames has touched on virtually every aspect of corporate communications, public affairs and advertising practice at companies like IBM, The Coastal Corporation, USAA and EDS. He has twice served as a director of the Texas Public Relations Association (TPRA). Among other honors, he is most proud of receiving TPRA's Lone Star Award for supporting exemplary practice of public relations while at USAA and a commendation from NASA for his crisis management work after the Space Shuttle Challenger accident while at IBM.

 Chris Talley 
 USAA

 9800 Fredericksburg Rd * San Antonio, Texas 78288
 (210) 498-1479 
 chris.talley@usaa.com

Planned, managed, and executed numerous multi-state, multi-office corporate issues and communications programs. Former senior partner and senior vice president in Fleishman-Hillard's San Antonio office, Chris has an extensive network throughout Texas that spans media, community, and business leaders. He currently supports ConocoPhillips, the Boy Scouts of America, and The Regus Group and serves as the administrative lead for the San Antonio office. Through the years Chris has served as an FH "on-site" team leader at USAA and SBC Communications (now AT&T) and he has managed FH offices in Austin and Houston. He joined FH in 1995 from Houston's Churchill Group Inc. Prior to that, he spent five years in the public affairs department of Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver. Chris holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Baylor University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Colorado campus of the University of Phoenix. He serves on the executive board of the Alamo Area Council for Boy Scouts (San Antonio), the board of KRLN-PBS TV (San Antonio). For more than 20 years, Chris and his wife, Laura, have served on the media relations team for the AT&T Cotton Bowl. They also have volunteered in media relations capacities for numerous sporting events, including the NCAA men's and women's basketball championships. Chris and Laura have three children, Michael (13), Megan (10), and Caroline (8)..

 John Worthington
 Senior VP Corporate Communications, Security Service Federal Credit Union

 PO BOX 691510 * San Antonio, TX 78629-2520
 (210) 476-4747 * Fax: (210) 476-4469
 jworthington@ssfcu.org

John Worthington is Security Service Federal Credit Union's Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications. As spokesperson for the nation's 10th largest credit union, he communicates with external agencies and works with local, regional, national news media representatives and trade press. He directs the credit union's legislative affairs programs and interacts with elected officials at the local, state and federal levels, and he oversees the activities of the credit union's political action committee. Additionally, he is responsible for Security Service's extensive community relations program, corporate philanthropy activities and maintains liaison with federal regulatory agencies and credit union trade associations.

John also completed a 26-year career as an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel where he held key public affairs positions with the Air Force and the Department of Defense including the Pentagon where he served in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Worthington is involved in numerous civic and community organizations and activities and currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and on the Boards of Directors for the Texas Public Relations Association, the Texas Credit Union Legislative Coalition, the Bexar County Arts and Cultural Fund and on the University of Texas, San Antonio, Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Council. He also serves the Greater San Antoino Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs and Legislative Affairs Steering Committee. In 2003, he was awarded the Public Relations Society of America, San Antonio Chapter's "Del Oro Community Service Award" for time and public relations talents given in service to the community. He and his wife, Jackie, have two grown daughters, Julie and Jennifer.

2009-2010 Directors

 Michele Glaze, APR
 Dell, Inc.

 1809 Connors Cove * Cedar Park, TX 78613
 (512) 260-8478
 michele_glaze@dell.com

"Enthusiasm is contagious" is the motto that drives Michele Glaze. As a working mother, community volunteer and communications professional, her enthusiasm has been a valuable asset in every aspect of her life. Michele is currently the senior marketing and communications strategist for Dell's Corporate Responsibility team. In this role, she manages the communications and marketing strategy for Corporate Responsibility which includes diversity and inclusion, giving and volunteerism and environmental sustainability.

Michele has spent 11 years with Dell in various marketing and communications roles. Prior to Corporate Responsibility, she served as the global content marketing manager for Dell ProSupport, Dell's configurable service and support portfolio, and managed go-to-marketing planning for other global services offerings. She has also served as the communications and marketing manager for the Dell TechKnow program, worked in Public Affairs and handled the 15-city Dell Recycling Tour, managed the Dell Foundation and was instrumental in driving employee involvement through Direct Giving and One Dell: One Community and worked in employee communications. Additional work experience includes serving as the public relations manager for RenewData, managing employee communications at Motorola and coordinating marketing communications for Intermedics Orthopedics, St. David’s and Lutheran Hospital.

Michele is a graduate of the University of Texas with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. She is actively engaged in the community and has served in numerous leadership roles including president of the United Way of Williamson County, president of the Cedar Park Public Library and president of the Austin Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. She currently serves on the TPRA board of directors, chaired or volunteered for every TPRA Austin Conference for the past ten years and has judged, won and helped to coordinate the Silver Spur and Best of Texas awards program. Last year, she was honored to receive TPRA's highest honor, the Golden Spur.

Michele has a rich family history in Central Texas. She grew up in Bastrop and has a family museum in Rockne. Michele's enthusiasm comes from her family, especially her husband Gordon and the joys of her life, Daniel and Patrick.

 Christina J. Moore, APR
 Principal, Certain Solution

 6632 Ruxton Lane * Austin, TX 78749
 (512) 626-6060
 christinajmoore@certainsolutionusa.com

Christina J. Moore has an extensive background in strategic internal communication and leadership. Recently retired after a lengthy career with Freescale Semiconductor, Christina now serves as a leadership and communication consultant and adjunct professor in leadership and communication. At Freescale, she directed global employee communication for 22,000 employees in 30 countries. In 2004, she led Freescale's internal communication activities for one of the biggest technology IPOs the market saw that year. Christina has an international background, having spent several years abroad. She is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and attained a master's degree in organizational leadership and ethics at St. Edward's University. Her undergraduate degree also is from St. Edward's University: a BBA in marketing with a double major in theatre arts. She is the past chair of PRSA's Employee Communications section and served several years as ethics officer in Austin, Texas. As a former board member of TPRA, she often facilitated strategic planning and professional development opportunities. Christina has served on numerous TPRA conference committees, chaired professional development seminars and been awarded Best of Texas and Silver Spurs. In 2005, she received that organization's prestigious Golden Spur Award.

 Keith Schmidt
 Senior Communications Coordinator, Newfield Exploration

 363 N Sam Houston Pkwy E #2020 * Houston, TX 77060
 (281) 668-2650
 kschmidt@newfield.com

 Nelda Skevington
 Owner, Carrizales Skevington Public Relations, Inc.

 PMB #238, 18160 US Hwy 281N, Ste 108* San Antonio, TX 78232
 (210) 497-5200 * Fax: (830) 885-7182
 neldacs@neldapr.com

Nelda Carrizales Skevington is president and owner of Carrizales Skevington Public Relations, Inc., a marketing communications and public relations consultant company. With more than 10 years in public relations and marketing, Nelda's experience includes implementing programs on a local, regional, statewide and national basis for medium and small businesses to major Fortune 500 companies. Nelda is the recipient of multiple Silver Spur Awards TPRA, several honorable mentions from PRWeek, Certificate of Excellence from CIPRA, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Gold Quill Award and a Silver Anvil Award PRSA. Nelda also served as TPRA 50th Anniversary Conference Awards Chair and has been a member of TPRA since 1996. A native of San Antonio, Texas, Nelda is an active member of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Hill Country Chamber of Commerce, Bulverde/Spring Branch Area Chamber of Commerce, Texas Public Relations Association, Accessibility Fest Task Force, The National Society of Hispanic Professionals and The San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists. Nelda holds a bachelor's degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Marketing and a minor in Communications from Webster University, St. Louis, MO.

 Yvette Blair 
 Regional Vice President of Communications & Marketing, American Heart Association

Yvette Blair is a Dallasite with more than 17 years of solid experience in communications. A graduate of the University of North Texas in Denton, with a BA in Journalism and English Literature, she currently serves as the Regional Vice President of Communications & Marketing for the South Central Affiliate of the American Heart Association, where she is
charged with management of Communications & Marketing Directors in Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, helping them to rise to success in all aspects of media relations, marketing, cause sponsorship activations, and consistent messaging of the organization’s mission and news and adherence to branding guidelines. She formerly held the position of Dallas Communications Director.

 Raul Hinojosa, Jr.
 Director, UTD - Office of Diversity & Community Engagement

Raul Hinojosa Jr. joined The University of Texas at Dallas Office of Diversity and Community Engagement as director of Community Engagement in July 2008. As the founding director of this newly created office, he aims to increase awareness of higher education opportunities at the University to the diverse businesses and residents of North Texas. Hinojosa is an alumnus of the University of North Texas. He holds a bachelor’s of arts degree in journalism/public relations and a master's of public administration from UNT. He is currently completing a doctoral program in public affairs at UT Dallas.