Jonathan L. Allred, a Dallas native, is partner at Allred Capital Management, Raymond James and Associates, Inc. He received his BBA from the University of Texas at Arlington. Allred is involved in the Mineralogical Association of Dallas and enjoys hunting, fishing, and traveling. He and his wife Emalie and their two sons live in Coppell.

Licensed professional engineer John Aughinbaugh, of Fort Worth, studied engineering science at Trinity University, civil engineering at UTA, and ranch management at TCU. He serves as head of Trinity Enterprise, providing real estate, land and development services. He also raises Black Angus and Charolais cattle on ranches in Brown and Callahan County. Aughinbaugh has served on numerous community boards, including the Parkland Hospital in Dallas.

Born in Chicago, Fred Bangs, of Irving, has worked as an insurance broker for more than 30 years. Since 2007, he has been employed by Wortham Insurance in Dallas, serving clients in the energy and chemical industries. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf and fishing. Bangs and his wife Mary Lynn have three children.

Martin Beirne is a founding partner of the Houston law firm Beirne, Maynard, & Parsons. He also served this country as a captain in the Army from 1969-1971. Beirne did undergraduate work at Springhill College and graduated with honors from St. Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio, where he was the editor-in-chief of the school’s law journal.

A Washington, D.C., native, Dr. Robert A. Bettis, of Irving, is a retired dentist who opened his practice 1964. A graduate of Baylor University and the Baylor University College of Dentistry, he was elected to the Board of Trustees of Dallas County Community College District four times, serving twice as chair. Active in local affairs, he is married to wife Sunny and enjoys collecting antique weapons and photography.

Patrick Biggins, an Ohio native, and his wife Sandra reside in Corpus Christi. Together they have three daughters. Biggins is a financial advisor and graduated from The University of

Texas at Dallas, with a BS in finance in 1984. He has always had an interest in history, and his favorite hero of Texas history is Sam Houston.

Attorney John F. Boyle, Jr., was born in Chicago, but he reports that he “lived there for only one month before he made the decision to move to Fort Worth.” He and his wife Kitty have six children. A former Texas legislator, Boyle is a loyal fan of The University of Texas Longhorns and the Dallas Cowboys. He lists Sam Houston as one of his Texas heroes because of his courage, intelligence, and “because he liked bourbon whiskey.”

Shannon Wilson Callewart, a native of Dallas (where she still lives), is involved in the investments field. She enjoys travel, reading, cooking, and gardening. Callewart, the mother of two girls, is a member of the Dallas Historical Society, an organization that she served as vice president of education. She is a fan of the artwork of Texas artist Tom Lea.

Sam Coats, a graduate of University of Texas at Austin, currently resides in Dallas with his wife, Judy. Coats has had a highly diverse career as an airline executive, corporate turnaround specialist, lawyer, public servant, and civic leader. Coats also served as CEO of six different companies, on numerous boards, including the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Board, the Dallas Holocaust Museum, the Advisory Board of the DFW Area Salvation Army, and more. In 2007 he was a candidate for Mayor of Dallas.

R.J. Johnson Collins was born in Uvalde and raised on the Johnson Ranch, which has been in her family since 1945. She has a master’s degree in education from Pan American University, where she was a faculty member. Collins has performed with the likes of Barry Manilow and in front of Dallas Cowboys, Houston Astros, and San Antonio Spurs fans. She joined THF in 2008 and is married to husband Corky.

Brian Costanza, of Fort Worth, is the executive vice president of an insurance company that bears his family name. From 2000-2002, he was marketing associate for Southwest Securities Inc. An active outdoorsman who likes to fish, hunt, and golf, Costanza is a graduate of SMU in economics and finance. He is married to wife Allenna; they have four children.

Judy Davis is the membership coordinator of Texas Police Chiefs Association. She spent much of her adult life in Dallas working in the travel industry, which fueled her passion for globetrotting. In 2001 she returned to the place where she had grown up—Elgin—and joined the Elgin Historical Association, becoming a board member a year later. Davis has been involved in the production of two books – Elgin, Etc. and More Stories – Elgin, Etc. With her sister she also authored the Images of America – ELGIN.

Patrick DePole, of Frisco, was born in Colledimezzo, Italy, and immigrated to the United States at the age of seven with his mother. After college and a stint in the United States Marines, Pat became a partner in a Metroplex home building company. In 1989, he joined as part owner of an aircraft air-conditioning manufacturing company that has since been sold. DePole and his wife Rebecca are now retired.

Tom C. Doell, of Dallas, graduated from The University of Texas with a BA and MBA in accounting. Now retired, Doell was a co-owner of Keith Products, LP, a company that designed, certified, and manufactured environmental control systems for airplanes and helicopters. Doell is an avid pilot; he enjoys traveling and fly fishing and splits his time between Dallas and his ranch near Mason.

Marshall J. Doke, Jr., is an attorney at Foley Gardere in Dallas. He joined the THF board in 1993 and has served as chair and president of the organization; in recognition of his service, THF bestowed the title of chair emeritus on him in 2008. Doke also is the chair of the Texas Scottish Rite History Committee. He is married to wife Betty.

Originally from Chicago, Bob Driskell has spent much of his adult life working as a control systems engineer at WorleyParsons in Houston, a company that provides project delivery and consulting to the resource and energy sectors. Now retired, Driskell serves as a board member for the Friends of Freeman Library, where he regularly volunteers and writes grants for the organization. His hobbies include fishing and playing duplicate bridge.

Michael Duda runs a private real estate investment and development company in Dallas. He holds a degree in architecture from the University of Notre Dame and subsequently earned an MBA from the SMU Cox School of Business. He is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Urban Land Institute.

Born in Bowie and raised in Ranger, Bruce Elsom is an information technology professional now living in Houston. He has taught at Midland College and worked in management positions with Mobil, Exxon/Mobil, and FloTek Industries. Elsom is president of the Texas Historical Foundation and holds a BBA and an MBA from Texas A&M. He is married to wife Kristi.

Lewis Fisher, of San Antonio, is co-founder of Fisher Heck Architects. He worked for famed Texas firm O’Neil Ford in the 1970s and now focuses his work on religious institutions and revitalizing historic districts across the state.

Llano businesswoman Caira Franz joined the THF board in 2013. She is the director of public relations and a member of the board of directors for Market Basket Food Stores. Franz has served the Seton Hospital Development Fund in her community and other groups in Southeast Texas, including the South Jefferson County Medical Alliance. She is married to Dr. Mike Franz.

Joseph J. French, Jr., of Dallas, is a retired attorney. He obtained his LLB from The University of Texas School of Law and was a pilot in the Air Force during the Korean War. French and his wife Carol have four adult children.

Joseph French III, of Georgetown, joined his father on the board in 2015. He received his BA from Southwestern University and later, his MBA from SMU. With more than 30 years experience as a financial advisor, French serves as a first vice president of the Goodwater Wealth Management Group of Raymond James in Georgetown. He is married to wife Joy.

Don Frost joined the THF board in 2013. He is the executive vice president of Frost Bank Capital Markets Division in San Antonio. Frost is a current executive committee and board member of the Alamo City’s McNay Museum, the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, and chair of the Centro Inc., a public-private partnership focused on downtown urban revitalization. He is a graduate of The University of Texas with a degree in finance and is married to wife Lou Celia.

Originally from Abilene but now living in Nacogdoches, Barbara Gee Gandy is a residential real estate broker. An active community volunteer, Gandy enjoys reading, traveling, and big game hunting with her husband Bill. Gandy named Sam Houston, also from Nacogdoches, as her favorite Texas hero.

Originally from Laredo, now living in Houston, Paulette Gerukos works for the Department of Human Resources at Luby's Fuddruckers Restaurants, LLC. Gerukos enjoys reading, and her favorite authors are her father and Charles Darwin.

A Texas native, Carol Gideon now resides in McLean, Virginia. A graduate of Texas Tech, she is a retired teacher, private tutor, and mother of four children. After her daughter Emily’s birth in Virginia, she placed a box of Texas dirt under her crib to provide her with “Texas roots.” In Gideon’s spare time, she enjoys gardening and jewelry making.

Stephen L. Hardin, Ph.D. is a professor of history at McMurry University, who was elected a THF scholar director in 2015. He wrote the award-winning Texian Illiad: A Military History of the Texas Revolution and Texian Macabre: The Melancholy Tale of a Hanging in Early Houston. In addition, Hardin has also provided specialist commentary on the A&E Network, the History Channel, the Discovery Network, and NBC’s TODAY show. He and wife is Deborah live in Abilene.

Robert A. Higley, Houston, received both his undergraduate degree and his MBA at The University of Texas at Austin. Currently, Higley, who is a graduate of the South Texas College of Law, is first vice president-investments for Integrity Wealth Management Group, Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. Married to Laura, Higley enjoys reading, hiking, hunting, and fishing.

Kay Hindes is city archeologist of San Antonio. Prior to being hired by the city, she was an independent archeologist and research historian specializing in historical/archival research and Spanish Colonial archeology. Hindes, co-discoverer of the Mission Santa Cruz de San Saba in Menard County, has been honored for her work by the Texas Historical Commission, the Southern Texas Archeological Association, and THF. In January 2015, Hindes was named a THF scholar director.

Darrel Holmquist of Georgetown, is the owner and president of Holmquist Geotechnical Group. Holmquist graduated from The University of Texas with a BS in consulting engineering in 1974 and obtained his MS in 1976. He has received the Preston Miller Award from the American Council of Independent Laboratories and the Mayor’s Appreciation Award from Denver International Airport. Having grown up just two blocks from the Chisholm Trail, Holmquist has always been interested in Texas history and preservation.

Ele Jordan, of Dripping Springs, is branch manager at Stifel, a brokerage and investment banking firm. Jordan received her BBA in management from St. Edward’s University in Austin. She is married to husband, Mason, and they have two sons. Her favorite authors are Pat Conroy and John Irving.

David Magar of Amarillo, is a retired national bank examiner and the son-in-law of Montie Goodin, who is largely responsible for the restoration of the Charles Goodnight House. A graduate of Texas Tech University, Magar has recently relocated to Amarillo with his wife, Elizabeth, where they plan to rebuild the family ranch, which was part of the original Charles Goodnight Ranch. Since retirement, Magar wants to be involved with organizations that celebrate and educate people about history.

Dian Malouf, of Dallas, is a jewelry designer, photographer, and author of several books, including The Cattle Kings, which documents the lives of some of Texas’s most reclusive ranchers. Malouf was born in Houston and raised in Hebbronville. Malouf says that The Dallas Nine and others from Texas who painted during the 1930s and ’40s are among her favorite artists.

David D. Martinez is chairman of the Texas Historical Foundation. Martinez is president of PBS of Texas, a building services firm headquartered in Fort Worth. He is on the board of the DFW Airport Interfaith Chaplaincy and the Archangels Men's Auxiliary of Catholic Charities of Dallas, and is active in Genesis Heroes, Diocese of Dallas Catholic Campaign. He is married to wife Megan.

Red McCombs, of San Antonio, is an honorary director of the Texas Historical Foundation. His donation provided the funds for THF’s HERITAGE Endowment, supporting the Foundation’s award-winning magazine. McCombs was a co-founder of Clear Channel Communications and a driving force behind the Hemisfair and the Alamodome in San Antonio, in addition to Formula 1 Racing in Austin. He and his wife Charline have three adult daughters.

Henry Meadows, of Austin, is a retired accountant who has

as served on the board since 1997.

John B. Meadows, of Austin, is past president and chairman of the board of the Texas Historical Foundation. He is a descendant of Texas Ranger Captain James Cunningham and honors his ancestor by serving with the Former Texas Rangers Foundation. An attorney, Meadows and his wife Vicki have three children.

Dr. Tom Middlebrook is a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Nacogdoches. He is also an avid avocational archeologist, a life member of the Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Dallas Archeological societies, and was an archeological steward for the Texas Historical Commission. Middlebrook is active with the Nacogdoches County Historical Commission; he and his wife Sylvia have five children.

John Moore is a native Texan, raised in the Houston area, who resides in Corpus Christi with his wife Minta. He is the president and general manager of JM Supply Inc. Moore is a member of the Corpus Christi Rotary Club and the Corpus Christi Mustangs, a business group that cooks and donates barbecue to support charities throughout South Texas.

Kathy Myers is a real estate agent in Dallas. She and her husband Dan have six grown children. When it comes to Texas history, Myers is interested in pioneer women, German immigration, and the Galveston storm of 1900. She named a male Texas hero (Mirabeau B. Lamar, the “Father of Public Education”) and a female heroine—Jane Long— called the “Mother of Texas” because she was one of the first English-speaking women to bear a child on Lone Star soil.

Joe Nebhan is a licensed real estate agent in El Paso where he was born and raised. Having expertise in both building preservation and ethnic studies, Nebhan is active in Texas history preservation. He takes a special interest in the Texas Rangers as it was “the force that civilized West Texas.”

After graduating from Texas Tech University and serving in the U.S. Army, Lee Pfluger of San Angelo, received a master’s degree in business and finance from The University of Texas. He began his career as the CFO for Anderson Clayton’s operations in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Now a rancher, Pfluger is married to wife Candyce and active with the West Texas Rehabilitation Center and local cultural arts groups.

Margaret Purvis, is active in the oil and gas business and serves as a member of the board of directors and as vice-president of Purvis Oil Corp. Active with local and state organizations, Purvis was named to the 2010 National Advisory Board of the Laura Bush Institute for Women’s Health at Texas Tech University. She is has traveled around the world for leisure and church missions.

Patrick O. Rayes, THF treasurer, was born in San Antonio but now lives with his wife Linda in Dallas. Rayes is involved in oil and gas investments, but he is also a trained chef. Perhaps because of his involvement in oil and gas, Rayes says that he has keen interest in that aspect of Lone Star history. He is another fan of Sam Houston because he fought to keep Texas from leaving the Union, yet remained loyal to the state.

Kelly Rushing, of Houston, served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and received both his BA and MBA from The University of Texas at Austin. He is managing director of U.S. Capital Advisors L.L.C. and served as THF president and chairman. Rushing is involved with Open Door Mission, a faith-based recovery and rehabilitation center and married to wife Mary Lynn.

Michael A. Sabota, a South Dakota native, and his wife Jamie are parents of two adult children and reside in Tyler. Sabota is a financial advisor who enjoys Civil War relics and has a large collection of artifacts. He is also a beekeeper. The three guests he would ask to his fantasy dinner are Robert E. Lee, George Washington, and Winston Churchill.

Hank Seale, a native of Bryan, graduated from Texas Tech. He lives on a ranch in Dripping Springs with his wife Lyssa and has two children. Seale is founder and chairman of Q2, an international banking software business. In 2015 he was awarded the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur Award. In his spare time, Seale enjoys hunting, fishing, and traveling.

Billye Proctor Shaw, of Abilene, is a businesswoman involved in investments and the oil industry. She is married to Glynn Ray and has four children. Shaw was chair of the Texas Commission on the Arts and still serves as a commissioner for that organization. She enjoys art, cooking, entertaining, and bridge.

William J. Sibley, of San Antonio, is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and rancher. He began his career in New York, where he wrote and directed plays, including several that were performed off-Broadway. In 2015, he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters. Sibley has also worked on historic preservation projects in Texas, including the restoration of the Christine Depot.

Attorney J. Allen Smith, of Lone Oak, is president of SettlePou, a Dallas law firm, and chair of the group’s commercial litigation practice. He received his bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University and his law degree from South Texas College of Law. Along with his wife Jane and his mother Nancy, Smith operates his family’s Singing Bell Ranch, founded by his grandparents in 1952.

Julie DeWees Sparks, of Houston is a Docent at Bayou Bend Collection & Gardens, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. She retired from British Petroleum in 2016 and has worked in the oil and gas business all of her career. A graduate of LSU with a BS in International Finance and UH with MBA in Economics, Julie enjoys gardening, reading and traveling. She is married to THF Director Michael Sparks.

Michael Sparks, of Houston, joined the THF board in 2013. He is married to wife Julie. Born in Victoria, Sparks works in international sales in the oil industry and enjoys hunting and clay shooting. His favorite Texas author is J. Evetts Haley.

Dian Graves Stai, of Fredericksburg, is a woman of many firsts: first chairperson of the Texas Department of Commerce, first woman to chair the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, and the first chairman of the board and owner of Owen Healthcare, Inc., a hospital pharmacy management company, which merged with Cardinal Healthcare in the late 1990s. Through the Dian Graves Owen Foundation, she has supported many philanthropic causes, including historical preservation. She is married to Harlan.

Laura Wahlquist Stockdale, of Dallas, provides THF guidance in marketing, communications and philanthropic fundraising. Stockdale is also on the board of directors for the United Way of Dallas. She would enjoy having Jim Carey, Will Farrell, and Melissa McCarthy as her rollicking fantasy dinner companions. Her mother, Elizabeth, is also on the THF board.

Bill Strother, of Dallas, has been on the Texas Historical Foundation board since 2002. A retired insurance executive, Strother and his wife Sharon also have a home and business in Panola County in East Texas.

Angela B. Styles is a partner in Bracewell LLP’s government contracts practice. Previously, she served in the federal government as administrator for Federal Procurement Policy within the Office of Management and Budget at the White House, a position requiring confirmation by the United States Senate. She graduated from The University of Texas School of Law and lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband Scott.

Elizabeth Susser is a former president and chair of the Texas Historical Foundation. Elizabeth now serves as chair of the Grants Committee, a position she has held since 1992. A native of Brownsville, Susser is a retired Spanish and bilingual teacher and pre-school administrator. She and her husband Jerry have two adult children. She is interested in South Texas history and the Crypto-Jews in the diaspora and enjoys authors Clive Cussler and W.E.B. Griffin.

A native of Uvalde, Mary Lee Taylor is a fifth-generation Texan and the great-granddaughter of Houston oilman, T.P. Lee. She has been involved in family ranch operations in Texas and New Mexico all of her life. Taylor has lived in the Del Rio area for 40 years, where she teaches business and computer classes, and sells real estate.

Ralph B. Thomas was born and still lives in Houston. He received a BBA in finance and an MBA from The University of Texas. He is past chairman of The University of Texas College of Business Administration Foundation Advisory Council as well as the Development Board for the UT Health Science Center of Houston. Thomas is married to wife Bette.

Born in Dallas, Wendy Thomas is president and CEO of Thomas Protective Services, Inc, a security services corporation. A resident of Kaufman, Thomas graduated from The University of Texas with a BA in history and elementary education. She s has a son and daughter, and her favorite author is Larry McMurtry.

Sylvia Navarro Tillotson, of Dallas, is a sixth-generation native of San Antonio, and a direct descendant of José Antonio Navarro, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Vice president of the Foundation, she is founder of Friends of Casa Navarro, which supports the preservation of the Navarro Museum and Historic Site in the Alamo City. During Tillotson’s career, she was a fashion model, instructor, and business owner. Tillotson and her husband John have five sons.

Sheila Umphrey, of Beaumont, was raised in Port Arthur and studied fine arts at Lamar University. An interior designer and animal rights supporter, she has served on the board of Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont and the Service League of Port Arthur. She was elected an honorary director of THF in 2013.

Walter Umphrey, of Beaumont, began his legal career as a prosecuting attorney in Jefferson County after graduating from Baylor Law School. He ultimately became the chief felony prosecutor for the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office. In 1969, Umphrey and David Provost joined forces and opened Provost Umphrey Law Firm. He became an honorary director of THF in 2013.

Kurt von Plonski, a Houston native, joined the Texas Historical Foundation board in 2015. A graduate of Texas A&M, von Plonski has more than 30 years of experience as a petroleum engineer. He is the managing director and co-founder of Battlecat Oil & Gas, LLC and the founder and president of Sentry Technologies, Inc. Kurt is married to wife Lori, and they have three sons.

A native of Beloit, Wisconsin, Elizabeth Wahlquist, worked as a flight attendant (and later in the public relations department) for Braniff Airlines, serving as the company representative on an All Airlines Safety Board. Wahlquist served on the board of the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas and on several local government and planning groups. She was married to the late Jack Wahlquist, a longtime THF director and benefactor.

Clark Wernecke, Ph.D., was elected to the board as a scholar director in 2014. Originally from Cedarburg, Wisconsin, Wernecke is the executive director of the Gault School of Archaeological Research in Austin. With more than 30 years of field experience, he has surveyed important pre-historic and historic sites throughout Texas. Clark and his wife Melissa reside in Pflugerville, and they are the parents of two daughters.

Helen Widener, of Irving, is a native of Conway, Arkansas. Widener has always had a passion for history and has written four books, including Scraps of Life, a historical book featuring a quilt made by Elizabeth Patton Crockett, wife of David Crockett. When not writing or studying history, Widener also enjoys genealogy and quilting.

Ty Wood is an attorney from Colorado City who enjoys restoring historical buildings. He joined the THF board in July 2014. Wood is interested in the pioneers of West Texas and the Panhandle, in addition to Native American history. He and his wife Amie have three daughters.

Entrepreneur and businessman Jack Young and his wife Mina live in Dallas. Young’s business background is diverse with experience in oil and gas, real estate, financial services, and investments. He is a graduate of Baylor University College of Dentistry.