Always one to add a little levity to the conversation, Chad often describes Café Momentum as “taking kids out of jail and teaching them to play with knives and fire.” But levity aside, it’s this charisma and passion to teach life, social and employment skills to Dallas’ most at-risk youth that makes Houser a hit with everyone from philanthropists and dinner-goers to the young people participating in the program. After 17 years as a chef, Chad sold his partnership of Parigi Restaurant to devote his full attention to the role of Executive Director of Café Momentum in 2012.

In the community, Chad has previously served as President of the board of directors for Dallas Farmers Market Friends and as Vice Chair of the El Centro Exes Association (Houser received his culinary training at El Centro) where is also a member of the El Centro College Food and Hospitality Institute “Hall of Fame.”

Recently, Chad and Café Momentum were featured in the Starbucks production of Upstanders Season 2, a series created to shine a light on stories of everyday Americans who are doing extraordinarily courageous things. He has also appeared on The Rachael Ray Show, The Chew, The Hero Effect and Pickler & Ben. Chad has received multiple nominations from D Magazine for “Best Up-And-Coming Chef” (2010) and “Best Chef” (2011 and 2012). In 2011, he received the Edible Dallas/Fort Worth “Local Hero – Chef” award. In 2017 and again for 2018 Chad has been named in the Best 500 Business Leaders in Dallas.

Chad was also selected as Dallas Business Journal’s “40 Under 40,” and as one of the United States Junior Chamber’s (Jaycee) 2015 Ten Outstanding Young Americans. He has been named to the “Top 50 Under 40” by the Social Enterprise Alliance, an “Urban Innovator to Watch” by the New Cities Foundation, as one of “30 Most Interesting People in the Metro Area” by the Dallas Observer, and one of Good Magazine’s “Good 100,” individuals at the cutting edge of creative impact across the globe.

Carol Roehrig continues to live her business ownership dream, following a vibrant corporate sales leadership career in the commercial furniture industry. As CEO of bkm Total Office of Texas, Carol champions kindness, collaboration, and learning as catalysts to career and company success. The bkm team serves customers in the corporate, healthcare, education and government markets with a goal “to enrich human connections through innovative workspaces.” ™ An active community volunteer, Carol serves on the Dallas Regional Chamber and the Southern Methodist University Central Library boards. Previous board work included Parkland Hospital, Steelcase National Dealer Council, and Forward Space. She led the Dallas County Komen for the Cure board, following two years as the Race Director for the Dallas Race for the Cure. Carol is an active member of the Executive Women’s Roundtable and Texas Women Venture Fund. A native of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Carol graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and completed her master’s in liberal studies at Southern Methodist University. An exercise enthusiast and former marathoner, Carol relishes being outdoors walking, hiking or cross- country skiing. When indoors she enjoys creative writing studies and knitting. Carol lives with her husband, Fred Seipp, mostly in Dallas, Texas and as often as possible in Crested Butte, CO.

Tim Keith serves as Chief Executive Officer of Texas Central Partners (TCP), a private, Texas-based company that is developing a high-speed passenger railway that will connect Dallas and Houston. As a seasoned executive and investor with nearly 25 years of financial and operational experience in large real estate and infrastructure projects, Mr. Keith has developed key relationships and perspectives critical to TCP’s success. Mr. Keith previously co-founded and served as chief investment officer of HKS Capital Advisors, a boutique investment advisory firm founded in 2011 with offices in Dallas and Chicago. HKS Capital Advisors provides investment advisory services and fund management expertise to high net worth investors with a focus on private enterprise transactions. Prior to HKS Capital Advisors, Mr. Keith was formerly the Global Chief Executive Officer of RREEF/Deutsche Bank Infrastructure Investments, where he managed the worldwide operations of the firm’s infrastructure funds management businesses. He had a 10-year career with RREEF/Deutsche Bank, a New York-based global alternative asset management firm, where he held various senior executive positions and served on the firm’s Global Executive Committee. He was a partner of RREEF America LLC, prior to its acquisition by Deutsche Bank and served as chief executive officer of Cabot Industrial Trust after he led its privatization on behalf of RREEF clients. Previous to RREEF, Mr. Keith served as an executive at Hunt Realty Investments where he helped found, grow, and sell Meridian Industrial Trust. Mr. Keith currently serves as a member of the Westmont College board of trustees, and was formerly chairman of Maher Terminals, USA board of directors and a member of Maher Terminals’ Canada board of directors. He also served on the board of Spark Infrastructure in Australia. Mr. Keith graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and business administration from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. He and his wife Susan reside in Dallas and have two children.

Gary Brock is executive vice president and chief integrated delivery network officer for Baylor Scott & White Health (BSWH), an integrated health care delivery system serving the Central and North Texas regions. BSWH currently consists of more than 1,050 patient care access sites which includes 48 hospitals, 27 ambulatory surgery centers, 8 free-standing emergency medical centers, 21 retail pharmacies, 3 senior health centers, 483 outpatient ancillary facilities, 172 primary care clinics, and 546 specialty care clinics. These patient access sites are staffed by 44,000+ employees and over 10,400 credentialed physicians. The system’s total assets exceed $11.8 billion and $7.8 billion in total net operating revenue based on fiscal year 2018 integrated strategic financial plan. More than 200 third- and fourth-year medical students, 700 residents and fellows representing 14 specialties and 18 subspecialties are currently enrolled and in training at BSWH facilities. Innovative research developing therapies from bench to bedside is conducted throughout the system which currently consists of 50 research locations and 750 research investigators. As the chief integrated delivery network officer, Mr. Brock provides direct executive leadership and oversight for managed care and network development. He also has executive responsibility for the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance (an accountable care organization) consisting of over 5,800 physician members serving over 400,000 covered lives, and HealthTexas Provider Network (physician clinics and practice management company). The organization annually cares for over 800,000 unique patients resulting in over 2.5 million patient encounters. Throughout his distinguished 30+ year career with Baylor, Mr. Brock has held many leadership positions. He most recently served as the president and chief operating officer for the North Texas Division of Baylor Scott & White Health. He has held numerous positions, including chief operating officer, executive vice president, and senior vice president of managed care and physician network development for the Baylor Health Care System, as well as president of Baylor Medical Center at Garland. Mr. Brock holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Oklahoma and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. An active member of the health care profession, he is a past chairman of the Texas Hospital Association (THA). The THA has honored Mr. Brock as the 2016 recipient of the Earl M. Collier Award for Distinguished Health Care Administration. He is the chairman of the Texas Health Ventures Group board of managers – a joint venture with United Surgical Partners International which develops and operates surgery centers and short-stay hospitals in partnership with local physicians in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. He is also a board member of the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance. Additionally, he serves on the board of the Dallas Regional Chamber.

Kathy Doyle Thomas is the executive vice president of the nation's largest independent bookseller, Half Price Books. Her responsibilities include developing national marketing efforts for the wholesale and retail divisions of the company, as well as managing store expansion criteria and site selection. She also heads the company's three Web site divisions. Thomas is on the corporate advisory board of Literacy USA and serves as a board member and past Chairperson of the board for the CMO Council, a division of the National Retail Federation.

Prior to working at Half Price Books, Thomas spent seven years in public broadcasting with KERA Channel 13, KERA 90.1 and KDTN Channel 2. Her responsibilities with those stations included media supervisor and "DIAL" magazine editor.

Thomas' professional achievements have been honored with Women in Communications' Matrix and Clarion awards, National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting system advertising awards, the Dallas Advertising League's TOPS awards, and the Dallas Press Club's Katie award. Her team at Half Price Books has won numerous national advertising awards as well. Ten years ago, she helped found Literacy USA and was the first member of the corporate advisory board. Thomas also has been recognized by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, has been named outstanding member of the Dallas Advertising League, and was named one of the top women in cross-channel retail by Retail Online Integration.

Her efforts on behalf of literacy organizations and her marketing expertise have lead to speaking engagements in communities across the country. She is a driven marketer who has a passion for children and literacy as well as campaigns and ideas that are well executed.

Acclaimed hospitality leader Roger Ponce, General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas has deep Texas roots and an illustrious hospitality career to the AAA Five Diamond hotel. Roger Ponce joined The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas this past year from prior position as Regional Area Luxury Director of Operations for Marriott International – a role in which he provided operational leadership to 34 top-rated properties within The Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Bulgari, Edition, St. Regis, Luxury Collection and W portfolios. Prior to assuming his Marriott International position, he was Hotel Manager, and before that, Executive Assistant Manager, Rooms and Director of Meetings and Special Events, for The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman -- ranked the #1 hotel in the Caribbean for several years running.

Roger Ponce has also held numerous hotel leadership titles, including Director of Catering and Conference Services for The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans; Executive Director of Conference Services for The San Luis Resort & Conference Center in Galveston; and senior management positions for The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun; The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan Hotel, Spa & Casino; and the former Ritz-Carlton, Houston, where he was named Employee of the Year. He has also been active in community associations throughout the world including Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Humane Society, public education initiatives, local chambers of commerce and tourism, city council leadership boards, and high-profile environmental/sustainability causes.

Growing up in a family of builders laid the foundation and by thirteen, Don Powell was working commercial construction projects and on his way to an architecture degree from Ball State University. He began his career in Indianapolis, and four decades ago launched the firm now known as BOKA Powell. A broad range of projects followed, and after planning and designing more than 35 million square feet of architecture and interiors, he maintains that the best design solutions come from a thorough understanding of the problem and allowing that clarity to drive the process. Don stays deeply involved in his projects from beginning to end and continues his professional education through Executive Graduate Courses at Harvard Graduate School of Design. EDUCATION Bachelor of Architecture Ball State University Muncie, Indiana Bachelor of Science Environmental Design Ball State University Muncie, Indiana Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Graduate Courses Cambridge, Massachusetts REGISTRATIONS Licensed Architect – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, Virginia Interior Designer – Texas AFFILIATIONS American Institute of Architects Texas Society of Architects National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Urban Land Institute Office Development Council Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas Board of Directors, 2000-2015 Chairman - 2008 City of Parker, Texas Planning and Zoning Commission Past Chairman Zoning Board of Adjustments Past Chair

AWARDS Ball State University, Award of Outstanding Achievement, 2008 D CEO Magazine, Excellence In Architecture 2013