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Speakers
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Sewell Chan Editor in Chief The Texas Tribune Texas Lyceum Class of 2023 Sewell Chan joined The Texas Tribune as editor in chief in October 2021. Previously he was a deputy managing editor and then the editorial page editor at the Los Angeles Times, where he oversaw coverage that was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing in 2021. Chan worked at the New York Times from 2004 to 2018, as a metro reporter, Washington correspondent, deputy Op-Ed editor and international news editor. He began his career as a local reporter at the Washington Post in 2000. A child of immigrants, Chan was the first in his family to graduate from college. He has a degree in social studies from Harvard and a master's in political science from Oxford, where he studied on a British Marshall scholarship. He serves on the boards of Columbia Journalism Review, Freedom House and Harvard Magazine. He is a member of PEN America, the Council on Foreign Relations and numerous journalism organizations. He was elected to the board of the Pulitzer Prizes in 2022 and joined the national judging panel of the Livingston Awards in 2023. |
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Michael Crain City Councilmember (District 3) City of Fort Worth Texas Lyceum Class of 2017 As a real estate broker, public servant, philanthropist, and father, Michael has a variety of qualities that help make him successful in this role. Holding a B.A. from Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, a J.D. from Texas A&M University School of Law, an M.B.A. from The State University of New Jersey’s Rutgers Business School and a certificate in Executive Leadership from Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business, his education is well rounded. Michael began his career in administration and public policy through roles with former Fort Worth Mayor Kenneth Barr, former Congressman Pete Geren and Congresswoman Kay Granger. Through these opportunities he gained valuable skills he uses in his public service role as the District 3 City Councilman. |
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Joseph DeLeon President Texas Health Fort Worth Since 2013, DeLeon has been president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth. That hospital, which opened in 1987, serves the communities of Fort Worth, Benbrook, Crowley, Aledo, and Granbury. DeLeon, a graduate of Leadership North Texas, Leadership Fort Worth, and Leadership Bryan-College Station, is a former captain of the United States Air Force Medical Services Corps. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in business management in 1991 and a master’s in public administration in 1994 from Texas A&M University. |
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Donald Frazier Director The Texas Center at Schreiner University Dr. Donald S. Frazier is the Director of The Texas Center at Schreiner University in Kerrville and is the award-winning author of several books on Texas and Borderlands history. Frazier has taught in college classrooms at Texas Christian University, McMurry University, and Schreiner University and has worked extensively in public history. He is a member of the Philosophical Society of Texas, the Texas State Historical Association, The Texas Historical Foundation, and is an advisor to The Alamo, the Texas Education Agency, and the State Board of Education. Recently, Governor Gregg Abbott appointed him to head the Texas 1836 Project. |
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Wesley Gentle Executive Director & President Arts Fort Worth Wesley Gentle, CFRE serves as executive director and president for Arts Fort Worth (formerly the Arts Council of Fort Worth), leading teams responsible for arts grants, public art services, management of the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, and arts advocacy efforts. He also works throughout North Texas as a vocalist, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Texas Christian University and a Master of Music degree in opera performance from the Boston Conservatory. Gentle currently serves as president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Fort Worth Metro Chapter and on the board of Texans for the Arts. |
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Rep. Craig Goldman Texas State Representative (District 97) Texas House of Representatives Craig Goldman won election to serve his first term as Texas State Representative in November of 2012. He represents District 97, which encompasses southwest Tarrant County. Before taking office, Representative Goldman experienced a career in both business and political fields. For nearly a decade, he and his father ran a retail gourmet food and fine wine store in Fort Worth, and he has worked on campaigns helping to elect officeholders at the local, state, and national levels. |
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Anette Soto Landeros President Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Anette Soto Landeros became the head of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (FWHCC) in July 2019, after an extensive and successful career in federal service. Before joining the chamber, Landeros was a project manager leading teams of federal auditors in evaluating program performance and regulatory compliance for the Office of Inspector General at the United States Department of Transportation. Landeros holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a master’s from the LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin, both in public policy. She’s an alumnae of the Leadership Fort Worth LeadingEdge Class of 2011. She is the immediate past state chair of the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas, and is the youngest person elected to lead the organization’s statewide mission and provided direction for chapters located in 8 different cities throughout Texas. She was recognized by Telemundo as a “Heroe Hispana” and selected as one of HWNT’s Estrellas de Tejas in 2014. She was featured as one of 2015 Women to Watch and 2016 Forty Under Forty by the Fort Worth Business Press, and as one of 12 national nominees for the 2016 Coors Light Lider of the Year award. Most recently, Landeros was named a 2017 Woman of Distinction by the Girls Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains. She serves on various local boards including Fort Worth Sister Cities International, Carter BloodCare and the Planned Parenthood Community Board. |
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Opal Lee Director Juneteenth Museum Opal Lee's single greatest passion exemplifies her sense of community spirit. For over 40 years, Mrs. Lee, along with the help of many others, strives every year to keep and expand the celebration of our “Day of Freedom” June 19, 1865 when slaves in Texas found out they were free. Her vision for Juneteenth has grown from a single day community picnic at Sycamore Park to a multi-day celebration in downtown Fort Worth that includes a parade, breakfast of prayer, honors banquet, Miss Juneteenth Pageant, Health & Job Fair, 5K Run, Art Exhibit, Golf Tournament, Gospel Festival, food vendors, children’s play area and much, much more. She is part of the NJOF a national movement started by the late Dr. Ronald Myers to have Juneteenth declared a National Holiday much like Flag Day or Presidents Day. There are 47 states that recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday. in 2016 at age 90, she started a walking campaign all across the nation to bring attention and awareness to the need for a National Day of Observance for Juneteenth. Since she knows she won’t be around forever, she is grooming enthusiastic young people to pass the torch to when the time comes.
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David McCloskey Author McCloskey Books David McCloskey is the author of Damascus Station. He is a former CIA analyst and former consultant at McKinsey & Company. While at the CIA, he wrote regularly for the President’s Daily Brief, delivered classified testimony to Congressional oversight committees, and briefed senior White House officials, Ambassadors, military officials, and Arab royalty. He worked in CIA field stations across the Middle East throughout the Arab Spring and conducted a rotation in the Counterterrorism Center focused on the jihad in Syria and Iraq. During his time at McKinsey, David advised national security, aerospace, and transportation clients on a range of strategic and operational issues. David holds an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies, where he specialized in energy policy and the Middle East. He lives in Texas with his wife and three children. |
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Philipp Meyer Writer Harper Collins Publishers Philipp Meyer is the author of two novels, The Son and American Rust. The Son was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; both novels have been translated into thirty languages. He served as creator, writer, executive producer, and technical advisor for AMC’s television adaptation of The Son. Meyer grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Baltimore, MD and dropped out of high school. He eventually got degrees from Cornell University and the University of Texas. Before making it as a writer he worked as an EMT, construction worker, bike mechanic, and derivatives trader at a Swiss investment bank. In 2017, he was made a chevalier (knight) in the French Government’s Order of Arts and Letters. His third novel, The City, will be published in 2025. |
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Jaila Moore Texas Lyceum Fellow Texas Southern University Jaila Moore is a student of the Executive Masters of Public Administration program at Texas Southern University. Jaila is a graduate of Sam Houston State University’s baccalaureate program for Criminal Justice. She has the pleasure of serving families as a mental health clinician at a non profit organization, Journey Through Life. Jaila is also a professional poet. As a performer, she uses art to unite diverse groups through conversation and shared interests. Her work shows that different groups and socioeconomic classes become unified under the sanctum of poetry and prompt the exploration of ways to exist together in our differences. |
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Mattie Parker Mayor City of Fort Worth Reelected in 2023 with 70% of the vote, Mattie Parker has served as the 45th Mayor of Fort Worth, Texas since 2021. Parker is focused on building a safer and stronger Fort Worth, nurturing thriving families, and fostering the highest quality of life in every ZIP code of the nation’s 13th largest city. Launching her vision to build Fort Worth into a world-class city, Mayor Parker’s next-generation leadership includes key efforts and community partnerships to bolster Fort Worth’s development to compete in a global economy, improve public safety, expand access to education and workforce opportunities, and preserve the city’s rich heritage with a pioneering spirit and determination to leave things better than she found them. Mayor Parker’s commitment to supporting strong police and fire services while making Fort Worth cleaner and safer has resulted in additional sworn officers and firefighters, dedicated support to Neighborhood Patrol and Crisis Intervention teams, as well as additional street sweepers, litter abatement crews, and historic investments to create housing for the homeless. She and her husband David are the proud parents of one daughter and two sons. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in Government and has a law degree from Texas A&M University School of Law, where she was awarded the prestigious MacLean & Boulware Endowed Law Scholarship. |
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D. Wambui Richardson Artistic Director Jubilee Theatre Artistic Director of Jubilee Theatre. Richardson brings to Jubilee Theatre and the DWF area more than 25 years of experience in all theatre and arts leadership levels, having served as a Director, Playwright, Art’s Educator, and Executive Leader. Formerly residing in Baltimore and a Native of New Orleans, Richardson was a Freelance Director, Resident Teaching Artist for Baltimore Center Stage, and the Executive Director of Academies for the National Academy Foundation School of Baltimore. He has also worked with the St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Abington Theatre, Rattlestick, and Playwrights Theatre. |
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Heidi Marquez Smith Chief Executive Officer Texas Cultural Trust Texas Lyceum Class of 2012 Heidi Marquez Smith is an accomplished community and non-profit leader and experienced public servant, as the CEO of the Texas Cultural Trust, Heidi advances arts and culture for our state through strategic partnerships and initiatives. She leads statewide advocacy efforts, directs research and data collection, advances public and private funding, and increases access to the arts for all Texans. Heidi amplifies the Trust’s mission to be the leading voice for the arts in education, advocacy, and economic impact in Texas, spotlighting the artistic excellence of our state. Through Heidi’s leadership, the Trust has unified the voice for the arts and creative industries in order to shape the cultural, economic and educational future of Texas by increasing awareness and support for the arts. |
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Coletta Strickland President Fort Worth Tarrant County Minority Leaders & Citizens Council Coletta has been actively involved in the Fort Worth arts and business community for over 30 years. Passionate about serving others, Ms. Strickland is a tireless community advocate and currently serves as President of Ft. Worth/Tarrant County Minority Leaders and Citizen Council (MLCC) and has previously served as President and Vice President-Development for Imagination Fort Worth. Coletta also worked with the Fort Worth Business Assistance Center (BAC) mentoring budding entrepreneurs by helping them develop their skills and define the business plans needed to get their businesses off the ground. She has shown her steadfast support for Fort Worth’s regional black theater, Jubilee Theatre, by serving in several leadership roles on their Board of Directors and twice as Interim Managing Director. She is currently engaged in efforts to raise awareness and funding to ensure that Jubilee continues to fulfill it’s motto – Proud Past – Promising Future. |
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Rep. Marc Veasey U.S. Congressman (TX - 33) U.S. House of Representatives Texas Lyceum Class of 2008 Rep. Veasey is an advocate for Texas’ middle-class families and is committed to creating jobs, improving public education, fighting for immigration reform, and ensuring access to quality healthcare and women’s reproductive rights. Congressman Veasey was appointed in the 118th Congress to serve on the Committee on Energy and Commerce and House Armed Services Committee. Prior to his committee appointment, Rep. Veasey served on the Small Business Committee and the Committee on Science Space, and Technology. Throughout his time in Congress, Rep. Veasey founded the first Congressional Voting Rights Caucus to address the immediate need to eliminate the barriers and discrimination too many Americans face at the polls. In the 117th Congress, he accepted his appointment as an Assistant and Regional Whip. In the 118th Congress, Rep. Veasey was appointed to serve as a Whip for the Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce. Rep. Veasey is currently a member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, Congressional Black Caucus, and the New Democrat Coalition. He also co-launched the Blue Collar Caucus with Congressman Brendan Boyle to find solutions to problems too many middle-class Americans are facing. The Blue Collar Caucus supports unions and focuses on addressing wage stagnation, offshoring, and job insecurity for those in the manufacturing and building trades. First elected to the Texas State House in 2004, Congressman Veasey represented District 95 – an area now part of the 33rd Congressional District. As a member of the Texas State House, Rep. Veasey served in a number of leadership positions, including Democratic Whip and Chair of the Democratic Caucus. The Congressman was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. He and his wife Tonya live in the Metroplex and have a seventeen-year-son, Adam. Rep. Veasey earned a BS from Texas Wesleyan University, where he majored in Mass Communication. |
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Andrew Walker Director Amon Carter Museum of American Art Andrew J. Walker is Executive Director of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Under Walker’s leadership, the Carter’s collections and endowment have expanded significantly, and the museum’s internal galleries have been renovated and reimagined to improve visitor experience and to emphasize a thematic presentation that connects artists and works through time. Prior to joining the Carter, Walker served as Assistant Director for Curatorial Affairs and Curator of American Art at the Saint Louis Art Museum, where he managed collection development, acquisitions, exhibitions, and program management, as well as fundraising and donor development, through his oversight of eight curatorial departments. In his twenty-one-year museum career, Walker has also held curatorial positions at the Missouri History Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago, and in the early 1990s he served as a consultant for the Carter, assisting with exhibition research on Thomas Eakins and William M. Harnett. Walker’s teaching experience includes instructor positions at the University of Chicago’s Department of Art History and the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of the History of Art, and he has been published in scholarly journals across the country, including the Archives of American Art Journal and the Journal of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and has lectured widely on American art. Walker holds a Bachelor of Arts in the history of art from Bowdoin College and received his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. |