Greenlights for Nonprofit Success

Matt Kouri - Executive Director

Matt Kouri is the Executive Director of Greenlights for NonProfit Success where he leads the organization’s efforts to strengthen Central Texas through extraordinary nonprofit performance, consults directly with a number of nonprofits, and develops leading-edge research and best practices in nonprofit management. Matt joined Greenlights in 2007 after spending more than 11 years working to improve the public and nonprofit sectors in Austin and across the country. Matt most recently worked as a Senior Manager with Deloitte Consulting’s Austin office where he helped to lead a management consulting practice focused on serving nonprofit and governmental clients. While with Deloitte, he launched a K-12 education nonprofit in Dallas, oversaw transformations of two state Medicaid programs, and guided the largest government agency consolidation in Texas history. Prior to Deloitte, Matt worked on educational policy issues for the Chicago Public School System.

Matt’s expertise spans a number of functional areas, including board governance, organizational assessment and improvement, strategic planning and execution, financial and operational management, human capital talent development, leadership development and coaching, technology adoption, and K-12 educational achievement. Matt is personally passionate about orphans and adoption (he and his wife adopted two boys from Russia), mentoring teenagers, and living out his faith through his work.

Matt is a published author and speaker on community engagement, generational leadership, and health and human services program transformation. He also serves as board president of Austin LifeCare, serves on the advisory board of Austin’s Campaign for Philanthropy, and regularly works with the Kiwanis youth leadership development program.

Matt holds an MBA and a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Chicago and an undergraduate degree in economics from Oklahoma State University. Matt and his wife and two sons attend Grace Covenant Church where they lead an orphan and adoption ministry and serve as youth group leaders.

Kimberly Caldwell – Consultant



Kimberly Caldwell currently serves as a Consultant for Greenlights for Nonprofit Success, where she has worked since mid-2005. In addition to providing direct consulting to nonprofit boards and staff, she also manages the Information and Referral program.  Kimberly graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004 with a B.S. in Public Relations. Before joining Greenlights, Kimberly worked for the Kelly White Campaign for State Representative District 48, Ballet Austin, and The Foundation for Women’s Resources. Kimberly serves on both the YNPN National Board of Directors and the YNPN Austin Steering Committee. A graduate of the program, she also serves on the Leadership Austin Emerge Council, guiding the leadership development of young professionals. Kimberly was named one of GENAustin's 10 Outstanding Volunteers for 2005-06. When away from the office, Kimberly enjoys spending time with her family, pontificating on the virtue of John Adams, and hanging out with her devoted cats, Tim and Willow.

Mary Alice Carnes - Associate Director of Education

 

Mary Alice joined Greenlights in 2004. She has a BA in Theatre from St. Edward’s University. She works with the Greenlights’ Education Department organizing educational programs, including skill-building workshops, conferences, peer dialogues, and other ongoing professional development opportunities for nonprofit staff and boards and others in the nonprofit arena. She has worked with Austin nonprofits as a development officer, grant writer, publicist, board member, and Executive Director. Mary Alice has also served as a director, producer, writer, volunteer, and actor with several Austin theater companies producing bilingual theater, theater for youth, and musicals including Teatro Vivo, Austin Shakespeare, Zilker Theater Productions, Different Stages, Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin, Second Youth, and Austin Musical Theatre.

Laraine Johnston - Education & Customer Services Coordinator

Laraine joined Greenlights in February, 2008, having spent the past seven years at Texas Business and Education Coalition (TBEC) bringing together educators and business people to strengthen public education in Texas. Prior to TBEC, her career consisted of work in corporate environments with several Fortune 500 companies. Laraine is a graduate of St. Edward University’s New College, and she values being part of a team that contributes to the greater good.

Tara Kirkland - Director of Consulting Services

Tara Kirkland (M.P.A. from the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University) loves her work as the Director of Consulting Services. Tara brings to Greenlights experience gained from building the capacity of people, organizations and communities in diverse nonprofit, government and for-profit settings over the past fifteen years. An Austin native, Tara returned to Central Texas in the fall of 2004 after spending several years in the northeast - including two years as a Presidential Management Fellow for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's Southwest Border Initiative in Washington, DC.

She is a proud graduate of both the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University and the Plan II Liberal Arts Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin. A recipient of the John Ben Snow Fellowship in Nonprofit Management from the Maxwell School, Tara focused her work there on executive leadership transitions and organizational and program evaluation. Tara’s Austin area nonprofit experience includes designing, managing and evaluating programs and projects with Family Forward and the Charles A. Dana Center at UT Austin, grassroots institution-based organizing with Austin Interfaith, and leadership and team development consulting with Highest Vision, Inc. Tara is also a member of the 2009 Leadership Austin Essentials class.

Tara Levy - Senior Consultant

Tara Levy serves as Senior Consultant at Greenlights for Nonprofit Success. Prior to joining Greenlights, Tara served as the Executive Director for YouthLaunch from 2003 to 2005, during which time she managed all aspects of the youth empowerment nonprofit, including supervision of multiple youth service programs throughout Texas. Additionally, Tara served as Director of Human Resources for Enspire Learning from 2005–2006, where she developed, implemented and managed recruitment, orientation, personnel strategies, and performance review systems for one of the fastest growing companies in Central Texas. She also served as the Interim Executive Director of CASA of Travis County for more than seven months; she brings that experience to her practice specialization on executive transitions and organizational development. Tara holds a JD from the University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. with Special Honors from the University of Texas at Austin’s Plan II Honors Program. Tara is a graduate of the Leadership Austin class of 2005 and serves on the organization’s Board of Directors.

Anne Rickard - Membership & Marketing Specialist

Anne Rickard graduated from the University of Virginia in 2007 with a BA in Psychology. While at the University, she worked for the psychology department and with the University Internship Program. Anne is interested in public policy and nonprofit management and hopes to pursue further education in these fields. She has previously interned with both CASA of Travis County and Texas CASA, and she started her position with Greenlights as an intern. Anne serves as a board member and Fundraising Committee Chair for St. George's Episcopal Day School.

Ann Starr - Director of Education

Ann Starr has served Greenlights since 2005, as a member of the educational staff until 2006 and later as a frequent workshop presenter, volunteer and member of the Development Committee. She rejoins the Greenlights staff in 2009 to lead the organization's educational programs and serve as Greenlights' in-house fundraising consultant.

In 2007 and 2008, Ann served as Director of Development for Texas Appleseed, a public interest law center addressing systemic injustice, where she launched the organization's first individual giving program and more than double grant funding. For nearly six years, she managed The St. Edward's Fund at St. Edward's University, where she raised $1 million annually and was a key member of university's successful $65 million comprehensive campaign. Ann's expertise in educational programs comes from many years of experience as a trainer, curriculum developer, and adjunct professor for St. Edward's New College. She is a member of the SIMS Foundation Board of Directors and a founding member of the Yoga Care Foundation Advisory Council. Ann holds a bachelor's degree in education from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio and a Master of Arts in Human Services from St. Edward's University.

Kim Wilson - Director of Development

 

Kim Wilson (MPIA with a concentration in Economic & Social Development from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh) brings to Greenlights 11 years of diverse experience as both a funder of nonprofit and for-profit initiatives, as well as a fundraiser and director of nonprofits in the humanitarian aid, economic development, and philanthropy education sectors. Kim spent the four years prior to joining Greenlights working with an international federation of philanthropic organizations that builds capacity of select nonprofits through a combination of grants and targeted pro bono business expertise (Social Venture Partners). Kim is a board member of Camp Fire USA - Balcones Council. A native Texan, Kim is happy to be back near family in warm, sunny Central Texas where she can swim, run, and ride her bike outdoors year-round.

Greenlights’ Interns

Tiffany Chao - Education Intern

Anna Smith - Consulting Intern

Greenlights’ Board 2008

Suzanna Caballero - Chair
Business Banking Leader - Wachovia Bank, N.A.

Suzanna Caballero is Business Banking Director and Senior Vice President of Wachovia Bank, N.A. (a Wells Fargo Company) in Austin, Texas. Ms. Caballero has more than 35 years of banking experience in the Austin area. Born in Victoria Texas, Ms. Caballero was raised in Austin, received her BBA in Business Management from the University of Texas and has remained in Austin for her career. Ms. Caballero is married and has two daughters.

As an active member of the Central Texas community she is past chair of Leadership Austin, Chair of Greenlights for Nonprofit Success, Chair-Elect of Communities in School of Central Texas and Advisory Director of Caritas. She is also active in her church. A focus of her interest is promoting community service and philanthropy, and she serves as a Voice for the I Live Here, I Give Here Campaign. In the past she has served as president of the Central and South Texas Minority Business Council, founding director of Del Valle Adopt-a-School, chair of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, and director of Austin Partners in Education.

Dave Shaw - Chair-Elect
President - Russell Shaw

Linda Haines - Secretary
Principal, Linda Haines Associates

Prior to becoming a full-time executive coach in 2001, Linda accumulated over 25 years of human resource management experience, 20 years at the executive level. She built and managed People Solutions of Austin, a successful HR consulting and outsourcing company. She has worked for companies such as Stanford University, EPIC Healthcare, Pharmaco International, and Dell Corporation. In her current role, she helps company executives develop and implement strategies to support dramatic personal/professional and organizational growth and change. Linda has a BA and an MA from Stanford University, and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management, founder and past Chair of the Human Resources Peer Group of Austin Technology Council, past Chair of the Board of Directors for Pathways Community Counseling (now LifeWorks), and a past Board Member of People's Community Clinic.

Kristen Wicke - Treasurer
Audit Associate - Maxwell, Locke & Ritter

Drew Beckley
Principal - Deloitte Consulting

Drew has more than 25 years of business consulting and executive management experience, in both public sector and private sector assignments.  As a Principal for Deloitte, he leads Deloitte’s Medicaid and Public Health Practice.  He regularly consults with states on a broad range of Medicaid program, administrative, and technology issues.  At the same time, Drew also leads the Deloitte’s Austin consulting practice, consulting with Texas state government agencies as he has for a number of years.  In previous executive positions, Drew led a major public sector health care business for a large outsourcer, a role which also included developing and implementing new health care models and a major information system.  He also has served as the Chief Financial Officer for a large government-industry consortium, creating a unique collaborative business model among long-standing business competitors.  In previous consulting positions, Drew founded and led a national consulting practice for a major systems integrator and outsourcer, a practice which was used to restructure their traditional customer business relationships.  He also, at one point, actively advised higher education and non-profit boards on strategy, governance and operations.  Drew holds an undergraduate engineering management degree from the United States Air Force Academy, and graduate business degrees from Georgia State University and the University of California at Los Angeles.

Rob Bridges - Past Chair
Wortham Insurance & Risk Management

Vernon Bryant
Partner - TGF Management

Mr. Bryant is a Partner with TGF Management, one of the longest established and most active middle market private equity investment firms focusing on the southwest region. Mr. Bryant joined TGF Management in July 2000. Prior to his tenure with TGF Management, Mr. Bryant spent a number of years investing in private equity transactions as a Director at The Beacon Group, LLC (now JP Morgan Chase Capital Partners) in New York, and was responsible for the development and execution of strategic alternatives for the largest portfolio companies of a $2 billion private equity fund. Prior to Beacon, Mr. Bryant was an Associate at Sandefer Capital Partners, managing investments for an Austin, Texas-based $500 million private equity oil and gas fund, and a Certified Public Accountant with Ernst & Young and Deloitte & Touche. Mr. Bryant received his B.B.A. degree in accounting from Texas Christian University and M.B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin.

Bryan Campbell
DuBois, Bryant & Campbell, LLP

Bryan is a partner in the Austin-based law firm of DuBois, Bryant & Campbell, L.L.P.  Bryan has lived in Austin for over 15 years and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and of South Texas College of Law in Houston.  He started his legal career in Houston as an associate attorney with Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P. and then moved to Austin as the General Counsel of EnviroTech Measurement & Controls, Inc. (a Baker Hughes company) and its successor ONIX Systems, Inc. (a Thermo Electron company). Prior to forming DuBois, Bryant, Bryan worked in the Austin office of Jenkens & Gilchrist, P.C. as a transactional attorney.  Bryan is active in the community as the former Board Chair and current Board Member of Greenlights for Non-Profit Success, PLUS the current Secretary of Boy Scout Troop 399.  Bryan and his wife Donna have two girls, Caroline and Ellen, and one boy, Ford.

Dori Flores
Executive Director - Seton Fund

Dori Flores is the Executive Director of The Seton Fund, a fund development and endowment arm of the Daughters of Charity healthcare ministry of Central Texas. In this role, she provides leadership and direction for all of The Seton Fund’s fundraising initiatives. Prior to The Seton Fund, Ms. Flores worked at the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Austin, Brackenridge Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Austin, and Clear Channel Radio. She received her BS in Communications from the University of Texas. Ms. Flores serves as the Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the Junior League of Austin, and she was a finalist for the 2008 Austin Under 40 Awards.

Adam Goldman
Managing Director - Public Strategies

Offering a decade of political and governmental expertise, Adam Goldman helps develop and implement communications and legislative strategy for a diversity of Public Strategies’ clients.  Goldman spent almost ten years working for President George W. Bush, culminating with a White House position as special assistant to the president and deputy director of the Office of Public Liaison. There, Goldman served as a liaison between the Bush Administration and the business and Jewish communities, helping communicate issues of import between all groups. He also worked with coalitions and congressional staff to pass key federal legislation — including Trade Promotion Authority and the Jobs and Growth Act of 2003. Previously, Goldman served as director of the Governor Bush Committee, the then-Texas governor’s political action committee, where he worked with over 600 county leaders, managed expenditures and helped state judicial appointees win their elections. During Bush’s first gubernatorial term, Goldman worked within the Office of the Governor as board and commission appointments manager, and his first post-college job was with Bush’s 1994 campaign for the Texas governorship. Just prior to joining Public Strategies, Goldman was senior director of government and corporate affairs for the Electronic Industries Alliance, a 2,300-member nationwide group of technology companies and organizations. There, Goldman worked with White House and congressional contacts, and was responsible for creating the group’s strategic communications plan to study high-tech offshore outsourcing.

John Grimes
Past President - Austin Ribbon & Computer (ARC)

Mr. Grimes became Vice President of ARC in 2003 and was promoted to President in early 2007. Since graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from McMurry University, John has guided companies ranging from new start ups to corporations with annual revenues over $750M. ARC is the largest reseller of Dell computers to state and local government agencies in Texas. From 2003 to 2006 ARC experienced a 261% jump in revenue and was recognized as the fifth fastest-growing company in Central Texas (Austin Business Journal, September 2005) and the largest woman-owned business in Central Texas (Austin Business Journal, August 2006 & 2007). Mr. Grimes currently sits on several boards including those of major IT manufactures, the Texas Association of State Systems for Computing and Communications and was a founding member of the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) HUB Advisory Board.

Janet Harman
President and Founder - KDK-Harman Foundation

Janet E. Harman serves as president of KDK-Harman Foundation, founded December 2004 with an initial endowment of $26 million. Ms. Harman’s involvement in philanthropy spans years of commitment and service. She has been involved at the leadership level at Center for Child Protection and Children's Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas, plus supported St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, Lifeworks and Girlstart. Through 25 plus years of living in Austin, she has volunteered in numerous organizations, actively participating in Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, Eanes Elementary, Hill Country Middle School and Austin Civic Orchestra, among others. Ms. Harman served on the Program Committee for the 2008 Conference of Southwest Foundations Annual Conference and currently serves on the Advisory Committee for KIPP Austin College Prep Academy. Ms. Harman, who holds degrees from Cornell and Stanford, lives in Austin, Texas, with her three children, Kevin, David and Kelly — the namesakes of the family philanthropy (KDK).

Patricia V. Hayes
Vice Chancellor for Governmental Relations and Educational Policy - Texas State University System

Patricia V. Hayes began as Vice Chancellor for Governmental Relations and Educational Policy at the Texas State University System Office in September 2006. In this role, Ms. Hayes serves as the primary liaison to the Texas Legislature and other state agencies for the TSUS Board of Regents, the System and its component institutions. Prior to joining TSUS, Ms. Hayes served as the Associate Commissioner for Educator Quality and P-16 Initiatives at the Texas Education Agency and as the director of the P-16 Coordination Office within TEA. Ms. Hayes has served the state in a variety of capacities including, as a Legal Intern in the Office of the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives and as Director of the Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education. Her most recent position in the Legislature was as the Special Assistant for Education to former Lieutenant Governor Bill Ratliff. A licensed attorney, Ms. Hayes earned her bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from the George McConnell School of Law at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.

Kay Kirchner
Program Manager - Applied Materials

Kay is the Executive Communication Program Manager for Applied Materials' Austin Community Affairs Department. She coordinates internal fund raising and volunteer projects as well as manages Austin's civic sector grants and the company's North American grants programs. In addition, she serves as the community relations liaison for the company's Japan and South Korean offices. Prior to Applied Materials, Kay spent 18 years working in high-tech start-ups establishing marketing communication functions for the companies. Before that she has a freelance writing career for six years. She currently serves on Community Action Network's Assessment and Planning Committee. Kirchner has a Journalism/Public Relations degree form the University of Texas. She is a native Texan who is married and has five sons.

Hector Silva
Chief Financial Officer - LatinWorks

Mr. Silva has overseen the evolution of LatinWorks into one of the fastest growing advertising agencies in the United States. He played a dynamic role in its launch as a new creative agency model to focus on the ever-changing client/agency relationship. In this role, he stewards the operating and financial strategy of LatinWorks. He holds an MBA from Our Lady of the Lake University and a Finance degree from the University of Texas San Antonio School of Business. Hector is a strong believer in the life changing impact of the local church. As such, he serves in several capacities at Southwest Hills Community Church in SW Austin. He lends his time and leadership to the mission of Greenlights.

Greg Talley
Capitol Advisors, LLC

Greg brings nearly two decades of experience in government agencies, nonprofit associations and trade organizations to work on behalf of corporation and association clients seeking to build community relations, outreach activities, and cohesive public affairs programs. Talley's background is in building grassroots constituency groups, which can be mobilized to form coalitions and help companies achieve a public agenda. Talley has also worked in the offices of elected officials in both Washington and Austin. In addition, he has served as the ED of the Texas Legal Reserve Officials Association and Putting Children First.  Currently, he is the principal owner of Capitol Advisors, LLC, where he directs coalition campaigns and community relations activities on behalf of selected clients.

Bill Waxman
Waxman Cavner

Bill's career as a life insurance professional spans more than 25 years in which he has developed expertise in financial, estate, business, and pension planning. He is an attorney, having graduated with a Juris Doctorate from The University of Texas School of Law in 1974 and a BA from The University of Michigan in 1968. He is a Chartered Life Underwriter, Life Insurance Counselor, and holds licenses for Group I Individual Life and Variable Life. Bill is a member of the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting. Bill is a board member of the Anti-Defamation League and an Executive board member of Greenlights for NonProfit Success. Previously, Bill served as the Building Committee co-chair for Congregation Agudas Achim (past-president and board member both youth soccer and basketball organizations), and on committees of the downtown Rotary Club of Austin as well as the Chamber of Commerce. His wife, Judy Waxman, is the Senior Director of Development for the Children’s Medical Foundation of Central Texas, Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas; while his three children live and work on the east and west coasts.