15th Annual
ALUMNI LEADERSHIP DAY
October 14, 2020
The Kinkaid School’s 15th Annual Alumni Leadership Day Dear Class of 2021, This year we have a very impressive group of over 50 alumni who have volunteered their time to visit with the Class of 2021 about their respective careers and the decisions and paths that defined their choices. Because we are holding this event virtually, we are thrilled to be able to welcome alumni living outside of Houston - including Dallas, Austin, San Antonio; outside of Texas - including California, New York, Virginia and Tennessee; and even outside of the continental United States - Hawaii and London! We want to thank all of our alumni for participating in this special event. Each of them has generously made time for Kinkaid and is willing and eager to share their insights so that you will be better equipped for the opportunities, challenges and decisions that lie ahead. Our goal in hosting this event is that you will begin to better formulate questions about your next steps and what lies ahead in the years to come. The alumni panelists have shared a brief summary of what a “day in the life” of their career entails, along with their contact info and educational and work history. We encourage you to ask questions during the panel sessions and follow up with the panelists after the program. Making connections within the vast network of Kinkaid alumni is extremely valuable. We hope that you enjoy the 15th Annual Alumni Leadership Day and that you will take advantage of this unique opportunity. Sincerely,
Carly Gray Lukefahr ‘12 Alumni Activities Manager Byron Langford ’07 KYPO President 2020-2021
Julia Wood Harris ‘08 KYPO Vice President 2020-2021
table of contents
3 arts & entertainment 6 banking, finance & accounting 9 computer science, military, security & intelligence 11 energy / oil & gas 14 engineering 16 entrepreneurship 18 healthcare / medicine 21 law 23 marketing & communications 27 non-profit & education 29 real estate 31 sports 33 alumni social media & KinkaidKonnect
schedule of events 10:00 – 10:35 Assembly
10:45 – 11:15 Panel one
11:20 – 11:50 Panel two
11:55 – 12:25 Panel three
arts & entertainment
AUDREY GORDON ROWE ‘04
BRADLEY SINGER ‘05
Creative Artists Agency, Television Agent
WME (William Morris Endeavor), Talent Agent
audrey480@me.com
bradleysinger@gmail.com
BA, Spanish Literature & Psychology, Tulane University
BFA, Drama (Directing), Carnegie Mellon University
“Every day as an agent at CAA is very different which is what keeps it interesting. We start the day in staff meetings discussing new clients, closed deals, and ways to create new business. An agent spends most their time on the phone speaking to clients, buyers, lawyers and producers. We hear ideas, procure jobs, find and read material and field and negotiate deals for our clients. We are there to keep the trains moving on clients’ projects and to find career moving jobs.”
“I am a talent agent at WME, the largest global talent and entertainment agency, and I have the pleasure of working with many talented content creators and storytellers. I focus on television and represent broadcasters, journalists, and notable political figures; producers and production companies; and content platforms and publishers. My clients work for organizations like CNN, ABC, and NBC News, and create and produce content for platforms like Apple TV, Hulu, and HBO. Programs I’ve set up include “Tamron Hall” and “Judge Jerry,” both in national syndication; “History of Comedy” for CNN Original Series; and “Explained” for Netflix, among others. Other notable clients include the executive producers of “CBS This Morning” and “NBC Nightly News;” the first Muslim to moderate a Presidential debate and the third Black woman to moderate a Presidential debate; and the first author to have 8 entries on the New York Times Best Sellers list at the same time.”
3 | alumni leadership day
arts & entertainment
DEMETRIOS COKINOS ‘10
KATE BENTSEN ‘13
INVASION on APPLE TV+, Script Coordinator dcokinos21@gmail.com
Spotify, Business Marketing Associate, North America
BS, Radio/TV/Film & English Literature (Directing minor), Northwestern University
BS, Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University Prior Employer: Columbia Records Universal Music Peer Music Publishing
Prior Employers: 30 ROCK (Season 7 & 2020 Special, NBC) UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT (Seasons 1-4, Netflix) MASTER OF NONE (Season 1, Netflix) DICKINSON (Season 1, Apple TV+) LITTLE VOICE (Season 1, Apple TV+) “As a script coordinator in TV production / the film industry, I work in the writers’ rooms of network television shows to handle the logistics surrounding the writing process of all episodes. I report to the head of the show, the Showrunner. My job encompasses everything from the tiny, important details of proofreading a script and making sure the script logically flows, to serving as a resource for the show at large, acting as a bridge between the writers’ room and the production, and maintaining an encyclopedic knowledge of every scripted detail. In addition, I have founded my own production company, Stellabelle LLC, where I write, direct, and produce independent projects. Currently, I am in the middle of post-production on a short film that will be released this fall.
kate.c.bentsen@gmail.com
“Spotify has their Free Tier (supported by ads) and Premium. I support all of the marketing efforts that convince advertisers to spend with us on the Free Tier. This includes everything from working on our newsletter, designing merch, and managing social media campaigns to much larger, global activations. My favorite projects to work on are our live events and concerts, specifically Spotify Beach at the Cannes Lions Media Festival in France each summer or Spotify Supper at CES in Vegas. When I am not traveling for work, I am producing my own music that you can find on all streaming platforms. “
the kinkaid school | 4
arts & entertainment
RACHEL APPLEGATE ‘95 Alley Theatre, Director of Marketing and Communications rapplega@gmail.com BA, Advertising, Southern Methodist University Prior Employers: ZACH Theatre Artis-Naples Arena Stage Signature Theatre “On a daily basis, I collaborate with the senior strategic leadership team in developing artistic and organizational goals, providing input on programming that will help elevate the Theatre’s profile. Additionally, I design, manage, and execute branding, market research, media planning, market segmentation, targeting, and pricing strategies. I oversee strategy of all media channels including direct mail, advertising, promotions, website, social/ mobile design and content. And finally, I oversee box office and ticketing, patron communications, creative design, public relations and digital strategy, front of house, and marketing partnerships.”
5 | alumni leadership day
banking, finance & accounting
BEAU BURNS ‘08
BYRON LANGFORD, ‘07
Baird, Financial Advisor
Lazard, Associate
beau.w.burns@gmail.com
byron.langford@gmail.com
BA, English, Wake Forest University MAEd, Wake Forest University MS, College for Financial Planning
BA, Mathematics, Middlebury College
“Broadly, my job is to optimize our clients’ financial worlds, which can be complex and multifaceted. During a typical day, I’m interacting with clients and coordinating efforts with other professionals to address client issues involving investments, tax planning, wealth transfer, philanthropy, etc. There’s a lot of learning on a daily basis due to the ever-changing nature of the markets, tax laws, and our clients’ lives...2020 being a perfect illustration!”
Prior Employers: Lime Rock Resources BMO Capital Markets “I am an investment banking associate in the energy group at Lazard, which advises clients on M&A transactions, restructurings, capital raises and shareholder activism. My primary responsibilities include financial modeling, client presentations and transaction due diligence and execution.”
the kinkaid school | 6
banking, finance & accounting
CHINNA O’SUJI ‘11
FRANCES SMITH ‘08
Brookfield Asset Management, Infrastructure Investments Associate
Credit Suisse, Associate
ceo.osuji@gmail.com BS, Management, Science & Engineering, Stanford University Prior Employer: Citi Investment Banking (Global Energy Group) “As an associate in the Infrastructure group, my day-to-day consists of evaluating inbound offers, new investment idea origination, and driving the quantitative and qualitative analysis that ultimately supports all of our investment decisions. My focus is on Energy infrastructure, including midstream and utilities investments. Given Brookfield is a global real asset manager with $550+ billion of assets under management, I assess infrastructure investments in various regions across the world.”
7 | alumni leadership day
Francesvsmith@gmail.com BBA, University of Texas MPA, University of Texas MBA, New York University Prior Employers: Ernst & Young “As a junior investment banker, days never really begin or end! At Credit Suisse we cover clients across the energy spectrum - upstream, midstream, downstream, services, power and renewables. We help our clients by offering a host of advisory services within the M&A, equity and debt markets, helping our clients raise and deploy capital to meet their strategic objectives. As an analyst/associate you are responsible for all quantitative analysis and modeling, but you will also be asked to engage with clients, attending meetings and roadshows. IB is a great career path for those who enjoy the social side of business development, but are also quant oriented.”
banking, finance & accounting
RICKY PERUSQUIA ‘11 Credit Suisse, Associate, Investment Banking rickyperusquia@gmail.com BA, University of Texas MBA, University of Virginia Prior Employer: Dimensional Fund Advisors “No typical day. It is a client service job so based on the transaction you are working on it can vary. Keeping up to date with client requests, performing analysis and generating ideas for corporate clients.”
the kinkaid school | 8
computer science, military, security & intelligence
HANNAH ROSENTHAL ‘06
IAN GEMP ‘06
Graduate Student
DeepMind, Research Scientist
Hrrosenthal@gmail.com
imgemp@gmail.com
BS, Art, Philosophy & Literature, United States Military Academy at West Point MBA/MD Candidate, University of Texas
BS, Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University MS, Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University MS/PhD, Computer Science, University of Massachusetts
Prior Employer: United States Army “A day as an airborne Army intelligence officer starts early with a 0600 meeting followed by 0630 formation to salute the flag and physical training. After running 5-7 miles, I get ready for the rest of the day which might entail preparations for field exercises or upcoming deployments, airborne operations, or security paperwork and inspections. Days might be spent in the office, the motor pool, jumping out of planes, going on missions in a foreign country or practicing skills out in the woods. Every day is different.”
9 | alumni leadership day
Prior Employer: Capgemini (Consultant) “The role of a research scientist at DeepMind (DM) is to plan research programs that advance state-of-the-art in artificial intelligence (AI) -- DM says “solve intelligence, use it to make the world a better place” :) Most days involve either a) brainstorming new AI algorithms (mostly math), b) writing code to verify an algorithm improves agent performance in simulation, c) sharing ideas with the community through publications / presentations, and/or d) reading papers, books, etc. for inspiration.”
computer science, military, security & intelligence
JAMES EILERS ‘06
THOMAS MCAULEY ‘13
The Akeeli Group / US Navy, Operations Manager
US Army Operational Test Command, Aide-de-Camp (my rank is 1LT)
jameseilers@gmail.com
thomas.p.mcauley@comcast.net
BS, Computer Science, Georgia Tech “For the past ten years I have been a special operations officer in the U.S. Navy with specialized training in explosive ordnance disposal, diving, air operations, antiterrorism security, risk management and crisis response. I have lead teams around the world in high risk operations where initial success was the only option. I am now in the reserves with the Navy and run operations and project management for a private intelligence firm here in Houston.”
BA, Economics, Georgetown University Prior Employers: Served as a Battalion Operations Officer, later Tank Platoon Leader, later Tank Company Executive Officer in the 1st Cavalry Division. “As the aide-de-camp of the Operational Test Command, I coordinate with senior leaders and staff directors to ensure the commanding general is prepared for and able to execute all briefings, speeches, meetings, etc. I’m also responsible for planning and accompanying him on biweekly travel he does across the country to visit senior leaders and attend operational tests of new weapon systems and equipment. Operational Test Command is a major component command of the Army Testing and Evaluation Command and responsible for a major portion of the Army’s materiel acquisition and modernization process.”
the kinkaid school | 10
energy / oil & gas
HARRIS MASTERSON ‘01
HAYNER RUDE ’06
Freepoint Commodities, LLC, VP/ Trader - Light Ends
Business Development, Texas Brine Company
harrismasterson2@gmail.com
hayner.rude@gmail.com
BA, Economics, Texas Christian University
BA, Economics, University of Texas
Prior Employer: Gulfstream Trading, Ltd “As a physical and financial trader of oil derivatives, my days are split between developing trading strategies around market fundamentals and managing relationships with my customers and clients. I also spend a fair amount of time managing logistics associated with my physical trading book. Every day in trading is different and bring its own unique set of challenges.”
11 | alumni leadership day
MBA & Masters of Management in Energy, Finance & Trading, Tulane University Prior Employers: Killam Oil Hunt Oil “I work for a family of companies in the salt business. We provide salt for the chemical industry and underground hydrocarbon storage in salt domes for oil companies. I spend my days working with petrochemical companies on chloralkali growth projects, major oil and gas companies on hydrocarbon storage needs, and figuring out how to expand our dry salt production for customers like HEB.”
energy / oil & gas
KENNER SMITH FRANCIS ’10
WAKEFORD THOMPSON ‘03
Engineering Associate, Credit Suisse
EIG Global Energy Partners, Vice President
kennersfrancis@gmail.com
wthompson1@gmail.com
BA, Communications (Business minor), University of Texas
BBA, Finance, University of Georgia MBA, Rice University
Prior Employer: Opportune
Prior Employers: Post Oak Energy Capital Amegy Bank
“A member of the Acquisitions and Divestitures team, I provide technical advisory to oil and gas clients on asset and corporate M&A transactions. As an engineering technician, one looks at upstream assets and evaluates currently producing wells as well as undrilled inventory on operator’s acreage. A typical day includes analyzing oil and gas completion and production activity in all major U.S. Basins.”
“My daily responsibilities include sourcing new and managing existing investments with a focus on upstream oil & gas and energy infrastructure. EIG has a broad investment mandate that enables me to seek a wide range of investment opportunities from control private equity to large joint ventures to senior secured debt.”
the kinkaid school | 12
energy / oil & gas
CHARLES SIMMONS ‘05 Enbridge, Corporate Development charles.mckean.simmons@gmail. com BA, Business Administration, Rhodes College MBA, Rice University Prior Employers: El Paso Corporation Kinder Morgan Spectra Energy “Enbridge is one of the largest pipeline companies in North America. I work in our Corporate Development group which focuses on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and corporate restructuring. A typical day involves performing due diligence for any potential or active deal, putting together financial models or working with senior management on aligning our corporate strategy and initiatives.”
13 | alumni leadership day
engineering
CAMILLE PANACCIONE LOZERON ‘08 MOGAS Industries, Engineering Project Coordinator clozeron@gmail.com BS, Chemical Engineering, Rice University “I am the project coordinator and document control manager in the production engineering department for a valve manufacturer. I spend my time analyzing data, managing priorities, coordinating with other departments, and resolving issues. I continue to be excited and motivated to go to work every day!”
KEVIN CLEGG ’08 Tregan Energy Partners, Vice President & Director of Engineering kclegg7@gmail.com BS, Mechanical Engineering; BA, Plan II Honors, University of Texas Prior Employer: Chevron “Tregan Energy is a private equity fund that invests in oil and gas minerals. My primary role involves studying operators, forecasting well performance, and building financial models to underwrite deals. My day is split between technical work at the computer, interfacing with our sourcing and finance team, and conducting meetings with leadership to make investment decisions. In the years prior, I worked rotationally in the Gulf of Mexico for Chevron. This was a very hands on job that focused on construction and commissioning of an offshore drilling platform.”
the kinkaid school | 14
engineering
LAYNE FRENCH JR. ‘09
STUART UPFILL-BROWN ‘09
Tudor, Pickering, Holt, and Co., Associate
Pact Insurance, Product Manager
laynebfrench@gmail.com BS, Geosystems Engineering and Hydrogeology, University of Texas MS, Petroleum Engineering, Louisiana State University Prior Employer: Marathon Oil Company “I work as an engineering associate at Tudor, Pickering, Holt and Co. (TPH) which is a privately owned and energy focused investment bank. TPH advises oil and gas companies on acquisitions and divestitures (A&D), mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and strategic alternatives. I work with geologists and finance professionals to value oil and gas assets and advise our clients on the sale or purchase of those assets.”
15 | alumni leadership day
stuartub@gmail.com BA, Civil Engineering, Stanford University Prior Employer: Nextracker, Inc “(Trying to make this answer as pandemic non-specific as possible) My day starts with coffee at home while checking Slack and Notion for questions and blockers from remote engineers. If going into the office, I bike to work or take public transit and do the NYT crossword. Working at a small startup, the product manager role sometimes means being a UX designer, being a scrum-master, being an engineer, and being a customer support lead. After work I’ll head to drinks or a softball rec league, then cook a mediocre meal and head to bed!”
entrepreneurship
CAMPBELL CRAVENS ‘12
KRYSTAL D. CARTER ’01
Auggie, Inc and Mega Bad Crew, LLC Co-Founder and CTO, Auggie, Inc. Lead Game Developer, Kitty Esports
President & Chief Cloud Enthusiast, Danny Kay Cloud
campbelljcravens@gmail.com
Corporate Organizational Communication, University of Houston
BS, Advertising, University of Texas “I am Co-Founder and CTO of Auggie, Inc. which has developed a mobile app that brings the merchandise table at concerts to your phone. We have partnered with Official Merchandise Store to offer a digital, contactless solution to merchandising in Australia and New Zealand for when concerts start to pick back up in these markets in December 2020. I am also the Lead Game Developer for “Kitty Esports,” the first competitive video game made for cats, fun for their owners and grounded in science. We have finished building an alpha, are in the process of securing our first round of investment and are slated for an August 2021 release.”
kdcarter@dannykaycloud.com
Prior Employers: Duff & Phelps ION Geophysical Chevron “My day ends and begins with checking my calendar, then it’s checking Salesforce and emails. One of the things I love about what I do is that no two days are just alike. There could be client calls, speaking engagements, several hours in the office developing cool client solutions or spending a lot of time in airports.”
the kinkaid school | 16
entrepreneurship
RANA TAGHDISI ARGENIO ‘06 10 Grove, Founder + CEO rana.taghdisi@gmail.com BS, Economics, Finance & Real Estate, University of Pennsylvania MBA, Strategy, Marketing & Entrepreneurship, INSEAD (France + Singapore) Prior Employer: Goldman Sachs “10 Grove is a direct-to-consumer brand of sustainable luxury bedding. We believe in delivering quality, craftsmanship, design and comfort at the most honest price, by making every product on-demand at our own Houston factory and delivering it directly to our customers’ home. As all entrepreneurs will tell you, every day is completely different...and just because you start the day one way, doesn’t mean it will end in the same way. As the Founder, the business is your baby, and you care about everything from product, to customer experience, to marketing, to finances, to your team. As the CEO, it’s your responsibility not only to be aware of the micro daily occurrences (which are a roller coaster) but also to understand the macro trends, strategy and direction for 17 | alumni leadership day
VICTORIA PAPPAS BLUDORN ‘07 Bludorn Restaurant and Pappas Restaurants, Operations and HR Managervpappas19@gmail.com University of Georgia Prior Employer: The Dinex Group “Every day is different! That’s the fun part of opening a restaurant. Now that Bludorn is up and running, I’m working on documenting all the systems we have in place. The first few weeks we tried out a lot of different ways of operating – from the style of service, to the best way to space the tables, to how to properly seat a guest. Now that we’ve defined how we’d like things to play out, we can make sure the right procedures are followed each service. And that’s all before we open our doors to guests. At 5 PM, we move into service. The daily hustle and bustle leading up to opening then happily welcoming each guest to a night out is what makes this job so worth-while.”
healthcare / medicine
JEFFREY BERMAN ’08
KEITH GOTTLIEB ‘89
Baylor College of Medicine, Cardiology Fellow
Emergent Biosolutions, Senior Scientist / Manager of Operations
jberman31190@gmail.com
polyomavirus@yahoo.com
BA, Plan II; BBA, Business Honors, University of Texas MD, Baylor College of Medicine
BA, Chemistry & Biology, Johns Hopkins University PhD, Biological Sciences & Virology; University of California, Irvine
“A day in the life of a cardiology fellow can vary a lot from month to month. Certain rotations are inpatient focused, and we treat patients admitted to the hospital or cardiac ICU. Some rotations will be focused on procedures such as cardiac catheterization or electrophysiology, while others are all about imaging interpretation of echocardiograms, cardiac MRIs and nuclear stress tests. Our daily schedule changes significantly depending on the rotation.”
Prior Employers: Vaxart (pre-clinical oral table vaccine for influenza, norovirus, and now COVID) Focus Diagnostics/Quest Diagnostics Allergan “My day-to-day involves managing the operations of a clinical immunology laboratory. My group specializes in the development, qualification, and validation of vaccine and immunotherapeutic response assays for the testing of samples from subjects in vaccine clinical trials. Much of my time bounces back and forth between organizing the staff for their daily activities, reviewing data, and writing scientific documents. I also spend time ensuring the materials (virus and controls), equipment, paperwork, and facilities are meeting the regulatory guidelines necessary for data generated for submission to the FDA.”
the kinkaid school | 18
healthcare / medicine
LAURA CLEGG THOMPSON ‘10
LIZ LOVE ROSS ‘02
Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, Registered Nurse, Pediatric ICU
Private Practice, Clinical Psychologist
lclegg613@gmail.com BS, Nursing, University of Texas As a Pediatric ICU nurse at the first Level 1 Trauma Center in the Texas Medical Center, every day at the hospital is different. I care for infants born with heart defects requiring surgery and children who have suffered from multi-system trauma, neurologic conditions, and respiratory illnesses. Caring for critically ill children is a hands-on job and includes managing their medications and ventilators, participating in bedside surgeries and procedures, collaborating with physicians on care plans, and performing a variety of life-saving treatments and therapies.
19 | alumni leadership day
DrLizRoss@drlizross.com University of Virginia PhD, Clinical Psychology, University of Houston Prior Employer: TIRR Memorial Hermann I am a clinical psychologist and I have been in private practice for about a year. In my practice, I treat adolescents and adults. I specialize in adjustment to major medical conditions, chronic pain, sleep disorders, and trauma. In addition to delivering services, I spend a fair amount of time on the “”business side”” of the practice, which involves networking with other professionals, marketing my services, and other administrative tasks. I have additional positions at Baylor College of Medicine in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department as the Pain Psychologist and The Orchard on the Brazos Residential treatment center for substance abuse as a staff psychologist where I conduct group and individual therapy. This mix allows me to have the autonomy of owning my own practice while still having the opportunity to work on a team with other healthcare professionals.
healthcare / medicine
LUIS ALBERTO JUÁREZ ‘09 Lone Star Family Health Center, Family Medicine Resident Physician jalcjalcjalc@gmail.com BS, Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) MD, UT Southwestern Medical School “Depending on the rotation, I will spend my day in the hospital or in the clinic. In both settings, I take care all types of patients including laboring moms, babies, children, adults and the elderly.”
the kinkaid school | 20
law
DAVID LEONARD ‘04
KATHERINE DREWS ‘13
Gray Reed, Partner
The Honorable Mark J. Bennett of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Law Clerk
dleonard@grayreed.com BA, University of Texas JD, University of Texas School of Law “I am a trial lawyer who advocates for clients and helps them solve complicated business problems. I represent clients across a broad range of industries, mainly arising from contract disputes in the commercial real estate and/or oil and gas industry. My day is usually divided between writing briefs for the court and communications (phone and e-mail) with colleagues, clients, and opposing counsel. In ordinary times, my job also involves travel outside of the office for adventures like hearings, trials, depositions, mediations, and other meetings.”
21 | alumni leadership day
katherine.e.drews@gmail.com BA, English & Spanish, Wake Forest University JD, Harvard Law School My daily tasks include researching the legal issues for my judges’ cases, as well as drafting opinions and dispositions after he makes a decision. I also attend oral arguments with him (right now, virtually) whenever he is sitting on a panel or en banc.
law
KIRBY GILBERT ‘12
WILL GRAY ‘09
Locke Lord LLO, Associate
McLennan County, Assistant Criminal District Attorney
kirbycgilbert@gmail.com BA, Strategic Communications, Elon University JD, University of Texas School of Law “I work as an associate in the real estate and real estate finance groups. A typical day can consist of reviewing and drafting transaction or loan documents, reviewing title commitments and surveys, and preparing for closings. I get to work with clients and partners to help with transactions at all different stages of the real estate process which means each day is different and unique!”
wgray36@gmail.com BA, Political Science, Baylor University JD, Baylor University Law School Prior Employer: Texas House of Representatives “I handle all phases of criminal prosecution. That includes screening cases sent to our office from local law enforcement agencies, filing cases, plea negotiations, and trial. In a normal year (not 2020), attorneys in my office will usually see ten to twenty jury trials, so trial and trial preparation usually take up roughly 50 percent of my time. My office handles all criminal matters in McLennan County from traffic tickets to capital murder cases.”
the kinkaid school | 22
marketing & communications
BRIANNA ALLEN ‘13 STARZ, Distribution Marketing Manager bri.allen1994@yahoo.com BS, Corporate Communication, University of Texas Prior Employer: Viacom - BET Networks “After graduating college, I started my entertainment career with Viacom on the Editorial team for BET before joining STARZ. I absolutely love working in the entertainment industry as a Distribution Marketing Manager for STARZ, a leading premium satellite television network owned by Lionsgate. My typical day at STARZ consists of managing the creative marketing assets to promote our original series, including Power, Outlander, American Gods and motion picture programming, coordinating industry events, press junkets and presentation decks for our major cable partners such as DirecTV, Comcast, Dish, etc. My role also involves working closely with the Brand Marketing team to ensure our marketing materials for our partners align with the STARZ brand. I really enjoy that each day is fast paced and never the same!”
23 | alumni leadership day
ELIZABETH ROBINSON KENDRICK ’07 Consultant Manager, Slalom Consulting erkend1088@gmail.com BA, Economics (Corporate Strategy & Financial Economics minors), Vanderbilt University Prior Employers: KPMG PwC MMI Agency “Consulting encompasses a wide variety of experiences. In my time as a consultant, I focus on helping organizations improve their effectiveness, enhance their strategy and empower their people. My day-today can include a variety of customer experience work, communications, training, change management, stakeholder engagement, culture work, etc. But most importantly, it all comes back to marketing and how you frame the task at hand for success.”
marketing & communications
ELLEN SCOFIELD ‘13
JULIA WOOD HARRIS ’08
Southwest Airlines, Flight Training Specialist
Marketing Development Manager, DEBNER
ellen.scofield@wnco.com
jcwood2012@gmail.com
BA, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs (Spanish minor), Southern Methodist University
BBA, Marketing, Texas A&M University
“I am a Flight Training Specialist in the Flight Operations Department at Southwest Airlines. While my primary role is to support Pilots going through Initial and Captain Upgrade Training, I also develop informational communication pieces and training manuals for Flight Operations Employees and Pilots. Additionally, I lead the planning and execution of events in our premiere flight training center for both internal Employees and external groups from across the world.”
Prior Employers: Furniture Marketing Group (FMG) Sewell Automotive Companies “As Marketing Development Manager of one of the largest commercial furniture dealerships in Houston, my day-to-day entails fostering client relationships, event planning, and brand management and marketing for DEBNER. DEBNER changes perspectives by changing environments through collaborative solutions and modern concepts. It’s not just about the furniture, it’s the way you work. We work closely with some of the largest architecture and design firms, as well as with commercial real estate brokers throughout Houston and other major markets globally.”
the kinkaid school | 24
marketing & communications
MACKIE WOOD TSCHOEPE ‘07
MARY MARSHALL FORREST ‘01
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Business Development Manager
Forrest Performance Group, President
mackie.wood@gmail.com
mary.marshall@fpg.com
BA, Plan II Honors; BS, Public Relations, University of Texas
BS, Public Relations (Spanish and Latin American Business minors), Texas Christian University
Prior Employers: Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP Coleman Research “As a Business Development Manager at a large, global law firm, I handle responses to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and pitches for new business, client events and sponsorships, and marketing strategy. One of my favorite aspects of my career is that no day is ever the same as the one before it! The events I lead range from webinars to large-scale client retreats, and the projects range from writing marketing materials, website content and award nominations to competitive research into potential clients. I also enjoy working closely with our lawyers on their personal business plans and coaching them on strategies to develop deeper relationships with their clients and potential clients.”
25 | alumni leadership day
Prior Employers: DreamWorks Productions Buena Vista Pictures, A Disney Company Fort Worth Zoo “As the President of FPG I get the privilege to coach and lead our internal team, as well as bring our marketing and sales teams together to create new content for our programs. I also spend time coaching executives and speaking to sales professionals and leaders. I frequently speak at TCU, and work with their business school on their sales & marketing curriculum. As a Master Practitioner in Neuro-linguistic Programming, I help change behavior by teaching FPG’s award-winning programs at national conferences, seminars, and through online video platforms. I love to end my day spending time with my family and watching my daughter’s Trinity Valley soccer games.”
marketing & communications
MEREDITH RIDDLE CHASTANG ‘95 PaperCity Magazine, Senior Account Director meredithchastang@gmail.com BS, Advertising, University of Texas Prior Employers: Teen People Magazine Track Entertainment CultureMap Texas Monthly “Engaging clients by calling, visiting; creating proposals; strategizing media for clients”
the kinkaid school | 26
non-profit & education
CATHERINE CLARK PRESLEY ‘05 KIPP Houston Public Schools - KIPP Sharpstown College Prep, School Principal catherinecpresley@gmail.com BBA, Finance; BA, Spanish, University of Texas MBA; Education Entrepreneurship Program (Principal Certification), Rice University Prior Employer: Teach for America Houston Independent School District “I focus on ensuring our students receive rigorous, effective and caring instruction in every classroom. This includes monitoring student culture, coaching and developing teachers and building relationships with our families and community.”
27 | alumni leadership day
EMILY SCHREIBER, CFRE ‘06 Rice University, Director of Development egs.schreiber@gmail.com BA, Individualized Study, New York University MA, Non-Profit Management, University of Houston Prior Employers: Houston Zoo Houston Grand Opera “I am a Director of Development at Rice University, where I have been working with alumni and families raising philanthropic gifts for over four years. In my capacity as a major gifts officer, I am responsible for developing and implementing strategies to raise gifts of $100,000 or more to realize the goals of the university from individuals who want to make a deep impact through their giving. I represent Rice in the Southeast US, in “normal” days traveling 50% of the time across 13 states. I spend the majority of my days in individual meetings with donors, sending lots and lots of emails to set up those meetings, and working with internal partners to bring gift conversations into reality.”
non-profit & education
JENNA MCGAW FONDREN ‘13 Crime Stoppers of Houston, Safe School Institute Manager jfondren@crime-stoppers.org BA, Sociology (Business Certificate), University of Texas “Every day I work to educate more and more students, school staff and parents across Texas. I am typically writing preventative education curriculum, finding the newest personal safety information and statistics, and meeting with amazing community partners like United Against Human Trafficking or the FBI to work together to keep citizens informed and educated. Providing students with information to make good decisions and giving them a voice and platform to speak openly about issues they face is the best part of my job!”
RODNEY KENNEDY ’12 Technical & Service Specialist, Millennium Relief & Development rodney.m.kennedy@gmail.com BS, Computer Science, Trinity University Prior Employers: iD Tech Summer Camp 24hr Fitness “I get to wear a number of hats at Millennium. In the mornings, I am taking care of daily administrative tasks and answering emails, dealing with any high priority issues that have arisen. In the afternoons I focus on development and maintenance of our database software. Throughout the day, I’ll answer phones as time allows to assist donors and clients with their questions, or deal with technical issues as they arise within the office.”
the kinkaid school | 28
real estate
BROOKS ELIAS ‘15
EMILY GEMP ‘12
New Regional Planning, Director of tenant relations, Internal finance and investment relations
Savills, Assistant Director
belias@newregionalplanning.com
BA, Plan II Honors; BBA, Finance, University of Texas
BS, Economics with Finance Applications, Southern Methodist University “New Regional Planning is a commercial retail and office developer. We are mostly in the greater Houston market, but also have projects in Austin Dallas and Oxford, MS. In a small shop I get to work on all aspects of real estate ownership from property management and rent collection to financing and construction of new projects. Every day is different at NRP making it a very exciting and high energy environment.”
29 | alumni leadership day
emilygemp@gmail.com
“As part of a management consulting group (KLG Advisors) at a commercial brokerage firm, I perform data-driven location and workforce analyses of talent strategies, human capital reconfigurations, deployment initiatives, local and state incentives, and fieldwork for Finance & Insurance, Technology, and Media clients.”
real estate
LISA KAPLAN ROSENZWEIG ‘00 MissArk Real Estate Advisors, Director of Real Estate lisapkrose@gmail.com BBA, Finance; BA, Spanish, University of Texas Prior Employers: Silver Ventures - Pearl Brewery Crow Holdings “There’s no such thing as a typical day in my world. But that’s what keeps it interesting. After 9 years working on the redevelopment of the former Pearl Brewery in San Antonio, I am now overseeing a portfolio of real estate across Texas. Many of the sites have a mixed-use component like Pearl which allows me to work on a variety of asset types and with a variety of consultants.”
SASHA LEVINE ‘08 Levcor, Inc., Associate Vice President slevine@levcor.com BA, International Studies and Spanish, Northwestern University Prior Employers: CBRE UCR Urban Retail Properties “My responsibilities at Levcor include leasing management, retail and restaurant tenant advisory, creative repositioning, mixed-use merchandising, and development strategy.”
the kinkaid school | 30
sports
GREG LABANOWSKI ‘13
KEVIN ANDING ‘08
MBA Candidate
The Marketing Arm, Account Supervisor
greg.labanowski@gmail.com BBA, Business Administration, University of Southern California MBA Candidate, University of Texas Prior Employers: Premier Partnerships United States Tennis Association “Work at Premier Partnerships is all about trying to bring in new marketing deals for our clients. You are in meetings with brand representatives working to create an alignment between their business and the client we are representing. The average day can include the initial prospecting stage of trying to find the latest brand that wants to partner with a property to final negotiation of the rights and benefits on a deal. We also have a consulting and valuation group that works with sports and entertainment properties to build out and package their commercial offering so they are prepared to enter the market.”
31 | alumni leadership day
kevin.anding@gmail.com BA, Economics, University of Virginia MBA (Sports Business focus), University of Oregon “TMA is a full-service marketing agency that does everything from shopper marketing, to signing talent (athletes, celebrities, influencers, etc.), to sports marketing. I work on a small international sports team where my main responsibilities at a high level include overseeing client marketing initiatives, talent management, and account management; however, no two days look the same. Managing multiple concurrent marketing programs typically means that while one program is in the planning stages, another might be in the execution phase, and a third could be in the measurement and recapping phase.”
sports
STUART PRADIA ‘01
TOMMY GRAY ‘06
Rutgers University-Camden, Head Men’s Basketball Coach
Stanford University, Executive Associate Athletics Director
stuart.pradia@gmail.com
tcgray@stanford.edu
BA, Sociology, Brandeis University MA, History, Washington College
BA, Government, Harvard University
Prior Employers: Kean University (NJ) National Basketball Association Montclair State University (NJ) Houston Rockets RGV Vipers Washington and Lee University Gettysburg College
Prior Employers: New England Patriots Deloitte Consulting
“What a “day in the life” looks like: Spending time with my current players making sure they’re at their best in their personal lives, in the classroom, and on the court; Watching film on potential recruits, future opponents, and other coaches; Administrative duties including equipment, general paperwork, and program management; Keeping my Inbox email count as low as possible, haha #OCDprobs; Preparing for future, games, practices, and team activities (Pre-Covid)”
“I oversee the external-facing business units for Stanford’s Athletics Department, including ticketing, marketing, corporate partnerships, communications, and digital media. I also oversee the varsity football, softball, and swimming and diving programs.”
the kinkaid school | 32
advancement office contact information CARLY GRAY LUKEFAHR ‘12 Alumni Activities Manager
TOM MOORE Director of Advancement
(o) 713-243-5011 carly.lukefahr@kinkaid.org
(o) 713-243-5045 tom.moore@kinkaid.org
CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Join KinkaidKonnect!
KinkaidKonnect is an online networking platform that enables alumni to connect with fellow alumni and members of the Kinkaid community in their own industries and beyond.
33 | alumni leadership day
