DALLAS (August 27, 2024) – Southwestern Medical Foundation is pleased to announce its 12 new Board of Trustees members for 2024 – 2025, confirmed at the organization’s recent annual meeting on May 16. Jere Thompson, Jr. will continue in his role as Chair of the Board. New Trustees Liz Armstrong, Jennifer Chandler, Kathy Crow, Curtis Chatman Farmer, Mandy Ginsberg, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Jacob B. Jones, Todd Lemkin, Kyle D. Miller, Josie Sewell, Charmaine Tang, and Dennis Wong will bring their unique experiences and leadership expertise to continue to support the Foundation, its mission and future endeavors.
Southwestern Medical Foundation is a public health care charitable corporation that for the past 85 years has been advancing progress in medicine, primarily at UT Southwestern Medical Center and its related institutions, by connecting donors with innovative programs, managing philanthropic funds, and building broad engagement on the need for quality medical education, research, and clinical care.
“This is an exciting year for the Foundation,” said Michael McMahan, president and CEO of Southwestern Medical Foundation. “As we celebrate 85 years of progress, we are also looking to the future and what we would like to help accomplish in the world of medicine and beyond. Our 12 new Trustees are an integral part of how we approach the future and set our sights on providing better, brighter outcomes for those served by the life-changing research and procedures. We are thrilled to have these influential people join our organization and are encouraged by the enthusiasm they share for advancing medicine and helping to provide the highest quality health care in the Southwestern U.S.”
New Board of Trustees at Southwestern Medical Foundation – 2024 Members
Liz Armstrong
Liz Armstrong, along with her husband, Bill, is co-owner and co-founder of Epoch Estate Wines which produces ultra-premium wines from three estate vineyards in California. Liz and Bill are both geologists who founded their first family business, Armstrong Oil and Gas (AOG) in 1984. Liz serves on the Boards of the School of American Ballet (NYC) and St. Martin’s Episcopal School Board (New Orleans). She is also an emerita Trustee at Westminster School (CT) and Colorado Ballet (Denver) as well as serving on the Executive Advisory Council for the George W. Bush Presidential Center. Liz is a current member and former chair of SMU’s Dedman College Executive Board where the Deanship bears her name. Liz is President of The Armstrong Foundation focusing on the arts and education.
Jennifer Chandler
Jennifer Chandler is a Managing Director, the Bank of America Dallas President, and Head of Philanthropic Solutions for Bank of America Private Bank. As President, Jennifer directs effective collaboration across multiple lines of business, advancing purposeful engagement with client priorities. Deeply committed to corporate stewardship, she serves on the Bank of America Foundation committee and promotes a culture of volunteerism and community support. As Head of Philanthropic Solutions, Jennifer oversees strategy development and advisory/consulting services for non-profit institutions, corporate and private foundations, and ultra-high-net-worth families. Born and raised in Dallas, Jennifer currently serves on the Dallas Citizens Council, Dallas Regional Chamber, and Phoenix House Texas boards and is also a member of the Crystal Charity Ball, Texas Lyceum, United Way Women of Tocqueville, the Dallas Symphony League and the National Charity League. Jennifer and her husband have four beautiful children.
Kathy Crow
Kathy Crow is a civic volunteer in Dallas, predominantly focused on volunteer leadership support in her family’s real estate business and in volunteer support in the education arena. She serves on the Advisory Board and leads the Family Council of Crow Holdings, a privately owned real estate investment management and development firm. With a focus on education, she serves on the Board of Trustees at Southern Methodist University, and the Executive Advisory Boards of SMU’s Cox School of Business and SMU’s Simmons School of Education. Additionally, Kathy serves on the Board of Advisors of the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina. She recently joined the Board of Advisors of the Manhattan Institute, a free-market think tank focusing on economic growth, education, energy and the environment, healthcare, and urban policy. She is the Board Chair of Teach for America North Texas and sits on the President’s Advisory Board at Princeton University, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and the James Madison Program of American Ideals at Princeton University, among others.
Curtis Chatman Farmer
Curtis Chatman Farmer is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Comerica Incorporated and Comerica Bank. He also serves as a chair of Comerica’s Management Executive Committee. Farmer joined Comerica in 2008 after 23 years with Wachovia. Farmer’s board affiliations include the Circle 10 Council of the Boys Scouts of America, SMU Tate Lecture Series, SMU Cox School of Business Executive Board, The Clearing House, Crystal Charity Ball Advisory Board, Methodist Health System Foundation and Wake Forest University. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors of Texas Instruments.
Mandy Ginsberg
Mandy Ginsberg served as Chief Executive Officer of Match Group (NASDAQ: MTCH) where she was responsible for the growth of a portfolio of industry leading dating brands like Tinder, Match, Hinge, OkCupid, Meetic, and PlentyOfFish. She was with the company in various roles over 14 years. She serves on the Board of Directors for Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER), ThredUp (NASDAQ: TDUP) Universal Music Group (AMS: UMG) and NOOM INC. and is an operating partner at Advent International. She previously served on the boards of Match Group (MTCH), Care.com and JCPenney. In addition, she served six years on The Hockaday School Board of Trustees and is currently on the Board of Uplift Education focused on providing a path to college for more than 20,000 North Texas students.
Kay Bailey Hutchison
For over three years, Kay Bailey Hutchison served as the United States Ambassador to the National Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in Brussels, Belgium. During her term, she focused on the importance of U.S. leadership in the Alliance and strengthening the transatlantic bond that provides the security umbrella for Europe and North America. From 1993 to 2013, Kay represented the State of Texas, in the U.S. Senate. Currently, Kay serves on the Bank of America Global Board, the LBJ Foundation Board, and the NASA Advisory Council. She is the author of three books, including the bestseller, American Heroines, (William Morrow, 2004). In 2013, the Dallas City Council named the City’s Convention Center in her honor. Her alma mater named its Energy Center, the Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center at The University of Texas at Austin.
Jacob B. Jones
Jacob B. Jones is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Alturus Capital and is actively involved in all aspects of the firm’s investment, operational and fundraising activity. In addition to his active role at Alturus, Mr. Jones co-manages the assets and operations of The Albany Group, a family office focused on seeding investment managers, oil and gas partnerships, direct private equity investments, and a diversified portfolio of public and private managed accounts. Prior to joining The Albany Group, Mr. Jones was at Quantum Energy Partners, a leading energy-focused private equity firm. Mr. Jones began his career as a financial analyst in the investment banking division at Deutsche Bank where he focused on structured products. Mr. Jones serves on the board of the Lone Star Chapter of Young Presidents’ Organization. He is also an original member of The Cary Council’s Steering Committee, which was launched in 2015 and is a young leaders group dedicated to advancing early-stage research at UT Southwestern, in partnership with Southwestern Medical Foundation.
Todd Lemkin
Todd Lemkin is an Investment Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Canyon Capital Advisors. Mr. Lemkin joined Canyon in 2003 and is responsible for the efforts of CCA’s portfolio team to develop, analyze, and implement investment ideas across the firm’s global platform. Prior to joining Canyon, Mr. Lemkin worked at Scoggin Capital Management, where he focused on analyzing securities of distressed and bankrupt companies. Mr. Lemkin was also an Investment Banker in the Healthcare Group of Banc of America Securities and the Mergers & Acquisitions Group of Lehman Brothers. Mr. Lemkin serves as a member of the Board of Governors of Cedar Sinai Hospital, a Trustee of the Greenhill School, and a Trustee of the Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts.
Kyle D. Miller
Kyle D. Miller is the Founder and CEO of Silver Hill Energy Partners and its affiliated partnerships. Silver Hill currently manages over $2 billion in institutional capital focused on direct investments in upstream oil and gas assets and related midstream infrastructure. In addition to his role at Silver Hill, Kyle is a founding investor in a number of private ventures, with a primary focus on oil and gas, real estate, and financial services. Kyle earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from Southern Methodist University, where he was named Outstanding Young Alumnus from the Cox School of Business in 2015. Kyle currently serves on the SMU Board of Trustees, the Cox School Executive Board and the Board of Directors of the Maguire Energy Institute. Kyle and the Miller Family are actively involved in supporting philanthropies through the Katy and Kyle Miller Family Foundation. Kyle currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Goodwill Industries Dallas Inc. and is a member of the Chairman’s Advisory Counsel for Children’s Medical Center Foundation.
Josie Sewell
Josie Sewell, originally from Austin, Texas, moved to Dallas after graduating from Vanderbilt University with a Master’s of Science in Nursing. Josie spent her career working as a Nurse Practitioner at UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Simmons Cancer Center, specializing in Neuro-Oncology. She is a founding member and current Chair of The Cary Council. The Cary Council, which was launched in 2015, is a young leaders group dedicated to advancing early-stage research at UT Southwestern, in partnership with Southwestern Medical Foundation. Josie previously served on The Cary Council’s Philanthropy Committee and is a member of the Steering Committee. She is actively involved with Cattle Baron’s Ball, Sweetheart Ball, Community Partners of Dallas, YPO, and Children’s Health. Josie and her husband, Carl, have three children and are also very involved at Highland Park Presbyterian Church and The Hockaday School.
Charmaine Tang
Charmaine Tang is CEO of ORCA Americas, subsidiary of ORCA AG, a software company headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Charmaine is based in Dallas and New York and has 25+ years of experience in investment banking and private banking. serving complex multijurisdictional clients. Her clients include global family offices, family enterprises, and investment companies (private equity, real estate, and venture capital). Charmaine also serves as an advisor for Gore Range Capital, a venture capital firm based in Dallas and New York. She is a dedicated servant leader, board director, and/or trustee of the following organizations: International Women’s Forum, The Dallas Assembly, Texas Women’s Foundation, Southwestern Medical Foundation, and The Crystal Charity Ball. Born and raised in New York City, Charmaine is happily married to George Tang, a Dallas native and is the proud mom of two teenagers and a goldendoodle.
Dennis Wong
Dennis Wong is the CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Verbena Road Holdings, Ltd which manages and oversees his family’s investments. He co-founded SPI Holdings, LLC in 1995, a real estate investment company that continues to operate and manage his real estate investments. He is also the Vice Chairman and co-owner of the LA Clippers. Dennis is currently on the NBA Board of Governors, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Bush Presidential Center Executive Advisory Council, Hope Supply and is a board member of several private companies. He formerly served multiple terms on the Harvard Business School Board of Dean’s Advisors, as a trustee for over 25 years at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art where he was Secretary – Treasurer, Chair of the Investment Committee and Chair of the Expansion Committee. He also chaired the Board of The Nueva School, considered the premier school for high ability children in the country. Dennis has served as a trustee at the UCSF Foundation Board and is active in philanthropies focused on affordable housing, education, and the arts. In 2020, he relocated to Dallas from Atherton, CA.
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ABOUT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL FOUNDATION
Southwestern Medical Foundation is a public charity and a registered 501(c)(3) with a prestigious 85-year history that all started with a question: “Why not a great medical center in the Southwestern United States?” The Foundation was created to rally citizens in support of the highest quality health care possible in the Southwestern US. Out of that community vision, UT Southwestern Medical Center emerged. Today it remains the Foundation’s partner and most significant beneficiary. Southwestern Medical Foundation is guided by four core principles: Service to Community, Vision of Excellence, Mindful Stewardship, and Best Outcomes. Each principle is a promise to donors, beneficiaries, and generations to come that the Foundation is dedicated to bringing the gift of better health to the Southwest and the world beyond. Southwestern Medical Foundation continues to earn a Candid (formerly GuideStar) Platinum Seal and Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating. These organizations rate governance, accountability, and transparency, supported by both qualitative and quantitative measures. Learn more about our story.