Officers & Board of Trustees

Jere W. Thompson, Jr.

Chairman of the Board

Jere Thompson, Jr. was Co-Founder and CEO of Ambit Energy, an international retail energy provider.  Started in 2005, Ambit served 1.2 million electricity and natural gas customers in 17 states, Japan and Canada before being acquired by Vistra Energy, parent company of TXU Energy, in 2019.  In 2010, Ambit was named the #1 Fastest Growing Private Company in America by Inc. Magazine.  Prior to Ambit, Mr. Thompson founded CapRock Fiber Network which built, owned and operated fiber, voice and data networks across Texas and four neighboring states.  He took CapRock Communications public and was CEO until it was acquired in 2000.

Mr. Thompson is past Chairman of the Dallas Citizens Council, and in addition to Southwest Medical Foundation, he sits on the executive boards of the O’Donnell Foundation, the Hoblitzelle Foundation, Dallas Medical Resource and Cistercian Preparatory School.  He served for 11 years as a board member, including 6 years as Chairman, of the Texas Turnpike Authority and later the North Texas Tollway Authority.

Mr. Thompson grew up in Dallas and graduated from Cistercian Preparatory School.  He received an Economics degree from Stanford University and a MBA from The University of Texas in Austin.  He and his wife, Carolyn, have been married 36 years and have five children.

Catherine M. Rose

Vice Chair of the Board

Catherine M. Rose is a civic leader with a longstanding commitment to the arts, healthcare and education in Dallas. She is co-owner of Interabang Books, Dallas’s award-winning independent bookstore, where she champions literacy and community engagement.

Ms. Rose previously served as President of the Board of the Dallas Museum of Art, where she was a trustee for more than two decades. She has also chaired the boards of The Lamplighter School and the Advisory Board of Teach For America Dallas–Fort Worth. In addition to her service with Southwestern Medical Foundation, Ms. Rose currently serves as a director of the Hoblitzelle Foundation and as a board member of the Visiting Nurse Association and the Jackson Hole Land Trust.

A graduate of Harvard College, Ms. Rose earned a degree in Fine Arts. A Dallas native, she and her husband, Will, have been married for 32 years and have three sons. 

Michael T. McMahan

President & CEO

Michael McMahan joined the Foundation as President and Chief Executive Officer in March of 2023. Prior to joining the Foundation, he worked at the George W. Bush Presidential Center for 11 years. Michael rose from a program manager to vice president of corporate planning and development during that period.

During his time at the Bush Center, Michael oversaw the $335 million “A Charge to Keep” campaign to endow the Bush Center’s work. In addition, he managed various strategic and operational areas of the Bush Center during his tenure. Michael previously served in the George W. Bush administration in the Department of Energy and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law.

Michael is the 11th President in Southwestern Medical Foundation’s more than eighty-year history. He will oversee the Foundation’s strategic priorities and partnerships to continue to build long-term sustained impact in the advancement of medical research, training, and care.

Additionally, Michael is a member of the Mission and Outreach committee for the St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, a member of the Bush Center’s 43 Club, and Senior Advisor & Counsel to the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation.  Michael and his wife Amy live in Dallas with their two children – Maddie (13) and Lewis (10).

Sarah Fletcher

Chief Financial Officer

Sarah Fletcher joined the Foundation as Chief Financial Officer in December 2023. In addition to her role as CFO, Sarah will serve as an officer of the Foundation and oversee the accounting and investment of the Foundation’s $1 billion endowment that supports leading-edge medical research, education, and patient care.  

Sarah brings 10+ years of nonprofit experience to the Foundation. As a strategic CFO, Sarah has led the creation of foundational systems allowing for greater mission impact by the nonprofit organizations she has served. Most recently, she served as Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of Trinity Park Conservancy. 

She began her career at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in the public affairs department where she assisted in creating and disseminating public messaging surrounding significant events such as Y2K and September 11th.  Upon completing her MBA, she worked in commercial real estate, focused on private equity sourcing, underwriting potential deals, and capitalizing investments.   

Sarah holds a BA and MA from Baylor University, and an MBA in Finance from Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business. She is a member of Financial Executives International and is an alumnus of Leadership Dallas. 

Many of her leisure activities are influenced by having been born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sarah reserves Saturdays in the Fall to watch her college football teams – LSU Tigers and SMU Mustangs.  She enjoys spending time outdoors, creating floral and botanical designs, cooking Southern dishes, and traveling.

Emily E. Davis

Sr. Director of Gift & Fund Administration | Corporate Secretary

Emily Davis became the Director of Gift and Fund Administration and Corporate Secretary in July 2018. She was promoted to Senior Director of Fund Administration in 2024. Upon joining the Foundation, Emily brought with her more than 10 years of fundraising experience in education and healthcare to her current role.

In her role at the Foundation, Emily oversees gift and fund administration, which includes managing gift records, supervising gift processing, and making detailed decisions to assess donor intent and properly steward donor gifts.

Emily grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English from Texas A&M University.