The Foundation Team

Michael McMahan

President & CEO

Michael McMahan joined the Foundation as President and Chief Executive Officer in March of 2023.

Michael is the 11th President in Southwestern Medical Foundation’s more than eighty-five-year history. He oversees the Foundation’s strategic priorities and partnerships to continue building long-term, sustained impact in the advancement of medical research, training, and care. Under Michael’s leadership, the Foundation manages a portfolio of $1.25 billion in total pooled assets, providing vital resources that strengthen innovation and discovery across UT Southwestern Medical Center and other partner institutions.

Prior to joining the Foundation, he worked at the George W. Bush Presidential Center for 11 years. During his time at the Bush Center, Michael oversaw the development team and managed various strategic and operational areas. 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.

Additionally, Michael is a Director of the Garry Weber Foundation, Volunteer Development Advisor for Now-Forward (formerly North Dallas Shared Ministries), Board Member of the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance, and is a Senior Advisor & Counsel to the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation. Michael and his wife Amy live in Dallas with their two children – Maddie and Lewis.

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 Davis

Sr. Director of Gift and 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.

Blake Evans

Director of Donor Relations

Blake’s nonprofit career began at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, where she served in an administrative capacity supporting Evaluation and Research, as well as Institute Operations. She has since worked for MoneyGram, MoneyGram Foundation, and UTD’s Center for BrainHealth. Most recently, she served as a program coordinator for Cicero’s Social Impact team.

Blake joined the Foundation in 2020 to serve as Donor Relations Manager and was promoted to Director of Donor Relations in 2023. She strategically organizes a plan to provide stewardship for current and prospective donors, leads planning of Foundation programs and events, and leads affinity group efforts.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Blake moved to Dallas to attend Southern Methodist University. She spent a summer studying in Innsbruck, Austria and graduated Magna Cum Laude from SMU with a degree in Marketing and minors in French and Psychology. Blake loves traveling, painting, and spending time with her husband, Clay.

Rephael Foster

Senior Financial Analyst | Treasury Manager

Rephael Foster has served as Senior Financial Analyst at Southwestern Medical Foundation since January 2017. In addition, he was promoted to Treasury Manager in January 2022. Prior to joining the Foundation team, he worked at Trimont Real Estate Advisors as Associate Director of Asset Management, where he led the team managing a special situations fund.

As Senior Financial Analyst & Treasure Manager, Rephael supports the Finance and Accounting Team by maintaining the investment and consulting relationships of the portfolio, working with our custodial bank to manage the monthly closings of the investment portfolio, and meeting with current and prospective fund managers. Rephael also works alongside the CFO to manage the Foundation’s treasury accounts.

Rephael is a native Texan, born in Grand Prairie to a large family of seven other siblings. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from The University of Texas at Arlington. Rephael lives in Midlothian with his wife Holly, and three young children, Felicity, Everett, and Penelope. Free time is mostly spent tending to the family garden, matching wits with Holly in a nightly chess game, and the occasional fly fishing excursion to the neighborhood pond.

Kendall Harelson

Director of Human Capital

Kendall Harelson joined Southwestern Medical Foundation in 2025 as Director of Human Capital, where she designs and implements strategies that strengthen the Foundation’s workforce and culture. In her role, she oversees recruitment, employee retention, and succession planning. Kendall also manages the administration of compensation and benefits, and ensures organization compliance with relevant laws and regulations. She stewards the Foundation’s values, fosters a positive organizational culture, and supports employee engagement, recognition, and career development.

Kendall brings more than a decade of experience in human resources leadership, including serving as Deputy Director of Human Capital at the George W. Bush Presidential Center. She has also advised organizations on HR strategy as a consultant and previously served as an HR generalist in the energy sector. She holds a B.S. in Communication Studies with a Business minor from The University of Texas at Austin and is certified as a Professional in Human Resources.

Originally from Houston, Texas, Kendall has called Dallas home since 2014. Most days, you can find her with a cup of coffee in hand, enjoying the outdoors, cooking her way through the Defined Dish cookbooks, and/or spending time with her husband, Tommy, and their three wonderful children: Audrey, James, and Thomas.

Trae Holmes, CPA

Managing Director of Accounting

Trae Holmes began his role as Director of Accounting for the Foundation in July 2022 and was promoted to Managing Director of Accounting in 2024. Prior to joining the Foundation, he worked for more than 24 years in the public accounting industry primarily serving non-profit organizations. For the last 10 years he was a Director of outsourced accounting at CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA). Prior to his time at CLA he provided audit, tax and assurance services to non-profit organizations while working at Crowe Horwath. Trae is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and member of the AICPA and Texas Society of CPAs.

As Director of Accounting, Trae oversees the day-to-day accounting of the organization while providing additional support to the CFO. He has responsibility over month-end close, including financial statement preparation along with managing the annual audit and tax return filings for the Foundation. Trae also helps prepare financial reports for the Board of Directors and various committees of the Foundation.

Born in Georgia, Trae later attended high school in Indiana and went on to attend Indiana University where he majored in Accounting and Finance. While at Indiana he met his wife, Susan, and they have two kids, Drew and Ella. The family moved to Texas in 2012 and currently reside in Flower Mound.  Much of his free time is spent supporting his kids at various baseball/football fields, and attending theater performances or dance/cheer competitions around DFW. He also enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, fishing, boating, and attending or watching various sporting events.

Brittany Lebling

Senior Director of Communications

Brittany Lebling joined Southwestern Medical Foundation in 2017 and serves as Senior Director of Communications. In this role, she provides strategic leadership in shaping and amplifying the Foundation’s voice across all communication channels. She oversees the development and execution of marketing strategies, collaborating with the team to connect donors and advocates to the transformative impact of the Foundation’s legacy and future vision.

With a background in external and internal communications, prior to joining the Foundation, Lebling led change management for global operational initiatives at CBRE and advised executives on communication strategies for navigating complex organizational transformations.

Born in Maryland, Lebling has also lived in Houston, Texas, and Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Arts and Design from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Brittany is a lover of live music and travel and enjoys sharing both with her children.

Dustin Magwire

Digital Media Senior Manager

Dustin Magwire joined the communications team at Southwestern Medical Foundation in January of 2022. He began his career in freelance production as an associate producer, working on the History Channel Production: Most Extreme Airports. After that, he worked for several years in broadcast media promotions throughout Texas before settling into a digital media role at Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation.

Dustin’s role at the Foundation is to drive meaningful connections through our expanding digital communications footprint. This includes overseeing social media, the website, email communications, and the Foundation’s podcast: Learning From Leaders. Through this, he supports the Foundation by connecting donors and advocates to the important mission of driving medical progress forward.

Though he was born in Nebraska and raised in the Kansas City area, Dustin has called Texas home since 2005 and currently lives in Midlothian. He graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Arts in Radio, Television, and Film. Dustin enjoys biking, camping, skiing, and live music. He is always up for a new outdoor adventure with his wife, Sarah, and their two children, Owen and Ruby.

Lizzy Miller

Donor Relations Manager

Lizzy joined the Foundation as the Donor Relations Manager in September 2023. She has eight years of experience at various non-profit organizations in Dallas, focusing on events, donor stewardship, and communications.

Lizzy is responsible for ensuring the highest level of stewardship to Southwestern Medical Foundation donors, assisting in the development of events and campaigns, and representing the Foundation’s mission to our constituents.

Lizzy grew up in the suburbs of Dallas and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Arkansas. Lizzy loves reading, running, and spending time with friends and family.

Riley Noyes

Gift Processing & Database Manager

Riley Noyes joined Southwestern Medical Foundation in October 2024 as the Gift Processing and Database Manager. In this position, she is responsible for managing efficient processing and acknowledgment of contributions, ensuring that all contributions are accurately recorded. Riley also plays a critical role in overseeing the Foundation’s database, where she works to streamline data management practices, improve accuracy, and identify opportunities for operational improvements. She works under the direction of the Sr. Director of Gift and Fund Administration to support the Foundation’s fundraising efforts and enhance overall team performance.

Before joining Southwestern Medical Foundation, Riley served as Sales Operations Coordinator at MarshBerry, where she supported the FirstChoice team in optimizing operational processes. Her previous experience also includes several years in event management and corporate partnerships at ZERO – The End of Prostate Cancer, where she discovered her passion for the healthcare nonprofit sector.

Originally from Kennesaw, Georgia, Riley spent much of her life in Virginia, where she received an Associate of Science (AS) with a concentration in Business Information Technology. Beyond work, she enjoys being outdoors, reading, discovering new music, and spending time with friends and family.

Paget Paul

Assistant to the President and CEO | Donor Relations Associate

Paget has been with Southwestern Medical Foundation since November 2020, where she provides high-level administrative support and manages the schedule for the President and CEO. Additionally, she assists the donor relations team with stewardship initiatives and special events.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Paget considers herself a Texan, having moved to the Dallas area at a young age. Before joining the Foundation, she spent many years as a Legal Assistant at a Dallas law firm and later as a local Realtor.

Paget and her husband, Blaine, have a blended family that includes three sons and a daughter. They enjoy traveling, especially to beach destinations. In her free time, Paget enjoys reading, working on home improvement projects, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Madi Richardson

Office & Operations Manager

Madi Richardson joined the Foundation as Office & Operations Manager in January 2025. As the primary front office contact, she oversees daily operations and manages special projects that support the Foundation’s priorities.

Madi brings project management experience, having optimized workflows and fostered collaboration across teams at Apple, Huntington Hill Ventures, and NYU Athletics. She earned her BFA from NYU Tisch’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and competed in collegiate pole vault for the track & field team.

Originally from California, she has lived in Portland, Toronto, Prague, and New York before settling in Dallas. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the city with her partner, discovering new coffee shops, making music, and weightlifting.

Stephanie Vidikan

Senior Director of Operations

Stephanie Vidikan joined the Foundation in 2015 upon moving to Dallas from Washington, D.C. Prior to working at the Foundation, she oversaw operations for 1776, a global incubator and co-working space for startups in healthcare, transportation, education, and financial services.

Stephanie oversees project management for the Foundation, collaborating with the leadership team and external partners to drive progress toward each of the Foundation’s key objectives. She is focused on developing, driving execution, and measuring the impact of the Foundation’s strategic goals.

Stephanie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from Centre College in Danville, KY, and studied in Mexico, Western Europe, and Morocco. She enjoys exploring new areas around the Dallas area with her husband, Michael, and her two sons, Akiva and Jacob.