Executive Leadership Series

John Fleming is a change agent and recognized leader who brings industry and global perspectives to any assignment or challenge.  Following an 18-year career with Caterpillar, where he held various international executive positions, he became partner in an international consulting firm focused on strategic change in the airline,  automotive, retail, government, and manufacturing industries.  

This led to CEO/Managing Director roles in both startups and turnarounds internationally where his hands on approach brought faster results for shareholders and employees.  Having lived and led firms in Asia, Europe and the US, Fleming understands what it takes to change and implement a new business model to create fresh energy and improve bottom line results in regional and global markets. Fleming believes that, “the synergies of technology and industry expertise are mutual catalysts for the vision, validation and innovation of new products and services”.  

Fleming has personally led in the turnaround in two airlines and guided positive change in a variety of industries and government agencies in Europe and Asia; He has served as an officer or board member in several AmChams in SE Asia. He has worked with clients that cross many industries and services from AAA-Mid Atlantic, Coca Cola in (S.E.Asia), Electrolux, IBM (Asia), Matahari Department Stores (Indonesia), Motorola (Malaysia), Singapore Telecoms, SRI International (Menlo Park, CA), Weston Hotels (Asia Pacific), Volvo (Stockholm) to Zeller Corporation (US).  In addition, he has consulted with numerous airlines in Asia, Europe, Australia, and the US.

John is a serial entrepreneur holding several patents and created multiple companies throughout his career. He currently resides in Houston, Texas with his wife Dixie and two fabulous dogs. He enjoys playing tennis and padel, reading, and runs his company, Meridian Asset Management. 

Lieutenant General John Van Alystyne

Retired, U.S. Army

Lieutenant General (Retired) John Van Alstyne was commissioned from Texas A&M University as an Infantry officer in 1966 and retired after 36 years of service.Company grade duty included assignments in the Berlin Brigade; the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam; the 82nd Airborne Division; and the 3rd Armored Division in Germany.

During field grade years, he served in the 1st Cavalry Division, commanded 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry in Germany; and was G3, 8th Infantry Division. As a colonel, he served as G3, I Corps; Commander, 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry Division; Executive Officer to the DCSPER of the Army; and Chief of Staff, 24th Infantry Division during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm. 

As a general officer, he served as Assistant Division Commander, 1st Armored Division; Director of Operations, U.S. Southern Command;  Vice Director for Operations, Joint Staff; Commanding General, Ft. Jackson, South Carolina; Deputy Commanding General, Army Training and Doctrine Command and as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy. 

Following retirement in December, 2002, he served as Commandant of the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University until January 2010. Currently, he is a Professor of Practice on the faculty of the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University.

Dr. W.C. (Kip) Gary

President and CEO, The Brock Group

W.C. (Kip) Gary is President and CEO of the Brock Group, one of the largest specialty soft craft and mechanical services providers in North America. For 36 years following graduation from Texas A&M, Kip was employed with ExxonMobil. Prior to retirement in 2019, he served as an Executive in the ExxonMobil Development Company. His experiences with ExxonMobil include work in the Upstream, Downstream and Chemicals, with assignments in Houston, Dubai, Indonesia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He traveled broadly with the company working in more than 30 countries and 20 states in the US.

Prior to joining Brock, Kip provided teaching and consulting services via Summit Oak Cliff LLC. He is a skilled lecturer and mentor on the topics of negotiations and collaboration. Engagements include teaching at ExxonMobil, the US Army Civil Affairs, The US Navy Seals, Deloitte, Bank of America, Dell, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Michelin, Janssen, NetJets, Danaher and Micron. He has also provided consulting services to ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions, to Apex Clean Energy, and to Imperial Oil in Calgary Canada.

Kip has a BS Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA Finance from the University of Houston. He and his wife, Shelly, reside in the Texas Hill Country west of San Antonio and have two children (Austin – 33, and Houston – 27).  Apart from work, Kip enjoys working at their ranch, orchard management, beekeeping, family time boating at Medina Lake, photography and woodworking projects.

General Joseph (Joe) W. Ashy

Retired, U.S. Air Force

General Joe Ashy and his wife Sue grew up in Beaumont, Texas. He attended Texas A&M University where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, was first sergeant of Squadron 11, and a member of the Ross Volunteer Company. He graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1962 and was commissioned into the USAF.

He attended flying school at Reese AFB, Texas followed by F-100 gunnery school at Luke AFB Arizona. His first assignment was to the 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, England. He then was assigned to 3rd Fighter Wing at Bien Hoa AB, South Vietnam where he flew 289 combat missions. Other fighter aircraft he has flown operationally include the A-7, F-4, F-5 and F-16. He is a command pilot with over 3500 hours in fighter and attack aircraft. In his last assignment, he was “triple hatted” as Commander of NORAD, Commander of U.S. Space Command, and Commander of Air Force Space Command. Decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Silver Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster.

He retired from the USAF in 1996. As president of Ashy and Associates, LLC, he consulted for aerospace firms, was a member of several boards and USAF advisory groups, and mentored a Department of Defense course for newly promoted US flag officers and senior civilians for 18 years – traveling and visiting over 125 countries around the globe as the senior US delegate. He earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from Auburn University, attended the JFK School of International Affairs at Harvard, and is a graduate of the Air War College.

He and Sue now live in College Station, Texas. He is a member of Christ UMC, enjoys golf, great grandkids, and all things Texas Aggie. He recently served as President of the Texas Aggie Sul Ross Group (SRG) of former students. He is an inductee of the Texas A&M University’s Corps Hall of Honor, and is a recipient of the Texas A&M University’s Distinguished Alumnus Award and Texas A&M University’s College of Engineering Outstanding Alumnus award.

Dr. Melissa Flagg

Founder and President, Flagg Consulting LLC

Melissa Flagg is the founder and president of Flagg Consulting LLC. She is also a fellow at the Acquisition Innovation Research Center (AIRC), a visiting fellow at the Perry World House, and a senior advisor to the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) at Georgetown University where she was previously a senior fellow.

Prior to this, she served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research, responsible for policy and oversight of Defense Department science and technology programs. She has worked at the State Department, the Office of Naval Research, the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Army Research Laboratory.

Dr. Flagg has served on numerous boards including the Army Science Board, National Academy of Sciences Air Force Studies Board and the Department of Commerce Emerging Technology Research Advisory Committee. She is currently on the Advisory Board for the Andrew W. Marshall Foundation. She holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and a B.S. in Pharmacy.

Matthew Edghill

Engineering Director for Structures Engineering, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics

Matthew Edghill is the Engineering Director for Structures Engineering at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.  In this capacity, he is responsible for leading Aeronautics structural engineering across all Aeronautics platforms and programs at all sites.  This includes airframe structural design, electrical harness design, systems installation and integration design, structural analysis, service life management, airframe and system certification, and Material Review Boards for all programs.

Previously, Mr. Edghill was Director for F-35 Structures Design, Integrity, and Sustainment for Lockheed Martin Corporation. In that role, he was responsible for all aspects of ensuring the structural and systems integrity of the F-35 weapon system.

Prior to that, he has served as senior manager for F-35 Service Life Analysis and also as senior manager and chief structures engineer for the Integrated Fighter Group where he managed structural integrity-related functions and products for the F-16, F-22, F-2, and T-50 platforms.

Mr. Edghill graduated from Texas A&M University in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

DR. MIKE YOKELL

Director in Systems Engineering, Raytheon Technologies Corporation

Dr. Mike Yokell is a Director in Systems Engineering for Raytheon Technologies, where he leads teams responsible for engineering processes and metrics, configuration management, and data management. He has over 37 years of experience leading multi-national, multi-discipline teams to achieve complex business, systems engineering, and sustainment objectives. He also holds multiple US and European patents.

Prior to joining Raytheon Technologies, Yokell worked at General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin in senior engineering management roles and was part of the Skunk Works®. He worked on multiple aircraft programs, including F-111, A-12, F-16, F-22, and F-35.

Yokell holds a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Cincinnati. He also has a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Master of Business Administration in Technology Management from the University of Phoenix. Yokell earned his Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership from the University of Phoenix.

DR. KAFFIA JONES

Brigadier General (Retired) U.S. Army

Before joining the public sector, Dr. Kaffia Jones had a stellar 38-year military career. She enlisted in the Women's Army Corps (WAC) in 1976 and later transferred to the Army Reserves. Her diverse assignments included communications, administration, and operations, as well as commands at the company, battalion, brigade, and division levels. In 2011, she was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. Jones completed a 15-month deployment in Kuwait, serving as the Commanding General of the 335th Signal Command (Theater), providing world-class communications support to the Warfighter throughout Southwest Asia.

Jones's civilian accomplishments include 25 years as a peace officer with the California Department of Corrections and six years in Clinical Psychology. She is currently the owner and CEO of Indian Hill Land Company in Beaufort, SC. Her company supports rural communities through land acquisition, development and the building of affordable homes.

Jones's military education includes completing the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College. She has a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Excelsior College and a master's and doctoral degree in psychology from Saybrook University.

SUNSHINE WEBSTER

Senior Manager Talent Development, Q2

Sunshine Webster serves as senior manager of talent development for Q2, a global financial experience company that provides digital banking and lending solutions. She is also the managing partner for Webster Veterinary Hospital.

For 16 years, Webster served as an MBA coach at The University of Texas. In this capacity, she worked with students on improving their communications skills, including public speaking, interviewing, small talk, networking, and writing.

Webster supports non-profit organizations in her spare time with strategic planning, budget development, public communications, and grant writing. She has raised approximately $3 million for Austin non-profit organizations through grant writing.

Webster has a Bachelor of Science in Communication from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Arts in Speech Communication from Louisiana State University. She also has a Ph.D. in Communication Studies with an emphasis in organizational communication from The University of Texas at Austin.

MR. ALI ASGHARZADEH

Chief Commercial Officer, Etisalat Afghanistan

For more than 10 years, Ali Asgharzadeh has served in leadership roles for Etisalat in Afghanistan. He is currently the chief commercial officer and provides voice and data telecommunications services in 34 provinces and more than 200 districts in Afghanistan. Prior to this position, he was the chief commercial officer and was responsible for corporate sales, wholesale, and carrier relationships. He also served as chief information officer.

Before joining Etisalat, Asgharzadeh was the founder and CEO of Havash International and spent many years in program management leadership at Boeing Satellite Systems, working on areas such as the Thuraya Satellite Telecommunication System. He also worked as a project manager for Hughes Space and Communications.

Asgharzadeh received an Executive Master’s in Business Administration from the University of California, Los Angeles. He received a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Mexico.

DR. CYNTHIA HIPWELL

Oscar J. Wyatt Jr. ’45 Chair II Professor, J. Mike Walker '66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University

Dr. Cynthia Hipwell is currently a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. 

Hipwell is a technology and business process innovator with experience leading engineering, R&D, and product development. She has worked in global matrixed organizations, across all phases of the product life cycle and on a wide variety of complex electrical and mechanical technologies. Her experience includes leading critical technology transitions, developing strategy and roadmaps, and accelerating project delivery.

Hipwell is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Inventors, and The Academy of Medicine, Engineering, and Science of Texas.

Her research interests include nanoscale energy transport and tribology of small-scale devices, surface physics in and sensors and actuators for haptic and human/machine interfaces, and innovation business processes, technology and technology platforms to speed the innovation process.

Hipwell received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

MR. CHRIS HAVERN

Group President of Integrity Management, Shawcor

Mr. Chris Havern is a business leader with over 25 years of experience primarily in the energy services sector. He has worked for several prestigious companies including Ernst & Young, Baker Hughes, Hewitt Associates, and currently holds the position of Group President of Integrity Management at Shawcor.

Shawcor is an oil and energy corporation that designs, builds, protects and manages critical energy and infrastructure assets for customers for over 50 years.

Havern graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Oklahoma State University. He also has a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University.

MR. RICH ARMOUR

Senior Advisor, Nozomi Networks, McKinsey & Company

Before working in the public sector, Mr. Rich Armour served in the United States Air Force for over a decade and held multiple positions in weapons systems software development and support, secure tactical communications, enterprise technology and software initiatives, as well as planning and architecture. 

Armour then went to work in information technology and led global cybersecurity at Hewlett Packard and Dell Technologies, and then Global Chief Information Security Officer at General Motors. Armour has also led major technology transformation initiatives at each of these companies.

Currently, Armour is a Senior Advisor to Nozomi Networks as well as McKinsey & Company.

Armour graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics (double major) from Eastern New Mexico University. He also has a Master of Business Administration from George Washington University.

DR. TAUSEEF SALMA

Vice President of Marketing & Technology, Flowserve Corporation

Dr. Tauseef Salma served on the Advisory Board of Rice University for Professional Science Masters, Energy Advisory Board for the University of Houston, and Advisory Board of Petroleum Engineering at University of Trinidad and Tobago.

Salma has over 20 technical publications and industry presentations. She has been a keynote speaker, an invited panelist in international conferences, graduate seminars at Rice University and Penn State, and holds 4 U.S. patents.

Salma has over 23 years of experience across global operations, research and technology development, portfolio management, commercialization, commercial and business development, design process, managing global and regional technology centers and workforce strategies. Salma held senior roles of increasing responsibility at Baker Hughes as Vice President Global Chemicals, Vice President Enterprise Technology, Country Director Trinidad & Caribbean, Senior Director Sustaining and Testing for Drilling and Evaluation, first Chief Engineer Baker Hughes, Commercial Development in upstream and downstream chemicals. 

Since Feb 2019, Salma is responsible for energy transition and growth strategy, market intelligence, technology, innovation, product portfolio management, product development, commercialization, marketing, corporate communications, strategic applications development and pricing process and strategies, at Flowserve.

Flowserve is an industrial leader in the flow control sector, operating out of 55 countries. Primary offerings include pumps, valves, seals and after-market sales and service solutions. Markets served by Flowserve include oil and gas, chemicals, water, power, mining, and general industries.

Salma holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology in Lahore, Pakistan and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Rice University.

DR. ELSA A. MURANO

Director, Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture
Professor and President Emerita, Texas A&M University

A graduate of Florida International University in Biological Sciences, Dr. Murano received an M.S. in Anaerobic Microbiology and a Ph.D. in Food Science & Technology from Virginia Tech.  She began her career as an Assistant Professor in food microbiology at Iowa State University in 1990, where she conducted research in food safety.

In 1995, she joined the faculty at Texas A&M University as Associate Professor, leading the university’s Center for Food Safety as Director.  In 2001, Professor Murano was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Undersecretary for Food Safety at the Department of Agriculture, the highest-ranking food safety official in the U.S. government.

In 2005, Dr. Murano returned to Texas A&M, where she was appointed Dean and Vice Chancellor of Agriculture and Life Sciences by President Robert Gates.  During her tenure, she reversed the declining enrollment in the College, secured significant funding from the state and from private industry for the program, and rebranded the agencies to better reflect the important role of agriculture as well as the life sciences.  In 2008, Dr. Murano became the first woman and first Hispanic president of Texas A&M University.  Her initiatives resulted in a significant increase in state funding, remodeling of the Memorial Student Center and Military Walk, and construction of the Agriculture and Life Sciences building complex.   

Dr. Murano serves on the Board of Directors of Hormel Foods Corporation, a position she has held since 2006, where she has been a member of the Audit and Governance committees.  She also is a member of the Food Safety Advisory Committee for Ecolab, is a member of the Board of Directors for Food Safety Net Services, and serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the premier organization for livestock research in the world.

MR. SCOTT TINGEY

Chief Operating Officer for Facility and Operation, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)

Scott Tingey graduated with a Bachelor's and Master of Business Administration from Washington State University.

Tingey leads the operational aspects, budget and risk management of $350M per year for LANL. His accomplishments include increasing funding for maintenance, developing mechanisms for cross-organizational cooperation and communication including a Laboratory Operations Committee, and developing reporting approaches to elucidate opportunities and issues to the Lab Leadership team.

Prior to his current position at LANL, Tingey spent a decade at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) as a Earth and Biological Sciences Chief Operating Officer and Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory Chief Operations Officer. At PNNL, he led the management and operations of $200M per year operations, oversaw all research program management activities, and developed strategic solutions to laboratory wide operational issues.

MR. KEVIN MCMAHON

General Manager, U.S. Operations 
Shell

Kevin McMahon is currently running Shell’s shale operations in the Permian Basin, West Texas. Prior to this, he was Vice President for Health and Safety in Shell’s shale business. Kevin is passionate about ensuring efficient, safe and environmentally sustainable operations and developing people, including young talent. 

During his career in Shell, Kevin has held various roles in engineering, engineering leadership and operations leadership in Shell Pipeline Company and Shell Exploration and Production Company. He spent five years as operations manager in the Mars Field in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in Shell’s Deepwater Business.

Kevin played an instrumental role in the creation of Shell’s Offshore Support Engineering Team in the GOM. This program recruits engineering graduates, trains them and prepares them for their first offshore assignment in the GOM. Under Kevin’s leadership, this program grew to be a top field development program at Shell.

Kevin is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Civil Engineering. He remains actively involved in Texas A&M as Shell’s Campus Executive. In November 2019, Shell donated $6 million to the Texas A&M Engineering Program. This donation is divided among the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station’s Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center, the Shell Engineering Foundations Laboratory and the Shell Transport Phenomena Laboratory.

Kevin is also a Board Members of Permian Road Safety Coalition (PRSC), an Executive Steering Committee Member of American Petroleum Institute (API)’s Onshore Safety Alliance and a Recipient of Governor’s Award Louisiana Coastal Conservation Association (CCA).

GEN. JOE E. RAMIREZ

Commandant, Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets
Brigadier General (Retired), United States Army

Brigadier General Joe Ramirez is a native of Houston, Texas and is a graduate of Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Texas Aggie Band in the Corps of Cadets. He received his commission in the United States Army Field Artillery from Texas A&M in 1979 as a Distinguished Military Graduate.

During his 31 years of military service, General Ramirez commanded soldiers around the world and served in leadership positions in various joint and operational commands. He was the Deputy Chief of Staff for United States Central Command during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and was the Deputy Division Commander for the 2^nd Infantry Division in the Republic of Korea. His most recent assignment was Deputy Director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy for US European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.

General Ramirez holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education from Texas A&M (1979); a Masters Degree in Management from Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri (1993); and a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania (2000).

His numerous military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Korean Defense Service Medal, and the Parachutists Badge.

MR. AHMED MAHMOUD

“Leadership in Technology”

Chief Information Officer, Global Manufacturing and Supply Chain
General Motors

Ahmed Mahmoud, CIO, Global Manufacturing, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain (GPSC), Customer Care and Aftersales, and Workplace Safety, is responsible for transforming the organization into a highly insourced team with a focus on innovation to drive value into GM. He also serves as GM’s Executive Champion for Texas A&M University. Mahmoud is a proven change agent at the senior executive level, with an innate talent for attracting high-performance management teams. He has more than 25 years leading teams in enterprise level information technology (IT).

Prior to joining General Motors in 2012, he served as Senior Vice President of Hewlett-Packard’s hp.com, e-commerce and marketing organizations. Prior to HP, Mahmoud was Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of AMD, where he was responsible for managing the company’s global technology strategy, assets and infrastructure to best meet internal needs and serve AMD’s customers. Mahmoud spent many years at Dell Inc. where he served as Vice President of IT in Supply Chain, Manufacturing eCommerce and other roles. He also held various IT leadership positions at Eastman Kodak Company.

Ahmed Mahmoud is a recognized IT industry leader. He was named to Computerworld’s “Premier 100 IT leaders” in 2009. He has delivered presentations at The Aspen Institute, Texas Civil Engineering Conference, and The University of Texas McCombs School of Business, hosted the National Association of Manufacturers, and been featured in The CEO Magazine, CIO Talk Network, Business Wire, Forbes and A&M’s Texas Spirit magazine.

He earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in physics from Texas A&M University, and lives in Austin, Texas.

MR. GORDON ENGLAND

“Leadership & Ethics”

Former Secretary of Navy
Former President of General Dynamics

Gordon England served as the 29th Deputy Secretary of Defense from January 2006 to February 2009. He previously served as the 72nd and 73rd Secretary of the Navy and as the first Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Prior to joining the administration of President George W. Bush, Mr. England served as President of the General Dynamics Fort Worth Aircraft Company (later Lockheed), President of the General Dynamics Land Systems Company and as corporate Executive Vice President of General Dynamics Information Systems and Technology Sector, Ground Combat Systems Sector and the International Sector. His business career spanned over 40 years as an engineer and senior executive.

He is currently the National Academy of Engineering Chair.

Mr. England has served in a variety of civic, charitable and government organizations, including serving as a city councilman; Vice Chair, national Board of Goodwill, International; the USO’s Board of Governors; the Defense Science Board; the Board of Visitors at Texas Christian University; and many others. 

MR. ANDREW NELSON

“Servant Leadership”

Mayor of Bryan, Texas
CEO and Co-Founder of Lisam America

Mayor Nelson has managed large budgets, created private sector jobs, and met a payroll. Mayor Nelson has served as a mentor to veterans at the May’s Business School Entrepreneur Veteran Boot Camp and is a guest speaker at May’s Business School and the College of Engineering. A member of the Aggie Class of 1992, he graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and studied abroad at King’s College, University of London.

Mayor Nelson has served on the Bryan Business Council, on the board of the Research Valley Innovation Center and as a member of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee for the City of Bryan. In addition, Mayor Nelson has been active in a number of charitable and civic causes throughout our community. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of Bryan; is a Founding Trustee and Officer of Brazos Valley Cares, which provides grants and emergency funds to meet local needs of veterans and their families; and raises funds for the Warrior and Family Support Center at Brooke Army Medical Center.

Mayor Nelson has lived in the Brazos Valley most of his life, moving to Bryan to raise his family and build his business. The Mayor and his family are supporters of Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, Habitat for Humanity, The Children’s Museum, The Community Foundation, the Queen Theatre, Hospice Brazos Valley, the Salvation Army, the Hispanic Forum, Bubba Moore Memorial, OPAS and the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra.

MR. GEORGE ANDERSON

“Leadership & Executive Coaching”

Managing Partner, Anderson & Anderson

George Anderson, MSW, LCSW, BCD, a pioneer in Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Coaching, is the founder of Anderson & Anderson and creator of the first Anger Management and Emotional Intelligence curriculum recognized by the California Superior Court System. He is a Board Certified Diplomate in Psychotherapy and a fellow in the American Orthopsychiatric Association. Recognized for his work in leadership development, George has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, The New York Times, and the cover of the Los Angeles Times Magazine in 2005. He received Post Graduate training in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy from the Harvard University School of Medicine and previously taught in the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute.

DR. ELSA A. MURANO

Director, Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture
Professor and President Emerita, Texas A&M University

A graduate of Florida International University in Biological Sciences, Dr. Murano received an M.S. in Anaerobic Microbiology and a Ph.D. in Food Science & Technology from Virginia Tech.  She began her career as an Assistant Professor in food microbiology at Iowa State University in 1990, where she conducted research in food safety.

In 1995, she joined the faculty at Texas A&M University as Associate Professor, leading the university’s Center for Food Safety as Director.  In 2001, Professor Murano was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Undersecretary for Food Safety at the Department of Agriculture, the highest-ranking food safety official in the U.S. government.

In 2005, Dr. Murano returned to Texas A&M, where she was appointed Dean and Vice Chancellor of Agriculture and Life Sciences by President Robert Gates.  During her tenure, she reversed the declining enrollment in the College, secured significant funding from the state and from private industry for the program, and rebranded the agencies to better reflect the important role of agriculture as well as the life sciences.  In 2008, Dr. Murano became the first woman and first Hispanic president of Texas A&M University.  Her initiatives resulted in a significant increase in state funding, remodeling of the Memorial Student Center and Military Walk, and construction of the Agriculture and Life Sciences building complex.   

Dr. Murano serves on the Board of Directors of Hormel Foods Corporation, a position she has held since 2006, where she has been a member of the Audit and Governance committees.  She also is a member of the Food Safety Advisory Committee for Ecolab, is a member of the Board of Directors for Food Safety Net Services, and serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the premier organization for livestock research in the world.

MS. LISA SPENCE

Master of Engineering Technical Management Industry Professor, Texas A&M University

Lisa Spence received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Arizona State University, and began work in the nuclear and then petrochemical industries, where she managed projects upgrading operating units from analog to digital instrumentation and control.  She transitioned to NASA and began a 32 year career which included assignments as a Space Shuttle instructor, training systems and curriculum development lead for the International Space Station, science program training coordinator for the Shuttle-Mir program in Star City, Russia, training liaison to multiple international partner agencies, integration engineer for EVA training and development at the Neutral Buoyancy lab, and systems and operations integration engineer in the Constellation Program.  Her most recent role was as the Deputy Element Manager for Flight Analogs with NASA’s Human Research Program at the Johnson Space Center, providing project leadership and management of multi-million dollar projects for human research conducted in a variety of spaceflight analog facilities. In this capacity, she managed the execution of simulated missions in the Human Exploration Research Analog at the Johnson Space Center, bed rest studies in Cologne, Germany, long duration isolation simulations in Moscow, Russia, and implementation of NASA human research conducted in the National Science Foundation stations in Antarctica. 

Lisa also holds Master’s degrees in Computer Systems Design, Public Administration, Biological Sciences (all from University of Houston – Clear Lake), and Communication and Leadership (Gonzaga University); she is a PhD Candidate in Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University. 

In her spare time, Lisa serves as the Regional Coordinator for the Texas MATE ROV underwater robotics competition; is on the pastoral council at her church; enjoys sewing; and is called “mom” by her rescued Great Dane.  She has completed 97 full marathons, including one in every state in the US and on 6 continents.  Her goal is to complete 100 full marathons, including one on each continent, before hanging up her running shoes.

COL. JAMES BRIGHT

Deputy Director, Texas A&M University System

U.S. Marine Corps Colonel and accomplished leader with 30 years of proven success in progressive executive level responsibilities that include strategic and operational planning, leadership development, personnel & program management, team building and ethical decision making.

MR. PAUL HILL

Former Director of Mission Operations, NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
Executive Leadership Evangelist and Speaker, Atlas Executive Consulting, LLC

Paul Sean Hill is leadership evangelist – a public speaker and executive consultant focusing on universal leadership challenges like risk management, critical thinking, and leading change. His passion is showing how any organization can leverage the core ideas and leadership values from Mission Control whether the goal is to strengthen working level decision making and leadership, actively steward a leadership culture, or deliberately engage executives in strategic decision making and change.

Paul was the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Director of Mission Operations from 2007 through 2014. He was responsible for all aspects of NASA’s manned spaceflight mission planning, flight controller and astronaut training, and Mission Control. Paul is credited with revolutionizing the leadership culture, dramatically reducing costs, and increasing capability, all while still conducting missions in space.

Before this, Paul held a number of senior leadership positions including Deputy Manager of the Extravehicular Activity Office, Manager of Shuttle Operations, and Deputy Director of Mission Operations. He also served as a Space Shuttle and International Space Station Flight Director from 1996 through 2005, leading the flight control team in flight preparation and execution from Mission Control. He supported 24 missions as a Flight Director with his final assignment as the Lead Shuttle Flight Director for the return-to-flight on STS-114.