The department’s board of advisors works to advance treatment and research to areas such as early life adversity, depression, addiction and other stress-related disorders.
PAUL BARNHART III
Chief Executive Officer, Westhoff Companies
Paul Barnhart III is the Chief Executive Officer at Westhoff Companies, a privately held oil and gas company. Prior to his current role, Paul co-founded & served as Operating Partner at Sage Road Capital. Prior to co-founding Sage Road Capital, he was an Associate at Quantum Energy Partners, leading energy-focused private equity firm with over $6 billion of capital under management.
At Quantum, he was responsible for screening and evaluating energy investment opportunities and portfolio company monitoring. Prior to Quantum Energy Partners, Mr. Barnhart was an Analyst at Simmons & Company, Intl. in Houston, where he focused on corporate finance and M&A advisory assignments for leading energy companies worldwide.
He holds an masters in business from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a bachelors in business from the University of Texas, Austin
PAIGE BLAKE
Financial Analyst, The Blake Group
Paige Blake is a Texas-certified CPA based in Austin, Texas. She received her bachelors in accounting from Southern Methodist University. Paige received her masters in public adminitration from The University of Texas, Austin with an emphasis in taxation. Paige has worked over ten years in public accounting, with many of her clients being physicians, medical practices and real estate developers. After leaving public accounting, Paige was the practice manager of a local anesthesia group. Currently, Paige runs a family business along with her husband, managing rental real estate properties in the Austin area.
During her career, Paige has been active in many charities in the Austin community. Paige has filled leadership roles in The Junior League of Austin, Westlake United Methodist Church Preschool, Eanes Elementary PTO, Rollingwood Women’s Club, and The Austin Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club. Paige has two grown children living in Austin. In her free time, Paige enjoys cycling and learning Spanish.
MARY DEMETREE
Chairwoman, Demetree Global
Mary Demetree is Chairwoman and owner of Demetree Global, a 73- year-old company that is an industry leader in Central Florida’s land development and construction. The company’s focus is on construction, land development, real estate analysis, real estate investments, property management and leasing. The Demetree group of companies have been involved in a myriad of real estate and construction projects throughout Florida which include office buildings, shopping centers, apartments, hotels, warehouses, and collegiate housing.
Mary is an active community leader and gives back through personal philanthropy or through the William C. Demetree Jr. Foundation, which supports projects that benefit the emotionally, physically, or mentally disadvantaged. She has received several awards and recognitions on her accomplishments and influence in the real estate industry.
SIDRA DURST
Principal Strategist, Everybody Wins
Sidra Durst is the principal strategist for Everybody Wins, a consulting firm that focuses on food and culture, business development, strategic long-term planning and cultural trend analysis. Clients include the Museum of Food and Drink, Proyecto Paladar and Market Share.
She is a former advisory board member for Extra Terrestrial Projects, a nonprofit that connects people to environmental stewardship and science through food, music and design.
ALFREDO FROHLICH
Principal Strategist, Everybody Wins
Alfredo ‘Freddie’ Frohlich is an American venture capitalist and philatelist who has won numerous medals at philatelic exhibitions for his postal history collections of Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama. He is an accredited philatelic judge and has been a fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London since 2010. In 2021 he received the Luff Award of the American Philatelic Society. Frohlich was born in Bogotá, Colombia and moved to Miami in the late 1990s where he worked as a financial adviser and venture capitalist. He became a naturalized American citizen in 2007.
He has a long-standing interest in psychiatry where he has raised funds and taken a particular interest in depression, anxiety, and suicide prevention. He is also interested in autism research and with his wife has raised funds for The Victory Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, and for Jewish cultural causes.
MIRANDA GALE
Museum and Travel Consultant
Miranda Gale is an arts and travel specialist passionate about behavioral health and innovative healing modalities. Working with the Freer and Sackler Galleries at the Smithsonian Institution, she designed and orchestrated dozens of events and public affairs campaigns and in 2013, led the Smithsonian’s first major crowdfunding campaign for the world’s first exhibition on yogic art.
Originally from Golden, Colorado, Miranda has been to all seven continents and guided both international and domestic enrichment trips for hundreds of travelers. She’s a certified yoga instructor, cyclist, and singer, and currently working as full-time mom to her son, Zephyr. Miranda and her family split time between Austin and Marfa, Texas.
MORRIS GOTTESMAN
Senior Managing Director, Gottesman Group
Mr. Gottesman is a Senior Managing Director at the Gottesman Group, a wealth management fund at U.S capital Advisors (USCA). Prior to joining USCA, Mr. Gottesman served as Senior Vice President of Investments at Wells Fargo where he provided full service financial advice to his high net worth clients.
Mr. Gottesman began his career in commercial real estate but soon transitioned to the financial services industry in 1988 with Shearson. He moved to Prudential Securities in 2001, which merged with Wachovia and ultimately, Wells Fargo Advisors.
Morris grew up in historic New Orleans and attended the Isidore Newman School. He received a bachelors in business from the University of Texas, Austin and has been in the area since. He serves as the Treasurer of the Dell Children’s Medical Foundation Board, and is a board member of Heartgift and Tarry House. Previously, he served on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Austin and the American Cancer Society and was a former president of The Seton Forum. Morris and his wife Laura have three sons.
MARGARET JABOUR
Executive Vice President, Twin Liquors
Margaret, a native Austinite, is Executive Vice President of Twin Liquors. In 1982 Margaret and her brother, David, decided to continue on as third generation owners and operators of their family’s wine and spirits business. The ‘fine department store’ ambiance she created catered to the female consumer through refined products, education, and tastings. Margaret’s vision created ripples throughout a male dominated industry. Today, Twin Liquors has 100+ locations across the state of Texas.
In 2004, Market Watch Magazine honored Margaret and Twin Liquors with the “National Retailer of the Year” Award and in 2008 she received their “Community Service Award,” honoring Twin Liquors’ extensive philanthropic reach. In 2008, Margaret was featured as the cover story of Austin Woman Magazine and in 2011, she was awarded Texas Businesswoman of the Year. In 2019 Margaret was awarded with the Woman of Distinction Award by the Girl Scouts of Central Texas.
Margaret is a member, board member and vice president of the legislative council of the Texas Package Store Association (TPSA), and a member of the Wine and Spirits Guild of America.
JOHNNA JONES
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Johnna Jones is a licensed clinical psychologist who received her doctorate in psychology from the University of Texas, Austin in 2013. She has been in the mental health field for over 25 years and treats adolescents and adults using evidence-based modalities. Dr. Jones has treated patients with a range of illnesses and chronic pain using a variety of therapeutic interventions, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).
Johnna is based in Austin Texas, and teaches Abnormal Psychology and Chemical Dependency as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas, Austin. She is the mother of four grown children.
TIM MCCABE
Managing Director, McCabe Development
Tim McCabe is founder and Managing Director of McCabe Development, a construction firm based in Austin. He received a bachelors in accounting from Southern Methodist University in 1983. From 1988 to 2007 he was Senior Vice President at Hillwood, a multinational real estate development company and served briefly as President in 2000. In 2001, he served as a director in global real estate at Perot Systems.
In 2012, he founded McCabe Development in Austin, Texas. McCabe Development donates a portion of profits through the JML Fund to at risk children, causes and educational opportunities for school without adequate budgets.
Tim has previously served as a board member of the Downtown Austin Alliance and Equality Texas.
KATIE PELTIER
Co-Owner, Peltier Kia
Kathryn ‘Katie’ Peltier is a Co-Owner of Peltier Kia, a student, and native Texan based in Austin along with her husband Curtis and their dog. After receiving a bachelors in communication from The University of Texas, Austin in 2017 Katie moved to New York City to gain experience in marketing, advertising, and public relations.
She returned to the Austin area in 2023. Currently, she is a co-owner of the East Texas Dealerships Peltier Kia. Kathryn is a masters candidate in business at the McCombs School at the University of Texas, Austin and hopes to continue to find ways to make trauma resources more accessible and affordable after graduation.
ALEX PRIEST
Technology Entrepreneur
Alex Priest is an operations and marketing executive with experience building some of the most innovative tech brands in the world. Priest received a bachelors in marketing from American University and in 2011 he was the 35th employee hired at Uber, initially as community manager before becoming the lead of digital operations in 2014. In 2016, he became the marketing chief of staff at Uber. In 2018, he became head of communications at Nurx, a reproductive health manufacturer. In 2021, he was head of strategy and chief of staff at Wheel Health, a telehealth service.
Alex has a deep interest in building modern virtual healthcare infrastructure and fundamentally changing the way millions of people receive care. Alex is a cyclist, music lover, and has traveled to all seven continents. He splits his time between Austin and Marfa, Texas, with his wife Miranda, son Zephyr, and their dog.
JOHN SOLOSKI
Senior Fellow, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute
John Soloski is an author, advocate, and Senior Fellow at the Meadows Institute for Mental Health Policy. Soloski received an associates from Boston College, and a masters and Ph.D in journalism from the University of Iowa in 1978. He worked as an independent journalist and was editor of the Journalism and Communication Monograph. In 2001, he was appointed Dean and professor at the University of Georgia. He served as Dean of the Grady College of Jorunalism until 2005, and retired in 2021. He holds the title of Professor Emeritus of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. His articles has appeared in numerous journalism quarterlies and mass communication journals.
Previously, he was the chair of the department of Journalism at the University of Iowa where he also held a joint-appointment by courtesy in the College of Law. He is an editorial member of the Newpaper Research Journal and the Mass Communication Review.
SAMANTHA STEIN
Journalist, Artist and Author
Samantha Rose Stein is an award-winning technologist, journalist, and multi- media artist. She received a bachelors in sociology from Lewis & Clark College in 2011. During her education, she served in numerous roles for the United Nations refugee program in Israel and Morocco. After serving as marketing director at e-commerce companies Teak and Steel, then Vint, until 2015, she became head of business development at KeepSafe Software. In 2016 she appointed a curator at the World Economic Forum, serving a five-year term. From 2017 to 2019, she was an editor and director at TechCrunch magazine.
She is founder and board member of Tools for Tolerance, Morocco and is a board member of Lewis & Clark College. In 2016, she founded and works at Hacktivison, a technology non-profit. She is also a practicing artist under the name Wombkind, inspired by consciousness science. In 2019, she was the Art Basel Miami Emerging Artist of the Year. Samantha enjoys spending time with her dog Hazel, developing new forms of experimental media with creatives, and practicing compassion-based meditation.
KAREN TAYLOR
Philanthropist
Karen Taylor is a philanthropist and activist from New York, based in South Florida. She married Timothy Taylor, who became an operations executive at Home Depot until 2006, then becoming CEO of Floor & Décor based in Atlanta.
After giving birth, for the first time, Taylor suffered from severe postpartum depression. She is a grateful patient of Charlie Nemeroff whom she gives credit for saving her life. She is a passionate advocate for mental health and mental illness research and support. She shares three children with her husband of thirty years.
HOLLY TURNER
President, Stampede America
Holly Turner is founder and President of Stampede America, a political consulting firm. Turner earned her bachelors in communcations from Baylor University in 1999 and a juris doctor of law from Texas A&M. She founded Stampede America in 2013.
She is a member of the Young President’s Organization and of the American Association of Political Consultants. In 2017, she was an assistant administrator in the U.S Small Business Administration. She has previously served as a Republican Party strategist for FOX News Corporation for several years. She remains a President of her consulting firm Stampede America. She is deeply involved in conservative politics and has two boys. She resides in Seguin, Texas and shares her time between home and Washington D.C.
DAVID VICKERS
Founder & CEO, Centric Development
David Vickers is the founder and CEO of Centric Development, a management company and developer of senior living communities. He received a becahlors in finance from Emory University in 1979 and a masters in business administration from Georgia State in 1982.
Prior to Centric Development Vickers founded and was president of InTown Suites, a budget extended-stay hotel company. He sold the company in 2004. Upon David’s departure from the company, Intown was the largest budget extended-stay hotel chain in the United States.
Vickers founded Centric Development in 2013 where he continues to serve as CEO. He is based in Atlanta.
CHRIS VON DOHLEN
Co-owner & Principal, The Von Dohlen Group
Raised in Goliad and Austin, Chris Von Dohlen is a Texas entrepreneur and investor. He received a bachelors in business from the University of Texas, Austin in 1989 and juris doctor from St. Mary’s University in 1992. Chris operates under the umbrella name of The Von Dohlen Group. Chris seeks out niche opportunities which give him the opportunity to utilize his experience in finance, real estate, development, sales, business and law. Chris has a notable commitment to the senior care and housing industry. Chris is co-managing director of Park&Zoom and Bark&Zoom at Austin Bergstrom International Airport. Chris is also a Texas licensed attorney and real estate broker.
Chris is currently serving on the advisory board of the Helping Hand Home for Children in Austin and is a member of the Board of the Texas Alliance For Patient Access. Chris is a co-founder and member of the board of the Garza High School Scholarship Fund which provides college scholarships to graduates of Garza High School. Chris served six years of service as a member of the Board of Trustees of Trinity Episcopal School and is a past chair and member of The Seton Fund in Austin. Chris and his wife, Terri are active members of St. John Neumann Catholic Church. Chris previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities of Central Texas and as past chairman and member of the Board of Governors of LifeWorks, the largest social service agency in Austin.
Chris is an avid outdoorsman and he and Terri enjoy everything Austin has to offer. You will often find them on the extensive trail system where they love to hike and mountain bike, paddling in Lady Bird Lake, boating on Lake Austin, listening to live music and enjoying the amazing culinary scene. Chris and Terri enjoy escaping to cooler weather in Colorado where they hunt, fish, hike, bike and ski.
Chris and Terri are proud parents of Chase and Cate.
MARK WEST
Chairman, First Beacon Investments
Mark West is chairman and principal strategist at First Beacon Investments, an Atlanta- based boutique firm that underwrites and manages investments in businesses and real estate throughout the Southeast. From 1988 to 2013, Mr. West served as program director, then board president, then chairman of Skyland Trail, a nonprofit treatment facility in Atlanta for adults with mental illness founded by his father in 1989. He currently still serves on the national advisory board and holds the position of chairman emeritus.
Mr. West is a supporter of Atlanta Youth Academies Foundation, Pace Academy, Grady Health System and the Shepherd Center. He is lives with his family in Atlanta.
