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AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has appointed 11 members to the Texas Nonprofit Council for terms ending October 1, 2024. The Council shall make recommendations for improving contracting relationships, develop best practices, and identify and address gaps in services provided by and could be filled by faith-based organizations.

Kile Bateman of Wichita Falls is Senior Pastor of Evangel Church. He serves as the Director of Family First Orphan Care and is the founder of Phased In. He is a member of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services’ Advisory Committee on Promoting Adoption of Minority Children. Bateman received a Bachelor of Science in Ministry from Southwestern Assembly of God University.

Sereniah Breland of Pflugerville is City Manager for the City of Pflugerville. She is the President of the Texas City Management Association (TCMA). Breland received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Dallas.

Deborah Healey Drago of Beaumont is a Low-Income Customer Service Specialist for the east region of Entergy Texas, Inc. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Beaumont Board of Directors, Leadership Southeast Texas Advisory Council, and the South East Texas Criminal Justice Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the Leadership Beaumont Class of 2022 and is an active member on several nonprofit boards and parent associations. Drago received a Bachelor of Science in Applied Learning and Development from The University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Business Administration from Lamar University, and holds a Texas teaching certificate.

Fedora Galasso of Austin is Executive Director of Texas Network of Youth Services. She is an advisory member of the Texas Interagency Council on Homelessness and a member of DFPS Committee on Advancing Residential Practices, Children’s Commission Collaborative Council, Statewide Collaborative on Trauma Informed Care Taskforce, Houston Area Partners for Youth, and Austin Ending Youth Homelessness Coalition. Galasso received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Texas A&M University-Commerce as well as a Master of Public Affairs and a Master of Social Work from The University of Texas.

Jenifer Jarriel of Houston is President of DePelchin Children’s Center. She is a board member and Center Chair for Texas Alliance for Child and Family Services as well as a board member for Network of Behavioral Health Providers, LifeGift, and Periwinkle Foundation. Jarriel received a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Houston and a Master of Business Administration from Houston Baptist University.

Katherine “Kathy” Keane of San Angelo is Consultant and former Executive Director of Texas Midwest Community Network. She is a Director of Fort Concho Museum Board and a member of the Texas Rural Practitioners and the Executive Committee for the Digital Texas coalition. Keane attended Angelo State University and received a Public Manager Certification from Texas Tech University Center for Public Service.

Virginia “Ginny” Lewis Ford of Austin is Executive Director of Texas Association of Regional Councils. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Chair of the Department of State Health Services Preparedness Coordinating Council, a member of the Health and Human Services Commission Aging and Disability Resource Center Advisory Committee, Texas Department of Public Safety Homeland Security Council, and board member of the National Association of Development Organizations. Ford received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Texas Tech University and a Juris Doctor degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law.

Amy Ledbetter Parham of Buda is Chief Executive Officer for Habitat for Humanity Texas. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Government from the University of Texas at Austin, a Bachelor of Family Consumer Sciences from Texas State University, and a Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Adrianna Cuellar Rojas of Austin is President and CEO of United Ways of Texas. She is also Immediate Past Board Chair for Foundation Communities and on the Board of the United Way Retirees Association. Cuellar received a Bachelor of Arts in French and International Studies from Trinity University and a Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Austin.

Phillipa Williams of Dallas is the Executive Director of ilooklikeLOVE, Inc. She attended El Centro College and studied public relations at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Carol Zernial of San Antonio is Executive Director of WellMed Charitable Foundation. She is a member of the American Society on Aging and Grantmakers in Aging, and is Board Secretary for Winston School of San Antonio. Zernial received a Bachelor of Arts in French from Trinity University and a Master of Arts in Social Gerontology from the University of the Incarnate Word.