OUR TEAM, BOARD & FACILITATORS

Nory Angel comes to the American Leadership Forum from TEACH, an education-based, nonprofit organization co-founded by Susan Sarofim that serves Houston’s public schools where she served as Executive Director.  Prior to her work at TEACH, she served as the Executive Director and CEO of SERJobs for ten years, where she led the organization to exponential growth including the successful completion of a $11.5m capital campaign to launch Houston’s first Workforce Opportunity Center and Career Café.  

Ms. Angel is a proud Senior Fellow of Class XXX.  As a result of her ALF class dialogue in 2013, a conversation at Milby High School with students and local business leaders from the surrounding community, she co-founded the East End Collaborative, a coalition of residents, non-profits, government and businesses.  This collaborative continues today to enrich the neighborhood and build relationships to help address concerns in the area including founding an annual cultural celebration, Dia De Los Muertos Street Fest in Magnolia Park – which is currently in its sixth year.

Additionally, in the community, Ms. Angel serves on the boards of the Center for Houston’s Future, Project Row Houses, and the Texas Executive Women.  Previously, she served as Board Chair and longtime board member of the Greater East End Management District and as the Board Secretary of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. 

Ms. Angel is passionate about leadership and has pursued continuing leadership development at The Harvard Kennedy School of Government through their Art and Practice of Leadership Development program in 2019 and their Executive Leadership Program in 2013.  She also earned a Strategic Leadership Program Certificate from the Center for Creative Leadership and a Nonprofit Executive Leadership Program Certificate from Bank of America-Neighborhood Builder.  Additionally, she was a National Hispana Leadership Institute Senior Fellow in Class XXV in Washington, D.C.

In 2012, Ms. Angel was recognized as one of the 25 Top Women of Houston; in 2014, Ford Motor Company recognized her as a Mujer Legendaria for her work in creating green jobs for the Latino community; in 2015, she was recognized by the ROADwomen for her social justice work, by Texas Executive Women as a Woman on the Move, named one of Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women by Houston Woman Magazine; in 2016 was named the Impact Award Winner by the Center for Houston’s Future; and in 2019, named a Comcast Hispanic Hero. 

Ms. Angel holds a MBA from Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Texas and an Intensive French Studies Certificate from L’Université de Toulon, France.  She resides in the East End with her husband Oleg Jolic who is also a nonprofit executive and a refugee from former Yugoslavia. 

Shaina Holm has spent her career advancing leadership and community initiatives that bridge local and global divides. As the Fellows Program Director at ALF, she oversees the design of leadership experiences that combine personal growth with collaborative action to equip professionals to tackle systemic challenges. Previously, at Rice University’s Center for Civic Leadership, she taught ethical community engagement, mentoring students in partnerships with nonprofits to engage in research and root-cause analysis along with hands-on support to expand organizational capacity.

Her earlier roles—managing programs for resettled refugee youth at PAIR Houston and facilitating global exchange programs like Jóvenes en Acción—reflect a commitment to cross-cultural partnership. These experiences, paired with her Peace Corps service in Ukraine, inform her approach: leadership rooted in humility, adaptability, co-creation, and shared goals.

Shaina holds a Master’s in Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation from SIT Graduate Institute and a business degree from Texas A&M University.

Fatima Raza is an experienced social impact professional with a strong dedication to collective impact, social responsibility, and sustainability. With over 6 years of experience across various sectors, including small nonprofits, government agencies, international NGOs, multilateral organizations, policy institutes, and academic institutions, she has focused on assessing the impact, design, and partnership networks for sustainable development interventions.

Fatima’s expertise lies in building relationships and executing strategic programming, with a particular emphasis on equitable access, diversity, inclusion, and policy design. She holds a Masters of Public Administration in Economic and Political Development from Columbia University and an undergraduate degree in International Relations from Emory University.

As the Director of Engagement & Impact at the American Leadership Forum Houston/Gulf Coast, Fatima is driven by her deep-rooted passion for community development and the ALF mission to enhance collaborative leadership. She is committed to expanding the organization’s reach and driving social progress.

Celene is an Administration Manager at American Leadership Forum Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter where she leads our accounting, human resources, data management and office operations.

Celene is a Licensed General Insurance Agent and worked for Aetna/Travelers Insurance for thirty-four years before joining the ALF team. She held many positions in various Personal Lines departments of the corporation: accounting records both manual and computer-stored, rating, customer service (phone team), and underwriting. She also held management positions in all these areas. In addition, Celene worked in agency management and state regulatory positions.

Celene is also involved as a secretary for her neighborhood homeowner’s association. She is a crafter and gardener originally from Illinois, now firmly rooted in Texas.

No description defined for this team member (Sarah Windham)

No description defined for this team member (Oriana Durbin)

Judy Le has over 20 years of leadership development experience in the for-profit, non-profit, and higher education sectors. As CEO of TakeRoot, LLC, Judy works with clients to create meaningful change in their work and communities. Before starting TakeRoot, she served as the director of Leadership Rice at Rice University. She is currently an instructor for the Glasscock School at Rice University where she teaches all the courses of the leadership certificate, including the Art and Practice of Influencing Without Authority.

Judy came to America as a Vietnamese refugee and saw firsthand how leadership is needed at all levels of communities and organizations. Her experiences have shaped her approach to helping others develop their own authenticity in how they lead – to embrace uncertainty, get clarity around what matters most, and build trusting relationships. Having experienced massive changes in half a lifetime, Judy sees leadership as an activity that ignites moral courage and imagination in service of creating positive change.

Judy started her career at Deloitte Consulting as a change leadership practitioner and then as program director for Leadership Houston. She serves on the boards of the National American Leadership Forum, EMERGE Fellowship, Post Oak School, and on the advisory boards of the Young Center and Asia Society. Judy is trained in adaptive leadership through Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s master class program, completed the Social Justice Institute’s training program, and is a Board Certified and Team Performance Certified coach. She earned her master’s degree at the University of Texas and her bachelor’s degree at Rice University.

Judy calls Houston, Texas home. She enjoys gathering people in her kitchen around food and conversation, embarrassing her three kids with really witty/bad puns, and cuddling with her very charismatic dog.

She is an ALF Senior Fellow of Class XLVII.

Jill Carroll is a scholar, writer, speaker and consultant who earned her Ph.D. in philosophy of religion from Rice University in 1994. She has published numerous books and articles in her field of specialty as well as in world religions, and religion and public life. She worked for many years as a lecturer and adjunct associate professor at Rice University and at several campuses of the University of Houston. She has taught continuing education classes in philosophy, world religions, and humanities at The Women’s Institute of Houston for over 25 years.

She served as Executive Director of the Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice University from 2004-2009, and is the creator and founding director of the Amazing Faiths Dinner Dialogues. She was a freelance writer for the Houston Chronicle for several years, writing columns in healthcare and gardening, and wrote a featured blog on topics in religion. She has provided religious diversity and global skills training for corporations, schools, non-profits and groups, and has given keynote talks on religious tolerance in many countries throughout the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. She offers online enrichment classes and coaching in world religions and philosophy. She is a facilitator and program consultant for the American Leadership Forum – Gulf Coast Chapter.

She is an ALF Senior Fellow of Class XXVII.

William M (Mel) Taylor has been a nonprofit executive for many years-working at Baker Ripley and most recently retired as President and CEO for The Council on Recovery after thirty years. Mel holds a Master degree from the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work and was recently named as one of the Top 50 Social Workers in the past 50 years, where he has served as adjunct faculty focusing on leadership and organizational change. A native of Harlingen, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. Mel treasures his bi-cultural childhood and understanding of this wonderful part of Texas’ heritage. Mel is a student of eastern philosophy, a certified yoga teacher (CYT),  a certified Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher and he is certified in EQi- Emotional Intelligence Assessments. He is also a Wilderness First Responder (WFR), nature photographer and guitar player. He has served the Memorial Park Conservancy, The JUNG Center, and The ManKind Project. He finds happiness in hiking, being with family, music and being part of transcendent process and group dynamics. He enjoys mentoring emerging leaders and is passionate about the dynamics of Inner Leadership. Currently Mel is consulting to CEOs, organizations, and providing executive coaching.

He is an ALF Senior Fellow of Class XXVII.

Albert started his work in education as an undergraduate student at Rice University, and has taught in some of Houston’s most disadvantaged schools. Albert is a recipient of the Salman Khan Commencement Award for Educational Entrepreneurship at Rice University for his work in education domestically and abroad.

After receiving a B.A. in Political Science, he continued teaching through Teach America as a 2012 Corps Member. Albert earned the Beginning Teacher of the Year distinction for the Houston Independent School District, became social studies department chair, and served as the Director of the College and Career Center at Sharpstown High School.

Albert spent a year in Asia on a Fulbright Fellowship to work with local teachers to deliver robust English curricula and study the ways the East incorporates social-emotional learning in school culture and instruction.

He is an ALF Senior Fellow of Class LIV.

Sean Fitzpatrick is the executive director of The Jung Center, where he has worked and taught since 1997. Sean holds master’s degrees in religious studies from Rice University and in clinical psychology from the University of Houston — Clear Lake. He received his PhD in psychology, with a specialization in Jungian studies, from Saybrook University. His book The Ethical Imagination: Exploring Fantasy and Desire in Analytical Psychology was published by Routledge in August 2019. Sean is a senior fellow of the American Leadership Forum (Class XXXIX) and serves on the board of the Network of Behavioral Health Providers in Houston. He is a psychotherapist in private practice and teaches internationally.

He is an ALF Senior Fellow of Class XXXIX.

Alison Hare is a Colombian-American public health professional, with experience in community resilience, disaster preparedness and response, international development, grassroots programs, and leadership. Alison has extensive international experience and tries to bring the knowledge and experience, and resulting cultural sensitivity, to everything she does. As the daughter of a geophysicist in the 1980s she lived and traveled around the world, including China, East Asia, Europe, and South America. Her undergraduate studies in International Relations with a focus in Government were completed in Bogota, Colombia. At the time of her studies Colombia had been in perpetual civil war since the 1950s, and was emerging from the bloodiest part of the drug wars that reigned in the 80s and early 90s. Much of her undergraduate degree then had an element of conflict resolution and development as conflict mitigation to it. After college, Alison joined the Peace Corps and lived for two years working as an environmental and agricultural agent in the Republic of Benin, West Africa. Alison later received a Master of International Affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. She re-joined the Peace Corps through their Peace Corps Response program as a Disaster Preparedness professional in Romblon, Philippines where she drafted the provinces disaster preparedness plans/programs. Currently, Alison is the Interim Director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response at Harris County Public Health (HCPH). During 2020, Alison was the Operations Section Chief for the HCPH COVID-19 Response and later transitioned to the role of Resilience and Equity Officer for the Response, where she oversaw response strategies and planning for Harris County, to ensure equity for all communities throughout all response operations. Alison was also the Lead for the Community Assessment Task Force during the HCPH response to Hurricane Harvey and has over 10 years of experience in disaster preparedness and response locally, nationally, and internationally. She is married to a Nigerian communications and change management professional, and they have three boys.

 She is an ALF Senior Fellow of Class LX.

Tina Arias Peterman has more than 25 years of experience in the banking and public finance industries, beginning her career in fixed income sales with Texas Commerce Bank. From there, she spent 13 years at JPMorgan working with municipal issuers to craft tailored financing solutions to finance infrastructure and infrastructure improvements. Since 2014, Tina has provided financial advisory services to various issuers of tax-exempt and taxable bonds including cities, counties, toll roads, airports, ports, utilities, sports authorities and hotels and development authorities among others. In the Fall of 2018, she joined Masterson Advisors LLC as an owner in the majority women-owned firm.

Richard Jennings is the principal of a family consulting firm, JRJ Consulting, LLC. He retired as director of external affairs for Southwestern Bell and executive director of the March of Dimes. He is a graduate and former chairman of Leadership Houston and currently serves as chairman of its Endowment. Additionally, he is a graduate of The Center for Houston’s Future. Richard is former chairman of the Houston West Chamber of Commerce and Greater Houston Partnership’s Ambassador, Loaned Executives and Regional Chamber Legislative Forum programs. He has received numerous awards and honors including the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Association for Community Leadership, the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal.

Ryan started with the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation (HCSCC) in February of 2017 as Director of Projects and Capital Improvement and was appointed CEO & Executive Director by the Board of Directors in May of 2018. HCSCC was created by Harris County Commissioners Court to oversee, maintain, manage, and develop county-owned NRG Park that includes NRG Stadium, NRG Center, NRG Arena and the historic NRG Astrodome.

As CEO & Executive Director, he is responsible for the oversight and operation of NRG Park in both day-to-day operations and long-term development. Those duties also include working with NRG Park’s tenants – The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and the NFL’s Houston Texans – to coordinate operations, capital improvements, and strategic planning for the entire 350-acre NRG Park complex. Notable projects include coordinating NRG Park operations for the Federal Disaster Shelter and Recovery efforts after Hurricane Harvey in 2017, creating the Houston Venue and Events Task Force in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic bringing together all the sports and entertainment venues in Houston, and helping to create the national model for drive-through mass vaccine distribution used at venues throughout the country.

Ryan also works with Harris County Commissioners Court on Capital Improvement Project requests and other projects that benefit the Harris County-Houston community.

Prior to HCSCC, Walsh was Special Assistant to Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, the chief executive officer for county government in Texas, for 8 years. He worked on a variety of policy issues including Emergency Management, County Boards and Commissions and Harris County Public Health.

Ryan is a native Houstonian and a graduate of the University of Houston with B.A.s in Political Science and Russian. He is past chair of the South Main Alliance, a board member for the South Houston Gateway Improvement District, and served on the Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee. He is also a senior fellow with the American Leadership Forum, Class 49. He and his wife, Jessica, enjoy traveling the world and exploring the outdoors with their twin girls, Rowan and Reagan, and dogs Benson and Mick.

Ronald (Ron) Oran is a litigation attorney with Foley & Lardner LLP in Houston, TX. His experience is in commercial litigation, particularly as it relates to disputes involving the purchase, sale and operation of energy companies and assets. Ron is a member of the board of trustees for the United Way of Greater Houston and serves on the boards of directors for Avance, Inc. and Children’s Museum of Houston. Ron holds a BA from Northwestern State University and an MA in philosophy and JD from Tulane University.

Astley Blair, Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for the finance, information technology, contracting and business services for Marine Well Containment Company.

Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC) is an independent company with headquarters in Houston. The company, which is not in the business of making a profit, provides well containment equipment and technology in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico. As a leader in deepwater well containment and a technology provider in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico, the company’s mission is to be continuously ready to respond to a deepwater well control incident in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. MWCC is committed to advancing its capabilities to keep pace with its members’ needs; membership is open to all oil and gas operators in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

In July 2010, ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Shell committed to providing a new containment response capability. These founding companies recognized the need to be better prepared in the event an operator lost complete control and subsequent containment of a well. As a result, the founding companies ask Astley to set up a company, later known as MWCC, which became active in February 2011. MWCC’s now has over $2 billion in assets available for use in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico should the need ever arise again.

Astley is a native of Jamaica. He started his career in 1981 in London, England with Texaco Ltd. as an Accountant specializing in Value Added Tax. He has also held a number of positions in Marine Shipping, Marketing, Manufacturing, Planning and Corporate Reporting before taking up an assignment at Texaco’s corporate headquarters in New York in 1996. He worked in a variety of corporate roles and was part of the Executive Business Development Program, before being named Manager, Accounting & Trading Controls in August of 1998 for Texaco Oil Trading & Transport.

After the merger of Chevron and Texaco, he was named General Manager, Finance for Global Trading and later appointed Vice President & General Manager of Finance & Business Services based in Houston, TX. He was named Division Finance Officer in January 2004 for the newly formed Global Supply & Trading organization until his recent assignment as Chief Financial Officer of Marine Well Containment Company. He retired from Chevron at the end of 2019 after 38 years of service but maintains his role at MWCC.

As a Chevron representative he was active throughout Houston on many community engagement efforts, including the Houston Food Bank, United Way, STEM (middle & high school students) to improve education in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Houston Grand Opera where he also serves as the Chairman of the Audit Committee. He was also the past Chairman of the Center for Houston’s Future and a Board Member of the Greater Houston Partnership. He is also on the board of the Houston Airport System Development Corporation.

Although he maintains his English heritage, he became a US Citizen in 2019. He is an avid follower of the English Premier League (soccer) and Formula 1 racing.

Errol Allen II is a senior integrator in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer for the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) at Johnson Space Center. Errol is the president of the Alpha Eta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the largest chapter in the global organization. He is co-founder and steering committee chair of the Houston Black Leadership Institute and serves the community in many other capacities. Errol is the is the immediate past president of the Houston Chapter of the National Black MBA Association, Inc.

Becky Seabrook is senior director, guest engagement at The Health Museum in Houston, TX. In this role, she is responsible for strategic planning, implementation and oversight of the organization’s guest experience as well as the development of local, regional and national partnerships that complement the museum’s mission and increase its impact in the community. She graduated with a BS in Biological Sciences from Duke University and MS in Human Movement Science/Biomechanics from UNC Chapel Hill. She serves as an at large member for the Leadership Team of the National Association for Museum Exhibition (American Alliance of Museums).

Chris Gonzalez has over 15 years of experience working in communications and public schools. She began her career in education as a history teacher at YES Prep Public Schools in 2000 and then became development director for KIPP in Boston. She continued her career with KIPP in Houston, first as development director and then as the founding head of marketing and communications team for ten years. Recently, Chris has provided external relations consulting to a variety of clients including Davidson College, KIPP Tulsa Public Charter Schools, The Council on Recovery and Education Pioneers. Since 2011, Chris has also served as an elected member of the Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees and is former Board President. She has an MBA from Rice University and BA from Baylor University.

Ms. Donna Fujimoto Cole founded Cole Chemical & Distributing, Inc., in 1980 providing industrial and process chemicals to industry.  She has started, sold, invested and divested many types of businesses; from civil construction, to drilling loss circulation materials, chemical manufacturing, real estate, promotional advertising, chemical distribution, warehousing, blending and packaging.  

In 2022, Ms. Cole sold a 40 percent interest in Cole Chemical to Berryman Smith, LLC., to provide additional products and toll manufacturing services with over 500 tank cars and 7 terminals with warehouses nationally to position the company for continued growth. 

Donna’s current leadership positions: ALF National Advisory Council, City of Houston Asian Pacific American Advisory Board, The Rockwell Fund Board, The Diversity Summit Steering Committee, Royal Public Schools Advisory Board, The Institute of Supply Management Executive Advisory Board, and The Women’s Home Advisory Board.      

Her community work includes mentoring business owners, and young professionals, while supporting non-profits in education, health care, women and anti-hate. She actively promotes Japan’s culture, traditions, exchanges, and business relations in Houston.     

Donna tells great stories in film, plays, and musicals about strong women and supportive men to inspire and motive millions of women to take care of themselves, their families and improve their communities.  

ALF Class XXV has been a highlight in my life by developing life-long friendships, and working on the “Cradle to Prison Pipeline” to bring awareness to successful programs serving socially and economically challenged students and families.

José Monterrosa is the owner of Imagina Communications, a marketing and communications consulting firm with an emphasis on understanding the Latino communities of Texas. With an MA in advertising from Michigan State University, José has led several marketing communications projects for clients interested in the Hispanic population and participated in TV, radio, print and Web marketing projects for entities such as Harris County Protective Services, Community Health Choice, East End District and Houston Parks Board. He is an active member of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, East End Chamber of Commerce and Houston Minority Supplier Development Council.