Meet the Staff

Lily joined The Dallas Foundation’s Finance team in March of 2020. Her career background includes healthcare, manufacturing and non-profit industries in both the public and private sectors including public accounting. Lily received her B.B.A. in Accounting from The University of North Texas, graduating Magna Cum Laude.  She is passionate about her work and the impact working with non-profits has on improving the community.

In her free time Lily enjoys traveling with her husband and spending time with their children and grandchildren.  Her hobbies include sewing and crafting, including creating DIY projects with her Cricut, and has dedicated two rooms in her home to enjoy these activities.

If you’ve ever visited The Dallas Foundation’s office, you’ve probably met Gwen, the Foundation’s long-time receptionist and administrative assistant. Nineteen years ago, Gwen’s job search led her to a position at The Dallas Foundation. The organization’s support of education and the social services, particularly for children, coincides with Gwen’s passions and has kept her managing day-to-day operations since that time.

A native Texan, Gwen is originally from Floydada, Texas, also known as the Pumpkin Capital of Texas. Gwen has volunteered as a tutor for Reading Partners for five years. In her spare time, she enjoys playing softball and officiating youth sports, and is our go-to “Coach” for campus athletic events. She’s been told that she must want to be a singer and dancer in her next life.

Mackenzie joined The Dallas Foundation in June 2017 and leads the donor services program for the Foundation. She is passionate about connecting donors, along with their families, to organizations who are making our community a better place. With over a decade of non-profit management and philanthropy experience, she is dedicated to helping donors make the greatest impact possible. As a 21/64 Certified Advisor and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®), she is devoted to engaging, educating and empowering the next generation of volunteers and philanthropists.

Prior to The Dallas Foundation, Mackenzie served as the Grants Administrator at the Lyda Hill Foundation, where she assisted Miss Hill, a member of The Giving Pledge, support organizations focused on game-changing advances in science, healthcare, nature and community empowerment.

When she's not working with donors, she is serving the community through the Mayor's Star Council, a civically-minded leadership development organization for young professionals who are committed to making transformational change in Dallas. Mackenzie enjoys traveling, live music, volunteering, a nice patio with friends/family and spending time with her pug, Taco. Her world revolves around good food, so she is always up for trying a new lunch spot.

Julie joins The Dallas Foundation’s executive team in June 2019. With over thirty years of experience, her career has focused on advancement and external relations in prominent performing arts, cultural and educational institutions. Across her leadership roles, Julie has worked in close partnership with key constituencies, including donors, parents, alumni, and students.

Julie most recently served as the Chief Advancement Officer at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. Prior to that, she served for ten years as Chief Advancement Officer at Greenhill School. Prior to Greenhill, Julie served in senior leadership roles at Southern Methodist University, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, New England Conservatory of Music and the WGBH Educational Foundation.

Julie received her BA from Salem College in Arts Management and an MBA from Boston University and has also served as adjunct professor for the MA/MBA program at SMU Meadows School for the Arts.  Julie and her husband, Andres, have two sons, Peter a sophomore at Northeastern University in Boston and Gabriel a sophomore at Greenhill. 

Heather leads The Dallas Foundation’s Finance Team as well as its overall financial and investment management. She is also responsible for operational support functions.

Before joining The Dallas Foundation in 2019, Heather served as Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer of St. Louis College of Pharmacy. Her previous posts include service as the Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration at St. Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice, CFO of Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, Director of Fund Distribution for United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, Finance Officer for the Office of the Provost at Southern Methodist University and Accountant on the Assurance & Advisory Services Team at Deloitte Dallas. 

Heather earned her Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Dallas and focused her dissertation research on the purpose and utilization of private college and university endowments.  

In life and in poker, we can do everything to put the odds in our favor, but we can’t completely control the outcome. That’s how Gary feels about philanthropy. As a Certified Advisor in Philanthropy, he has the knowledge and tools to help donors articulate and advance their highest aspirations for self, family, and society. After 18 years at the Foundation, he still considers it the highest honor to learn about donors’ passions and visions, and work alongside them to make those aspirations a reality. 

Gary enjoys spending time with his wife and his new grandchild, and watching Rice University football, where his youngest son, Cole, plays offensive guard. He’s also an avid student of the game of Texas Hold ‘Em and enjoys sharing his knowledge of the game. 

Madalene joined The Dallas Foundation in February 2021 as the Development and Marketing Associate. She is experienced in marketing, communications, and project management from her past roles with non-profits that focused on literacy and STEM education.

Madalene is from Temple, Texas and graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Communication and minor in Business Administration. Her passion for the non-profit sector began with a two-year internship at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station. After graduation, she then relocated to Dallas where she began a role with the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, where she remained for two and a half years.

During her free time she enjoys visiting her friends and family across the state, loves her daily group fitness classes at a local women’s studio, and keeps busy by trying all the delicious restaurants around DFW!

As someone who has always had a passion for helping others, Porsche subscribes to The Dallas Foundation's tagline, "Here for Good," and knew immediately that joining the Foundation would be a great fit.

Having worked in non-profit accounting for 10 years prior to joining The Dallas Foundation, Porsche is no stranger to the fact that the success of great causes is often directly tied to great funding and even greater accounting.  In her role as a staff accountant, Porsche assists the finance team in ensuring that the gracious giving of the Foundation's donors reaches its intended recipients.  

Porsche graduated from The University of Texas at Arlington with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in business administration.  Go Mavs!  In her spare time, she enjoys giving back to the community by volunteering as a financial literacy teacher to young girls and as a member of the event staff for organizations focused on reaching those who live in underserved communities.   When she needs to get away from the city, Porsche goes back to her small hometown in East Texas to relax and spend  time with her family and friends. 

Growing up Becca was taught to always help others, work hard and be kind. With those ideals in mind, Becca entered the work field with a focus on service.

Becca has worked as an executive assistant and administrative assistant in the restaurant, real estate and financial industries. Working in the nonprofit sector has always been a goal that has become reality at The Dallas Foundation. As an administrative assistant in the Community Impact Department, Becca loves knowing that she is part of a team that is serving the people of Dallas and truly making a difference.

In her spare time, Becca enjoys cooking, reading and spending time with her husband and one-year old son.

Torrey has over 15 years of experience in accounting across several industries including, healthcare, chemical engineering, and manufacturing. He ventured into the nonprofit sector because of the opportunity it offered to impact the quality of life across the community and attributes much of his success to his parents, who continue to inspire him each day.

Torrey earned his undergraduate degree at Tennessee State University and his graduate degree at The University of Dallas. He is an active volunteer with the Mansfield Cedar Hill Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. In his spare time, Torrey enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters and rooting for his favorite sport team. He also enjoys channeling his inner mechanical engineer when home furnishings and appliances break.

Kim joined The Dallas Foundation in 2017 when she returned to her hometown of Dallas after living a number of years in Little Rock, AR. In her current role, she works with individuals, families and professional advisors to develop charitable giving plans for both current and planned giving. With her extensive background in non-profit development along with her training as a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®), Kim brings a unique perspective in understanding both the non-profit and the donor’s needs and how to create giving plans to achieve maximum impact and meaning.

Kim graduated from The University of Texas with a Bachelor’s degree in Music. As a classically trained pianist, she is a lover of music and the arts. She is thrilled to be back in a city with such a thriving and dynamic arts scene. Kim also loves cooking and sharing a meal with friends - either at home or at one of the many fabulous restaurants in the city.

Drex joined The Dallas Foundation as Chief Impact Officer in April 2021. He leads a team focused on the Foundation’s community impact strategy to reduce intergenerational poverty and improve child well-being through investments in programs that ensure a strong and healthy start for children ages birth to three. He will work closely with philanthropic, nonprofit, and civic leaders across Dallas and collaborate with the Foundation’s 350+ donor partners to continue the Foundation’s proven track record of investing in transformational solutions.
 
Drex was most recently the Senior Vice President of Education & Workforce at the Dallas Regional Chamber, where he led the organization’s efforts to equitably grow and develop the existing regional education and workforce pipeline. Previously, he founded and served as CEO of Brave Capital Partners, an investment company focused on catalyzing minority communities. Drex has also served in a number of leadership and strategy roles including Civitas Capital Group, The Owl Group, Blockbuster, FedEx Office, and Accenture.
 
Drex earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Rice University, where he was a two-time Track and Field All-American in the triple jump. He lives in Oak Cliff with his wife and three children.

Tori joined The Dallas Foundation in January 2021 as Creative Services Manager. In this role, she will serve as the foundation’s graphic designer and creative consultant. 

A marketing professional with a penchant for non-profits, Tori has worked within art education organizations, cultural institutions, and higher education. She loves crafting strategies that increase brand awareness and creating designs that inspire.

Tori is a native of Jackson, MS and graduated from Jackson State University with degrees in Public Relations and Graphic Design. She relocated to Dallas over 10 years ago with her musically (and visually) inclined husband. When she’s not engulfed in all things InDesign, she enjoys discovering new visual artists, listening to vinyl records, and spending time with her loved ones.

A native Detroiter and the first in his family to graduate college, Matthew’s career has focused on improving outcomes for under-served communities. Matthew began working in politics and public service, but quickly made his way to the education sector where he spent 15 years working to improve civic education, college access, and STEM readiness. Making connections between smart, passionate, results-driven people and organizations is among Matthew’s favorite work so the opportunity to lead The Dallas Foundation is both energizing and humbling. Away from the office Matthew spends time with his wife, Amanpreet, and their son, Grayson. He’s also an avid supporter of Albion College and UT Austin, institutions that provided him with the life-long gift of education and opportunity.  

Christi recently transitioned from her role as Staff Accountant to Director of Community Funds. She enjoys being a part of The Dallas Foundation team because of the focus on positively impacting the city and citizens of Dallas. The Foundation’s tagline, “Here for Good,” serves as a reminder to Christi of the philanthropic work she supports, which makes it is a pleasure for her to come to work each day.

Outside of the office, Christi loves entertaining and enjoys having family and friends at their family’s special place on Lake Conroe, home to their famous “Cousin Camp,” which brings together all the kids in her large, extended family and provides an opportunity for them to grow closer together. The kids look forward to it every year.

Kezia joined The Dallas Foundation in October 2020 as Senior Director of Donor Engagement. In this newly created role, she will serve as the foundation’s liaison to supporting organizations and will manage the Donor Services Team. 

Kezia served most recently as the Founding Executive Director of Friends of Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy, a nonprofit that supports the first public, all-boys school in Dallas ISD and North Texas. Kezia raised funds and leveraged relationships to support the school’s mission and programs in the areas of College and Career Readiness, student exposure and faculty development. Prior to Obama Academy, she worked at St. Mark’s School of Texas in Development and Alumni Relations and as Assistant Director of Community Service.

Kezia earned her MPA from the University of Texas at Dallas, studied public policy abroad at Korea University and attended the University of Texas in Austin for her undergraduate degree. She is an active member of the Junior League of Dallas and a graduate of the Leadership Dallas Class of 2018. She and her husband enjoy spending time with their fraternal twin girls who are identically adorable. 

Dawn joined The Dallas Foundation in 2015 as director of marketing and communications and each day since has been a wonderful opportunity to support, witness and share information about the generosity of individuals and the impact it has on our community. Dawn’s super power is multi-tasking and her desk is usually cluttered, but she thoroughly enjoys the energy associated with collaborating on a wide variety of projects. She frequently can be found asking her colleagues at the Foundation to read something or write something, and they graciously return the favor.

She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in communications from Loyola University New Orleans and subsequently spent much of her 25+ year career in the nonprofit sector, including roles in higher education, social services and philanthropy. Dawn, her husband, two daughters and several pets reside in Rockwall.

As Director of Community Impact, Brittani Trusty has the great pleasure of working closely with the nonprofit community, assisting in the development and management of proposals and awarding grants. When she’s not at her desk utilizing her excellent written and verbal skills, she’s out in the community conducting site visits and learning about the work of prospective grantees.

Brittani attended Stephen F.  Austin during her undergraduate years and received a graduate degree in Political Science from Texas A&M University. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, and has been known to reference her black belt skills when the need arises.

As the Manager of Executive and Board Support, Liz spends her day playing the part of chief scheduler and gatekeeper to the President and CEO. When not managing Matthew, she ensures our Board of Governors are informed and prepared for meetings, and that the organization’s policies and procedures align with the forward momentum of the Foundation.

Liz enjoys spending time with her husband and their 10 year old daughter, cooking and seeing movies. Her favorite season is Oscar season and vows each year to see every Oscar nominated movie.

Samantha joins our team with a career focused on serving the non-profit community in Dallas.  She has worked side-by-side with non-profit organizations her entire career to help solve their operational and day-to-day accounting challenges.  She is a graduate of Abilene Christian University, with a B.B.A in Accounting and a Masters of Accountancy.
 
Samantha is passionate about supporting the community and furthering our donors’ philanthropic impact in Dallas.  In her spare time, Samantha enjoys spending time her goldendoodle and traveling with her husband.

Leighton joined The Dallas Foundation in 2021 as the Director, Water Cooler at Pegasus Park. In this role, Leighton manages operations, programming, capacity building, and collaboration opportunities for the community of social impact, nonprofit, and philanthropic tenants at Pegasus Park. 

Most recently, Leighton served as an Engagement Manager with Cicero Group, providing social impact clients with a variety of supports including strategic planning, program design, measurement and evaluation, and market research. Prior to Cicero, Leighton was the Manager of Strategic Initiatives at the National Math and Science Initiative, a national non-profit focused on improving equity in STEM education, where he drove the creation of the organization’s regional growth strategy and facilitated the design of the organization’s partnership strategy to ensure future growth opportunities. At Deloitte Consulting, Leighton specialized in the Human Capital space, leading numerous transformation and change management initiatives at a variety of Fortune 500 organizations in the financial services, retail, and airline industries. These initiatives spanned across employee engagement, post-merger integration, learning and development, system implementation, and organizational design. 

Leighton earned a bachelor’s degree in Human & Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University. He enjoys traveling, all things related to Chicago sports, and is always up for trivia. Leighton lives in Oak Cliff with his wife and daughter. 

Krista is the Director of Grants for Metrocrest Hospital Authority, a fund of The Dallas Foundation. Metrocrest Hospital Authority funds on the healthcare continuum in the Carrollton Farmers Branch community. Krista has previously served as executive direction for Social Venture Partners Dallas and as director of marketing and development for the Nasher Sculpture Center.

Krista believes passionately in giving back to your community and enjoys volunteering for various organizations in Dallas. Outside of work, Krista loves spending time with her three sons. She enjoys traveling, arts and culture, cooking, and sports...especially college football. Go Badgers!

Aubrie joined The Dallas Foundation as the Donor Services Associate in September 2019 and has the pleasure of working with the Philanthropic Partnerships team. Aubrie is a native Texan and a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas and Southern Methodist University. She has a passion for helping others and making the community a better place, which led her to the nonprofit world. She has worked for over ten years in many capacities with local nonprofits, including United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and JDRF.

While away from work, she loves being outdoors, traveling, catching up with friends over dinner and spending time with her cat, Stanley.