Andrew F. Brown, retired Executive Director, Public Affairs and Policy Communications, Verizon Communications, is a 38-year veteran of the Company. A native Texan, Brown entered the telecommunications field upon graduation from North Texas State University with a bachelor's degree in business administration. Brown began his career in marketing in Irving, Texas, where he served as Marketing Communication Consultant for GTE's Southwest Company. He soon became a prominent leader in GTE's marketing efforts and orchestrated key telecommunications projects such as the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, Texas Stadium, and Las Colinas, home to an array of Fortune 500 corporations, including GTE Corporation.
An entrepreneur, Brown owned, operated and developed small businesses that resulted in successful profit and employment ventures while maintaining his career at GTE. These achievements resulted in him being named one of the most Outstanding Men in America for his contributions to small business, community development and corporate leadership. Brown was named General Sales Manager, Marketing in 1969, a position he held for 16 years. His career then expanded into the governmental affairs arena and on to economic development. Brown became director of economic development for GTE's seventeen state Central Areas and served in that capacity for several years. During that time, he developed and implemented GTE's Region of Choice Economic Development Program, creating 100 regional alliances of communities throughout the Midwest and producing competitive edge video and collateral packages.
Assuming the role as national executive director for Public Affairs and Policy Communications in 1995, Brown has been instrumental in taking the Region of Choice Program into a national format, which includes the production of eighty-seven regional programs. These programs have won forty-three awards from various organizations across the country.  Andy Brown was responsible not only for the conceptualization and development of the Verizon signature literacy program, but also for orchestrating the transformation of the program into one of the nation's most important public charities - Verizon Reads. As president of Verizon Reads, his vision for strategic philanthropy has influenced Verizon's focus on literacy and grown public awareness, funding and volunteerism in support of the cause. The Verizon Reads platform has received numerous prestigious national awards including the Presidential Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership and the National Coalition for Literacy's Literacy Leadership Award bestowed upon organizations that significantly impact employee development and enhance quality of life for cities and towns through out America.
The National Coalition for Literacy located in Washington DC, which is a broad-based alliance of national adult and family literacy organizations, agencies, and associations, awarded Brown its 2006 NCL Literacy Leadership Award. NCL's annual Literacy Leadership Awards recognize individuals, organizations, and corporations who have made extraordinary contributions to improving literacy in the United States on the local, state, and national level.
Brown also served as mayor of Coppell, Texas for ten years, during which time the community population grew from less than 1,000 to more than 28,000. As mayor, Brown drafted a successful city master plan, developing infrastructure standards for the community, as well as a comprehensive park system. As testimony to his public service, the City of Coppell named their Texas award-winning major park system, which consists of 182 acres in his name, Andrew F. Brown, Jr. Community Parks.
Brown has served on the board of directors for the Texas Industrial Development Corporation, the Dallas All Sports Association, Circle 10 Boy Scouts of America, the Dallas Summer Musicals, Work Source for Dallas County, and director for Citizen's First Bank and Trust. He is a member of the Council for Urban Economic Development and the American Economic Development Council.

Patti currently manages talent, workforce, health and education issues for the Dallas Regional Chamber. The activities of the department include policy development for education, workforce, healthcare, and leadership development activities.  She is a member of the State Board of Nursing.and serves on the Junior League Community Advisory Committee. She is currently a member of Charter 100 and The Summit, as well serving as chair of the  American Cancer Society Dallas Metro board and on the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Strategic Planning Committee and Chair of the United Way Legislative Committee. Patti serves as chair of the Texas Business and Education Coalition Coordinating Committee and on the steering committee for the North Texas P-16 Council.  She is past president of the Tejas Girl Scout Council, past Chair of the Tejas Girl Scout Endowment Board, past Chairman of the Trinity River Authority, past president of Executive Women of Dallas, past president of the board of the Community College of Greater Dallas, past member of the board of Doctor’s Hospital,  past chair of the Board of the Texas Center for Educational Research, former trustee and president of the Richardson I.S.D. School Board, a past member of the Board of the Metropolitan YMCA, past president of the Dallas County School Board Association, past president of the North Texas Association of School Boards and past president of the Texas Association of School Boards. She serves on the advisory boards for the College of Education at both the University of North Texas and the University of Texas at Arlington and the President's Advisory Board for Austin College. Patti has served as president of the Women's Council of Dallas County, Chair of the Dallas Commission on Children and Youth, president of the Dallas Republican Forum, and treasurer of the Community Council of Greater Dallas.  She has been recognized as the 1995 Advocate of the Year, A Friend of Education by Phi Delta Kappa Dallas Metro North Chapter, Outstanding Republican Woman of Texas, and is a life member of both the State and National PTA.   She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BA in English and currently serves on the Board of Visitors for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Amy Cuellar has been the Regional Director for the Health and Human Services Commission since 1996. She directs the operations and coordination of all activities of the Office of Eligibility Services for Texas Works and Medicaid Eligibility in North Texas, which includes urban and rural segments. Supervises directly and through Lead Program Managers, Program Managers and Supervisors a professional, technical and clerical staff engaged in providing services according to agency policies and procedures. Amy has worked numerous volunteer activities with Homeless and Elderly and Team Lead - Dallas/Ft. Worth Urban Initiatives Team w/ HHS. Ms. Cuellar received a Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of Texas at the Permian Basin, Odessa, Texas.

Rolinda Duran is a Field Director at the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS).  She has over twenty years experience working with persons with disabilities, assisting with advocacy, independent living skills training, and employment services.  Rolinda has coordinated workshops, seminars, and training sessions at the local, regional, and state level for persons with disabilities, school district personnel, and vocational rehabilitation professionals.  Rolinda manages an office of 45 staff with responsibilities for direct supervision including hiring, performance appraisals, and compliance with HR policies, and ensures that the agency’s mission is carried out.

Jay Klingelhoffer

Texas Workforce Commission

Jay has been with the state of Texas since the mid-70’s.  Working for the Texas Workforce Commission and it’s predecessor agency, The Texas Employment Commission, he has made his way from a frontline employer interviewer, into positions of Senior Management both in the Region and across the state.  Jay is currently a manager for the DFW Regional Tele-Center capping a career that included a year as the Deputy Director of the TWC Workforce Division.  He received his Bachelors Degree at Indiana University. 

REPRESENTING THE:

Private Sector

Education and Adult Basic/Continuing Education

Community-Based Organizations/Organized Labor, including Child Care

Economic Development, Employment Services, Literacy, Texas Department of Human Services and Rehabilitation

 

Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.