Dean's Leadership Council

A credit union veteran of more than 36 years, Howard Baker served the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) for 14 years, followed by 15 years of service at Security Service Federal Credit Union in San Antonio. While working for the NCUA, Baker held high-level examiner and analyst positions, observing credit unions across the United States to assess and address risk to the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund. During his time at Security Service FCU, Baker held various leadership positions including Executive Vice President, Chief of Staff for 12 years. Today, Baker is President & Chief Executive Officer of Greater Texas|Aggieland Credit Union, a nearly $1B financial cooperative operating across Texas.

Community stewardship and philanthropy have always been of high importance for Baker, who has served as chairman of numerous boards of directors including the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, LeadSA, New Braunfels Christian Academy, and Seton Home for Pregnant Women. Additionally, Baker served on the Boards of Back on My Feet, Ethics in Business San Antonio, San Antono Economic Development Foundation, and Greater New Braunfels Economic Development Foundation.

Baker is a member of the McCoy School of Business Advisory Board at Texas State University, and was a McCoy School Beta Gamma Sigma Chapter Honoree in 2020. Through credit union and personal donations, he supported the Texas State 3-Day Start-Up program. Baker helped create the Tommy Dee Seargeant/Greater Texas Federal Credit Union Endowed Scholarship for McCoy School students, in honor of retired credit union CEO and Texas State alum Tommy Seargeant.

Baker graduated from Texas State University with honors in 1986 with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Economics.

Edward (Ed) Bolton was born and raised in rural Alabama and joined the U.S. Army at the age of 20, serving as a medic in the Washington D.C. area. After completing his enlistment, he joined the Kentucky Army National Guard and attended the University of Kentucky, majoring in Chemistry. He completed the U.S. Army’s Physician Assistant Program and was commissioned as an Officer in the Texas Army National Guard receiving his Master’s Degree from University of Nebraska Medical Center. Ed specialized in Orthopedic Spine and Neurosurgery Trauma and served active-duty tours in Egypt and Operation Enduring Freedom.

After his last deployment, he established Nexus, a utilization review and medical cost containment company which initially served the workers compensation system in Texas. Nexus is now a Nationally Accredited Utilization Management Firm, which has expanded with national acquisitions in the commercial health UM/IRO industry and international customer base. Since retiring from the Army, Ed has devoted time to economic development initiatives and improving healthcare across the U.S. He has served as Chairman of Economic Development for the City of San Marcos and is actively involved in NAIRO (National Association of Independent Review Organizations). Ed is a recipient of the Paul Harris Award from Rotary International and several military commendations for his efforts.

Colleen Dean has 35 years of experience in the financial services industry. She began her banking career by joining the Commercial Banking Officer Development Program in 1986 with Texas Commerce Bank in Houston, TX now known as JP Morgan Chase Bank. In 1992, she joined the Fort Worth office of JP Morgan Private Bank and in 2001 was asked to help build the San Antonio office for JP Morgan Private Bank. As a Managing Director and Banker in the San Antonio office, she advised a broad range of clients, including corporate executives, entrepreneurs, retired professionals, fiduciary, and trust relationships.

Dean is a graduate of Texas State University, where she earned a B.S. in Fashion Merchandising with a minor in Business. She subsequently received an M.B.A. in Finance and Accounting from The University of Texas. Colleen is a Certified Financial Planner™️, an advisory board member for Texas State University’s McCoy College of Business, a director for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio, and Board member of Texas Wall Street Women.

Katie Harvey is the founder and chief executive officer of KGBTexas Communications, one the of the largest, woman-owned communications firms in Texas, with offices in San Antonio and Houston. Katie has grown her full-service marketing and communications agency from its origins as a boutique public relations firm to a debt-free, multimillion-dollar company with a team of over 50 professionals. 

One of Katie’s strongest beliefs is that her and her team’s work should have positive consequence in the communities in which they and their clients work, live, play and serve. In over 30 years in business, she has had the privilege to work on some of the most high-profile projects and campaigns that have shaped San Antonio and Houston and enhanced economic development and quality of life across the state of Texas. 

Katie is a proud graduate of Southwest Texas State University, a wife and mother of two sons. 

Thomas Kiraly is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hanger Inc., the nation’s leading provider of Orthotics and Prosthetics. Hanger serves its patients through over 900 clinics located in 48 States nationwide. Kiraly has served in his current role since January 2015. Prior to joining Hanger, Kiraly served as the Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Sheridan Healthcare, Inc., from 2013 to 2014 and Concentra, Inc., from 1999 to 2011. Kiraly also previously served as Vice President of Finance for Humana and as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of BRC Holdings, Inc. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from California State University, Northridge. 

Larry Mark is a global executive with 40 years of finance and leadership experience in the consumer products industry. During his 32 years with The Coca-Cola Company, he held multiple roles throughout its Global Finance organization. Until his recent retirement, Mark was the Global Vice President, Finance Operations, and had responsibility for driving the underlying results of the Company by working in business partnership with the President, Chief Operating Officer, and the Chief Financial Officer. This included oversight of a revenue base of $40 billion, operating income of $11 billion and an enterprise value of $270 billion.

Mark was previously the Vice President and Corporate Controller of The Coca-Cola Company with oversight of performance management, internal and external financial reporting, and internal controls for the global enterprise. Mark also previously served as the Chief Financial Officer for Coca-Cola North America and as Chief Financial Officer for the Coca-Cola Europe Group. Prior to his operating roles, Mark led The Coca-Cola Company’s Investor Relations activities and gained extensive experience working with Wall Street. Mark started his career with Price Waterhouse where he became an audit senior manager, gaining experience across multiple industries, and he spent two years in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In his current hometown of Atlanta Georgia, Mark serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Woodruff Arts Center and as a Board member of the Center for Puppetry Arts. Mark is currently on the Advisory Board of two software start-up companies, and he previously served on the Board of Fairlife LLC.

Rebecca Mehrwerth is a commercial leader with more than 25 years of experience building commercial teams and leading product launches in the small, start-up biotech space. Her expertise in developing commercialization strategies for early stage companies has resulted in significant value growth. She has held leadership roles at GSK, TESARO, Celgene, and Epizyme.

Rebecca is currently the Biopharma Executive in Residence at the University of Minnesota and acts as a consultant for a privately held Boston biotech. She and holds a BBA in Finance from Texas State University and resides in Minnesota with her family.

Jason Qualls has been in the finance industry for over 20 years. As a Senior Vice President at Frost Bank, Jason works with middle market commercial and industrial companies to provide solutions for various debt and deposit needs. Prior industry experience includes business banking, commercial work-out and personal banking. Outside of banking, Jason enjoys exploring Texas State Parks with his twin boys, young daughter, and wonderful wife.    

Dr. Sanjay Ramchander serves as dean of the McCoy College of Business at Texas State University. The McCoy College is home to nearly 4,500 students and spans five academic departments: Accounting, Computer Information Systems and Quantitative Methods, Finance and Economics, Management, and Marketing.

Dr. Ramchander is a professor of finance and holds the Darren Casey Endowed Professorship in Business. He leads the McCoy College in its student-centered approach to preparing graduates for successful business careers. He sees the college as a diverse, vibrant, and dynamic community devoted to the idea that business makes a world of difference.

Kristin Scholer is Senior Director of Marketing Science at Hearts & Science, a global marketing agency. She leads a team that solves complex business decisions using data and insights to support the strategic initiatives of the AT&T account. She has held multiple analytical roles since 2006 where she has developed a diversified knowledge across retail, energy, hospitality, e-commerce, automotive and telecommunication verticals for domestic and global organizations. She holds a B.S. and an MBA from Texas State University. Kristin currently lives in Dallas with her husband Zach, also a Texas State graduate, and their Great Pyrenees, Layla. 

Bruce Smith, a distinguished Houstonian, is a visionary entrepreneur and investor with an illustrious career. As the founder, President, and CEO of Safety Vision, LLC, Smith's leadership has propelled the company's ascent to becoming a global leader in Mobile Video Surveillance, boasting over 100 employees and a presence across the United States and beyond. With an extensive portfolio encompassing 54 companies collectively valued at over $1 billion annually, Smith's impact on the business landscape is profound.

Born in Santa Monica, California, he made his mark in Houston after moving there at the age of eight. Graduating from Stratford High School in 1981, Smith pursued Finance at Texas State University while simultaneously demonstrating remarkable leadership as President of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and holding key positions in various campus organizations. His entrepreneurial journey began during college with the establishment of El Dorado Restaurant and Bar, setting the stage for his future successes. Following his tenure at Motorola, where he rose to the role of National Accounts Manager, Smith's trailblazing spirit led him to establish Safety Vision, LLC in 1993. 

Smith's commitment to growth extends to diverse sectors, from commercial and residential real estate to the co-founding of three banks, multiple startup companies, and investments in a multitude of private equity funds. A cherished family man, Bruce is married to his high school sweetheart Kelly, with whom he shares two children.

Beyond his business endeavors, Smithe's engagement with the Young Presidents Organization, Chief Executive Organization (CEO), his advisory role at Texas State University's McCoy Business School, and his philanthropic contributions, to organizations like Prepare 4 Life and KIPP Academy reflect his unwavering dedication to progress. The Smith family's membership in the Houstonian further underscores their deep-rooted connection to their community. With accolades such as being a Distinguished Alumnus of Texas State University, Smith's legacy as an entrepreneur, leader, and visionary continues to shape industries and inspire generations. 

Michael Smith is an Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk Partner in KPMG’s Advisory business with over 25 years of experience leading audit, risk and compliance programs. Michael leads a dedicated innovation team that works across our KPMG network to help clients’ execute against their core IA and SOX needs, drive risk management improvement and advance core internal audit capabilities. His approach focuses on connecting the enterprise and IA agendas — across culture, people, technology, and process - to create a more valuable and resilient IA team.  Michael serves as the U.S. Solution Lead for Internal Audit and previously served as the U.S. Lead of KPMG’s Intelligent Automation for Internal Audit and ICOFR Team. 

Annette Stewart is a financial services professional. For close to twenty years, she has worked in financial services firms such as Citadel, Goldman Sachs and is currently at Royal Bank of Canada.  Annette has spent her career focused on derivatives regulation, front-to-back trading process, overall firm process improvement, project management, legal trade confirmations & currently working on strategic risk & regulatory initiatives.  

Her perspective on finance and leadership is shaped by her experiences as both a financial services professional and involvement in multiple nonprofit organizations.  She is currently the President of the Financial Women’s Association. 

Overall, Annette has enjoyed new learning opportunities and has grown her career through her love for learning and collaboration.

Annette received her undergraduate degree from Texas State University and completed her Juris Doctorate at the University of Iowa College of Law where she participated in the University of Iowa's international law program in France and London. She is also a graduate of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business Executive Program for her MBA.  

Annette volunteers on the Board for the FWA, serves on the University of Iowa College of Law Foundation Board, Phi Chi Theta Foundation & participates as an advisor for several non-profit organizations which includes Sigma Kappa.

Annette enjoys traveling and free time with her husband, Jeff Fausey, and daughter Paige.

Jeff Willis received his BBA in marketing from Texas State University in 1985. In 1993, he joined the Roofing Supply Group (RSG), a small Texas wholesale industrial distributor of roofing and building materials.

Over the next 20+ years, his senior executive leadership and management skills were foundational in growing the company to over $1.1 billion in revenues at the time of its multiple private equity sales. Willis then joined another private equity sponsored wholesale industrial distributor in 2018 and, as president of seven business units, helped lead it to over $1 billion in revenues and its successful sale in 2020. He has been enjoying semi-retirement since then.

Willis is also known for giving back as he has held various committee leadership appointments within industry and trade groups. In 2016, he and his wife, Patty, established a scholarship endowment at the Texas State University McCoy College of Business, and he has enjoyed re-engaging with his alma mater by serving on the McCoy College of Business Advisory Board and on the Texas State University Leadership Advisory Council.