OFFICERS
Chris Wallace
Pronouns: he / his Board Chair Chris Wallace is a certified non-profit organization executive bringing 28 years of expertise to the CfA LGBT. He is CEO of the North Texas Commission, which leads our region’s advocacy in Austin and D.C. Chris looks forward to continuing the exceptional leadership of Robert and Sandy to further build the strength and capacity of CfA LGBT to better serve our community. Chris Wallace is President/CEO of the North Texas Commission, a public-private partnership that works with the region’s most prominent leaders to tackle the greatest challenges for the 13-county area. The NTC manages the region’s unified legislative advocacy voice at the state and federal levels. In addition to his advocacy and education-focused vision, under Wallace’s leadership, the Commission has also placed a greater emphasis on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion with the establishment the region’s first DE&I Summit and comprehensive resources. Prior to joining the NTC, Wallace was President/COO of the Texas Association of Business, the state chamber of commerce based in Austin. As a registered lobbyist, Chris has led advocacy initiatives in the areas of economic development and trade having founded the highly recognized and successful Keep Texas Open for Business Coalition, defeating discriminatory and unnecessary legislation in the 86th Texas Legislative Session. Wallace also managed statewide campaigns reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank, the Texas-Mexico Trade Coalition (advocating for the passage of the USMCA), as well as the need for telemedicine in Texas. Wallace is a current member of the faculty and past chairman of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Organization Management as well as a former Regent of Northeast Institute at Villanova University. He is among a group of less than 700 executives in the nation who have earned their CCE (Certified Chamber Executive) designation. He also serves on the national board of the Business & Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC), the Texas Advisory Board of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and the statewide board of CHILDREN AT RISK. He is a 1992 graduate of Texas Tech University and serves on the Texas Tech Chancellor's Council and previously on the Professional Advisory Board of the College of Media and Communication where he was named an outstanding alumnus in 2008. Wallace is a frequent presenter and media resource on trade, the business case for diversity as well as immigration reform. He was a finalist for a 2010 White House Fellowship and is featured among the Dallas 500 most powerful business leaders in Dallas-Fort Worth by D CEO Magazine. |
Kim Macpherson
Pronouns: she /her Board Vice Chair Kim and her wife Janet (Fi) Macpherson have been long time social activists for the LGBTQ community, protesters for racial equality and advocates for women’s rights in the North Texas area for almost 40 years. Over the years, in the fight for gay and lesbian equal rights, Kim and Janet participated in the 1989 March on Austin, the 1993 One in a Million March on Washington, the 1994 Gay Games / Stonewall 25th, and many Gay Pride parades throughout the country. Some of the key events in the struggle for racial equality and equity as well as women’s rights, includes protesting against the 1988 Ku Klux Klan rally in downtown Dallas, marching in the 1992 March for Women’s lives in Washington DC, and in 1993 serving as protectors for women seeking entrance into an abortion clinic in Houston, TX. The various boards, committees, conferences, community, and political activities that Kim has served on and/or participated, on behalf of the LGBTQ community, include Big Brothers / Big Sisters, Democratic Delegate for 2004 State Convention, PFLAG Denton County board member, Texas Lesbian Conference (1988-2004) participant, Lez Talk Woman’s Empowerment Conference (2018) panel member / attendee, HRC Dallas Federal Club committe member, Dallas Black Tie table sponsor, Lambda Legal Southwest Region Board member. Currently, Kim serves as a board member of the Coalition for Aging LGBT, and is the chair of the CFA signature fundraising event, Dallas Wings Celebrity Serve. Professionally, Kim worked twenty-eight years in the business world in sales and has spent the past eleven years teaching high school English at Irving High School where she is one of the faculty sponsors for the Tiger Pride-Gay Straight Alliance student group. She will celebrate her 40th anniversary with the love of her life, Janet (Fi) Macpherson in February, 2020. 
Janet (Fi) Macpherson Pronouns: she/ her Board Treasurer Janet Macpherson has been an activist and supporter of all human rights for the past 40+ years, so joining the CfA LGBT board at this time in her life makes sense because of the mission: … to improve & protect the quality of life of older LGBT adults in North Texas. 
Jaime Duggan
Pronouns: she /her Board Secretary Jaime Duggan is an attorney & law firm owner whose professional work has focused on family law-related legal concerns for the LGBTQ community. She has also served on multiple boards of local & national organizations who work to advance LGBTQ equality. She is excited to join the leadership team of the CfA LGBT & help continue to advance its powerful & meaningful work. |
DIRECTORS |
Vic Holmes
Pronouns: he /him Director Vic Holmes is an Associate Professor and Family Medicine Physician Assistant currently teaching at the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth. He graduated from the Interservice Physician Assistant Program in 2000 and retired honorably as a Major from the Air Force after 22+ years of service. His clinical work has included several specialties, most recently in providing home-based medical care for the mentally and physically challenged. Although he began with the HSC teaching Clinical Anatomy and Physical diagnosis, he currently teaches Evidence-Based Medicine, Medical Outpatient Coding, Master's Project, and a range of other medical topics. In March 2021, PA Holmes completed an educational doctorate focused on effectively using teams in distance learning using the Team-Based Learning method. His heritage is Native American (Cherokee) and the first generation of his family to achieve a doctoral degree. PA Holmes also conducts Ally and LGBTQ+ Relations training at the HSC and across the US. His training focuses on medical and administrative personnel can foster safe and welcoming environments for the LGBTQ+ community and is tailored to the needs of each audience. He has been the Faculty Advisor for the HSC Pride Student Group since 2014 and represented the LGBTQ+ Community from 2013 - 2015 as a Texas Marriage Equality plaintiff. He and his husband have been members of HRC, Equality Texas and other organizations dedicated to equality for all. He aided the Coalition for Aging LGBT in their 2016 Plano Summit and the inaugural Tarrant County summit. PA Holmes' interests are gardening, lasers, Lego, and baking but he spends most of his free time with his husband animating squeaky toys for their adorable beagles. |
Angel Irvin
Pronouns: she /her Director M. Angel Irvin owns Irvin Insurance & Financial Services in Dallas, Texas and the company has been affiliated with Farmers Insurance Group for 21 years. Irvin has served as a member of the board of director for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Lambda Legal, and now the Coalition for Aging LGBT. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Irvin is a Tennessean at heart and travels back to her home state as often as possible. |
Richard Oberton
Pronouns: he / his Director Richard is an experienced community liason skilled in Sales, Territory Management, Prospecting, Healthcare, and Business Relationship Management. The VNA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1934 that helps older adults age with dignity and independence at home. VNA is the community's most trusted provider of quality healthcare services in the home and is the oldest, most experienced Hospice Care provider in Texas. VNA offers Meals on Wheels in Dallas County, VNA Hospice and Palliative Care in Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Grayson, Henderson, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro, Rockwall, Tarrant & Van Zandt Counties. |
Reymundo Torres
Pronouns: he /his Director Reymundo is a native of El Paso, Texas, and graduated from Dallas Institute of Funeral Service in 1991, becoming a licensed funeral director and embalmer in March 1992. He began his career in the funeral industry in 1985 in El Paso. In 2009 Reymundo relocated to Lubbock, Texas, and served for 4 years before returning to El Paso. Another relocation sent him to the Dallas area in 2015, where he served both at 2 area homes for 1 year before devoting his time to the Dignity Memorial community in 2016. Reymundo is well-versed in all funeral customs and traditions and serves with the utmost compassion and professionalism. As a member of the Catholic Church, Reymundo served the Lions Club of El Paso in different capacities for 17 years and has chaired and volunteered for many non-profit organizations during his extensive 3-plus decades in funeral service. |
ORGANIZATION STAFF
Briana Monsalve
Pronouns: she /her Project Lead & Organization Outreach Manager Briana is a communications and business operations support professional who is passionate about working collaboratively to make an impact and serve her community. She graduated from Southern Methodist University as a Hunt Leadership Scholar, Engaged Learning Fellow, John Goodwin Tower Award recipient, and with honors. Briana has more than six years of professional experience in non-profit, corporate, small business, academic, and international work environments providing communications strategy development, community engagement expansion, process improvement and organizational support. From her first community initiative in leading a successful jean drive for homeless teens for highschool students to advocating for equitable education across Dallas ISD as a CAMP Fellow, Briana continues to be an active member of her community and advocate for the needs of marginalized communities. Briana’s academic achievements include published research on the methods and strategies of intercultural communication in advertisements and print media in a uniquely global city, as well as completing a qualitative research study of the Jubilee Park community with the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity. Briana believes in the importance of making meaningful and lasting connections across communities as a means to drive change, inspire others and build a more inclusive future. Email: BMonsalve@cfa.lgbt |
Annie Heffley
Pronouns: she /her Project Assistant Annie is a current master’s student in the Women’s and Gender Studies Department at the University of North Texas, expected to graduate in Spring of 2023. She has been broadly interested in social justice work for several years, and found her passion in advocating for the aging population after holding a position as the activities director at a local nursing home. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, working to advocate for the aging LGBT population seemed like the perfect fit for her, and she is thrilled to now be on board! As a feminist, Annie believes in justice for all people, regardless of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, ability, age, etc. She values the idea of lifelong learning, and recognizes the importance of continuing to seek out alternative experiences, perspectives, ideas, and ways of thinking & knowing to help inform her activism Email: AnnieHeffley@cfa.lgbt |
