Cannon Flowers
FOUNDER, BOARD CHAIR (July 2015 - June 2019)

Cannon enjoyed a long career with Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI), one of Fortune Magazine's most admired companies, and Forbes Magazine's list of "America's Best Employers". Cannon served in a leadership capacity of domestic and international corporate finance.  His assignments were in various parts of the world, including Japan, The Philippines, Italy, Germany, Taiwan, and Singapore. With corporate citizenship a significant driving influence in the culture of Texas Instruments, after retiring from TI, Cannon moved to the non-profit sector where he served the next 10 years as Chief Executive Officer of a successful human rights organization based in the United States.

Simultaneously while leading in the non-profit sector, Cannon was also a founding partner in a social enterprise venture. This was a coffee shop in Dallas, TX, addressing employment barriers for people attempting to rebuild their lives and re-enter the workplace for those with non-violent criminal past, plus applying a “living wage” concept, and committing profits from the venture back into the non-profit sector in Dallas.

Recent Organization Involvement & Community Service: 

• North Texas Food Bank, Community Kitchen Development Program Board 
• Café Momentum, Charter Board Chair (a sub-program to Youth Village Resources of Dallas) 
• LeTot Capital Campaign (Dallas County Juvenile Department), Major Capital Campaign Committee Member 
• Texas Humane Legislation Network, Board Development 
• Dallas Zoological Society, ("The Dallas Zoo") Past Board Trustee
• AIDS Interfaith Network, Past Board Trustee 
• Coalition for Aging LGBT, Founder & Board Chair, 2015-2019 (June)
• Immigration Equality, Past Board Trustee, Founder of local chapters in DFW and Houston
• The White House Community Leaders Program (Obama Administration), LGBT Community Leader
• Dallas Gay & Lesbian Alliance - DGLA, Past Board Member
• City of Dallas, Senior Affairs Commissioner, appointed by Dallas City Councilwoman Tiffinni A. Young, Term, term completed 2015-2017

• Texas Winds Musical Outreach, Board Member 2017-2019
• Alzheimer’s Association – North Central Texas Chapter, Board Member, 2017-2019
• TITAS/Dance Unbound, residents company of the AT&T Performing Arts Center Dallas, Board Member 2017-2019
• City of Dallas Cultural Affairs Commissioner, At-Large, at the appointment of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, Term 2017-2019
• City of Dallas Public Art Committee, at the appointment of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, Term 2017-2019

Current Organization Involvement & Community Service: 

• Texas Instruments Incorporated, Alumni Association Lifetime Member
• Tagaytay Christian Academy, Tagaytay City, The Philippines, Board Development and Strategic Planning Lead, 2017-2020

• Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Board of Governors 2017-2020
• Texas Pride Impact Funds, First Hundred Funders
• Juanita J Craft Civil Rights House & Museum Steering Committee (Dallas, TX), Chair 2018-2021
• City of Dallas, Senior Affairs Commissioner, appointed by Dallas City Council Member Adam Bazaldua, Term, term 2019-2021
• Artstillery, Board of Directors, 2019-2021

Cannon is widely known for his leadership practice of “management by fact” through establishing performance metrics in each area of an organization’s board and staff to drive constant performance improvement.  These improvements lead to greater board and staff contributions, personal satisfaction, plus, provides credible operating data used in funding development to support the program successes of the organization.  He applies a "for-profit" business model to the non-profit, care based/community based organization (CBO), with management through performance metrics.  In 2007 Cannon received his certification in “Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Nonprofit Organizations” at Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Through this management process, some of the accomplishments realized in his most recent non-profit leadership assignment:

• The organization’s volunteer (pro bono) attorney program grew to more than 200 pro bono lawyers contributing more than $2.0M annually donated in legal services to the clients of the organization,  
• Organization financial assets grew 188% over a 4-year period ($0.8M to. $1.5M),  
• Annual revenue (cash or non-in-kind) grew 200% over a 4-year period ($300K to $600K), while maintaining strict cost control, and even with core program expansion.
• ​Cannon has been involved in research and understanding the needs of the aging LGBT members of North Texas since 2011.  Much of the census and data research is contained in the website (www.cfa.lgbt).  In February of 2015 Cannon was invited to The White House for a National Summit on Elder LGBT Housing.   At this White House Summit, it was clear the need for program development to specifically serve aging members of the LGBT community in North Texas must make step-level improvements. Thus, the Coalition for Aging LGBT was formed in June 2015, and in that month the Coalition for Aging LGBT held its inaugural Summit on LGBT Aging in Dallas at The Senior Source.  The Coalition for Aging LGBT was granted nonprofit 501 (c) (3) status in June 2016.

Cannon lives in Dallas, TX, married and shares a home and life of more than 23 years with Mr. RafiQ Salleh-Flowers.