Advisory Board

 

Darlene Ryan

Chairwoman
 Darlene Ryan is the Executive Director of TECH Fort Worth, a nonprofit partnership of the City of Fort Worth, the University of North Texas Health Science Center and the local business community, where she helps entrepreneurs grow companies based on proprietary technology. Previously, Ms. Ryan was the CEO of a pharmaceutical manufacturing company she founded in 1994 and sold in 2006.  Under her direction, the company was on Inc Magazine’s list of the 500 fastest growing private companies in America for three consecutive years and on the Dallas 100 list for five consecutive years.  Ms. Ryan was named the 2003 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Life Sciences for North Texas and recognized internationally in 2004 as one of nine Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World.

Ms. Ryan is a Certified Public Accountant.  Prior to starting her pharmaceutical manufacturing company, Ms. Ryan was a partner with a worldwide accounting firm, working in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and San Diego during her 18-year tenure.  Throughout her career, Ms. Ryan has been actively engaged in the communities in which she has lived.  In Fort Worth since 1994, Ms. Ryan currently serves as a board member for Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail and has recently served on the boards of the local Girl Scout council and the UNT Health Science Center Foundation.  She is also currently a member of the advisory councils for the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center, the UNT College of Arts and Sciences, and the North Texas Regional Center for Innovation and Commercialization
 
 

Terry Fick

 Terry Fick is a Senior Managing Director of Allegiance Capital, a middle market private investment bank.  Prior to Allegiance Capital Mr. Fick was the President of an international M&A firm where he spent almost 20 years completing transactions, managing other Investment Bankers, and building a reputation with buyers and investors of all types from all parts of the world.

Mr. Fick was the President of the Dallas chapter and national Board member of the Association for Corporate Growth.  He is on the Board of an electronics manufacturing company and on the Advisory Board of the Texas Health Resources Institute, the research and educational arm of a large hospital holding company.

Following completion of his BBA at the University of Alabama, Mr. Fick pursued his entrepreneurial instincts and he acquired an ailing industrial X-ray company that he was able to turn around and successfully sell. He later founded a computer related marketing company, built it and ultimately sold it to a client. Mr. Fick went on to become a partner and Chief Operating Officer of a mid-market manufacturer of store fixtures. He later positioned the company for sale to a spin-off of Moore Business Systems. Those activities lead him into his Investment Banking career that has spanned 25 years.

Mr. Fick is licensed by The Texas State Securities Board and The Texas Real Estate Commission.  
 
 

Elliott S. Garsek

 Elliott S. Garsek is a Manager and General Partner of his law firm, Barlow Garsek & Simon, LLP, which he helped to organize in 1978.  Mr. Garsek tried civil cases for approximately ten years and subsequently has committed his practice to a general office practice concentrating on transactional work including banking, real estate, corporate, estate planning and mediations.

Mr. Garsek presently serves on numerous Boards of various companies located in the Fort Worth area including Westmoor Corp. and all of its related entities, as well as on the Board of Directors of Texas American Acquisition Group, Inc., where he is President.  He previously served as President, Vice President and Chairman of the Executive Committee and Finance Committee at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth and as a Board member and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Summit Bancshares, Inc., a publicly traded bank holding company.  Mr. Garsek also presently serves on the Boards of Streams and Valleys, the Barnett Supporting Foundation, the Gladney Cup Board of Governors, the Endowment Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, and the Texas Alliance of Recreational Organizations, Inc.

Mr. Garsek is a member of the Tarrant County Bar Association, the Texas State Bar Association and the American Bar Association, and he is a Sustaining Life Fellow with the Texas Bar Foundation and a Fellow of the American Bar Association.
 
 

Roberta-Diane Perna, Ph.D.

 Roberta-Diane Perna, Ph.D. is a Research Fellow at Logistics Management Institute (LMI).  Prior to joining LMI she was a senior staff consultant for Strategic Planning and Communications at ORSA Corporation in Aberdeen, Maryland.    In addition to her professional work for LMI, Dr. Perna is a member of the Army Science Board, an appointment she has held since October 2000.  Her areas of expertise include strategic communications, business, ROTC, and distance learning.

Dr. Perna also serves as a Vice President for the George Washington Chapter AUSA board, a member of the Senior Information Operations Advisory Council, and is a Director Emeritus of the Norwich University Alumni Association.  In April 2000, Dr. Perna became the first woman named a Distinguished Member of the Regiment, 3rd US Infantry (The Old Guard).
   
   

Jacq A. Duncan

 Jacq A. Duncan has been employed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) since 1992 where she has served in varying technical engineering roles to establish & increase air capacity and improve the safety & security of the US National Air Space (NAS).

Ms. Duncan received her first appointment to the city of Fort Worth’s Plan Commission in 2004.  She serves on the Transportation Impact & Capital Improvement Board for the city of Fort Worth.  Ms. Duncan also serves on the executive board of the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce, on the Marketing team for the Fort Worth Convention & Visitor’s Bureau (CVB), and US congressman, Michael Burgess’ Southeast Fort Worth Economic Development Summit.  Ms. Duncan has served as a US congressional lobbyist for the National Air Traffic Controller’s Association (NATCA) in 2000, 2001 and as the Region X Committee Co-Chair.  In 2002, Ms. Duncan traveled to Cameroon West Africa with a missionary group affiliated with Dallas Theological Seminary where she developed a continuing relationship allowing her to engage in the infrastructure development of a School for Disabled Children.
   
   

Victoria Miller

 Victoria Miller is a well known figure in the public and government sector with over 18 years of extensive experience working in Public Relations.  During her 18 year career, Victoria Miller has served in various management positions in legal departments, government affairs and communications, including the Office of a U.S. Congressman, the Office of the Attorney General, GPM Gas Corporation (Phillips Petroleum), the Resolution Trust Corporation and the United States Bankruptcy Court.  In her current position as the Director of Public Relations and the Developer’s Public Information Communication Plan (PICP) Manager for SH 130 Concession Company, LLC.  Ms. Miller performs the internal and external communication functions for the corporation including design and maintenance of all communications tools (electronic, Web-based, video and print), media relations, internal and external relations, major corporate events and development and delivery of key corporate messaging to state and local elected officials and a broad external audience.
   
   

Mant Hawkins

 Mant Hawkins is the CEO of Prism3 Solutions, LLC.  Mr. Hawkins has a successful track record in creating, leading, and transforming small to medium sized organizations.  He is an expert at integrating diverse organizations and resources to accomplish well defined goals.  As the President of his own consulting company, Mr. Hawkins is a frequent speaker and consultant to Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and universities on the topics of transformational change, operations integration, strategy, innovation, building global partnerships and developing results oriented networks.  Mr. Hawkins has a truly global network of contacts instrumental for company growth objectives.

Colonel Hawkins retired from the Marine Corps after honorably serving his country for more than twenty eight years in various leadership capacities, including special advisor to General John Abizaid – the head of Middle East Operations, Director of U.S. Special Operations, Global Combating Terrorism Network, Marine Air Wing Commander, FA-18 Squadron Commander, Top Gun instructor and the senior Marine responsible for conducting all Marine aviation combat operations in Iraq in 2004.  He holds Masters in Strategic Studies and Military History (Studies).
   
   

Bob Kilinski

Robert (Bob) Kilinski has had a successful and broad based professional retail career with over 30 years of experience leading a number of retail disciplines and organizations, with his latest assignment as a Senior Executive at RadioShack.  As an accomplished retail executive he  understands the importance of constant team performance improvement, the value of people, relationships, and communication as key elements of success.

Bob provides strategic assistance to executives in retail, manufacturing, advertising, and service companies to help them plan for successful implementations or gain performance improvements. He is extremely proficient at working with people across all disciplines, and earning the trust and support of necessary team members to accomplish his objectives. His areas of knowledge and expertise include leadership, retail merchandising, marketing, advertising, business development, online sales, retail support services, reverse logistics, the carrier/wireless business, private label credit, extended warranties, rebates, payment processing, budgeting/planning, cost management, contracts, and negotiations, as he has led all of these functions in various senior leadership roles over his career.

Bob has partnered with and developed deep relationships with senior leaders at a wide array of companies including Dell, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Samsung, Carat,  Arnold, Verizon, Citi-Group, Assurant Solutions, HP, Canon, RR Donnelly, and many, many others.

Bob is presently President of Retail Hitmen, LLC