Blaise Bender

Chair, Board of Directors

Blaise Bender

Chair, Board of Directors

Member since 2008

Blaise C. Bender, an Attorney and Certified Public Accountant, possesses over eight years' experience in public accounting working for three of the formerly "Big Six" accounting firms and has been a former CEO and CFO. He is the Managing Shareholder of Blaise C. Bender, PC, a law firm that engages in various tax matters including corporate and partnership taxation, estate planning, corporate legal counsel, mergers and acquisitions, healthcare, business development issues. He also conducts numerous continuing education seminars on various topics including healthcare, real estate, retirement, and federal tax updates.

Richard Rodriguez

Vice Chair, Board of Directors

Richard Rodriguez

Vice Chair, Board of Directors

Richard Rodriguez recently retired after a forty-two year career in healthcare finance and operations. His most recent position was serving as the Vice President for Asset and Property Management for the University Health System. His expertise included: coordinating cash forecasting to meet operating requirements and capital expenditure needs, planning and coordinating preparation for year-end audits, financial analysis, investment alternatives and the review process for multi-million-dollar capital budgets and managing leased properties. His most recent operations experience involved the management of support services to include Emergency Preparedness, Facilities Development, Safety and the University Health System Police Department.

Ed Hinojosa

Secretary, Board of Directors

Ed Hinojosa

Secretary, Board of Directors

Member since 2016

Ed Hinojosa is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Opportunity Home San Antonio, previously he was the Chief Financial Officer. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the HAI Group, a captive insurance company with assets approaching $1 billion. Hinojosa’s prior positions have been of increasing responsibility in financial and general management in the United States and Latin America. He has been a key adviser and collaborator on strategic business issues including major activities such as reorganizations, restructures, acquisitions, divestitures, turnarounds and start-ups. Hinojosa has industry experience in housing, insurance, agribusiness, food processing and government contracting.

Frank Burk

Treasurer, Board of Directors

Frank Burk

Treasurer, Board of Directors

Member since 1991

Frank Burk, a Certified Public Accountant, has more than 35 years of experience in the financial marketplace. His expertise includes: assurance services related to audit, review and compilation reporting; tax services related to individuals, businesses, and partnerships; and consulting services for personal finances and businesses. After proudly serving in the United States Army, he was employed with the CPA firm of Carneiro, Chumney & Co., L.C. where he retired after spending his full career.

Esther Cruz

Member, Board of Directors

Esther Cruz

Member, Board of Directors

Esther Cruz is an attorney who has had an extensive and diversified law practice in Texas for more than 30 years. During that time, she has liquidated assets as a bankruptcy trustee attorney, litigated complex bankruptcy cases for Chapter 7 Trustees in the South District of Texas, and represented clients in a wide range of estate planning and probate maters. In the 1990’s, she was a lead attorney for the FDIC on numerous bank closings, including one of the largest bank closings in the state of Texas. Currently, she has been helping executors, and administrators, and families who have deceased relatives owning assets in various counties navigate the Texas probate process.

Fred Hines

Member, Board of Directors

Fred Hines

Member, Board of Directors

Member since 2014

Fred Hines retired in early 2019 as President & CEO of Clarity Child Guidance Center, a comprehensive behavioral health facility providing for children and adolescents. He has served in that capacity since 1998 following various senior health care positions in San Antonio. In 2004, Clarity CGC, formerly Southwest Mental Health Center was named the first not-for-profit recipient of the Ethics in Business Award co-sponsored by the Ecumenical Center for Religion and Health and the UTSA College of Business, and in 2014, Clarity was named one of San Antonio’s Outstanding Employers by the Express-News.

Debs McCrary

Member, Board of Directors

Debs McCrary

Member, Board of Directors

Member since 1977

Debs McCrary currently serves as a published freelance writer with more than 30 years’ experience in written and spoken communication, writing, editing, teaching and mentoring. She has designed systems to automate workplaces and taught new programs and skills, helping employees create an efficient, productive workflow. Her experience includes assessing technology needs, researching and finding solutions to problems, and training executive teams. Today, in addition to enhancing the language arts skills of elementary school students, she applies her experience and skills to help women with unstable pasts get a new lease on life, improving their families’ lives for the future.

Peter Morales

Member, Board of Directors

Peter Morales

Member, Board of Directors

Member since 1992

Peter C. Morales is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and serves as Assistant Director of Graduate Business Career Services for The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) College of Business, providing career management for up-and-coming professionals and leaders in the business community. He assisted in making The UTSA College of Business MBA a nationally ranked and recognized program. Peter is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and actively involved with National Society of Hispanic MBAs at the local and national level.

Steve Nivin

Member, Board of Directors

Steve Nivin

Member, Board of Directors

Member since 2013

Steve Nivin is associate professor of economics at St. Mary’s University. He also serves as director and chief economist of the SABÉR Institute and has an active economic consulting practice. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at the Southwest School of Art where he teaches economics. His academic research and consulting activities focus on regional economic development and forecasting. Before going to his current position, Dr. Nivin served as chief economist for the City of San Antonio and also held economic analysis positions at USAA and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.

Ramon Abarca

Director Emeritus

Ramon Abarca

Director Emeritus

Member since 2005

Ramon Abarca is an Education Professional that has over forty five years of experience in the education industry. In the role of Superintendent of Schools, he served as an Educational Leader and Chief Executive Officer for ten years. This experience gave him the opportunity to manage the development and monitor the expenditures of a forty seven million dollar budget as well as lead a strategic planning initiative. He served four years as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Lubbock Teachers Federal Credit Union.

Sue Turner

Director Emeritus

Sue Turner

Director Emeritus

Member since 1994

Brigadier General (R) Sue E. Turner is a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force. She rose to the top of her profession during a time in history when only two percent of the general officers were women. As Director of the Nurse Corps, she represented nearly 23,000 nurses serving on the ground and in the air during times of peace and times of war. As Chair of the Federal Nursing Chiefs Council she articulated the interests and concerns of nearly 100,000 nurses serving in the federal system to professional groups of the U.S. Congress. Post-retirement, and utilizing her more than 40 years of experience in the professional management of people, programs and governance issues, she has consulted with hundreds of individuals and their organizations to create workplaces that attract and keep the very best people, compete favorably in today’s competitive environments, and make a difference in their communities. She believes and teaches, “Work must be fun and yield professional joy!”

Pat Harper-Pollard

Chair, Supervisory Committee

Pat Harper-Pollard

Chair, Supervisory Committee

Member since 2015

Pat Harper-Pollard is a training and leadership development professional currently at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, TX. She serves as the EpicCare Ambulatory Principal Trainer. Her previous role as Senior Leader for the Online Bank customer experience unit at Wachovia Bank allowed her to lead a team responsible for the activities surrounding new account acquisition, maintenance, and service. She served as an integral communications team member supporting the formation of the Department of Homeland Security, in support of the National Institutes of Health initiative to protect our country.

Travis Wiltshire

Secretary, Supervisory Committee

Travis Wiltshire

Secretary, Supervisory Committee

Member since 2018

Travis Wiltshire, PE, a licensed Professional Engineer, has more than 25 years’ experience in the Architectural / Engineering / Construction industry. As founder and president of CNG Engineering, he leads a diverse team of professional engineers and designers and has been involved in some of the most high-profile projects in San Antonio leading to strong company growth and national award recognition. He uses his engineering experience to help foster and nurture the minds of San Antonio’s youth by being actively engaged in science, engineering, technology and math related programs for K-12 students in the community.

Mike Burnett

Member, Supervisory Committee

Mike Burnett

Member, Supervisory Committee

Member since 2012

Mike Burnett is a licensed Certified Public Accountant who is a sole practitioner in San Antonio. He serves small businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and individuals. His practice consists of financial statement engagements (audits, reviews and compilations), other assurance services, tax preparation and planning services and other accounting services. His wife, Vicki, is a legal assistant at the San Antonio office of Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee. They have three adult children who are married and making their own way in the world (though not in or near San Antonio).

Dan Crowley

Member, Supervisory Committee

Dan Crowley

Member, Supervisory Committee

Member since 1989

Dan Crowley works for the San Antonio Water System as the Director of Governmental Relations for Regional and Federal Affairs. Crowley oversees all federal legislative issues along with communications with regional and federal agencies. Prior to his employment at SAWS, Crowley utilized his considerable background in financial analysis and Federal Government operations, having worked for the Department of Defense and KPMG in support of the Defense Department for more than 15 years.

Bill Micale

Member, Supervisory Committee

Bill Micale

Member, Supervisory Committee

Member since 2013

Bill Micale is the Chief Financial Officer for Spindletop Pain Management Company Inc., a Private Equity owned health care practice. He has more than 30 years of experience guiding and directing the business and financial affairs of both public and private companies. His expertise is in financial management functions such as accounting, financial reporting, tax and audit along with business process expertise in strategic planning, business development, mergers and acquisitions and enterprise risk management. He holds CPA, CFA and PE certifications.

Roosevelt Adams Jr.

Associate Director

Roosevelt Adams Jr.

Associate Director

Member since 2022

Roosevelt Adams owns a consulting company that tailors to small businesses and also provides training services to large corporations and schools. He focuses on helping small businesses to grow their revenues and to improve their business processes. His penchant for marketing and proposing has allowed him to as much as quadruple revenues for some of his clients. Prior to starting his own business, he worked as a manufacturing engineer, vice-president of a national government contracting firm, and as a network engineer (n telecommunications). He served with a team that expanded the broadband capacities for Austin, Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley Region in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s in preparation for the tremendous growth in these areas.

Mike DuBose

Associate Director

Mike DuBose

Associate Director

Member since 2013

Mike DuBose has over 45 years of experience in the International Upstream Oil & Gas Industry. He began his career with Rowan Companies, at the entry level in the Gulf of Mexico in 1978. He worked offshore for 17 years at positions including driller, and OIM. He moved into shore-based management and accepted positions with increasing levels of responsibility in the US, UK, and Canada. Mr. DuBose served as Vice President of Drilling Operations for Southeast Asia before retiring from Rowan Companies in 2013 after 35 years. Upon retirement he founded DX4 Group, LLC an Energy Consulting Company offering his experience and insight to several venture capital funds, private companies and individuals. One of the primary clients for DX4 was the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC). He joined IADC as Senior Vice President - International Development in 2016. His work with IADC includes the revitalization of the local chapter in SE Asia and the establishment of a chapter in Baku, Azerbaijan. A distinguished speaker and presenter at numerous industry conferences and seminars, Mike seeks to maintain the highest standards of integrity while working to create an appreciation for the vital role the oil and gas industry plays in the global economy. He holds a MSc from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

About Us

Board of Directors

Blaise Bender

Richard Rodriguez

Ed Hinojosa

Frank Burk

Esther Cruz

Fred Hines

Debs McCrary

Peter Morales

Steve Nivin

Directors Emeriti

Ramon Abarca

Sue Turner

Supervisory Committee

Pat Harper-Pollard

Travis Wiltshire

Mike Burnett

Dan Crowley

Bill Micale

Associate Directors

Roosevelt Adams Jr.

Mike DuBose