Big Thought Adds New Members to Its Board of Directors and Appoints Theresa Flores as Board Chair 

DALLAS – July 19, 2022 – Big Thought has elected a new board chair and seven board members to its board of directors for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

Theresa Flores, a highly recognized thought leader in public affairs, legislative advocacy and relationship management, has been elected as chairwoman of the board. “I am thrilled to serve for an organization that is committed to advocating for student success, empowering youth and making learning fun, creative and community-focused,” says Flores. As senior manager of global public affairs at Mary Kay, Inc., Theresa’s expertise includes federal and state lobbying and grassroots advocacy. 

“We are honored to have Theresa in our corner as board chair,” says Big Thought President and CEO Byron Sanders. “Big Thought has valued her deep conviction for equipping our next generation of leaders across the city of Dallas for over a decade now, and we can’t wait to see how another year will propel us forward.”

Flores is a member of the Hispanic 100, the immediate past president of the State Government Affairs Council and board member of The Family Place. She is an active advocate in education reform and public school education in Dallas, acting as a member of the Dallas Education Foundation in addition to her long-standing service to Big Thought.

Flores’ appointment follows the legacy of Hollie Neal Morgan, who served as chair for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Morgan will continue to serve as an officer as immediate past chair.

In addition to Flores’ election as board chair, the board has welcomed seven new board members. The new configuration includes dynamic professionals with backgrounds in building assessments and construction management, aerospace technology, law and commercial litigation, finance, art and human resources. 

New board members include:

  • Sydney Blocher, Vice President, Program Management – Boeing Global Services
  • Andrés Correa, Partner – Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann
  • Patrick Duffy, Head of Core Market Sales – Fidelity Investments
  • Valerie Gillespie, Independent Curator – Pencil on Paper Gallery, LLC
  • Cheryl Harris, Vice President, People Growth – Reece USA
  • Ryan Kline, Associate – Mark Cuban Companies
  • Dennis Palmer, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer – Building Solutions 

“Our board slate and new board members are individuals that embody our North Star: our declaration that all youth are equipped to imagine and create their best lives and world,” says Sanders. “We are thrilled to align with these innovative leaders from organizations ranging from Boeing to Fidelity, as they heft our high-level strategy onto their shoulders and work to close opportunity gaps and infuse more power into our learning systems.”  

​​ABOUT BIG THOUGHT

Big Thought is an impact education nonprofit that closes the opportunity gap by equipping all youth in marginalized communities with the skills and tools they need to imagine and create their best lives and a better world. Driven by its mission to make imagination a part of everyday learning, Big Thought has become a national model in arts education, out of school time systems, summer learning and juvenile justice intervention. https://www.bigthought.org/