Our Team
The collaborative work of the Prosper Waco initiative would not be possible without partners aligning their contributions to the community’s goals, Leadership Council members supporting the efforts of the initiative and guiding the backbone staff, the Board of Directors for providing governance and vision for the Prosper Waco initiative, and the backbone staff convening and facilitating the cross-sector groups. Use the menu below to learn more about who is involved in the initiative.
Board of Directors
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Fred Hills, PhD
Board Chair
Fred Hills is vice president of instruction at McLennan Community College. He is a tenured faculty member and served as dean of Arts, Sciences and Business, QEP director, and program director for Computer Information Systems at MCC prior to his appointment as vice president. Dr. Hills retired from the U.S. Air Force, where he served as an information systems and telecommunications officer. He has a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of North Texas in Denton.
Councilwoman Andrea Barefield
Chair Elect
Andrea was elected to serve on the Waco City Council representing District 1 in 2018 and is currently serving her third term. Improving her community’s access to economic, educational and housing opportunities is what drives Andrea.
She serves on numerous boards and commissions including Texas Municipal League, Texas Association of Black City Council Members (Vice Chair) National League of Cities, REAL- Race Equity and Leadership- NLC (Co-Chair) Texas Travel Alliance Board, Prosper Waco Board (Vice Chair), NAACP (Vice President), Communities in Schools Board, McLennan County Community Investment Fund, StartUp Waco Board and the Texas Lyceum.
Andrea joined the Ardurra engineering firm in 2023 as a Client Services Manager. Prior to that, she served as Executive Director of the Texas Brazos Trail Region.
Andrea is also a proud member of the Waco Central Texas Chapter of The Links, Incorporated and Waco Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Andrea is a Sam Houston State University graduate, where she met husband Elijah, and they have been happily married for 21 years. They have two beautiful sons, Drew and Jaxon.
Sharon Shields, PhD, Secretary
Sharon Shields is superintendent of La Vega Independent School District. Dr. Shields received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in curriculum & instruction from Texas A&M University in 1993; her Masters of Education degree, Mid-Management Certification, and Counseling Certification from Baylor University in 1983; and she earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Baylor in 1980. She is a former La Vega ISD educator and counselor.
Isabel Weeden
Treasurer
Isabel (Bell) Weeden is the Chief Financial Officer at Waco Foundation. Previously, she held the position of Chief Operating Officer for Research Tax Consultants, an oil and gas tax consulting firm. Bell has 24 years of experience in finance, data management, and accounting. She is passionate about the use of data to solve problems and identify opportunities across a variety of platforms. Her areas of expertise include severance tax, database management and reporting tools, budget management, FPA, legislative finance, public accounting, and investment management.
Bell serves/has served on the following boards in Waco: Communities in Schools, Meals on Wheels Waco, World Hunger Relief Farm, and Business Resource Center.
Rev. Rubén Andrade, Jr.
Rev. Rubén Andrade Jr., born in West, Texas, and raised by his paternal grandparents in Waco, attended Waco ISD schools and Baylor University. With over 30 years in the nonprofit sector, he was recognized as a White House Champion of Change by President Obama and received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Biden. Pastor Rubén has been a national speaker on parental involvement, fatherhood, and community engagement, and has served as a consultant for Head Start Programs. In 2009, he founded Family of Faith Worship Center and later established Family of Faith Christian Academy and the Eva A. Soza Dream Center, providing essential services and education to thousands in the Greater Waco area. Celebrating his 18th year as pastor, Pastor Rubén's effective community partnerships highlight his unwavering commitment to serving children and families.
Jackson Griggs, MD
Board Chair Jackson Griggs is the Chief Executive Officer of Heart of Texas Community Health Center, a fifteen-site federally-qualified health center serving 60,000 patients in Central Texas. Dr. Griggs is a family physician who has practiced medicine for fifteen years, focusing on families living in poverty. Before executive leadership, he trained over 150 resident physicians while on faculty of the Waco Family Medicine Residency Program.
Josie Hernandez-Gutierrez, EdD
Dr. Josie Gutierrez presently works in the Waco Independent School District as the Deputy Superintendent, assisting the Superintendent with the day-to-day operations of the school district. Prior to coming to Waco, Josie worked as a national educational consultant focusing on school turnaround where she got the opportunity to work with more than 40 organizations in sixteen states that serve schools in urban, rural, suburban and Native American reservations. In addition to consulting with districts, Josie has served in a variety of school and district leadership roles in Fort Worth, Dallas, and the Houston area. She is deeply committed to school improvement work because she believes that a child's zip code should not determine their outcomes.
Mayor Dillon Meek
Dillon Meek was elected mayor of Waco in November 2020. He served on the Waco City Council 2015-2020, representing district 4. While on council, he learned the importance of listening, fostering collaboration, and building consensus. He has served on the boards of the following organizations: Downtown Waco Farmers Market, Unbound Waco, Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization, City Center Waco, Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, Greater Waco Sports Commission, and Inspiracion.
Sarah Roberts
Sarah is an entrepreneur with a passion for developments and their ability to transform businesses and communities. Sarah is a partner in real estate development and business ventures locally and nationally. Sarah is also founding principal of KSR, working with innovative clients to deliver development projects. Previously, Sarah spent over a decade leading regional economic development at the Greater Waco Chamber. Roberts is an active member of the Waco business community, serving on multiple civic and business boards, currently including Alliance Bank of Central Texas, Waco Business League (past president), and StartUp Waco. Sarah’s work has garnered national and statewide awards, including being recognized by New York-based Development Counselors International as the inaugural class of 40 under 40 Rising Stars Economic Development. Roberts holds a BBA from Baylor University’s Entrepreneurship program.
Staff
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Jessica Attas
Chief Executive Officer
In March 2023, Jessica Attas officially became the CEO of Prosper Waco, transitioning from her interim role since November 2022. She is also the principal of Attas Strategic Consulting, established earlier in 2022. Previously, she held key positions at the Texas Association of Business, including Senior Vice President and President of the TAB Foundation, overseeing organizational restructuring.
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Locally recognized for her community engagement, Attas spent six years at the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce as Vice President of Public Policy, leading the development of the chamber's comprehensive public policy and advocacy initiative. Additionally, she served as the Executive Director of AVANCE Waco (now Inspiracion) for three years, utilizing strategic leadership to enhance community awareness and support for the organization's initiatives.
John Allen, EdD
Deputy Director
John Allen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Louisiana State University (LSU) in 2002 and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 2006. John earned his Doctor of Education degree from Northwestern State University (NSU) in 2022 and his dissertation research focused on ethical leadership. He developed his passion for public service during his eight years as a senior budget analyst for the U.S. General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service. John served as the Director of Administration and Chief of Staff at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts for ten years.During his tenure at LSMSA, he led efforts to increase access and support for disadvantaged students; helped secure funding for a new $24 million residential facility; obtained federal funding for post-pandemic academic, information technology, and facility improvements; contributed to the development of a multiple-million-dollar capital campaign; and led efforts to increase diversity in the school’s administration. John is an adjunct instructor of college-level courses in American Government and in Public Administration at LSMSA.
LaTishia Beacom
Director of Workforce and Education Initiatives
With over a decade of experience in the education sector, Mrs. Beacom's mission aligns seamlessly with Prosper Waco’s goal: to uplift Waco's communities in the areas of education, health, and financial security.
LaTishia's career in education has been a calling, guiding her through diverse roles where she has had the privilege of supporting both secondary and post-secondary students. Equipped with a Master of Education in Student Development and Leadership in Higher Education, her mission has centered on reducing disparities in college enrollment and employment opportunities among underserved students.
At the heart of Mrs. Beacom's work is a deep-rooted belief in the power of education to transform lives.
Laurel Cowan
HMIS Analyst
Laurel recently relocated with her family to Waco, from the Seattle area where she worked as a case manager with disabled individuals who were experiencing homelessness and worked towards permanent stable housing and engaged with services for 6 years. After that she worked for the Tacoma Housing Authority as a Community Services and Empowerment Advocate. Laurel is our HMIS Lead who works with all the partnering organizations that are part of the Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition. In her spare time, she enjoys getting to know her new home state, has a passion for working within the community teaching about suicide prevention and awareness and spending time with her family.
Charis Dietz
Director of Marketing and Communications
After earning her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in journalism from Baylor University, Charis Dietz spent ten years in the nonprofit sector, using her pen to advocate on behalf of organizations serving vulnerable children and families across the country. In the years since, a love of soulful storytelling has drawn Dietz across industry lines and back again, first as senior editor for lifestyle magazine Magnolia Journal and then in the book world, collaborating on manuscripts with “Big 5” publishers including HarperCollins and Hachette Book Group. She is currently an adjunct professor in journalism at Baylor University. And, as a part of Prosper Waco, Dietz is thrilled to once again be able to apply her passion for creating well-told stories that have the power to move us and make us better within the nonprofit sector and on behalf of our community.
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Carlos Medrano
Finance & Operations Coordinator
Carlos has been a Wacoan for most of his time since moving to Texas from Denver about nine years ago. He is currently pursuing a bachelor's in accounting at Tarleton State University-Waco. Carlos is finance and operations coordinator for Prosper Waco and is inspired to take part in Prosper's goals. In addition, he is an avid traveler, reader, mountain biker, and vehemently enjoys creating moments with the community and his family.
Zeke Morgan, MBA, LMSW
Director of Health Initiatives
Zeke has a B.A. in Psychology from Abilene Christian University, as well as an MSW and MBA from Baylor University, and has spent the last several years in Waco working on the interconnected challenges around homelessness and healthcare. Before joining Prosper Waco, Zeke was serving as Population Health Director at Waco Family Medicine (WFM) where he was tasked with building care management programs for those with chronic illness as well as shaping the infrastructure for value-based care there. He also took part in the value-based care transformation and explored the many ways to integrate the community health functions of WFM with its clinical functions. Zeke enjoys spending his time away from work with his wife, Morgan, his dogs, Shujaa and Gil, and daughter, Llewellen.
Diane Ness
Executive Assistant
Diane grew up in Mart, TX, and has been a Wacoan for the past 15 years. Diane is currently the Executive Assistant at Prosper Waco. Before joining Prosper, she was a Virtual Executive Assistant at ACE Virtual Assistants. She also has 10 years of customer service experience including time as a wedding cake decorator, video game store manager, and grocery store stocker. Diane graduated with honors from Texas State Technical College with an Associate in Web Design and Development specializing in Design. She is also in the process of getting her Bachelor's degree in Marketing. In her spare time, Diane enjoys crafting, painting, playing video games, and watching Marvel movies with her husband and cat, Aki.
Jeremy R. Rhodes, PhD
Senior Director of Data & Research
Jeremy Rhodes is senior director of data and research for Prosper Waco. He holds doctorate (2011) and master’s (2008) degrees in sociology from Baylor University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and speech communication from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2001. Dr. Rhodes taught sociology at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene from 2011-2021.