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Foundation Board

A foundation for a bright future.

The Concordia University Texas Foundation Board serves as the University's connection to the community by advocating for the University. Board members work to cultivate and steward community members for Concordia, with a goal of raising funds and advancing the mission of the University.

Foundation Board Members

The Board is currently composed of 8 members including prominent business and civic leaders and distinguished educators who bring a vast range of knowledge and experience.

  • Patrick Carlove

    Patrick Carlove

    Patrick Carlove

    VP of Philanthropy

    Concordia University Texas

  • Rev. Al Doering

    Rev. Al Doering

  • Arden Hetland

    Arden Hetland

    President

    Hetland Family Limited Partnership

  • April Kerwin

    April Kerwin April Kerwin

    Director of Major and Planned Gifts - Philanthropy

    Concordia University Texas
  • John Lavorato

    John LavoratoJohn Lavorato

    Vice President and General Counsel
    Filtration Group

    Adjunct Professor
    Concordia University Texas

    John Lavorato is the VP and General Counsel of Filtration Group Corporation. Prior to Filtration Group, Mr. Lavorato was the Vice President of Global Sales Operations and held various domestic and global leadership roles within the Legal and Operations functions. This included legal support for public (Federal, State and Local, K-12, Higher Education, Healthcare) and commercial customer segments, global contracts, global proposals, learning and development for 4,000 employees, the change agent network, and customer experience.

    John also served on various corporate boards including Dell’s Political Action Committee, Veteran’s Employee Resource Group, and the inaugural membership to Men Advocating Real Change, an initiative of Catalyst.

    Prior to those roles, Mr. Lavorato spent three years at the national law firm, Seyfarth Shaw, in Washington DC focused on litigation and national/international commercial matters. Before joining Seyfarth Shaw, John served six years as a United States Army Judge Advocate in the Republic of Panama, Republic of Honduras and the United States National Capital Region.

    Mr. Lavorato is a graduate of Santa Clara University (B.S. and J.D.) and holds a Masters of Law from Georgetown University Law Center. He is the current Vice President for Resources at Caritas of Austin and an Adjunct Professor in the business school at Concordia University Texas.

  • John Orton

    John Orton

    VP Enterprise Risk Management

    University Federal Credit Union

  • Allan Rayson

    Allan RaysonAllan Rayson

    Central Texas Market Executive

    Allan is an accomplished banker with a fifteen-year track record of supporting privately-held business owners. Allan started his career with Comerica Bank in Dallas in 2001 where he spent the first five years of his career as an analyst and corporate banker. Allan joined Bank of Texas in Dallas in 2005, working primarily in corporate banking and private wealth management where he supported privately held business owners and their underlying middle-market businesses. In 2013, Allan and his family moved to Austin to join the commercial banking team of BBVA Compass later joining Regions Bank in 2017 to build the Central Texas region as Market Executive.

    Allan is also CEO and Co-Founder of PaidUp, a financial technology company launched in 2014 designed to support youth sports clubs. Allan and his co-founders launched the startup in Austin, TX and are currently supporting travel and select sports clubs across the U.S.

    After earning his undergraduate marketing degree, Allan earned his MBA from Texas Tech University in 2000. In 2014, Allan also earned his Certified Private Wealth Advisor designation through the Investment Management Consultants Association ("IMCA") and the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

    Austin is home to Allan, and his wife of eighteen years, Jennifer. Allan and Jennifer have three active boys, Will, Alex and Sam and their family enjoys spending time together outdoors, running, cycling, camping and enjoying live music. Allan’s family is also passionate about giving back to the Austin community and work hard to support the homeless through Mobile Loaves & Fishes (an Austin based, 501(c)(3) and Freshies, an organization he and his family launched in 2014.

  • Dubravka Romano

    Dubravka Romano

  • Tom Stacy

    Tom StacyTom Stacy

    President – T. Stacy and Associates

    Tom Stacy, President of T. Stacy and Associates, has been instrumental in acquiring, managing and enhancing the value of Austin's landmark downtown properties over the past decade. Connected with Austin area real estate since 1977, Mr. Stacy has been a vocal supporter of economic development in the Central Business District. In 2001, T. Stacy & Associates received the "Project IMPACT" Award for the restoration of the historic Stephen F. Austin Hotel. In 2012, Mr. Stacy co-founded CapRidge Partners, a value office investor and manager headquartered in Austin, Texas.

    Mr. Stacy earned a business degree from Texas Tech University in 1975.

    In addition to these accolades and endeavors, Mr. Stacy is a past Chairman for the Texas Association of Realtors Political Action Committee. Since 2003, Mr. Stacy has served as President of the Community Partnership of the Homeless, a non-profit organization which provides housing for the homeless and underprivileged.

  • David Stein

    David SteinDavid Stein

    Volvo Cars of Austin, Cars of Georgetown, Subaru of Georgetown

    David Stein serves as owner and managing partner of the Roger Beasley Auto Group comprised of 2 Volvo dealerships and one Subaru dealership in Austin, Texas area. David purchased his first Volvo dealership in Bamberg, Germany at the age of 26 and operated Volvo Center Bamberg for 7 years. After all the base closures in 1989, he came to Austin and worked as a GSM/Finance Director for Bill Munday. Roger Beasley recruited David as Finance Director in 1994 where he was then was promoted to General Manager in 1995. In 1996, David became the Operating Dealer for Budget Leasing, Inc. and owner of 49% owner Roger Beasley Import Highline Group.

    David has served as President of the Volvo Dealer Council, Vice President of the Audi Dealer Council, Vice President of the Saab Dealer Council, Director of the Texas Automobile Dealers Association, Ford’s Presidents club along with multiple Marketing Councils across the various Manufacturers. David served as District Director for the Texas Automobile dealers Association and was nominated 7 consecutive years for the Salute to Dealers Award by Bill Ford Jr.

    David attended Triton College and studied Criminal Justice. He served in the US Special Forces was decorated with three ARCOM’s and ended his service in Germany.

    David’s relationship with Concordia University Texas began through his father, who is a Lutheran minister and was dean of students for Concordia River Forest. David served on the Relocation Board of Concordia University.

    In addition to his work with Concordia University Texas, David served on the Board of Texas Hearing and Service Dogs.

    David‘s hobbies are making jewelry, stone faceting, oil painting and obeying his Siberian Huskies. David is married to Jennifer Kerwick and has one daughter and a grandson.

  • Sherron Watkins

    Sherron WatkinsSherron Watkins

    Former Vice President of Enron Corporation

    Sherron Watkins is the former Vice President of Enron Corporation who alerted then Chairman Ken Lay in August 2001 to accounting irregularities within the company, warning him that Enron ‘might implode in a wave of accounting scandals.’ She has testified before Congressional Committees investigating Enron’s demise from both the House and the Senate. Sherron received national acclaim for her courageous actions and TIME magazine named Sherron along with two others, Coleen Rowley of the FBI and Cynthia Cooper of WorldCom, as their 2002 Persons of the Year, calling it “The Year of the Whistleblower.

    In recognition of her outstanding demonstration of ethics in the work place, Ms. Watkins has received numerous honors, including the Court TV Scales of Justice Award and its Everyday Hero’s Award, the Women Mean Business Award from the Business and Professional Women/USA Organization, and the 2003 Woman of the Year Award by Houston Baptist University. Glamour Magazine named her one of its 2002 Women of the Year, and Barbara Walters included her as one of the 10 Most Fascinating People of 2002. In 2003, the National Academy of Management presented Ms. Watkins with their Distinguished Executive Award and the Women’s Economic Round Table honored her with the Rolfe Award for Educating the Public about Business and Finance.

    Ms. Watkins is co-author, along with Texas Monthly journalist, Mimi Swartz, of Power Failure, the Inside Story of the Collapse of Enron, published by Doubleday in March 2003.

    Sherron and her husband Rick have been married for 22 years, they have a college age daughter, attending the University of Texas at Austin. They reside in Georgetown, Texas.

    Ms. Watkins is a Certified Public Accountant. She holds a Masters in Professional Accounting as well as a B.B.A. in accounting and business honors from the University of Texas at Austin.