Defending the honor of Texas students and educators since 2004.
Founders
Leslie & Scott Milder
The Milders founded Friends of Texas Public Schools in 2004 with a commitment to educating Texans about the strengths and achievements of Texas public schools...and there are plenty! Scott has invested the last 20+ years in the educational architecture industry and is the K-12 Market Leader at VLK Architects where he leads the firm’s education advocacy efforts.
Board of Directors
Shelby McIntosh
President
Shelby is a Managing Partner at Education Elements where she helps school leaders solve their biggest problems and achieve their most aspirational goals.
Dalane Bouillion
Vice President
Dalane is Chief Development Officer at VLK Architects where she works to bridge experiences in education to the school design process as a thought leader and partner for clients.
Charlie Davis
Past President
Charlie is an Energy Solutions Business Development Manager with Schneider Electric. Schneider Electric's purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all.
Leslie Milder
Co-Founder, Board Member
Leslie is a co-founder of Friends of Texas Public Schools, professional educator, and partner in a consulting firm called Common Sense Communications. She provides professional training for educators in the area of strengthening public confidence in the awesome work they do through our public schools.
John Costilla
Board Member
John is the Regional Vice President for Texas at Renaissance Learning and founder of JoCo Launch. He currently leads the Texas market for Renaissance Learning in developing lasting partnerships to enhance teaching and learning for all.
John Blackburn
Board Member
John is a Managing Director at Live Oak Public Finance where he specializes in the financing needs of public school districts by conducting and successfully passing bond elections and bond sales.
Dan Carter
Board Member
Dan is the Director of Education Partnerships with Lightspeed, A Learning Company. Dan works with companies in the education space to bring school districts together to help every student hear every word.
Cari Ledesma
Board Member
Cari is the Deputy Director at Risk Management Cooperative of Texas, a Cooperative of school districts, managed by experienced educators and insurance professionals that provide access to flexible and secure property and casualty coverage.
Blake Powell
Board Member
Blake is the managing partner of Powell Law Group, serving hundreds of school districts in Texas. The firm handles a broad range of general school law and litigation issues.
Laura Milne
Board Member
Laura is the Director of New Partnerships at ThoughtExchange, building strategic partnerships in the education, non-profit, and social change sectors.
David Webb
Board Member
David is the Texas Regional Sales Director at Imagine Learning, partnering with school districts throughout Texas to provide award-winning educational software.
Odell Taylor
Board Member
Odell serves as the Intervention Segment Director for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, helping school districts secure math and literacy intervention solutions to help students achieve their best possible academic outcomes.
Ron Jones
Board Member
Ron is an Account Executive with The Scholastic Network, giving school districts and leaders the ability to broadcast important information to students, staff, the community and key stakeholders on screens, both on and off campus, through one simple digital communication ecosystem.
Staff
Jennifer Storm
Executive Director
Jennifer serves as the Executive Director of Friends of Texas Public Schools, leading the association to facilitate respectful conversations about Texas public schools through honest communication, productive dialogue, and relentless encouragement. Jennifer works closely with our Corporate Partners to serve as Ambassadors to school districts across the great state of Texas.
Leigh Anne Pearson
Marketing & Operations Coordinator
Leigh Anne serves Friends of Texas Public Schools as the Marketing & Operations Coordinator, helping to share the great things happening in Texas Public Schools through a variety of communication channels and outreach.