17 Texas Association CEOs and People Leaders to Know

Jonno White

Aug 13

6 min read

Updated 13 August 2026.

Association leaders shape more than member services. They build the professional communities, learning systems, advocacy work and practical support that help people do better work.

This August 2026 list focuses on current leaders of Texas associations connected to HR, education, healthcare, libraries, nursing, fundraising and other professional communities. The title is deliberately broad because the strongest current evidence includes CEOs, executive directors, presidents and people leaders.

1. Jennifer Lane

Executive Director, HR Houston

Jennifer Lane is the executive director of HR Houston, a professional association serving the Houston HR community. The organisation's 2026 board page names Lane in that role and also lists the chapter's current volunteer leadership.

That combination matters because member organisations depend on both paid leadership and volunteer governance. Lane's role sits at the centre of the systems that connect HR professionals across Houston.

2. Jimmy Taylor

Executive Director, DallasHR Management Association

Jimmy Taylor is the executive director of DallasHR Management Association. DallasHR's current 2026 leadership page identifies Taylor alongside the association's volunteer board and states that DallasHR acts for its members and the wider Dallas HR community.

Association leadership is often a balancing act between member value, operations and community trust. Taylor's role shows how a professional body can support people leaders through education, connection and practical resources.

3. Tracy Ginsburg

Executive Director, Texas Association of School Business Officials

Tracy Ginsburg is the executive director of the Texas Association of School Business Officials. TASBO says she previously served as CFO for Round Rock ISD and Fort Bend ISD, served as TASBO board president and received the 2013 ASBO Eagle Award.

Her path is a useful reminder that association leadership can grow from deep operating experience. In school business, that experience helps connect professional learning with the financial and operational realities facing education systems.

4. Harley Eckhart

Executive Director, Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association

Harley Eckhart is the executive director of the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association. TEPSA says it has served Texas PK-8 school leaders since 1917 and has more than 6,000 members.

That long member-owned tradition gives the role a clear people focus. The association brings school leaders together to learn with and from one another while supporting the work of educators across Texas.

5. Shannon J. Holmes

Executive Director, Association of Texas Professional Educators

Shannon J. Holmes is the executive director of the Association of Texas Professional Educators. ATPE describes its executive director as responsible for general supervision, day-to-day management and direction, with services that include legal support and professional learning.

The role shows how an association can support people through both immediate practical help and longer-term professional capability. That mix is central to any organisation built around the working lives of its members.

6. Kevin Brown

Executive Director, Texas Association of School Administrators

Kevin Brown is the executive director of the Texas Association of School Administrators. TASA says Brown joined its staff in 2018 after leading Alamo Heights ISD as superintendent and working in teaching, school leadership, human resources and communications.

That breadth connects association leadership with the daily experience of schools. It also shows why credible member organisations need leaders who understand both professional development and operational pressure.

7. Elke R. Gonzalez

Executive Director, Texas Public Employees Association

Elke R. Gonzalez is the executive director of the Texas Public Employees Association. TPEA says her association management career spans more than 26 years and includes previous CEO roles at the Texas Counseling Association and the Corpus Christi Association of REALTORS and its South Texas MLS subsidiary.

Her work sits across leadership development, operations, membership growth, professional development, governance and advocacy. That broad remit is typical of association roles where member trust and organisational discipline have to grow together.

8. Steven J. Stout

Executive Director, Texas Society of Association Executives

Steven J. Stout is the executive director of the Texas Society of Association Executives. TSAE says he is its chief paid staff member, reporting to the board and overseeing the association's mission, administration, operations and finances.

That makes Stout a useful example of a leader whose members are association professionals themselves. The role is about strengthening the people who strengthen other member organisations.

9. Shirley Robinson

Executive Director, Texas Library Association

Shirley Robinson is the executive director of the Texas Library Association. Current Texas Library Association material identifies Robinson in that role, while the association describes itself as a statewide professional body serving more than 6,000 members across library types.

Library association leadership combines professional learning, advocacy, governance and member service. Robinson's role shows how a statewide body can help a profession navigate both everyday practice and wider public questions.

10. Angela R. Davis

Chief Executive Officer, Society for Pediatric Radiology

Angela R. Davis is the chief executive officer of the Society for Pediatric Radiology. The society's current contact page lists Davis as CEO, and its 2025 strategic plan records her participation in the organisation's leadership.

Professional associations in specialist fields carry a particular responsibility to support learning and safe practice. Davis's role connects organisational leadership with a community working to advance paediatric imaging and education.

11. Gloria Aguilera Terry

Chief Executive Officer, Texas Council on Family Violence

Gloria Aguilera Terry is the chief executive officer of the Texas Council on Family Violence. The council's current contact and About pages identify Terry in that role and describe the organisation as a statewide coalition working with local agencies across Texas.

The association model here is closely tied to mission, policy, prevention and support for service providers. It is a strong example of how people leadership can hold together a broad network around a serious public purpose.

12. Lindsay Thompson

President and CEO, Texas Healthcare Trustees

Lindsay Thompson is the president and CEO of Texas Healthcare Trustees. THT identifies Thompson in that role and describes the association as supporting hospital trustees through education, resources and leadership development.

The work highlights the people side of governance. Better-informed trustees can make stronger decisions for the organisations and communities they serve, which makes association leadership part of the wider healthcare system.

13. Michelle Jackson

Executive Director, Texas PTA

Michelle Jackson is the executive director of Texas PTA. The organisation's current state office page lists Jackson as its executive director within the executive team.

Parent-led associations rely on clear systems, strong relationships and practical support for volunteers. Jackson's role sits where those needs meet, helping a large member network turn shared purpose into local action.

14. Serena Bumpus

Chief Executive Officer, Texas Nurses Association

Serena Bumpus is the chief executive officer of the Texas Nurses Association. The association's current board page lists Bumpus as CEO and says she leads the strategic direction of TNA and its foundation while representing the state at the national level.

That is a wide brief across professional identity, workforce sustainability, education and policy. It shows how association leadership can give a profession a stronger voice while supporting the people doing the work.

15. Rachel Naylor

Executive Director, Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance

Rachel Naylor is the executive director of the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. The association's current staff page identifies Naylor in that role and lists programs for teachers, administrators, students and industry partners.

Her association serves a field that crosses education, health and community participation. That makes the role a useful example of leadership across several connected professional groups.

16. Jayden Beatty

Executive Director, AFP Greater Austin

Jayden Beatty is the executive director of AFP Greater Austin. The chapter says Beatty has served as its first executive director since February 2025 and has managed the completion of a $10 million capital campaign.

Fundraising associations depend on both technical skill and community confidence. Beatty's role brings together professional education, strategic planning, donor development and leadership for the nonprofit sector.

17. Meloni Raney

President and CEO, TEXO Association

Meloni Raney is the president and CEO of TEXO Association. TEXO's current team page lists Raney in that role, and the association describes its work through advocacy, training, education, networking and safety services.

That mix shows the practical range of an industry association. Members need a voice in public discussion, but they also need capability, connection and tools that help them work safely and well.

Conclusion

Across these organisations, association leadership is practical people work. It involves building trust with members, supporting volunteers, creating useful learning and keeping a clear connection between daily operations and mission.

The strongest common thread is the ability to hold a community together. For leaders inside associations, that is a useful reminder that culture is built through systems, service and the quality of everyday interactions.

About the Author

Jonno White helps leaders build organisations people would move cities to work at. His work is practical rather than motivational, giving people something they can use on Monday morning.

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