Committee

Spencer Almy is a Partner at Citation and a member of the Investment Committee. Spencer has over twelve years of experience in financial services, primarily spent in control buyout investing along with structured equity, public equity, and debt investing.

Robert Anderson, Jr. currently serves as the Chairman and CEO of Cyber Defense Labs, a cybersecurity consulting firm in Dallas, TX. Anderson served 20+ years in the FBI, rising to Executive Assistant Director of the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, overseeing criminal and cyber investigations worldwide, including high-profile cases such as Sony Pictures Entertainment and the Edward Snowden investigation.

After the FBI, Anderson served as managing director for a global organization helping companies respond to and recover from thousands of data breaches, as well as evaluate M&A target companies for cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Anderson has been an expert witness for some of our nation’s largest cyber breaches and frequently provides insight and analysis on television and in the media including CBS’ 60 Minutes, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, BBC, PBS Frontline, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, TIME Magazine, and more.

Anderson has received numerous awards over his career including the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award by President Barack Obama for leadership in 2012, the highest honor given to a government official. He was recognized in 2022 and 2023 by D CEO, the Dallas 500: Most Influential Business Leaders, featured in a 6-page article in the September 2022 edition of D CEO, titled Enemy at the Gates, and published a book in 2022 titled Let’s Lead.

Douglas Bartek is a recognized leader in the technology world with more than 45 years of industry experience. He has led more than 20 successful sales, acquisitions, mergers and financings of high-tech firms. Prior to co-founding Tango Networks, he founded and led Microtune as President, CEO and Chairman, a firm he took public on NASDAQ.

He was a division president of Cirrus Logic, was president and CEO of Acumos, and has held various leadership positions at other leading technology enterprises such as VLSI Technology, Motorola and Honeywell. He has been a regional winner and national finalist as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year, MTBC CEO of the Year, NRCC Businessman of the Year, and a “10 Most Admired CEOs to Watch”

Bartek has an electrical engineering degree from the University of Texas, with highest honors, and both a Masters in Engineering/Computer Science and an MBA from Arizona State University.

He spends his personal time helping with his church and with local charities, most recently as Chairman of 29Acres, an adult living community in north Texas for autistic adults.

Jordan began his investment career as an undergraduate when he co-founded a private investment firm focused real-estate investments. While in college, Jordan also worked for a multibillion-dollar hedge fund. In 2009 Jordan Cofounded LongWater Oppurtunites an alternative asset manager focused on Private Equity and Private Credit.

Joe Beard is the Co-Founder and CEO of CollateralEdge, a fintech platform that delivers solutions enabling community banks to be the lender of choice for middle market companies. He is also a Co-Founder of Venture Dallas, the premier venture capital focused conference in the DFW region. Previously, Joe spent 8 years in investment banking and 5 years in venture capital.

Trey Bowles is an investor, multi-exited entrepreneur, educator and father. Having build companies in the for-profit and non-profit space, he works to create collaboration at the intersection of education, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Eddie Bridgers is the Central Region Area Managing Partner for SeatonHill Partners, the fastest growing, national strategic CFO Firm providing Fractional, Interim, and Project level CFO services. Eddie is well connected in the DFW marketplace and since joining the firm 2.5 years ago, SeatonHill has quadrupled business and now boasts ~80 elite CFOs nationwide, with 26 in Dallas, 14 in South Texas, and growing rapidly across the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast regions.

Eddie is known as an innovative change agent who is adept at building groundbreaking, successful enterprise sales infrastructures that enhance and drive all revenue-connected aspects of the business. He is a proven, executive sales leader who generates bottom-line results with integrity and purpose. With 30 years of demonstrated success in building teams, developing programs, and opening new markets, Eddie has extensive experience in enterprise software, infrastructure/cloud solutions, and financial/operational leadership.

Eddie has also served in senior leadership and executive consultant roles for multiple start-ups and Fortune 200 companies, where he assembled and mentored large-scale national and international sales organizations.

Kendall Childers is a Vice President of Business Development at Rosewood Private Investments where she is responsible for sourcing transactions and managing intermediary relationships. Previously, Kendall was Vice President of Business Development at a Houston-based private equity firm, worked in the Sponsor Coverage group at BBVA (now a part of PNC) executing and managing leveraged loans to private equity backed companies across industries, the compliance group at HBK Capital Management, and the Audit Assurance group at KPMG.

Carl Cravens is the Executive Vice President, Chief Banking Officer for Susser Bank where he is responsible for the bank’s lending, treasury management and marketing activities. He has 30 years of experience in commercial banking, finance and treasury management solutions. He raised private equity and senior debt while serving as Director of Finance for a healthcare firm with 18 facilities in the Southwest. Prior to joining Susser Bank, he was Regional President of Southwest Bank and a Senior Vice President with JPMorgan Chase’s healthcare public finance and not-for-profit group.

Julie Stanley Dean is a Business Performance Advisor with Insperity. For more than 16 years, she has worked with business owners and leaders across numerous industries from early-stage startups through mid-market organizations, helping them maximize their human capital investment while mitigating risk. Insperity, a national provider of scalable HR solutions, has a long history of improving the success equation of businesses across the country.

Ric DeAnda is an accomplished executive with a wealth of experience in the field of acquisitions. As the Chief Acquisition Officer of Improving, a modern digital services company, he plays a pivotal role in identifying merger and acquisition targets that align with a strong company culture and a commitment to delivery excellence. With a keen eye for detail, Ric oversees the entire due diligence process and ensures the smooth coordination of all necessary documentation.

In addition to his current role, Ric is one of the founding members of Improving, a leading organization in the IT consulting industry, where he also serves as a board member. His extensive background in the field includes co-founding Expede, Inc. in 1998, which later merged into Valtech Technologies, Inc. in 1999. At Valtech Technologies, Ric held various senior level positions and eventually became the Vice President of North American Operations.

Outside of his professional pursuits, Ric cherishes his time spent with his beloved family. He enjoys creating precious memories with his children, Noah, Daniel, Gabriel, and Jon, and his wife Vicki. Committed to making a positive impact in his community, Ric actively participates as an Assistant Scout Master with Troop 219 and is deeply involved with the local Boy Scouts.

Since founding WoodRock & Co. in 1998, John has served as the company’s Principal, Managing Director, and Managing Partner.

John has executed over $8 billion in transactions. He is responsible for deal origination and selection, deal and project leadership, strategy, and business management.

Jay Desai is a partner of Kainos Capital, a consumer-focused private equity fund, and has over 20 years of principal investing, investment banking and strategy experience in the food and consumer products sector. Jay re-joined the firm in 2016 after serving as the senior vice president of strategy at CROSSMARK. He is a graduate of Stanford University.

Dan DiLella is the Managing Partner of Hotaling Insurance Services (H.I.S) and has strategic control over the Houston office. H.I.S. is a nationally licensed and fully independent risk management family office with five offices across the country. Dan specializes in high-level estate planning for his clients that range from affluent business owners, families, and individuals to professional athletes and entertainers.

In 2014, Dan joined H.I.S. (formerly known as The Hotaling Group) as an insurance specialist. There he began his mentorship under the group’s founder and one of the most respected insurance agents in the country, Bobby Hotaling. Shortly after joining the firm, Dan was tasked with growing the group’s presence in the Houston market and spent several years cultivating business and creating meaningful relationships. After countless cross-country commutes, he was given the reins to open an office in “H-Town” and was named Managing Partner in 2018. In September of 2021, Dan was nationally recognized as one of Insurance Business America’s Rising Stars for his contributions to the industry.

Dan graduated from SUNY University at Albany in 2011 with a degree in Business Administration and Finance. During his tenure at Albany, he was the starting quarterback of the I-AA football team where he led the Great Danes to their first-ever FCS Playoff Game. He was recognized for his accomplishments both on and off the field by earning first-team All- Northeast Conference and FCS academic All-Star team honors. Dan then had the proverbial “cup of coffee” with the New York Jets during the summer of 2012 before entering the financial industry.

Prior to H.I.S., Dan started his insurance career at MetLife, and in 2013, he was recognized as one of the top first-year advisors on the East Coast. When Dan is not working, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his family. He is an active philanthropist and supports causes that are near and dear to his heart such as the WithMerci Foundation, The National Kidney Foundation, and The American Cancer Society.

David Fang is the private equity investment officer for Unity Hunt, a single family office. He has over 25 years of experience as a principal investor, having deployed over $300MM in private equity and debt.

David Fowles is a Regional Director at The Riverside Company focusing on originating deal opportunities and qualifying add-on acquisition candidates in the Southcentral and Southeast regions. Before Riverside, Dave spent three years at Mangrove Equity Partners as a Vice President focused on deal origination.

Before that he had a twenty+ year career as a US Army Special Forces Officer (commonly known as Green Berets), where he served with distinction leading special operations forces across the globe, earned three Bronze Star's, including one with a “V” device for valor. He brings a wealth of leadership, organizational, and analytic experience to Origination and Riveside.

When he decided to transition to the private sector, Dave enrolled in the Executive program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, earning an MBA. He also holds a BA in Political Science from SUNY Oswego.

Chris is responsible for identifying and evaluating investment opportunities, deal origination and developing intermediary relationships within the Healthcare sector. Prior to joining Gauge, Chris worked for National Spine & Pain Centers, where he was the Senior Vice President leading M&A for the organization. Earlier in his career, Chris worked in the Corporate Development functions at Dignity Health and CHRISTUS Health and with Moelis & Company as an Analyst in their Investment Banking Division. Chris received his MBA from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and his BS in Finance from University of Arizona.

Amish Gupta is a founder and Managing Partner of Montfort Capital Partners, LLC, and investor and developer of self storage facilities. He is also the Lead Independent Director of Ashford Hospitality Trust (NYSE: AHT), a publicly traded hotel REIT with 100+ properties throughout the US.

Previously, worked at The Carlyle Group based in Washington DC and is a graduate from the Kellogg School of Management.

Rogers Healy is a seasoned entrepreneur, with over 20 years of investing experience. As a founder of multiple companies, ranging from the real estate to the memorabilia space, Rogers considers his secret weapon to be his eye for talent. Being a business owner, Rogers knows what it takes to build, grow and maintain successful companies.

As an entrepreneur, investor, leader, and music guru, Rogers embodies the spirit of a founder. Rogers jumped into business at an early age, and in 2005 started what is now Texas’ largest independently owned real estate company, Rogers Healy and Associates Real Estate. Since inception, Rogers went on to be the founder of Rogers Healy and Associates Land and Lake, Rogers Healy and Associates Commercial Real Estate, Healy Global Real Estate and Relocation, and Healy Property Management, and Tuned In Grading.

As fate would have it, Rogers made his first investment in the world of venture capital in 2012, as a seed investor Mizzen + Main. He fell in love with the idea of connecting the dots in the world of venture capital, and has since become one of North America’s most active investors. After over a decade of investing in deals ranging from CPG to SaaS, Rogers founded Morrison Seger Venture Capital Partners.

“Mo Se” quickly made a name for themselves, with early and late stage investments in companies ranging from tequila to trading cards, and have been able to add a new layer of experience to venture capitalism.

Most importantly, Rogers lives a life of faith, alongside his wife Abby, their daughter Henley (named after Eagles’ frontman, Don Henley), their dogs, and all their music memorabilia. Fun fact: Rogers has one of the largest collections of music memorabilia in the world. During his free time, Rogers enjoys relaxing with his family and friends at ‘Hotel California’, back house turned music oasis.

As a veteran investor, Rogers is a part of some of the most well known brands in the world.

Jim Jeffries is the founder and CEO of M&A Leadership Council. He has been leading national and international consulting companies, private equity and M&A (mergers and acquisitions) for 30 years, during which time he completed three corporate turnarounds. In the last 15 years, the Council has trained over 7,000 corporate executives from over 800 companies in the Art of M&A. Jim's' organization launched a highly sought-after certification program for executives and companies involved in Mergers and Acquisitions. He has been quoted extensively in USA Today for his expertise and opinions on various merger and acquisition strategies and has been quoted as an authority in multiple releases of “The Art of M&A” book series published by McGraw Hill.

TK Kader is an entrepreneur, international best-selling author, and angel investor. He believes that you can achieve anything through belief, discipline and an unstoppable strategy.

TK worked at Bridgewater Associates (one of the best hedge funds in the world). He then founded ToutApp (backed by Andreessen Horowitz and Jackson Square, two of the best venture capital firms in the world). TK sold ToutApp to Marketo (then owned by Vista Equity Partners, one of the best private equity firms in the world) and was part of the executive team at Marketo that helped drive its transformation and eventual $4.75bn sale to Adobe. TK now leads the Unstoppable movement to help SaaS Founders build & scale incredible software companies.

Eliot Kerlin is Managing Partner of Broadwing Capital, a Dallas-based private equity firm he founded with Andrew Boisseau after 14 years of operational private equity investing together. Previously he worked in Dallas and New York with middle market private equity firms.

Megan Kneipp is the head of Business Development for Blue Point and actively supports the firm’s investment sourcing efforts. Previously, Megan was the Vice President of Business Development at CenterOak Partners. Prior to CenterOak, she was an Associate at Credit Suisse Securities and previously an Associate in Brokerage Services at Direct Development in Dallas. Megan holds a M.B.A. with honors from Southern Methodist University and a B.A. from the University of Texas, with a concentration in Economics.

Lee is managing partner of Smart Business Network Inc., a national events, media and marketing company founded in 1989, primarily responsible for expanding the company’s Aspire deal-making conference throughout the U.S. He plays a key role in establishing corporate policies and developing long-term strategy and growth plans. Previously, he founded and chaired the Growth Group at national law firm Arter & Hadden LLP (now Tucker, Ellis & West), which focused on working with middle-market and high-growth technology companies. 

Rob Langley is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Align Capital Partners. ACP is a lower-middle market PE firm that has raised more than $1.5bn and completed 100+ acquisitions since founding in 2016. Rob sits on the firm’s investment committee and is actively involved in all aspects of the firm’s strategic and investment objectives.

Michael Levy is the Chief Executive Officer of Crow Holdings where he is responsible for leading and overseeing the Company’s overall business activities. He was previously with Morgan Stanley where he had a longstanding career in real estate finance and investment management including Chief Operating Officer for the Investment Management Division and a member of the firm’s Management Committee. Michael is a member of the Real Estate Roundtable, an Urban Land Institute Foundation Governor and a member of the Middle East Institute’s Board of Governors. He earned his B.S. at NYU’s Stern School of Business and his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.

Katie Marshall is Senior Vice President, Business Development Officer for PNC Business Credit, PNC’s senior secured lending group. Based in PNC’s Dallas office, she is responsible for identifying and executing on lending opportunities with existing and prospective clients in Dallas/Fort Worth, North Texas, the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Katie’s focus is largely on partnering with Private Equity firms, family offices or other financial investors to provide financing solutions for M&A transactions in addition to privately-held, family/founder-owned businesses seeking refinancing, growth financing, restructuring, turnaround or special situation solutions.

Seth is a seasoned executive with an impressive track record of success, having held Vice President and Director positions across diverse industries. He has a wealth of experience in sales and understands the importance of building strong relationships and working collaboratively to achieve outstanding results.

Seth is a skilled consultant, having helped companies of all sizes to boost sales, streamline processes, and improve their bottom line. Notably, he was a key figure in the mergers and acquisitions efforts and strategies of one of the country's largest medical retailers. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management, Seth has become a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) and a Certified Mergers and Acquisitions Professional.

Throughout his 20-year career, he has consistently been recognized for his achievements, receiving the highest rankings for his exceptional work. Seth is the Managing Director of the Marsh Creek Advisors Dallas office.

Dan is the founding partner of Trinity Investors (formerlyTrinity Private Equity Group), which was started in 1999. Dan leads the investment committee and leadership team for Trinity and is also the lead partner on several Trinity investments.

Prior to founding Trinity, Dan served as an executive vice president for Tara Capital Partners, LP, a hedge fund focused on investing and trading in public securities. He also spent nine years participating in private equity investments at Sowell & Co. in Dallas, Texas. Dan began his career as a corporate banker at InterFirst Bank of Dallas (now Bank of America); and then worked for ABQ Capital Markets, managing a portfolio of high-yield bonds.

He is a CFA charterholder and was elected to the CFA Institute Board of Governors in 2006, serving two consecutive terms over seven years. While on the board, Dan was also elected to serve as the chairman of the CFA Institute. In addition, Dan chaired several board committees, including the nominations committee, compensation committee, external relations and volunteer involvement committee, and the Presidents Council at CFA Institute. Dan currently serves as a board member for several Trinity portfolio companies.

A graduate of Southern Methodist University, cum laude, Dan received his CFA charter in 1991 and is also a certified public accountant (CPA).

Divyabh is a serial entrepreneur creating multiple global startups from inception to successful $100m+ exit. Currently, he is building his next generative AI startup in the accounting industry. Divyabh is an engineer and has an MBA from INSEAD, France.

I work with business owners by providing capital to support growth in companies with revenues greater than $25mm.

Prior to joining CIC, Stuart held various roles with Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo and Northern Trust and most recently worked with Cordatus Capital, a private equity firm based in Dallas.

Stuart is a US Navy veteran and holds an MBA from the McCombs School of Business, with concentrations in Finance and Asset Management.

Greg Pascuzzi is the Managing Partner of Fortium Partners' South Central Region. He leverages his experience as both an operating technology executive and a consulting leader to deliver Fortium's unique Technology Leadership-as-a-Service. More CEOs and private-equity funds trust Fortium as their choice for CIO, CTO, and CISO talent because of the reputation of Fortium's partners, the firm's responsiveness to their needs, and the results achieved. Fortium technology leaders use decades of experience to transform technology insights into business impact and enable technology success to foster business growth.

Dale Petroskey is President and CEO of the Dallas Regional Chamber (DRC), which was named National Chamber of the year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives in July 2022. Before joining the DRC in 2014, Mr. Petroskey's career included service as Assistant White House Press Secretary to President Ronald Reagan;Senior Vice President for Mission Programs at National Geographic;and President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

Mandy Price (she/her/hers) is the CEO and co-founder of Kanarys, Inc., a technology company focused on providing the tools organizations need to create long-term systemic change around DEIB challenges. She was named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023 Southwest Award finalist, recognized by AfroTech’s Future 50 List as a Founder of the Year, and celebrated as a 2023 Top HR Tech Influencer by Human Resource Executive.

Joshua Ridley is the Founder and CEO of Willow. He founded Willow in 2017 with a mission to change the built world. Today, that means digitizing the built world for a better world. Under Joshua’s leadership Willow has become the next generation solution that gives the oversight, insight, and foresight to navigate highly dynamic conditions that real estate and facilities need. Willow is used by some of the largest companies in the world in retail, aviation and transportation, technology, financial services, life science and healthcare. Joshua has the boundless energy of an entrepreneur, and the laser focus of a visionary founder.

Mr. Shane is a managing director in Oaktree’s Sourcing & Origination (S&O) group, focusing on private credit sourcing and deal origination in North America. He has over 25 years of experience in investment banking, private equity, investments and capital markets.

Before joining Oaktree in 2020, Mr. Shane was an investment consultant with the firm for two years. Prior there to, he was a managing director with both Detwiler Fenton & Co., and Monarch Bay Securities. Mr. Shane was a vice president at Hoak, Breedlove, Wesneski & Co., and a senior vice president and director of research sales with Capital Institutional Services.

He received a B.A. from Stanford University.

Paul Sparrow joined Chief Outsiders in 2015 and serves as a Managing Partner, overseeing all fractional executives in the South Region. A former SMB owner and CMO, he is a business growth expert with over 30 years of strategic development and execution in a variety of industries and organizational settings including Fortune 50, startups, turnarounds, and emerging growth.

Greg Talcott is the Managing Director of Sales at Caliber Funds. He manages a team of licensed representatives who assist investors in building their wealth and diversifying their portfolios through private equity real estate investments.

Greg came to Caliber after a two-year stint with Scottsdale-based competitor where he raised more than $100 million in capital investment from high-net-worth individuals, registered investment advisors and institutional entities in 2019. He delivers a high level of trust among customers, past and present, with his background in managing assets and serving as a fiduciary for select private wealth investors at Scottrade-TD Ameritrade, Basilica Wealth Management and Charles Schwab in Arizona, the Pacific Northwest and other key markets for more than 15 years.

During his time at Schwab, he led a team that managed more than $2.5 billion in assets that provided portfolio management and financial planning designed for a particular investor suitability.

Greg received a Bachelor of Science degree in Law and Political Science from Arizona State University.

Mark brings 40 years of executive experience holding senior leadership positions with Fortune 100/ 500 companies, founding and operating several successful businesses, and serving in numerous executive roles including CEO/ President/Chairman and as a Member of the Board of Directors for both public and private companies.

Kyle is a Senior Vice President at Sole Source Capital, a lower middle market private equity firm focused on the industrial and service sectors. In his role, he leads investment origination, deal qualification, and building relationships with business owners. Kyle is passionate about helping business owners make the best choices for themselves, their family, and their employees when it comes to selling their company.

As president and CEO, responsibilities include leading ERCOT with independent insight on the future of electricity reliability, markets and technology in Texas in order to facilitate grid and market change for the benefit of all stakeholders. Prior to this role he served in senior leadership roles in the electric and gas utility industry with NiSource and American Electric Power. Previously he held leadership roles in management consulting with PwC, IBM, and Andersen Consulting.

Reid has more than 18 years of audit and business advisory experience serving global public and privately held companies. He has led audit and advisory services across multiple business sectors including private equity and mezzanine investment funds, manufacturing, oilfield service, construction, hospitality, and sports and entertainment. Reid’s experience includes, but is not limited to, SEC financial reporting, private equity transaction advisory, debt and equity offerings, and Sarbanes Oxley 404 compliance.

Reid leads the Texas Private Equity industry segment and also serves as a member of the Houston Leadership Team focused on the development of client service strategies, professional development programs, and industry thought leadership.

Brad is a Managing Director at Trive Capital, where his responsibilities include identifying and evaluating investment opportunities.

Prior to joining Trive, Brad was a Vice President at Prudential Capital Group, a private investment arm of Prudential Financial, Inc. While at Prudential, Brad was responsible for sourcing, executing, and managing investments in a wide range of industries, including aerospace and defense, transportation, distribution, consumer finance, real estate, restaurants and equipment rental.

Brad began his career as an Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he was a member of the Investment Management audit practice. Brad received his BS in Business Administration and Accounting from the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics at Washington and Lee University.