Board of Directors
| Board of Directors | Advisory Board |
|---|---|
| Danny Phillips – Board Chairman Jacob Schneider Stephanie Frost Darren Kocur Kyle Bower Michael Thames – Executive Director Deonna Courtney |
Kelle Jones Bobby Moore Dale Brooks Ron Holifield Johnny Lewis Charlie Middlebrook |
Danny Phillips – Board Chairman Danny is the current owner of Diamond P Ranch and is involved in various philanthropic activities as well as managing his own investments. Danny also serves on teh Board of Abilene Christian University and Matthew 28 Global Ministries. He graduated from ACU with a B.B.A. in Accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of Texas.
Jacob Schneider – Secretary Jake has worked with Fortress YDC in a bord capacity since its inception in 2005. He and his wife Abbie have served as mentors and volunteers at Fortress since the early 2000s. Jake’s love for this type of ministry began while working as a counselor at Camp of the Hills, a summer camp for at-risk youth. He is currently an Investment Advisor with JPMorgan’s Private Client Services where he has worked for the past six years.
Michael Thames - Executive Director Michael has worked with inner city children and youth for almost 12 years. He served as youth minister at Fortress Church of Christ from 1999-2005 and helped launch Fortress Youth Development Center in 2005. He has a calling a passion to see God transform the lvies of at-risk youth anbd help eqip them to reach their potential as children of God. Michael has a BA in Kinesiology from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Darren Kocur Darren is a commited husband and father with a passion for youth mentoring and outreach. He and his wife Stacy volunteered in youth ministry and education with their local church for many years before moving to Fortress to commit their efforts to the youth of the inner city. As a Fortress church member, Darren helped organize and launch Fortress YDC and has served on its board since its inception. He is employed as a Senior Systems Engineer for the Tax and Accounting business of ThomsonReuters.
Kyle Bower Kyle is a Director of Solutions for SAP America, the worlds’ largest provider of business software applications. He holds a B.B.A. in Finance and Real Estate as well as an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Arlington. Now in his fourth year as a Fortress board member, Kyle has a long history of youth involvement (having served as a junior and senior high school teacher/leader for several years), and remains passionate about serving the spiritual and practical needs of area youth. He currently serves on the Capital Committee and the Board Development Committee.
Deonna Courtney Deonna is the principal for Castleberry PreK-1st Grade. She has a Master’s Degree from Texas Wesleyan University, Mid-Management Certification from the University of Texas at Arlington, and is currently a Doctoral student at Texas Women’s University (Early Childhood Education/Educational Administration). Deonna currently serves as the Chair of the Program Committee and helped organize and launch Building Blocks Early Learning Center as a member of the Building Blocks Steering Committee.
Stephanie Frost Stephanie and her husband Ron first caught Fortress’ vision on a “prayer drive-by” with Michael and Cara in 2006. Since that time, Stephanie has volunteered as a Pee Wee Jam teacher on Sundays, and has also served on the Programs Committee, the Building Blocks Steering Committee, and the Fundraising Committee. She and Ron have been happily married for 12 years and have two daughters. Stephanie volunteers at the girls’ elementary school, teaches Bible classes at Legacy Church of Christ, and volunteers in various other capacities as well. A licensed dental hygienist by trade, she is currently a consultant and Vice President with Arbonne International.
