Leadership

Richie Butler is the senior pastor of the historic St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church in Dallas and Founder of Project Unity. He has also previously served as CFT’s Board Chair.

Under his visionary leadership, Project Unity offers community building and diversity, equity, and inclusion solutions through its “Together We” programs like Together We Ball, Together We Dine, Together We Learn, and Together We Sing.

As a civic leader, in response to the five Dallas police officers who were ambushed in 2016, Richie launched the Year of Unity, a community-wide initiative to help bridge racial community divides where the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush, served as the Honorary Chair.

In 2020, he launched the Together We Test and Together We Vaccinate programs to address a lack of COVID-19 testing and vaccines in communities of color which resulted in more than 10,000 being tested and vaccinated. He launched  the Together We Can initiative to address the question, “What can I do?” in response to the death of George Floyd. The Together We Can program has attracted Fortune 500 companies, universities, foundations, and grassroots organizations partners.

Richie has over 20 years of experience in private equity real estate investment management, with extensive real estate development, finance and institutional fund management experience. Richie has been responsible for nearly $1 billion of institutional real estate investment and fund management activity throughout the U.S.

Previously, Richie was the senior managing director of the Prescott Realty Group, a senior vice president of CityView, a managing partner of Solomon Partners and a bank officer with Bank of America. In addition, he was the deputy political director for U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.

Richie was also the founding senior pastor of Union Cathedral. In 2014, he successfully merged Union Cathedral, an independent interdenominational church, with the historic St. Paul United Methodist Church in downtown Dallas.

Richie holds two bachelor’s degrees from Southern Methodist University and a master’s in theology from Harvard University; he’s also done extended studies in Urban Planning at MIT. He was the recipient of a Ford Foundation Fellowship to study art history and political science in Europe.

Richie and his wife, Neisha Strambler-Butler, have two young adult children, Emily and Ford.

“I’m honored to serve with this important group of community leaders. Building on my experience in business and my commitment and passion for my faith community, I will work to help strengthen CFT’s role and legacy as a place where nonprofits and donors come to together to serve the important needs of our community.” — Richie Butler

Since 1996, Chris Arnold has been an integral part of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks broadcast team. First serving for eight years as their courtside analyst for Fox Sports Southwest and currently, since 2005, serving as the Mavs game night Emcee and Inclusion Ambassador.

Beyond his Mavs correspondence, his television experience included five years working as a sports reporter at WFAA TV in Dallas. Chris’ work garnered an Emmy.

Chris’s radio career is legendary in itself, starting his career at age 14. He has worked nonstop in radio ever since. Including 30yrs at K104 FM, 14yrs at 105.3 the Fan & at KTCK The Ticket where his show was the first to get and continue to have #1 ratings for 5yrs.

In 2020 He was inducted to the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.  In 2019 Chris became the first journalist inducted into the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame and in 2022 he was also inducted into the Texas Boxing Hall of Fame.

Representative Rhetta Bowers was elected in 2018 to serve Texas House District 113, which includes parts of Rowlett, Garland, and Mesquite. She made history as the first African American of Caribbean descent to represent the district. She was inspired by her civically engaged parents, a Texas-born community leader and a Grenadian surgeon. Bowers studied Broadcast Journalism at Spelman College and Texas Southern University. She began her career in public broadcasting and later transitioned to education as a coordinator for KERA.

A dedicated community advocate, Bowers has served in Garland ISD schools, on local boards, and as co-founder of the Dallas Women’s March. She helped lead Rowlett’s recovery after the 2015 tornado, maintains an active membership at St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church, and is a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Her commitment to service is rooted in a lifelong passion for equity and justice.

In the Texas House, Bowers champions criminal justice reform, education, and women’s rights. She authored the bill establishing Texas Girls in STEM Day and helped pass the Texas CROWN Act to end race-based hair discrimination. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Local & Consent Calendars, is a member of the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence and the Committee on Delivery of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and also serves as Vice-Chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus. Bowers has received numerous honors, including the NAACP Image Award and the TxLBC “Freshman of the Year.” She has lived in Rowlett with her husband and two children for over 20 years.

Commissioner Burruss was first appointed to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement by Governor Rick Perry, and she has continued to serve on TCOLE for ten (10) years after appointments by Governor Abbott and confirmation by the Texas Senate. Commissioner Burruss grew up in Brownsville, Texas, and she has been living in Dallas, Texas since 2015. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology, minors in Chemistry and English, a Master of Business Administration, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence.

After earning her law degree, she returned to Brownsville, where she served as an Assistant County and District Attorney for Cameron County, ultimately becoming the lead prosecutor for the 445th Judicial District Court. In that role, she prosecuted felony cases including murder, burglary, and aggravated offenses. She currently has a federal criminal defense and civil business practice in Dallas. She is licensed to practice law in Texas, New Mexico, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Eastern District of Texas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

In addition to serving on the Project Unity Board, Burruss was an Executive Advisory Board Member for the University of North Texas – Dallas Caruth Police Institute, former Board Chair of Tropical Texas Behavioral Health, former board member for Texas Council of Community Centers, and other public service and professional organizations. Burruss is passionate about aviation and currently serves as Vice Governor of the South Central Section (including Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, and Louisiana) of The Ninety-Nines, the original women’s pilot organization established in 1929, where Amelia Earhart was voted its first President. She is also a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight, an organization that provides free flights for people in need of medical treatment or humanitarian assistance.

Emiel Hill is the Director, Treasury Client Onboarding at BOK Financial. He joined BOKF in 2012 and is responsible for the successful client onboarding efforts of their Treasury Payments and Liquidity solutions throughout the BOK footprint, including Healthcare. He leads a highly skilled team enthusiastic about delivering superior consulting and onboarding experiences for the Treasury clients they serve. He studied Accounting at The Ohio State University and has been in Banking for 30+ years.​

​Hill is a recipient of the Treasury Hero Award and has also been recognized as a Top Partner for the Commercial One Club. He has served as Committee Chairperson on the Treasury Thought Leadership Council and was a part of the inaugural Executive DEI Council in 2019, where he worked to foster more Diversity & Inclusion throughout the BOKF footprint.

In 2023 he joined Big Brothers Big Sisters and Project Unity Board of Directors which allows continued engagement within the communities we serve and is also Co-Chair of the newly developed BOKF Supplier/Business Diversity Council. He is highly active in the banks Mentoring and Culture Ambassador Programs that focuses on the exposure and growth of new and existing team members.

Favorite Quote: Always “Begin with the End in Mind” – Stephen R. Covey

Jeff Meade is the Founding Director of Entrepreneurship at Paul Quinn College, where he is leading an ambitious mission: Every Quinnite is an Entrepreneur. At Paul Quinn, entrepreneurship is viewed as a life skill. Through the Every Quinnite is an Entrepreneur initiative, every student is required to build, launch, and manage a venture before graduation. This is not an elective or extracurricular activity. It is a core part of the academic experience. But the goal goes beyond launching businesses. The program is designed to cultivate resilience, creativity, and strategic thinking so that students graduate ready to shape the economy as founders, innovators, and changemakers in any field.

Jeff brings more than 20 years of experience advising businesses and building companies from the ground up. He founded and scaled a youth-focused research agency that received multiple acquisition offers, then grew his next agency to over $20 million in revenue. On the client side, he served as Marketing Director for Sneaker Villa, a venture-backed retailer that was named Retailer of the Year during his tenure. While at Villa, he also led the launch of Rookie by Villa, a children’s retail concept designed to expand the brand’s reach with younger consumers.

Today, through his management consultancy, Creative Friction, Jeff helps digital, creative, and marketing agencies improve decision-making across key areas such as finance, talent, operations, and brand strategy. His work and insights have been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur Magazine. Whether coaching a founder or mentoring a student, Jeff is focused on building environments where bold ideas thrive and lasting impact is made.

A dedicated public servant committed to equity and inclusion, Almas Muscatwalla is a respected voice in North Texas with extensive experience in immigration reform, homelessness, affordable housing, interfaith leadership, domestic violence response, and anti-racism.

Almas Muscatwalla has been a civic and interfaith leader in the North Texas community since 2012. Inspired by her faith and role models, she is driven to offer her time and knowledge for the betterment of the community as a Muslim woman. Currently, she serves as a Board member of the Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation. She believes that domestic violence is not only harmful to the health of our community but also compromises the dignity of human life. She encourages everyone to support TMWF in eliminating all forms of violence, especially domestic violence, from our homes, neighborhoods, and communities.

Beyond her work with Muslim women and cultural initiatives, Almas has played a crucial role in various civic areas. She is the founding member of Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square, which unites faith leaders from different religions to stand together for social justice issues. She served as the executive director of Faith Forward Dallas from 2016 to 2022 and is the retired chair of the Interfaith Council of Thanks-Giving Square.

Almas is passionate about addressing homelessness and racial issues. She serves on the board of directors for Family Gateway, Project Unity, the Dallas Holocaust & Human Rights Museum, and the Muslim Jewish Advisory Council. She is also the Border Liaison and spokesperson for Dallas Responds, which helps address the migrant crisis. Additionally, she is an appointee of the Dallas Mayor to serve on DHA’s Board of Commissioners and Anti-Hate Advisory Council.

Recently, she was invited to serve on the Dallas County District Attorney’s Advisory Council. Professionally, Almas is the Project Manager and Curator for Who Are Our Neighbors?, a public art initiative designed to heal divides and foster unity across Dallas. Led by Sharing Sacred Spaces, Inc., and funded by the National Endowment for the Arts through the 2024 Our Town grant program, this initiative celebrates individuals who cross lines of difference to strengthen the community.

Eric Ochel is a Senior Account Executive with Milrose and a licensed real estate agent for C82 Commercial. He oversees business development across the country and collaborates closely with national clients like Raising Canes, Extra Space Storage, and O’Reilly’s Auto Parts on their development projects. His focus for commercial real estate is tenant or buyer representation for his clients on their leases and acquisitions.

He was a double major in Psychology and Economics at The University of the South where he was a basketball All-Amercian and set several NCAA basketball records.

Eric has always volunteered in the community and has been a part of multiple organizations over the years, like Mobile Loaves and Fishes, Lakeview Food Pantry, Swim Across America and West Austin Youth Association where he received the Volunteer of the Year award. He also mentors’ youth in the game of life and basketball.

Eric was elected to serve on the Project Unity Board of Directors in 2018 where he serves as the Treasure and is on the Cash Management & Investment Committee. He is active with the Together We Ball program and participates in Together We Dines as a facilitator. One of his personal highlights of the year is attending Together We Sing.

In his spare time, Eric enjoys spending time with his wife and two-year-old son visiting the Dallas Arboretum, parks around Dallas, and long walks seeing different neighborhoods.

Favorite Bible Verse: Philippian 4:13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Rev. Matthew Ruffner has served as the Senior Pastor of Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, a vibrant faith community of nearly twenty-five hundred members in North Dallas, since July 2015.

Matthew is passionate about creating spaces of belonging, finding fresh ways to communicate ancient wisdom, and developing individuals and communities to reach their full potential. As a Zick Preaching Scholars cohort leader, Matthew helps develop preachers from across the country. He also serves on the board of Forest Forward, a holistic community redevelopment project working to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty in Dallas’ 75215 zip code through education, housing, and community wellness initiatives.

Matthew is married to Sarah, and they have two children. The Ruffners share a love of sports and are often found on or near various fields and courts. Matthew particularly enjoys walking golf courses with his clubs in tow.

Sergeant Wanda West is a proud Chicago native with an impressive 33-year career in law enforcement. She has served with the Dallas Police Department, where she has gained extensive experience and leadership in various specialized roles. Sergeant West holds a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Criminal Justice from Dallas Baptist University and has earned her Master Peace Officer License from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE).

Currently, Sergeant West serves as the Administrative Sergeant in the Office of the Chief of Police, working closely with Interim Police Chief Michael T. Igo. Throughout her distinguished career, she has held several key assignments, including Tactical and Special Operations, Office of Community Affairs & Employee Communications, and multiple patrol divisions: North Central, Northeast, and Southwest. Additionally, she has worked within the Investigative Bureau as a Property Crimes and Robbery Detective, and has been a part of the Neighborhood Policing Unit.

A dedicated public servant, Sergeant West is also a recipient of the prestigious State of Texas Peace Officer Community Policing Award. Her passion for community engagement extends beyond her daily duties, as she currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Dallas Junior Police Academy, acting as a liaison for the Dallas Police Department.