Board of Directors
The EWTG Board of Directors consists of the President, President-Elect, Vice President, Financial Officer, Secretary-Treasurer, Affiliates Director, Communications Director, Membership Director, Mini-Course Director, Program Director, and Public Relations
Director, who serve without recompense. The regular term of office for each officer is January 1 to December 31. A list of position descriptions can be found here.
The President provides leadership for the Board of Directors and organization. Read the monthly President's
Corner.
The EWTG Board holds its monthly meetings virtually on the third Wednesday of each month from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The Board meeting agenda and a summary
of the Board meeting minutes will be posted to the EWTG Web site after the board approves them the following month.
President – Regina Durden
Principal, Bradshaw Solutions Group
Bradshaw Solutions Group
Regina B. Durden is the sole proprietor of Bradshaw Solutions Group, providing specialized procurement and contract management consulting and training services. Regina comes with an extensive 35-year background in governmental procurement and contracts.
She has worked as the Procurement Director for the Office of the Attorney General, the Texas Department of Insurance, and the Texas Military Department. Her experience includes managing and training procurement professionals, developing procedures,
overseeing organizational process improvement projects, leading major procurement projects, and managing major information technology, construction and specialized professional and other services required by governmental entities. Regina is a proud
member of the Executive Women in Texas Government, Inc. (EWTG), serving on the annual EWTG conference committee. She is also a member of the distinctive Leadership Women, Inc (LW). Regina participated in LW’s Leadership Texas, Leadership America,
and Leadership International programs, traveling to South Africa, Scandinavia, and Canada. Regina is the mother of two aspiring professionals that continue to motivate and make her proud every day. Leadership Texas and Leadership America graduate
and Leadership International.
Contact: ewtg@ewtg.org
President-Elect – Theresa McShan
Health and Human Services Commission – Retired
Theresa Yvonne McShan is the daughter of S.H. & Mattie McShan and a lifelong resident of Elgin, Texas. Theresa has two children and six grandchildren. Theresa is a member of the Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church in Elgin, TX where she serves
as the church musician, choir director, Sunday School teacher and Youth Director. Theresa has worked for the State of Texas for 33 years and has been a member of EWTG since 2006 and served on the conference committee for several years. She volunteers
in her community and has served on the Elgin City Council and Elgin Mainstreet Board. She has a master’s degree in Health Education.
Contact: ewtg@ewtg.org
Vice President – Monique Kollar
Director of Trust, Settlement & Custody Services, Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust Company
Monique Kollar began her career in Texas government 27 years ago at the Texas Treasury Department. Monique is currently the Director of Settlement & Custody Services and Trust Services at the Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust Company, which is a special
purpose entity created by the Texas Legislature to efficiently and economically manage, invest and safeguard funds for the state and it’s various subdivisions. In 2007, Monique earned the designation of a Certified Treasury Professional from the Association
for Financial Professionals (AFP). Throughout her career, Monique has been an active member of the local chapter of the AFP, a non-profit organization created for the purpose of providing and maintaining a forum for the active and open exchange of ideas,
concepts and techniques related to the rapidly changing field of cash and treasury management. Monique served on the Board of the Austin AFP from 2010 – 2017 in the rolls of Secretary/Treasurer, Vice President of Education Programming, and as an Alliance
of Texas Treasury Associations Representative. She also served as the Chair of the Alliance of Texas Treasury Associations’ 2017 TEXPO conference.
Contact:
ewtg@ewtg.org
Financial Officer – Melissa Hield
Associate Commissioner - Retired
Melissa Hield retired in 2019, after 35 years of state service, as the Associate Commissioner for Consumer Protection at the Texas Department of Insurance. She was responsible for outreach to consumers, helping consumers with complex complaints, and coordinating
TDI’s response during a disaster. She began her career at TDI in 1989 as the agency’s first strategic planner and worked in Consumer Protection as the operations manager from 1994 to 2011, when she was named the Associate Commissioner.
Melissa holds an M.A. in American Civilization from The University of Texas at Austin and B.A. in American Studies from Smith College. In 1975 she and four women graduate students founded People’s History in Texas to document the stories of people left
out of the history books. PHIT has produced Talkin’ Union, the story of four Texas women labor organizers, and The Stand-ins, about the white and African American students who integrated Austin movie theaters in 1962. PHIT’s current project is an
oral history of the legacy of the Texas Department of Agriculture 1983 – 1990. Melissa is a graduate of 1983 Leadership Texas and 2013 and 2015 Leadership International (India and Mexico City).
Contact: ewtg@ewtg.org
Secretary-Treasurer – Catherine Crago Blanton
Housing Authority City of Austin
Catherine Crago Blanton is Head of Strategic Initiatives for Housing Authority of the City of Austin. Catherine is a seasoned global diversity, equity and inclusion practitioner. For 10 years, she led an interactive diversity and inclusion training and
media firm that monthly served more than 100,000 domestic and global employees at corporate and government entities. Previously she worked in multinational global public-private consortia to ensure equitable partnerships. Catherine has been an invited
speaker at the White House, provided testimony to the Federal Communications Commission and led efforts to close the digital divide for educational equity. She serves as Board of Directors Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Austin
CityUP and as a Board of Advisor and lecturer in the University of Texas M.A. in the Human Dimensions of Organizations. She holds a BA in History from the University of Texas at Austin.
Contact: ewtg@ewtg.org
Affiliates Director – Alsie Bond
City of Bryan
Alsie Bond, a Bryan, Texas native attended Texas A&M University (TAMU) and holds an under- graduate degree in Sociology and a Master of Planning from TAMU. Her career goals have always centered on being a servant leader, giving back to her community
through her professional life, as well as personally.
Over the past 25 years, she has provided leadership through her current role as the City of Bryan’s Community Development Director. This position provides direct and indirect federal funding for numerous programs that address local health
and social service needs. These programs target the most vulnerable populations including elderly, homeless, low, and moderate individuals and households. In addition to overseeing these programs, Alsie coordinates outreach by conducting presentations,
focus group meetings and one on one interviews with local leaders including city officials, non-profits, businesses and vulnerable populations to provide information on community needs and resources to address these needs.
Alsie serves as the Treasury for the Executive Women in Texas Government, Brazos Valley Affiliate, and is one of the founding members of this affiliate. She serves on the Executive team for the local affiliate participating in the coordination
of the group’s efforts to support women in local government through education, networking and outreach in the community.
Alsie currently is engaged in her community through community efforts such as Chairing the annual You’re the Tops Event, (a fundraiser for The Prenatal Clinic, a nonprofit serving low and moderate women’s prenatal care). This event honors
women who make an impact on the community through their professional or volunteer efforts. She also serves on the Community Partnership Board, local nonprofit efforts to collaborate and engage in community wide efforts to reduce poverty, The Brazos
Valley Coalition for the Homeless, a Coalition targeting cohesive efforts to serve the homeless and several United Way of the Brazos Valley committees, having served as Board Chair in recent years.
Alsie lives in Bryan with her husband and their family consist of a blended family of six. All, grown and with families of their own.
Contact: ewtg@ewtg.org
Communications Director – Coleen McCarthy
Health and Human Services Commission
Coleen McCarthy is a Director II in the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Services Division (MCSD) at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). In this role, she serves as the Senior Advisor directly supporting the Deputy
Executive Commissioner of Operations for MCSD. Coleen has close to 25 years of experience working in Health and Human Services agencies including HHSC, the Department of State Health Services, and the Department of Family and Protective Services.
She has also previously worked in Medicaid/CHIP Services, the Office of Inspector General, and her most recent role as a Management Analyst V in the HHSC Chief Operating Office. Coleen holds a Master of Science in health services/health promotion
and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology/sociology. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist, Certified Mental Health First Aider for adults and youth, and Certified in Basic Investigations/Inspections. Coleen is also a member of Executive Women
in Texas Government (EWTG) and currently serves on the Board as the Communications Director. She also participates in an EWTG Executive Success Team with three other women.
Coleen is a proud mom of an adult son. She enjoys reading, writing, binge-watching Netflix, and spending time with family and friends. Coleen also enjoys working as a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, and recently opened a consignment
shop for women’s plus-size clothing and other accessories in a booth at the Pflugerville Pflea Market. She is passionate about helping others and enjoys volunteering at various places.
Contact: communications@ewtg.org
Membership Director - Tiffany Dockery Gibson
Director, University of Texas at Austin’s Historically Underutilized Business and Small Business Program
Tiffany Dockery Gibson, Director of the University of Texas at Austin’s Historically Underutilized Business and Small Business (HUB/SB) Program office has served the university for more than 23 years. Over her career, she has worked in cooperation with
purchasing and accounting personnel to ensure institutional policies and procedures complied with HUB/SB program objectives, and maintained close, cooperative relationships with university offices, professional associations, and special interest associations.
She has held the role of subject matter expert for HUB reporting systems for six UT component institutions, served on the State of Discussion HUB Discussion Workgroup leadership team, and coordinated Memorandum of Cooperation efforts between two State
of Texas advocacy organizations and twenty-two state agencies. She is a proud Texas EX, with a Bachelor of Science in Advertising, and a Master’s in Public Administration from Texas Southern University and is certified as a Master Compliance Administrator
by the American Contract Compliance Association. Tiffany has also earned Certified Texas Contract Manger (CTCM) and Certified Texas Contract Developer (CTCD) designations from the State of Texas.
Contact:
membership@ewtg.org
Mini-Course Director – Denise Messina
Leadership and Innovation Facilitator, Learning Resource Network, Health and Human Services Commission
Denise Messina is a Leadership and Innovation Facilitator with the Learning Resource Network at HHSC. With more than 20 years’ experience as a trainer and facilitator, Denise believes that the ability to work with and inspire different personalities is
key factor to leadership success.
In addition to delivering Leadership and Innovation training, Denise has also been a featured speaker at the Executive Women in Texas Government Conference and the State of Texas Training Expo. She also delivers training for other state
agencies by special request.
Denise earned her Bachelor of Science from Eastern Oregon University and has taken graduate courses from the University of Idaho in Adult Learning Theory. She is a certified Zenger Folkman Extraordinary Leader Coach, a certified MBTI
practitioner and a Franklin Covey Facilitator.
Contact: minicourse@ewtg.org
Program Director - Chan McDermott
Leadership Development Coordinator, Health and Human Services Commission
Chan is the Leadership Development Coordinator at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. She has developed and supported high-caliber agency leadership programs such as the Executive Leadership Academy and the Aspiring Leaders Academy. Hundreds
of HHSC employees have benefited from these programs. The position of Mini-Course Director would be an ideal fit. Chan brings a wealth of connections in the professional development field. She can develop courses that suit the needs of an agency or
a subject matter expert group. She also has years of experience in adult education and training. She enjoys attending mini-courses and she is strongly suited to improve topics and attendance.
Contact: program@ewtg.org
Public Relations Director – Aelia Khan Akhtar
Department of State Health Services
Aelia Khan Akhtar is the Director of Public Health Policy at the Department of State Health Services. Her office is responsible for agency-wide planning and coordination related to public health policy.
Her prior experience includes:
- Directing the Consumer Health Assistance Program at the Texas Department of Insurance.
- Implementing agency process improvement projects as a Senior Transformation Specialist at HHS Office of Transformation and Innovation.
- Creating medical and organizational policy to reduce Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse at the HHS Office of Inspector General.
- Developing insurance protections for Texas consumers with the Office of Public Insurance Counsel.
- Aelia earned her Master’s in Health Policy and Administration from Penn State University, and her Bachelor's in Political Science from UCLA. She is also a Project Management Professional, Certified Program Integrity Professional from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
She has been a member of the Executive Women in Texas Government since 2011 and recently has served as the Chair of the Education Committee. Locally, she is a Community Health Champion for Central Health, Travis County’s healthcare district. She is also a current member of Leadership Women Texas.
In her spare time, she enjoys running, photography, and outdoor activities with her family.
Contact: PublicRelations@ewtg.org
Print Page
