About

Our Team

TexProtects Team

Sophie Phillips, LMSW

Chief Executive Officer

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Sophie is responsible for driving TexProtects’ strategic vision and mission, addressing child maltreatment and its root causes through policy and partnerships that advance and scale the prevention of child abuse and neglect across Texas.

Sophie has worked with TexProtects since 2012, serving as Chief Operations Officer prior to being named Chief Executive Officer in 2018. Sophie is a trained social worker and has worked in the field of child welfare for over a decade, holding several leadership positions in research, public policy and business operations. Sophie also serves as Chair for both the statewide Child Protection Roundtable and the Dallas County Child Welfare Board.

“As a mother to two young children, I believe positive and effective parenting is one of my greatest responsibilities in life. Working strategically with policy and programs to equip new moms, parents and families with tools that help provide the strongest start for their children is what motivates me every day. Parenting is difficult for most everyone. TexProtects has helped change the trajectory for countless children in this state and the thought of preventing just one child from a traumatic abuse and neglect experience makes this work worth it every single day.”

Jessica Slie Trudeau, MPH

Managing Director

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Jessica Trudeau serves as TexProtect’s Managing Director leading the agency’s strategic initiatives and managing all organizational staff. Since graduating with her Masters of Public Health degree in 2001, Jessica has worked with and served as an executive director of organizations seeking to prevent child abuse and ensure all children have strong social emotional health and reach their full potential. She has also worked in the fields of HIV/AIDs and injury prevention. She is passionate about working with TexProtects to ensure that all children in Texas can have equitable, positive outcomes. Her work is inspired by her two beautiful children, Jolie and Marcel.

Brandy Lindsey

VP of Operations

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Brandy is responsible for managing the daily operations necessary to ensure TexProtects achieves its strategic plan and mission. Since 2006, Brandy has held critical positions in both corporate and nonprofit operational strategies and financial operations, directing and coordinating actions across those organizations. Brandy believes that all children should have an advocate who will stand up for them to ensure they are safe, nurtured and resilient.

Gloria Lerma

Communications Manager

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Gloria is responsible for developing and implementing internal and external communication strategies that drive policy change. She also leads communications efforts and strategy for the Texas Prenatal to Three Collaborative. Since 2014, Gloria has held critical positions in corporate communications, marketing and digital strategy to achieve measurable organizational goals. She believes that protecting Texas children should be our state’s number one priority.

Parijat (Kitty) Surve, MSc, MBA

Community Alignment Specialist

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Kitty is responsible for the execution and scaling of the Family Connects program in Dallas, where she develops relationships, partnerships and coalitions with community resources and services. Kitty has worked globally as an HR professional, predominately in the health care industry, and is passionate about healthcare reform and equity. She understands that racial and cultural perceptions affect the quality of healthcare received by people of color and minorities, and she is committed to using these insights to bring reform and sustainable change.

Kerrie Judice, LMSW

Child Protection Policy Manager

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Kerrie advocates for smart, effective strategies to support children and families within the CPS system and reduce the number of children who are removed from their homes. Kerrie has dedicated her career to advocating for children and families in various roles, including working for CPS for eight years. She believes that we all have a responsibility to promote child welfare and safety, and she wants to see the CPS system work effectively for children and families.

Brittney Taylor, MPAff

Prenatal to Three Policy Manager

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Brittney is responsible for leading advocacy efforts to advance child abuse prevention legislation and budget directives, as well as assisting in managing the statewide Prenatal to Three Collaborative.
She has more than eight years of experience working in the child welfare field, first as a CPS caseworker, followed by a nonprofit child-placing agency. Brittany believes every Texas child should have equitable access to healthcare, education and family support to give them the strongest foundation possible.

Board of Directors

Ann Stuart, Ph.D., Chair

Previous Chancellor and President, Texas Women's University

LaMonte Thomas, Vice Chair

Market President - South Central, Aetna, a CVS Health Company

Madeline McClure, Treasurer

Founder and former Chief Executive Officer, TexProtects, Champions for Safe Children

Whitney Strauss, Secretary

Senior Counsel – Corporate Social Responsibility, Sunwest Communications

The Honorable Darlene Byrne

Chief Justice, Third Court of Appeals of Texas

Alan Cohen

President and CEO, Child Poverty Action Lab

Don M. Glendenning

Managing Partner, Dallas Office, Locke Lord LLP

Susan Hoff

Chief Officer of Impact, Strategy, and Operations, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas

Helen Holman

Retired Senior Vice President and Chief Impact Officer, The Dallas Foundation

Coleman Hubbard, CFA

Institutional Investment Management Portfolio Manager, Managing Director/Analyst, Barrow Hanley Global Investors

Cynthia Izaguirre

Co-Anchor, WFAA Channel 8 News, Dallas

Dr. Anu Partap

Director, The Center for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect

Tegwin Pulley

Texas Director, National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) Education Foundation

Eddie Reeves

Partner, Vianovo

Stephen W. Roderick

Retired healthcare facility development and commercial real estate professional

Esequiel “Zeke” Sanchez

Founder and owner, DFG Partners, LLC.

Advisory Board

Denise Bates

Sr Interiors PM, Associate, Perkins&Will

Rebel Calhoun

Executive In Action consultant; Technology Sales Executive Integration Solutions Specialist, AT&T; Community Volunteer

Leslie Carpenter

Community Volunteer; Business Entrepreneur; Former Aide to U.S. Senator Paul Simon; Foster Parent

John Castle, Jr.

Retired Executive Vice President, EDS; Chair, Dallas Foundation; Former Advisory Board Member, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)

Leslie DeCillis

Attorney with experience in Software/ IT, Global Commercial Transactions, Privacy, Compliance and Cyberlaw Issues

Debra Decker

Senior Advisor, Stimson Center, Washington, D.C.; Former Consultant, Booz Allen, Washington, D.C.; Award-Winning Editorial Writer, The Dallas Morning News; Lead Author, "Dallas Child Abuse Costs"

The Honorable Maurine Dickey

Former Dallas County Commissioner; Board of Visitors, MD Anderson Cancer Center; Former Board Chair, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

Catherine Estrada

Member, Uplift Education Fort Worth Advisory Board; Former Member, Communities in Schools State Advisory Board; Member, CIS of Tarrant County Advisory Board; CIS Foundation Advisory Board

Robert Estrada

Senior Managing Director - Dallas, Chief Compliance Officer, Board of Directors – Chairman Emeritus, Estrada Hinojosa & Co. Inc.

Kathleen Fletcher, MPH, Ph.D.

CEO, Voices for Children of San Antonio

Laura Gardiner

Loyalty Strategy and Marketing Expert; Community Volunteer and Advocate

Tammy Cotton Hartnett

Community Volunteer; Former Washington Political Appointee; Spouse of Former State Representative Will Hartnett

The Honorable Lee Jackson

Retired Chancellor, University of North Texas; Former Dallas County Judge; Former Texas State Representative

Chris Marble, Assoc. AIA

Project Architect, Looney Ricks Kiss

Scott Murray

Founder and CEO of Murray Video Productions; Former Broadcast Journalist

H. Len Musgrove, Jr., J.D.

Founder and Managing Shareholder, Musgrove Law Firm, P.C.

Janet Pozmantier, MS, LPC, LMFT, RPT

Director, The Center for School Behavioral Health at Mental Health America of Greater Houston

Stacy Rudd

Operations Manager, Swinerton

The Honorable Peter Sakai, J.D.

District Judge, 225th Judicial District Court of Bexar County; Appointee to the Texas Protect Our Kids Fatality Commission

The Honorable Florence Shapiro

Former Texas State Senator, 1993-2013

Lisa K. Simmons

President, the Harold Simmons Foundation; Southwestern Medical Foundation Board

The Honorable Mark Strama

Former Texas State Representative, 2005 -2013

The Honorable Royce West, J.D.

Texas State Senator, District 23; Managing Partner at West & Associates

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