Susan Franzen is the Founding Principal of PatternShifts, where she helps organizations clarify bold strategy, elevate leadership, and drive meaningful change. She is known for her innovative “double-helix” coaching approach, which links personal leadership growth with organizational transformation and her ThoughtShift methodology for better thinking and decision making. Susan draws on decades of executive experience, including senior strategy and leadership roles with AXIOM Learning Solutions and the University of Texas System. A lifelong learner with advanced training in the neuroscience of leadership and multiple coaching and change management certifications, she brings both rigor and humanity to every engagement. Susan serves on the Friends of Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy Board and as Williams Bay Village Trustee.

MaryBeth Koenes is a mindfulness coach, author, and advocate for holistic human wellness. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and has an extensive background in Early Childhood Development, with nearly a decade of experience coaching executive leaders. Drawing from continual education in modalities such as parts work, somatic integration, breathwork, nervous system regulation, and mindful communication, she takes an immersive and trauma-informed approach to personal transformation. Her work empowers individuals to develop sustainable emotional and mental wellness, reconnect with their inner wisdom, and lead themselves with clarity and confidence. MaryBeth’s mission is to help people cultivate the tools and self-trust needed to thrive in every area of life.

Mr. Filomeno G. Maldonado serves as Executive Consultant to Dr. Matthew Meeks, Executive Director of the Texas Health Education Service (TXHES) for the UT System, and Dr. Nina Gonzalez, Director of the Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP), providing strategic support to TXHES, JAMP, and affiliated institutions. He joined the leadership team in March 2022. Previously, Mr. Maldonado was Associate Dean of Admissions at the Texas A&M University College of Medicine, where he dedicated 33 years to admissions and student affairs before retiring in January 2022. In his current role, he assists with project coordination, data analysis, and program evaluation under the direction of the Executive Director of TXHES and Director of JAMP. Mr. Maldonado holds an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from the University  of Texas San Antonio, a B.A. in English and History from St. Mary’s University San Antonio and has completed Ph.D. coursework in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University.

Joel H. Robles, Ed.D., is the Executive Consultant for the Texas Health Education Service (TXHES), where he advises on initiatives in program evaluation, assessment, and organizational effectiveness across the Texas health education pipeline. His work focuses on developing evidence-based frameworks that guide strategic planning, policy implementation, and continuous quality improvement for TXHES and its partner institutions. Dr. Robles collaborates closely with leadership teams to design evaluation systems that integrate analytics, stakeholder feedback, and institutional goals. His professional interests include systems evaluation, educational policy, and the alignment of organizational structure with measurable impact.

 

Jamie Fitch is an Austin-based entrepreneur, investor, and advisor focused on scaling education and healthcare innovation. A clinical epidemiologist by training, he has led and advised multiple organizations at the intersection of learning, technology, and workforce development, including OnlineMedEd, a medical education platform used by millions of learners worldwide. Jamie  advises companies and agencies that build accessible, tech-enabled pathways for students and professionals. His work emphasizes systems thinking, intentional learning, and leveraging repeatable models that translate evidence into practice.

Lesley has dedicated over 25 years to serving The University of Texas at Austin college students, with 19 of those years passionately focused on the pre-health professions population. In addition to coaching hundreds of future healthcare professionals, she spent a decade as a key facilitator for the Joint Admissions Medical Program (JAMP) alongside the university's faculty director. Her commitment to shaping the next generation of medical leaders culminated in her appointment as Director of the Health Professions Office in 2012.

Dr. Banta earned her Ph.D. at the University of Nevada, completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Indiana State University, and has held faculty positions at the University of Northern Colorado and Texas State University. When she began her faculty position at Texas State University in 2008, she took on the additional roles as a pre-health advisor and JAMP Faculty Director. She is passionate about advising and has held various leadership and service roles in JAMP, TXHES, and the state (TAAHP), southeast region (SAAHP) and national (NAAHP) Associations for Advisors of the Health Professions. Dr. Banta has earned several advising and service awards for her advising activities. She is married to a fellow biologist, has one daughter in college, and is the proud parent of two adopted canine fur babies.

Dr. Matt Chumchal is a Professor of Biology at Texas Christian University (TCU) and serves as Director of the Pre‑Health Professions Institute, where he leads efforts to prepare students for careers in healthcare.  At TCU, Dr. Chumchal oversees a holistic advising program that prepares students for professional school through coursework, extracurricular activities and personalized mentoring.  Through his leadership the Institute has achieved outstanding outcomes—including acceptance rates to professional school that are more than double the national average. Recognized for his advising excellence, he received the Texas Association of Advisors for the Health Professions Advisor of the Year Award in 2021 and TCU’s highest faculty award, the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Achievement as a Creative Teacher and Scholar in 2024.  Dr. Chumchal earned his B.S. in Biology from Southwestern University, M.S. in Biology from TCU and a Ph.D. in Zoology from University of Oklahoma. 

Dr. William Stigall is Vice President and Chief Research Officer at Cook Children’s Health Care System in Fort Worth, Texas, where he leads research dedicated to bringing practical, patient-centered innovations to children’s healthcare. He also practices as a Pediatric Intensivist, helping ensure that research efforts remain closely tied to clinical care.
Trained in business, medicine, and philosophy, Dr. Stigall teaches bioethics and holds faculty appointments at Texas A&M College of Medicine, TCU School of Medicine, and the University of Dallas. His work focuses on building research infrastructure, fostering industry and academic partnerships, and aligning research with clinical care and quality improvement. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, sailing, and time outdoors with his wife and three sons.