Speakers

Hunter Parks is a 2003 M.S. graduate of the Texas A&M Visualization program. He has more than 20 years of experience in the visual effects industry as a look development and lighting technical director. His area of expertise focuses on photo-realistic shading techniques. As senior visualization production specialist, Parks continues to learn about visualization production practices and techniques that are relevant to this space.

Kat Gammon is the Community Relations Liaison for Heart of Texas Goodwill, where she works to spread the word about Goodwill's mission to help people remove and overcome barriers to employment.  She has lived in Bryan/College Station for over 26 years, and graduated from Texas A&M in 2012 with a B.S. in Psychology. Kat has worked in the Brazos Valley nonprofit sector for over 10 years including the Vice President Community Impact for United Way of the Brazos Valley, Interim Chair for the Brazos Valley Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters, Pride Community Center Board of Directors, Brazos Valley Homeless Coalition, Brazos Valley Health Coalition, Leadership Brazos Class '27 and more.

Peggi Ondrasek is the Membership Investment Representative at the Bryan / College Station Chamber of Commerce. Her role at the Chamber is to recruit and onboard new members. She does this by increasing new memberships, scheduling and coordinating ribbon cuttings and assisting first year members in getting the most from their B/CS Chamber of Commerce experience. Peggi was formerly the President & CEO for United Way of the Brazos Valley providing oversight of fundraising, community impact programs and overall operations. Prior to her role as President & CEO, she was Vice President Community Impact responsible for all programmatic work and management of program staff at United Way of the Brazos Valley. Before becoming involved in nonprofit work, Peggi spent three years as the District Manager of a staffing agency in Bryan / College Station.  She also devoted twelve years of her career to the insurance and employee benefits field working in a Fortune 50 company.  Peggi has been an active volunteer in the Brazos Valley as an Ambassador with the Bryan / College Station Chamber of Commerce, is on the board of Thanksgiving in the Brazos Valley, Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center, NAMI-BV, Brazos Valley Live Music Association, and served as a Loaned Executive for United Way of the Brazos Valley prior to joining the organization. Peggi has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Texas at Dallas. 

Marianne Henry, has toured extensively as a founding member of the Marian Anderson String Quartet. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Ms. Henry holds a Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in violin performance, from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. She received a second Master’s degree in Chamber Music Performance at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Ms. Henry is a devoted teacher of violin and chamber music as well as performer. She has served on the faculties of the Harlem School of the Arts in New York City, New York City College, California State University, Los Angeles, Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M University and Blinn College. Her students have won spots to participate in the Texas All- State Orchestras, summer programs at Interlochen Center for the Arts, Tanglewood Institute, Brevard Summer Institute, Heitz PEG Institute, and the Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall programs. She was also recognized by the American Protégé International Concerto Competition 2022 “For the extraordinary dedication and achievement in the field of teaching music and presenting students to perform at Carnegie Hall.” As first violinist and in recognition of the quartet's accomplishments, the Congress on Racial Equality awarded the Marian Anderson String Quartet the 2006 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Excellence in Arts and Culture; in 2008, the Quartet received Chamber Music America’s coveted Guarneri String Quartet Award; and in 2010, the Quartet received a National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpiece award. The Quartet has presented residencies, concerts, and talks at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, Brown University as the Heimark inaugural artists-in-residence at the Center for the Study for Slavery and Justice, TedxBlinnCollege in Bryan, Texas, the Quad City Arts in Iowa, Gateways Music Festival in Rochester, New York and at the 92^nd Street Y in New York City. Ms. Henry has been a soloist on KUSC Radio’s “Sundays’ at Four”, a featured soloist with the List-Glenn Festival Chamber Orchestra, the South-Central Chamber Orchestra, and the Afro American Symphony. She has been involved in a myriad of other orchestral work, which includes Phantom of the Opera, the Academy Award Orchestra, and The American Music Awards Orchestra. She has served as the concert master of the Brazos Valley Symphony and has played as a section violinist with the Colour of Music Festival’s All-Female Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, and Master’s Orchestra based in South Carolina. In 2023 she served as concertmaster of the Gateways Festival Chamber Orchestra on tour in Rochester, NY and in New York City, NY. Locally, she enjoys supporting the Brazos Civic Orchestra and playing around the BCS area at various churches and with the Brazos Valley Chorale, Texas A&M University Singing Cadets, Century Singers and Women’s Chorus. Ms. Henry also treasures spending time with her husband, (author and singer) and her 19 year old son, (virtuoso organist and pianist).

 

Texas A&M - Endowed Chair in American History

Delton Yarbrough II, DDS, FICD 38 years private practice Fort Stockton, Tx. Retired 2016.
Served as President Permian Basin District Dental Society, Chair Texas Dental Association Council on Dental Economics, Chair Texas Dental Association Community Fluoride Committee, Vice President Texas Dental Association Board of Directors, Texas Dental Association Smiles Foundation Board of Directors, Texas Mission of Mercy, Inc. Board of Directors
Currently serving on the Texas Dental Association Community Fluoride Committee, Consultant to Texas Mission of Mercy, Inc., Brazos Valley District Dental Society Board of Directors, and Texas Representative and Consultant for the American Fluoridation Society

 

Greater Brazos Partnership

Sue Owen is a communications manager for The Association of Former Students, where she writes and edits for Texas Aggie magazine and AggieNetwork.com; her stories have included the history of Silver Taps, Reveille, the Aggie Ring and Muster. Before starting with The Association in 2014, she worked in newspapers for 19 years. She is a past vice president of communications for the Brazos County A&M Club and author of “The Handbook of Texas Aggie Traditions” from the Texas A&M University Press.