Cathy Barker
President
Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas, President and Chief Executive Officer
Cathy Barker is an experienced Non-Profit Executive with 25 years of progressive growth in leadership of both local and national social service and mental health non-profits. She has built a distinguished 14-year record of progressive, successful leadership at Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas in her role as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Development Officer, and as of 2018, the President and Chief Executive Officer.
Cathy holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Texas A&M University. Prior to her nonprofit work, she was a Licensed Professional Counselor in both hospital and private practice settings.
She has been married for 32 years to her husband, Don and has two grown sons, Dalton and Riley.
Jill Cumnock
Secretary
Jill Cumnock joined the Ronald McDonald House Charities family in December 2010 as the Chief Executive Officer of the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas. Jill has worked in the nonprofit field her entire career. Prior to joining the team at RMHD, Jill was the Executive Director of Frisco Family Services. She has also worked for Bryan’s House as the Program Director, was a clinical therapist at Jewish Family Service, and began her career as a Milieu Therapist at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas.
Jill has a bachelor’s degree in child development and family relations from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She is a graduate of Leadership Frisco and participated in the RMHC Executive Leadership Program through the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Jill is a member of the Addison Rotary, and she serves on the Board for the Nonprofit CEO Council. Jill was the 2008 Frisco Style Magazine’s Person of the Year and has been honored as an Inspiring Woman of the Southwest by the National Council of Jewish Women. RMHD was selected in 2023 as a top 100 Longhorn run business by her Alma Mater the University of Texas
Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, Chief Executive Officer
Kathleen M. Lavalle
Membership Chair
Dallas CASA, President and Chief Executive Officer
Kathleen LaValle joined Dallas CASA as a board member in 2002 and chaired the board in 2006. Before becoming Dallas CASA’s CEO in July 2014, Kathleen practiced law for three decades, earning distinction in Chambers USA and chairing the Texas State Bar Antitrust and Business Litigation Section. Kathleen currently serves as a founding member of the North Texas Foster Care Consortium Board, the Nonprofit CEO Council, and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Partnership for Children and Families’ Community-Based Care Subcommittee. She also has served on the Dallas County Child Welfare and the Texas CASA boards. Kathleen was recognized as an SMU Dedman School of Law Distinguished Alumni in 2018 and she received the Dallas Regional Chamber’s ATHENA® Award in 2014. She received Texas Women’s Foundation’s Maura Award in 2020. Kathleen received her JD from SMU’s Dedman School of Law and her BA from the University of Notre Dame.
Under Ms. LaValle’s leadership, Dallas CASA has grown to serve more children with volunteer advocates than any of the more than 900 CASA programs nationwide. In the five-plus years since Dallas CASA has been able to accept 100% of court appointments to Dallas County child welfare cases, the agency has served more than 7,000 child victims of abuse and neglect with more than 2,700 volunteer child advocates.
Jonathan Blum
Treasurer
Holland & Knight, Partner
Jonathan Blum is a nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations attorney in Holland & Knight's Dallas office. Mr. Blum's experience includes assisting nonprofit leaders in managing their legal matters on a broad array of issues affecting charities, foundations, trade and professional associations, advocacy groups, educational organizations, and other nonprofit organizations. Mr. Blum recognizes the importance of concentrating on the key issues affecting clients and moving quickly to identify practical legal options in order for clients to stay mission-focused and make informed decisions.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Blum worked in the nonprofit practice group for a national Am Law 100 firm in Dallas, where he served as counsel and later as shareholder. He also spent nearly seven years serving as in-house counsel for tax-exempt organizations such as a national breast cancer foundation and a private family foundation. In addition, Mr. Blum served as a transactional attorney for an international law firm headquartered in New York City. He previously served as an adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law.
Mr. Blum is a frequent speaker on best practices in governance, fundraising, tax compliance, and current developments for nonprofit organizations.
In addition to his law and undergraduate degrees, Mr. Blum has completed course work at the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella in Argentina and Universidad de Carabobo in Venezuela.
Ona Foster
Programs Chair
Family Compass, Chief Executive Officer
Ona Foster, LMSW, has been the CEO of Family Compass since 2016. Ms. Foster previously directed the Supervised Visitation Initiative for the Vera Institute of Justice for six years, providing training and technical assistance for two national grant programs under the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. Prior to working for Vera, Ms. Foster spent seven years implementing and directing Faith and Liberty’s Place (FLP) Supervised Visitation Center in Dallas, Texas under The Family Place umbrella and also spent four years working in the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office in the Family Violence Unit. Prior to working at the DA’s Office, she facilitated Battering Intervention and Prevention groups and also worked for a women’s shelter.
Carla Weiland
Board Member
Camp Summit, President and Chief Executive Officer
Carla joined Camp Summit in 2003. Carla comes to Camp Summit with a varied background in Non-Profit and Camp management. She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation. She has worked with numerous camps throughout the country and serves as the Texoma Section Chair of the Local Council of Leaders for the American Camp Association (ACA). She is a 2001 graduate of the Leadership Richardson program and involved in many community organizations. Carla is inspired by our campers daily and continues to be an advocate for camping and providing services for individuals with disabilities.