Dennis Dunkins Elementary (2024)

Resident of Tarrant County for over 40 years

Loretta Burns has served as Executive Director of a Fort Worth non-profit for 15 years. Loretta brings over 35 years of experience as an educator at the elementary, secondary, and collegiate levels. Loretta Burns is the Founder and Executive Director of AB Christian Learning Center, and has held that position since 2006. She also serves on the Executive Council of Read Fort Worth, is a member of the Alpha Sigma Chapter of the Delta Omega Society and duly enrolled in its honorary public health society, and an active volunteer in the community.

Why I support Rocketship: "I support Rocketship Public Schools in our community because it provides a quality alternative for educating low-income students, with enhanced opportunities for for students from disadvantaged families. In addition, parent engagement is one of three key pillars of Rocketship’s model. I believe that Rocketship not only supports authentic parent engagement, but also provides the infrastructure to support parent partnerships."

Resident of Fort Worth for 70 years

Walter D. Dansby brings over 41 years of experience in Education. Walter D. Dansby is also the Founder and Vice-Chair of the Advisory Board of the Young Men’s Leadership Academy in Ft. Worth, Chair of the Education Committee for the NAACP in Ft. Worth, Board Member for the Ft. Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce, Board Member for Ft. Worth Parks and Recreation, and a Board Member of the Regional Black Contractor’s Association.

Why I support Rocketship: "Children from so many disadvantaged neighborhoods are getting caught up in schools or school systems that are under-performing and are not meeting their needs. I am convinced that to educate today’s youth one must be very passionate, creative, and informed/aware of new, innovative approaches to learning. I believe Rocketship’s leadership will provide the necessary environment to offer every child a positive learning experience."

Fort Worth resident of 35 years

Peter Philpott is the board chair of Rocketship Texas and a longtime advisor in the financial sector. He serves on several non-profit boards all focused on children’s issues, including: Cook Children’s Healthcare System, ACH Child and Family Services, and Union Gospel Mission, a homeless transition shelter. He brings experience in financial management and governance to these boards, as well as Rocketship Texas.

Why I support Rocketship: "Rocketship Texas is an innovative K-5 school system that will put high-achieving students and engaged parents back into the neighboring school district after they graduate from Rocketship. This will be the first step in no longer relying on the ‘safety net’ organizations' I have been involved with for the past twenty-plus years."

Victoria is a strategy consultant and founder of Long Game Consulting. Her independent consulting firm works with executives and board members of non-profit and for-profit businesses to develop strategic plans, strengthen community connections, and build sustainable, cohesive teams.

She holds a B.S. in Broadcast Journalism from TCU and is a recent graduate of the UTA Executive MBA program.

Victoria has been recognized as the Better Business Bureau’s 25 Women to Watch. She was also the recipient of Girls Inc’s Strong, Smart, and Bold Award and the American Red Cross Volunteer Spirit award. She currently serves on the board of the McDonald YMCA and Rocketship Public Schools.

Mr. Jimenez was Vice President of Administrative Services with TXU Corp. During his successful 34 year career, he has held various management and leadership positions in Engineering, Distribution Operations, Customer Service, Human Resources and Call Center Operations before being elected Vice President. As Vice President he was responsible for Corporate Real Estate, Aviation, Right of Way, Land and Minerals, Corporate Facilities and the Transportation Operations for the corporation. He was accountable for a $50m annual operating budget and oversaw $300m in commercial real estate developments and transactions.

He led teams that were successful in acquiring TXU Corps first corporate office, maximizing the sale price of the company’s phone company and acquiring thousands of acres for the company’s mining operation and selling the company’s oil and gas well assets. In addition, he implemented programs to reduce the number of unscheduled transformer outages, he oversaw the design and construction of distribution electrical lines and feeders and the monitoring of electrical substation loads.

In addition to his corporate accomplishments, Mr. Jimenez has been extremely active in both the Fort Worth and Dallas communities. He currently serves on the Tarrant County Civil Service Commission and the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and Museum Board of Directors. He also serves on East Fort Worth Inc.'s Board of Directors as President, as a Board member of Southeast Fort Worth Inc. and was a member of Leadership ISD initial class.

He is the only person to have served as Chairman of both the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Jimenez has served as chairman of the Fort Worth Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, the City of Fort Worth’s Affordable Housing Task Force, the Osteopathic Health Foundation, and United Centers, Inc. and also served on the board of the President’s Hispanic Advisory Council of the University of Texas at Arlington.

As Chairman of the Fort Worth Housing Authority Board, he led the collaborative effort to sell the 268 unit Ripley Arnold public housing complex and leveraged the proceeds to acquire, build and renovate approximately 8000 apartments embedded in 40 complexes dispersed throughout the city. All of the Ripley Arnold residents were successfully relocated to more modern, market rate and mixed income housing developments.

Mr. Jimenez is a Past Chairman of the Leadership Dallas Alumni Association and the Downtown Dallas Improvement District Board of Directors. Moreover, he has served on the Junior League of Dallas Advisory Board and the Dallas Mayors’ Task Force on Homelessness.

Mr. Jimenez recently completed a three year term as Chairman of TAMACC, the leading Hispanic Business organization in Texas, where he formed several partnerships to help small businesses in Texas improve their opportunities.

Lifelong Fort Worth resident

Vincent brings over 20 years of experience in accounting and auditing in public, private the and nonprofit sectors. He's also a member of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Finance Committee, a Junior Achievement teacher at local high schools, and a Sunday School teacher.

Why I support Rocketship: "Rocketship Texas knows the importance of getting the parents involved and engages students and parents to offer a superior learning environment. Living and growing up in Fort Worth all my life I know the importance of a good education and being able to have great choices like Rocketship gives me pride that we are strengthening our city by investing in our Fort Worth youth.”

Resident of Fort Worth for more than 40 years

MiShon Landry brings over two decades of experience in people, program, project management and entrepreneurial expertise with a laser focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and leadership. She is CEO of Inclusive Leadership Institute certifying company created to equip participants as a catalyst for change in today’s organizational culture with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Leadership skills and global competencies & Culture Consultants, consulting arm of Inclusive Leadership Institute designed to bridge the gap between inclusion and leadership. MiShon is also Board Member for the City of North Richland Hills, Keep NRH Beautiful Commission, Alumni of LEADERSHIP ISD of Tarrant County, STEM volunteer for Black Girls Code, Organizer for 1 Million Cups NE Tarrant County, Executive Board Member for TEXAS CASA. Mishon is also a former member of the Tarrant County Food Policy, Children’s Committee, former Volunteer Lead for the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival, and served as an Advisory Board Member for Iron Dallas.

Why I support Rocketship: "I support Rocketship because I believe that children's possibilities and success should never be defined by their zip code."

Resident of Fort Worth for over 10 years

Derek brings over 10 years of experience as an attorney and is also a co-founder of Community Frontline of Fort Worth, Inc., an elder at Pillar Church, and a volunteer and supporter of various community initiatives.

Why I support Rocketship: “I support Rocketship Public Schools in our community because I believe they have an innovative model that will increase school choice and parent power, while at the same time complementing and supporting the public school system at large.”