LA County Firefighter

Sheila Kelliher Berkoh was born in Las Vegas and spent her childhood on the big island of Hawaii. At the age of 6, she and her family moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where she completed her elementary education and graduated from Westside High School. She then pursued higher education and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communications from Texas A&M University. (Class of ‘88)

In the year 2000, Sheila joined the Los Angeles County Fire Department, becoming the 15th women in the department's history to wear the badge for LA County. Over the next two decades, she worked her way up the ranks from firefighter to paramedic, eventually becoming a fire captain. Notably, she was the first female to be assigned as a truck captain.

Sheila is deeply committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive workforce. She has actively participated in various initiatives through the Department's Community Outreach, Recruitment, Diversity, and Inclusion (CORDI) Section. She has volunteered her time and talent to assist with the Explorer Program, the Girls' Fire Camp, and the recruitment and mentorship of youth from underserved communities who aspire to pursue careers in the fire service. Additionally, she played a key role in establishing the annual Women's Fire Prep academy, which has seen hundreds of women attend over the past 9 years. Sheila is also a founding member and board member of the Women's Fire League, a non-profit organization that advocates for women in the department and helps create policies and opportunities for them.

Outside of her career, Captain Kelliher is a devoted wife and mother to 13-year-old twins, Marley and Maximus. She enjoys engaging in home improvement projects, cooking, and baking. In addition to her accomplishments in her profession, she is a competitive fitness athlete with five gold medals from previous World Police & Fire Games events and a World Championship in the sport of Long Drive. Sheila also finds joy in playing pickleball, golf, and mountain biking.

Retired, former Vice President, Regional Director of Projects, Jacobs Engineering

Marcy Newman served as Vice President, Regional Director of Projects for Jacobs Engineering prior to her retirement.  She led Jacobs teams to improve project delivery, efficiency, outcomes and profitabilty across offices for Jacobs in the southern United States, Puerto Rico and Latin Americabefore retiring in 2020.  She led training and development of over 650 Project Engineers and Managers in 2018 through 2020 through a series of in person and web based training in subjects related to relationship building, project financial reviews, quality and team leadership.  Although retired, she maintains her status as a licensed Civil Engineer in Texas with over 40 years experience in the development of transportation and highway projects, operations management, project delivery and program management.  Prior to her roles as Regional Director of Projects, Marcy managed some of the largest infrastructure projects in the United States, including the I-285 Top End Express Lanes project in Atlanta, Georgia and the DFW Connector in North Texas.

She stays engaged with Texas A&M in a variety of ways and is the current Chair for the Aggie Women Engineers Network, whose mission is to create engagement opportunities for former students to connect with each other as well as current students, facilitate mentorship, encourage networking between former students and engineering colleagues, support initiatives within the Texas A&M College of Engineering and promote professional and academic recruitment to the College of Engineering.  Marcy is Board Emerita for the Aggie Women Network (Past President, multi-term Board Member), has worked with the TAMU Women in Engineering program serving to help guide San Antonio high school students to Texas A&M University and steering them to careers in math, science, and engineering.

She and her husband Ron have established the “Marcy Newman ’80 Dean’s Scholar Award at Texas A&M University”. Distributions from this endowment will provide scholarships for freshman students pursuing an undergraduate degree in the College of Engineering to help offset the cost of college tuition, fees, and books.  Marcy and Ron are also members of the Texas A&M Foundation’s Heritage Society, ensuring that their support of Texas A&M and its programs will continue for generations to come.

She is a lifelong Texas resident living in San Antonio where she enjoys volunteering for various organizations, including serving on the Lavaca Neighborhood Association Board and for San Antonio Parks & Recreation Cemetery Stewardship program, helping maintain, clean, and preserve the historic eastside cemeteries where the founders and first families of San Antonio rest.  In addition to membership in the Robert Tobin Society supporting arts and education at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, she supports the Hemisfair Conservancy, has volunteered with the San Antonio graffiti abatement program, and supports the San Antonio Food Bank.

Kathryn Greenwade '88, PHR (Posthumously)

Vice President, Communications and Human Resources
The Association of Former Students, Texas A&M University

Kathryn Greenwade ’88 served as Vice President for Communications and Human Resources for The Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University. She led The Association’s communications functions, human resources, advocacy teams, and Campus Programs, including the Aggie Ring Program. A third generation Aggie, Kathryn earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1988, a graduate certificate in leadership education theory and practice in 2019, and maintained the Professional in Human Resources Certification since 2000. Prior to joining The Association team in 1999, she led the Former Student Career Services program for the Texas A&M Career Center, and worked in the fields of marketing and training.

A former president of the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity Bryan-College Station, she gave generously of her time to the Brazos Valley Figure Skating Club, The Ronald McDonald House, and Aggieland Humane Society, among many others. She was a Fish Camp namesake in 2000 and two time outstanding academic mentor of the year during her 13 years mentoring Corps of Cadets Company C-2. She was dedicated to helping her team grow and advance, especially young women, and they described her as successful and unfailingly kind, a compassionate servant-leader with a strong moral compass, a fierce advocate, a mentor and a friend.

She supported programs across Texas A&M, sponsored numerous students to Fish Camp, hundreds of students’ first year Century Club membership, and purchased multiple Aggie Rings. The embodiment of the Aggie Core values, she made a profound impact on Texas A&M and her legacy of philanthropy will continue at Texas A&M through her Endowed Century Club fund and the J. Walton Greenwade ’30 Endowed Aggie Ring Scholarship, which she established at The Association.

Christine M. Hollinden '87
President
Hollinden Marketing Solutions, LLC

Christine Hollinden, CPSM, '87 is known for breaking barriers. Passionate about helping service-based organizations find success, her forward-thinking approach has earned her industry recognition and status as an award-winning marketing consultant and speaker. Prior to founding Hollinden in 1993, Christine's career includes running the marketing departments for the Houston offices of Grant Thornton, PWC, and KPMG. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Houston at Victoria, and Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University. Additionally, Christine holds the Certified Professional Service Marketer designation.

Christine has a few other firsts to her name. First female president of the Texas A&M MBA/MS Association, first woman to help regenerate the Aggie entrepreneurship program, first female Advisory Board member of the McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship, and the only female Board member of Aggie Angel Network. In addition, Christine helped create the Aggie 100 program, including designing its highly recognizable logo and trophy. Her business has been recognized on the Aggie 100 four times, as well as numerous other fastest-growing lists including the UH Cougar 100, Houston Fast 100, and Fastest Growing Woman-Owned Businesses. She helped form the Houston Aggie Women Networking group and was fundamental in its leadership for many years. Christine is a frequent judge for competitions such as the TAMU Engineering Showcase, Raymond Ideas Challenge, MBA Venture Challenge, Texas A&M New Ventures Challenge, and the Rice Business Plan Competition, among others.

She also serves on the Board of Directors of the 5 Buckets Foundation for financial literacy, Board of Directors of the Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation, and leads the Houston Chapter of the Alliance of M&A Advisors. In her spare time, she is an avid golfer and is the Houston chapter president of Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the oldest wine and food society in the world, and a member of the burgundy wine society, Chevalier du Tastevin.

Andrea Williams '97

Andrea Williams serves as Chief Operating Officer for the College Football Playoff (CFP). In her role, Williams is responsible for managing the national championship game and all related events, serves as liaison to the six bowl games that participate in the CFP arrangement, and manages the process for selecting sites for future championship games.

 Before joining the CFP, Williams led the Big Sky Conference as its sixth commissioner. The appointment made history in college athletics as she was the first African American woman to assume this role at a Division I NCAA conference.

Williams transitioned to the Big Sky from the Big Ten Conference, where she spent a decade as the conference's associate commissioner, handling branding and transitioning into football and basketball operations.

 Williams has received honors such as the SportsBusiness Journal “Game Changers: Women in Sports Business” award, Shadow League Award for Leadership, and the San Antonio Express-News Sportswoman of the Year.

Williams currently serves on several committees, including the John McLendon Minority Scholarship Foundation Board, Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Board, and Ohio University Alumni Advisory Board.

In addition to working for the CFP, Big Ten, and Big Sky, Williams has also served on staff with the NCAA and the Southern Conference. 

Williams competed as a two-sport athlete at Texas A&M and the first Aggie to letter in both volleyball and basketball in the same season.

Williams completed a B.A. degree in Speech Communication from Texas A&M and a Master of Sport Administration from Ohio University.

Renee Tyer-Goodwin '79 & '84

Renee Tyer-Goodwin, P.E., Texas A&M University Class of ‘79 and ’84, a teacher, an engineer and a businesswoman has an undying passion for all facets of education.   Receiving her Curriculum and Instruction undergraduate degree she taught mathematics and science in Bryan/College Station and in the Tyler area.

Returning to Texas A&M, with the encouragement and mentorship of Mr. and Mrs. Royce E. Wisenbaker, she received her undergraduate petroleum engineering degree in 1984.  Renee blazed the trail for women engineers in the 1980s, being the first woman offshore drilling engineer in the Gulf of Mexico for British Petroleum (SOHIO).  After working in offshore and onshore production, reservoir engineering, and becoming a registered professional engineer in the State of Texas she established an oil and gas corporation, TP Exploration, Inc. serving as President/CEO for over thirty years.

Coming full-circle, continuing her love for education, presently, Renee is an award-winning children’s book author, creator of GG Life Lesson Storybook Series ^® books, published by Fulton Books.  Renee’s first GG Life Lesson Storybook Series ^® book, GG Cleans House – Learning Teamwork is in the Children’s Collection in the Texas A&M University Cushing Library.  Her books are available for the Texas A&M education students to share with schools and communities during their student teaching endeavors and beyond.  Renee believes, “your education belongs to YOU, to encourage YOU, to become that special YOU, to share with others.”

Angie Stooksberry Rogers '84 received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1987 from Texas A&M University and practices at Eldorado Animal Hospital in McKinney, Texas. She currently serves as a board member of the Friends of the Texas A&M Libraries and on the Biomedical Sciences board with the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

In 2015 Angie’s son, Brandon, lost his life to a heroin overdose after many years of struggling with addiction. Since her family’s devastating loss, Angie has worked incredibly hard to help those who struggle with addiction. With the help of The Association of Former Students and generous family and friends, she established the Brandon Rogers Endowed Memorial Scholarship Fund. She advocated for the need for a collegiate recovery organization; thus, the Aggie Recovery Community was born in 2016. Angie also continues to serve on the Recovery Services Committee at Texas A&M.

Today, Angie is an avid volunteer in the local recovery community. Despite her pain, she persists, raising awareness about substance abuse and recovery through many outlets.

Rita Barrera Hernandez Ed. D '86 is a first-generation college graduate. After earning her education degree from Texas A&M University, she returned to Brownsville, Texas, where she taught middle school. Her commitment to her craft and dedication to her students earned her Teacher of the Year recognition. After succeeding as a popular teacher, high-performing principal and successful assistant superintendent, she retired from public school education after 30 years.

She currently serves as president of Cameron County Education Initiative (CCEI), a nonprofit career school committed to increasing families' earning capacity via affordable career training. She has successfully written grants aimed at providing zero-cost career training for struggling families.

She fosters relationships with university leaders to create a pipeline of students in Brownsville to Texas A&M University. Together with other local Aggies, they have sponsored countless senior trips for high school students to attend university tours and athletic events. Her dedication to her students helps create legacies for future Aggies and beyond.

Charean Williams ‘86 started her career in 1994 as a Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat reporter for the Orlando Sentinel. After six seasons, she began working for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram covering the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys. Since Charean’s first season covering the NFL, she has built an incredible career and won numerous awards. She earned a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, as the first woman to win the Dick McCann Award. In 2007, Williams became the first female member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee. She was also the first female leader of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA), serving in the position during the 2009-10 NFL seasons.

Williams, who earned the nickname “Mother Football,” was selected to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. She received the 2017 Blackie Sherrod Award from the Dallas Sports Commission for lifetime achievement covering sports in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She was inducted into Texas A&M’s Former Journalism Student Association’s Hall of Honor in 2012.

In her more than 30-year career, Williams has covered 25 Super Bowls and seven Olympic Games. She currently works as an adjunct professor at SMU and has worked for Pro Football Talk, NBC’s digital NFL site, since June 2017.

Mary Jo Prince

Mary Jo Prince ’78, a passionate traffic safety educator, joined Texas A&M’s AgriLife Extension’s Family and Consumer Health Division in 2014 and currently serves as the Brazos Valley Injury Prevention Coalition’s Program Coordinator. With her commitment to making an impact on saving lives, especially those of Texas A&M and Blinn students, she cherishes every opportunity to combine her traffic safety educator aspirations with her dedicated volunteerism for agencies that share her life-saving mission.

A veteran marketing and management professional with a timeless passion for customer service, Mary Jo has had a diverse and extensive career in marketing, promotions, and sales since receiving her communications degree from Texas A&M in 1979.  Her strong devotion to public service has found Mary Jo volunteering in leadership roles for Scotty’s House Child Advocacy Center, College Station Police Department’s Citizens Police Academy Alumni Associations and Volunteer Support Team, the Brazos County First Responders’ Association, and the College Station Noon Lions Club

In recognition of her commitment to serving the Brazos Valley, Mary Jo was recognized in 2018 as a Bryan-College Station Prenatal Clinic’s “You’re The Tops” honoree. Lastly, this year she was named one of four prestigious Bryan-College Station’s KBTX-TV’s 2020 “Jefferson Award” winners.

Randi Mays-Knapp

Randi Mays-Knapp ’79 is an entrepreneur who helps individuals develop effective social skills to interact successfully and sell themselves in professional and personal contexts. She offers her services as coach and presenter to organizations, groups, and individuals.

As a recruiting manager for Andersen Consulting’s Houston office in the 1990s, Mays-Knapp realized that technically competent employees needed better interpersonal skills. She took the initiative to create Andersen’s etiquette trainings for these professionals.

After taking a break from corporate life to raise her children, Mays-Knapp started her entrepreneurial journey in 2003. “If you are an athlete, you work with a good coach to get better. In the business world, it is the same. When teaching, the classroom is my field, and the participants are my team.”

Coach Knapp is an active presence across Texas A&M University. She currently serves on the Mays Business School Department of Marketing Advisory Council. She was the first female president of the Houston A&M Club, returning to the club in 2011 to be the first female Muster speaker. She served as a class agent for nearly two decades and as an Area Representative for the Association of Former Students. She is a past chair of The Texas A&M University System Chancellor’s Century Council, was the first woman to serve on the 12th Man Foundation’s Board of Trustees, was past chair of the Sterling Evans Library Advisory Committee, and a 2015 Fish Camp Namesake. She co-founded and ran Houston’s Howdy Club in the 1980s. She and her husband, Averyt, are members of the 12th Man Foundation Athletic Ambassadors, Texas A&M’s Legacy Society, and Chancellor’s Century Council.

When not coaching, she is a member of Community Bible study, The Woman’s Club, and chairs the stewardship committee of her church. She is a sustaining member of the Junior League, a past board president of The Prenatal Clinic of the Brazos Valley, served as PTO president for several College Station ISD schools, was an advisor for recruitment and new members in her sorority, and started both a women’s Bible study and mom/daughter service organization. Coach Knapp also was instrumental in increasing membership for the Brazos Valley Symphony by enhancing the Symphony Belle program for high school juniors and seniors. She is the founder and organizer of Brazos Valley Greeks, an organization that assists local women in marketing themselves in the sorority recruitment process. In her spare time, she is a scrapbooker, bread baker, photographer, and social organizer.

Coach Knapp earned her undergraduate degree in marketing from Texas A&M in 1979. She currently lives in College Station with her husband, Averyt Knapp ‘76. They are blessed to parent three grown daughters, Taylor, Sterling ’14, and Holland. “My life journey is a testament to the generous gifts God has entrusted to me.”