Texas Women’s Foundation has named Renda Mathew, Truist’s Dallas market president, as chair-elect of its board of directors. Mathew takes over as board chair July 1, 2027, for a two-year term running through June 30, 2029. She succeeds Cris Zertuche Wong, who continues as board chair through June 30, 2027.
“I’m honored to serve as Board Chair-Elect during such a pivotal time for Texas women, their families, and their futures,” Mathew said in a statement, “and I look forward to working alongside the Foundation’s incredible Board and staff to build #StrongWomenBetterTexas and a strong and vibrant Texas for all.”
Foundation President and CEO Karen Hughes White credited the board’s leadership and support in the announcement.
“With their guidance, Texas Women’s Foundation has embarked on a new, three-year strategic plan that centers our research as a core competency that informs our grantmaking and advocacy work, as well as our investments in education, leadership training, and workforce development,” Hughes White said. “The plan also calls for increased collaboration with grantees and funders to drive measurable, systemic change and scalable impact.”
Board leadership
As chair-elect, Mathew will serve on the foundation’s executive committee alongside Wong and Hughes White. The committee also includes board secretary Jana Etheridge, senior vice president and chief of staff at Capital One; finance committee chair Lisette Mendez, vice president of finance and Latin America controller at AT&T; governance committee chair Aracely Muñoz, director of corporate partnerships at Children’s Health; Hattie Hill, CEO of Hattie Hill Enterprises; and Holly Tucker, a partner at Deloitte Risk & Financial Advisory.
The foundation also added three board directors: Laura Baldwin, executive vice president at WBR Partners; Ashleigh Everett, senior vice president and general counsel at Hunt Oil Company; and Julie Knecht, the newly named chief financial officer at Texas Instruments. Knecht, who joined the Dallas chipmaker in 1999, became its CFO on Aug. 1, succeeding the retiring Rafael Lizardi.
About Texas Women’s Foundation
Texas Women’s Foundation raises funds from individuals, foundations and corporations to help remove barriers to women’s economic security, stability and success.
Each year, the organization invests nearly $5 million in grants, targeted research and advocacy and leadership programs. Since it began in 1985, the foundation has invested nearly $90 million in grants to support Texas women, their families and their futures, and another $25 million in research, advocacy and educational programs — a total of $115 million over 40 years.
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