BOARD of DIRECTORS
JAY
BENNETT
NCF – Twin Cities
JAY BENNETT, Chairman of the Board
Jay Bennett serves as Chairman of the Board of both The Halftime Institute and The National Christian Foundation. NCF is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with 30 national affiliates and is the world’s largest faith based provider of donor advised funds. Last year, its 20,000 donor partners contributed $1.8 billion into their funds and requested grants of $1.7 billion out to more than 26,000 non-profits. Jay serves nationally and locally in Minneapolis as the founder of NCF Twin Cities; one of NCF’s current affiliates.
Professionally, Jay practiced law and engaged in business transactions for over 35 years while also creating a private foundation to support Christian ministries in 1983. He has long battled the tension between earthly riches and True Riches and has a passion to see Halftimers move into greater intimacy with the Lord thru an ever more generous life.
Jay has been married to his wife, Sally, for 48 years. They have three married sons and 8 grandkids; all of whom live in Minneapolis.
TIM
PATTON
CEO, PATTON HOLDINGS
TIM PATTON
A resident of Ann Arbor since 1983. Tim has been married for over 30 years to his wife Shann and is the father of their six children. He is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
From 1981-1988 Tim held progressively higher management positions at McGaw Labs, the intravenous products division of American Hospital Supply, ultimately acquired by Baxter. From 1989 to 2003, Tim co-founded Health Care Solutions and grew this provider of home-based respiratory and intravenous therapies serving over 40,000 patients concurrently in seven states through 47 offices with 750 employees before the sale of the company to Lincare (LNCR-OTC). Tim has since initiated the successful start-up of four companies, primarily in the healthcare services field. He is presently the Chairman and principal shareholder of Patton Holdings, a diversified holding company with controlling interests in Jordan Reses Supply Company, a distributor of respiratory products into the Veterans Administration and U.S. Military Hospitals, Flagship Private Air, which provides private charter flights and Patton Real Estate Holdings, a developer and an investor in residential and commercial properties in Michigan, Colorado, Florida and Illinois. In 2012 Tim divested his interest in Sleep Well Centers, an operator of outpatient sleep apnea diagnostic laboratories which he founded in 2003.
Tim and his wife, Shann, are active in the Ann Arbor community where Shann is the Executive Director of Arbor Vitae Woman’s Center; which is a limited medical clinic providing ultrasound imaging, pregnancy testing, counseling and social services coordination in support of women with unplanned pregnancies who choose life.
Tim chairs the board of Holy Cross Children’s Services serving disadvantaged youth with boarding schools, foster care, and vocational training. Tim also serves on the Boards of Arbor Vitae (referenced above), Renewal Ministries-an international organization evangelizing Christianity throughout the world, and Biovigil, a firm providing infrared sensing systems to maximize hand washing compliance resulting in minimization of hospital-acquired infections. He is also a founder and board member chairing the executive and compensation committees for the Ann Arbor State Bank. Finally, Tim founded the Ann Arbor Chapter of Legatus International, an organization of Catholic business leaders.
Tim enjoys boating both in Michigan and Florida and also participates in an occasional game of high handicap golf.
MARGIE
BLANCHARD
KEN BLANCHARD COMPANIES
MARGIE BLANCHARD,
Dr. Marjorie Blanchard, known as “Margie,” has earned a reputation worldwide as a compelling motivational speaker, an accomplished management consultant and trainer, a best-selling author, and an entrepreneur.
In 1983 she was chosen Speaker of the Year by New Woman Magazine and American Express. Margie was the co-recipient, along with her husband, Dr. Ken Blanchard, of the 1991 Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Cornell University. She is a co-author of The One Minute Manager Gets Fit and Working Well: Managing for Health and High Performance. Margie is well-versed on a variety of topics and often speaks on leadership, empowerment, team building, customer service, managing change, and life planning.
As co-founder of The Ken Blanchard Companies, Margie works with her husband to develop their organization into one of the premier management consulting and training companies in the world. She heads up the Office of the Future, the research and development arena of The Ken Blanchard Companies.
Margie received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cornell University and her doctorate from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
DALE
DAWSON
BRIDGE2RWANDA
DALE DAWSON, Bridge2Rwanda
Dale Dawson is an investment banker, entrepreneur, and CPA. He is founder & CEO of Bridge2Rwanda and serves on Rwanda President Paul Kagame’s Presidential Advisory Council. Since 2002, Dale has helped launch and grow a number of businesses and social enterprises in Rwanda. He also serves on the boards of Halftime Institute and Edify and the investment committee of Diamond State Ventures.
During his first half, Dale served as Executive Vice President & Head of Investment Banking at Stephens Inc.; Partner and National Director at KPMG; and Chairman & CEO of TruckPro, an independent distributor of commercial truck parts that he sold to AutoZone. He and his wife, Judi, are University of Texas graduates and live in Little Rock, Arkansas. They have two grown children – Katherine and Jack.
CHRIS
TRAVELSTEAD
FOUNDER – T-N-T ENGINEERING, INC.
CHRIS TRAVELSTEAD, FOUNDING PARTNER, T-N-T ENGINEERING, INC.
Chris resides in Westlake, Texas with her husband of 39 years, DeWayne Travelstead. They have two sons and two daughters-in-law along with several semi-adopted children. Chris and DeWayne graduated alongside each other in 1981 in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University. She is a Texas Registered Professional Petroleum Engineer.
Professional Career:
From 1981-82 Chris worked as a drilling and production engineer for Amoco Production Company. From 1982-86 she worked in drilling, production, and reservoir for Galaxy Oil Company. She was responsible for design and implementation of some of the initial high volume, high concentration fracture treatment designs that have made production from tight formations possible today. In 1987, Chris formed Texaust with a former client from Australia. They partnered with Bridge Oil Inc. of Australia as BridgeTex Oil to purchase proven producing oil and gas leases in the U.S. Their success resulted in Bridge Oil developing Bridge Oil USA, Inc. Chris sold out of the partnership in 1991 to form T-N-T Engineering, Inc. with her husband. From 1991-96 they were semi-retired while their children were young. In 1996 they formed a partnership with an Australian Oil Company that grew T-N-T Engineering, Inc. into a multistate operator with more than 1500 wells. Their Australian partner became a premier stock on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2008. In 2009, Chris and DeWayne sold T-N-T Engineering, Inc. along with the majority of their production to their Australian partner. Chris, along with her husband, continue to invest in the oil and gas business. They have also diversified through the years investing in real estate and manufacturing.
Ministry and Charitable Involvement:
Chris has been involved in Young Life for 40+ years including serving as volunteer, counselor, board member, and chair couple. She is a sustaining member of The Junior League of Wichita Falls. She was a sponsor of the German Squadron of the Euro-Nato Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base and eventually the sponsor of the Norwegian Air Force Squadron at Sheppard for over 20 years. She was also a liaison between the U. S. and the Norwegian Air Force. Chris and DeWayne were named to the ENJJPT Hall of Fame. Chris is a private pilot with an instrument rating. She served on the boards of the Straight Street, The Episcopal School of Wichita Falls and Inheritance Adoption Agency. She was also a member of the North Texas Oil and Gas Association, the Society of Petroleum Engineers and Leadership Wichita Falls. She serves as a mentor to youth at her church and to a young Haitian man at the Gartland Youth Center in Turks and Caicos. She currently serves on the Gene Conley Foundation and is involved with First Liberty, Mission of Hope Haiti and The Gatehouse. Chris currently attends Watermark Church in Dallas, Texas, a neighborhood women’s bible study and teaches a couple’s bible study in their home.
JOHN
LEFFIN
LEFFIN FAMILY FOUNDATION
John Leffin, LEFFIN FAMILY FOUNDATION
During his 21-year consulting career with Accenture, John Leffin held a number of global and U.S. leadership positions in the change management and human performance practices. He was also the lead partner on a number of large multi-billion dollar global accounts. John was a founding member of the Accenture Leadership Center in the School of Business at the University of Wisconsin where he serves on the Governance Committee and is a frequent speaker and facilitator.
John served in Haiti for 10 years and chaired the board of Mission of Hope, Haiti where his work included strategic planning and partnership development. He and his family are actively engaged together in Haiti, working on everything from major building projects to leading mission trips for young adults and business leaders.
John and Loretta are residents of Naples, Florida. They have two daughters, Krista and Melissa.
ROBERT
ALPERT
ATLAS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
ROBERT ALPERT, ATLAS CAPITAL
Robert Alpert founded Atlas in October 1995 and as General Partner and Portfolio Manager, is responsible for the investments and operations of Atlas Capital Management. Prior to founding Atlas, Robert was a portfolio manager for Luther King Capital Management ($7 BN investment advisory firm). At Luther King, he was also involved in the analysis, structuring, and financing of private transactions. Robert also gained market knowledge working for Cardinal Investment Company and PaineWebber. He holds a BA from Princeton University and an MBA from Columbia University.
Robert has been married to his wife Jean Marie since 1999. They have 3 children: Sterling (10); Hannah (8); and Alexandra (4). Robert is an active member of Watermark Community Church where he leads a community group. He is also a member of the capital committee for Providence Christian School of Texas. Robert and his wife founded a private foundation, Covenant Charities, Inc., that supports Christian –based organizations. Robert serves/has served on various private and non-profit boards.