Commissions and Appointees

Commissions and Appointees

Administrative Office:  Records Building - 500 Elm Street, 7th Floor, Suite 7200, Dallas, TX 75202
Office: (214) 653-6100 • Fax: (214) 653-6315
E-mail: JJ.Koch@dallascounty.org

Dallas County Public Health Advisory Committee

The PHAC is composed of citizens who review community needs in the areas of environmental health, health education and communicable diseases which have impact upon the over health of the community; provide leadership in establishing priorities for the various health issues facing Dallas, and encourage the coordination and cooperation of entities seeking to improve the health of county citizens.

D2 Appointee:

• MajGeneral Jim Williams (USMC ret)
  General Jim Williams was the Commanding General of the 4th Marine Division, appointed in 2007 until his retirement in 2010. General Williams was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and received his B.S. from Slippery Rock University in 1975 and reported to Officer Candidate School in January 1976 and received his commission in March 1976. He earned his Masters in Government and National Security Affairs from Georgetown University in 1981 and his Masters in Hospital Administration/Public Health from Yale University in 1984 and in International Security Studies from the U.S. Army War College in 2000. General Williams sits on the American Board of Disaster Medicine. He makes his home in Dallas with his wife, Dr. Maria Viera-Williams, an educator in the Richardson School District.

Dallas County Welfare Advisory Board

The DCWAB is an advisory board which provides input into the operation of the County tax funded public assistance program. Emphasis is on the presentation and monitoring of the annual public assistance budget.

D2 Appointee:

• Pending

Citizen Election Advisory Committee

The CEAC assists in the determination of election policy in the future and evaluates the performance of the Dallas County election system in major elections.

D2 Appointees:

• Larry Wainer, long time Dallas County Republican Party volunteer
• Bonnie Wells, precinct chair and election judge for 2502; former DCRP secretary

Child Welfare Board

In accordance with Section 264.005 of the Family Code, the general purpose of the DCCWB is to work with the local office and lead program director of the Texas Department of Protective and Regularity Services (CPS) to help provide coordinated state and local public welfare services for children and their families and coordinated use of federal, state, and local funds for these services.

D2 Appointees:

• Sophie Phillips
  
• Josh Northam, J.D. - Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley and Norton, LLP
  Josh’s practice focuses primarily on family law and domestic litigation, though his practice is anchored by extensive civil litigation experience representing a variety of small and mid-sized businesses.
  
  Josh has also served since July 2009 as a part-time magistrate for the Dallas County Truancy Courts.In recognition of his work in family law, Josh has been named to the “Texas Rising Stars” list, a Thomson Reuters service, in family law from 2014 to 2015. He also was named to the “Best Lawyers” in America list, by BL Rankings, in family law for 2019. (from Shackelford firm site)
  
  Josh and his wife, Tricia, a marketing executive, have two girls and live in Lake Highlands.

Dallas County Historical Commission

The DCHC coordinates county surveys of historic resources and approves applications for official Texas Historical Markers in Dallas County. Other areas of involvement are: working with county government in the preservation and restoration of historic county buildings, sponsoring workshops and special informative meetings and recording Dallas County’s history through publications, oral history and videos interviews.

D2 Appointees:

• Elizabeth Gunby
  
• Jim Gaspard
  Jim Gaspard became one of the Dallas County Historical Commission’s newest members when he was appointed to the Commission this year. An East Dallas resident for over forty years, Jim professes that he hasn’t really done anything out of the ordinary, but his resume says something much different: a high school classmate of Janis Joplin, someone who has twice sailed around the world with the U.S. Navy, the creator of the Texas Tech mascot “Raider Red,” and a member of the team at Texas Instruments that introduced the first handheld calculator to the world. (from the DCHC Chronicle, April 2019) Jim is a retired Senior VP for Behringer Harvard and lives in the M-Streets with his wife, Dinah.
• Rose-Mary Rumbley, Ph.D.
  Dr. Rose-Mary Rumbley, a popular Dallas historian, public speaker, author, humorist and actress was appointed to the Dallas County Historical Commission by Commissioner Koch in early 2021. Dr. Rumbley has written over seven books on Dallas history with several in multiple printings. Dr. Rumbley speaks to over 300 groups and conventions every year. . Her knowledge of the history of Dallas is deep, far and wide. Dr. Rumbley was born in Dallas and grew up above the bakery her parents owned and operated between Main and Elm on a cross street now enclosed. She remembers sitting on the steps of the Old Red Courthouse with her mother singing.
  

Dallas County Historical Foundation

The DCHF’s purpose is to establish, support maintain manage and operate a historical exhibit on the Sixth Floor of the Dallas County Administration building, former the Texas School Book Depository. The Foundation is also authorized to solicit contributions toward this charitable historical and educational purpose.

D2 Appointee:

• Pending

Dallas County Hospital District PARKLAND Board of Managers

The Dallas County Hospital District PARKLAND Board of Managers is charged with the responsibility of providing hospital and medical services to the indigent residents of Dallas County. This policy making board is also charged with submitting an annual budget to the Dallas County Commissioners Court for their review and approval.

D2 Appointees:

• Lisa Sutter
  Lisa Sutter is a former Carrollton City Councilwoman and was appointed to the Parkland Board of Managers in February of 2020 by Commissioner Koch. Councilwoman Sutter works for McKesson Corporation where she is a Senior Stock Plan Administrator managing National and International stock plans. She was first elected to the Carrollton City Council in 2009 and re-elected in 2012. She served as both Deputy Mayor Pro-Tem and Mayor Pro Tem. She chaired the Audit/Finance Committee, the Judicial Committee and served on the Transit Orient Development Committee (TOD), member of the Trinity River Central Regional Wastewater System Advisory Committee, member of the Environmental Distinction Awards Committee and liaison to the Capital Improvements Project Advisory Commission. In addition to her city council work, Councilwoman Sutter has served as an Executive Board Member of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Soccer Association for more than 20 years. She has also served as a Board Member for the Metrocrest Hospital Authority. Councilwoman Sutter is married to Carrollton City Councilman John Sutter and they have two daughters, three grandchildren and one great granddaughter. She is a native Texan and has lived in Carrollton since 1978.
• Todd Furniss
  Mr. Furniss has lived in Dallas for over 30 years, and has worked as a corporate attorney, in a variety of capacities for EDS, and as the President of The Everest Group. Additionally, he has created and led private equity firms for the last 12 years. He is a member of the Young Presidents Organization, serves on the Board of the Denison Ministries and supports several local and national charities. Mr. Furniss received a BA in Political Science from Old Dominion University and his law degree from George Mason University School of Law.

North Central Texas Health Facilities Development Corporation Board of Directors

The purpose of the NCTHFDC is to provide a financing vehicle for hospitals and other healthcare facilities to enable them to obtain tax exempt financing.   In order for Corporation bonds to be tax exempt, they must be sponsored by a governmental entity, in this case, Dallas County.   The corporation has issued dozens of bonds for healthcare facilities over the years. and so long as the bonds are outstanding the NCTHFDC needs to maintain its existence.

The Board's primary purpose is to approve/ issue bonds for Healthcare Facilities.    The purpose of the board is to facilitate the development of primary health care equipment and property in order to improve the general quality of care available to Dallas County citizens. 

D2 Appointee:

• Todd Furniss
  Mr. Furniss has lived in Dallas for over 30 years, and has worked as a corporate attorney, in a variety of capacities for EDS, and as the President of The Everest Group. Additionally, he has created and led private equity firms for the last 12 years. He is a member of the Young Presidents Organization, serves on the Board of the Denison Ministries and supports several local and national charities. Mr. Furniss received a BA in Political Science from Old Dominion University and his law degree from George Mason University School of Law.

Dallas County Trail and Preserve Program Board

An eleven-member Trail and Preserve Program Board assists the County with the operations of its trail program and open space program. This advisory board recommends to the Commissioners Court which projects the County should pursue; it proposes possible policy changes, funding priorities, and program goals; and it works to increase the public's awareness of the County's open space and trail systems.

D2 Appointees: 

• Rick Perdue
  Rick serves as President of Rosewood Property Company. Prior to joining RPC, he was Senior Managing Director at Mill Creek Residential LLC, a leading national multifamily investor, builder, and operator. He spent 17 years with Dallas-based Tonti Properties, more than half of which as head of Development and Acquisitions. Mr. Perdue has overseen the development, acquisition, disposition, and conversion of several thousand apartment homes representing a notional value of over one billion dollars. Mr. Perdue received a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Auburn University and an MBA in Finance from Tulane University. He is also a CFA charterholder and is a licensed real estate broker in the State of Texas. Mr. Perdue is a Board Member of The Real Estate Council of Dallas (TREC) where is has served as Chairman of the Associate Leadership Council (ALC) program as well as FightNight, the premiere fundraising event in Dallas real estate. He is also a charter member of the North Texas Multi-Family Product Council through ULI.  Mr. Perdue is also a founding Board Member of the Circuit Trail Conservancy, an organization tasked with connecting the Dallas trail system.
• Rick Kopf
  Rick Kopf is a founding partner of the Texas-based law firm Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. Since the Firm was established in 1985, he has held a variety of leadership positions, including Managing Partner, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Vice Chairman, and Real Estate Section Head, and served as a member of the Firm’s Compensation Committee for more than 15 years.
  
  In his practice, Rick focuses on the representation of entrepreneurial real estate investors, including acquisition, development, construction, financing, leasing and sale transactions of all types of income and non-income producing real estate property. This representation has a strong emphasis on the lodging and resort industries, comprising the acquisition and development of mixed-use projects, hotels, condominiums and golf course properties.
  
  He also has extensive experience in the structuring of transactions and the preparation, review and negotiation of contracts, management and operating agreements, partnership agreements, leases, and conveyancing and financing documentation. The diversity of Rick’s practice gives him the ability to see all sides of a transaction and to anticipate and deal with potential issues and problems that may be raised by opposing counsel.

Dallas Metrocare Board

Metrocare is governed by a nine-member Board of Trustees appointed by the Dallas County Commissioners Court. The Board meets the fourth Thursday of each month and provides governance to the Chief Executive Officer on decisions that affect the delivery of behavioral healthcare services through Dallas County.

D2 Appointee:

• Jaime Walkowaik