North Texas Leaders and Executives Advocating Diversity (LEAD) got its start in 1999 when former BNSF Railway CEO Rob Krebs invited a small group of fellow chief executives to meet with Beatrice Fitzpatrick, a nationally recognized expert on diversifying corporate leadership.
Beatrice Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick was president and CEO of The BOLD Initiative, a New York-based nonprofit that worked with large organizations to diversity their leadership ranks and help them learn how best to use human capital.
Krebs’ introductory meeting attracted the highest level of Fort Worth corporate leaders, from Donald J. Carty, then-chairman and CEO of American Airlines, and H. Ross Perot Jr., founder of Alliance Airport and Hillwood, to Leonard H. Roberts, then-chairman and CEO of Radio Shack Corp., and Terry D. Stinson, former chairman and CEO of Bell Helicopter.
The meeting also drew:
- Kenneth Barr, Fort Worth mayor from 1996 to 2003
- Marvin Girouard, former Pier 1 president and CEO
- Jack Messman, former Union Pacific Resources CEO
- Wesley R. Turner, former Fort Worth Star-Telegram president and publisher
- Kari-Pekka “KP’ Wilska, former President, Nokia America
- and Tim Sear, former Alcon Laboratories chairman, president and CEO
Rob Krebs
Based on that initial gathering, leaders of eight corporations and the City of Fort Worth organized a series of meetings to explore strategies for removing barriers that were hindering diversity in executive ranks.
Soon community leaders had formed the affiliate North Texas BOLD Initiative and committed to a two-pronged Talent Search process:
- To work systematically within corporations to create inclusive systems and work environments;
- And to identify diverse management and executive talent within the community and bring those candidates to the attention of member employers.
Founding partners included:
- Alcon Laboratories
- American Airlines Corporation
- Bell Helicopter Textron
- BNSF Railway
- City of Fort Worth
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram
- Hillwood Corp.
- Nokia Corporation
- Radio Shack
Monte R. Elliott, a retired Southwestern Bell leader, served as the new affiliate’s first executive director. Gyna M. Bivens was named president and executive director in July 2006. The next year, the Fort Worth organization secured its separate nonprofit status and a Texas-based Board of Directors. The name was formally changed to North Texas LEAD in 2007.
Throughout the years, North Texas LEAD has remained committed to helping employers that embrace diversity and inclusion connect with executive talent and to preparing senior-level job seekers to compete for roles within member organizations. Over the years, hundreds of candidates have been connected with new employers, contributing to Fort Worth’s vibrant economy and workforce.
