Board Members
BOARD MEMBERS
DEBRA CAUDY, M.D.
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
DEBRA CAUDY, M.D.
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Dr. Caudy, originally from upstate New York, came to Dallas in 1982 for training at UT Southwestern Medical School in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology. After a successful career with Texas Oncology, she returned to UT Southwestern Medical School where she specialized in the treatment of breast cancer. Debra ultimately retired from the practice of medical oncology. She accepted the challenge of immersing herself in the process of connecting her son with ASD to the best technologies and people to support his growth, including direct teaching in a home-based therapy and educational program.
Dr. Caudy also worked with the President of UT Southwestern Medical School, Dr. Kern Wildenthal, to raise money for the successful establishment of the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities (CADD) at Southwestern. CADD is a multidisciplinary resource center and clinic specializing in the clinical challenges of ASD diagnosis, medical treatment, and behavioral management.
DOUGLAS J. BARTEK
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
DOUGLAS J. BARTEK
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Douglas J. Bartek is a native of Temple, Texas residing with his wife, Jodi, in Frisco. They have 3 sons, ages 20 to 26. The youngest, Ryan, is on the autism spectrum and will be a resident of 29 Acres in the future. Doug is a seasoned and recognized technology industry leader with over 40 years of high tech company experience. He is currently CEO, President, and Co-Founder of Tango Networks. Doug was also the founder, CEO and chairman of Microtune, a firm that he took public (NASDAQ) during his tenure. Doug was a division president at Cirrus Logic, was president and CEO of Acumos, and also held key leadership positions at VLSI Technology, Motorola, and Honeywell. During his career, he has been the principal person responsible for over 25 successful sales, acquisitions, mergers, and financings of high tech business entities, and also holds several patents. Doug is a past chairman of the Texas Council of the American Electronics Association. He has been recognized as an E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year award winner, is an NRCC Businessman of the Year recipient, and has won the Metroplex Technology Business Council Tech Titans Emerging Company CEO of the Year award. He is involved in his community as a Trustee for his church and is a founding member and past President of Star Children’s Charity. Doug graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BSEE (Electrical Engineering) from the University of Texas at Austin, and has both an MS in Engineering/Computer Science and an MBA from Arizona State University.
ROBIN HIBBITTS
SECRETARY
ROBIN HIBBITTS
SECRETARY
Robin Landreth Hibbitts is the mother of two children, daughter Lauren and son “Tug”, a resident at 29 Acres. Originally from Midland, Robin has lived in Dallas for the last 25 years after graduating from Baylor University. She worked with the Crystal Charity Ball assisting the membership with fundraising efforts and publications and currently works at Brown Ruth Advisors as their Office Manager.
PETER YEEDA
TREASURER
PETER YEEDA
TREASURER
Peter and his wife Prathima and their three children live in Frisco, Texas. Their son Jayden, a student in Frisco ISD. is on the autism spectrum. Peter is an audit and assurance services professional and currently a Managing Director with Baker Tilly US, LLP, and has been with the firm since 2009. Peter holds an MS in Accounting from the University of North Texas and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Texas
CARL SODERSTROM
CARL SODERSTROM
Mr. Soderstrom is a founding partner of Green Park & Golf Ventures, an early stage venture capital investment company. He is a member of the board of directors of Caddis Partners, a Dallas based healthcare real estate investment firm. Additionally he serves on the Board of Dallas-based PerioSciences. Finally, and most recently, Mr. Soderstrom co-founded Dallas based Health Wildcatters, a healthcare focused accelerator. Mr. Soderstrom served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of PhyServe Physician Services, Inc. for 14 years before joining THPG, and has 23 years of experience in physician practice management. Prior to joining PhyServe, he was Chief Operating Officer for Metroplex Emergency Physicians for two years, a company that ultimately spun off the initial practices that became the first clients of PhyServe. Mr. Soderstrom lead the effort to sell that medical group to EmCare in 1998. From 1989- 1996, he worked for Coastal Healthcare Group, Inc. in North Carolina, helping to grow the company to $750M and become one of the first physician practice management companies to go public in 1992. Mr. Soderstrom served as Chief Operating Officer of the $500M Emergency Services Division until 1996. Mr. Soderstrom attended Illinois State University where he received his B.A. in business, and received his MBA from The University of Notre Dame in 1988. He was recognized as a finalist in 2010 for Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” in the Southwest Region of the United States. Carl sits on the Board of Directors for Caddis, Nasseo, Periosciences, Health Wildcatters, and Cancer Gene Connect. Most recently, Carl joined the board not for profit 29 Acres, an adult autism community.JOHN GENTRY
JOHN GENTRY
John Gentry and his wife, Shary, first came to Texas in 1991 and have resided in Coppell since 2004. They have two children, Ali and Mark. Mark is on the autism spectrum and is a future 29 Acres resident.
John is a global corporate finance executive with more than 25 years of experience. Since 1996, John has been with Exxon Mobil Corporation and served in a wide variety of financial and commercial roles in Dallas, Houston and London. He is currently a Vice President of ExxonMobil Risk Management, Inc. with responsibility for the corporation’s property and casualty insurance programs as well as its captive insurance company. John received a BA in economics from The College of William and Mary in 1991 and an MBA from Duke University in 1996.
RICK PREWITT
RICK PREWITT
Rick Prewitt joined the 29 Acres Board of Directors in November of 2019 after learning of the group through his own personal experience working with an autistic child. He brings close to 20 years of Corporate Finance experience to the team and a wealth of contacts in North Texas and across the country. He currently serves as a Senior Vice President in Dallas, TX for the commercial banking division of Hillcrest Bank. Rick attended the University of Virginia where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 1994 and The College of William & Mary where he earned a Masters of Business Administration in 1999. He lives in Dallas and has two children.
LAURA SCHIEBER
LAURA SCHIEBER
Laura Schieber, is the owner and founder of Vivanti Group, a marketing agency based in Dallas. She has experience in marketing services including healthcare, consulting, construction, entertainment, retail and commercial real estate. Laura is also the mother of three teenagers, one who has autism. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for 29 Acres, she is a board member for Park Cities Learning Differences Association and serves on the Special Education Parent Advocacy Committee for Highland Park School District. She has also served on the Program Committee and Central Committee for Belong Disability Ministry at Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas. Laura holds her MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Bachelor of Journalism degree from The University of Missouri.JOHN FOLEY
JOHN FOLEY
John Foley and his wife Jennifer have a 14 year old son on the autism spectrum. They have been very involved in the autism community in Dallas. Originally from upstate New York John escaped the “Great White North” and relocated to Dallas in 1989. John is a global human resources executive with more than 30 years of experience in the high-tech, manufacturing and distribution industries. He is currently the Vice President of Human Resources for Builders FirstSource (BFS) in Dallas Texas. BFS is the largest supplier of lumber and building materials to the residential housing market in the US. John has held previous human resources leadership roles with Austin Industries, Maxim Integrated Products and Dallas Semiconductor Corporation.
John received his undergraduate degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University in 1985 and an Executive M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University in 2003.
MITCHELL BASSON
RBC CAPITAL MARKETS FINANCIAL ADVISOR
MITCHELL BASSON
RBC CAPITAL MARKETS FINANCIAL ADVISOR
Mitchell Basson is a professional in the financial services industry in institutional credit sales. He has been with the Royal Bank of Canada since 2010 and was previously with Bear Sterns (1985-2008). He has been married to Ingrid for 23 years and they have two children. Their younger son Sam (17) is on the autism spectrum and the other Ben (19) is a student at TCU. Mitch served on the board of HAVE DREAMS a not for profit in the Chicagoland area that works with children and their families on the autism spectrum.NIKA ARASTOUPOUR
ROGERS HEALY REALTOR
NIKA ARASTOUPOUR
ROGERS HEALY REALTOR
Nika Arastoupour has called the Dallas area home for more than 25 years. Although she’s a Texan at heart now, she spent her early life abroad; Persian originally and growing up in Germany until her family settled in Dallas where she went to JJ Pearce High School. She graduated from SMU and spent 10 years in the advertising industry, including a year spent working in New York City.Nika’s passion for helping others – and her desire to start a family in her adopted hometown of Dallas – soon led her into real estate. Named Best of D magazine for several years now, she loves helping families touched by autism like hers the most.
When she’s not helping her clients or spending time with her husband and their two sons, Nika enjoys giving back to the autism community. She has been featured many times for her philanthropy work in her community and has been recognized for the deep foundations she has set. Nika also enjoys traveling, entertaining and spending time with her large extended family.
BRIGITTE FOX, M.D.
BRIGITTE FOX, M.D.
Dr. Fox is originally from Houston Texas and moved to Dallas in 2011. She is an internal medicine physician specializing in preventative medicine. She is the mother of two children, daughter Olivia and son Leonard, who has an intellectual disability. Brigitte retired from medicine in 2008 to dedicate her time to the care and development of her son. Brigitte first joined the 29 Acres Board in July of 2021 and has served on the SEPAC (Special Education Advisory Committee) Board of Highland Park High School from 2016-2021.JEREMY B. PETTIT
JEREMY B. PETTIT
Jeremy and his wife, Michelle, have lived in Forney. They have four children, the oldest of whom, Soren, is on the autism spectrum.
Following a ten year career at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Jeremy received his Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law in 2014. He is currently an attorney with Sidley Austin LLP in Dallas, where he advises companies on mergers, acquisitions and corporate governance, with a particular emphasis on energy and infrastructure companies.