At this year’s Second Annual Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament hosted by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the Ruth Sharp Altshuler Tocqueville Society, finance, accounting and corporate leaders from across North Texas gathered to ante up in a friendly competition to support our mission to improve access to education, income and health. 

The Texas Hold ‘Em event was held Oct. 21 at the Arts District Mansion and sponsored by FTI Consulting, Grant Thornton, Charles Schwab, EY, Comerica Bank, Deloitte, KPMG and PwC. This year’s event was a fun-filled opportunity to encourage membership in the United Way Tocqueville Society while also celebrating the group’s incredible collective impact during United Way’s Centennial Anniversary year.  

An Evening of Fun, Fellowship and Impact 

The evening included plenty of friendly competition, networking, food and drinks—all in the name of giving back to the community. Throughout our Centennial year, Tocqueville Society members have gone “all in” for United Way’s mission, dedicating their time and resources to enable us to change more than 1.7 million lives in the last year alone.  

As the event co-chairs explained during their welcome remarks, becoming a Tocqueville member makes a powerful impact on our community, while also creating a shared sense of purpose and community. 

“What a great turnout of business leaders going all in for a good cause: supporting United Way and, of course, some friendly competition,” said Jim Herzog, senior executive vice president and chief financial officer of Comerica Bank. “I’d like to thank all the CFOs, finance professionals and business leaders who came out to play tonight. You’re not only having fun, but you’re helping make a lasting impact in our community. For me, I believe in United Way, the mission and the impact, and I’ve been a Tocqueville donor for several years now. You really have the opportunity to see the far-reaching impact of United Way’s service, serving nearly 2 million North Texans last year.”  

“I have the privilege of … seeing the impact firsthand, as well as the rigor behind the scenes, the data and metrics United Way uses to evaluate all of their community initiatives. I know as a Tocqueville donor, my donation is going where it is needed most, and being put to the best possible use,” said Christy Jacoby, senior vice president and chief financial officer of PepsiCo Foods North America.  

By the end of the night, United Way’s recruitment efforts secured 24 Tocqueville members with several additional considering adding their name to the list. 

The evening also included plenty of friendly competition, with everyone vying to come out on top. Congratulations to the big winners of the night:  

• 1st Place: Katie Marshall, PNC  

• 2nd Place: Emma Haugh, PepsiCo  

• 3rd Place: Rafael Lizardi, Texas Instruments  

Thank you to everyone who attended this fun-filled event, and a big welcome to all our newest Tocqueville members. 

The Tocqueville Society’s Impact Continues to Grow 

The North Texas chapter of the Tocqueville Society was founded in 1986 by the late Ruth Sharp Altshuler—a longtime Dallas philanthropist and community volunteer—and includes the most committed and generous supporters of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. 

The United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Ruth Sharp Altshuler Tocqueville Society recognizes a select group of change-makers with an unsurpassed dedication to achieving lasting results in our community. The Tocqueville Society comprises civic and business leaders whose vision for North Texas is matched only by their generosity. Members enjoy exclusive Tocqueville events, advocacy and volunteer opportunities, family engagement and more. 

To learn more about joining the Ruth Sharp Altshuler Tocqueville Society, please click here. 

Click here to view our photo album from the event. 

Community Leaders Unite to Create Meaningful Change 

The event was packed with some of North Texas’ most dedicated change-makers. A special thanks to the co-chairs of the Tocqueville Society, Erin Nealy Cox, former U.S. attorney for the Northern District and now partner at Kirkland & Ellis; and her husband, Trey Cox, co-managing partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Thank you to our co-chairs of the Texas Hold ‘Em event, which included some of North Texas’ most recognizable names in finance and operations: Rafael Lizardi, senior vice president and chief financial officer, Texas Instruments; Jim Herzog, senior executive vice president and chief financial officer, Comerica Bank; and Christy Jacoby, senior vice president and chief financial officer, PepsiCo Foods North America.  

Thank you to the evening’s all-star host committee, which included many of our region’s leading finance and operations professionals: 

• Mandy Austin– Vista Bank, President, Corporate Banking 

• Guy Bader – Hilti North America Chief Financial Officer & Senior Vice President of Finance  

• Karl Bovee – Bank of America Managing Director; Southwest Region  

• Kevin Bullock – Ben E. Keith Company, Chief Financial Officer 

• Lawrence Chu – Jeffries, Vice-Chairman  

• Deb Gibbins – Mary Kay, Chief Financial Officer  

• Pascal Desroches – AT&T, Chief Financial Officer  

• Chuck Kyrish – Celanese, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer  

• Tim Ingle – Toyota, Group Vice President Enterprise Strategy & Chief Financial Officer 

• Stacey Doré – Vistra Corp., Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer 

• Andy Rabin – J.P. Morgan, Vice Chairman of Investment Banking 

• Mark Wade – Bank of Texas Chief Executive Officer  

• Dotti Reeder – Northern Trust Wealth Management 

• Paul Woolway – Charles Schwab Bank, Chief Banking Officer 

And finally, thank you to the event’s Advisory Committee, who helped make the evening an incredible success: 

• Cecily Small Gooch – FTI Consulting, Managing Director, Client Services 

• Dan Berner – Deloitte, Managing Partner, North Texas 

• Rob Baldwin – PwC, Dallas Office, Managing Partner 

• Nichole Jordan – Grant Thornton LLP, Regional Managing Principal, Texoma  

• Kim Kesler – KPMG Dallas Office, Managing Partner 

• Elaina Mulé – Charles Schwab Bank, Director Community Development Group 

• Mike Noel – Accenture Managing Partner  

• Michelle Vopni – EY Dallas Office, Managing Partner 

Thank you to our organizers and attendees for making this year’s Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament a success. Most importantly, thank you for being part of United Way’s mission to ensure all North Texans have the opportunity to thrive. 

Join Us for Our Centennial Celebration and Concert 

Don’t miss the once-in-a-lifetime culmination of our Centennial Anniversary year! On Saturday, November 15 we’ll mark our first century of changing lives—and kick off our next 100 years of impact—with our Centennial Celebration presented by PepsiCo featuring a landmark concert with global icon, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and philanthropist Janet Jackson and country superstar Blake Shelton! 

This unforgettable day includes three exclusive, once-in-a-century celebrations:  

• Taste United Food and Wine Festival powered by Vistra (3–7 p.m.) at Fair Park’s Centennial Building with North Texas chefs and curated sips and pairings  

• Patron Dinner presented by Kimberly-Clark (5 p.m.) at Fair Park’s Automobile Building, featuring special entertainment and dinner  

• The finale Concert presented by PepsiCo (7:30 p.m.) at Cotton Bowl Stadium, featuring performances by global icon, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee and philanthropist Janet Jackson and country superstar Blake Shelton 

Click below to be part of the celebration with Janet, Blake and the rest of the unstoppable Live United movement!   

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