Former Texas State Senator; Partner, Shapiro Linn Strategic Consulting
The Honorable Florence Shapiro is an education pioneer who brings vast experience to CFT's board. From 1993 to 2013, Florence served as a Texas state senator. In 2003, she became chair of the Senate Education Committee. She swiftly moved to pass legislation overhauling the state’s school finance system while improving accountability and creating excellence in the classroom. Under her leadership, Texas was the first state to create college and career readiness curriculum standards. And Florence played an instrumental role in getting CFT's Educate Texas (formerly known as the Texas High School Project) off the ground. A former small business owner, her journey into Texas politics began two decades earlier and many miles from the Texas Capitol. As a former public school teacher, she first entered elective office as a Plano City Council member. Following six terms on the council, she was elected mayor of Plano. Today, Florence is a partner at Shapiro Linn Strategic Consulting, where she serves as a public policy consultant specializing in education. Florence holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the University of Texas at Austin. She and her husband, Howard, live in Plano. They have three children and 12 grandchildren. “Being involved with Communities Foundation of Texas allows me to instill a philanthropic spirit that will be passed down to my children and grandchildren. I am honored to be a member of a community-based group of trustees whose vision makes Texas better every day.” — Florence Shapiro
Community Leadership / Board ServiceFlorence’s consistent leadership has earned her glowing praise and a bevy of honors. She has been honored in her community and statewide for outstanding contributions to education, transportation and her work to improve the lives of children across Texas. Florence serves on many community boards and brings the perspective of the legislature to the boardroom. She chairs the board of the Dallas Holocaust Museum and the advisory board of Tex Protects, a statewide organization the advocates to protect children from abuse and neglect. She sits on the boards of UT Southwestern Medical Center, Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at the University of Texas, Children’s Medical Center and Collin County Business Alliance. Upon her retirement from the Texas Senate, the city named the city council chambers in Plano the Senator Florence Shapiro Council Chambers.
President & CEO
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Executive Director, Educate Texas
Chief Philanthropy Officer
Chief Relationship Officer
Chief Giving Day Officer
Managing Director, Educate Texas
Director, North Texas Giving Day & Gift Processing/Constituent Records
Associate, Programs, Educate Texas
Deputy Director, Policy, Educate Texas
Business Analyst
Associate, Insights & Analytics, Educate Texas
Executive Assistant to the President/CEO and CFO
Director of Charitable Giving, Collin County
Administrative Assistant, Facilities/IT
Marketing & Communications Associate, Educate Texas
Senior Director, Philanthropy
Facilities and Events Manager
Donor Relations Officer
Coordinator
Project Associate, Development, Educate Texas
Staff Accountant
Deputy Director, Programs, Best In Class, Educate Texas
Relationships Events Manager
Community Philanthropy Director
Business Engagement Director, CFT for Business
Deputy Director, Development, Educate Texas
Deputy Director, RGV FOCUS, Educate Texas
Donor Engagement Officer
Chief Investment Officer
Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium
Manager, Gift Processing and Constituent Records
Project Assistant
Executive Assistant, Relationships
Chief Information Officer
Director, Programs, Educate Texas
Senior Director, Property and Facilities
Community Philanthropy Officer
Senior Director of Marketing & Communications
North Texas Giving Day Coordinator
Managing Director, Finance and Administration, Educate Texas
Director of Sponsorships and Nonprofit Relations
Investment Officer
Deputy Director, Programs, Educate Texas
Senior Officer, Donor Engagement
Director, Marketing, Educate Texas
Senior Director of Administration and Corporate Secretary
Director of Charitable Gift Planning
Associate, Best In Class, Educate Texas
Nonprofit Relations Associate
Administrative Assistant
Scholarships Associate
Senior Director, Insights and Analytics, Educate Texas
Palacios Area Fund Coordinator
Disbursement Administrator
Strategic Initiatives Officer
Director of Donor Services
Front Desk Coordinator
Grants Administrator
Advisor Relations Officer
Finance Assistant, Educate Texas
Community Engagement Officer
Senior Coordinator, Gift Processing and Constituent Records
Senior Director of Donor Relations & Fund Administration
Marketing Manager
Investments Administrator
Deputy Director, Finance, Educate Texas
Senior Accounts Payable Administrator
Human Resources Director
Community Impact Specialist
Senior Director, Programs, Educate Texas
HR Administrative Assistant
North Texas Giving Day Data Administration Specialist
Director of Accounting
Deputy Director, Strategy, Educate Texas
Sr. Officer, Community Philanthropy
Executive Assistant, Educate Texas
Philanthropy Associate
Vice President, Accounting
Philanthropy Operations Manager
Manager, Employee Engagement
Program Assistant, Educate Texas
Deputy Director, College and Career Readiness, Educate Texas
Director, Texas College Access Network, Educate Texas
Human Resources Manager
Board Chair; Manager, Trinity Summits, LLC
Board Vice Chair; President & CEO, Lyco Holdings, Inc.
Board Chair-Elect; Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
President, Brennan Financial Services
Senior Managing Director, Prescott Realty Group
Chief Executive Officer, Granite Properties
Managing Director, RSR Partners
Founding Managing Director, Millstone Assets
President & CEO, George W. Bush Presidential Center
Owner, Access Healthcare Services USA, LLC
President & CEO, Hunt Consolidated Investments, LLC / Co-CEO, Hunt Consolidated, Inc.
Civic Leader
Managing Member, Montgomery Capital Advisers, LLC
President, Lyda Hill Foundation
Founder, Trinity Investment Group
Edward Jones
Bessember Trust
Anderson & Brocious, P.C.
Annen Counseling
Winstead, P.C.
Bisignano Harrison Neuhoff, L.L.P.
Westwood Holdings Group, Inc.
Fox Rothschild, LLP
Bright and Bright
Hunton & Williams L.L.P.
Carter Financial Management
Richard T. Cheatham, PC
Meadows, Collier, Reed, Cousins, Crouch & Ungerman, L.L.P.
Haynes and Boone, L.L.P.
Davis Stephenson, PLLC
Bessemer Trust
Quest Capital Management, Inc.
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Kirkpatrick Mathis & Brown, LLC
Elliott, Thomason & Gibson, LLP
The Studer Group
Little Pedersen Frankhauser, LLP
Geary, Porter & Donovan, P.C.
The Graham Law Firm, P.C.
Tolleson Wealth Management, LP
Stephens-Guthrie, PLLC
Armanino, LLP
Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP
The Hogue-Fielder Group at Morgan Stanley
Calvetti Fergueson
Howland Advisory Corporation
Hunt Consolidated, Inc
Jordan, Monk, Reber, PC
Kaufman & Associates
White Rhino Financial
Opus Wealth Management
Winstead PC
Lindquist Edward LLP
North Dallas Chamber of Commerce
The Nautilus Group, New York Life
Seeking North, L.L.C.
Bright & Bright, LLP
Thompson & Knight, LLP
Haynes & Boone, LLP
Montgomery Coscia Greilich, LLP
Nachman Law Firm
Jordon Monk Reber, PC
New York Life Insurance Co.
Frost Brown Todd, L.L.C.
Gardere Wynne Sewell, L.L.P.
Glast, Phillips & Murray PC
Hilltop Holdings
Cypress Point Wealth Management
Thompson & Knight LLP
Woodbine Development Corporation
Clifton Larson Allen, LLP
Communities Foundation of Texas
Mountain Springs Sculpture Studio
BB&T Co.
Catapult Partners
Barnes & Thornburg, LLP
Texas Health Resources
Wolfish & Newman, P.C.
True North Advisors
Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) works with families, companies and nonprofits to build thriving communities locally and across the state through a variety of charitable funds and strategic initiatives. The foundation professionally manages over 1,000 charitable funds and runs several key initiatives like Educate Texas, North Texas Giving Day and the W. W. Caruth, Jr. Fund. CFT has awarded more than $1.7 billion in grants since its founding in 1953.