Commissioners

Augustine, a graduate of SMU’s Temerlin Advertising Institute and Meadows School of the Arts, began his career in Paris, France working for the English-language magazine Boulevard and has more than 28 years of marketing communications’ experience. Augustine helped launch the Hispanic advertising agency, Dieste Harmel in 1995 and opened their New York City office in 2000. He has also worked at Ornelas & Associates, Moroch, Siboney, Conexión Ele and McCann Erickson. He has served as marketing manager with Time Warner Cable, regional marketing manager for DISH Network and as Director of Latino Marketing for the Euro RSCG Dallas office. He has developed branding, marketing, branding and first-time U.S. Latino advertising efforts for such clients as Reliant Energy, Visa, Smith Barney, Sally Beauty, Mrs Baird’s, HBO Latino, Dallas HR and Ugly Duckling. It was his close relationship with HBO that led to the agency’s development of HBO Latino to HBO’s premium suite of channels. In addition to advertising, marketing and public relations experience, Augustine has promotional, strategic, media and creative planning, social media and direct mail experience. He has worked with the Dallas Symphony, Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico, CocoAndré Chocolatier, Social Venture Partners Dallas, and Earth Day Texas. Augustine started a mentoring group called Pathway to Opportunities at Woodrow Wilson High School for Latino youth in 2007. He is president and founder of Kidd Springs Central, The Friends of Kidd Springs Park, a community group he started seven years ago. He was appointed to the Oak Cliff Gateway Commission by Dallas City Council Member Delia Jasso and currently serves as the appointee of Dallas County Commissioner Dr. Elba Garcia on the Dallas County Historical Foundation and the Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition. He has volunteered as a founding board member of the planning and advisory committees for the Hispanic College Fund’s Hispanic Youth Symposium. In 2003, he founded the band for the new Sunday English language service at Holy Trinity and was recruited in early 2013 to start the music program for a new English language mass at the Cathedral Guadalupe in the Dallas Arts District. He started the music enrichment program for the Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep as director of the music ensemble. He was invited to perform at the Bishop’s Annual Gala before Harry Connick, Jr. in 2014 and to serve as Cantor at the Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas’ Easter Triduum Services in 2014. He has performed with the Houston and Dallas Symphony Choruses, The Choral Society of Church of the Incarnation, Meadows Chorale, The Contemporary Ensemble of Holy Trinity New York, St. Francis of Assisi Choir, St. Thomas Aquinas Choir, St. Mark School’s Schola, University of Dallas Church of the Incarnation and area churches. He recently performed the role of “Lun Tha” in Rockwall Summer Musical’s The King and I and has performed with the Lyric Stage in Showboat, My Fair Lady, Gypsy, Carnival, Sweet Charity and The King and I. He is extremely passionate about the arts and culture community in Dallas and has become an active member of the Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition and Texans for the Arts. He served on the Dallas Cultural Plan Steering Committee and was successful in seeing it approved by the Dallas City Council last November. He continues to serve as a member of the Dallas Cultural Plan Steering Committee for implementation. Augustine resides in Kidd Springs, Oak Cliff with his partner of nearly 16 years, Philip Nirchi.

COMING SOON.

Ella Goode Johnson, an appointee of District 3-Casey Thomas II, is a graduate of the University of North Texas and Amberton University.  Her vast resume includes affiliation and leadership roles with numerous non-profit organizations locally as well as nationally.  Mrs. Johnson, a General Motors retiree, is a wife and mother to two adult sons.  Her love for the arts is a lifelong passion of hers. Mrs. Johnson is a native of Hearne, Texas and a long-time resident of Dallas.  She has a BA from North Texas State University, now the University of North Texas (UNT) and a MA from Amberton University. Her ties to the UNT community remain strong. A library has been established in her name, The Ella Goode Johnson Library and Media Center, in Denton, Texas. She was also instrumental in chartering of the UNT National Pan-Hellenic Council. Mrs. Johnson has made her mark locally and across the United States with numerous community and civic involvements, including the Theodore and Bertha Roddey Foundation, Dodd Education and Support, Inc, Dallas, the Priscilla Art Club, Project Male (Cedar Valley College), African American Museum of Life and Culture and National Council of Negro Women, Sister-to-Sister organization, National Assn. of Parliamentarians, The Power of Woman Coalition at Paul Quinn College. She was the first female Board Chair of The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, a position she held for more than a decade and currently serves as a member of the National Advisory Board. Mrs. Johnson, a Past Board Chair, is also a graduate of the Leadership Southwest Class of 2010. She serves as a volunteer Administrator for the Heads Up! Foundation of Dallas, Texas. Mrs. Johnson has been the recipient of numerous awards locally and Nationally including UNT President’s Green Glory Award; Texas PTA Life Member for public school volunteerism; inductee Blackshear High School Academic Hall of Fame; the National Council of Negro Women, Minnie H. Page Section as the Community Service Award Honoree; KKDA/K104 Radio Afro-American Hero; The Dallas Women’s Center/SMU MAURA AWARD; South Dallas Business and Professional Women’s Trailblazer Award; Women of Merit and Valor Honoree at Paul Quinn College; Concord Baptist Church Lydia Award. Ella is now a professional event planner and a Dallas County Elections Precinct Judge. She is a member of the Board of Directors, President and Program Chair, Women’s Council of Dallas.

COMING SOON.

Coming soon

J. Damany Daniel (the J is silent) hails from Brooklyn, NY and merges all the style of the big city with the charm, warmth, and humour (yes, with a “u”- he secretly wants to be Australian) of one of your best friends. An experienced and award-winning event producer, Damany (AKA “The Event Nerd”) has produced experiences for clients across the globe and always brings a unique flair to everything he touches. An avid student of emerging trends in technology and storytelling and the impact of community and culture, this lifelong nerd firmly believes that technology can do more than just amaze people at events. If used properly, technology can and does provide opportunities to connect people, extend the reach of events far past the closing curtain, and create immersive experiences that have guests and clients alike connected with the cause and experience in ways they never thought possible. Listed as one of Special Events Magazine's 30 under 40 to watch, Damany's passion for technology is matched only by his love of the arts and culture. A humorous and engaging presenter, Damany brings his passion for experiences and his love of people to everything he is a part of. An avid lover of music and dancing, Damany’s been known to tear up more than a few dance floors in his time. When he’s not dancing, producing events or “nerding out” over the study of creativity, Damany’s indulging in his love for great food, delicious brews, and scintillating conversation. In addition to his work leading the badassery that is The Event Nerd team, Damany's commitment to culture is shown through his work as co-host of the Casually Creative podcast- a series of honest conversations with unexpectedly creative people, as a founding member of Dallas’ Mayor’s Star Council, a Trustee of the Deep Ellum Foundation, and as the city of Dallas’ District 6 Arts and Culture Commissioner. By working and celebrating its successes, Damany continues to stand as a creative leader within the community and the city.

COMING SOON.

COMING SOON.

COMING SOON.

COMING SOON

COMING SOON

Jo Trizila is founder & chief executive officer of Dallas-based TrizCom Public Relations and Pitch PR. Founded in 2008, TrizCom PR is an award-winning  full-service public relations firm. Established in 2015, Pitch PR powered by TrizCom PR is a press release distribution company that uses their  proprietary press release distribution system with a personal pitch. In TrizCom, organizations ranging from corporations to nonprofits to start-ups gain a team of savvy PR professionals who think creatively and develop truly innovative communications ideas that build buzz and raise brand awareness for their clients.  Working with TrizCom is the difference between PR that’s box-checking and PR that’s groundbreaking. Combining best practices and best thinking, they empower communications with bigger, bolder ideas that break through clutter and achieve results for our clients. Pitch PR affords partners the luxury of having a full-time PR firm but just for a few weeks when they have news to share. Companies spend thousands and thousands of dollars on wire services with almost no tangible results. That because, media relations has always been about one-on-one relationships. In our decades of experience, we know that press releases placed only on a wire service almost never result in a real media story. Pitches have to be personalized and relevant to each news outlet. That is exactly what Pitch PR does. Jo is a multi-talented, high-caliber public and media relations marketing pro, with over 20 years of experience building and leading integrated and strategic public relations operations for a vast array of companies. She has an in-depth background in crisis communications, publicity, expert positioning, promotions, influencer marketing, investor relations and legislative affairs for Fortune 500 corporations, small to mid-size companies and not-for-profits/nonprofits. She is experienced in conceptualizing, creating and implementing innovative communication strategies. Additionally, she has held highly visible, leadership positions and has earned a reputation for continually making a positive bottom-line difference while fostering excellent relations and maintaining a high profile in business.   Jo earned her undergraduate degree in theatre performance at the University of Texas at Arlington that included a study abroad at The University of London. Her graduate work includes Wayne State University in Detroit and University of Dallas.   Prior to TrizCom PR, Jo was senior director of media relations for the Dallas Regional Chamber, the director of marketing and publications for the Irving Arts Center and director of marketing for the Shakespeare Festival of Dallas.   Currently, Jo serves as a City of Dallas Arts and Culture Commissioner for District 12. She is also very active on nonprofit boards including the Board of Directors for Heroes for Children,  a Texas based charity that ensures no family fights childhood cancer alone and is an Advisory Board Member for Taylor’s Gift, a national charity advocating organ donation. She serves as an ex officio board member for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra board and for the Dallas Wind Symphony board. She has served on host committee for An Evening with Pat Green for Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer and Taylor’s Gift inaugural Outlive Yourself Awards. She is also a member of the National Association of Professional Women. Her other nonprofit activities include Taste of the NFL: The Ultimate Dallas Cowboys Tailgate Party, Online/Silent Auction Chair (2006); Big Brothers Big Sisters, Big Sister (1999-2004), Big Brothers Big Sisters, Gala Chair (75th Anniversary – 2003 & 2004); The Freedom Run, Founding Member & Executive Committee (November 2001-2004); Dallas Theatre League, President (1999-2002); Irving Chamber of Commerce & Four Season’s Resort & Hotel Golf Tournament Chair (October 2000); Leon Rabin Awards, Chair (1998); and served on the Dallas/Fort Worth Area Tourism Council, Media Committee (1998-2004). Jo is the recipient of the YWCA Woman of Achievement 2000 Technology and Communications Award and was selected for Texas Woman Magazine Woman of the Month (April 1999 issue). She is a Leadership Irving graduate (1999-2000) and served as its vice president (2000-2001).

A 30+ year resident of Dallas, Grace Peterson Glover is a graduate of Sam Houston State University, where she holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, with a minor in graphic design, as well as post-graduate studies in printmaking. Commissioner Glover has lived in Guadalajara, Mexico, studying life drawing, as well as the United Kingdom, where she held directorships in both Design and Marketing in London. While working in London in the mid-nineties, she was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Directors (IOD). Commissioner Glover’s U.S.-based career includes Director of Marketing Communications for a privately-held restaurant and hospitality company; account management services for global advertising brand J. Walter Thompson; and bespoke design and marketing assignments for national and multinational corporations. After spending her professional career in corporate marketing communications (content and graphic design), Commissioner Glover returned to what she loves most - painting. Finding her voice with oil, she now paints full-time in her home studio. In 2021, Irish-based Pepney Gallery chose two of Commissioner Glover’s paintings to become part of their permanent online collection. She has also participated in the 2020 and 2021 State Fair of Texas Creative Arts competition, where she was awarded two Honorable Mentions and two Third Premiums for her oil and watercolor entries. In addition to painting and drawing, Commissioner Glover’s other interests include photography, gardening, blue water sailing, golf and travel.

Coming soon

Grady first appeared on stage at the age of eight in A Christmas Carol at Addison Theater Centre, the first of many plays in which he acted across North Texas throughout the 1990s. At Cistercian Preparatory School, he switched his artistic focus to visual art, developing a passion for painting and filmmaking. Grady graduated from Georgetown University in 2004 with a BA in English and minors in international business, history, and studio art. He also served as the co-director of the school’s annual film festival and was a producer at GUTV. After moving to NYC, Grady worked on the production teams for the Bravo series Long Way Round, the PBS series Texas Ranch House, and Michael Moore's documentary film SiCKO. Grady left New York in April of 2010 to travel around the world solo, visiting 25 countries on 5 continents in 18 months. He founded RETREET upon his return to the US to redefine disaster relief and, through it, find purpose, fulfillment, and community for himself and others. Grady’s many journeys led him to realize that some people make art, while others make art happen. Grady is a little of the former and a lot of the latter.