DEPARTMENTS

Advisory Council

The Advisory Council of the Moody College of Communication was organized in 1969. Members of the Council have included former students and graduates of the Moody College as well as other members who have a shared interest in excellence in communication education. The success of the Moody College of Communication depends in large measure on the continuing support of these professionals.

Mission and Goals

The mission of the Advisory Council is to be responsive to the needs of the Moody College of Communication by providing advice and counsel at the request of the Moody College in matters relating to the preparation of students to enter the communication field and profession, and by helping generate the human and material resources necessary for the attainment of the goals and objectives of the Moody College.

To achieve its mission, the Council has established strategic goals to assist and support the Moody College in its efforts to:

  • Attract and retain outstanding teachers and scholars
  • Attract and retain creative, ambitious students
  • Attain appropriate minority representation among both faculty and students
  • Establish a worldwide research identity
  • Enlarge the program of education for professionals
  • Increase the attendance and participation by faculty and staff in meetings and activities of professional communications organizations
  • Generate additional private funding on a planned schedule
  • Assist graduates to obtain employment
  • Communicate and publicize the achievement and activities of its faculty and students

 

The following men and women comprise the Moody College's Advisory Council:

 

 

Villarreal Society
Littlefield Society

John Barnhill is the former executive vice president of Blue Bell Creameries, where he worked for 40 years. He started in 1960 as an early salesman in Houston, introducing Blue Bell to its first big city market.

Lisa Bennett is the Chief Creative Officer of TM Advertising in Dallas,TX.

Deborah Buks is the president of Ward, a public relations and marketing communications firm.

Chuck Carlberg serves as Principal/Brand Creative for Houston's premier creative advertising agency, Richards/Carlberg.

Villarreal Society
Littlefield Society

Ann Sutherland Chappell is a communications and group process consultant and serves as President of the Board of Directors of Habitat Texas, a state support organization for the 84 Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Texas. 

Texas Leadership Society
Jeff Cohen is the executive vice president and editor of the Houston Chronicle, overseeing the paper’s English and Spanish editions, as well as its website.

Noelle Cooke is a prominent executive in the motion picture advertising community. She is co-founder and President of The Arterie, a motion picture advertising agency.

Wofford Denius is an entertainment industry attorney specializing in music law.

Jonathan Dern is the President and co-founder of Sabella Dern Entertainment, a property development studio owned by Jonathan Dern and Paul Sabella, former co-heads of MGM Animation, specializing in creating branded entertainment that connects with audiences and consumers on every screen.

Soriya M. Estes, AuD is President and Founder of Estes Audiology Hearing Centers. Since 2005 these private practice audiology clinics serve pediatric through adult patients with hearing needs throughout Central Texas.

Littlefield Society
Cindy Garza Farmer graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism degree from The University of Texas in 1992. Upon graduation she went to work as an associate producer for KHOU Houston.

Villarreal Society
Littlefield Society

Advisory Council Chairman
John R. Fleming is the principal of Vision Corporation, a company he founded, which makes early-stage investments in communication and media technologies, services and hardware.

Bill Geddie is the executive producer of ABC Television Network’s “The View” and “The Barbara Walters Specials”

 

Michele Glaze is currently the Strategic Giving & Employee Engagement Manager for North America as a member of the global giving team for Dell Inc, a global technology and services company.

Villarreal Society
Littlefield Society

Terry Hemeyer is executive counsel to Pierpont Communications and senior lecturer on the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin, College of Communication.

Jeff Hinson is the founder, President and CEO of YouPlus Media, LLC, a Dallas-based video content marketing and digital and mobile development company.

Joe Hogan is executive vice president, Turner Emerging Consumer Ad Sales for Turner Broadcasting. 
 
 

Villarreal Society
Littlefield Society

Karen Elliott House is the former senior vice president of Dow Jones & Company and former publisher of The Wall Street Journal.

Jennifer Howell is the Head of Comedy for Paramount Television, responsible for creating content for broadcast, premium cable, cable and online audiences.

Matt Hullum is the CEO of Rooster Teeth Production.

Villarreal Society
Littlefield Society

Jeff Hunt is a partner and co-founder of PulsePoint Group, a communications management consulting firm specializing in corporate communications, boardroom services and digital media.

Villarreal Society
Littlefield Society

Marsha Jones is a managing partner of Austin based HillCo Partners, a full-service public and government affairs consulting firm providing expertise in the lobbying, public policy, communications, executive and regulatory arenas.

Tracy King serves as Vice President of AT&T's Western Region Public Affairs, providing strategic and tactical management and support for the company's public affairs, media, and grassroots development efforts across 23 states, including Texas and California.

Schenkkan Society
Littlefield Society

Jordan Levin is the Chief Content Officer for National Football League.

Tim McClure is a cofounder of GSD&M Advertising and CEO of Mythos brand strategies; MindMeld, a global alliance of innovators and collaborators; and H2Orange, pure Texas water that funds academic scholarships for the University of Texas at Austin.

Ross Moody is president and chief operating officer of National Western Life Insurance Company. He has served as COO since 1992 and as director of the company since 1981. He became a trustee of the Moody Foundation in 1986.

Littlefield Society
Life Member

James (Jim) Moroney III is the chairman, president and Chief Executive Officer of A. H. Belo Corporation, a position he has held since September of 2013.

Simply put, David helps people for a living. As an strategy consultant, author, speaker, digital marketer, content strategist, nonprofit expert, and digital currency leader David has been living in the Fortune 500 and nonprofit world for over thirteen years.

Reddick Society
Littlefield Society

Born in 1963.  Nelson, with his wife, Mary Pat, and four daughters, Carole Anne, Catherine, Paige and Sarah, reside in Midland, Texas.  

Victoria (Tory) Reddy Newby is a multi-disciplinary bilingual speech-language pathologist that lives in Austin, Texas.

Littlefield Society
Texas Leadership Society

Karen Liu Pang is the Director of Human Resources and Business Administration at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas (United Way), the largest non-governmental funder of programs to improve Education, Income and Health in Dallas, Collin, Rockwall and southern Denton counties.

Reddick Society
Littlefield Society

Joseph F. Phillips is a South Texas businessman and co-founder of The San Jose News and Guatemala News.

Villarreal Society
Littlefield Society

David Powell is a lawyer in private practice at the firm of Hopping Green & Sams in Tallahassee, Florida.

Littlefield Society
Life Member
Dan Rather is the anchor and managing editor of Dan Rather Reports, which broadcasts on HDNet. He was previously the anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News.

Larry Safir is recognized to be one of the countries’ top Media/Healthcare executives. In 2014, he was awarded the Texas Association of Broadcasters’ “Life Time Pioneering Award” for his career achievements and contributions in the field of Broadcast/Media.

Reddick Society
Littlefield Society

Susan is the former director of public relations for Blizzard Entertainment. She now serves as a pro bono attorney for victims of domestic violence.

Jenifer Sarver (Principal, Sarver Strategies) has more than 15 years of experience in media relations, crisis communications, speechwriting, coalition building, and media and presentation skills training.

Stefanie Scott is a strategic communicator with more than two decades of experience in public relations, media, corporate communications, crisis communications and public affairs.

Life Member of the Texas Exes
Ashbel Smith
1881 Society

Lanette Smith is a community volunteer and philanthropist who lives in Austin.

Patti Card Smith is president and general manager of KVUE-TV, the ABC affiliate in Austin, Texas, and a TEGNA subsidiary.

Rick Staff has more than 25 years of commercial litigation experience and international regulatory compliance experience.

Michael Swinney is Founder and Managing Partner of Absolute Certainty Inc. an advisor to media and entertainment companies as well as a developer and producer of film, TV and media projects.

Helen Vollmer is the president of Edelman Southwest in Houston. 

Villarreal Society
Littlefield Society
Life Member

Neill Walsdorf, Jr. is president of Mission Pharmacal Company in San Antonio, Texas.

Dancie Perugini Ware currently serves as trustee of Galveston's Rosenberg Library, the oldest public library in Texas in continuous operation.

Paul Watler is a trial lawyer and partner with Jackson Walker L.L.P.

Schenkkan Society
Littlefield Society

David M. Weeks is president of R&R Partners, a corporate and political communications firm in Austin, Texas.

Carrie Woliver (Houston, TX) has enjoyed her career in television and radio since her graduation from UT in communications in the sixties.  But her path always included performing as a singer in many musical theater productions.