Our Leadership

Smittee brings decades of leadership experience in East Texas and a deep commitment to community collaboration to her work with the Foundation. Since joining the executive team in 2023, Smittee has played a key role in strengthening our strategic direction and shaping a bold vision for the future of Tyler and Smith County. She leads the team in identifying and investing in solutions, initiatives, and partnerships that significantly improve community health and well-being.

Prior to her work with the Foundation, Smittee served as Executive Director of Leadership Tyler for over eight years, where she focused on developing leaders and connecting them to the needs and opportunities within the Tyler area. That experience continues to influence her work today, grounding her belief that communities thrive when leaders work together across sectors toward a shared purpose.

A graduate of Leadership Tyler Class 21, Smittee considers the program a transformative part of her journey. It sparked meaningful personal and professional growth and deepened her lifelong dedication to community service. Her continued commitment is reflected in her volunteer work and board participation with the Women’s Fund of Smith County and PAVE East Texas. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Government Affairs Committee for the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce where she previously served on the Board of Directors.

Smittee’s contributions to East Texas have been recognized through several honors, including the Leadership Tyler Distinguished Alumni Award (2023) and selection as a Women in Tyler honoree (2025), celebrating “women who connect.”

Smittee and her husband Brad live in Tyler and are the proud parents of four grown children.

As Director of Community Collaborations, Christi plays a vital role in advancing our mission to invest in solutions, initiatives, and partnerships that significantly improve community health and well-being by working closely with organization across East Texas to identify and address community health priorities.

Her career reflects a deep commitment to building bridges that lead to measurable community impact. Christi was the founding Executive Director of the Tyler Area Business Education Council, where she successfully united business and education partners to expand opportunities for young people across the region. She also served as Program Manager for the East Texas Center for School Based Research and Instruction at the University of Texas at Tyler and in marketing leadership at Brookshire Grocery Company, where she contributed to launching the beloved “Fresh” concept in Tyler.

Christi is deeply engaged in the East Texas community. She currently is Board Chair of the Women’s Fund of Smith County, Vice President of Development for PATH, a board member of the Tyler Civic Chorale, a member of the Women’s Symphony League, and a member of the City of Tyler Parks & Recreation Board.

Christi earned both her BBA and MBA from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. She and her husband, Fred, a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch, are proud parents of two daughters – Caroline and Catelin, both current college students.

In her current role as Director of Initiatives & Impact, Katy leads the Foundation’s implementation, evaluation, and learning efforts. She specializes in translating high-level strategy into actionable plans, ensuring that the Foundation’s investments generate meaningful community impact.

Katy’s background spans healthcare, higher education, nonprofit leadership, hospitality, and regional collaboration — giving her a rare ability to bridge strategy and execution with precision, clarity, and heart. Prior to joining the Foundation, Katy spent over 20 years in the University of Texas family, first in Student Affairs at UT Tyler then at HealthFirst, a part of UT Health East Texas and Imagine360 where she supported large-scale project execution and enterprise-level implementations.

Katy currently serves on the PATH board, is the Treasurer for the League of Women Voters of Tyler/Smith County and is Vice Chair for Grants for the Women’s Fund of Smith County. Her past involvement includes leadership roles on the Leadership Tyler board, PTA leadership at multiple Tyler ISD schools, and serving on the community advisor board for KERA, the PBS/NPR affiliate for Northeast Texas. She is a graduate of Leadership Tyler Class 27 and an alumna of TJC.

Born in Denver and raised in Austin, Katy moved to Tyler with her husband in 2005 and proudly calls it home. Their son, Dashiell, was born here in 2008 — cementing their connection to the community.