Speakers

U.S. Army Veteran

Retired Telecommunications Director from the University of North Texas System (1981-2007).  Licensed Peace Officer (Police) 1978-2012.  Served on the Board of Directors for Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen (2009-2015).  Volunteer & Leader with American Red Cross Disaster Response Teams locally and with Statewide deployments (2008-2015).  Elected to the Town of Shady Shores Council in 2015 and presently serving a sixth term.  Elected Mayor Pro Tem in 2019.

When I retired in 2007 I wanted to remain engaged and active in my community.  I had a neighbor that had volunteered at DCFC and recommended I check them out.  DCFC was a good match for my organizational, leadership and logistical skills.  After six months volunteering I was recruited to join the Board of Directors.  In 2008 I was elected Board Chair (reluctantly on my part).  The Board said I was the youngest member with the most energy to devote to the Food Center.  The rest is history and a marvelous chapter in my “failed retirement”. 

Brittany Sotelo serves as the Economic Development Director for the City of Denton, where she leads strategic initiatives to support business growth, investment, and long‑term economic vitality.  Before joining Denton, Brittany was the Vice President of Business Retention and Expansion for the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation building programs to grow and retain businesses in the Coastal Bend. She previously worked for the City of Arlington’s Office of Economic Development as an Economic Development Specialist, supporting major projects and community partnerships.  Earlier in her career, Brittany managed the business retention and expansion program for the Odessa Chamber of Commerce and served as a Business Consultant for the UT Permian Basin Small Business Development Center, where she advised entrepreneurs on launching and scaling their businesses in the Permian Basin.   Brittany holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.