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What is the essence of life? To serve others and do good.

- Aristotle

Photography by Connie Thompson

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This Board represents and serves a large area. Its members are known and trusted individuals, having expertise in the operating of this Foundation, with a commitment on the part of each to helping those who live here support that in which they believe. – John F. Anderson

OUR BOARD of DIRECTORS

John F. Anderson

John F. Anderson was born 1943 in Houston, Texas. Of John’s lifetime, he has lived in 56 years of it in the middle of the Texas forest Country. He graduated from Lufkin High School and attended Stephen F. Austin State University graduating with a B.S. degree in Political Science. He is married with two adult children and one grand-daughter.

His areas of responsibilities created a work experience as an insurance company President, and Director of a local bank and a manufacturing business. He was also responsible for the creation of several non-profits which have allowed philanthropy to grow and thrive in the Texas Forest Country. A few of his numerous years of service he devoted to benefiting the East Texas Forest Country were as President of the Museum of East Texas, Chairman of the Texas Council on Economic Education, President of the Pineywoods Foundation, Chairman of the East Texas Community Health Services, the charter Treasurer for SFASU Foundation, Inc., and other philanthropic projects.

John F. Anderson
Chairman
Co-Founder

Travis Mast

A. Travis Mast, III, M.D. was raised in Nacogdoches, Texas and graduated High School from the Sewanee Military Academy in Sewanee, Tennessee. He attended the University of the South in Sewanee and then Stephen F. Austin State University, graduating with a BS degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. After graduating, he taught the ninth grade in Texas City, Texas for four years. Travis left teaching and attended the Universidad de Autonoma de Guadalajara, Mexico where he obtained his M.D. degree; and married Maria-Guadalupe Aranda, and they have four adult children. He completed his residency in Pediatrics at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas. After leaving Houston, he practiced Pediatrics in Nacogdoches for twenty-five years and retired in 2007. He was president of the Nacogdoches Treatment Center and Chief of Staff of Medical Center Hospital for two years. Travis was a Director of the Stephen F. Austin State University Foundation from 2008-2017. Since retiring from medicine, he has worked in the Land and Timber and the Oil and Gas business in Nacogdoches.

Travis Mast

Buddy Zeagler

Millard Fillmore Zeagler, Jr., Son of Millard F. and Marjorie Perry Zeagler, “Buddy” Zeagler was born in 1946 in Lufkin, Texas. He graduated from Lufkin High School in 1964. Attended University of Texas and Southwestern University and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1969. He served two years in the United States Air Force with honorable discharge. He then pursued higher education and graduated from Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University in 1978.

For more than 40 years, Buddy Zeagler pursued a career in trust administration, investment management, and private foundation management. He joined the TLL Temple Foundation in 1989 and served as the Executive Director until his retirement. Through his work with the Temple Foundation, he was actively involved with its mission to support organizations and institutions devoted to enhancing the educational, community, civic, health, environmental and physical qualities of life that serve the human condition. Upon his retirement in 2016, he was honored by the foundation when it funded a permanent endowment to create the Buddy Zeagler Professorship in the Graduate School of Social Work at Stephen F. Austin University.

He was honored as an inductee into Buckner International’s Good Shepherd Society.
In 2016, he was honored as a recipient of the Community Service Award by Concerned Black Men of Lufkin.
In 2017, SFA School of Social Work honored Buddy with its Spirit Award for his dedicated commitment to community service.

He served on the boards of a number of non-profit agencies, including Salvation Army, Hospice in the Pines, Alzheimer’s Association, Humane Society of Angelina County and Kurth Memorial Library, and is an active volunteer with the Impact Lufkin community revitalization project.

He served on the Board of Trustees of the Simon and Louise Henderson Foundation, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Texas Forest Country Community Foundation.

He is a member of the Texas Ornithological Society and the Pinewoods Audubon Society.

Buddy Zeagler is a member of St. Cyprian’s Episcopal church and served as Vestryman, Sr. Warden and Chair of its Outreach and Worship Committees.

He is married to Julie Johnson Zeagler and have 3 children and eleven grandchildren.

Buddy Zeagler
Treasurer/Secretary

Jim McReynolds

Jim McReynolds has been serving the people of East Texas in a variety of ways for the past half-century. He served as a teacher to East Texas children in public schools and taught history at Stephen F. Austin State University for a decade. He served as a scoutmaster for a number of years and created job opportunities for training and employment in his land service business. He was given the honor of serving the citizens of six East Texas counties for 14 years in the Texas House of Representatives where he carried major legislation particularly benefiting the folk of East Texas. Jim holds degrees from Abilene Christian University, Lamar University and a doctorate in history from Texas Tech University. He and his wife Judy have been married for over a half-century and have two sons, Jeff who is a captain in the Lufkin Fire Department, and Jack who is a scientist and entrepreneur. Jim and Judy have been blessed with five grandchildren. Currently, Jim is enjoying serving on the Burke Center board, the Family Crisis Center of East Texas board, and the Texas CASA board. He looks forward to his service as a board member of the Texas Forest Country Community Foundation.

Jim McReynolds

Gene Nethery

R. Gene Nethery was born and raised in East Texas. As a high school graduate with some college, he completed a military obligation from 1956 through 1964. Gene is married to Ann Davis Nethery and has 4 children, 7 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. He enjoyed a career with Brown and Root Inc. that spanned over 38 years, during which he was promoted to an officer of the company in 1983 and spent over 12 years as Vice President of Operations. Gene Nethery retired from Brown and Root Inc. at the end of 1996. Upon retirement returned to Sabine County, and was elected as Pct. 4 Commissioner. Gene has also served on numerous Boards and served twice as President of the Texas Forest Country Partnership. Gene Nethery has also been an Ordained Deacon in the Baptist Church for over 35 years.

Gene Nethery
Emeritus

“I consider it to be the genius of fulfillment. And that is to devote yourself and commit yourself in service to others.” Buddy Zeagler

TRUSTEES

Trey Henderson

George (Trey) Henderson III, graduated from Lufkin High School and attended Texas A&M University graduating with a degree in Agricultural Economics. He is married to Brigettee Carnes Henderson and has 2 sons and 2 grandsons. He is the owner of Henderson Mineral Inc. and currently serves on boards for Angelina College Board of Trustees, Southside Bank, Overseas Hardwood Company, George H Henderson Jr. Expo Center and The Pineywoods Foundation. He previously served on the Governor’s Task Force on Evacuation, Transportation and Logistics in 2005, Memorial Health Systems of East Texas, The Texas Ethics Commission and The Texas Parks & Wildlife – Private Land Advisory Board.

Trey Henderson
Chairman

Jerry Huffman

Jerry Huffman, CCE, is a 46-year veteran of nonprofit management with Chambers of Commerce, public and private foundations. He is co-founder of Solutions Consulting, serving a variety of nonprofits across the state.

With most of his career with the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber, he developed a 5-Star Accredited Chamber, one of only 89 in the United States when designated.

After Chamber retirement, he served as President/CEO of a 12-county regional economic development organization, the Texas Forest Country Partnership and handled administration for The Pineywoods Foundation, a private foundation. Additionally, he co-founded the Texas Forest Country Community Foundation and serves as a board member.

Jerry and his wife Deborah have retired in Georgetown, Texas to be close to their son Tim, who is a senior software engineer for General Motors, and his fiancée Amber.

Jerry Huffman
Co-Founder

David Chadwick

David Chadwick was raised in Center, Texas, and graduated from Center High School. He then
graduated from Baylor University with a BA in Finance in 1970 and graduated from
Southwestern Graduate School of Banking in 1984.

David Chadwick began his career with Farmers State Bank in 1970 and was elected to the Board
of Directors in 1981. In 2017 Mr. Chadwick was then elected President and CEO and still serves
in that capacity.

David Chadwick was elected the Mayor of Center, Texas in 2011 after serving as Mayor Pro-Tem
and has served on the City Council for 25 years.

David Chadwick also serves with the following organizations:

Center Economic Development Committee—current
Rough Rider Scholarship Foundation—current
John R. Harris Scholarship Foundation—current
Fannie Brown Booth Memorial Foundation Trustee—current
East Texas Baptist University Trustee—current
Panola College advisory committee—current
Shelby County Historical Commission—current
Shelby County Chamber of Commerce—current
Center Rotary Club—current
Independent Banker Association of Texas—past board member
Shelby County Appraisal Board—current
DETCOG grant review committee—current

David Chadwick is married to Deborah Chadwick and they have two daughters. He is a member
of the First Baptist Church of Center.

David feels blessed to live in a small East Texas town where he has had to opportunity to be
involved in almost every aspect of his community. Working at the bank as well as with the city
has given him the opportunity to help build his community and help the citizens fulfill many of
their personal dreams. This is the most rewarding feeling he could ever hope to experience.

David Chadwick

Bill Snelson

Bill Snelson grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, graduated from Abilene Christian University with a degree in Business Administration, entered the U.S. Naval Officer Candidate School and spent almost four years as a gunnery officer aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer and as a senior patrol officer on river patrol boats in the rivers and canals of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

After the service, Bill moved to Houston, married his beautiful wife, Sandy, and went to work as a marketing rep for Mobil Oil based in Beaumont. While here, he fell in love with the beauty of Southeast Texas. Four years later he moved to Jasper to start a wholesale tire business. Forty-five years later, he and his wife own three tire businesses in Southeast Texas.

Bill and Sandy have two daughters, one of whom lives in Tyler. Their younger daughter and her husband now manage the business.

Being from a small town, Bill has had the opportunity to serve on many boards, including the Jasper Hospital District, First Bank & Trust and am currently serving as Vice President of the Jasper Economic Development Corp. He serves as an elder in his local church and is passionate about golf.

Bill Snelson