LMC welcomes new chairman James Stilwell and eight new board members

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – Leadership Montgomery County (LMC) is pleased to announce that James Stilwell is the new Chairman of the Board for the 2014/2015 year. LMC is also welcoming eight new members to its board of directors.

James H. Stilwell is a partner in local law firm Martin & Stilwell, LLP. He earned his Bachelor of Arts double degree in Economics and Political Science from Baylor University in 1992 and his Juris Doctorate in 1995 from University of Texas School of Law. Stilwell has served as a director of The Woodlands Bar Association, past chairman of The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce, and now as chairman of the board for Leadership Montgomery County. He received the 2005 Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman's Award, the 2011 Volunteer of the Year Award and has participated in the Woodlands Bar Association's Pro Bono "Wills for Heroes" Project since its inception. He is a 2008 graduate of Leadership Montgomery County.

Eight new board members are joining the board of directors in the new board year including Diane Freeman of CHI St. Luke’s Lakeside Hospital; Courtney Galle of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion; Amanda Johnston of Strike, LLC; Doug McCormick of Entergy Texas; Amy Milstead of The Milstead Group; Bret Strong of The Strong Firm, P.C.; Vic Tarasik of Vic’s Precision Automotive; and Melissa Young of Corporate Incentives.

Diane Freeman is the CNO, AVP at CHI St. Luke’s Lakeside Hospital. She earned her bachelor’s in nursing from Arkansas State and her MBA from Ellis University. Freeman serves on the Selection Committee of the Montgomery County Community Foundation and is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, AORN, ACHE and TNA. She is a 2012 graduate of Leadership Montgomery County.

Courtney Galle is the Marketing and Public Relations Manager for The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Galle earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism—Public Relations from Sam Houston State University, where she is a member of the SHSU Alumni Association. She currently serves on the Greater Conroe/Lake Conroe Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors where serves a team leader for the Chamber Diplomats and re-branding committee. Galle also serves as a team leader on The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce Taste of the Town Committee. She is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Montgomery County.

Amanda Johnston is Counsel for Strike, LLC. She received her Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Sam Houston State University, her Juris Doctorate degree, magna cum laude, from South Texas College of Law and her LLM in Taxation from the University of Houston. Johnston is a member and director of the The Woodlands Bar Association. She is a 2011 graduate of Leadership Montgomery County.

Doug McCormick serves as Lead Customer Service Manager in the western division of Entergy Texas. He attended Lamar and Texas A&M universities, graduating with a BBA in Marketing. Active in charitable and civic organizations, McCormick was selected for a Rotary International exchange program and spent five weeks studying business and culture in Japan. Active in governmental affairs, he chaired Entergy’s Texas Political Action Committee for eight years. He is a 1995 graduate of Leadership Conroe.

Amy Milstead is the President of Milstead Automotive. She serves as Chairman of the Board for the Texas Towing & Storage Association (TTSA); Vice Chair of the Towing, Storage & Booting Advisory Board for Texas Department of Licensing & Regulations; and Chairman of the Board for The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce for the 2013-2014 term. She was featured in Houston Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” for outstanding leadership and innovation in her field, was chosen as a Woman of Distinction by the Montgomery County Council of Women’s Organizations, chosen as a Woman of Influence by Reviewit Magazine and recently nominated as Top Influential Persons in Montgomery County by People Scene Magazine. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Montgomery County Youth Services. She is a 2003 graduate of Leadership Montgomery County.

Bret L. Strong is the founder and managing shareholder of The Strong Firm P.C. Strong received his J.D. cum laude from the South Texas College of Law after earning his bachelor's degree in Business Finance from the University of Colorado – Boulder. He is a past Chairman of the Board for The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce and a past Chairman of the Board of the South Montgomery County YMCA. He is also a former board member of United Way of Montgomery County and served on their board selection committee. He served as a member of the 2004 and 2007 Conroe ISD Facilities and Bond Planning Committee and Parents Advocating Sound Schools (PASS) committee in support of the 2004 and 2008 CISD bond referendum. Strong is also a founding board member of The Woodlands Bar Association. He is a 2005 graduate of Leadership Montgomery County.

Vic Tarasik is the owner/manager of Vic’s Precision Automotive. He has served on the board of directors and committees of Spring High & Lone Star College to enhance the educational commitment to entrants into the automotive field. Tarasik is a graduate of Northwood University of the Aftermarket Leadership 2.0. He currently serves on the Board of the Greater Conroe/Lake Conroe Area Chamber of Commerce. Tarasik has served as the Chairman of the Auto Care Association’s Car Care Professionals Network, and on the Auto Care Association Show Committee for the largest US automotive show in Las Vegas, AAPEX and has been on the Board of Directors since 2011. He also serves on the Government Affair committee for the Auto Care Association. He is a 2012 graduate of Leadership Montgomery County.

Melissa Young is the Vice-President for Corporate Incentives, Inc. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of St. Thomas’ Cameron School of Business. After graduation, Young helped found a statewide organization of non-profits involved in charitable bingo fundraising. She served in a volunteer capacity at the Texas Lottery Commission representing these charities, as well as an advocate for charities at the Texas Legislature. Since leaving that position in 2012, she has focused on serving non-profit organizations in the community. She currently serves as a board member of The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce, The United Way Marketing Committee and the Interfaith Child Development Center Advisory Committee. She is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Montgomery County.

Leadership Montgomery County (LMC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, dedicated cultivating the future leaders of Montgomery County. The goal of the program is to educate and inform class members about major community issues, while inspiring and motivating individuals to exercise their leadership skills to benefit the community.

LMC is a joint project of the Greater Conroe/Lake Conroe Area Chamber of Commerce and The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce. The Greater Magnolia Chamber of Commerce, the Community Chamber of East Montgomery County, the Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber, and the Magnolia Parkway Chamber of Commerce are also participating Chambers in the LMC program. Participants are chosen by application process in June of each year. For more information about Leadership Montgomery County, please visit the website.