LEADERSHIP AND BOARD

TD Smyers was appointed president and chief executive officer of United Way of Tarrant County July 1, 2017. He also served as executive vice president and chief operating officer for the organization from November 2015 to June 2017.

Prior to his role at United Way of Tarrant County, TD served four years as regional CEO for American Red Cross North Texas Region. He retired July 2011 from a career in the U.S. Navy after serving as commanding officer of the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base.

Currently, TD serves as president of the Leadership North Texas Alumni Association and on the boards of the North Texas Commission, the North Texas Leaders and Executives Advocating Diversity (LEAD) and Tarrant County College Criminal Justice Training Center.

He earned a Bachelor of Science from the United States Naval Academy in 1984 and a Master of Science from the National Defense University’s Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 2005.

Leah King is executive vice president and chief operating officer for United Way of Tarrant County. As a key member of the leadership team, Leah is responsible for driving the strategic vision and direction of the organization in the areas of workplace campaign, donor relations, community investment, volunteer engagement and the Day of Action program.

A passionate advocate for children, Leah is active in the community and has served as a director on the boards of the Child Study Center, Junior Achievement and Communities In Schools of Greater Tarrant County. Leah currently serves on the board for Cook Children’s Medical Center and the Trinity River Vision TIF. She is also an active member of the Fort Worth Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.

In May of 2017, Leah was elected to the board of directors of the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) and is currently serving her first term. TRWD is responsible for ensuring that a reliable and sustainable water supply, flood protection and family-friendly recreational opportunities are available for the 11-county area it serves.

Jeffrey Allison is an accomplished chief financial officer and senior business executive with career experience in a number of retail, consulting and non-profit organizations. He has demonstrated expertise in building and leading financial, operating and planning teams; designing and implementing business growth strategies; and identifying, mentoring and developing talent.

Prior to his role with United Way of Tarrant County, Jeff was SVP & CFO at Goodwill Industries of Dallas. He has experience in management consulting as the principal of Summit Retail Consulting and as a director with AlixPartners, LLP. He has spent much of his career in corporate finance and retail management, including roles as EVP-GMM and EVP-P&A at JCPenney, Inc., SVP-P&A at Chico’s FAS, Inc., VP-Finance at Express, Inc. and director of FP&A at Limited Brands, Inc.

Jeff is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, an executive member of Financial Executives International and a council member with Gerson Lehrman Group. He earned his CPA from the state of Ohio, and his education includes a Bachelor's of Business Administration in finance from the University of Oklahoma and Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University. Jeff is also a board member and lead director of Board Development Systems, Inc.

Michelle Bleiberg is chief communications and marketing officer for United Way of Tarrant County where she oversees all external communications including advertising, promotions and public relations to support the marketing objectives and to maximize the positive exposure in local and national markets.

Prior to joining United Way of Tarrant County she was a vice president in the Dallas office of Allison+Partners where she oversaw a portfolio of clients including Navigant Energy, Supplemental Health Care and HighGround Advisors. She has more than 25 years of public relations experience with expertise in thought leadership, corporate reputation, crisis communications, media relations, community relations, event planning and brand positioning. She has served clients and worked in a variety of industries, including entertainment, restaurant and hospitality, healthcare, non-profit, the arts and energy.

Michelle has a Bachelor of Arts in public relations from Texas Tech University. She serves on the Texas Tech National Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Professional Advisory Committee for the Texas Tech College of Media and Communication. In addition, she volunteers at the SPCA of Texas, the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance and Youth Village.

Beth Watson is executive vice president and chief human resources officer for United Way of Tarrant County where she is responsible for all employee relations across the organization. She joined the organization in the fall of 2017.

In her role, she manages all recruitment, onboarding, talent management, and health and safety programs; ensures organizational and leadership development, performance management and strategic human resource planning; and the creation and implementation of policies. She oversees a competitive compensation and benefits program and ensures compliance with employment-related laws, regulations and best practices.

Before United Way of Tarrant County, Beth served as a human resources consultant for WhitneySmith Company, where she advised clients of diverse sizes and industries regarding human resources best practices.

Ms. Watson received a Bachelor of Business Administration, Management and Marketing from Texas Christian University, Neeley School of Business, and is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).