Board of Directors

	Jan Mitchell, Co-Executive Director Jan Mitchell began her involvement in the Miss America system as a local volunteer, and then served as the Executive Director of the Miss Plano Frisco pageant for nine years. During that time, they produced four state winners and five 1st Runners-up at the Miss Texas and Miss Texas’ Outstanding Teen state pageants. Miss Frisco Shilah Phillips won the title of Miss Texas 2006 and went on to be named 1st Runner Up to Miss America.  Jan joined the state organization in 2010 and has served in several different roles, including the Miss Texas and Miss Texas’ Outstanding Teen Business Manager, the Miss Texas Leadership Team, and as the Miss Texas State Field Director. She has two grown children, works at a private school, and resides in Richardson with her husband, Jack.		Michael Hannah, Chairman of the Board Michael Hannah has volunteered with the Miss America Organization since 1988. During that time, he has been a volunteer on the local, state, and national levels of the Miss America and Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Programs. He was inducted into the Miss Texas Hall of Honor in 2004, and was the recipient of the President of the United States Volunteer Service Award from the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. He has served in many different volunteer roles with the Miss Texas Pageant, Inc. including being a local Miss Texas franchise holder, serving as the President of the Miss Texas Local Franchise Association, Chairman of the Miss Teen Texas Program, a member of the Miss Texas Pageant, Inc. Board of Trustees, and as the Chairman of the Miss Texas Local Judges Coordinators, to name a few.  Most recently he served as Treasurer on the national Board of Directors of the Miss America's Outstanding Teen, Inc. Program.   Michael is well known throughout the Miss America and Miss America's Outstanding Teen Programs and values the camaraderie, friendships, and relationships that have been developed over the years.  He is excited to come “full circle”… return to his “pageant roots” ... back to the Miss Texas Program where he originally started 25 years ago to serve as the Chairman of the Board for both the Miss Texas Pageant, Inc. and the Miss Texas Scholarship Foundation.
	David White, Co-Executive Director David White's 31-year involvement in the Miss America Organization began in 1982 while in high school. He has served in many key positions including Scholarship Chairman, Judges' Chairman, Fundraising Chairman, Local Director, and State Director. He coached several young ladies in the Miss and Teen divisions before working with several local pageants in Texas and New Mexico. Aside from Mr. White's history and involvement in the Miss America Program, he has been very active in his community serving on several professional and charitable organizations and is honored to be the recipient of numerous awards. He resides in Carrollton with his partner Michael, and their two children. His most prized role in life is being Dad to twin sons, Joshua and Jeremy.		Tammye Markle, Vice-Chairman of the Board Tammye Markle is co-owner and Vice-President of Markle Enterprises, LLC and the Owner of Crossroads Therapeutic Mediation Center. She has been involved with the Miss Texas Pageant, Inc. since 1998 as a parent, local Executive Director, Judges’ Coordinator, Miss Texas Traveling Companion, Business Manager and President of the Miss Texas Local Franchise Association. During her 6 years as Executive Director of the Miss Houston, Woodlands, Harris and Montgomery County Organizations, she had two Miss Texas' Outstanding Teen winners, and seven Top 5 and Top 10 contestants in the Miss Texas and Texas' Outstanding Teen pageants. A masters graduate and current PhD student at BarnHam Seminary, Tammye enjoys networking, volunteering and spending time with her husband of 30 years, Dave, as well as her four adult children and three granddaughters.
	Linda VanZant Linda has been involved with the Miss Texas Pageant, Inc. since 1991. She started as a local franchise holder for the Miss Grapevine/Colleyville Pageant, but in 1995 became the Executive Director for the Miss Hurst-Euless-Bedford (a.k.a. “H-E-B”) franchise until 2007. Throughout those years, Linda helped produce several Top-5 Miss Texas Pageant Finalists. She had two back-to-back Miss H-E-B titleholders who went on to win the title of Miss Texas: Yanci Yarborough in 1999, who placed in Top-5 at the Miss America Pageant and Tara Watson in 2000 who became a Top-10 Semi-Finalist at the Miss America 2001 Pageant. In 2011, Linda served as the Chairman of “An Evening of Beauties and Bling”. Linda has also served as a judges’ hostess for the Miss Contestant judges and in 2012 she chaired the Miss Texas “Woman of Achievement Luncheon” and the Awards Ball. Linda recently retired after working for 21 years with the Bass Family of Fort Worth. A former Midwestern University student, Linda resides in Grapevine with her husband Charlie.		Carol Potter, Secretary A veteran of the fashion industry in Dallas and New York, Carol Craig Potter is the owner of Fashion Source, LLC and was previously Vice-President of Public Relations for Source, Inc., where she promoted and marketed special events for the telecommunications company. Her extensive volunteer experience includes serving as a board member and traveling companion for the Miss Texas Pageant, Inc., as well as chairing various committees for Junior League of Dallas.
	Ann Watson Ann Watson is one of Lufkin’s community leaders and has volunteered and served on many boards including the Junior League of Lufkin, Angelina Medical Alliance, Hospice in the Pines, CASA, Habitat for Humanity, Healthy Woman, and is an active member of First Christian Church. Ann is a Registered Nurse and has an extensive background in community and family healthcare. Currently she is the Public Health Educator for the Angelina County & Cities Health District. She has supported the Miss Texas Pageant system for over 27 years and has served as a local pageant judge, scholarship donor, and Miss Texas State Pageant committee volunteer.  Her proudest moments came when her daughter, Tara Watson, was crowned Miss Teen Texas 1993 and Miss Texas 2000.		Jamie Story Kohlman, Treasurer A graduate of Rice University, Jamie Story Kohlmann was selected as Miss Texas 2004 and went on to become a Top-10 Semi-Finalist at the 2005 Miss America Pageant - the last one in Atlantic City. Jamie has a background in management consulting and public policy, including three years as the president of a free-market think tank in Hawaii. She recently returned to Texas and accepted a position as president of the Citizen Leader Alliance. In October 2012, she married Benjamin Kohlmann.  Jamie and Ben reside in San Diego, California.
			Brian Brode Brian Brode is a vice-president with Merrill Lynch and served as a volunteer with the Miss Dallas Organization for seven years. He is also triathlete and recently ran the New York City Marathon. Brian is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and was a Captain in the U.S. Army.

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