New Board Chair Chad Tywater (right) with athlete Elizabeth Harber (left) at a Special Olympics Texas fundraiser.

AUSTIN – Special Olympics Texas (SOTX) President & CEO Margaret Larsen announced that the non-profit organization’s Board of Directors has promoted four existing members, while electing three new members. 

“All of these members will serve our Board at a very exciting time, as they will lead us into the 50-year anniversary of our movement, which we will celebrate in these next couple of years,” Larsen said. “Each one of them brings a great deal of knowledge and expertise to our organization. Their leadership qualities will help Special Olympics Texas make advances toward better serving our athletes, and it is a true privilege to work with all of them.” 

Chad Tywater (Round Rock), a unit director for the H-E-B Grocery Company, has been promoted to Chairman of the Board after serving as the Vice Chair for the previous two years. Tywater takes over for Hector Amaya (San Antonio), who guided the Board from 2015-2016. Amaya, the director of sales for Coca-Cola Refreshments in the San Antonio market, will remain on the Board in 2017 as an officer, taking on the title of Past Chair. 

“I am humbled to be able to serve SOTX as the Chairman of the Board and I hope to continue the great work of our previous Board leaders,” said Tywater. “I’m looking forward to spending more time getting to know the staff of SOTX as well as the athletes that we serve.  There is no greater pleasure in life than giving your time and energy to help others.” 

City of Sugar Land’s 1st Assistant City Manager Steve Griffith (Sugar Land) moves into the Vice Chair position after spending 2016 as Treasurer. With more than 25 years of involvement with SOTX, Griffith has spent 11 of those years on the Board, including a two-year stint as Chairman. 

Dale Hosack (Sugar Land), Chief Financial Officer of Western Container Corporation, has been elevated from his At-Large position to Treasurer, while Maureen McCutchen (Galveston), an attorney with Mills Shirley LLP becomes Secretary. McCutchen will continue to serve as the Board’s Attorney, a position she has held since 2014. 

Newly elected members are Jake Squiers (Lufkin), the Chief Operating Officer of Burke, and Sam Arciniega (Houston), a unit director for the H-E-B Grocery Company in Houston. Both will serve a two-year term in At-Large positions. Following a one-year hiatus after serving a nine-year term on SOTX’s Board, Steve Hayes (Southlake), the Senior Vice President at Brandt Companies, has been elected to take on a two-year term in a Programs position. 

A full listing of officers and members on the 2017 SOTX Board of Directors is listed below. 

Officers
Chair: Chad Tywater (Round Rock)
Vice Chair: Steve Griffith (Sugar Land)
Past Chair: Hector Amaya (San Antonio)
Secretary & Attorney: Maureen McCutchen (Galveston)
Parliamentarian: Rick McCarty (San Antonio)
Treasurer: Dale Hosack (Sugar Land)
 

Members
Athlete: Patti Ballew (Amarillo)
At-Large: Shon Bjornberg (Farmers Branch)
At-Large: Robert Bradshaw (Houston)
At-Large: Frank Fuccello (Austin)
At Large: Steve Hatchell (Irving)
At-Large: Ralph Herring (Houston)
At-Large: Jake Squiers (Lufkin)
At-Large: Sam Arciniega (Houston)
At-Large: Curtis Scheffe (Aledo)
At-Large: Jeanette Thorne (Amarillo)
Physical Education/Rec.: Jackie Zigtema (Tyler)
Programs: Steve Hayes (Southlake)
Programs: Tammy Hortenstein (Bronte)
CPA: Kristi Hudson (Cleburne)