Board of Directors

Board of Directors Advisory Board
Danny Phillips, Board Chair -Rancher/Investor
Jacob Schneider - JP Morgan
Darren Kocur - ThomsonReuters
Kyle Bower - SAP Software Solutions
Stephanie Frost - Volunteer
Deonna Courtney - Vice Principal, Castleberry
Kirk Lundblade - Extension Advisors LLC		 Kelle Jones
Bobby Moore
Dale Brooks
Ron Holifield
Johnny Lewis
Charlie Middlebrook

Danny Phillips - Board Chairman Danny is the current owner of Diamond P Ranch and is involved in various philanthropic activities as well as managing his own investments. Danny also serves on the boards of Abilene Christian University, Pepperdine University, and Matthew 28 Global Ministries. He graduated from ACU with a B.B.A. in Accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of Texas.

Jacob Schneider - Secretary Jake has worked with Fortress YDC in a board capacity since its inception in 2005. He and his wife Abbie have served as mentors and volunteers at Fortress since the early 2000s. Jake’s love for this type of ministry began while working as a counselor at Camp of the Hills, a summer camp for at-risk youth. He is currently a Vice President with JPMorgan’s Private Wealth Management, where he has worked for the past eight years.

Darren Kocur Darren is a commited husband and father with a passion for youth mentoring and outreach. He and his wife Stacy volunteered in youth ministry and education with their local church for many years before moving to Fortress to commit their efforts to the youth of the inner city. As a Fortress church member, Darren helped organize and launch Fortress YDC and has served on its board since its inception. He is employed as a Senior Systems Engineer for ThomsonReuters TA BCKS.

Kyle Bower Kyle is a Director of Solutions for SAP America, the worlds’ largest provider of business software applications. He holds a B.B.A. in Finance and Real Estate as well as an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Arlington. Now in his fifth year as a Fortress board member, Kyle has a long history of youth involvement (having served as a junior and senior high school teacher/leader for several years), and remains passionate about serving the spiritual and practical needs of area youth.

Deonna Courtney Deonna is the principal for Castleberry PreK-1st Grade. She has a Master’s Degree from Texas Wesleyan University, Mid-Management Certification from the University of Texas at Arlington, and is currently a Doctoral student at Texas Women’s University (Early Childhood Education/Educational Administration). Deonna currently serves as the Chair of the Program Committee and helped organize and launch Building Blocks Early Learning Center as a member of the Building Blocks Steering Committee.

Stephanie Frost Stephanie and her husband Ron first caught Fortress’s vision on a “prayer drive-by” in 2006. Since that time, Stephanie has volunteered weekly with our Building Blocks program, and has also served on the Programs Committee, the Building Blocks Steering Committee, and the Fundraising Committee. She and Ron have been happily married for 14 years and have two daughters. Stephanie volunteers at the girls’ elementary school, teaches Bible classes at Legacy Church of Christ, and volunteers in various other capacities as well. A licensed dental hygienist by trade, she is currently a consultant and Vice President with Arbonne International.

Kirk Lundblade Kirk joined the Board of Fortress in 2010 and has served on the Financial Stewardship Committee of Fortress since 2008. He was attracted to Fortress’s goal of changing inner-city Fort Worth by providing spiritual and educational opportunities for at-risk youth on a very personal level. Kirk and Diane are the proud parents of three children and are active members of Richland Hills Church of Christ where they teach a children’s Bible class. Kirk is an investment banker with Extension Advisors LLC. He holds a BBA degree in Finance from Southern Methodist University and an MBA degree from Stanford University.