our Team

Caleb is a local farmer and is the director of the farm-to-school division of Micro Family Farms. His dream is for every family to know how to grow their own food to increase their individual freedom and improve our community’s wellness.

Charles F Parkes III first came to the East Texas Food Bank by serving in the Ameri Corps VISTA program in 2015. For 2 years, he served as the Economic Opportunity Coordinator during which he collected stories from clients and did an Economic Assessment over the Greater East Texas Region. In July 0f 2017, he officially joined the East Texas Food Bank team as a Senior Hunger Specialist. Today, he is the Agency Services Manager having served in that position since December of 2020. Charles Parkes has an Associates in Interdisciplinary Studies from Tyler Junior College, a bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science from University of Texas at Tyler, and a master’s degree in Public Administration also from the University of Texas at Tyler.

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Cindy Ross joined CDF-Texas in October 2016 and serves as the Program Director for the East Texas Region. For eleven years prior to joining CDF, Cindy was a Head Start Case Manager for Tyler Independent School District. Through Head Start, Cindy served as an advocate for low-income children and families, providing services in six areas: Social Services, Nutrition, Health, Mental Health, Disabilities/Education, and Parental Involvement.

In 2015, Cindy became a certified Community Health Worker through Health and Human Services. Cindy builds relationships to increase health knowledge and self-sufficiency through outreach, community education, social support, and advocacy. With CDF-Texas, Cindy continues to work to improve access to affordable healthcare for children and other valuable resources that strengthen vulnerable families.

Crystal Dykes serves as the Partners in Health Program Coordinator for St. Paul Children Services. Crystal has a Bachelor of Nursing from the University of Texas at Tyler and is a licensed registered nurse. She has healthcare background with recent experience in community-level prevention. She is passionate about prevention and will continue to learn and serve others in the East Texas area.

George has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Northeast Texas Public Health District since November, 2006. The services provided by the Health District include the Center for Healthy Living, Community Outreach, Environmental Health, Immunizations, Tuberculosis Control, Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Regional Laboratory, Vital Statistics, and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Program.

The Health District primarily serves Tyler and Smith County, but also provides services in 21 counties in East Texas. The WIC Program serves a 20-county area and Public Health Emergency Preparedness serves a seven-county region.

Gloria is currently serving as the Facilitator of Family & Community Engagement for the Tyler ISD Title I Program (The Parent Center). She has served in various capacities in Tyler ISD including former Director of Head Start, Coordinator of Head Start Instructional Services, Director of Federal Programs, Coordinator of Title I, and Director of Technology as a Second Language for Stewart-Edison Junior Academy.

Gloria has spent her career as an educator of children and families. She has a passion for serving. In addition to the Food Security Council, she also serves on the board of the East Texas Human Needs Network.

Gloria holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at Tyler, and a Master of Education from Texas A&M University at Texarkana.

Jackie Clay currently serves as the chief executive officer of East Texas Human Needs Network (ETHNN).  ETHNN has over 100 members representing public, private, and faith-based organizations. In addition to her work with ETHNN, Jackie serves as the program coordinator for the Smith County Behavioral Health Team (BHLT) to improve the quality of life for individuals and families who are affected by mental illness in Smith County.  Prior to joining ETHNN and BHLT, Jackie served as the executive director of Family Promise of Greater Chattanooga and the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge, in Tennessee. Her other experience includes work as a community organizer, an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville as well as working as a program manager and project manager for the City of Knoxville, Office of the Mayor.   

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Jackie is the Family Wellness Coordinator at St. Paul Children’s Services and consultant nutritionist for the TISD Head Start Program. Her interest in agriculture stems from the deep desire to see people return to eating whole foods. The shared work and mutual enjoyment involved in growing, cooking and eating together increase individual, family and community wellness.

Kinsey was born and raised in Longview, Texas. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS in nutrition and completed her dietetic internship program through Abilene Christian University at City Square in Dallas, Texas. She also recently completed her Master of Public Health at UT Health Science Center at Tyler. Kinsey is passionate about improving health outcomes in East Texas and currently works as the nutrition education manager at the East Texas Food Bank in Tyler, Texas, overseeing their SNAP-Ed program.

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Dr. Michele Bosworth is a physician leader dedicated to collaboration and strategic approaches to population health through the effective and efficient use of Health Information Technology (HIT). She joined Health Management Associates in January 2022 as Physician Principal where she focuses on population health, value based care transformation, leadership coaching, and quality improvement.

Previously, she served in various leadership positions with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (UTHSCT) with her latest role being the founding executive director of the UTHSCT Center for Population Health, Analytics, and Quality Advancement. While there she achieved maximum financial performance of 1115 Waiver DSRIP program, oversaw externally funded programs, and aligned academic ,clinical, and community initiatives.

Shanna Fleming serves as the Coalition Coordinator for St. Paul Children’s Services overseeing coalition outreach. Shanna is from Tyler, Texas, and she is passionate about helping her community and those who worry about food security and creating awareness for this issue. Shanna is majoring in Social Work at Tyler Junior College and will transfer to Stephen F. Austin in the spring. Shanna's goal is to get her LMSW.

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Tecora Smith currently serves as the Director of WIC for the Northeast Texas Public Health District. She manages 20 WIC clinics located in various counties throughout the Northeast Texas area, and oversees the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, WIC Peer Dad Program, and Healthy Texas Babies grant addressing infant mortality rates in Smith County.

Tecora holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from Stephen F. Austin State University. She is a member of the Texas Association of Local WIC Directors. She was voted TALWD Newcomer of the Year in 2011 and served as President from 2016-2017. Tecora serves as a member of numerous local community coalitions to improve the health outcomes of Smith County.

Tim joined the East Texas Food Bank in August 2012 as the Volunteer Coordinator, coming from a management position at FRESH by Brookshire’s. He has since worked in the Child Hunger Programs Department, and moved into his current role as the Programs Services Director in 2017.

From an early age Tim has been involved in missions across the globe. He has a strong desire to help people in need, and is grateful to be part of an organization that makes such a big difference in the community. Tim earned his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from The University of Texas at Tyler.

Dr. Smith is a pediatrician at St. Paul Children’s Services in Tyler, Texas where she leads the Community-Centered Health Home Initiative. She is a graduate of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and completed her residency at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Smith chairs the Smith County Food Security Council and serves on the Fit City Tyler Steering committee and the board of the East Texas Food Bank. She is co-chair of the Texas Pediatric Society Foster Care Committee and serves on the TPS Executive Legislative Committee and Board of Directors.

In addition, she serves as a consultant for Superior Healthcare on their Foster Care Centers of Excellence program. She is active in pediatric health advocacy and regularly testifies for the Texas legislature and authors editorials for the Dallas Morning News. She is the recipient of the 2019 W.T. “Doc” Ballard Award for Excellence in Public Health, the TPS Executive Board Award and the AAP Chapter Excellence Award.

Dr. Yordi Tiruneh is an Associate Professor of Community Health at the University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center and an Adjunct Assistant professor at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, department of Population and Data Sciences. Her areas of interest include infectious diseases epidemiology, health services research, patient centered care, and implementation science. Dr. Tiruneh conducts several mixed-methods research to understand and address social determinants of health and health disparities.

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