I am deeply honored to serve as a Board Member for the American Red Cross, East Texas Chapter, for FY25. For the past 13 years, I have called East Texas home, living here with my wonderful wife, Sadia, and our two daughters, Soha, 13, and Amal, 9. As a physician of Pakistani descent, I currently practice at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Hospital. My specialties include Hospital Medicine, and I am board-certified in Internal Medicine, Health Care Quality and Management, and as a Physician Advisor. Additionally, I hold the position of President for APPET (American Pakistani Physician of East Texas), a local physician organization dedicated to philanthropic, social, and cultural activities in East Texas and abroad. Our family enjoys traveling, playing tennis, taking morning walks in the scenic landscapes of East Texas, and fostering positive change in our community through participation and organization of various events. My personal goal is to bridge the gap between diverse ethnic communities, dedicating my time, expertise, and passion to influence the strategic decisions and policies of the American Red Cross.

Vinetta was born in Long Beach, California while her father was serving in the United States Air Force.  Growing up in a military family meant moving often to various states and countries, including Norway and attending school in England.  After high school graduation she attended Yuba Junior College and then joined Dunbar Stanley Studios as a photographer for Pixy Pinups.  While working in Rapid City, SD she met Richard Lundstrom and later married him at Hamilton Air Force Base in California.  Over the years Vinetta and her family continued moving across the United States as her husband’s position in the Air Force was relocated until he retired. Vinetta has served in a variety of voluntary positions throughout her life.  As a Family Services Coordinator, Vinetta helped to provide a range of support and resources to military families to help them navigate the unique challenges of military life like relocation assistance and deployment support. Vinetta served as the treasurer of the Conejo Valley Military Officer Associate of America (MOAA) and is currently serving as the second vice-president of the Rose Capital Chapter of MOAA. Vinetta served as the membership coordinator for the Conejo Valley Assistance League as well as a sales associate in the Assistance League of Conejo Valley Thrift shop. The non-profit organization supports ongoing philanthropic programs to improve the lives of children and adults in the community. Vinetta was recently nominated to serve on the Resident Council at Meadow Lake Senior Living.  This position represents the interests and concerns of the apartment residents to the management and staff.

Betsy Freeman is a native to Tyler, Texas and a proud graduate of Tyler Junior College and Letourneau University. Betsy retired from the State of Texas as a Human Resource Director and now serves as the Executive Director of Achieving Dreams in Smith County. Betsy has served on numerous boards throughout the years to include the ARC of Smith County, United Way of Smith County and now devotes her volunteer time to serving as an American Red Cross East Texas Chapter board member. Betsy recognized early on in life that her small participation can make a huge difference in the lives of others.

Meme Thomas practices law in Tyler. She has been on the board of the East Texas Chapter of the Red Cross since 2022. She is married with one child. Meme is dedicated to the American Red Cross mission and currently volunteers as an International Humanitarian Law Basic Instructor.

Ebaristo Torres was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but grew up in Tyler.  He graduated from Chapel Hill High School in 1998 and attended Stephen F. Austin State University where he received his bachelor’s degree in music.  He became the owner of D&N Grocery in 2016. D&N Grocery has been a convenience store and gas station serving Tyler since 1987. Ebb enjoys running a local small business as well as staying involved in the community. 

Ebaristo currently serves on the Red Cross, East Texas Symphony Orchestra, PAVE, and Mosaic boards.  Aside from Boards, Ebaristo volunteers his time to East Texas Leadership Summit.  During Ebb's free time he enjoys spending time with family, traveling overseas, and taking fun day trips to explore all of what East Texas has to offer.

Cullen is a dedicated local attorney specializing in assisting Veterans with their VA disability ratings and other military-related legal issues. He holds membership in the State Bar of Texas and has accreditation from the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Cullen retired from the United States Army, where he also served as a lawyer.  Although a native Texan, Cullen is a newcomer to Longview and looks forward to making East Texas his family's home. His legal background spans criminal defense at both state and federal levels and providing counsel to Commanders and Soldiers on military law. In addition to his legal practice, Cullen serves as a board member for Operation True North, Longview Teen Court, and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board of Longview. After experiencing a death in the family while he was serving overseas, Cullen saw the American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces program in action.  He's now excited to serve the East Texas Chapter and make a difference in our community. 

Anwar Khalifa grew up in Dallas and moved to East Texas out of High School.  He attended Kilgore College where he received an Associate of Science degree. He then attended Texas A&M University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering.  To further his education, Anwar attained a Masters degree in international business from the University of South Carolina. After working as a project engineer and sales engineer, he entered the home-building business in 1993.  He received his Graduate Master Builder designation from the National Association of Home Builders in 1998.   He received the Texas Star Builder designation from the Texas Residential Construction Commission in June 2007, one of the first 50 builders to receive this designation.   In May 2008 Anwar received the Certified Green Professional designation, the first in East Texas and in 2011 he was one of the first five in the nation to receive the designation Master Certified Green Professional.  Anwar is proud that all the homes will be built verified GREEN, abiding by the strictest of the National Association of Home Builders “Green” Building Guidelines.  Pyramid Homes under the direction of Mr. Khalifa was awarded and built two research homes in 2011 for the University of Texas at Tyler. These homes’ purpose is indoor air quality and energy efficiency research. We are currently building two research homes in cooperation with Owens Corning. He is a member of the Tyler Area Builder’s Association, Texas Association of Builders, National Association of Home Builders, The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, Greater Tyler Association of Realtors, the Women’s Council of Realtors, The University of Texas System Chancellor’s Council, and the Smith County Republican Club.

He is on the steering committee for the Tyler Ministerial Alliance, and the board member emeritus of the Samaritan Counseling Center. He serves as president of East Texas Cares Resource Center.  He serves as vice chair for the East Texas Red Cross Board.  He has served as a volunteer chaplain for the Tyler Police Department; on the boards of Tyler Area’s Builder Association, Adolescent Development & Prevention Tyler, the Freedom & Justice foundation, the East Texas Islamic Society and the Council on American Islamic Relations DFW.

Anwar has taught as a Construction Management Professor at the University of Texas at Tyler.

Governor Rick Perry appointed him to the Texas Human Rights Commission in April of 2004.

Anwar received the Martin Luther King award for Non-Violent Social Change in January 2005 and the TB Butler Outstanding Citizen of the Year award in October 2005 for his work in getting the Muslim & Jewish communities together to fund and build a Habitat for Humanity House for a Christian family. He was honored during the 2011 MLK Day for his interfaith work. Pyramid homes received two prestigious Texas Star Awards in 2011. These are statewide homebuilder awards. Anwar was the NAHB’s national award winner of Master Certified Green Professional of the year 2015.

Tracy Valentine grew up in East Texas. She graduated from Brownsboro High School. After High School she attended Tyler Junior College where she was an Apache Belle. Tracy graduated with her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from The University of Texas at Tyler, Master of Healthcare Administration from Seton Hall University and her Doctorate of Juris Prudence from Oklahoma City, OK. Tracy has been in healthcare for greater than 20 years working in a variety of rolls from clinical nurse, hospital operations, regulatory compliance and legal/risk management. Tracy lives in Chandler with her husband and her 2 children. She enjoys working in her yard, reading, spending time with family and friends and working out. Tracy has been on the East Texas Chapter of the Red Cross for 2 years. Tracy has a compassion for people and helping her community which is what led her to want to be a part of this great organization.

I moved to Tyler, TX in 2011 when I married my wife, Jocelyn.  I attended Tyler Junior College and finished my bachelor’s degree at UT Tyler in 2008.  I completed a one-year graduate finance program at Southern Methodist University in Dallas in 2014.  I started working in the banking industry in 2006 and transitioned into a Lending role in 2015.  With almost 18 years of banking experience, I have come to know the Tyler market well and I am proud to call Tyler home.  Being part of local boards like the American Red Cross of East Texas allows me to give back to my community from which I have gotten so much.  Also, the mission behind the American Red Cross of East Texas resonates with my life in so many ways.  Outside of my work life and serving on local boards, I have a passion for coaching people of all ages from young professionals to youth soccer.  One of my favorite things to do in my personal life is visiting National Parks with my wife Jocelyn, my daughters Camila and Sofia, and my son Mateo.

Dr. Christy Hanson is a 35+ veteran of both public and private schools in Texas.  She is a proud former teacher, counselor, principal and district administrator.  Dr. Hanson owns Hanson Counseling Services where she provides individual, group, and family therapy to people of all ages.  Her volunteer work has included board positions for several non-profit organizations, including her church.  She is also an active alumnus of Leadership Tyler. Dr. Hanson is committed to the American Red Cross mission and has been on the board since 2023. 

Maria de los Angeles Hernandez, the talented and multifaceted producer at SP7 Studios, was Born in Mexico and immigrating to the United States at age 9, Angeles has always been an independent thinker and creative spirit. Her impressive academic background includes three Associate degrees in Spanish, Math, and Art, a Bachelor's degree in Marketing, and a Master's degree in Bilingual Education. She is also a certified teacher. As a published artist and skilled photographer, Maria shares her passion for oil painting by teaching workshops in her spare time. At SP7 Studios, Maria plays an essential role as a video commercial producer, ensuring each project runs smoothly from concept to completion. She manages budgets, coordinates with clients, and oversees the creative team to bring each vision to life with unparalleled attention to detail.

Angeles' commitment to her community is evident in her involvement with various organizations. Angeles has recently been invited as an Associate Coordinator for the Dallas ETx Adventurer Council (Together the council oversees 44 youth groups through- out the Dallas ETX area.). Angeles sits on the board of the Tyler Seventh-day Adventist Church, serves as the president of the non-profit Hispanic Professionals Association of Tyler. She is also a board member for the East Texas Youth Orchestra and recently been invited to join the American Red Cross board. She has held a position on the board of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra. Angeles' devotion to education is demonstrated by her nine-year tenure as a public school teacher and her experience teaching at a private Christian academy. A proud wife and mother of two, Angeles calls East Texas her home and continually gives back through charitable events and community service. Angeles' love for traveling and exploring new places feeds her curiosity and enriches her creative endeavors, bringing a unique and valuable perspective to her various leadership and volunteer roles.