Braver Angels of Central Texas
​
​Executive Board 2019-2020

Steve Saltwick

Co-Chair (Red), Co-Founder

Steve Saltwick is a bio-psychologist whose career took a path through high-tech (Tandem, Compaq, HP, and two startups) on six continents. He studies the guiding principles of the mammalian brain especially as it relates to artificial intelligence. He has published in SCIENCE but prefers to dote on his first grandchild and two border collies.

Steve is also Co-Chair (Red) of the National Alliance program for BraverAngels.Org

Mike Seay

Co-Chair (Blue), Co-Founder

Michael Seay is an attorney and CPA and founding member of Seay & Traphagan -- a law firm that practices state and local tax law. Mike is also the immediate past president of Congregation Beth Israel, the oldest synagogue in Austin.  Mike is a progressive (blue) organizer for Braver Angels, and committed to reducing political polarization. He is the father of two kids, Jude (10) and Joy (8).

Nancy Dixon

Co-Founder

Nancy M. Dixon considers herself a Conversation Architect. She is the founder of Common Knowledge Associates, a management consulting firm that helps organizations hold conversations where knowledge is created, and where innovation arises. Before founding Common Knowledge Associates in 2000, she was a Professor at the George Washington University for 15 years, and before that at the University of Texas, in Austin. She holds a Ph.D. in Administration with a minor in Sociology. Her capabilities include: designing state-of-the art convening, and coaching virtual teams to be as effective as co-located teams. Her latest thinking is in her blog www.nancydixonblog.com. 

Myrna King

Co-Founder

Myrna King has spent 20 years as a consultant and 10 years as a Coach, Myrna King blends her personal & business experience / training. A thought leader in the realms of coaching, consulting, leadership, spiritual practice, and personal development, Myrna offers: Executive Coaching | Sales Consulting | Team engagement | TEDx Talk Development |Personal Coaching | EFT Training | Meditation & Mindfulness. Myrna is proud to serve Central Texas through her work with Braver Angels. Her most current thoughts are at A Life Aligned: www.myrnacoaching.com
​

Norman Kaderlan

Co-Founder

Norman Kaderlan has studied life sciences, led arts organizations, advised design professionals on managing and marketing, mentored technology startups, taught marketing to engineers, and helped researchers around the world move their innovations from the lab to the market. He loves traveling, eating, cooking and photography.

Matt C. Wood

Co-Founder

Matt Wood is an attorney with the Austin law firm Weisbart Springer Hayes, where he specializes in business litigation. Originally from a small town in Georgia, he and his wife Reagan put down Texas roots and have a young son named Nash. Matt is a long-time volunteer attorney with Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas. In his spare time, Matt enjoys international travel, good nonfiction, and open-minded political discussions.

Karl B. Schmalz

Co-Founder

Karl Schmalz is a retired oil and gas industry tax lawyer.  He grew up in Massachusetts and received a degree in economics from Princeton University and a law degree from the University of Texas. He currently serves as a senior advisor to the International Tax and Investment Center. Karl is a long time member of the board of Communities in Schools Dallas Region, a stay in school non-profit that works with at risk students.  He and his wife, Bonnie Martin, their two children and four grandchildren all live in Austin, Texas

Eric Ovlen

Co-Founder

Eric Ovlen is the Mayor of The Village of the Hills. He has been a Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development, with global responsibilities for a 3 billion dollar British aerospace company.   Eric has officiated NCAA college and high school football for 31 seasons. To this day, he claims he learned more about negotiation and mediation on the football field than he ever did in the classroom. Eric has written and directed five musical comedies that were performed as fund raisers before over 35,000 people and generated over a quarter of a million dollars for public education.

Amber Rhyne Compton

Executive Board

Amber Compton is a speaker, writer, educator and communications consultant. She pursues her passion for erisology, the study of disagreement, by hosting civil discourse dinners and speaking to youth and adults about the need for civility in political discourse. Amber graduated from Duke University and enjoyed a career in technology marketing and public relations. She left that industry to become manager of the Compton household, a challenging but rewarding position she's held since 2003.

Alliance

Workshop Co-Organizers

• Red: Steve Saltwick, Mark Houston, Don O'Brien, Gail Johnson, Chris Keeter, Ann Murrow, Myrna King, Mike Edmonds, Jennifer Richmond, Michelle Hunter, Mike McNeil
• Blue: Mike Seay, Pam Ovlen, Chuck Linton, Meredith Lecocke, Don Bender, KIm Gentry, Matt Wood, Lori Sommers, Pat Nestor, Kat Schaeffer, Susan Raybuck

Moderators

• Nancy Dixon, Myrna King, Norman Kaderlan, Connie Shortes, Don Bender, Steve Saltwick, Karl Schmalz, John Theiss

Debate Co-Chairs

• Karl Schmalz (Red)
• Matt Wood (Blue)

Coffee & Conversations Group

• Bonnie Martin (Blue)
• Amber Compton (Red)

Public Policy Pilot Group

• Red: Mark Houston, Steve Saltwick, Chris Keeter, Myrna King
• Blue: Mike Seay, Pam Ovlen, Kim Gentry, Meredith Volk
• Purple: Eric Ovlen

Outreach

• General:  ​Amber Compton, Myrna King, Matt Wood
• College: Linda Cain, Chris Keeter

Webmaster

• Susan Raybuck