Michi Bruns Clay joined the PEDC Board in 2022. Michi is the Founder of Encompass Healthcare Management, Inc. Michi is one of the founding members of the Greater Pearland Area Chapter of The Links Inc., where she serves as the Services to Youth Chair. Michi also serves on the Pearland Prosperity Implementation Committee, is a facilitator in the Brazoria County focused STEMulation Academy, and contributes to Keep Pearland Beautiful. She has previously served with the Pearland Chamber of Commerce.

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Dena Hanks joined the PEDC Board in 2023. She is an interior designer and owner of Hanks Design Group. A founding board member of the Pearland Leadership Foundation, she also serves as the current chair. Other board service includes the Pearland ISD Education Foundation, where she previously served as president. She also served on multiple committees of the Pearland Chamber of Commerce and other previous service includes Pearland Library Advisory Board, Brazoria County Library and Foundation Board, Adult Education Center, Pearland ISD Long Range Planning Committee and Women in Leadership in Pearland.

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JW Washington joined the PEDC board in 2023. He is currently Vice President of Sales, America for AriensCo. He serves on the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Houston Metro Go Texan Committee, the National Association of Landscape Professionals National Collegiate Landscape Competition, Pearland High Theater Booster Club, and Robert Turner High School PTA. JW has also volunteered his time on the Houston Community College Advisory Board: Agricultural & Horticultural Academic Programs, as a coach and mentor for Pearland ISD junior high & middle school robotics teams, certified United States Youth Soccer (USYS) trainer for area youth soccer clubs, and Game Day Soccer League team manager.

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Craig Slater joined the PEDC board in 2023. He is the owner of Craig Slater Insurance Agency. Currently a Pearland Chamber of Commerce Ambassador, Craig previously served as Chair for the Pearland Charter Review Committee and is a past president of the Pearland Rotary Club.

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Jerry Koza Jr. joined the PEDC Board in 2021. He is the co-owner of Profax/Lenco. He is also a board director for the Northern Brazoria County Education Alliance. A former City of Pearland Planning and Zoning Commission board member, Jerry also previously served twice on the Pearland Charter Review Committee, the Pearland Citizens Drainage Committee and as a board director for the American Welding Society Houston Section.

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Deenadayalan Bakthavatsalam joined the PEDC board in 2023. He is currently Chief Scientific Officer of rBIO – an early-stage biopharma company. He also serves as Director/Advisor of Life Sciences for Cubio Innovation and CEO of Caren mHealth. Deen serves on judging panels for Medtech Innovator – a nonprofit global accelerator for medical device, digital health, and diagnostic companies, and DECA – an organization for students in high schools and colleges around the globe who want to learn business and entrepreneurship.

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Kevin Cole was sworn in as Mayor for the City of Pearland in November 2020. Prior to becoming mayor, Cole has a combined nine years of prior City Council service. Cole has also served on various committees and boards for local economic development, including serving with the Greater 288 Partnership, the Northern Brazoria County Education Alliance, and the Pearland Chamber of Commerce. He has also volunteered his time with local nonprofits, including the Vic Coppinger Family YMCA and various private schools. In his professional career, Cole spent 20 years developing real estate, currently serving as the principal for Cove Matrix Development.

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Trent Epperson was named City Manager for the City of Pearland in May 2023. Prior to this role, he has a combined sixteen years of service with the City, previously serving as Interim City Manager, Deputy City Manager, Assistant City Manager, Director of Engineering & Capital Projects and Director of Project Management. During his time with the City, he successfully developed projects that have been awarded $162 million in federal/state transportation funds and has overseen the delivery of over $900 million in capital projects. As the Deputy City Manager, he oversaw the Parks & Recreation Department, Information Technology Department, and Engineering & Public Works Department. Epperson also serves as on the Transportation Policy Council (TPC), Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), and Transportation Improvement Program Sub-committee (TIP) for the Houston-Galveston Area Council and is a past chair for both the TAC and TIP.

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Jim Johnson was named President/CEO of the Pearland Chamber in July 2021. Johnson comes to Pearland from his role as President and CEO of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce. He also previously served as President and CEO of the Lufkin/Angelina Chamber of Commerce. Prior to his tenure in Lufkin, he served as Vice President with the Pearland Chamber.

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