Board of Directors

Taryn De La Rosa is the founder and CEO of Vision Toward Leadership, an Organizational Development Consulting company.  A South Texas native, she achieved her Master of Industrial and Organizational Psychology at The University of the Incarnate Word and her Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Psychology and Sociology from Texas A&M University - Kingsville.  Having worked in the government and non-profit sector for over 10 years, her experience includes: working with at-risk populations from adult/child mental health, intellectual disabilities, immigrant children, and child protective services. As an Organizational Development Consultant, Taryn specializes in: leadership development, project management, program development, root-cause analysis, strategic planning, workforce skills training, employee relations, and career coaching. Taryn proudly sits on the board of Esperanza de Tejas, Inc., a local South Texas non-profit, for 2 years now. Taryn is a fierce advocate of the development/cultivation of positive and inclusive workspaces and the advancement of women into leadership positions.

Ben Molina is a family man and small business owner who has served on the Corpus Christi City Council since 2016. He’s married to Jennifer Molina and has 2 children, ages 15 and 11. He started with his company, Pinnacle Roofing Systems, in 2000 and took over ownership in 2015. Since then, the business has grown and expanded into new markets and also consistently gives back to the community. 

Ben Molina has dedicated his life to serving our community in many capacities: by holding offices including President within our local Habitat for Humanity affiliate, serving as President of the Westside Business Association, and serving on the Board of Directors for the Young Business Professionals. Ben is also an honoree of CC Under 40, a graduate of Leadership Corpus Christi class 42, and served on the steering committee for Leadership Corpus Christi class 44. 

Since being elected, Ben has worked towards more effective and efficient ways to complete street repairs, supported investments into our infrastructure, and has championed small business, all while being accessible and responsive to the citizens of Corpus Christi. 

As “Your Friendly Neighborhood Councilman” Ben Molina brings a pro-growth, pro-business mindset to the Council, and encourages economic development and quality of life improvements.

Brenda is the founder and CEO of Allegiance Consultations, a leading consulting firm specializing in credit repair, tax consulting, and business development. 

Brenda's extensive knowledge and expertise in her field has helped countless individuals and businesses improve their financial standing and achieve their goals. 

Brenda is also an active member of her community and is involved in various charitable organizations, including Esperanza de Tejas.

www.allegianceconsultationsllc.com.

Renita Newton is a native of Hammond, Louisiana, and she has resided in Corpus Christi for the past six years. She is currently a doctoral candidate in the counselor education and supervision program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC). Renita is currently writing her dissertation titled: “ Exploring the Effects of Mindfulness-based Interventions on Resilience and Self-efficacy in First Year African American Doctoral Students: A Single Case Research Design”. She received her master’s degree in counseling, with a dual emphasis in clinical mental health and addictions counseling in May of 2019, from TAMU-CC, and she works as a full-time counselor at the University Counseling Center, providing psychological treatment and crisis intervention to university students as well as facilitating a variety of groups and workshops.

She serves as the immediate past president of the Theta Alpha Mu Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota, and she is currently accruing hours to become a fully licensed professional counselor in the state of Texas. Renita is passionate about mindfulness, self-care, and wellness-based practices that can help individuals minimize stress experienced in their daily lives.

Renita has presented at several state, regional, and national level conferences over the course of her brief counseling career. Some topics include:

• Healing Counselor Education One Counseling Curriculum at a Time

• Multiculturalism isn’t Enough: Anti-racist Education Happens in More than One Class

• Intersectionality and Allyship: Making a Difference Through Action

• It Takes a Village: Addressing Mental Health Stigma in the African American Community

• Blame it on My Trauma: Strategies for Healing Black Youth Experiencing Trauma

• Suicide Prevention Training: Silencing the Stigma. Corpus Christi Christian Fellowship (CCCF)

• A Healthy You Equals a Well You: Experiences of a Wellness Expo to Showcase Practices of Self-Care for Counselors and Counselors-in-Training

• Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect: Recommendations for Educators, Supervisors, and Clinicians

• And much more!

Additionally, Renita has assumed the role of guest lecturer at universities in and outside of the state of Texas.

When Renita is not counseling, she is working hard as the proud business owner of Ree’s Sweets & Savories, a timeless collection of southern and Cajun delicacies. You can find Ree’s Sweets and Savories at vendor markets from the Coastal Bend to Austin.

Renita is a proud member of the Corpus Christi Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She serves on the Executive Board as Chair of the Heritage and Archives Committee and is involved in community service projects throughout Corpus Christi. Additionally, Renita supports the North Tangipahoa Area Alumnae Chapter by providing presentations on mental health and its impact within the African American Community.

Crystal started at Charlie’s Place Recovery Center as a LCDC-I counselor, became a fully licensed LCDC, and was then promoted to Compliance Manager. As Charlie’s Place was acquired by Cenikor in October 2018, Crystal then joined the Cenikor Family as Compliance

Supervisor. She then transitioned into the role of Process Performance Improvement Supervisor/Compliance Supervisor. Crystal was then promoted to Facility Director for the Corpus Christi facility. She is now Senior Director overseeing operations for both Austin and

Corpus Christi Cenikor facilities. Crystal’s dedication to substance abuse treatment and recovery comes from breaking generational cycles and stereotypes often associated with the lower socio- economic neighborhoods and Latino community. She is a graduate of Texas A&M Corpus Christi where she received her B.A in Psychology. She

also earned her M.A in Forensic Psychology in 2014 from Argosy University. She is currently a doctoral candidate in the dissertation phase of her journey from South University with a Ph.D in Business Administration with emphasis in Organizational Behavior and Leadership. Crystal is a member of the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas-Corpus Christi Chapter, Vice-President of the Coastal Bend Regional Crisis Initiatives, member of Young Professionals of the Coastal Bend, member of Westside Business Organization, and is an avid runner/fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Hospital.

Crystal’s drive has shifted to furthering education on substance abuse recovery for the underprivileged, while bettering the community with resources and knowledge in coming together to break substance abuse and mental health stigmas. While teaming with other community entities, there is a strong focus on “diversion”, as mental health and substance abuse are not being solved by simply incarceration.

Katie Galan serves as Director of Education and Community

Engagement for Better Business Bureau serving the Heart of

Texas. She is responsible for media, public relations and

community outreach. Katie, a native of Corpus Christi, has more than 18 years of experience in the communications field. Immediately prior to joining BBB, Katie served as the executive director of Beautify

Corpus Christi Association. In addition, Katie has also worked

in public relations and marketing for large organizations such

as Stripes Convenience Stores and Driscoll Children’s Hospital.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Katie served in many volunteer organizations and on boards of directors, including The Junior League of Corpus Christi, the Coastal Bend Food Bank, Corpus Christi Metro Ministries and the Art Museum of South Texas-Artrageous. Katie currently serves on the board of Beautify Corpus Christi Association.

Katie loves spending time with her husband, Mark, and being a mom to her fur babies, Lucky and Princess Prescott.