Board of Directors

PRESIDENT Christy Knight-Christy, mother of Colton (age 4), has been elected as President. She has lead this organization for several years, increasing membership, developing services and activities, and most important, she has directed bigger and better Buddy Walks for four years in a row, increasing our annual income dramatically. Her husband, Joe, and his son, Justin, are also active and helpful with the DSSG.  VICE PRESIDENT  Sondra White-Sondra, mother of Quentin (age 9), has been working with the group for the past three years on public and media relations for the Buddy Walk and other activities. She works as manager of marketing and communications at the Texas A&M Foundation and her husband, Sam, is a local realtor. TREASURER Darla Dyke-Darla, mother of Dillion (age 13), has been elected as treasurer. She and her husband, Shane, work at Kroger, and are responsible for numerous donations of cash and food for the Buddy Walk and other activities. Darla & Shane work closely with Larry Madearis at Kroger to provide generous support and guidance to the group in so many ways.  Secretary Heather Rutledge-Heather, mother of Bode (age 5), works as a nurse at St. Joseph and has been active in the DSSG for the past few years. She and her husband, Robert also have another son, Rob.  Heather’s father, Doug Weedon, is also active in the group, providing much-needed guidance and all the barbecue at our Buddy Walks. Her mother, Connie, is also of great help and support to the group.  FIRST MEMBER AT LARGE     Ben Erdman-Ben works as a Program Aide for the Engineering Student Services and Academic Programs for Texas A&M.  He is the husband to Wendy Calhoun Erdman, who works for Chick-fil-A.  They have been married for over 4 years and bought a home together.  They also have Down syndrome. SECOND MEMBER AT LARGE Connie Weedon-Connie, grandmother to Bode Rutledge, works as a Medical Clinic Services Manager for MHMR.  Her husband, Doug, who is president of Twin City Mission, have provided tremendous support to their grandson and to the DSSG for the past three years.

Position Descriptions

Board of Directors Position Descriptions       President - direct and oversee all operations and activities of the support group   Vice President -assist the president in directing and overseeing all operations and activities of the support group   Treasurer - assist the president with setting the annual budget, keeping daily/weekly/monthly books balance, working within the annual budget, approving all expenditures; and also assist the board with operations and activities of the support group.   Secretary -  record minutes of each meeting and distribute to all members in a timely manor; other secretarial / bookkeeping duties as assigned by president; and assist the board with all operations and activities of the support group.   First member at large - assist the board with all operations and activities of the support group, with special attention to the needs of people with Down syndrome in our community and in our support group.   Second member at large - assist the board with all operations and activities of the support group.   Each board member is expected to attend all board meetings, all support group meetings, all fundraisers and most social activities. Board members can be voted off the board if they miss more than two board meetings, with few exceptions. All board members are expected to share their ideas and opinions with the board, participate actively in decision-making through discussion and voting, and also to take on active leadership roles in all projects, activities and fundraisers, particularly the annual Buddy Walk. Each board member will be assigned specific duties by the president throughout the year, and they are encouraged to solicit the help of other members, form committees and work together toward our goals.   Most important, all board members should represent the Down Syndrome Support Group in everything they do, and work for inclusion, acceptance and awareness of all people with Down syndrome in our community. Each person you meet, each life you touch, is another person who understands, and that understanding will slowly change the world.