Board Members
Board Members
Ayotunde Esho, President
Ayotunde Esho moved to Midland, Texas from New York City in 2014 after completing his dental education and residency training at the New York University College of Dentistry and Mount Sinai Hospital respectively. He and his beautiful wife of fourteen years have since adopted the Permian Basin as their home, along with their set of twins who both currently attend Carver Center.
He was born and raised in Nigeria, where his appreciation for education was developed, and he has always been an advocate for providing a learning environment where every child can thrive and harness their unique talent.
In the course of his career, Ayotunde has held multiple leadership roles such as: Managing Clinical Director at Aspen Dental, Lead Dentist at Smile Brand and Dental Provider at the Midland County Jail. He is currently in the process of transitioning to his solo practice but remains actively involved in peer mentoring and has received multiple awards and accolades as a result.
He is a member of the American Dental Association, the Texas Dental Association and the Permian Basin Dental Association and is involved in several community outreach programs.
Julie Griffis
Julie Griffis moved to Midland with her husband James in 2013. They have two children, both of whom attend Carver Center. Julie is a shareholder at Davis, Gerald & Cremer, practicing commercial litigation. She graduated with an undergraduate degree in theatre and history from Northwestern University and attended law school at Northwestern as well. Julie is actively involved in her community, currently serving on the boards of the Petroleum Museum, the Paralegal Advisory Committee at Midland Community College, the Women in the Profession State Bar of Texas Committee, and the Lou Rosenberg Scholarship Fund. She is the Past President of the Midland County Bar Association and has previously served on the boards of High Sky Children's Ranch and the Junior League of Midland.
Ryan Lovell, Treasurer
Ryan Lovell is a native of Midland, Texas. He has worked in banking for over 20 years, joining Community National Bank in 2000, and is currently serving as the Chief Financial Officer. Ryan graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Texas Tech University and later earned his Master of Professional Accounting degree from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. He received his Certified Fraud Examiner designation in October 2016 and is a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
Ryan has been married to Hillary for 21 years and they have two children, Katie and John, both attending school in MISD. Ryan currently serves on the board of the FBI Midland Citizen’s Academy Alumni Association and has previously served with Midland Need to Read, the UTPB Accounting Association, and the Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society. He is also a graduate of Leadership Midland.
Elise Kail
Elise Kail served 35 years as a passionate teacher, coach, chairperson, and administrator in public education. After 32 years in Midland ISD, she retired in June 2021 as the Chief Transformation Officer. Elise is married to Shane Kail and both their children graduated from Midland High School. Samantha Kail Bronson (husband Luke) is a children’s and youth minister in Littleton, CO and Sloan Kail is a gunsmith in Brownfield, TX.
Shannon Torres
Shannon Torres is a dedicated educational leader with over two decades of experience championing student success, instructional excellence, and community collaboration. As Executive Director of the Education Partnership of the Permian Basin, Shannon leads initiatives that advance the organization's mission: to strengthen education outcomes and workforce readiness across the region.
Before joining the Partnership, Shannon served as Executive Director of School Leadership for Midland Independent School District, where she supervised and supported secondary principals and aligned strategic goals across campuses. Throughout her career as Head Principal at Lee/Legacy High School and Midland Freshmen High School, Shannon has been committed to driving innovation, designing impactful professional development, and forging strong community partnerships.
Her leadership has been recognized through numerous accolades, including Region 19 Principal of the Year and multiple Campus of the Year awards. Shannon's passion for education is rooted in a belief that every student deserves a quality education, which she continuously champions through her work.
Shannon holds a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from West Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Texas Tech University. A proud member of the Permian Basin community, Shannon and her husband, Wes-who serves as the Executive Director of Athletics-are proud parents to three children. Family and community are at the heart of everything she does, and she brings that same commitment to her role, working to build a stronger educational future for all students in the region.
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