Leslie L Blanke, PhD encourages progress through innovation and has a passion for providing service to our Members and our community outside of traditional norms. Dr. Blanke has spent more than 16 years teaching in higher education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She currently is an adjunct professor in the Munday School of Business at St. Edward’s University, where she teaches microeconomics, macroeconomics, law and economics, and industrial organization. She began her career in product-level financial analysis for Hallmark Cards and later entered into litigation consulting through the Forensic and Litigation Services Practice of KPMG.

Dr. Blanke received a B.A. in economics from Tufts University and an M.A and Ph.D. in economics from Southern Methodist University. A great supporter of education at all levels, Dr. Blanke has served on boards and committees at various academic institutions, including St. Edward’s, Concordia University, St. Michael’s Catholic Academy, and St. Austin’s Catholic School. She joined UFCU as a member of the Supervisory Committee in 2015 and was appointed to the board of directors in 2016, where she serves as Treasurer and Chair of the ALCO.

D Michael Harris, PhD, CPA.CITP brings to the board the combined expertise of accounting, business management, and education. Dr. Harris is the managing partner of Harris & Company, LLC, a public accounting firm. Formerly a tenured professor of accounting at St. Edward’s University, Dr. Harris joined St. Edward’s after a business career of almost 30 years, serving primarily as Chief Financial Officer in a variety of companies across several industries.

Dr. Harris earned a B.B.A. in management engineering and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.S. in accountancy from the University of Houston. He has been a licensed CPA for 50 years and is an active consultant and a director of several privately held companies and nonprofit organizations, including the Texas Beta Educational Fund and the Texas Beta Students Aid Fund. He served on the UFCU Supervisory Committee before his election to the Board of Directors.

Jason Kelley is the General Manager, IBM Strategic Partnerships. Jason is responsible for the strategy, revenue, and business performance of IBM strategic partnerships, building on a successful track record in blockchain, AI, IoT, 5G, and other emerging technologies globally across clients, industries, and network ecosystems. Jason is also the IBM Texas Senior State Executive. In this role, he represents IBM in education and government relations advocacy and creates constituent relationships with key state government and community leaders.

As a fortunate graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he is honored to say that he has had the privilege to serve with some of the most talented leaders in the world as a U.S. Army Infantry Airborne Ranger. Jason earned an MBA from the Cox School of Business, with a concentration in Technology and Entrepreneurship. Jason also contributes to IBM’s ongoing leadership in patents as the holder of three U.S. Patents, with others pending.

David W Niesel, PhD believes in the philosophy and outlook of the credit union movement and its Members-first focus. He brings to the board decades of management and education experience. Dr. Niesel is currently an Adjunct Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology at UTMB Health. He is the former Chief Research Officer, Senior Vice President, and Dean of the University of Texas Medical Branch Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. During his time at UTMB, he led his department to a top 10 ranking among microbiology and immunology departments nationally. Dr. Niesel is co-creator of Medical Discovery News, an international radio show, and holds four patents.

Dr. Niesel earned a B.A. in biological sciences from Quinnipiac University and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from North Carolina State University. He has been a UFCU Member since 1980.