Board Members

The CHCS Board

Annual Reports

Daniel T. Barrett

Chair

Dan Barrett has been serving on the Board of Directors for The Center for Health Care Services since 2011. He was nominated by Bexar County Precinct 2 Commissioner Paul Elizondo and is the chairman of the board.

Barrett received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He is currently the President/CEO of Barrett Insurance Services, the first Hispanic commercial insurance agency in San Antonio.

Barrett previously worked with the Texas Council of Community Centers to develop the Texas Council Risk Management Fund, and served on the Risk Management Fund’s first founding board.

Barrett’s dedication to being an active partner in the growth and development of San Antonio and Bexar County is exemplified through his involvement with the Bexar County Small Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (SMWBE) Program, Hispanic Contractors Association of San Antonio, Muscular Dystrophy Association of South Texas, and a number of other civic and community boards.

Hon. Polly Jackson Spencer

Vice Chair

Judge Polly Jackson Spencer joined the Board of Directors for The Center for Health Care Services in 2015 and was nominated by the University Health System Board of Managers.

Judge Spencer received a bachelor’s degree in history from Duke University and a doctorate in jurisprudence with distinctions from St. Mary’s University School of Law. Judge Spencer was Probate Court Judge No.1 for Bexar County for 24 years and was one of the driving forces behind Bexar County’s Jail Diversion Program. She is board certified in estate planning and probate law in addition to being a former adjunct professor at St. Mary’s University School of Law. Currently, Judge Spencer is a visiting judge sitting by assignment.

Judge Spencer has served on working committees to help improve the health and wellbeing of residents in Bexar County. Some of those working committees include Bexar County Mental Health and Substance Abuse Advisory Committee, Substance Abuse Steering Committee for Bexar County, Bexar County Jail Diversion Task Force, and Bexar County Frequent 911 Callers.

Currently, Judge Spencer serves on a number of community boards such as Trinity University Board of Visitors, Deaf Education and Hearing Science Council, San Antonio Chamber Music Society, Morningside Ministries, and San Antonio Academy. She is also a member and director of The Rotary Club of San Antonio.

Donnie Whited

Secretary

Donnie Windham Whited was appointed to the Board of Directors of The Center for Health Care Services in June of 2016 by Precinct 4 Bexar County Commissioner, Tommy Calvert.

Mrs. Whited received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Learning Disabilities from Central State University in Edmond, Oklahoma. She was a member of the first Urban School Leaders Collaborative (USLC), a cohort-based principal preparation program and earned a Master’s of Arts in Educational Leadership. Mrs. Whited has spent the past decade helping children receive a high quality education through her work in the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD). Mrs. Whited is the proud principal of Estrada Achievement Center, the Districts’ Alternative Educational Program. At Estrada she has created a culture of mutual respect, social justice and high educational expectations to ensure that every student has an opportunity to develop holistically. Her purpose is to improve students’ quality of life and their future ability to become productive citizens.

Mrs. Whited is keenly aware of the challenges children with mental health issues face in life and in school, and has formed partnerships with Palmers Drug Abuse Program, (PDAP), Laurel Ridge Treatment Center, Bexar County Mental Health, San Antonio Council of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, (SACADA), Paws for Service and JOVEN. She has been trained in Mental Health First Aid, Crisis Prevention and Intervention (CPI) and Children’s Crisis Intervention for the purpose of increased understanding of drug and alcohol abuse in order to serve the students on her campus. Her goal is to establish a Student Support Center which will assist students with mental health issues and help break the stigma of mental illness.

Mrs. Whited is a certified Life Purpose Coach and a Restorative Discipline Coordinator. She also serves on numerous community boards and committees and has developed strong relationships with parents and community leaders across San Antonio.

Graciela A. Cigarroa

Treasurer

Graciela A. Cigarroa joined the Board of Directors of The Center for Health Care Services in 2015, and currently serves as Secretary. She was nominated by the University Health System Board of Managers. She also serves as Chair of The Center for Health Care Services Foundation.

Cigarroa is an attorney serving as General Counsel for Centro Med. Prior to this position, she was in private practice specializing in nonprofit law and healthcare law. She also serves on several community boards including Heartgift Expansion Board, Thrivewell Cancer Foundation, Alamo City Cancer Council, San Antonio Young Women’s Leadership Academy, University of Texas Health Science Center Council for Excellence in Women’s Health, UTHSCSA Medical Humanities and Ethics Advisory Board, UTHSCSA School of Nursing Advisory Council, UTHSCSA Cancer Therapy and Research Center, Patient Institute, Children’s Shelter, and Family Violence Prevention Services advisory board.

She is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. She served a six year gubernatorial appointment with the Department of State Health Services Council. She is past chair of the Mental Health Association of Texas. Cigarroa served on the Bexar County Women’s Bar Association Board of Directors for seven years chairing the Elder Law Handbook Project. She has also in the past served on the boards of the Zoological Society, Cancer Center Council, the San Antonio Library Foundation, the Bexar County Medical Society Alliance, and the Austin Community Foundation and has volunteered with the CTRC Breast Cancer Symposium.

Cigarroa received her Bachelor’s and Law Degree from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and a Master of Laws in Tax Law from Boston University School of Law.

Margaret M. Vera

Margaret Vera has been a member of the Board of Directors for The Center for Health Care Services since 2012. She was appointed by Bexar County Precinct 1 Commissioner Sergio “Chico” Rodriguez.

Vera received her bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s University and a doctor of jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law.

Vera currently sits on the Board of Directors of the San Antonio Public Library Foundation. Additionally, she is a member of the San Antonio Bar Association Fee Dispute Committee, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, San Antonio Young Lawyers Association, Bexar County Women’s Bar Association, Mexican American Bar Association, and a committee member of the Mexican American Physicians Association. Vera has also served on local community boards focusing on arts in San Antonio, such as the San Antonio Art League Museum and Opera Lyric of San Antonio and was inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame in 2015.

She is currently in private practice in San Antonio.

Hon. Sandee Marion

Chief Justice Retired Sandee Marion served for over 28 years in the Texas Judiciary until her retirement on December 31, 2020. She was elected in 1992 as Judge of Bexar County Probate Court No. 2 where she handled the probate, guardianship and mental health dockets. She served on the Probate Court bench until her appointment to the Fourth Court of Appeals in 2002. In 2014, she was elected to serve as Chief Justice of the Court.

Judge Marion graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin and from St. Mary’s University School of Law. Judge Marion practiced civil law for 12 years before her election to the bench. She is board certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

In 2008, Judge Marion was named Distinguished Graduate of St. Mary’s University School of Law. She is a past President of the Board of the St. Mary’s Law Alumni Association. Judge Marion is an active member of the Rotary Club of San Antonio. In 2018 and 2019, then Chief Justice Marion served as Chair of the Texas Council of Chief Justices. The State Bar of Texas Foundation recognized Judge Marion in 2020 with the Outstanding Jurist of the Award.

Currently, Judge Marion serves as a senior visiting judge and she sits on the Board of Trustees of St. Mary’s University, the Center for Health Care Services and Corazon Ministries.

Roberta Lynn Krueger, M.D.

Dr. Roberta Krueger joined the CHCS Board of Directors in August 2020 as an appointee of Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. Dr. Krueger has been a physician in San Antonio for 37 years, and previously served at the Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Southwest Texas Methodist Hospital, during which time she helped establish a cord blood donation program for stem cells, the first of its kind in South Texas. She received undergraduate degrees in Biology and Psychology from SMU, attended Tulane University School of Medicine and completed her post-graduate work at UT Health (formerly UT Health Science Center).

Dr. Krueger has been recognized for her many achievements in the community, including being named in the Top Docs in San Antonio in Scene in SA Magazine for over a decade, Compassionate Doctor Award (2020) and Consumers Research Council of America Top OB/GYN (2010, 2014). Dr. Krueger is excited about being able to dedicate her time and talent to the active improvement of San Antonio and Bexar County in her new role as a member of the CHCS Board of Trustees.

Travis Smith

Travis Smith has been with University Health in financial leadership positions since 2016. Originally from Temple, TX, Travis is a Fellow of both HFMA and ACHE and holds Masters degrees in Healthcare & Business Administration from the University of Houston – Clear Lake. Prior to joining University Health, Travis was an Entity Chief Financial Officer for the Baylor Scott & White Health System.

As Chief Financial Officer – Clinical Operations, Travis works in support of Reed Hurley, Chief Financial Officer, and other University Health leaders in pursuit of a more efficient organization. Travis’ role at University Health includes direct oversight of Supply Chain, Decision Support/Budget, and Financial Operations teams with a focus on partnership with Clinical Executives and UT Health colleagues to improve the financial outcomes of University Health operations.

Shari Hromas

Shari Hromas has a long history of supporting community efforts to improve mental health and advocating for mentally ill patients and their families. She currently serves on the Executive Board of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Greater San Antonio and Chairs their Committee on Development. In that role, she helps coordinate their annual NAMI Walk for Mental Health, their largest fund-raising event, in addition to working with the Development Director to organize multiple other donor events. NAMI San Antonio awarded her their Board Champion for these efforts in 2023.

She also currently serves on the Development Board of the Center for Health Care Services, assisting them in their community philanthropic efforts. She completed the Masters Leadership Program, training for executive board service in 2021. Her earliest community service efforts were as Vice President of YouthFest, an Indiana faith-based effort to educate and support atrisk high school students to prevent school dropout and early pregnancy. While living in Albuquerque she helped organize Operation Christmas Child, where >15,000 boxes of toys were annually distributed to homeless children in Juarez, Mexico for Christmas. Later, she was the Development Coordinator for the Gainesville Opportunity Center in Florida, a community program where young adults whose lives have been affected by mental illness come voluntarily to rebuild their lives through gainful employment, relationship building, and life skills enhancement. This is an accredited Clubhouse program; which is an award-winning, evidenced-based approach to self-directed recovery from mental illness. In this role, she created, coordinated and served as host for multiple educational and fund-raising events, as well as coordinated their annual banquets, at which she had such notables as the best-selling author Pete Earley and former President Jimmy Carter speak. She also worked for 2 years in Gainesville as a court appointed Guardian Ad Litem. In this role she not only represented the minor’s interests in family court, she also worked to ensure that when a child is taken out of the home and placed in foster care their physical safety, psychological health, and emotional wellbeing are properly protected. Her passion is to reduce the stigma of young people with mental illness through family and community education, thereby keeping these patients from cycles of hospitalizations, homelessness and poverty. She is dedicated to improving the community’s understanding of mental illnesses. She has worked to promote new and innovative therapies for these diseases that will permit social mainstreaming of these complex young patients.

Sheriff Javier Salazar

Ex-Officio Board Member

Sheriff Javier Salazar was sworn into office on January 1, 2017 as the 34th Sheriff of Bexar County. He is a Bexar County native and graduate of Samuel Clemens High School. He attained his Associates Degree in Criminal Justice from the Alamo Colleges District. He later received his Bachelor’s Degree from Wayland Baptist University and holds a Master Peace Officer License from Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

Prior to being elected, Sheriff Salazar served with the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) for twenty-three years. He joined SAPD at the age of 21 and worked in various capacities. Sheriff Salazar first worked as a patrolman, then in Downtown Bike Patrol and was one of the first members of the Community Policing Unit known as the San Antonio Fear Free Environment (S.A.F.F.E.) Unit. He promoted through the ranks of the SAPD also serving in Narcotics, the Executive Protection Detail and in the Office of the Chief. He then became an Internal Affairs Investigator and in 2012, the Director of Communications. His last assignment with the SAPD was as Director of the Department’s Integrity Unit.

During his tenure with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Salazar has created several units including; Adult Detention Mental Health, Contraband Abatement Team and the Applicant Processing Unit. In the interest of community engagement and safety he has also created the Public Integrity Unit, Mounted Patrol, Special Victims Unit as well as the Sheriff’s Community Oriented Response and Education (SCORE) Unit.

He has made community engagement one of the top priorities of his administration. In doing so Sheriff Salazar has created several programs including; Active Shooter Training, Gold Badge Business Certification, Pastors on Patrol, the Senior Fraud Program as well as the Sheriff’s Citizen Academy.

He has been married to his wife Sarah for eighteen years and is the proud father of two daughters.

Sheriff Salazar’s philanthropic work includes serving various nonprofit and community organizations including;

Alamo Youth Center – Advisory Board Member

Ira Smith, Jr.

Board Member Emeritus

Ira Smith, Jr. served as a trustee and past chair of The Center for Health Care Services from 1977 to 1988, and again from August 2003 to February 2004. He served as CHCS’ Vice Chair from 1979 to 1980 and as Chairman of the Board from 1984 to 1985. He was also Chair of the Texas Council of Community Centers from 1986 to 1987, and was named an Honorary Lifetime Board Member of the Texas Council and Member Emeritus of CHCS in 2016.

Ira also served on the University Health System Board of Managers since 2003, and oversaw the Health System’s $900 million Capital Improvement Program. He served on the UHS Pension Board and Quality Risk Management Committee. A graduate of St. Mary’s University, Ira retired from City Public Service (CPS Energy) in June 1998 after more than 33 years, having served in a variety of leadership roles including director of Central Services, director of Technical Services and director of Computer Services. He served and held leadership positions on both the Southwest Texas Methodist Hospital and the Methodist Healthcare Ministries Board of Directors, and was a member of the Community Board for the Methodist and Metropolitan Hospitals.

Sam Williams, Jr.

Board Member Emeritus

Sam Williams, Jr. served on the Board of Directors for The Center for Health Care from 1989 to 2011 and was awarded board member emeritus status in 2011.

Williams received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in education from Our Lady of the Lake University. He is a retired school teacher who devoted 25 years of committed service to teaching fourth and fifth grade students. He previously served ten years in the Air Force as a non-commissioned officer performing a number of diversified duties from Special Project Assignments to the position of Social Actions Director. He also administered the Drug/Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Programs and served as consultant to the Base Commander on all aspects of Drug Abuse Control, Race Relations, Equal Opportunity and Domestic Actions.

Williams previously served on the Board of Directors of the Texas Council of Community MHMR Centers, Inc. He also served on a number of local community boards focusing on education such as the Alamo Alliance of Black School Educators, the San Antonio Task Force on School Dropouts, the National School Volunteers, the Texas Governor’s Volunteers and the Community Workers Planning Council for San Antonio. He previously served as president on the Edgewood Independent School District Board where he was the first African-American to be elected in a largely Hispanic population, and was re-elected for five more consecutive terms.

Williams has also served on the Deacon Board of the Westridge Park First Baptist Church.