BOARD OFFICERS

Marti Conner

Marti Conner, President

“We all have the gift of time, talent, and resources. What better way to utilize these gifts than to help a child and open their eyes to a brighter future? Seeing the smiles on the faces of every child when they receive new clothes, shoes, books, and more is the biggest blessing of all.”

Marti brings over thirty years of experience in marketing and strategic planning at an executive level, working with some of the largest for-profit and non-profit health care systems in the United States, including Cook Children’s Health Care System and Baylor Health Care System. Her expertise encompasses media and public relations, sales management, community and guest relations, telemarking, and research.

Marti has volunteered with Kids Matter for over seven years, in addition to Chairing the Marketing Committee and various fundraising activities for Kids Matter. She has always been a strong advocate for charitable work, previously working with Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas, First Friday Women’s Group, Project Hand-Up, Fort Worth Children’s Advocacy Center, and the Arthritis Foundation.

Rexanna Sandlin

Rexanna Sandlin, Interim Board Chairman

“Every child is precious and deserves a chance at a full and happy life.”

I have a heart for children and am truly passionate about clothing children in need. I believe clothing can have a huge impact on a child’s self-esteem and attitude. As someone who loves fashion, it brings me joy to see the smile on a child’s face when they leave KOHLS with a bag full of new clothes and shoes. School counselors have told us that the students love the shopping experience that Kids Matter provides and how much of a positive impact it has had.

Rexanna has been involved with Kids Matter for over 15 years. She played an instrumental role in expanding the Around the Block Program, which grew from a small event to clothing 1200-1400 children in a single evening at KOHLS in Southlake. She chaired the event for five years and expanded it to Fort Worth and Austin. Rexanna has also been involved with the annual Charity Ball in some capacity since she began volunteering with KMI and has chaired the event five times. She has served on the KMI Advisory Board and Board of Directors for the last 10 years.

Rexanna is originally from Midland, Texas, where she worked in commercial real estate for Clayton Williams. In 1984, she became Manager of Sales for ClayDesta Communications Company. She later founded and owned an interior design company, San Martins Interiors, and a furniture design company, San Martins, Sally and Me.

She has been married to Bill Sandlin for 38 years and has two daughters. In Midland, she was a member of the Junior League and volunteered with the Midland Children’s Rehabilitation Center, where she served as Chairman of their Board for two years. She was also a children’s leader in Community Bible Study and served on many Walk to Emmaus teams, eventually serving as a Lay Director. She is presently a member of the Genesis Women’s Shelter Auxiliary in Dallas.

 

Bill Sandlin

Bill Sandlin, Chairman Emeritus

“I quickly fell in love with the children and families we serve through Kids Matter. I have been privileged to devote my time and energy to impact the lives of children in need.”

Bill graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. He began his professional career with Johnson & Johnson, served as General Manager for the ClayDesta Corporation and then Bill went on to found Southwest Commercial Investments, Inc. (SCI). SCI exclusively represented First American Bank, First Gibraltar, FSB, Bank One, and Chase Bank in their disposition of assets in the West Texas markets. Bill relocated to Southlake, Texas and became Senior Vice President for Synergy Properties in Fort Worth.

Bill dedicates his time and resources to Kids Matter because they make a large impact in the lives of children in our local communities. Bill and his wife, Rexanna, have two beautiful daughters, Elizabeth and Taylor.

Amy Torres-Lepp

Amy Torres-Lepp, Secretary

My longtime service to the Southlake community, experience, entrepreneurial spirit and passion give me a unique perspective. I believe I can be an advocate for all residents and champion for our city, schools and community.

Integrity, commitment and striving for excellence have been pillars of my success in my years serving our community, both personally and professionally. As a local small business owner and community advocate, I want to help Southlake continue to improve for our residents, businesses and future generations.  

​Serving on the Planning & Zoning Commission was instrumental to my understanding of our city’s development, decision making, and evaluation of zoning changes submitted to the City Council. My experience evaluating proposed changes, recommendations and sign variances was invaluable. As a commissioner, I gained a better understanding that our community and lifestyle did not result from simple economic growth and development. Rather, our beloved city is the outcome of the dedication, commitment and countless hours of planning by current and former community leaders. As your next City Councilwoman, I intend to continue the work of those leaders before me to keep Southlake what we know and love today.