Meet the FIRST Tech Challenge Advisory Council Members

We are excited to formally introduce the FIRST Tech Challenge Advisory Council, a new initiative designed to elevate the voices of our community and strengthen the overall experience for participants, volunteers, mentors, coaches, and partners across Texas. 

Launched with a recruiting announcement in March, this Council is the first of three program-specific Volunteer Advisory Councils being established this year by FIRST in Texas. These Councils are part of our commitment to foster shared leadership and to ensure that community-driven insights are heard—and acted upon—at the highest levels of our organization, including with our Leadership Team and Board of Directors.  

What the FTC Advisory Council Does 

The FTC Advisory Council serves as a liaison between the community, FIRST in Texas leadership, and the Board of Directors, with a mission to: 

• Report Community Feedback: Gather meaningful insights from teams, volunteers, and partners to help improve areas such as participant satisfaction, volunteer engagement, and community impact. 
• Support Strategic Development: Recommend enhancements to existing operations and suggest new program initiatives aligned with our long-term goals. 
• Drive Positive Change: Promote equitable access to high-quality STEM education across all Texas communities.

Meet the FTC Advisory Council 

The Council includes a diverse group of volunteer leaders from across the state, selected for their commitment to FTC and firsthand, in-depth, and personal knowledge of one or more aspects of FIRST in Texas’ target audiences. It is structured with two Co-Chairs—one representing the Volunteer Community and one from the Board of Directors—along with Members from the Volunteer Community and FIRST in Texas Program Leaders. 

Co-Chairs
Clark McChesney (Volunteer Community) – clark.mcchesney@vol.firstintexas.org 

Eric van Gemeren (Board of Directors) – eric.vangemeren@firstintexas.org
 

Central Texas Region
Michael Gregorio – Michael.Gregorio@vol.firstintexas.org
Gabriel Guerrero – Gabe.Guerrero@vol.firstintexas.org
Cynthia Hopkins – Cynthia.Hopkins@vol.firstintexas.org  

North Texas Region
Stephen McConnell – Stephen.McConnell@vol.firstintexas.org
Richard Wang – Richard.Wang@vol.firstintexas.org  

South Texas Region
Orlando Montalvo – orlando.montalvo@firstintexas.org
Eric Orozco – eorozco@vol.firstintexas.org  

West Texas Region
Luke Boswell – Luke.Boswell@vol.firstintexas.org
Robert O’Connor – Robert.OConnor@vol.firstintexas.org 

Program Leaders
Emily DeMille – emily.demille@firstintexas.org
Patrick Michaud – patrick.michaud@firstintexas.org 

Get Involved 

We invite members of the FTC community: teams, mentors, coaches and volunteers to reach out to Advisory Council members with constructive feedback and ideas that can help move our program forward. Council members are here to listen and represent your voice on matters related to: 

• Program improvement suggestions 

• Community and team experience 

• Volunteer engagement and recognition 

• Equity and access initiatives 

Please note: The Advisory Council is not a channel for personal grievances, formal incident reports, or issues that require direct resolution by FIRST in Texas leadership or FIRST HQ. 

For those concerns, please use the appropriate contacts:  

Issues at a FIRST in Texas Event: https://store.firstintexas.org/feedback/ 

Prefer email? Send your message to: Feedback@firstintexas.org 

Youth Protection Concerns or Medical Incident Reports: Visit the Youth Protection Program | FIRST 

Your Program Leaders and regional Program Delivery Partners are your primary points of contact for all FIRST Tech Challenge-related feedback, including topics such as events logistics, team support, payments, and other program matters. 

Matt James (Central Texas Region) – Matt.James@firstintexas.org  

Lon Cherryholmes (North Texas Region) – Lon.Cherryholmes@firstintexas.org  

Sammy Rivera (South Texas Region) – Sammy.Rivera@firstintexas.org  

Garrett Smith (West/Panhandle Texas Region) – Garrett.Smith@firstintexas.org  

What’s Next 

• Quarterly meetings between the Council and FIRST in Texas leadership 

• Semi-annual reporting to the FIRST in Texas Board of Directors 

• Quarterly Participation in Board of Directors Meetings 

At FIRST in Texas, we know our community is our strength. The launch of the FTC Advisory Council is the beginning of a more responsive and collaborative approach to building the future of STEM education in our state. 

We thank all Advisory Council members for their leadership, and we look forward to working together, team by team, voice by voice, to shape what comes next. 

FIRST in Texas