The Founder's Trap
What does this mean?
10-year flat revenue, below-market executive comp, and a small board. The organization survives purely on the sweat equity of a founder, making it utterly un-transferable.
The Path Forward
The Dispersal
Forces succession planning and structural maturity. It requires raising capacity-building funds to decouple the organization's survival from the founder's personal sacrifice.
Institutional Epochs
Historical Performance
| Year | Revenue | Top Comp | Comp % Rev | Score | Phase Label | Outlook | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2023 | Hidden | Hidden | 2.9% | 59 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | — | 52 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2021 | — | — | 1.8% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 7.8% | 50 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | 4.8% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2018 | — | — | 5.4% | 50 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2017 | — | — | 5.6% | 54 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | 5.7% | 54 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | 2.4% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2014 | — | — | 2.8% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | 3.1% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | 3.9% | 51 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2011 | — | — | 5.5% | 54 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emily Neff | Board Member | 1.4% of Rev | ||
| Lisa Abel | Chief Development Officer | 0.8% of Rev | ||
| Waris Mustafa | Chief Financial Officer | 0.7% of Rev | ||
| Lamont Jefferson | Board President | — | ||
| Roxanna Richardson | Secretary | — | ||
| Ed Hart | Board President | — | ||
| Wendy Weil Atwell | Board Member | — | ||
| Martha Avant | Board Member | — | ||
| Brenda Betts | Board Member | — | ||
| Jorge del Alamo | Board Member | — | ||
| Thomas Edson | Board Member | — | ||
| Chave Gonzaba | Board Member | — | ||
| Marie Halff | Board Member | — | ||
| Jason Harris | Board Member | — | ||
| Cecilia Herrera | Board Member | — | ||
| Karen Herrmann | Board Member | — | ||
| Emily Jones | Board Member | — | ||
| Jennifer Kelley | Board Member | — | ||
| Rosario Laird | Board Member | — | ||
| May Lam | Board Member | — | ||
| Carolina Roberts Lewis | Board Member | — | ||
| Kim Lewis | Board Member | — | ||
| Jane Macon | Board Member | — | ||
| Katherine Moore McAllen | Board Member | — | ||
| Prentice Huntington Miller | Board Member | — | ||
| Bruce Mitchell | Board Member | — | ||
| Dacia Napier | Board Member | — | ||
| Elizabeth McAllen Roberts | Board Member | — | ||
| Harriett Romo | Board Member | — | ||
| Ambassador Sichan Siv | Board Member | — | ||
| Sidney Swearingen | Board Member | — | ||
| Emory Hamilton | Board Member | — | ||
| Rose Marie Hendry | Board Member | — | ||
| Karen Hixon | Board Member | — | ||
| Claudia Huntington | Board Member | — | ||
| Banks Smith | Board Member | — | ||
| Hector Rivero Borrell | Board Member | — | ||
| Robert Hammond | Board Member | — | ||
| Toby O'Connor | Board Member | — | ||
| Nelson Rockefeller Jr | Board Member | — | ||
| William Scalan Jr | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emily Sano | Board Member | 0.9% of Rev | ||
| Lisa Tapp | Board Member | 0.8% of Rev | ||
| Mary Burch | Chief Development Officer | 0.7% of Rev | ||
| Suzanne Weaver | Artistic Director | 0.6% of Rev | ||
| William Rudolph | Artistic Director | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| Ed Hart | Board President | — | ||
| Lamont Jefferson | Board President | — | ||
| Bruce Mitchell | Board President | — | ||
| Gregg Muenster | Secretary | — | ||
| Roxanna Richardson | Secretary | — | ||
| Martha S Avant | Board Member | — | ||
| Brenda Betts | Board Member | — | ||
| Lenora P Brown | Board Member | — | ||
| Rebecca Cedillo | Board Member | — | ||
| Kevin Covey | Board Member | — | ||
| Jorge del Alamo | Board Member | — | ||
| Dale F Dorn | Board Member | — | ||
| John Eadie | Board Member | — | ||
| Thomas Edson | Board Member | — | ||
| Kathleen Finck | Board Member | — | ||
| Claire Golden | Board Member | — | ||
| Chave Gonzaba | Board Member | — | ||
| Marie Halff | Board Member | — | ||
| Emory Hamilton | Board Member | — | ||
| Rose Marie Hendry | Board Member | — | ||
| Christian Herff | Board Member | — | ||
| Cecilia E Herrera | Board Member | — | ||
| Karen Herrmann | Board Member | — | ||
| Karen Hixon | Board Member | — | ||
| Claudia Huntington | Board Member | — | ||
| Alyda Kniestedt | Board Member | — | ||
| Rosario Laird | Board Member | — | ||
| Jennifer Lee | Board Member | — | ||
| Kim Lewis | Board Member | — | ||
| Martha Lopez | Board Member | — | ||
| Jane H Macon | Board Member | — | ||
| Katherine Moore McAllen | Board Member | — | ||
| Dacia Napier | Board Member | — | ||
| Thomas OConnor | Board Member | — | ||
| William Dean Rasco | Board Member | — | ||
| Corinna Richter | Board Member | — | ||
| Peggy Mays | Board Member | — | ||
| Elizabeth McAllen Roberts | Board Member | — | ||
| William Scanlan Jr | Board Member | — | ||
| Jenny Schimpff | Board Member | — | ||
| A Kate Sheerin | Board Member | — | ||
| Banks M Smith | Board Member | — | ||
| Beth Smith | Board Member | — | ||
| Nancy Steves | Board Member | — | ||
| Sidney Swearington | Board Member | — | ||
| Rich Walsh | Board Member | — | ||
| Mark E Watson III | Board Member | — | ||
| W Richey Wyatt | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katherine C Luber | Executive Director | 1.0% of Rev | ||
| Lisa Tapp | Chief Financial Officer | 0.7% of Rev | ||
| Mary Burch | Chief Development Officer | 0.6% of Rev | ||
| William Rudolph | Artistic Director | 0.5% of Rev | ||
| Ed Hart | Board President | — | ||
| Lamont Jefferson | Board President | — | ||
| Bruce Mitchell | Board President | — | ||
| Gregg Muenster | Secretary | — | ||
| Roxanna Richardson | Secretary | — | ||
| Martha S Avant | Board Member | — | ||
| Brenda Betts | Board Member | — | ||
| Lenora P Brown | Board Member | — | ||
| Rebecca Cedillo | Board Member | — | ||
| Kevin Covey | Board Member | — | ||
| Jorge del Alamo | Board Member | — | ||
| Dale F Dorn | Board Member | — | ||
| John Eadie | Board Member | — | ||
| Thomas Edson | Board Member | — | ||
| Kathleen Finck | Board Member | — | ||
| Claire Golden | Board Member | — | ||
| Chave Gonzaba | Board Member | — | ||
| Marie Halff | Board Member | — | ||
| Emory Hamilton | Board Member | — | ||
| Rose Marie Hendry | Board Member | — | ||
| Christian Herff | Board Member | — | ||
| Cecilia E Herrera | Board Member | — | ||
| Karen Herrmann | Board Member | — | ||
| Karen Hixon | Board Member | — | ||
| Claudia Huntington | Board Member | — | ||
| Alyda Kniestedt | Board Member | — | ||
| Rosario Laird | Board Member | — | ||
| Jennifer Lee | Board Member | — | ||
| Kim Lewis | Board Member | — | ||
| Martha Lopez | Board Member | — | ||
| Jane H Macon | Board Member | — | ||
| Katherine Moore McAllen | Board Member | — | ||
| Dacia Napier | Board Member | — | ||
| Thomas OConnor | Board Member | — | ||
| William Dean Rasco | Board Member | — | ||
| Corinna Richter | Board Member | — | ||
| Peggy Mays | Board Member | — | ||
| Elizabeth McAllen Roberts | Board Member | — | ||
| William Scanlan Jr | Board Member | — | ||
| Jenny Schimpff | Board Member | — | ||
| A Kate Sheerin | Board Member | — | ||
| Banks M Smith | Board Member | — | ||
| Beth Smith | Board Member | — | ||
| Nancy Steves | Board Member | — | ||
| Sidney Swearington | Board Member | — | ||
| Rich Walsh | Board Member | — | ||
| Mark E Watson III | Board Member | — | ||
| W Richey Wyatt | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 8 other orgs in TX with NTEE prefix A5.
Most-divergent component: financial score sits 14 points above the peer median (60 vs. 46).
5-year trend: The Founder's Trap
10-year flat revenue, below-market executive comp, and a small board. The organization survives purely on the sweat equity of a founder, making it utterly un-transferable.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 2.9% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
What would change this score
No specific high-impact levers identified — this org's score is balanced across components.
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.