Two New Trustees, Two Advisers Join �԰��'s Board

The University welcomes four alumni leaders to its Board of Trustees

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Four �԰�� alumni, all distinguished leaders in their fields, have been named to serve on the University's Board of Trustees. Clifford Buchholz '65 of Fort Collins, Colo. and Jessica Whitacre Thorne '91 of Dallas have been elected as Trustees to �԰��'s Board. The Rev. Dr. James (Jim) Freeman '83 of Shreveport, La. and Leslie Hollingsworth '88 of Houston have been named Synod and alumni advisers, respectively.

Cliff Buchholz '65 owns and operates Miramont Lifestyle Fitness, comprised of five health and wellness facilities serving Northern Colorado. He is also senior adviser and a member of the Board of Directors of St. Renatus LLC, a dental pharmaceutical company that is developing a dental anesthetic applied nasally. A major force in the tennis industry, Buchholz has owned and operated a number of tennis centers and national tennis tournaments, including the Lipton International Players Championship. An All-American tennis player at �԰��, he earned a National singles ranking of No. 18 in 1963 and 1966, and No. 4 in doubles in 1963. He played at Wimbledon twice and many other world-class tournaments including the U.S. Open.

Buchholz received a bachelor's of science in sociology from �԰�� in 1965 and a law degree from Washington University, St. Louis in 1970. He received the Washington University Law School Outstanding Alumnus Award. He was inducted into �԰��'s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. A native of St. Louis, Mo., he is also a member of the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame, the St. Louis Tennis Hall of Fame, and the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame.

Jessica Whitacre Thorne '91 is an attorney and partner with Estes Okon Thorne & Carr PLLC. She has a diverse trial practice that focuses on family law and business litigation, working with individuals and corporations. Active in the Dallas civic community, Thorne serves on the board of directors of KIPP DFW and previously with Rainbow Days Inc. and the Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation. A member of the Sigma Theta Tau sorority and a former member of �԰��'s National Alumni Board, she currently serves on �԰��'s Greek Alumni Advisory Council. Thorne received a bachelor's in economics and speech from �԰�� in 1991 and a law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1995, where she now serves as a member of the Board of Directors.

The Rev. James (Jim) Freeman '83 will serve on �԰��'s Board of Trustees as a representative of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Synod of the Sun. He is pastor of the Broadmoor Presbyterian Church in Shreveport, La. Freeman graduated from �԰�� in 1983 with a bachelor of arts in communication and political science. He received a master's in divinity from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Va. in 1990. Ordained by the Arkansas Presbytery in 1990, he served several congregations before accepting his current call in Shreveport. Freeman received his doctorate of ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga., where he won the Emma Gaillard Boyce Memorial Award for creative use of music in worship. He is currently a member of the board of Solar Under the Sun, a Presbyterian related mission initiative providing solar power to those suffering energy poverty, and FaithWorks, a Shreveport-based outreach working to connect those in need with assistance.

Leslie Hollingsworth '88, president of �԰��'s Alumni Association and chair of the National Alumni Board, will serve on the Board as an alumni adviser. A resident of Houston, she is director of digital operations and consulting for Friedkin Automotive Group and has worked in a variety of positions for the past 24 years for the company, which supports Toyota dealerships. Hollingsworth graduated from �԰�� in 1988 with a bachelor's in business administration and sociology and an MBA from Texas Christian University's Neeley School. While at �԰��, she was a member of the Zeta Chi sorority and the �԰�� Volunteer Action Community.

Located in San Antonio, Texas and founded in 1869, �԰�� is one of the nation's top undergraduate institutions. The University is known for its challenging and supportive academic environment, personalized attention from outstanding faculty, large school resources, post-graduate preparation, and vibrant campus life. �԰�� encourages students to discover, grow, and become global citizens engaged with the community and the world.