Mckena Harliss

Mckena Harless is the owner of True North Strategies, a marketing management agency dedicated to helping businesses in the home service industry shine brighter than a freshly polished HVAC unit. With over eight years of experience in the trenches of home services, she knows the difference between a good campaign and a pipe dream (and yes, she appreciates a solid pun).

Born and raised in Granbury, Texas, Mckena’s roots run deep. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communication from Angelo State University, which she now uses daily to juggle marketing strategies, client calls, toddler negotiations, and the occasional interpretive dance in the living room.

When she’s not running her business or running after her kiddo, Mckena loves spending time outdoors, belting out a tune (sometimes in the car, sometimes in the shower, always at full volume), and hanging out with her friends – ideally with snacks
involved.

Above all, she’s a proud wife and mama, balancing entrepreneurship and family life like a pro (or at least like someone who always remembers where the coffee is).

Janice Horak

Ms. Janice Horak, a graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio, has been with Tarleton State since 1996, originally serving as Director for the Dora Lee Langdon Cultural and Educational Center in Granbury and moving to the Stephenville campus in 2011 where she now serves as Executive Director of Development working with donors to secure financial support for students, faculty and programs across the university but concentrating on the Colleges of Liberal & Fine Arts and Leadership & Military Studies and the Honors College. Janice is the lead officer in Planned Giving and oversees the University’s Permanent Art collection. She has procured over $300,000 in donated art for the university, and in the past seven years, she has raised over $27 million for Tarleton.

A resident of Granbury, Janice has served on the boards of directors for the Cross Timbers Fine Arts Council and the Granbury Chamber of Commerce. She is a founding member of the Jazz Society Hood County which annually produces the Granbury Jazz Fest, Jazz in Class and Jazz at Sledge.

Along with her friend, Stephen Wilson, Janice cohosts a weekly music show on Tarleton Public Radio – KTRL.

Jennifer Patrick

Jennifer Patrick began her professional career as a first-grade teacher after earning a Bachelor of Science in Education with a minor in Psychology from the University of Northern Arizona.

A natural mentor, she transitioned into the mortgage industry as a corporate trainer in 1999 eventually building an 18-year career in lending and leadership across the Pacific Northwest.

In 2019, Jennifer and her husband of 25 years threw all the cards in the air and moved to Granbury, Texas, seeking a fresh start and a stronger sense of community. Today, she serves as Sales Manager at Mason-McDuffie Mortgage, where she brings her signature blend of heart, grit, and people-first leadership to every client and colleague she works with.

Jennifer is on the Women in Business Planning Committee, a member of the Granbury Realtors Association, an Ambassador for the Granbury Chamber of Commerce and sits on the board for Leadership Granbury.

She’s a proud mom of two college-aged daughters and two very spoiled dogs. She is passionate about personal and professional growth, reinvention, and the power of women lifting each other up.

Teena Conway

Teena Putteet Conway is a native of Cresson, Texas, having gone to school for first and second grade in the Historic Cresson school that is now a museum.

She is a Granbury High School graduate as well as earning a BBA from Baylor University.

After marrying and raising her family in the DFW metroplex for the past 40 years, she returned to her hometown. She and her husband, Jerry, have three grown children and one grandson.

Teena served as Mayor of Cresson for two terms and ran on a mission to clean up Cresson to position her small town to attract quality businesses and loving families to her hometown.

Currently, Teena resides in the newly developed Putteet Hill and is fully retired! She does not miss being asked when is the bypass going to be completed?

Elizabeth Rawlings

Elizabeth is a native of a small town in Southern Indiana where she grew up on a family farm. She credits her rural upbringing with instilling in her strong values of faith, responsibility, respect and accountability. Those values still serve her today as the cornerstones for her personal and professional approach.

Elizabeth’s professional background includes sales, marketing, communications, technology and client success. During her
diverse career she has managed multi-million dollar client portfolios and partnerships.

Elizabeth is a proud alumnus of Murray State University in Kentucky, where she earned her bachelor’s degree, and Tarleton State
University in Texas where she earned her MBA. In December she will graduate from the University of North Texas with her PhD in Information Science.

Most importantly, Elizabeth is a wife and mother. She is proud to call the charming town of Granbury, home.

Cissy Wilson

Cissy proudly hails from Wichita Falls, Texas. A native Texan, she left the state for only five years to study at an all girls school in Washington, DC. Her selection of learning institutes actually set the direction of her entire adult life. The school’s Moto “She who conquers herself, Conquers All”, became the foundation of all of Cissy’s endeavor.

Cissy and her husband, lovingly known as Doc, moved to Granbury in 1980. It was a perfect match for Cissy, for Granbury allowed anyone willing to roll up their sleeves the opportunity to become all that they can be. In addition to juggling the rolls of wife and mother, Cissy began to engage in rolls she never thought possible, Jewel Ball Chairwoman, Opera Ball Chairwoman,
member of the Board of Directors of numerous community non profits. The most important commitment to her community has to be the 15 years she served as a Granbury City Councilwoman.

During a portion of her 15 years as a leader, she was elected to serve as Mayor Pro Tem. With this honor, Cissy made history as the first woman in Granbury’s history to serve as Mayor in his absence.

In 1991 Cissy’s life took a challenging turn. After three weeks in the hospital, she was sent home with the news she would be an invalid the rest of her life. Remember her school Moto? These doctor’s did not know her and she could handle this.
Handle it she did and within a year she was back in the saddle. However there were many changes she had to make…one of which would be the enormous void left from her diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. She could no longer participate in the athletic pursuits she once excelled at.

Enter her family with the gift of a camera. OH NO said Cissy…camera’s scare me to death. Fear almost kept her from discovering her hidden gift, her passion. She is now an internationally known and honored photographer. Her images have appeared in local, national and international publications. Her photographs can be found hanging in private collections across the nation.

Fear can be a powerful emotion often keeping us from trying new things. Cissy overcame her fear by digging deep down and reminding herself of the powerful words she has set her life’s course upon…. “She who conquers herself, conquers all.”

Amy McKay

Amy McKay is celebrating her 31st year of teaching in the school of Kinesiology at Tarleton State University. Over the past three decades, Amy has served in many roles at Tarleton. In addition to teaching, she has been the Director of the Texan Star Dance Team, Curriculum Coordinator for the Texas Public Schools, and the Director of the University Wellness Program, which serves to meet the unique fitness and wellness needs of Tarleton’s 4,825 full-time and part-time employees. Her favorite classes to teach are Sports Nutrition, Exercise Programming for Special Populations and Fundamentals of Group Exercise. Amy teaches yoga, step aerobics,
interval training, Zumba, Pilates and water aerobics.

Amy and her husband, Stan, have lived in Granbury for 27 years. They have 2 sons: Cash, 26 and Carter, 21. The McKay Family is grateful to call Granbury, “home!”