Marketing, Events, Public Relations, Community Impact, Finance, and Board roles for 2026.
No matter your industry, we have a role that fits your passion.
President
Mati Fombang is a talent and growth strategist, entrepreneur, and community leader passionate about helping people and ideas grow with intention. She currently serves as President of the Dallas Junior Chamber, where she is focused on creating meaningful opportunities for young professionals to build authentic connections, develop as leaders, and make a lasting impact in the Dallas community.
VP of Programs
Ashley Smith is a strategic HR leader and people partner with experience at globally recognized companies including Tesla, Target, and Walmart. She currently serves as Senior Manager, People at Walmart-VIZIO, where she partners with engineering and business leaders to support organizational growth, transformation, M&A integration, and workforce strategy in fast-paced environments.
Co- Chair
A native of Jordan, Yazan Kakish brings over 16 years of expertise in marketing, communications, and public relations to the College of Business at ETAMU. His career spans corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors, with notable experience at global organizations such as KBR, Inc., Ogilvy, and Marriott International’s W Amman. His diverse background in advertising, branding, and strategic communication has positioned him as a leader in his field.
Brandon Ward is the founder and CEO of Keysha.ai, an AI-powered productivity OS designed for founders, operators, and professionals whose brains don't work in straight lines. He's spent over a decade building software across startups, fintech, and large-scale enterprise systems. Early in his career, he built an unofficial proof of concept at a major bank that got greenlit and deployed to 600+ branches. He's since shipped products at VC-backed startups, led engineering teams, and worked deep inside complex enterprise architecture. That range of experience shaped Keysha, where he's tackling the gap between intention and execution for people who are tired of productivity tools that become just another thing to manage. Brandon holds an MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology and a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Alabama. He hosts the Test Kitchen Podcast, served as President of the Dallas Junior Chamber of Commerce, and is a three-time Spartan racer and Vipassana meditation practitioner. He lives in the Dallas area with his two daughters.
Jon Pattie is a Dallas-based professional with a diverse background spanning the music, business, and finance industries. He began his career in music, where he developed a strong foundation in creativity, branding, and relationship-building before transitioning into business and operational roles.
He has since gained experience in client services and business development, and is currently focused on advancing his career in finance. Alongside his professional work, Jon is actively involved in the nonprofit community, serving on the boards of the Dallas Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Recovery Resource Council.
International sales professional with experience in travel, startups, entrepreneurship, nonprofit, and sports organizations. Worked for a company in orange county that got a deal on Shark Tank. Jaycee's journey started in 2017 when I was named Jaycee of the Year for region three in IL and outstanding new member in 2017. Honored as Texas JCI 2021 Top Recruiter & second overall in USA. 2023 President of Dallas Junior Chamber of Commerce (DJCC). Elected as the 99th State President for Texas in 2026 leading the states 12 JCI chapters. Currently serves on 4 nonprofit executive boards. Outside of work and nonprofits I have a passion for travel, breweries, photography, sports and going on adventures with friends. To date I have been to 43 countries and 49 states.
DJC's mission: develop young leaders through service, professional growth, and inclusive community. We are the catalyst for Dallas's next generation of changemakers.
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