Photos courtesy of Renda Mathew and Kathy Tran.
Renda Mathew, Trust Dallas’ market president, has been named as the organization’s next chair-elect and will succeed current Board Chair Cris Zertuche Wong in July 2027. In a conversation with Advocate Lake Highlands Mathew and Zertuche Wong discussed what’s ahead for the foundation, from childcare and healthcare advocacy to developing the next generation of women leaders.
You were recently appointed as the next chair-elect. What does this new role mean to you?
Mathew: I’m honored to take over for Cris. This has been an incredible opportunity for me. I’ve been on the Texas Women’s Foundation board for several years now, and when Karen White and Cris approached me, I thought, “What an honor it is to be able to step into this chair-elect role.” I’m excited about the leadership that’s in place today and about following in Cris’ footsteps over the next year, so that when I take over in July 2027, I can continue the good work of the foundation and the work of our founders from 40 years ago.
Can you walk me through the process of selecting a new chair?
Zertuche Wong: It’s so interesting because this is my second year that I’ve been on the board, like Renda, who has been on the board for several years. The beauty of the work is that we actually have a very long pipeline of women who are interested in joining the Foundation’s board. There are 25 board members, but our composition is very diverse, from backgrounds and sectors to women of color and different experiences, because we feel like that’s a much better way to bring people together.
When we think about the chair role, it’s really important that we identify someone for whom this is a priority. For Renda, it’s her passion, and because of her corporate role and her other community work, she has a really good view of what’s happening in North Texas, specifically around women’s issues.
The process is really about names being brought forward, and Renda’s name rose to the very top. I think the track record Renda has and her work around women, as well as her involvement with other women’s organizations, makes her highly respected in our community. I’m very happy because I really do think she’s going to elevate the role.
After listening to Cris share this, how does it make you feel?
Mathew: I have tremendous respect for Cris, Karen White, the organization and all the board members. I mean, they are all deeply committed to this work. I think taking this role was not an easy decision. I took time to think through it. Cris, Karen and other board members made a very compelling case for me to take this role, but really, it had to fit in with what I wanted to do and what my heartwork was. I feel like this is an aligned organization that just makes sense.
It touches on all four things that I am really focused on when I think about volunteerism or board work that I want to do — women, healthcare, kids and literacy. The Texas Women’s Foundation aligns with all of those things, and I think that’s why it was so powerful and why it was an easy yes for me.
I’m committed to the work, and I’m going to be balancing my career and my role as the market president at Truist. But I think they go hand in hand, and I work for an organization that’s truly supportive of that.
What do you hope Renda will bring to the foundation during her time as chair?
Zertuche Wong: I’m super excited that Renda is going to be part of our executive committee as the chair-elect. I’m excited for the partnership, but I know that Renda is someone who’s going to lead us into these next two years in the chapter with a lot of vision and a lot of conviction about our work.
We’re celebrating 40 years of the foundation, and there is a lot of tremendous work that has been completed. But, there’s still a lot of work to do.
What have you been most proud of in the last few years with the Texas Women’s Foundation?
Zertuche Wong: One of the things that I’m most proud of is the Texas Women’s Foundation’s ability to be very consistent in our grant-making and to be very focused on where we invest those dollars. Through our research, we inform how to think about those partnerships, and we have been very intentional about how we identify our partners that we grant to.
Again, we are trying to position the Foundation as an organization that supports other organizations that want to move the needle on removing economic barriers for women. That’s something I think we’ve done well.
The other thing is being intentional about the women that we bring to the table. I think we’re very deliberate in terms of who we partner with, but also who comes onto the board.
Renda, what are you specifically looking forward to as you step into this new position?
Mathew: One of the things Cris mentioned was the Executive Leadership Group, or ELC. I think the ELC program is one in which we can share the work-life balance, which I do not believe is an exact balance, but rather an ebb and flow.
Women in executive leadership positions or emerging leadership positions are the ones we count on to help deliver this message, this research and advocacy. So, I think it’s really important to bring more of that leadership group in.
What projects have you both been working on recently?
Zertuche Wong: We’re right in the middle of working on our childcare advocacy research and partnering with other organizations. Our other big piece is going to be around healthcare. That will be a big initiative and focus.
Lastly, what would you like our readers to know about you?
Mathew: Well, I’m the mother of four daughters. When I look back on my life, where I feel the most influence has always been from the women in my life, starting with my mom and my grandmother before her.
My mom came from India on her own to fulfill a job at Parkland Hospital as a registered nurse when there was a nursing shortage in the early ’70s. Really, just thinking about her picking up a suitcase and moving across the world on her own is a testament to what women do for their families.
She is, first of all, my biggest inspiration. Then, secondly, having four daughters and realizing what the environment is like for them, creating potential opportunities for them by being a leader in this space is really important.
I think seeing my philanthropic work and board work is an important influence for them going forward, particularly with women’s issues. As you know, we are all women, and we want other women to thrive and the communities that we support to thrive, as well as our own individuals.
Zertuche Wong: My story is so similar to Renda’s. I’m the daughter of immigrants. My parents immigrated here from Mexico, chasing the American Dream and looking for economic security for their family. I find a lot of inspiration in that, and I try to honor them through this work.
But I’m also the mom of two daughters. One of them works in healthcare, and she’s on the front line seeing the kinds of needs that women in our community have, particularly women of color in our community. And then I have another daughter who’s in corporate America, who’s just starting her career.
So, I think me sitting in this seat, and also my corporate work and my board work, is what I want them to see. When my parents moved to L.A. and then to Texas, we were one of the first Latino families in the area. My mom was so compelled to find community for us because she was like, “OK, the first thing I’m going to do is create a community for you girls, for myself and invest in that.”
So, she was my role model.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
