McKinney, Texas — [August 12, 2025] — Habitat for Humanity of Collin County recently elected five new accomplished leaders to its 13-member Board of Directors.
“I’m excited to welcome these exceptional community leaders to our Board of Directors,” said Shonda Schaefer, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Collin County. “These five dedicated volunteers bring to the Board an impressive depth of expertise in business leadership, strategy, and development in a wide range of areas, including real estate, law, banking, marketing, communications, and community advocacy.”
The new Directors added to the Habitat of Collin County board include:
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Laurie Pool, the Collin County President at Benchmark Bank who has 23-plus years in multi-sector lending. She is a longtime advocate for financial literacy and a Habitat supporter since 2009.
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Liz Phillips, a marketing, communications, and business development executive with a $200M-plus revenue growth record. She is the former VP of Marketing at Dallas Habitat.
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Bruce French, a real estate leader with senior roles at major homebuilders and extensive experience in residential/commercial development in DFW.
- Justin Krebbs, the Market President at First United Bank Plano-Parkwood who has 24-plus years in commercial lending. He is also active in local business and community organizations.
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Mari McGowan, who is an employment law expert in both the public and private sectors. She is certified in Employee Relations and Investigations by Cornell University.
“I am honored by these new Directors’ interest in serving our organization and look forward to working with them in their new roles as Board members,” Schaefer added.
With these new appointments, Habitat for Humanity of Collin County expands its capacity to serve families and strengthen communities through safe, affordable housing.
“Our Directors are ready to start working toward our organization goals for this coming year,” said Scott Elliott, Habitat of Collin County Board Chair.
On the slate of plans for Habitat of Collin County’s new fiscal year, Elliott said, are ramping up home building with a goal of 20 homes, emphasizing long-range planning, focusing on land acquisition and inventory, and establishing recurring funding to ensure the ability to increase the number of families Habitat of Collin County serves each year.
About Habitat for Humanity of Collin County
Habitat for Humanity of Collin County builds and repairs homes in partnership with families in need, empowering them toward stability and independence with the support of volunteers, donors, and community partners.
