Khoa Dao And Stacie Pitts Join As Governing Directors, While Gretchen Watkins, David Balderston, And Pablo Hernandez Schmidt-Tophoff Are Named As Trustees

Reverend Ray Mackey Is Named Chair Of The African-American Leaership Council;Alejandro Gallardo Appointed Chair Of The Hispanic Leadership Council

Photos here

HOUSTON, TX (October 13, 2025)—

The Houston Symphony announced today a number of new members of its Board of Trustees and Chairs of its Leadership Councils.

At its September 30, 2025 meeting, the Houston Symphony Board of Trustees approved the following additions to the Board: Khoa Dao and Stacie Pitts were named as Governing Directors, while David Balderston and Pablo Hernandez Schmidt-Tophoff were elected as Trustees. In addition, Gretchen Watkins moves from being a Governing Director to Trustee.

The Reverend Ray Mackey, III is the Symphony’s African American Leadership Council Chair for the 2025–2028 Seasons, and Alejandro (Alex) Gallardo, Global Logistics Lead at Chevron, is the Symphony’s Chair of its Hispanic Leadership Council for the same period. Both leaders join the Board of Trustees as ex-officio members and play important roles in the Houston Symphony’s connections with Houston’s diverse communities.

“The Houston Symphony continues to attract strong community leaders to our Board, and I am delighted to welcome Khoa Dao, Stacie Pitts, David Balderston, Pablo Hernandez Schmidt-Tophoff to the Board, and for Gretchen Watkins to take on a new role as well,” said Barbara Burger, President of the Symphony Board of Trustees. “I am also grateful to Reverend Mackey and Alex Gallardo for taking on the chair roles of our two leadership councils. These leaders all bring unique skills and perspectives to the Houston Symphony, and I look forward to working with them to advance our mission and reach more people in our community.”

Khoa Dao is Chief Commercial Officer at ConocoPhillips, overseeing global commercial activities for natural gas, LNG, crude oil, NGLs, and power. With over 35 years in the energy industry, he has held senior roles across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Asia, including CEO of Australia Pacific LNG and President of ConocoPhillips Australia. Khoa has served on several industry and community boards and is based in Houston with his wife of 29 years. They have two sons and enjoy the arts and symphony. While in Brisbane, they supported the Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s outreach to remote communities.

Stacie Pitts leads global crude trading at Shell, overseeing the purchase and sale of roughly 8 million barrels of oil per day. She assumed the role in 2021 and now heads one of the largest crude oil trading operations in the world. Her team plays a critical role in Shell’s supply chain and financial performance, navigating complex markets during a time of industry volatility and transformation. Stacie serves on the board of Camp For All, a barrier-free camp for children and adults with special needs to experience the thrill of nature and camping.

David Balderston and his wife, Barbara, have been Houston Symphony Classical Series subscribers and donors for over 35 years. Originally from the Philadelphia area, David was a trombonist in his youth, performing with the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra and various brass ensembles, primarily at local churches. He had a 41-year career in chemical engineering and finance with LyondellBasell Industries and its predecessors, which included international travel. The family relocated to Houston in 1985, where David spent the remainder of his career before retiring in 2019.

Pablo Hernandez Schmidt-Tophoff is a Managing Director in Lazard’s North American Energy Group, based in Houston. Since joining Lazard in 2012, he has advised on a wide range of domestic and cross-border transactions across M&A, restructuring, capital raising, and energy transition. Before Lazard, he worked at UBS AG in Panama, managing private client portfolios across Latin America. Pablo serves on the board of Inprint and sits on the steering committees for both The Menil Collection’s Contemporaries group and the Lazard Foundation.

Gretchen Watkins served as President of Shell USA, stepping down on July 31, 2025 after seven years in the role. Watkins led the strategic integration of Shell’s U.S. businesses and was a key voice in national energy policy. She also served as EVP of Upstream Unconventionals, overseeing operations across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. Prior to joining Shell in 2018, she was CEO of Maersk Oil, where she led the company through its sale to Total, following senior roles at BP, Marathon Oil, and Maersk across North America, Europe, and Asia. Her career began nearly 30 years ago as a facilities engineer for Amoco in the Gulf of Mexico. Watkins currently chairs the Greater Houston Partnership, serves on the boards of the Mosaic Company and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Energy Advisory Council, and is a former board member of Communities in Schools and W.S. Atkins. Since 2022, she has also served as a Governing Director of the Houston Symphony, representing Shell.

The Reverend Ray Mackey, III is a proud fifth-generation Texan, and one who values his Irish and North African heritage. A distinguished faith leader and past fellow of the Harvard Divinity Schools ‘Religion and the Practice of Peace Colloquium’ serves across the nation with an ardent spirit of ecumenism and a multifaceted passion for his nationally founded lifting lives through literacy initiatives. As a well-known ambassador on behalf of educational and literacy awareness, including a longstanding cohort and partner of the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, Reverend Mackey also served as a former Ambassador of the Houston Galleria Chamber of Commerce as well on various public schools, scholastic, civic, and international executive committees. In parallel to his Symphony roles he serves as an Executive Pastor, and as Chairman of the Biz Mackey Family Foundation (BMFF).

Prior to being selected as chair, Reverend Mackey previously served as Vice Chair of the Symphony’s African American Leadership Council since 2021 and has been an integral part of the council since 2017.

“I am extremely honored as the new Chair to lead this dynamic group comprising The Houston Symphony’s African American Leadership Council,” said Reverend Mackey. He aims to lead the AALC by broadening its mission through the Houston Symphony’s shared initiatives and various genres of classical performances across the Greater Houston Community.

Alex Gallardo is currently Senior Manager of Supply Chain Management at Chevron, where he has served for over 21 years in roles of increasing responsibility across Downstream, Midstream, and Upstream operations. His career spans more than three decades in procurement, logistics and materials management, including 13 in the fashion industry prior to joining Chevron. Alex is passionate about advancing the supply chain profession and takes pride in mentoring the next generation of industry leaders. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and an MBA in International Business. Additionally, Alex serves on the Board of Directors for Preservation Houston, where he contributes his leadership and strategic insight to support the organization’s mission of promoting preservation and appreciation of Houston's architectural and cultural historic resources. He and his husband Angel live in Montrose, and are proud supporters of Houston's vibrant arts and culture community.

Gallardo first became interested in the Houston Symphony after learning that Chevron has supported the organization for close to four decades now—a legacy that inspired him. About four years ago, Dr. John Cisneros, then Chair of the Hispanic Leadership Council, invited Gallardo to join the Hispanic Leadership Council, and last year he was elected Vice Chair, continuing to support the Symphony’s mission and community engagement efforts.

“I’m deeply honored to serve as Chair of the Hispanic Leadership Council, continuing the incredible legacy of those who came before me,” said Gallardo. “As advocates, hosts, and champions of the Houston Symphony, we have a unique opportunity to connect with our community—while at the same time disconnect from the everyday—all through the transformative power of music.  Our goal for the council is that we play a vital role in influencing programming that not only celebrates Latino culture but also highlights how it beautifully intersects with other musical genres, fostering inclusion, collaboration, and a richer artistic experience for all audiences.”

The Houston Symphony’s African American and Hispanic Leadership Councils are composed of business, education, and community leaders who champion the Symphony’s institutional priorities and help extend the reach of its concerts and programs to a broader audience. Serving as trusted advisors, Council members provide valuable insight into how the Symphony can more deeply connect with and reflect the Black and Hispanic communities of Greater Houston.

About the Houston Symphony

Under the leadership of Music Director Juraj Valčuha, the Grammy Award-winning Houston Symphony continues to inspire and engage diverse audiences in Houston and beyond with exceptional musical performances and enduring community impact. The Symphony held its inaugural performance at The Majestic Theater in downtown Houston on June 21, 1913. Now in its second century as one of America’s premier orchestras, the Houston Symphony is one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas and remains a cultural cornerstone of the region.

With an annual operating budget of $40.7 million, the Symphony presents over 130 concerts each year, making it one of the largest performing arts organizations in Texas. Its reach extends far beyond the concert hall, delivering more than 600 performances annually at schools, community centers, hospitals, and other venues, engaging over 160,000 people throughout Greater Houston.

The Symphony's innovative response to the COVID-19 pandemic—completing its 2020-21 Season with in-person audiences and weekly livestreams—earned national recognition and the ASCAP Foundation’s Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Broadcast/Media Award. Its commitment to innovation continues, with its 2024-25 Season reaching audiences in over 45 countries and all 50 states via livestreaming, making it one of the few American orchestras to sustain such global digital engagement.

Renowned for its artistry, the Symphony has a distinguished recording legacy under prestigious labels, including Koch International Classics, Naxos, RCA Red Seal, and Pentatone. Highlights include a Grammy and ECHO Klassik Award-winning live recording of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck and recent releases such as Jimmy López Bellido’s Aurora and Ad Astra (2022) and Jennifer Higdon’s Duo Duel (2023).

The Symphony’s educational impact is equally remarkable, with its Harry and Cora Sue Mach Student Concert Series reaching over 50,000 students annually. Its In Harmony after-school program and partnerships with institutions like the Houston Methodist Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Texas Children’s Hospital further demonstrate the Symphony’s commitment to fostering community connections and accessibility to the arts.

With a vision centered on artistic excellence, community engagement, and accessibility, the Houston Symphony remains a cultural leader in Houston and a global ambassador for the transformative power of music.

For more information, please contact

Eric Skelly, eric.skelly@houstonsymphony.org

Jessica Henderson, jessica@theckpgroup.com