Founding Donor Campaign

A New Chapter for the Quinlan Panthers!

This journey wasn't straight. For years, the idea of a QISD Alumni non-profit organization grew slowly. We were almost there just before the world shut down—the infamous COVID-19 epidemic—and everything went quiet. But the heart of a Panther doesn't quit! A couple of years later, we picked up the pieces, and in 2022, the QISD Alumni Alliance was officially born.

From that moment, we began the slow, thoughtful process of planning our first major initiative: the Founding Donor Campaign. We had countless variables, meetings, and studies. We debated possibilities, chose the perfect wall space in the Ford High School courtyard, established donor levels, and finally found the right partners to bring it all together. It wasn't without its hiccups, but we genuinely believe it has all come together beautifully, right on God’s perfect timing.

The Vision Becomes Reality

This Wall isn't just stone and tile; it is the foundation for our future. It represents the dream of our original Alliance President, Sean Callahan, Class of 2005, who said it best:

“Any institution’s alumni are key to its growth and success. By forming an alumni network and non-profit organization to partner with Quinlan ISD, we will focus on giving back to QISD students as much as we possibly can through scholarships after graduation, and helping the district to implement a full-scale K-12 mentoring program.”

Sean and several others had a dream, and that dream is officially becoming a reality!

Thanking Our Dedicated Founders and Leaders

We need to start by honoring the people who did the heavy lifting to get us started. Please join me in thanking Sean Callahan, Chad Case, and the original alumni who laid the groundwork! And where would we be without our policy experts? A massive thank you to Phil and Kenna Young for their tremendous help with the bylaws and policy.

We also owe immense gratitude to the late Stacy Earls of D. Earls Tax Services, who secured our non-profit status and kept us afloat even through the shutdown. Stacy’s dedication will never be forgotten.

And now, I want to thank the individuals who have poured their time and passion into making this wall a reality. If you are a current or former board member of the QISD Alumni Alliance, please raise your hand and stand for a moment.

Thank you for your dedication!

Now, to our incredible current board—we did it, we are here! Please help me celebrate the current leadership:

• President Bobby Jones

• Vice President Jerry North

• Vice President of Public Relations Tracie Williams

• Treasurers Bailey Maeker and John Williams

• Vice President of Fundraising John Williams

• Secretary Kendra Neely Walker

• Rebeka Smith Eckert, Joy Cobb Tadlock, Tammy Bryant, Dawn Fouse Guzman, Emily McDaniel, Victoria Dozier Squires, Lacey Cotten, Krystal Harwell, and Avery Jones.

• QISD Liaison, Tiffony Chapman!

Our Partners in Construction

The next-largest thank you goes to the team that physically built our dream: Team North Texas!

Team North Texas is a trusted Dallas/Fort Worth general contractor, but for them, this is truly a labor of love. As Joseph Armstrong said, “Our commitment to not just constructing buildings, but also nurturing the relationships with those who entrust us, is unwavering… Quinlan ISD is the alma mater of most of our main team.”

This beautiful wall literally would not be complete without the in-kind donation and leadership of Team North Texas! Please join me in thanking our Panther alumni leaders: Joseph Armstrong (2004), Nathan Council (2004), Robert Armstrong (2012), Jacob Armstrong (2013), and Jeb Armstrong (2015)! Your work is stunning, and we know this was well over $10,000. Thank you, guys! We love you!

And a special shoutout also goes to Joel Seitz of Seitz Welding and Kevin Sandefer of TNT—you men have been a true blessing.

To Our 174 Founding Donors: You Are the Foundation!

• 4x8 Brick Donors (75 donors who contributed $7,500), please raise your hand!

• 8x8 Wall Space Donors (48 donors who contributed $12,250), please raise your hand! This is incredibly generous!

• 12x12 Wall Space Donors (35 donors who contributed $17,500), please raise your hand! You are truly launching us! From the Lytal Family descendants to the Barrow family and every other family and business in this category, thank you for believing in us.

Your generosity is the spark we needed, totaling $37,250.

Recognizing Our Legacy Investors

To our highest-level investors, we want to give you a specific, heartfelt thank you.

To the 10 donors who purchased the 12x24 wall spaces for $1,000 each—THANK YOU. The Charlie Thompson family, Poulter family, Slaughter Family, Norris & Williams family, the Class of 1992, the Totherow/Duke/Hyman Family, the Sharp Family, Tyler Northcut family, David and Rhonda Bartholomew with Dave’s Heat and Air, and the Upchurch family—your investment will be seen and appreciated for many generations to come.

To the Edward and Donna Smith Family—Rebeka, Jonathan, Paul, and Joe—thank you for your family’s purchase of the 24x24 space and your unwavering support of this organization and our schools.

To the Douglas P. Pritchett Family. Your purchase of the 24x24 space and your lifetime support of Quinlan and our schools are forever etched into our community’s history. 

To the QISD Education Foundation and its board: your purchase of the 24x36 space is a powerful tribute. It signifies the strong relationship we are forming to grow our partnership and support of Quinlan schools together!

And finally, to the Scott Clement Family, your purchase of the 24x36 space to memorialize your late wife, Michelle, and your three Panther daughters, Kendal, Chelsea, and Alex, is very much appreciated.

A Priceless Message from Panthers

Brent and Corey Butcher, Classes of 1993 and 1996. They stepped up and immediately pledged $10,000.

Their message to us, and to the children of today, is this: "Never underestimate your influence!" They want every single teacher, mentor, and coach they ever had, and every one of you who works with our kids today, to know: Our life journey began as Quinlan Panthers with teachers, mentors, and coaches who believed in us, guided us to think outside the box, and pushed us with a sharpness called ‘truth’.

Brent and Corey, thank you for giving back to your hometown. That is truly priceless.

Our Future with QISD

Finally, to the Quinlan ISD leaders: Thank you for being a district worthy of emulation. Thank you for believing in our kids. Thank you for covering more than 152 square miles in rural Hunt County and for doing everything you can to provide the best education possible to all families, regardless of their economic status. From the free college and career programs that started right here in Quinlan ISD to the summer mobile learning cafe, you put kids first. We are committed to becoming a strong partner in supporting your success and, one day, implementing that much-needed K-12 mentoring program.

In recognition of the campaign's astounding success, the QISD Alumni Alliance would like to announce its first five scholarship recipients.

Chris Maynor, Class of 2002 - His in the PHD program for School and Health Psychology at Stephen F Austin State University.

Jerry North, Class of 2009 - He is a QISD para-professional working towards his full teaching certification at East Texas A&M University.

Stormy McBride, Class of 2016 - She is an LVN and is going back to school to become an RN. 

Liam Upchurch, Class of 2020 - He is in medical school at Ross University in Barbados, hoping to become an anesthesiologist. 

Daxton Osment, Class of 2024 - He is a Texas A&M College Station student in the business school and owns a small lawn care business. He received both a scholarship to help pay for his tuition and a grant to support his entrepreneurial spirit, which led him to own a small lawn care business. 

Congratulations to the first-ever alumni to win Alliance scholarships.