James Butler serves as the President for the Professional Leadership Program. He is majoring in Advertising while also pursuing a minor in Spanish. James hopes to begin a career in account services for an advertising agency after graduating. James has been involved in Greek life and has served as a First Flight leader. When not studying, James enjoys practicing foreign language skills, traveling and riding his motorcycle. James looks forward to passing on the many lessons of servant leadership he has learned in the PLP program to the incoming class.

Joshua Bacud serves as one of the Marketing and Communications Coordinators for the Professional Leadership Program. He is an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor’s in Business Analytics. Joshua previously worked as a Marketing Assistant for Klarus Home Care and an Intern for Texas Instruments and Trans-Expedite. Currently, he is working as an Operations Specialist for Omni Logistics. He has previously served as Scholarship Chairman for the Sigma Chi Fraternity and is currently the Annotator, where he coordinates campus programs and philanthropic events. Outside of school, he enjoys live music and spending time with family and friends. In the future, he hopes to start a non-profit organization in Manila, Philippines to help provide food, clothing, and shelter for the homeless.

Kelly Dicken serves as one of the Marketing and Communications Directors for PLP. She is a senior pursuing her undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Art and Design Studies with a concentration in Design Management and a minor in Entrepreneurship. Kelly is currently a graphic designer with UNT Advancement, an Assistant Student Director for the UNT Student Alumni Ambassadors, and a member of the North Texas 40. Previously, Kelly was the Executive Director of Communications for the Student Government Association. She is also a recipient of the 2019-2020 PLP Frank Bracken Scholarship as well as other academic scholarships. In her free time, Kelly enjoys painting, traveling, and spending time with family.

Olawunmi Olasoju serves as one of the Outreach & Volunteer Coordinators for the Professional Leadership Program. She is pursuing a Mechanical Engineering degree with a Manufacturing certificate at the University of North Texas. Olawunmi is currently interning with Southwest Airlines as an Aircraft Maintenance and Performance Engineer, previously interning in Paris, France with a business marketing company. Originally from Nigeria, Olawunmi is passionate about organizations such as Engineers without Borders and Peace Corps and would love to use her engineering skills to influence the world locally and internationally. She loves to travel, spend quality time with family and friends, and serve in her church. Alongside this, she also loves to read business books, cook, dance, sing, and encourage people to become the best versions of themselves. Olawunmi is a recipient of the PLP 2019-2020 Frank Bracken Scholarship and is excited for the opportunity to serve the new PLP students.

Darya serves as one of the Volunteer & Outreach Coordinators for the Professional Leadership Program. In May 2019, she earned her B.A. in Public Relations from the University of North Texas and is now pursuing a Master’s in Business Management at UNT. Darya currently holds a marketing/PR student assistant position at the UNT Health and Wellness Center where she assists with managing weekly, monthly and annual reports and creates health educational programs for students. Upon graduation, Darya would like to pursue a career in the financial industry as a project or account manager. Darya speaks multiple languages including Russian, Ukrainian, Polish and English. In her spare time, she likes to play table tennis, do yoga, rock climb, and travel. She believes that nothing is impossible if you really want it.

James Koonce is excited to serve as Facilitator Liaison for the Professional Leadership Program. He is a senior studying Mechanical Engineering Technology and currently interning at Lennox International. After graduation in 2020, he is hoping to pursue a job in engineering design. In his free time, he loves going camping, trying new restaurants, supporting his old Boy Scout Troop, or watching horrible movies.

Jens Maansson serves as the Leadership Council Coordinator for the Professional Leadership Program. He is a senior studying Marketing and a member of the Professional Sales Program. Jens is currently a Sales Intern at C.H. Robinson Global Forwarding and aspires to become a sales professional one day. He is also a member of Delta Sigma Pi and serving his third year as a Resident Assistant on campus. Jens is always working on including people and making them feel welcome, as he knows how it is coming from somewhere different.

Jens enjoys traveling and hopes to incorporate this into his career by going into global business after graduating in May of 2020. He is also a proud recipient of the 2019-2020 PLP Frank Bracken Scholarship. In his free time, he enjoys working out, spending time with family and friends and his dog Calvin, and spending too much time watching the stock market.

Huda Nahas serves as the External Relations Coordinator for the Professional Leadership Program. She is actively pursuing her MBA with a concentration in business analytics. Huda currently interns at Frito-Lay Headquarters working in supply chain solutions. For the upcoming academic year, she will be the graduate assistant for the G. Brint Ryan College of Business Career Center. In her free time, Huda enjoys spending quality time with friends and family.

She looks forward to meeting and guiding the incoming members and helping them to achieve their own goals and personal growth.

Mireya Sanchez is currently a junior at the University of North Texas pursuing a BS/MS in Accounting. She serves as the Project Manager for the Professional Leadership Program throughout the 2019-2020 school year. Mireya is currently interning at KPMG as an audit intern and is the supervisor for the G. Brint Ryan College of Business Computer Lab. This summer, she had the honor of being selected as a recipient of the 2019 – 2020 PLP Frank Bracken Scholarship.

After a fulfilling first year in PLP, Mireya is excited to guide the new members through the curriculum and hopes to contribute to the program’s success. Mireya enjoys learning new things, especially about diverse cultures and likes to volunteer with The Salvation Army whenever possible. Her hobbies include traveling, and spending quality time with her family and friends while going on adventures. Mireya looks forward to witnessing the professional growth of the 2019 – 2020 PLP class and is eager to see them apply the servant leadership mentality in their everyday lives.

Christian Cruz serves as the Social Coordinator for the Professional Leadership Program. He is an undergraduate student working towards a Bachelor’s degree in Business Integrated Studies with a focus in Finance and Marketing. Christian is currently an intern for Northwestern Mutual, working as a Financial Advisor, and plans to pursue a career in the financial services industry. He is an active member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, having previously served on the executive board, and is also involved in the National Society of Leadership and Success. Outside of school and work, Christian enjoys fitness, networking, and spending time with his friends and family.