About

Dr. Ann Ziker is the Executive Director of The Brown Foundation, Inc.  She oversees the overall management of the foundation and works closely with the Board of Trustees to set the foundation’s strategy.  Previously, Ann held various senior leadership positions at YES Prep Public Schools, an award-winning charter school network.  Ann’s earlier professional experiences include strategy consulting at McKinsey & Company, nonprofit leadership, academic research, and teaching at a public high school. Ann remains active in education, serving on the boards of several organizations, including Thrive with Autism, the Houston Charter Seed Fund, and Emerge Scholars.  She holds a B.A. with high honors and a doctorate from Rice University. Outside of her professional life, Ann enjoys outdoor adventures, reading, crossword puzzles, and time with her husband and two children.

As Chief Grants Officer, Ryan works in partnership with foundation members, staff, grantees, and community partners to ensure the Foundation’s grantmaking efforts are impactful, effective, and efficient.

Prior to joining The Brown Foundation, Ryan served in various roles in school, education nonprofit, and museum settings. He moved to Texas through Teach For America and started his career as a middle school English teacher in Houston’s East End. Ryan then spent 10 years in Central Texas, primarily in San Antonio, leading recruitment and then teacher leadership efforts for Teach For America. In 2014, Ryan helped launch The DoSeum, San Antonio’s Museum for Kids, as its founding Vice President for Education. He returned to Houston in 2018 and served as Chief of Staff for IDEA Public Schools before joining the Brown Foundation team in 2019.

Ryan has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri and a Master’s in Education Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Ryan and his partner Sandra live in Houston’s East End with their son and two dogs.

Jacklyn joined The Brown Foundation over a decade ago, and she currently serves as Chief Financial Officer. She manages the Foundation’s financial and administrative functions—including accounting, budgeting, payroll, risk management, human resources, and facility functions.

Prior to joining The Brown Foundation, Jacklyn spent more than nine years with BKD, LLP, as an Audit Manager. During her time there, she specialized in the non-profit, governmental, and real estate industries and managed the local office’s non-profit audit team. Jacklyn also created the firm’s intern program, which grew to more than 20 interns during her tenure, and was responsible for intern recruiting, training, evaluating, and hiring.

Jacklyn graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting, and she is a certified public accountant. She and her husband have lived in the Houston area for many years and have two children, ages 11 and 9.

As Director of Grants Management and Evaluation, Robert oversees both the technical components of grantmaking at the Foundation and the analysis of grant reporting and programmatic results.

Previously, Robert managed grants reporting, program, and administrative duties on the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation. For over 10 years, Robert’s career has been devoted to serving Houstonians and Texans at-large. Robert began at BakerRipley helping Houston Independent School District families with children in Head Start programs. He then helped connect families to schools by managing a database and creating and operating a successful call center reaching tens of thousands of families in Houston, San Antonio, and Austin at Families Empowered.

Robert attained his BA in Psychology at UC Berkeley and a MA in International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Prior to joining The Brown Foundation, Sherene served as the Managing Director of Alumni Leadership & Engagement for Teach For America Houston where she oversaw the support and engagement of 1700+ Teach For America (TFA) alumni working towards educational equity and excellence for Houston children. Sherene has also been a member of TFA’s Recruitment team and their Talent Acquisition team. She was a 2005 TFA Houston corps member where she taught third grade at Houston ISD’s Mabel B. Wesley Elementary School.

Prior to her work with TFA alumni, Sherene was a clinical social worker at the Trauma and Grief Center at UT Health under Dr. Julie Kaplow. Sherene holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Psychology as well as a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. She is the proud mom of an amazing son and enjoys reading and traveling when she can. Sherene values and enjoys voluntarism as a member of the Junior League of Houston.

Chereze oversees all aspects of accounting and financial reporting. She is also responsible for negotiating, recording, and maintaining oil and gas mineral interest records, and she works with the Executive Director to evaluate and manage IT needs.

Over her 28 years with The Brown Foundation, Chereze has held a number of roles. During her tenure, she has been responsible for office management, building facilities, and human resources, among other various functions. Chereze graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. A native Houstonian, she and her husband have three sons and four grandchildren.

As Office Manager, Elizabeth oversees The Brown Foundation’s day-to-day function. She manages schedules, greets guests, and works closely with both the grants and accounting department to assist in project execution.

Elizabeth has worked in customer service and administration for over 10 years. A native Houstonian, she and her husband have two rescue dogs.

As a junior accountant, Ivanna supports the financial functions of the Foundation. She records transactions, reconciles accounts, and analyzes data. Prior to joining The Brown Foundation, Ivanna had the privilege of contributing to EMERGE Fellowship’s mission by supporting financial processes and planning college trips for EMERGE Fellows in 11th grade. As a first-generation Latina, college graduate, education is an important aspect of her life, and while interning with EMERGE Fellowship, she found her passion for access to higher education.

Ivanna attained her BA in Economics at the University of Houston and double minored in Latin American Studies, Global Engagement and Research. During her time at the University of Houston, she developed a deep fascination for Latin American history and uncovering historical narratives of the region while traveling.