Ladies in Leadership | Legacy of Service to San Antonio

Barbara B. Gentry retired from USAA in September 2012 after nineteen years of service.  She retired as Senior Vice President of Community Affairs, President of The USAA Foundation and President of The USAA Educational Foundation.  In this role, she was responsible for the USAA philanthropic program, community outreach and volunteer programs for employees, retirees and family members.

Prior to joining USAA, she held various positions in the local business community.

Barbara currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Haven for Hope.  Additionally, she is a member of the Advisory Council of the San Antonio Food Bank and serves on a number of committees within the local nonprofit community.

She earned a BA Degree from St. Mary’s University majoring in Sociology.  

Barbara is married to C. Michael Gentry, a retired attorney and CPA.

Storytelling with intent and purpose is the throughline of Mary Ullmann Japhet’s career as a communications leader, strategist, and entrepreneur. As the owner and founder of Japhet Media, Mary partners with companies, nonprofit organizations, and individual leaders to elevate their stories through public and media relations, media training, and video and audio production, always with a focus on authenticity, impact, and connection.

Previously, Mary spent 18 years as Senior Vice President of Communications & Community Engagement for San Antonio Sports, where she played a key leadership role in promoting world-class events such as NCAA Final Fours alongside transformative youth sports and community initiatives. Her work helped generate more than $1 billion in economic impact for the region while strengthening San Antonio’s national reputation as a premier sports destination.

Mary began her career as a television journalist, serving as a reporter, anchor, and producer at KENS 5 in San Antonio, and later working in Los Angeles on news and entertainment programs for E!, The Learning Channel, and Oprah’s Harpo Productions, experiences that continue to shape her approach to clear, compelling storytelling.

Deeply committed to mentorship and community leadership, Mary was named Trinity University’s Entrepreneur in Residence for 2019–2020 and continues to mentor students pursuing entrepreneurial paths. She is the first female chair of the San Antonio Sports board of directors and serves on the boards of the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas, Geekdom, and The Basketball Embassy.

A graduate of Trinity University, Mary lives in San Antonio with her husband, Chuck Japhet, a real estate attorney. They are the proud parents of Kapp and Alison Japhet, two UT Longhorn graduates.

Laura Vaccaro is the Chief Executive Officer of the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, overseeing all operations of a perpetual charitable trust established by Albert and Bessie Mae Kronkosky and administered by corporate trustee Bank of America. The Foundation’s mission is to produce profound, tangible, and measurable good in Bandera, Bexar, Comal, and Kendall counties in Texas.

With more than $400 million in assets and annual grantmaking of $15–$20 million, Laura leads the Foundation’s strategic direction and grantmaking priorities in partnership with a three-person Distribution Committee. She also manages the Foundation’s San Antonio–based office at the Weston Centre, leading a team of professional staff. Since its inception 28 years ago, the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation has distributed approximately $400 million to more than 500 nonprofit organizations across Texas. As CEO of one of the largest grantmaking organizations in the state, Laura represents the Foundation daily through extensive civic and philanthropic engagement.

Prior to joining Kronkosky, Laura spent nearly a decade as Vice President for Community Investment and Engagement at Valero Energy, where she led all community investment activities for the Valero Energy Foundation and Valero Energy Corporation. She also oversaw employee engagement strategies, including Valero’s volunteerism programs and community events. Previously, Laura served for 12 years as Executive Director of Learning, Education, and Development at Valero, directing leadership development, e-learning, and professional development initiatives for more than 10,000 employees across the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Peru, Mexico, and Canada.

Earlier in her career, Laura spent 12 years in the healthcare industry, gaining extensive experience in management, marketing and public relations, physician relations, events, and hospital operations. She also served for five years as an adjunct faculty member at the University of the Incarnate Word, teaching management and marketing.

A deeply engaged civic leader, Laura is actively involved in numerous community organizations. She currently serves as a Tri-Chair of Leadership San Antonio during its 50th anniversary year and is a proud alumnus of the program. She served as Chair of the San Antonio Greater Chamber’s Tribute to Women Business Leaders in 2023 and 2024 and joined the Chamber’s Board of Investors in January 2025.

Laura is currently Chair of the Board of Trustees for United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County. She has held numerous leadership roles within United Way, including inaugural Chair of the Human Resources and Diversity Committee and Chair of Women United from 2016 to 2019. During her tenure with Women United, membership grew to more than 3,000 and over $10 million in leadership gifts were raised in support of United Way and childcare scholarships. She also served on the Women United Global Leadership Council, the Women’s Leadership Council Advisory Board, and the San Antonio Campaign Cabinet.

Laura is Chair of the Alamo Area Community Network, a closed-loop referral platform founded by Kronkosky that connects individuals to nonprofit services across San Antonio. She has chaired and served on numerous charitable gala committees, including as Chair of the Go Red for Women Campaign for the American Heart Association and Chair of the Tobin Center’s 10-Year Anniversary Gala.

She currently serves on the Advisory Board for Early Matters San Antonio. Laura also completed a nine-year term on the National Board of Directors for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and a 15-year term on the South Central Region Board of Trustees, where she held leadership roles including Governance Chair and Nominating Chair. She was inducted into the National MS Society Hall of Fame in 2015 for fundraising excellence.

Laura has received numerous honors for her civic leadership, including induction into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame, the Hope Award from the Tribute to Women Business Leaders, the Comet Award from the San Antonio Women’s Chamber of Commerce, the OutStander Award from the Harlequin Feel Good Movement, and the Joci Straus Trailblazer Award from United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Laura has proudly called San Antonio home for more than 37 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Gannon University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of the Incarnate Word. She and her husband, Ricardo, share a blended family, including six children and four grandchildren.

Suzanne Wade’s retail career spanned 40 years starting with a part-time salesclerk job while in college to serving in senior leadership positions in both H-E-B and Wal-Mart stores. She joined H-E-B in 1997 as Group Vice President of Advertising and Sales and assumed several added roles before being named President of San Antonio Food/Drug Stores. Suzanne retired in 2020 with H-E-B but still refers to the company as ‘we’! 

Despite being a native Oklahoman, San Antonio quickly became home for Suzanne. She has served in many community service areas including Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, United Way, Teach for America, San Antonio Area Foundation, Haven for Hope, Leadership San Antonio, and the Tobin Center. She currently serves on the SANTIKOS Enterprises Board and Chairs the San Antonio Young Women’s Leadership Academy Board, a real heartthrob of hers. 

Suzanne is married to Dick Wade.  When she married Dick, she gained two stepdaughters, two sons in law and eventually 4 amazing grandchildren. She and Dick enjoy traveling, fly fishing and debating college football. 

Dr. Kate Rogers is a proven community leader who most recently served as the President and CEO of the Alamo Trust, the non-profit organization responsible for the daily operations of the Alamo historic site and the implementation of the $550 million Alamo Plan. Under Dr. Rogers' leadership, the Alamo Trust made significant strides in advancing the including the opening of the Ralston Family Collections Center in March of 2023. She also oversaw the design and development of the Texas Cavaliers Education Center and the new Alamo Visitor Center

During her tenure, Kate successfully launched a statewide fundraising campaign and secured nearly $90 million in private funding. She has also recruited key staff members and oversaw the acquisition of the Donald and Louise Yena Spanish Colonial Collection. Kate introduced several new interpretive exhibits, such as the 18

Pounder Losoya House, the Palisade, and the Mission Gate and Lunette, along with the new Sacristy Exhibit inside the Alamo Church and the Surrounded virtual reality experience inside the Long Barrack.

Prior to her time at the Alamo, she served as the Vice President of Community Outreach and Engagement at the Charles Butt Charitable Foundation. Kate graduated Magna Cum Laude with her Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising and Public Relations from Texas Christian University and received her Master of Public Affairs degree from the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. She recently earned her Doctor of Education degree from the University of Southern California.

Kate spent almost 20 years in marketing and communications at H-E-B, one of the largest privately held retail chains in the country, before transitioning to pursue her passion in public education. Prior to joining the Charles Butt Foundation, she served as the founding President of the Holdsworth Center, a leadership institute for public school professionals located in Austin, Texas. Kate also serves on the board of Alamo Colleges Foundation and Early Matters San Antonio and was named the 2022 Woman of the Year by the San Antonio Business Journal and the list of top 100 Texans to Watch.  In 2023, she received the Executive Award in the large business category from the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and recently received the Celestial Award for Excellence in Storytelling from Women in Film and Television Texas.  She is a member of the Texas Philosophical Society and the Advisory Board for the San Antonio ISD Foundation.