ARLINGTON, Texas – W. Kelvin Walker, Chief Executive Officer of the Dallas Citizens Council, has been elected to a two-year term as Chair of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association (CBAA), which oversees the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, and Cotton Bowl Foundation.

Walker becomes the 43rd Chair, succeeding Dave Brown who remains on the CBAA Executive Committee as the Immediate Past Chair. In his role as Chair, Walker works closely with the CBAA staff to facilitate all aspects of the business affairs for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and Cotton Bowl Foundation during a two-year term that runs from Feb. 1, 2024 to Jan. 31, 2026. The 89th (College Football Playoff Semifinal) and 90th (CFP Quarterfinal) Classics will be played at AT&T Stadium under his leadership.

"I am excited and humbled for this opportunity to serve as Chair of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association," said Walker. "It's a wonderful organization and it's a great honor for me to have this opportunity to serve an organization that showcases all the best of North Texas through football and our connection to the community."

Walker serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Dallas Citizens Council, a non-profit organization comprised of CEOs and top business leaders in North Texas. Working in this role for nearly five years, Walker guides DCC on policy issues that move Dallas forward and serve in the moments that matter the most for the city. Prior to this position, he was a Managing Director of RLJ Equity Partners in Dallas. His extensive experience in the finance and banking industry also includes stops at 21st Century Group, Mesirow Financial and Pryor, McClendon, Counts & Co. and Bank of America.

A member of the CBAA Board of Directors since 2016, Walker earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance from Morehouse College and received his Master of Business Administration degree in Finance and Organizational Behavior from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He, his wife Celia and his children, Olivia and Kingston, reside in Dallas.

Walker becomes the second Black person to be named CBAA Chair following 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Famer Fred McClure (1998-2002), who was also the first person to serve as Chair for four years. Walker leads the 2024-26 slate of CBAA officers, which includes Monica Christopher moving into the Chair-Elect role. Christopher will work in tandem with Walker during his tenure in preparation to take over the reins as Chair for 2026-28.

Christopher was recently appointed the inaugural Dallas Campus President for Texas Woman's University. In this role, she is providing strategic leadership for the campus located in the Southwestern Medical District as it works to elevate its impact and reach in the North Texas community. Christopher, who joined the CBAA Board of Directors in 2016, has held key fundraising and relationship-building posts spanning 25 years at Communities Foundation of Texas and The Dallas Morning News/WFAA-TV prior to moving into this position in the education sector.

The Canton, Ohio, native earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from The Ohio State University. She and her husband Brent reside in Dallas.

Joining Walker, Christopher and Brown on the CBAA Executive Committee for 2024-26 are Terrance Henderson (Secretary), Christian Rodriguez (Treasurer) and Gillian Breidenbach, William Jackman, Kyle Manley and Blake Wiley (Vice Chairs) along with CBAA President/Chief Executive Officer Rick Baker. This 10-person group governs the CBAA Board of Directors and Council, which comprise a diverse collection of civic and community leaders with strong North Texas ties.

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