Gary Holliday
Chairman
Gary and his wife Heidi found Down Home Ranch back in the 1990s, when their son Chris started attending summer camps years before residency was even an option. They were there almost from the beginning, watching Jerry and Judy Horton's dream take shape one building at a time.
Now serving as Chairman of the Board, Gary brings decades of financial and leadership experience from careers in public accounting, insurance, and a lifetime of board service. Retirement, he says, has turned out to be more exhausting than working and raising a family — between golf, hiking, cycling, sailing, and travel, he's rarely home. Gary calls DHR “a gift from God, just like our son Chris.”
Jennifer Heath
Executive Committee
A native of Cortland, New York, Jennifer spent nearly two decades in human resources at the University of Texas at Austin before retiring in 2019, and has since put those same skills to work as a church administrator overseeing budgets, staffing, and a $1.85 million capital campaign.
Jennifer says she's passionate about one thing above all: connecting people with the resources they need. That instinct is exactly what she brings to the Ranch's advisory committee.
Cindy Cox
Executive Committee
Cindy's path to Down Home Ranch runs through the U.S. Air Force, corporate finance, and animal rescue — she retired as a Lieutenant Colonel, spent 17 years managing government contracts at Booz Allen Hamilton, and later founded a nonprofit that transported nearly 17,500 rescue dogs and cats across the country.
Since 2021, Cindy has served on the Ranch's Finance Committee, helping guide big decisions while championing accessible, sustainable programming for people with disabilities. Ask her, and she might tell you her real superpower is turning a spreadsheet into a mission.
Martha Adams
Member
Martha grew up watching her parents, Judy and Jerry Horton, build Down Home Ranch from the ground up, and her sister Kelly has called the Ranch home ever since. After 11 years teaching third grade in Austin ISD, Martha now works privately with students and helps professionals relocate to Austin as a Destination Services Consultant with IOR Global.
Martha has served on the Down Home Ranch Board for more than a decade, and there's no mission she believes in more. “It's a source of tremendous comfort and pride,” she says, “knowing that my sister Kelly is living a life of purpose, treated with respect and dignity by her Ranch community.”
Erin Flores, MSRLS, BSW
Program Committee Chair
Erin's love affair with camp started with her very first college summer job, serving children and adults of differing abilities — and she's been hooked ever since. Today she's a Professional Development Manager with the American Camp Association, supporting camp professionals across the country, Down Home Ranch included.
With more than 20 years in recreation and camp leadership, Erin firmly believes camp changes lives, and that those lives go on to change the world. She's thrilled to bring that belief straight into the boardroom as the Ranch's newest board member.
Jason Free
Member
Jason has served on the Down Home Ranch Board of Directors since 2018, bringing a career built on relationships — first in enterprise SaaS customer success, and more recently managing the full lifecycle of a multi-million-dollar charitable trust.
An Eagle Scout at heart, Jason has always gravitated toward service, from a legislative internship at the Texas Capitol to steady board leadership at the Ranch. He believes the same trust that wins over a Fortune 500 client builds a community — and DHR is proof of it.
Veronica Seever
Board Member
Veronica found Down Home Ranch while serving as President of the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association, and she fell for the Ranch almost immediately. Her career has spanned hospitality training at Hyatt Hotels to HR leadership in the landscape industry, and today she leads the Manor Chamber of Commerce as Executive Director.
Veronica has stayed close to the Ranch ever since that first introduction — volunteering, donating, and even helping broker a partnership so her nursery could grow plants specifically for DHR. Now serving on the board, she's still just as hooked today.
Barry Hamilton, LCSW
Executive Director
Barry first came to Down Home Ranch in 2002 as a greenhouse volunteer and has been rooted here ever since. Now Executive Director, he loves sharing the Ranch's mission and magic with visitors, especially when they experience that “ah-ha” moment and truly understand why the Ranch exists.
What brings Barry the most joy is working alongside Ranchers and celebrating the pride they take in a job well done. He believes in building community through warmth, welcome, and meaningful connection, and hopes every visitor feels the same. A skilled home cook and surprisingly good mouth trumpeter, Barry would choose flight if he could have any superpower, though he’s just as happy hiking the Ranch trails, especially at Pecan Bottoms. His motto: “Make systems work for people.”