Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) tenders its official welcome to its four new board members, who were appointed by the city of Dallas in July. The four new members are Ray Jackson, Jon-Bertrell Killen, Dominique Torres, and Catherine Cuellar. All began their tenure at the board meeting on August 8.

Jackson, Killen, and Torres are City of Dallas representatives. Cuellar represents Dallas and the City of Cockrell Hill.

Ray Jackson is managing partner of the Jackson Law Firm. He was named one of America’s premier lawyers and one of the best lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine and Eclipse Magazine. Jackson received his bachelor of arts in marketing from Texas Tech University in Lubbock and a law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston.

Jon-Bertrell Killen helps companies manage their data as a solution architect at Slalom Consulting in Dallas. Killen has a bachelor of science in sociology and a masters of business administration in marketing and strategic leadership from Southern Methodist University. He played on the SMU men’s basketball team from 2004-08 and is a former team captain.

Dominique Torres is a native of Dallas and graduate of the University of North Texas and Texas A&M University Law School. She operates The Torres Law Office where she handles personal injury, immigration, and family law cases. Torres is active in the NAACP, LULAC, North Texas Young Latino Leaders, Dallas League of Women Voters, and Junior League of Dallas.

Catherine Cuellar is director of partnerships for RefillWise, a free pharmacy discount and rewards program. She is a third-generation native of Dallas and an award-winning journalist who has worked at Dallas Arts District, Oncor, and The Dallas Morning News. Cuellar graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, with a bachelor of arts in creative writing.

They replace long-term old-timers such as Bill Velasco, Jerry Christian, and Pamela Dunlop Gates, who've been on the DART board since the mid-2000s. Former vice-chairman Richard Carrizales was ousted in May after he voted in favor of the Cotton Belt rail line from DFW airport to Plano, when Dallas City Council members were urging DART to make Dallas the priority.