Merv Tarde Values in Leadership Circle DFW Tech Prayer Breakfast

MERV TARDE values in leadership circle

The Merv Tarde Values in Leadership Circle honors technology leaders in Dallas/Fort Worth who demonstrate faith, integrity, and servant leadership.

About Merv Tarde

Merv Tarde served as Senior Vice President of Information Technology and CIO for Interstate Batteries for 16 years, where he was widely admired for his professional excellence and his dedication to people. He was known for mentoring colleagues, building strong teams, and leading with humility and integrity.

Merv’s impact extended beyond the workplace. He was a devoted family man and active in the Dallas/Fort Worth community, where his leadership and faith left a lasting impression on those who knew him. His life reflected a commitment to living out Christian values both personally and professionally.

Merv lost his battle with cancer in late 2014 and is with his heavenly Father today.

About the Leadership Circle

Induction into the Merv Tarde Values in Leadership Circle is presented annually at the DFW Technology Prayer Breakfast to recognize leaders in the local technology community who model the same values that defined Merv’s life:

Integrity in leadership
Service to others
Faith lived out in everyday actions

This award preserves Merv’s legacy by inspiring future generations of technology leaders to live and lead with faith, humility, and excellence.

values in leadership circle Criteria

Exhibiting the Fruit of the Spirit of God in life
Mentoring: teaching and learning with others
Being available to help and serve others
Humility: with Merv, it was always about others
High expectations of self and others to be the best

DO YOU KNOW A MERV TARDE IN THE NORTH TEXAS Technology Community?

Please complete the nomination form to suggest leaders who demonstrate the qualities of excellence and integrity that defined Merv Tarde. This is not a contest. It’s an opportunity to honor faith-driven leaders in the North Texas IT community and thank them for their example. The Nomination Committee will review all submissions, select recipients for the Merv Tarde Values in Leadership Circle, and recognize them at the annual Dallas/Fort Worth Technology Prayer Breakfast.

nominate a leader

You may nominate someone other than yourself for the Merv Tarde Values in Leadership Circle. Please complete the entire form. If you have questions, contact us at [email protected]. We will confirm receipt of your submission and notify the nominee once the Committee completes its review.

Minimum Requirements for Nominees

The nominee must affirm our statement of faith: Jesus is God, that he died for our sins, that God raised Him from the dead, and that Jesus is the only way of salvation.
The nominee must work in a technology role or at a technology company. The nominee’s leadership and daily example matter more than the job title.
You may submit a new nomination each year.

See the chart below for guidance in completing your submission (click to enlarge).

Steps for Submission

Choose wisely. Think carefully about the individual you wish to nominate.
Review the nomination form. Judges will rely solely on the information provided; nominees will not be interviewed.
Demonstrate impact. Highlight how many people the nominee has influenced and the depth of his leadership.
Include real examples. Provide specific stories or evidence that show the nominee living out her values.
Show local involvement. Emphasize the nominee’s impact within the DFW technology community.
Complete the form with your nominee. Meet with him to ensure the submission is accurate and thorough.
Submit the nomination. Send the completed form as instructed.

Nomination Form

Your Name

Phone

Company

Who do you feel should be nominated for the Merv Tarde "Values in Leadership" Award?

What is their email address?

What is their phone number?

What is the name of their company?

What is their title?

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Question 7

Additional Comments

Merv Tarde CIRCLE Inductees

2025 Inductees

Billy Lide

Robby McCollom

Robby McCollom is a business leader, entrepreneur, and disciple of Jesus Christ who co-founded TriTech Software & Services. For over 30 years he has led and stewarded TriTech as the Lord’s company, while seeking to blend excellence in business with Kingdom-purposes.
Robby was raised in Garland, TX, then went on to earn a graduate degree in accounting from the University of North Texas. After college, in 1993 Robby began working for a software company that dealt with tax software and was exposed to programming through tax accounting work. His early experiences included developing software for Insurance Premium Tax, in a DOS environment. After he grabbed a “VB for Dummies” book and began tinkering in Windows applications, the vision of a Windows tax software platform was born.
In 1995, he co-founded TriTech Software. TriTech provides software, services, and compliance solutions to insurance companies and the greater premium tax industry. TriTech has been blessed over these 30 years to now have the majority of the premium tax software market.
One of the distinguishing features of Robby’s leadership is how ministry and biblical values are woven into the business identity of TriTech. Early on, the decision was made that TriTech would be an explicitly Christian company. Robby has always viewed TriTech as God’s company, where the core values of Faith, Prayer Works, Family, Deliberate Innovation, and a Passion for Old-Fashioned Service are the DNA of everything they do.
Under Robby’s leadership, TriTech has implemented many tangible ministry programs within and beyond the business. About 10 years ago, they created an internal Ministry Team to spearhead TriTech’s ministry efforts.
TriTech maintains an ever-growing prayer list for employees and clients, prayed over every business day by a dedicated team of prayer warriors. Each Wednesday they have a Bible Study lunch, led-by and open to, all employees. Their community outreach includes regular volunteer service with Meals on Wheels, All Community Outreach, and Feed My Starving Children, as well as support of many Christian non-profit organizations. Over the past five years, TriTech’s ministry has expanded to impact Allen and the surrounding area, most visibly through their annual National Day of Prayer event each May. Hosted at TriTech’s office, the list of attendees and participants includes mayors, city council members, police chiefs, school board members and administrators, CEOs, pastors, and non-profit leaders. TriTech also organizes an annual mission trip for its employees and their families. In years past they’ve constructed homes in areas like Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Houston, as well as evangelism trips to refugee camps in Athens, Greece.
The Lord continues to grow and use TriTech to show and share the love of Jesus Christ with its employees, clients, vendors, and neighbors; to “love because [Christ] first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Robby believes in using business as ministry—not just a way to make profit, but to serve, to foster spiritual growth, and to make a positive impact for the Kingdom.
Robby and his wife Jennifer have been married for over 30 years, and live in Princeton, Texas, where they raised their three children together. They are active members of Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen.

2024 Inductee

Jeff Lovejoy

Jeff Lovejoy is a follower of Jesus Christ, husband, father, and technology leader with more than 25 years of experience. He serves as Chief Relationship Officer at LAM Technology, where he has spent the last nine years helping clients solve business problems with a servant’s heart and Christ-centered values.

Born at Subic Bay Naval Base in the Philippines, Jeff spent a few early years in the Washington, D.C. area while his father was stationed at the Pentagon. His family eventually settled in Kempsville, Virginia Beach, where Jeff attended public schools and St. Matthews Catholic Church. The summer before his senior year, Jeff attended a Young Life camp at Windy Gap, North Carolina, where he made the personal choice to accept Christ. That year, he grew deeper in his faith through Young Life and Campaigners.

Jeff earned a degree in Industrial Engineering from Virginia Tech and began his career as a technical salesperson for a division of General Electric in Atlanta. After completing GE’s 18-month training program, he moved to Nashville to join GE Supply, where he would spend the next 20 years. During his time in Nashville, Jeff invested heavily in his community, volunteering with the Nashville Area Junior Chamber of Commerce (NAJCC) and serving on its Board of Advisors. He co-designed the NAJCC Leadership Forum, which continues today training emerging leaders. He also completed the Young Leaders Council program, which prepares leaders for nonprofit board service, and went on to serve more than a decade on the board of the Arthritis Foundation.

Adventure has always been part of Jeff’s story. While hiking the Inca Trail in Peru with his brother, he met Jana, his future wife from Dallas. After marrying, they lived in Nashville for several years, where their daughter Shelby was born in 2005. In 2009, the family relocated to Dallas, where Shelby grew up attending Christ the King Catholic School and Ursuline Academy before graduating in 2023. In honor of her graduation, Jeff published COMMENCE! Concise Advice for the Next Adventure of Life, capturing decades of wisdom he had been collecting.

Jeff and Jana continue to live in Dallas, traveling often and cheering on Shelby, who is currently in Europe as part of Georgia Tech’s First Year Semester Abroad program. Jeff looks forward to many more years at LAM Technology, living out his calling to serve clients, colleagues, and his community.

2023 Inductees

Chris Kambala

Founder and CEO, Aezion

Chris Kambala is a devout follower of Jesus Christ, husband, father, and entrepreneur. He leads a team of more than 200 global employees as the founder and CEO of Aezion.

Chris was born in a small remote village of 60 homes in South India, where he faced daily challenges. There was no electricity, he would walk six miles to school, and study by kerosine lamps in the evening when his work was done on the farm. At just three years old, his father, the village’s first Christian, passed away. Yet Chris still reflects fondly on his upbringing, saying “God’s hand was on us.” Chris would go on to become the first person from his village to get a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Birla Institute of Technology and Science.

After graduating, Chris’ passion has always been on giving back. Initially, his outlet for that was as a technical instructor. He wanted to build a legacy in education by teaching the poor and making growth available to people who struggled like he did. He ended up teaching more than 6,000 students. Today, he uses his businesses to execute this vision of generosity through church planting, service, and education.

In 2000, Chris and his wife, Kavitha, moved their family to the United States. Here, Chris has served 20+ years in information technology as a software developer, enterprise solution architect, and entrepreneur. He’s worked for startups and enterprises like Verizon, AmerisourceBergen, and Alliance Data. In the evenings, Chris continued teaching cohorts of technology classes until deciding to build his first company in the IT staffing space. Over the years, until the day he sold the company, he employed, mentored, and cared for more than 300 programmers.

In 2012, Chris founded Aezion to serve customers, employees, and the community with the love of Christ and he lives out that mission every day. The company provides custom software development, data engineering, digital transformation, and application support/hosting services. The outcome of Chris’ leadership is a diverse team of people, united to build a “globally recognized software development ministry by 2030,” as stated in the company’s vision. Most of Chris’ employees and customers come from differing faith backgrounds – but are moved and united by the love that Chris advocates and exemplifies.

Chris and Kavitha attend church at Calvary Chapel Dallas with their three boys, Anush, Aashish, and Abish.

Mark Laible

Vice President of Sales for North Texas, Technologent

Mark Laible has worked in the IT Industry for 30 years. He started his career as an Officer in the United States Air Force supporting intelligence systems at United States Strategic Command. Mark has been in technology sales for the past 17 years and has been a sales leader for the last six. He is currently the Vice President of Sales for North Texas at Technologent, an Irvine, CA based technology solutions provider. Mark is responsible for sales in the North Texas and TOLA Regions. Despite the pandemic and “Great Resignation”, Mark has grown the North Texas Region over the past six years into the highest performing Region in the company.

Mark grew up in a loving Christian home and had a strong knowledge of God. However, it was during his time at Baylor and in the Air Force that he realized he was missing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That is when Mark truly understood we all fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by grace through the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross (Romans 3:23-24). Mark cares about the people he works with. Regardless of what he is going through personally, he is more focused on serving others. He always makes himself available to anyone seeking his help. Mark’s hope is that he demonstrates his love for the Lord in all circumstances and that his actions point people to Christ. Mark would tell you he probably fails more than he succeeds, but he rests in the fact that the Lord’s mercies never end (Lamentations 3:22-23) and he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him (Philippians 4:13).

Mark graduated from Baylor University where he played football and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. While in the Air Force, Mark also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Nebraska. Mark lives in Dallas with his wife (Emily), his son (Campbell), and his youngest daughter (Corinne). His oldest daughter (Caroline) is a freshman at Baylor University. Mark and his family attend Watermark Community Church where he and Emily serve on the “Believe Team”. Mark loves working with and mentoring youth. As a father of three, he has coached multiple soccer, baseball, and football teams…sometimes all at the same time. He has co-led a boys Bible Study for the last 10 years, coordinated many school campouts as well as numerous daddy/daughter dances. As a follower of Christ, Mark believes in trying to be a light in this world (Matthew 5:14-16). To that end, he and his family support various organizations like Dallas Life, Time to Revive, Need Him Global, Mercy Ships, Involved For Life and Compassion International, that strive to meet the needs of people and further the gospel both locally and globally.

2022 Inductees

Sharon Gorikapudi

Professor Gorikapudi leads the MSITM program at Dallas Baptist University and clings tightly to Christ’s command for His followers to be fishers of men. He views his position as program director and assistant professor as an opportunity to integrate faith and learning in the technology and management sectors. As director of the MSITM program, he encourages his students to “disrupt the disruptors” by preparing them for the next wave, trend or tectonic shift and equipping them with future-proof skills.

Sharon has more than 16 years of experience as a strategist, agile leader, program manager and follows lean-agile, systems thinking and design thinking frameworks. He has worked in diverse roles as a business analyst, project manager, management consultant, and chief strategist, working in a number of sectors, such as supply chain, e-commerce, energy, smart cities, telecom and now in education.

Sharon goes by the adage “The best way to predict the future is to create it!” and wants to make a dent in the Universe by creating his own. Over the years, he built capabilities in Blockchain, Quantum computing, AI & Machine Learning, Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity and convergence of these technologies for smart cities.

A native of India, Sharon holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, an MBA in Retail Management and Information Systems from NMIMS, Mumbai and a Master’s in Information Technology & Management from UT Dallas.

Sharon is an ideator, disruptor, a shaper, and an influencer. He is an IBM certified Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Quantum Computing instructor. He holds PMP, ITIL, Design Thinking, various SAFe and Kanban certifications. Sharon volunteers as a mentor for PMI Dallas, provides pro-bono consulting services in digital transformation and is an agile coach.

Sharon is an avid reader and a networker. His readings focus mainly on the topics of philosophy, technology, business, theology, and humanics. He attends around 50 events a year and engages with C level executives in business and technology. Sharon is also a numismatist, collecting rare and ancient coins.

He is married to Sirisha Gorikapudi, an Electronics and Communication engineer, and are blessed with a toddler, Shawn Isaac. They attend Crosspointe Indian Church in Plano, Texas.

Pam Gates

2021 Inductees

Mike Rochelle

Steve Helms

Steve Helms has been a technology sales professional for 27 years. A Richardson native, Steve graduated from JJ Pearce High School, received a BS in Manufacturing Engineering from Texas A&M University and his MBA from SMU Cox School of Business with a focus on Entrepreneurship.

Sun Microsystems gave Steve his first professional opportunity, where Steve began to sell computer technology to telecom providers at a time when the industry was just building out modern internet infrastructure. This gave him opportunities to serve customers in multiple functions across many industries. Following his time with Sun, Steve partnered with companies that provide research, consulting, services, and software. He currently supports the Global Alliances Organization of Dell Technologies.

Steve is an active member of Prestonwood Baptist Church where he served for the last 20 years as a member of the choir, a volunteer in the children’s AWANAs program, and in his Bible Fellowship class resulting in life-long friendships. Steve is currently serving his church in the pre-teen ministry teaching 4th grade young men about Jesus.

Steve is one of the founders of the DFW Technology Prayer Breakfast and was asked to assume the role of President in 2016. He’s seen first-hand the amazing work of volunteers who sacrificially give their time and talents to provide an event that introduces the local technology community to Jesus. His hope is that the DFW Technology community will be known as the most loving, inviting, and Christ honoring network of professionals in the world.

Steve and his wife Kappi love to travel with their children, Holiday, Kate, and Bennett. He has a passion for studying history, playing guitar, cooking outdoors, and running. And his favorite verse is Proverbs 3:5-6

**On a personal note, Steve was very reluctant to accept the nomination. However, his steadfast leadership of the DFW Technology Prayer Breakfast, and his attention to those of us in the community… unselfishly, are the reason why so many people spoke up and insisted he be nominated. Thank you Steve for your devotion and leadership. We are honored to induct you into the Merv Tarde Leadership Circle. ~ Emily Bell-Wootten (Communications Chair)

2020 Inductees

Matt Harrington

Matt Harrington has been in the Technology Staffing and Consulting business for the past 20 years. He has worked for large, publicly traded companies, startup organizations, and for the past 10 years he has had the privilege of working for MATRIX Resources. Matt is currently Regional Vice President overseeing the Central U.S. Matt’s passion is building and leading teams to rapidly respond to the ever-changing market. Throughout his career, Matt has implemented sales and delivery models that maximize opportunity and properly align to the goals and objectives of both external and internal customers. Matt’s greatest love is the opportunity to “do life” with everyone he works with. He feels truly blessed and humbled to have the opportunity to work with so many amazing people.

Matt was raised Catholic and attended Catholic school from elementary through high school. Although he always loved God, it wasn’t until he was in his mid-twenties that he realized that he needed to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There can never be enough good deeds stacked on top of each other to “earn” our way into heaven. Rather Jesus, our Lord and Savior, is the only way, He died on the cross for each of us, so that we may have eternal life. All we must do is ask with our mouths and confess with our hearts. Matt continues to learn that he is not in control, but that God has a plan, not to harm us, but to give us a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Matt holds a BS degree from Nova Southeastern University. He and his wife Christel have two sons and a daughter. Matt’s oldest son, Jackson, is headed to Texas A&M University in the fall. Matt and his family have been members of Prestonwood Baptist Church for the past 20 years. Matt has served as a deacon at Prestonwood since 2009 and he and his wife Christel have served as bible fellowship leaders in Student Ministry. Matt has been involved with the Leadership of the DFW Technology Prayer Breakfast since its inception in 2014. Currently, Matt leads Transition Point, which is a ministry of the DFW Technology Prayer Breakfast for those who are in job transition.

Jeff Woods

Jeff Woods is a software developer. Jeff graduated from University of North Texas with a BS in Computer Science. Over the past 30 years, Jeff has developed software for the Technology, Supercomputing and Business Enterprise sectors. Jeff helped pioneer RAID technology in the late ‘80’s, created development software tools for massively parallel computing architectures in the ‘90s, developed enterprise middleware in early 2000s, and for the last 15 years has been developing enterprise business integration software at Precisely, an IBM Business Partner. Jeff has achieved numerous awards, including the “Convex Star” and holds three technology patents.

The most remarkable event, however, occurred in 1991, when Jeff placed his faith and trust in Jesus Christ. God’s grace and mercy toward Jeff began transforming his life in every dimension. The contrast between “before” and “after” was so amazing that Jeff realized he needed to encourage others to take the same step of faith. Helping others know and follow Christ became Jeff’s passion. He immediately became active in local and foreign short-term missions, yet his home and the workplace became the most important place of ministry because these are the ones for whom he had the deepest concern.

Soon after taking his step of faith, a friend challenged him to come with him to prison and share his faith with others. The experience so impacted Jeff that, for the past 20 years, he has led others to do the same through MICHAEL Fellowship, a prison ministry of Prestonwood Baptist Church where Jeff also serves as a deacon and the Deacon Team Ministry Officer. Jeff found the workplace to be rich with opportunities to communicate his hope and security in Christ.

His officemates often discuss personal problems, professional disappointments, family health issues and even death which provide him with strategic opportunities to bring God’s perspective into their situation and foster faith in Christ, making the workplace one of the most rewarding places for ministry.

Jeff lives in Garland with his wife Marcy. They have been married for 39 years and are active members of Prestonwood. Their daughter (Karen) and son-in-law (Kyle) recently relocated to Coppell from San Antonio where they were active members of Castle Hills Baptist Church and led a Life Group for married couples.

2019 Inductees

Jason Denton

Reuben Najera

The Lord placed in Reuben’s heart a deep love for people. Whether it is as an Executive Pastor, or as a Technology Director at Shermco, Reuben knows that every good thing in his life, in his profession, and is his calling has come as a result of his relationship with God.

He loves teaching kids, and was a children’s pastor for about 4 years. He has a genuine heart to serve, and a calling for creating an environment that the teams he works with trust one another to be open and honest and debate in a healthy way. He prays for wisdom and understanding, knowing that a perfect ditch, at the right depth, width and perfectly straight, in the wrong direction does no good. He strongly believes that the Lord is the giver of wisdom and understanding.

Reuben is the Director of Information Technology of Shermco Industries, a provider of testing, maintenance, repair, commissioning, engineering, and training services for electrical infrastructure including substations, switchgear, transformers, motors, and generators based in Irving, TX.

Eleven years ago, when Reuben started, Shermco revenues were around 32MM with about 215 employees in two offices. Through never-ending improvement, extensive team building and alignment with the company’s growth plan, Reuben and his team have helped, from a technology perspective, with the growth to over 300MM and over 1000 employees in 29 offices. In this time Shermco has been awarded one of the Best Places to Work on more than one occasion and through a deliberate safety culture achieved OSHA’s VPP site recognition. Shermco is now the largest electrical testing and maintenance company in North America.

Over the past two decades Reuben has been very intentional about keeping up with the pace of technology, thus he has achieved 17 industry certifications with a recent focus on Cyber Security. In teaching almost a dozen Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University classes both at work and his local church, Reuben has served in helping many families find financial freedom. He has participated on a Technology Advisory Committee for local colleges, advising on relevant tech tracks and has spoken to students studying at Dallas Baptist University about technology. He has also volunteered at N-Power, an organization focused on training honorably discharged vets and their spouses in the technology space. Reuben is married with three kids and he and his wife Marietta serve as Executive Pastors under the Senior Pastor at Freedom Life Church in Mansfield, TX.

Reuben is always welcoming opportunities to help others grow and learn, making evident the pastor’s heart that he has been gifted with from a young age. His door is always open – both literally and figuratively. If there is anyone that needs an understanding ear, a helpful hand or kind counseling, Reuben is there for you. Those who have the privilege of witnessing his pastor’s heart can see clearly the happiness it brings him to see others grasp what he is giving.

Tad McIntosh

Tad McIntosh has 20 + years’ experience in leadership positions, recruiting services leadership and human resources leadership. He is the founder and President of HumCap, a provider of Recruiting and Human Resources Solutions for growing companies to help them win the war for talent while living the Golden Rule. He and his team design and provide solutions that include HR ASO, HR Consulting, HR Outsourcing, Talent Management, Recruiting services, Organizational Consulting, and Executive Search.

Under his leadership and direction, HumCap has been recognized numerous times. HumCap Awards include 2015 Tech Titans Tech Advocate, a DFW Best Place to Work, The Dallas 100 Award, Communities Foundation/ EFNT North Star Award, and The Inc. 500 Award and The Inc. 5000 Award multiple Times.

Prior to founding HumCap, Tad was The Chief Talent Officer at Broadband Gateways in Plano, Texas. Broadband Gateways was a fast growth Venture Capital backed company that was acquired by Uniden. Prior to Broadband Gateways, He spent 5 years the Director of Source Services High Tech Services division. At Source Services, Tad’s clients were fast growth technology firms that needed customized solutions to attract and retain the best and brightest employees so their businesses would succeed in the competitive landscape.

Tad also was the commander for recruiting for the US Army in Atlanta, GA. His other Army assignments include The US Honor Guard in Washington DC, and The DMZ in South Korea. Tad finished his active duty service as a Captain and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM). Tad earned the coveted Army Airborne, Ranger, and Air Assault Qualifications.

Tad holds a BS in Engineering from West Point and a Master of Science from CMU. He and his wife Pam have three sons. Tad is committed to and involved with leadership positions with numerous philanthropic and community organizations including The Entrepreneurs’ For North Texas, Highland Park Presbyterian Church Youth Mission teams, Boy Scouts of America, The West Point Society of North Texas, Texas Tough for Children’s Medical Center, The Bill Glass Prison Ministry team, Communities Foundation of Texas, Children of Fallen Patriots, and the John & Punky Tolson Ministry. Tad enjoys coaching his sons sporting teams and participating in triathlons and outdoor events with his family. Tad successfully completed the 2001 Hawaiian Ironman World Championships.

You can reach Tad at [email protected] or at (214) 707-7910.

Rod Wright

2018 Inductees

Robert J. Hunt

Rusty Kennington

Eric Wilson

2017 Inductees

Matt Levy

Onyeka Nchege

Paola Saibene

David Stone

2016 InducteeS

Mark A. Stone

2015 Inductees

Jeff Blackwell

Deloitte

Phil Farr

Farr Systems

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