Our Executive Team
Kendall Scudder
Chairman
Kendall is the son of a mental health professional, paramedic, and corrections officer who taught him values like service to others—their dedication to improving themselves and their community lit a fire inside him, pushing him to work hard every day to leave the world a little better than he found it.
As a teenager, Kendall helped support his family working at his local Dairy Queen, juggling both his job and political activism on behalf of his LGBTQ+ family. Kendall received his degree in Political Science at Sam Houston State University before moving to Dallas to work as an affordable housing professional and then for a real estate analytics company, before opening his own land acquisitions firm.
Kendall has dedicated himself to helping elect Democratic candidates across the state, and improved financial transparency and strategic planning within the Texas Democratic Party in his elected role as Vice Chair for Finance (Finance Chairman). He has also served on the City of Dallas’ Civil Service Board, on the legislative committee of the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas, and as co-chair of the Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals.
In the height of the pandemic, Kendall also notably filed a criminal complaint with the Dallas County District Attorney’s office against Attorney General Ken Paxton in an effort to protect Dallas County residents’ access to the ballot box amid safety concerns of in-person voting activity.
Kendall also holds a Masters Degree in Political Management from The George Washington University. He and his wife Carly reside in the east Dallas’ Junius Heights Historic District, where he plays pickleball, volunteers with the Funky East Dallas Democrats, and serves as a “Volunteer In Patrol” for the Dallas Police Department. He was the Dallas Central Appraisal District Board Director, Pos. 2, a county-wide elected role he has held from Spring 2024 until his election as Chairman in March 2025.
Request an Event Appearance
Shay Wyrick Cathey
Vice Chair
Shay was elected as Vice Chair of the Texas Democratic Party in March 2022 in a special election and re-elected by the state convention in July 2022. She is the longest serving African American member of the State Democratic Executive Committee having served since 2006 representing SD 23, which is now CD 30 in Dallas and Tarrant Counties. She has chaired the Legislative, Convention and Nominations Committees while on the SDEC.
Prior to her lengthy career in county government, she worked for the Senate Legislative Black Caucus, Texas Democratic Party, Ron Kirk for U.S. Senate Campaign, and served as the Political Director for State Senator Royce West when Dallas County gained the historic wins of 2006.
She is married to husband Victor and they have three teenage sons.
Daniel Ayala
Vice Chair for Finance
Myra Mills Tschirhart
Secretary
Michael Apodaca
Treasurer
Deana Tollerton, PRP
Parliamentarian
George Nassar, PRP
Parliamentarian
Terri Burke
Executive Director
Terri Burke brings nearly two decades of nonprofit and advocacy leadership, including nearly 13 years as Executive Director of the ACLU of Texas. Throughout her career, she has excelled at bringing together community organizations, government leaders, and volunteers to drive meaningful policy change at local and state levels.Before her advocacy work, Burke spent years as a political reporter and senior editor at respected newspapers including the Hartford Courant, Dallas Morning News, Austin American-Statesman, and Albuquerque Tribune. She led two newspaper staffs to win Pulitzer Prizes. During this time, she also served as an adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Texas–Austin and a lecturer at the American Press Institute.
Burke has served on the boards of Planned Parenthood West Texas, the Texas Democracy Foundation (publisher of the Texas Observer), and other nonprofit organizations. A native Houstonian, Burke and her husband Michael are new residents of Dallas.