The Natural Resource Brand
Board of Directors
Brandon Watts M.Ed., originally from Pasadena, CA is the founder and chairperson of The Natural Resource Brand Community, which was organized as a public charity in the areas of Teacher Appreciation, Teacher Best Practices and Overall Teacher Well-Being in October of 2020. Brandon has been working in education for the last 15 years in various Texas Independent School Districts such as Irving ISD, Lewisville ISD , Cedar Hill ISD, Plano ISD and the most recent Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD. Brandon currently holds the title of District Behavior Interventionist for CFB ISD and also serves as founder and chairperson for Develop Y.O.U. a nonprofit that serves middle school aged youth in the areas of Emotional Intelligence, Positive Character Building and Community Service . Brandon is a proud member/volunteer at the Covenant Church Carrollton campus, has been a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity since 2004, he is also a current member of the Texas Alliance of Black School Educators. Brandon Watts earned his Bachelors of Applied Arts and Science from the University of North Texas in June of 2006 and earned his Master’s in Education Administration from Texas Woman’s University in May 2012. During his years while earning his bachelors Brandon was a part of a work study program that served at area Denton ISD schools which peaked his interest into education. So upon graduation from UNT Brandon enrolled in the Region 10 Alternative Certification Program to become a licensed Texas Teacher in July of 2007 and the rest is still being written.
When most children dreamed of being astronauts, entrepreneurs, or doctors. Nicholas envisioned a different journey: education. Learning early-on about the power of connection from the greatest connectors he’d ever known (Bruce and Barbara Pascale), Nicholas’ parents taught him to prioritize relationships and focus his energy on balancing his EQ and IQ. Obtaining a BA in Secondary Education and History at Palm Beach Atlantic University, Nicholas migrated to Philadelphia to begin his career in education as a SPED teacher for the School District of Philadelphia in 2004 . After two years serving the scholars of West Philadelphia’s Alaine Locke Elementary two truths were clear: 1) educational inequity is real, pervasive, and destructive 2) he was 100% bought in to be a part of the solution to help erase this inequity Eager to develop more effective ways to educate his scholars, he completed his master’s degree with an emphasis in Multi-Cultural Education from Eastern University. Nicholas completed Wilmington University’s Principal certification program and assumed the role of Assistant Principal at Boys’ Latin. The following year Mr. Pascale moved into the Principal role at the newly approved Boys' Latin Middle School. Schools that Nicholas have led have received national attention being written up in the Wall street Journal and Huffington Post. After 13 years in education working in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, Nicholas moved with his wife Naz, to the wonderful city of Dallas. Nicholas assumed the position of Middle School Principal at Uplift Mighty where he completed a successful school turnaround in two short years moving the school from a D- rating to a B rating from the state of Texas. Nicholas was then promoted to operate as the Director of Social-Emotional Learning for Uplift’s Network which serves over 20,000 scholars over 43 schools spanning 50 miles of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. To stay connected in the world of ED, Nicholas recently accepted the Board President role at the Natural Resources Company. NRC focuses on teacher retention/appreciation within both, public and charter schools in DFW.
Kevin Fontleroy is a real estate investor and small business strategist. With more than fifteen years of experience; Kevin has had the honor of leading and developing teams in operations management for Fortune 500 companies such as BNSF Railways, PepsiCo and Tyson Foods. Originally from Gary, Indiana, Kevin Fontleroy attended Missouri Western State University where he received his B.S. in Economics. Since then Kevin has expanded his learning outside of corporate endeavors only; offering an authentic balance of mentorship and advocacy through economics. Kevin believes that being A “Natural Resource” “is better than great; it’s essential”. It’s through partnership and shared knowledge that we continue to shape the world.
Aaron McGruder, is an advocate of true leadership. He believes in leading with the intent to help motivate others to reach their goals. He currently serves as a Continuous Improvement Consultant for one of the largest financial institutes in the world. His 12-year tenure has led to a vast amount of experience which includes Marketing, Project Management, Strategic Planning, and Business Development. He has also served a number of business resource groups including NextGen a collaborative forum for early-career professionals who want to actively advance an inclusive workplace while developing personally and professionally. Additionally, he served for BOLD (Black Organization for Leadership Development) as a site lead for the DFW area where he dedicated his time to enabling members and the community to achieve their leadership and mobility goals. Originally from Fort Worth, Texas Aaron attended Colorado Tech University where he studied computer science. In his spare time, he loves to spend time with his family and friends, reading up on the latest tech news, and serving at his Church.