A Practical Conversation about Stewardship and Smarter Giving Hosted by the Grace Planned Giving Council
Monday, October 19, 2026
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Oak Crossing Event Center
101 Glenda Street
Whitehouse, Texas 75791
On October 19th, the Grace Planned Giving Council will host a free buffet dinner event featuring a panel of respected local professionals offering clear, practical insight into charitable giving strategies.
Designed for families across East Texas, the event will explore how recent and upcoming tax law changes—as well as proven tools like donor-advised funds, IRA charitable rollovers, and planned giving vehicles—can help align charitable goals with long-term financial plans. With certain changes on the horizon, attendees will also learn why year-end 2025 may present unique advantages for thoughtful giving decisions.
Through real-world examples, the panel will illustrate how individuals and families are maximizing impact for the causes they care about while exercising wise stewardship. Whether just beginning to think about legacy giving or refining an existing approach, attendees will leave with straightforward, actionable ideas.
Space is limited and dinner will be provided at no cost. Reserve your seat for this special event. Doors open at 5:30 pm for the buffet; program will begin at 6 pm.
Meet the Panelists
Nick Burkett
Founder
The Burkett Firm
Nick Burkett was born and raised in Tyler, Texas, and earned his BBA in Accounting, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and his MS in Finance from Texas A&M University. He is a Texas-licensed CPA and holds the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), and Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) credentials.
With more than 22 years of experience in public accounting, Nick has worked with Deloitte, MDD, Navigant Consulting, Alvarez & Marsal, and Bailes & Co., specializing in forensic accounting, business valuation, litigation support, and economic damages. In 2009, he returned to Tyler and later co-founded Burkett & Courington and The Burkett Firm, P.C., where he serves entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Nick and his wife, Sarah, are active members of Grace Community Church. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters, reading, golfing, and following Aggie sports.
Doug Bolles
Wealth Manager/Partner
WorthPointe Wealth Management
With decades of advisory and wealth management experience, Doug Bolles helps his clients fully harness their resources to achieve what they value most highly. His experience working with diverse clients has taught him that smart moves and careful planning can equip them to accomplish even more than they thought possible.
Doug is a graduate of Bowdoin College, the New England School of Banking at Williams College, the ABA Wealth Management School at Emory University and the Texas Trust School at SMU.
Before joining WorthPointe, Doug was Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Southside Bank Wealth Management. As a leader of the WorthPointe team, he is passionate about putting the client first, a core conviction of the firm reflected in its fee-only culture.
In his work as a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy®, he has long sought to help his clients maximize the impact of their charitable giving. It’s about more than giving; it’s about giving well.
Committed to giving back to his community, Doug has served as board chair for the East Texas Communities Foundation, United Way of Smith County, The Hospice of East Texas Foundation, Encouragement FM Christian Radio, the East Texas Estate Planning Council, and The Camp Tyler Foundation. He currently serves on the board of Grace Community School. He is also active in his church.
Doug and his wife, Gwen, live in Tyler. They have three amazing sons and three equally amazing daughters in law — and seven perfect grandchildren.
Tom Brown
Lawyer
Tom J. Brown, PLLC
Tom Brown attended Texas Christian University and received his B.A. from the University of Missouri in 1977. He received his Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law in 1982. He focuses his practice on estate and asset preservation planning for clients through the use of trusts, wills, partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations, tax planning and other planning techniques. Mr. Brown also facilitates and counsels multi-generational family and business succession planning. Other practice areas include Estate Administration/Probate and Real Estate. Mr. Brown is also a Certified Mediator.
Mr. Brown is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Smith County Bar Association (Past Board Member – Treasurer), College of the State Bar of Texas and East Texas Estate Planning Council (Past Board Member), and Past President of Smith County Young Lawyers Association. Mr. Brown is admitted to practice before the U. S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas and in all Texas state courts.
Mr. Brown is an active leader in several community and civic organizations. Past and present affiliations include: The Andrews Center, Bethesda Health Clinic, Bethesda Foundation (past president), Big Brothers/Big Sisters (past president), East Texas Communities Foundation (past board member), East Texas Estate Planning Council (president), Hospice of East Texas, Inc. (board member), Marvin United Methodist Church Foundation, Inc. (president), Order of the Rose (past president), Rockin’ C Ranch (founding board member), Tejas Missions, Inc. (board member), Christus Trinity Mother Frances Hospital System Foundation (board member), Tyler Rose Festival (vice president), Tyler Rotary (past president), and presiding member and chairman of various committees of the City of Tyler and East Texas Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Brown is also active in his church, Marvin United Methodist Church, having served as past President of the Administrative Board and past President of the Board of Trustees, and is a Sunday School teacher.
He and his wife, Julie Love Brown, have four children: Reagan, Katie, Adam and Megan, and four grandchildren, Will, Eleanor, Piper and Wyatt.
Perry Flowers
Financial Advisor
Compass Financial Group
Perry is a financial advisor with Thrivent, specializing in retirement planning, investment management, tax-efficient strategies, charitable giving, and legacy planning. She is passionate about helping individuals and families align their finances with their values and maximize the impact of their giving. Through the Compass Financial Group, Perry makes charitable and legacy planning a key focus of her practice.
A proud graduate of Whitehouse High School and UT Tyler, Perry and her husband, Jeff, are longtime members of Grace Community Church Lindale and have called Hideaway Lake home for most of their marriage. Their son, Haden, is a 2025 graduate of Grace Community School and attends Texas Tech University. Perry enjoys golf, soccer, traveling, Texas Tech football, and supporting local nonprofits.
Kyle Penney
President & CEO
East Texas Communities Foundation
Kyle Penney began serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer of East Texas Communities Foundation in August 2006. Mr. Penney came to the Foundation from Dallas, Texas where he served as a Major Gifts Officer for Children’s Medical Center. At Children’s, Mr. Penney was actively involved in a $150 million capital campaign, and worked to establish an organization of young families to provide financial support for the non-profit pediatric hospital. Mr. Penney is a graduate of Baylor University where he received a BBA degree in Accounting and Finance and a Masters degree in Business Administration. Prior to joining Children’s Medical Center, Mr. Penney worked for the Baylor University Alumni Association as the Director of Operations and Regional Services, in Waco, Texas, and as a consultant with Coopers and Lybrand’s Sports, Entertainment, and Leisure Practice in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Penney is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, East Texas Estate Planning Council, International Association of Advisors in Philanthropy and received designation as a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy®.
Moderator
Carl G. Hamm, CFRE
Chief Development Officer
Carl Hamm brings nearly 40 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising, and strategy to his role with Grace as Senior Director of Advancement. Over the course of his career, both on staff and as a consultant, he has guided annual giving programs and campaigns representing hundreds of millions of dollars in contributed support across organizations of every size and type, from major art museums and cultural institutions to healthcare and now the largest private Christian school in East Texas.
A frequent speaker at dozens of national and international conferences, Carl has also written and contributed extensively to professional publications. Since 2020, he has served on the Giving USA Editorial Review Board, focusing primarily on the chapters on giving by individuals and on giving to arts and culture, and helping to establish the report’s new chapter on Donor Advised Funds. He has held the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential since 1998 and has held leadership positions at the state and national level on multiple boards and committees dedicated to advancing the philanthropic field. Since 2019, he has also been affiliated with the national fundraising consulting firm Alexander Haas beyond his role with the school.
An East Texas native, graduate of Texas A&M, and a drummer, Carl returned home to East Texas in 2020 with his wife, Marcelyn, and their family: Julia (Grace ’21), David (Grace ’23), Matthew (currently a junior at Grace), and Catherine (an 8th grader at Grace).
Frequently Asked Questions
On October 19, the Grace Planned Giving Council will host a free buffet dinner event featuring a panel of respected local professionals offering clear, practical insight into charitable giving strategies.
Designed for families across East Texas, the event will explore how recent and upcoming tax law changes—as well as proven tools like donor-advised funds, IRA charitable rollovers, and planned giving vehicles—can help align charitable goals with long-term financial plans. With certain changes on the horizon, attendees will also learn why year-end 2025 may present unique advantages for thoughtful giving decisions.
Casual
Contact Jacquelyn Evans, Development Manager, Annual Fund and Planned Giving at jacquelyn.evans@gracetyler.org or (903)566-5678 Ext 2132.