FOUNDER

Mr. Ayers has suffered with chronic depression for a majority of his adult life. Knowing firsthand the pain of navigating a mental illness, he is driven to help increase awareness of mental health and addiction as well as helping those who struggle get the professional help they need.

Andrew received a bachelor's in business administration from Baylor University. While at Baylor his want to help those in need grew to new heights.

Andrew now lives with his lovely wife, Jordan, and their sweet fur baby.

Board Member

With over three decades of leadership in the information technology sector, Johnny brings a wealth of operational, strategic, and technical expertise to Bear the Cross. As the founder and owner of CenGen Technologies since 2004, Johnny has led the development and support of a wholesale distribution-centric ERP application, helping businesses streamline operations and scale efficiently.

 Prior to CenGen, Johnny served as Chief Operating Officer and partner at Dimasys Inc., where he spearheaded the design and development of the Enspire ERP system—an enterprise solution widely adopted across the distribution industry. His career began at Northrop Grumman, where he managed two of the company’s largest development initiatives to date, including the automation of the shop floor Manufacturing Execution System and the creation of Insight, its first electronic analytics platform.

 Though new to the mental health space, Johnny is deeply committed to leveraging his business acumen and systems-thinking approach to support Bear the Cross’s mission. His experience in building scalable technologies, leading cross-functional teams, and navigating complex organizational challenges offers a valuable perspective to the nonprofit’s strategic growth and operational resilience.

Board Member

Giving children a bright future is everyone’s best interest. Investing in the mental health of the next generation provides a bright future for us all. We must support the next generation to help them grow into their best self. Without help, many will struggle now and later in life. We must focus on giving them the tools they desperately need and help them learn life giving skills. Additionally, so they do not have to go it alone, we must provide funding for mental health support services. These services will help students face their challenges and heal from tough experiences. Restorative mental health care is just as important as prevention. It gives students access to counseling when they need it most. This support helps them recover from trauma to help them find their way back to their best self. By investing in both areas, we can help every child have a bright future.

Board Member

Bill’s forty-five (45) year career in the energy industry involved senior management of upstream oil and gas operations in North and South America, and includes all phases of land work, business/corporate development, exploration and production operations, and international and offshore joint venture programs. For the past 30 years he has held senior and executive management positions with notable large public and private companies including Hunt Oil Company (Dallas) and currently King Operating Corporation. He learned the value, obligation and rewards of serving the community, non-profit and educational organizations.  

 He received a BBA from the renown McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. He serves on the Advisory Council for the Kay Bailey Hutchin Energy Center and several other University and multiple non-profit boards. Many of the non-profit board activities involve Fine Arts such as the five-time Grammy nominated Dallas Winds, The National Association of Alumni Bands (collegiate bands in Div 1 schools), The University of Texas Longhorn Alumni Band and others like Dogs Inc that provides service dogs for Gold Star Families, military veterans and guide dogs for the visually impaired.

 Bill and his wife Cathy live near Dallas and have two children, three grandkids and continue to raise puppies for Dogs Inc.

Treasurer/ Secretary and Board Member

Mark Ayers brings over 40 years of expertise in global energy, strategic management, and technical research to his philanthropic work. During a 25-year tenure at Hunt Oil Company, most notably as Exploration Manager for North America, Mark led multi-disciplinary teams and managed high-value acquisitions with a steadfast commitment to integrity and precision.

It was during his time at Hunt that Mark’s personal mission took a deeper turn; inspired by the leadership and examples of June Hunt and Ray Hunt, he was encouraged to more fully embrace his faith and dedicate his skills to the service of others. He is proud to work with his son to make the “Bear the Cross” charity a successful organization.

Mark’s approach to charitable stewardship is rooted in a deep respect for scientific inquiry. He holds a BA from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington and an MS in Geology from East Carolina University, and he previously served as a Research Associate at Duke University. This background in Earth Science informs his data-driven approach to solving large-scale challenges and his dedication to sustainable progress.

A trusted expert witness across multiple states, Mark leverages his extensive experience in negotiation and resource allocation to ensure the foundation’s initiatives achieve maximum community impact and long-term operational excellence.