Board of Directors of Youth Pathways

Meet Our Directors

Bob Larson, Chairman of the Board

Bob Larson was a Member of the Austin City Council from 1990 to 1993.  Just the tip of the iceberg of the many ways he has served his community, Bob also is a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force.For over 27 years he has been the owner of Old Timer Clock Shop.He is the past president, chairman or board member of numerous Austin civic clubs, an industry leader and a community volunteer.He has been a school mentor, frequent guest speaker and teacher.He is currently Youth Pathways’ Liaison at Mendez Middle School.

Richard J. Bettis, CAE, Chairman-Elect of the Board

Richard Bettis recently retired as President and Chief Executive Officer for the Texas Hospital Association.  After 36 years with THA, Richard has extensive expertise in association management, research and statistical services, government affairs and health care education.   Richard has served as Vice Chairman of the American Society of Association Executives Board of Directors.  He is a past chairman of the Texas Society of Association Executives, a Certified Assocation Executive, a 2004 TSAE Distinguished Executive Award Recipient, a 1992 Fellow in the ASAE, a Distinguished Life Member of the TSAE, and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Richard has been frequently published and is the recipient of numerous awards for excellence from ASAE, TSAE, and the American Hospital Association.   He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in engineering science and business administration.

Mary A. King, Associate Executive Director of FP Future View, Secretary of the Board

Mary King graduated from West Texas A&M with a degree in Secondary Education.  She earned her Master's Degree in Public School Administration from the University of North Texas.  For three years, she taught high school Speech and English in Amarillo.  She taught Marketing Education for five years in Coppell.  She served as Principal of Coppell High School for ten years.  For six years, she served as Director of High School Education for the Texas Association of Secondary School Administrators.

Charles Lawrence (Larry) Glisan, Treasurer of the Board

Larry Glisan was raised in Houston and Dallas, Texas. He entered Arlington State University on an engineering scholarship from Chance Vought Aircraft. Vought dropped its entire scholarship program after his first year so he dropped out of school and worked for a year before entering Texas A&M in the fall of 1960 changing his field of study from mechanical engineering to accounting. As a member of the Corps of Cadets, he signed up for R.O.T.C. and upon graduation in January 1965, received his commission in the Army and a bachelors’ degree in Accounting. Entering the Army at Fort Bliss in El Paso in February of 1965, he spent his entire initial obligation of 2 years and a voluntary extension of 18 months at that post being honorably discharged in September of 1968. While in the army, he met and married his wife of 41 years, Sherry. They have two daughters, both living in the Austin area.

Upon leaving the Army, he worked for Owens Corning Fiberglas for 15 years in Waxahachie, Texas and Fairburn Georgia as a plant accountant and at their headquarters in Toledo, Ohio on the controller’s staff. Faced with downsizing, they returned to Texas and Larry went to work for Lone Star Steel in Lone Star Texas. After three years, Lone Star Steel was entering bankruptcy so they relocated back to El Paso where he ended up at El Paso Electric in the regulatory accounting department. He recently retired from El Paso Electric after 18 years. During that eighteen years he spent seven years in the tax department and his final five years in power marketing accounting.

During his eighteen years in El Paso, he joined the Board of the El Paso Public Library Association eventually serving as treasurer for the last three years of his five years on the board. He was chosen to serve as the Library representative on the Mayor’s Bond Oversight Advisory Committee which was constituted to oversee the Quality of Life Bond Issue passed by the El Paso voters. He was further nominated and accepted as a member of the El Paso Industrial Development Authority board.  

Alan Franklin, Member of the Board

Alan Franklin graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in mathematics. He served in the United States Air Force for four years at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. He became an apprentice to Dub Farley and learned to repair woodwind instruments, a career that served him, his family and a worldwide clientele for 35 years. Today he expresses his artistic passion every day and displays his work in his own virtual gallery at www.alanlfranklin.com.