West Texas Community Network (WTXCN) was born out of a simple conviction: West Texas families face real service gaps, and children are too often pulled into an overextended system without enough local support to stabilize the home. Our communities deserve a child protection system that is local, relational, and built to preserve families—not manage them from a distance. Since 2019, One Accord for Kids has helped lead this work by closing service gaps, building community capacity, and coordinating practical support through trusted local partnerships.

In 2025, Texas SB 513 created an opportunity to pilot community-based care in a rural region, and WTXCN was intentionally established to meet that moment with strong local governance and flexible service delivery across Region 9. WTXCN is a partnership between One Accord for Kids and NWF Health Network, drawing on decades of experience developing accountable systems in rural communities. Today, WTXCN exists to ensure West Texas can deliver responsive care without outsourcing compassion—strengthening families locally and protecting children with excellence, dignity, and hope.

Local Governance • Local Network • Local Kids

Our Leadership

Mike Watkins – Interim Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Watkins has over thirty-four years’ of executive leadership experience in behavioral health and child protection services, spanning both government and private-sector systems across the State of Florida. As Florida’s statewide Director of Family Safety, Mr. Watkins led the design, development, and statewide implementation of Florida’s community-based care (CBC) privatization of the child protection system. In his role, he oversaw the operational readiness of CBC lead agencies and was instrumental in developing Florida’s first Child Safety Assessment, the first Education Report Card for foster children, the first Child Protection Case Manager certification, and the integration of the nation’s first entity to manage both behavioral health (mental health and substance use) and child protection services. Mr. Watkins received the Congressional Angels in Adoption Award in 2014 and was recognized as the Florida Coalition for Children’s Innovator of the Year in 2024. He has served on multiple gubernatorial transition teams and was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to serve on the Florida Faith-Based and Community-Based Council. Mr. Watkins also serves on the board of directors of the National Center for Community-Based Child Welfare and was recently invited by the First Lady of the United States to participate in the White House signing ceremony for President Donald J. Trump’s executive order, “Fostering the Future for American Children and Families.”

Courtney Stanford – Chief Operating Officer

Ms. Stanford has over twenty-six (26) years’ experience in serving vulnerable children, adults, and families in the State of Florida. Ms. Stanford is an established leader, effective communicator, and motivator of system changes via innovative practices. Under her leadership, processes focused on accurate and timely decision making, establishment of enhanced training and professional development, and quality assessment to support workload efficiencies have been recognized within the child protection system as best practices and replicated across Florida. Ms. Stanford previously worked for the State of Florida’s Department of Children and Families, leading the development and implementation of the Assessment Response Team and Decision Support Teams both focused on the importance of critical decision making in child protection at the frontline level and provided operational and program oversite for behavioral health and child protection services in northwest Florida. She serves as Treasurer and Director on the Florida Association of Managing Entities board and is certified via the Florida Certification Board as a Child Protection Professional. Ms. Stanford holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from The Florida State University.

Rae Kerr – Chief Financial Officer

Ms. Kerr is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with more than twenty-nine (29) years working with non-profit and governmental entities. Her experience includes budget, development, financial statement audits, risk management practices, financial analysis, project management, policy development, and process improvement implementation in both the private and non-profit sectors. Previously Ms. Kerr served as the Senior Engagement Manager on the Independent Audit Team for community-based care Lead Agencies. Ms. Kerr has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Accounting from The Florida State University.

Michael Lee – Chief Compliance Officer

Mr. Lee has been a licensed member of the Florida Bar since 2003. First serving within the Florida Department of Children’s and Families’ Child Welfare Legal Services, Mr. Lee helped lead his circuit and later region through the State of Florida’s privatized transition. After serving as both supervising and later managing attorney for Children’s Legal Services, Mr. Lee would later be appointed as chief legal counsel for Florida DCF’s Northwest region. Since 2022, and in addition to his compliance duties, Mr. Lee has served as General Counsel for NWF Health Network. Altogether, Mr. Lee has nearly 25 years of direct child protection legal experience.

Brandon Logan – Executive Director

Dr. Logan previously served as Executive Director of 2INgage, the Single Source Continuum Contractor for foster care in DFPS Region 2 (Abilene and Wichita Falls), and as Founding Director of the Center for Families & Children at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. He currently serves on the Texas Supreme Court Children’s Commission and on both the Core Committee and the Community-Based Care Subcommittee of the DFPS Partners for Children and Families Committee. He is also a Senior Fellow at the America First Policy Institute and the author of Reclaiming Foster Care: An America First Vision for Protecting Children and Strengthening Families. Dr. Logan holds a Child Placement Agency Administrator License (HHS D14596). He began his career in child protection as an attorney, representing hundreds of children in Texas child welfare courts as an attorney and guardian ad litem as a Child Welfare Law Specialist. He earned his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University and holds both a Juris Doctor and a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Texas Tech University, where he also taught courses in child protection policy and family dynamics. His academic and professional work focuses on child maltreatment, trauma and treatment, and family and father engagement.

Matt Waller – Director of Community Impact

Mr. Waller founded The Attic Foster Network, a Permian Basin based nonprofit that serves children and families of the local foster system and invites churches to do the same. He moved to Midland, with his family, to teach for Midland Classical Academy. Prior to that, he worked in Christian Camping. His emerging career in child protection is a direct result of the West Texas grassroots movement to see the local community care for local foster children. Mr. Waller earned his undergraduate degree from Baylor University. He holds a graduate degree in nonprofit management and leadership from Walden University and is currently pursuing a master’s in business administration from Southeastern University.

Board of Directors

Tyler West, President and Chairman

Mr. West was born and raised in Midland, Texas. As a foster and adoptive parent, he and his wife experienced the child protection system firsthand. Through that experience, he saw the challenges facing children, families, and caregivers and became determined to help make the system better. He has since partnered with local leaders and community members to pursue thoughtful, long-term solutions to the state’s foster care privatization efforts.

General Echols, Secretary and Treasurer

Mr. Echols is a local business owner and resident of Midland, Texas. He serves through a business-oriented lens that understands the importance of strengthening local governance, promoting responsible stewardship of public resources, and delivering consistent, high-quality services locally.

Dave Kuhnert, Director

Mr. Kuhnert is a military veteran, moved to Midland, Texas shortly after retiring from the Army. He is a published author and leadership coach. He has helped create workforce and leadership culture utilizing his book and training materials, Servant Leadership, across numerous organizations around the world.

Patrick Payton, Director

Mr. Payton served as a pastor, consultant, speaker, and Mayor of Midland, Texas. He brings a rare blend of insight, authenticity, and action to every endeavor. He is also the host of the No Neutral Moments podcast and a passionate advocate for building stronger communities.

Mary Kathryn Wimberly, Director

Ms. Wimberly is a Texas based fine art photographer, instructor, and commercial photographer. A lifelong resident of Midland, Texas, she serves on various boards seeking to improve outcomes for children and families in West Texas and supports the transition from a state legacy model to a locally governed system of care.