The Founder's Trap
What does this mean?
10-year flat revenue, below-market executive comp, and a small board. The organization survives purely on the sweat equity of a founder, making it utterly un-transferable.
The Path Forward
The Dispersal
Forces succession planning and structural maturity. It requires raising capacity-building funds to decouple the organization's survival from the founder's personal sacrifice.
Title
Representative Institutions
Institutional Epochs
Historical Performance
| Year | Revenue | Top Comp | Comp % Rev | Score | Phase Label | Outlook | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | — | — | 2.4% | 42 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2022 | — | — | 2.5% | 46 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2021 | — | — | 0.3% | 28 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2020 | — | — | 0.7% | 36 | Financially Distressed | Recovery | |
| 2019 | — | — | 4.7% | 32 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2018 | — | — | 2.9% | 36 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2017 | — | — | 1.5% | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2016 | — | — | 0.9% | 34 | Critical Intervention Needed | Decline Risk | |
| 2015 | — | — | 1.4% | 42 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2014 | — | — | — | 51 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2013 | — | — | — | 21 | Critical Intervention Needed | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kasey Bush | At Large | 0.7% of Rev | ||
| Bill Wash | At Large | 0.6% of Rev | ||
| Deborah Stephenson | Concessions Manager | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| Eddy Herring | At Large | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Robyn Mead | At Large | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Kristina Rosette | At Large | 0.1% of Rev | ||
| Joseph Barr | Board President | — | ||
| Gena Graham | Secretary | — | ||
| Cheryll Shinavar | Treasurer | — | ||
| Rene Shinavar | Reservations Manager | — | ||
| Laura Sosnowski | Public Relations | — | ||
| Eric Levy | At Large | — |
Tax year 2022
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kristina Rosette | At Large | — | ||
| Madison Turner | At Large | — | ||
| Deborah Stephenson | Concessions Manager | — | ||
| Robyn Mead | At Large | — | ||
| Joseph Barr | Board President | — | ||
| Gena Graham | Secretary | — | ||
| Cheryll Shinavar | Treasurer | — | ||
| Rene Shinavar | Reservations Manager | — | ||
| Douglas Smetzer | Facilities Manager | — | ||
| Eddy Herring | At Large | — | ||
| Laura Sosnowski | Public Relations | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaMar Graham | Facilities Manager | 0.2% of Rev | ||
| Deborah Stephenson | Concessions Manager | 0.0% of Rev | ||
| Robyn Mead | Board President | — | ||
| Joseph Barr | Board President | — | ||
| Gena Graham | Secretary | — | ||
| Cheryll Shinavar | Treasurer | — | ||
| Rene Shinavar | Reservations Manager | — | ||
| Douglas Smetzer | Facilities Manager | — | ||
| Kristina Rosette | At Large | — | ||
| Madison Turner | At Large | — | ||
| Melinda Cotton | Newsletter | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 132 other orgs in TX with NTEE prefix A6.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 13 points above the peer median (45 vs. 32).
5-year trend: The Founder's Trap
10-year flat revenue, below-market executive comp, and a small board. The organization survives purely on the sweat equity of a founder, making it utterly un-transferable.
Overall score has gone from 32 → 42 over 5 years (improving by 10 points). A multi-year directional move of this magnitude is a signal worth investigating.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 2.4% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
- Financial resilience score in the bottom quartile — reserves and liabilities ratios warrant review.
What would change this score
The two changes that would most improve this score:
- Build cash reserves to at least 3 months of operating expenses — moves financial resilience score meaningfully (~10 points).
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.