21Wilberforce Board of Directors

21W representatives

Board Members

21Wilberforce relies on the dedicated support and counsel of visionary and generous individuals worldwide, not the least of which are our talented and committed Board of Directors. They provide guidance and a wealth of experience from diverse fields and backgrounds.

Meet the Board

J. Nixon Daniel, III

Director / Vice Chair
Biographical Summary

Darrell Dunton

Director
Biographical Summary

Simon "Trey" Hendershot III

Director
Biographical Summary

David Nelson

Director / Chairman
Biographical Summary

Raúl Scialabba

Director
Biographical Summary

Keith Skaar

Director / Board Secretary
Biographical Summary

Michelle Smith

Director
Biographical Summary

John Upton

Director
Biographical Summary

* Not pictured: Bill Kirk (Director & Board Treasurer), Geoffrey Nwankwo (Board Member)

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J. Nixon Daniel, III

Nixon “Nix” Daniel is the managing partner of Beggs & Lane, a Pensacola, Florida-based law firm that represents a broad and diverse client base, including major corporations, businesses, professionals, non-profit organizations, and individuals.

A Florida native, Nix has practiced law in Pensacola for over 40 years. He has tried over 100 cases to verdict and has been involved in many others which were settled at mediation or otherwise prior to trial. His litigation experience includes both the representation of defendants and plaintiffs.

Nix holds a J.D. (With Honors, Order of the Coif) from the University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville, Florida, and a B.A. (Magna Cum Laude) in Economics from Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, North Carolina.

In October 2018, Nix joined the 21Wilberforce’s Board of Directors, where he serves as Vice Chair.

Darrell Dunton

Darrell Dunton is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Admarc, an advertising and creative design company in Midland, Texas. Admarc was launched in 1983 by Darrell and two colleagues, Kent Randel and Joe Milam, around the dream that good design could meaningfully impact people’s lives.  Since then, Admarc has opened offices in Dallas, Lubbock and Amarillo.

Within his field, Darrel specializes in brand design and strategy, design and concept artist for all media, and identity development and execution. His work has earned him wide acclaim – from Addy Awards to International Film Festival of New York and CLIO – in many categories and media. 

Darrell and Barbara, his wife of 42 years, live in Midland, Texas. They have 3 children and 9 grandchildren.

Darrell is highly involved in a wide array of civic and community initiatives. He serves on many boards locally and nationally such as: The Baptist Standard, The Life Center, Watch & Pray Ministries International, Red River Ministries, and Fuel the Fire. He has also been involved as a volunteer in the Tenth District NSAC, AAF, AIGA, and the American Heart Association. He has served as a member of 21Wilberforce’s Board of Directors since its founding in 2014.

Simon "Trey" Hendershot III

Simon W. “Trey” Hendershot, III, is the managing shareholder at Hendershot Cowart, P.C., a law firm based in Houston, Texas, where Trey leads the firm’s business law, healthcare and regulatory group. 

Trey is a native Texan, born and raised in Gonzales, Texas.  He received his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University (B.B.A. in Business Management).  While attending Texas A&M University, Mr. Hendershot was a member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggies Band and the Corps of Cadets. He was named Distinguished Military Graduate and upon graduation, received a commission as an Infantry Officer in the United States Army. He also served as a Judge Advocate General Officer for the 36th Brigade 50th Armored Division, Texas Army National Guard.

Trey received his law degree from South Texas College of Law and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court throughout districts in Texas and before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, United States Tax Court and United State Court of Military Appeals. He is also a member of the American Health Law Lawyers Association and Health Law Section of the Texas State Bar.

He currently lives in Fort Bend County, Texas with his wife, Cherie, and three daughters.  Trey is active in Sugar Creek Baptist Church and active with multiple charities. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Fort Bend Christian Academy. He has been a member of 21Wilberforce’s Board of Directors since October 2020.

David Nelson

David Nelson has been a licensed attorney in the state of Texas since 1978. In 2002, he founded Signature Investor Group for the management of private equity investments in energy and environmental technologies which he continues today along with litigation support primarily in oil and gas.

He earned his law degree during his eleven year tenure with Republic National Bank of Dallas. He exited banking in 1983 as a Vice President in the Metropolitan Lending Division to assume corporate counsel duties for an energy company. He served as Trust Counsel for Baptist Foundation of Texas and CEO and Chairman of Concord Trust Company, a Texas regulated trust company servicing the charitable donor trusts of the Foundation.

David is a graduate of Baylor University with a B.A. degree in mathematics. Following undergraduate studies, he earned a Master of Computing Sciences degree from Texas A&M University and a J.D. from Baylor University School of Law. In law school, he served as President of the Moot Court Society, received the Leon Jaworski Moot Court Scholarship, and was elected the Phi Delta Phi Graduate of the Year.

Elaine, his wife of 53 years, and David reside in Dallas, Texas. They have a daughter, Harlan, living in Dallas with three grandchildren. David and Elaine have been active in Park Cities Baptist Church for over 40 years as well as serving on boards of numerous charitable and ministry organizations. David and Elaine have a philanthropic appetite which includes having established several endowed scholarships and a goal of increasing financial donations annually.

In 2015, David joined the 21Wilberforce’s Board of Directors, where he serves as Chairman.

Raúl Scialabba

Dr. Raúl Scialabba is an Argentine lawyer and businessman who for the past 40 years has held a number of key leadership positions with Baptist and other Christian organizations.

He currently serves as the President of the SBA (Argentine Bible Society) and is a member of the Council Board of the Salvation Army of Argentina. He has served as President and is currently the Vice President of the Argentine Baptist Association (Asociación Bautista Argentina) (ABA), a young association that since its inception has supported BWA and its various ministries. He has been involved in the leadership of the Union of Baptists in Latin America (UBLA) in different responsibilities and has held uninterrupted positions in BWA since the 1980s. In these almost 40 years, he has participated in numerous commissions and committees, as president and as a member. He led the 10th Youth Baptist World Congress (1984) and the 17th Baptist World Congress. He has served as a representative at the BWA Executive Committee, as BWA Vice President representing Latin America (2000-2005), and currently is a member of the Religious Freedom Commission and Resolutions Committee.

Dr. Scialabba is committed to religious freedom for all, both in Argentina and globally. In addition to being a voice for Baptists in different areas of government, Dr. Scialabba currently serves as President of the Argentine Council for Religious Freedom (CALIR), a position he twice previously held.

Dr. Raúl Scialabba and his wife Silvia have three children and five grandchildren. They live in Buenos Aires, are members of Once Baptist Church in the city, where they lead the Centro Bautista Recoleta (Recoleta Baptist Center) mission. Dr. Scialabba joined the 21Wilberforce Board of Directors in October 2020.

Keith Skaar

After graduating from Baylor University with a BS in Petroleum Geology in 1984, Keith worked for numerous independents developing prospects in various basins covering the domestic U.S.  In 1992, Keith began a career as an exploration geologist working the Permian Basin for Independent Petroleum firms establishing commercial discoveries and production throughout the Permian Basin.  In November of 2016, Keith started Augustin Exploration, LLC to continue identifying and developing oil and gas reserves in the Permian Basin. Keith has been sought out as a featured speaker/lecturer/keynote for numerous industry conferences including the AAPG, Houston Geologic Society, Emerging Shale Plays, and WTGS amongst others.
 
A bachelor until the age of 43, Keith married Kari (Welker) Skaar in 2005 and they have two children, Nathan (age 10), and Maggie (age 8).   Keith serves as a Trustee of First Baptist Church in Midland and Wayland Baptist University.   Keith also serves on the board of other charitable organizations including Rock the Desert, and Watch and Pray Ministries, both in Midland.   An avid golfer, Keith is a stockholding member of Midland Country Club and the Petroleum Club of Midland. 

Keith joined 21Wilberforce in July 2014 as a founding member of the 21Wilberforce Board of Directors, where he continues to serve as Secretary of the Board.

Michelle Smith

Michelle Smith serves as Chief of Staff and Communications Director at the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., where she has worked for over two decades.

Prior to joining the Federal Reserve, Michelle served in the U.S. Department of the Treasury as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (and other positions), and before that as Deputy Press Secretary to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen (Texas).

Michelle holds B.A. in Journalism/Business and a Master of International Journalism from Baylor University.

She lives in Northern Virginia with her family. She joined the 21Wilberforce Board of Directors in April, 2019.

John V. Upton, Jr.

Executive Director | Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV)

Since November 2001, John Upton  has served as the Executive Director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) and the Virginia Baptist Mission Board (VBMB). He has been a member of the 21Wilberforce Board of Directors since October 2020.

In July 2015 he completed a five-year term as President of the Baptist World Alliance that began July 31, 2010. Prior to becoming president of the BWA, he had been a member of the BWA General Council and the Executive Committee. He had also served on the Baptist World Aid Committee, the Commission on Christian Ethics and acted as the chair of the Congress Program Committee. Prior to being elected executive director of the GBVA and VBMB he served as the group leader of the Mission Mobilization Group of BGAV.  Earlier he was pastor of Urbanna Baptist Church in Urbanna and he and his wife, Deborah, served as missionaries in Taiwan through the Southern Baptist Convention’s Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board).

John, a Norfolk-born Virginia native, is a graduate of Averett College (now University) in Danville, VA, and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. The Uptons have two sons, Christopher and Richard; a daughter, Emily; and eight grandchildren.