Board of Directors
The Board of Directors for our organization have been strong supporters of the renovation project since its inception.
Tresea Stringer
Myrtle Springs Alumni Association president, Tresea Stringer, was raised in the Myrtle Springs area. She attended Myrtle Springs School and Wills Point High School. Tresea later moved to the Dallas area where she worked as an office manager, receptionist and warehouse supervisor. In 2007, she moved back to Myrtle Springs, and retired from the corporate world in the fall of 2008.
That year, Tresea became involved in the cattle business with her husband, the late Bob Stringer of Myrtle Springs. Bob was also a former student of Myrtle Springs School. He graduated from Wills Point High School and served as a Trustee on the Myrtle Springs School Board.
In 2011, Tresea developed a strong interest in saving the old Myrtle Springs School building and joined the board of the Myrtle Springs Alumni Association and later accepted the position of board president, a position she holds to this day.
The task of saving the old Myrtle Springs School building and restoring it to its former glory has consumed much of Tresea’s time and efforts over the past years.
Bill Rusk
Bill and his wife, Ida, “accidentally became involved in helping to save the Myrtle Springs School Building after attending an alumni reunion there in October of 2015. At that time, the association faced many difficulties and were ready to “close the doors” forever. Bill saw the need and stepped in as Vice President & Secretary of the Alumni Association. Now retired and living in Richardson, Texas, they continue to own and manage a farm in Myrtle Springs, a short distance from the Community Center.
Bill was born in Wills Point and graduation from Wills Point High School in 1958 and soon headed for Denton Texas where he began working toward degrees in physics and mathematics at the University of North Texas. Upon graduation, Bill began his first professional job in Richardson as a semiconductor engineer with Texas Instruments. His next position was as an engineer at a start-up electronics company, “ECC Corporation” in Euless, Texas where he designed numerous semiconductor packages that were surprisingly successful and are still manufactured by the millions by a successor company. He then served as Quality Manager and then Operations Manager at Teccor Electronics Corporation in Irving (the successor company of ECC).
In 1991, Bill transitioned his career to become a management consultant at Thomas Group, which allowed him to travel throughout the U.S. and to foreign countries including Bangkok, Taiwan and Ireland. He taught top executives critical management methods to drive and achieve optimum manufacturing results. Finally, as a representative of the Thomas Group, Bill worked with a team at the Pentagon and numerous air bases across the nation. The initiative was known as “Naval Aviator Production Process Improvement” of “NAPPL” and was used to drive down the typical time frame required for pilots to “get their wings.” This accomplishment was acknowledged by Vice Admiral Walter Massenberg and publishes in the U.S. Navy publication in 2012. Bill remains proud of his semiconduction industry success and to have performed a major rose on the U.S. Naval Aviation initiative.
Today, with the assistance of his wife, Ida, Bill is working hard to strengthen the alumni team and to research grants and funding opportunities to save the Myrtle Springs School and Commmunity Center.
Brandy Veihl
Brandy grew up following in her grandfather’s footsteps at the doors of the Myrtle Springs School Building. She watched the renovation as a small child in 1987 and attended her first reunion with her grandparents in 1988. In 2013, she moved “home” to Myrtle Springs and immediately looked for ways to become involved in the community. Kurtis Golden, (her great uncle) asked her to attend a meeting and from that point on, became active in many schoolhouse activities.
In 2011, Brandy lost her grandfather. She knew how much he loved this schoolhouse and wanted it to be a pillar in the community. His inspiration encouraged her to join the board of the Myrtle Springs Alumni Association (MSAA) where she has held several positions.
After graduating from Sam Houston State University in 2001 with a degree in Criminal Psychology, she began working for the TDCJ-Parole Division. In 2013, she began working for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. She felt God pulling her towards teaching and has taught 2nd grade in Rains ISD and now 1st grade in Terrell.
Family is everything to Brandy and she still resides in Myrtle Springs. They are members of the Community Life Church in Canton, Texas and she has been a member of the Canton Women’s League since 2016. She loves philanthropy and supporting others. She and her husband love God, their children, family, traveling and antiquing.
Alice Smith
Alice Woods Smith was born in Dallas in 1953. In 1955, her family moved to a home on Myrtle Springs Cemetery Road and in 1960 she began first grade at Myrtle Springs School. Alice’s father, Douglas Woods, served as a board member of the school from 1962 to 1963. She remembers Mrs. Lilly Burns and Mrs. Elizabeth Ellis being her teachers and Mrs. Ellis was also her 4H sponsor/counselor.
In 1966, she finished the sixth grade at Myrtle Springs and began attending high school in Canton. After graduation in 1972, she attended Henderson County Junior College (now Trinity Valley Community College) on a music scholarship. Two years later, in 1974, she married Rick Smith and had two children.
Over the past fifty years, Alice has lived and active and interesting life. She served as President of Unity Association Women’s Missionary Auxiliary, President of the Athens Amateur Radio Club and Emergency Coordinator for ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) for Henderson, Navarro, Freestone and Leon Counties. In the 1990’s, she also worked as a Recreational Specialist for South Place Nursing Home in Athens.
Frankie Polley
As co-owner of D&F Custom Home Building Co., LLC, Frankie brings expertise in construction management, contractor selection, and negotiation—skills that enhance the Association’s ability to stewardresources and drive community revitalization.
She serves as the primary oversight for the renovation and construction tasks at the Myrtle Springs School. Frankie’s inherent skills of efficiency and organization help to keep projects on schedule and within budget.
Her compassion for people, combined with her deep knowledge of the community, makes her ideally suited to lead and manage “Myrtle’s Food Pantry.”
Greg Rusk
Greg Rusk is a sixth-generation Texan, farmer and rancher, and retired
technology, security, and public-service professional. His career has
included service as a U.S. Department of Defense specialist and analyst,
a perimeter-security engineer for Microsoft and McAfee, and a volunteer
law-enforcement officer. He holds a degree in criminal justice and has
extensive professional training and certifications in cybersecurity,
computer networking, systems engineering, and law enforcement.
Greg is also a published author, professional photographer, photojournalist, and news contributor, serving as an official and credentialed photographer
for rodeos and equestrian events across North and East Texas.
An Eagle Scout and recipient of a commendation from the Governor
of Texas, Greg brings broad experience in technology, security,
agriculture, project management, communications, photography, and
practical problem-solving to his role as Director.
Vicki Stone
Descended from four generations of rose farmers that called Myrtle Springs
their home, Vicki is dedicated to preserving the history of the area. Her father, Bob Landrum, was especially interested in saving the building where he attended school and spoke often to her about the progress that was being made. After he passed away in 2025, Vicki reached out to the board members to offer some of her family’s historical memorabilia to use in the museum. They invited her to a meeting and soon became a new board member.
Recently retired as a long-time home remodeling contractor and interior designer in North Carolina,she and her husband, Mike, make their home in nearby Emory, Texas.
Vicki is also experienced in graphic design as she managed the graphic arts
program at Kilgore College for several years. Both are church musicians at
First Baptist Church in Alba. With a passion for geneaology and history,
Vicki looks forward to renovating the community center where
many of her family members attended school.
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