Board of Directors

Adrian Solomonides is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Ace Relocation Systems, where she leads people strategy across 10 locations in 14 states for a respected relocation and transportation organization. With a passion for building strong workplace cultures, Adrian oversees leadership development, employee engagement, safety, benefits, succession planning, and total rewards initiatives that support both business growth and employee success. She is known for creating practical, people-centered solutions that help organizations navigate change while strengthening culture, communication, and leadership at every level. Adrian brings a collaborative and supportive leadership style to her work, with a strong focus on developing future leaders and creating workplaces where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to succeed. She believes that investing in people is one of the most impactful ways to drive long-term organizational success.

Nathan is a Corporate Benefits Advisor at NFP, where he works with small to mid-sized organizations to design and manage employee benefits programs that balance cost control, risk management, and employee experience. An Austin native, born and raised, Nathan partners closely with CFOs and HR leaders to navigate funding strategies, renewals, and long-term benefits planning. He is passionate about serving the Central Texas business community and supporting organizations through thoughtful, people-first decision-making.

As Vice President at NFP, Cory Thurston leads client strategy, execution, and stewardship, partnering with C-suite executives, HR, Finance, and business leaders to navigate complex challenges and design customized insurance solutions that align with both short- and long-term goals. Known for his ability to build strong, lasting relationships, Cory takes a collaborative approach that fosters trust and drives meaningful, long-term partnerships. With seven years of experience in the employee benefits industry across diverse industries and organizational sizes, Cory brings deep expertise in funding models, cost containment, communication strategies, wellbeing initiatives, technology integration, and innovative benefits solutions. His strategic insights help clients tackle complexity and achieve impactful results. Before joining NFP, Cory founded and led multiple successful service businesses that were later acquired, showcasing his entrepreneurial mindset and leadership skills. An Austin native and graduate of Texas State University, he remains deeply connected to his community and industry.

Austin helps organizations move beyond "good enough" to a more strategic approach across benefits, risk, and insurance planning. With expertise in Employee Benefits, HR, Total Rewards, and Commercial Insurance Risk Consulting, he delivers solutions that reduce total cost of risk, maximize savings, improve employee engagement, and drive measurable ROI. Austin is passionate about tackling complex challenges, thinking outside the box, and aligning strategies that help clients grow and thrive.

Amanda Bernstein is an HR and Operations Director with experience supporting people-focused strategies, organizational operations, and day-to-day business efficiency. Amanda partners closely with leadership to improve processes, strengthen culture, and support employee success.

Maria Shelby serves as Past President of ATX Total Rewards and is a seasoned HR leader with over a decade of experience across recruiting, employee relations, and organizational development. She specializes in creating positive employee experiences, driving process improvements, and aligning HR strategy with business goals. Known for her collaborative leadership style, Maria brings a strong balance of people advocacy and operational excellence to every organization she supports.

Bio coming soon.

Vice President of Administration at ATX Total Rewards, she is a strategic Human Resources leader with deep expertise in global benefits, compliance, and HR operations. She has a proven track record of driving employee engagement through thoughtfully designed programs and cross-functional collaboration. With experience across both public and private sectors, she brings a strong, data-informed approach to building scalable, people-focused systems.