Jack Downey has achieved accelerated advancement to senior management based on success in leadership, policy formulation and implementation, and program management. He has repeatedly excelled as problem solver, executive level spokesman and writer. As a leader, Jack is recognized for creating an environment where people internalize high standards, a culture of innovation and change and a bias for action.

Jack has provided executive coaching to nonprofit and for profit executives on leadership, advocacy, board development, fund raising, capital campaigns, mergers/acquisitions and human resources. He has actively assisted nonprofits and foundations in successful capital campaigns. He has initiated and guided a nonprofit executive, multi-state discussion group exploring nonprofit leadership issues. Nationally, Jack has worked with the Child Welfare League of America and the Alliance for Children and Families on issues involving staff retention, special events planning and advocacy.

Prior to entering the non-profit world, Jack served for 26 years in the U.S. Air Force where he was selected for accelerated promotion ahead of his peers in recognition of his outstanding performance. During his military career, he served as President of the Air Force Association world-wide Junior Officer's Council and was selected for advanced military education.

Upon leaving the US Air Force, Jack rescued Christian Senior Services, a United Way nonprofit providing Meals-on-Wheels and Alzheimer's Daycare from imminent bankruptcy and closure, doubling the number of daily meals delivered and tripling the Alzheimer's care.

Jack then became the President/CEO of The Children's Shelter and grew the agency from an annual budget of less than $300,000 to $15 million and increased staff from 50 to 270 while increasing services to more than 4000 at-risk children annually. Under Jack’s guidance, The Children’s Shelter grew from a single emergency shelter to be one of the largest children’s agencies in Texas offering emergency shelters, residential treatment center, foster care, adoption, medical & psychiatric care, art therapy, teen pregnancy prevention and numerous other programs focused on enhancing the lives of children. Under the umbrella of The Children's Shelter, Jack incorporated three subsidiary organizations - "The Children's Shelter Foundation", a supporting organization of The Children's Shelter, "Girls Inc of San Antonio", a nonprofit dedicated to making young girls “strong, smart and bold”, and "StepStone", a for-profit providing financial services to nonprofits. Under his guidance, The Children's Shelter successfully undertook at $14,700,000 capital campaign and built a twenty-four acre campus for children.

Jack holds a Master of Science (Information Systems) from the University of Southern California and is a graduate of the Harvard University, JFK School of Government, Child Welfare Executives Program. He holds the highest possible recognition for human resource professionals - the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification. He taught for three years as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas-San Antonio teaching "Nonprofit Leadership and Management" in the Public Administration Graduate School.

Jack is Past President of the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services and the United Way Executive Directors Association. He is Past Chair of the American Humanics Board at the University of Texas-San Antonio. He serves as Vice Chair of the Bexar County Blue Ribbon Task Force on Child Abuse. He currently serves on the University of Texas-San Antonio Nonprofit Initiatives Advisory Committee and the Metro Health Infant Death Review Committee.

He is the first recipient of the Texas Alliance “Lifetime Achievement Award” for his service to children and families. The San Antonio Police Department awarded him their highest recognition – the “San Antonio Award” – for his service to the community. Mr. Downey was also recognized as a “Hometown Hero” by Time Warner Cable Company.