Leadership Team
Donald E. Wesson, MD, MBA
President, Donald E. Wesson Consulting, LLC
Professor of Medicine, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Dallas, TX
Dr. Wesson is immediate past president of the Baylor Scott & White Health and Wellness Center in Dallas, TX, and he is Professor of Medicine, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Dallas, TX. An internationally recognized researcher in kidney acidifying mechanisms, he has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers regarding kidney physiology, more than a dozen books about kidney disease and hypertension, and many other papers on cigarette smoking and its effects on kidneys.
He previously served as Vice Dean of Texas A&M University College of Medicine in Temple, TX. His academic career includes roles as the S.C. Arnett Professor of Medicine and Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine and Physiology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center; Associate Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, and Assistant Chief of the Nephrology Section at the Houston VA Hospital. He received multiple teaching awards at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
Dr. Wesson received his undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He attended Washington University School of Medicine and earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine (Houston), completed his Internal Medicine residency and internship at Baylor College of Medicine, and his nephrology research fellowship at the University of Illinois (Chicago). He earned his Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas (Austin). Dr. Wesson was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) in 2007 after serving on many ASN committees since 1996. He is Past Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) (2007-2008) and Past Chair of its Foundation (2012-2014) and served the ABIM 2001-2015. He has also held multiple positions within the National Kidney Foundation.
Dr. Wesson is a Children’s Leader in the Dallas Chapter of Bible Study Fellowship and a Co-Facilitator, along with his son Donald Wesson, of the Men’s II Bible Study at Cornerstone Baptist Church in South Dallas.
Wanda Wesson
Former Director of Program Services at March of Dimes
Wanda Ford Wesson has devoted her professional career to identifying, developing and implementing various programs to address health disparities in underserved communities in Texas. The focus of her works in Dallas has been the reduction of prematurity disparity in communities with high infant and maternal mortality rates. As MOD staff coordinator, she launched the statewide development of the Honey Child Program, a faith-based prenatal curriculum for African-American churches in Texas.
Pastor Chris Simmons
Head Pastor of Cornerstone Church
Chris started serving at the Cornerstone Baptist Church in the inner-city community of South Dallas/Fair Park, Dallas, TX in May, 1988. He was called to serve as pastor in September, 1989. Under Chris’ leadership, Cornerstone started the Cornerstone Community Development Corp., Inc. which has as its mission bringing about community development and revitalization in one of the most blighted areas in South Dallas/Fair Park.
Royce West
Managing Partner, West & Associates
Royce is the Managing Partner of West & Associates, LLP and has been practicing law for nearly 40 years. He is licensed to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Northern District of Texas, and the State of Texas. Despite his career as an attorney, most know Royce as the state senator representing the people of the 23rd Senatorial District.
Donald E. H. Wesson, BS
Director of Cornerstone Community Development Corporation, Cornerstone Baptist Church in South Dallas
Founding Partner, Mountaintop Contractors, LLC
As Director of Cornerstone Community Development Corporation, Donald manages Cornerstone Baptist Church’s nonprofit ministries that oversee a nearly 10,000 sq. ft. community kitchen providing daily meals for persons who are homeless; a health clinic; transitional housing; after-school and summer learning programs; a community laundromat; job assistance; and a resource center. The Development Corporation will soon oversee a community grocery store to serve the nutritional needs of the Cornerstone Community with healthy food options.
Donald assists in managing Cornerstone’s partnerships with many volunteer organizations including AmeriCorps and an AARP work program, as well as church partnerships within the City of Dallas, the State of Texas, and states outside Texas. He has secured, and continues to seek, many grants to support the diverse ministries that constitute Cornerstone’s outreach.
Donald coordinates Cornerstone’s work with the Dallas Catalyst Project of the Real Estate Council Foundation to revitalize the Cornerstone, Fair Park, and St. Philip neighborhoods. Their work includes job creation, finding and building affordable and safe housing, and support of small business in South Dallas communities.
He is a founding partner of Mountaintop Contractors, LLC which got its start restoring properties in Southeast Texas following hurricane damage in 2017. Locally, Mountaintop continues to restore the lives of its employees through restoring properties and the communities that contain them. Mountaintop is remodeling White Rock Chapel and its Fellowship Hall and has done so since the property was purchased through the family owned corporation, Redemption Enterprises, LLC and the nonprofit White Rock Chapel of Addison, Inc in 2018.
Donald holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Chinese from Trinity University, San Antonio.