UT Dallas Names New Executive Board Members

The University of Texas at Dallas named three new members, including two alumni and a representative from one of the University’s most active corporate partners, to the Executive Board at its meeting on Oct. 19.

New Members

Jae Lynn Akin
Human Resources & Development Executive, State Farm

Jae Lynn Akin joined State Farm in 1994 as an auto claims adjuster in West Texas. She held various positions in claims both in leadership and training until she joined human resources in 2004. In 2009, Akin joined public affairs in Winter Haven, Florida, as the assistant public affairs manager, and in 2011 she returned to human resources as assistant HR manager. In 2013, she was promoted to the Florida zone HR manager, and then in 2015 she was promoted to HR director with the responsibilities of workforce and talent support. Akin was promoted to HR&D executive – talent management in 2022 and has responsibilities for talent acquisition and employee and leadership development.

Akin received a bachelor’s degree in business management from Angelo State University. She earned the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation in 2001.

Akin and her husband, Chad, and have two daughters at Texas Tech University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading and traveling.

Ashok K. Mago EMBA’99
Chairman & CEO, Mago & Associates

Ashok Mago EMBA’99 is chairman and CEO at Dallas-based Mago & Associates and the founding chairman of the Greater Dallas Indo-American Chamber, now known as the US India Chamber of Commerce DFW.

Mago is passionate about strengthening the relationship between the United States and his home country of India. He worked alongside Sen. John Cornyn and then-Sen. Hillary Clinton to form the Senate India Caucus, which aided in the conclusion of the U.S.-India Nuclear Cooperation Initiative in 2005. In 2014, Mago was awarded the Padma Shri Award by then-President of India Pranab Mukherjee.

Mago is a recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award at UT Dallas. He lives locally with his wife, Monica. Together they endowed the Ashok and Monica Mago Distinguished Professorship in Management

Grace McClure Topete BS’18
Director of Leadership Programs, Social Venture Partners Dallas President, Eugene McDermott Scholars Program Alumni Association

Grace McClure Topete BS’18 is president of the Eugene McDermott Scholars Program Alumni Association. She is the director of leadership programs at Social Venture Partners Dallas, where she manages continuing education for emerging philanthropists and social impact consultants.

As a student at UT Dallas, Topete was involved in numerous student groups and advisory boards, including the Committee on Effective Teaching and the Student Discipline Committee. She completed her undergraduate degree in cognitive science at UT Dallas and received her master’s degree in education from Southern Methodist University in 2020.

Topete lives in Richardson with her husband, Alex Garcia Topete BA’11, MA’17, MS’20, PhD’21 and their family.

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