Horses together move as one—free, strong, and connected. They embody unity, loyalty, and shared purpose, reminding us that true strength and grace are found in connection.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
At Creating Gray Spaces, our Board of Directors is made up of passionate leaders, visionaries, and advocates who are committed to building inclusive communities where creativity, healing, and education come together. Each board member brings a unique blend of expertise in the arts, education, community development, and nonprofit leadership.
The role of our Board is to provide guidance, accountability, and support for our mission: to create spaces of grace where individuals can find hope, healing, and empowerment through creativity and connection.​
Shannon Ydoyaga, Ph.D.
Since 2024, Dr. Ydoyaga has served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at Weatherford College where she leads the College serving 135 full-time and four academic Deans at a comprehensive, residential campus. Prior to this appointment, she served as the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas and Dean for Health Sciences and Professional Education at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas where she was overseeing the West Campus with more than 70 CTE programs and 130 tenure-track faculty.
Dr. Ydoyaga also served with the Dallas County Community College District for 15 years in the capacity of District Director of the Health Careers Resource Center working with 7 colleges in the healthcare sector related to strategic initiatives, program development, grant development and oversight, and student-centered advising and career pathway development, and as an Associate Dean and Medical Programs Administrator in the School of Mathematics, Science and Health Professions at Richland College in both credit and continuing education, in addition to teaching within the School of Business.
Dr. Ydoyaga’s human resources experience in robust engineering, manufacturing and health care environments was the catalyst for her leadership into higher education from a training and workforce standpoint.
In 2018, she received the LULAC Council #1 Presidential Award of Excellence and in 2015 the Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas Partner of the Year award. Furthermore, from a community perspective, Dr. Ydoyaga has served on the Board of the Miracle League, GiftCards4Change.org, Their Day Foundation, and coordinated city-wide career and health fairs with community partners.
She holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Education, Leadership for Higher Education through Capella University, a Master’s of Science in Management from Texas A&M at Commerce, and a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from the University of Mississippi.
Dr. Desirée Cox, MD, Phil, PhD
CEO and Founder, The HEALinc
Affiliate Faculty Member, Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA
Chair of the Joint National Stem Cell Ethics Committee (NSCEC) and National Medical Ethics Committee of The Bahamas
Dr. Desirée Cox, MD, MPhil, PhD is a Rhodes Scholar, medical doctor, creative artist, and internationally respected thought leader in future health and regenerative medicine. Educated at McGill University (Canada), Oxford University (UK) and Cambridge University (UK), Dr. Desirée is the Founder and CEO of The HEALinc and The HEALinc Future Health Innovation Summit (www.healincsummit.com). She is also the CEO of ArtRegen, CEO of the Biotech R&D company BioPep and an Affiliate member of Rutgers University, Graduates Studies Faculty, New Jersey, USA. She is the first Rhodes Scholar from The Bahamas and the first woman Rhodes Scholar from the British Caribbean. She lives in the USA and The Bahamas. As an innovator, her career in the UK, Europe, North America, The Bahamas, and Latin America has spanned clinical medicine, academia, research and development, regulatory sciences, and the design, development, and implementation of high–impact health and social enterprises. Dr. Cox is a thought leader in future health innovation with 20+ years in the healthcare space and an impressive, rare and unique range of skills and capacities integrating the sciences and the arts. Her experience in healthcare consulting includes consulting for biotech companies and major pharmaceutical companies, including Amgen, GSK and Novartis, on pipeline therapeutic products and medical devices. In October 2017, she was honored by Oxford University as one of six alumni to have their portrait hung in the Great Hall at Pembroke College. She was one of 5 recipients of the 2019 International Advocacy Action Award at the World Stem Cell Summit in Miami, Florida. She was also a presenter at the 2018 Vatican ‘Unite to Cure’ Conference. Since 2014, she has been spearheading the development of a regulatory system and ecosystem in The Bahamas for accelerated patient access to stem cell, regenerative medicine and other future health technologies manufactured in the US and Europe, Latin America and Asia. At the 40th Independence Celebrations in 2013, the Bahamas Government honored Dr. Cox by issuing a 70-cent stamp into circulation bearing her photograph.