We’re excited to once again be combining two events into one gathering, enabling our Spring Networking Blitz participants to also connect with our 2026 ACHE of North Texas Mentorship Program mentor and mentee participants.

We will start the evening with everyone gathered together for some fun networking activities, a brief showcasing of the ACHE of North Texas chapter and an exploration of how to maximize your ACHE membership experience. Then, as the night progresses, the two groups will separate with 1) the 2026 ACHENTX Mentors and Mentees having an orientation of this year’s Mentorship Program and 2) the Networking Blitz attendees continuing with some additional organized networking opportunities.

It’s going to be an evening filled with a lot of fun and TONS of networking! We look forward to seeing you there!

Guest Speakers:

Dr. Chris McCracken, OTD, MBA, OTR/L, PMP, FACHE is an occupational therapist who has worked in the healthcare industry for more than 30 years, the last 15 in various leadership roles within rehab and service line administration. She recently transitioned to higher education.

Chris joined South College in 2024 and was promoted to Dean of Academic & Student Services in 2025. She is the dean at the Dallas campus, one of 10 South College on-ground campuses. She has a doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) and a master’s degree in business (MBA). She is PMP (Project Management Professional) certified and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). She was the 2024 president of ACHE of East Tennessee.

South College focuses on educational excellence, offering a myriad of healthcare programs from the certificate to the doctoral level. Dr. McCracken is passionate about helping others realize their dreams and change their lives.

She lives in the Denton area with her husband, the youngest of three adult children, and three dogs. Outside of work, Chris enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, horseback riding, scuba diving, reading, writing, true crime shows, and hiking.

Laura Parsons-Yanez is a healthcare operations leader with more than 15 years of experience driving performance, quality, and operational excellence across clinical and corporate healthcare environments. She currently serves as Senior Manager of Operational Excellence at Walmart Health & Wellness, where she leads enterprise-wide initiatives focused on patient safety and quality improvement across all US Walmart and Sam’s Club Pharmacies and Vision Centers.

Throughout her career, Laura has built a reputation for developing high-performing teams, implementing data-driven decision-making frameworks, and leading large-scale operational transformations. Prior to her current role, she served as Director of Operations at US Anesthesia Partners, where she oversaw scheduling operations for North Texas, supporting more than 850 providers across 160 facilities and played a key role in optimizing staffing models, improving provider engagement, and enhancing operational efficiency.

Laura started her career clinically in the field of intraoperative monitoring at Detroit Medical Center and later moved into various leadership roles where she drove growth, strengthened compliance programs, and improved service delivery. She is particularly passionate about mentoring emerging leaders, fostering accountability, and helping professionals navigate complex career paths in healthcare.

Laura holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Hope College in Holland, Michigan and later went on to earn her MBA with a healthcare specialization at Baylor’s Executive MBA program here in Dallas.

Laura has been an active member of the North Texas chapter of ACHE for 10 years and currently serves on the Board of Directors. Laura is the current board liaison for the Mentorship Committee, and also served on the Networking Committee for 5 years as both a committee member, Vice Chair and Chair.

Outside of her professional work, Laura and her husband stay busy keeping up with their two active sons, ages 8 and 11, with baseball, basketball, soccer, swim team, and cub scouts. They also enjoy spending time in the mountains skiing or hiking, travelling to see family and playing tennis or pickleball.

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