2026 Financial Fitness Panelists

MEET YOUR 2026 FINANCIAL FITNESS PANELISTS!

GRETCHEN SHEIRR | President of Business Operations; Houston Rockets, Houston Comets, & Toyota Center


Gretchen Sheirr was named President of Business Operations of the Houston Rockets in May of 2021 following her 20th season with the team.  She began her stint with the Rockets as an account executive and worked her up, holding titles including Vice President of Sales & Service, Chief Revenue Officer, and Chief Operating Officer.

Early in her career, Sheirr spearheaded the implementation of a private-label ticketing venture, now known as AXS Ticketing, which garnered success for both the Rockets and Toyota Center.  Her comprehensive understanding of ticketing strategy and ability to forecast industry opportunities along with a commitment to digital innovation and fostering strong relationships within the Houston business community have been vital to the organization’s success.

Throughout her tenure, she has been responsible for growth of the revenue for both the Rockets and Toyota Center launching several key initiatives including the renovations of many hospitality spaces in the arena. She also implemented new global sales strategies leading to record revenues and implemented the Rockets jersey sponsorship platform. She now oversees all business operations for the Houston Rockets, Houston Comets, and Toyota Center, including finance, strategic planning, arena booking, facility management, marketing, media relations, sales, community and social responsibility and the Clutch City Foundation.

A native of Spring, Texas, Sheirr graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in marketing. She also was a four-year letter winner as a diver for LSU.  In 2017, she was named one of Sports Business Journal’s Forty Under 40, which annually recognizes the top young professionals in sports business.

Sheirr is a founding board member of WISE Houston and currently serves on the boards of March of Dimes Houston, the Greater Houston Partnership, Central Houston Inc., and USA Diving. She was honored as a WISE Houston Woman of Inspiration in 2019. Sheirr and her husband, Ken, have twins, Zachary and Jordan.

MARGARET COOPER | Director and Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Affairs; Chevron U.S.A.


Margaret serves as Chevron's Director and Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs. She oversees Chevron’s public and government affairs in the communities where Chevron operates, integrating advocacy, issues management, communications and community partnerships across its global operations and energy value chain. 
 
Margaret has worked in the energy industry for more than 20 years, joining Chevron from Anadarko Petroleum in 2006. She has supported major energy capital projects around the globe, including LNG, deepwater and shale assets, through external and media relations, community engagement, public policy development, issues management and social investment. Prior to energy, she worked in the nonprofit sector.
 
As a sought-after thought partner and colleague across Chevron and the energy industry, she was a founding management committee member of the Permian Strategic Partnership, which brought together 20 companies and more than $100 million to support Permian communities. She contributed to Chevron’s and industry’s advocacy efforts to return to work in the Gulf of Mexico post-Macondo, and advanced Chevron’s shale operational and public policies through increased transparency and establishment of the Center for Sustainable Shale Development.
 
Margaret serves on the board of Trees for Houston, SEARCH Homeless Services advisory board, and Greater Houston Partnership Women’s Executive Partnership.  She is an Executive Sponsor for the Chevron Houston Women’s Network. Previous industry roles include the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association board and chair of the Texas Oil & Gas Association and Permian Strategic Partnership communications committees. 

ANGELA HUCLES MANGANO | President of Women's Soccer & Chief Soccer Officer; Houston Dash


Angela Hucles Mangano is President of Women's Soccer & Chief Soccer Officer for the Houston Dash of the NWSL — the first person to ever hold that title for the club. Since being hired in December 2024, she has led all aspects of soccer operations, technical staffing, and the organization's on- and off-the-pitch strategy, bringing nearly four decades of experience in the sports industry as an executive, motivational speaker, and athlete.
 
Before Houston, Angela served as General Manager of Angel City FC, where she built a roster that earned the club's first-ever playoff appearance and helped secure a nine-acre site for its future performance center. She joined Angel City in 2021 as Vice President of Player Development and Operations, where she created a player wellness and development program focused on educational access and off-field resources.
 
A two-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. Women's National Team, Angela earned more than 100 caps and represented the U.S. at the 2003 and 2007 FIFA Women's World Cups, earning two bronze medals. Her professional career began with the Hampton Roads Piranhas of the W-League before she spent nine seasons in Boston, playing for the Boston Breakers in the WUSA and WPS, as well as the Boston Renegades. She played collegiate soccer at the University of Virginia, where she remains the program's all-time leader in goals and points.
 
Following her retirement from professional soccer, the Virginia Beach, Virginia native worked in the non-profit sector, including a two-year stint with Up2Us Sports as a Regional Director, and spent time as a commentator for ESPN, NBC, and FOX during their coverage of international events such as the Olympic Games and FIFA Women's World Cup.
 
Angela previously served as President of the Women's Sports Foundation from 2015 to 2017 and sits on the board of You Can Play, advancing LGBTQ+ inclusion in athletics.

CHANTELL PRESTON | Founder & CEO; Preston Partners | Co-Founder & Owner, LOVB San Francisco


With her Texas-sized vision and no-nonsense approach, Chantell Preston has spent more than 30 years building, scaling, and transforming businesses in healthcare while challenging the myth that women must be perfect to be powerful. She is the author of The Success Lie: Reframing Your Reality to Thrive Personally and Professionally, which has appeared on the USA TODAY and Los Angeles Times bestseller lists and both the Woman and Business lists on Amazon.
 
Chantell is a serial entrepreneur, investor, executive strategist, keynote speaker, and host of the Get Real. Get Results podcast, a professional and personal development show that helps ambitious professionals—especially women—redefine success on their own terms. As founder and CEO of Preston Partners, she advises organizations on growth, strategy, and leadership, drawing on decades of experience leading multimillion-dollar healthcare operations across the U.S. through complex industry change.
 
Chantell’s expertise spans founding, scaling, and successfully exiting multiple companies, including Mentis Neuro Health, which was acquired by private equity. Her work extends well beyond healthcare. She is Co-Founder and Owner of Signal San Francisco, a League One Volleyball professional women’s team; owner of The Dance Barre HTX, the largest privately owned dance studio in Houston; and Managing Partner of The Collectiv, a community-powered venture fund focused on expanding access and opportunity in sports and health technology investing.
 
An inductee into the 2025 Texas Women’s Hall of Fame and recipient of the 2021 Breakthrough Women Award, both presented by the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Chantell is a passionate advocate for authentic leadership. She is known for helping women break free from inherited expectations, reclaim their self-worth, and lead with clarity, confidence, and conviction. She has also been recognized as one of America’s Top 100 Women to KNOW and named to the Entreprenista 100.
 
Chantell has appeared in Forbes, USA TODAY, Us Weekly, and on news outlets across the country. A sought-after speaker and advisor, she has delivered a TEDx talk and a keynote for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, among many others. Through her speaking, she challenges conventional narratives about success and invites women to pursue ambition from a place of alignment rather than exhaustion.
A proud Texas A&M alumna and devoted mother of three daughters, Chantell lives in Houston, Texas, where she continues to build, invest, and empower others to lead—and live—on their own terms.
 
You can find Chantell at: chantellpreston.com

[MODERATOR] CARRIE POTTER, CFP | Principal, Potter Advisors; Sport Finance Lecturer, Sport Management, Rice University


Carrie Potter is a strategic advisor, educator, and board executive with 25+ years of experience bridging high-stakes finance, sport, and business strategy. She specializes in navigating the unique financial landscapes of elite athletes, entertainers, and growing enterprises through tailored asset and business management and advanced financial modeling. At Rice University's Sport Management program, Carrie educates the next generation of industry leaders on business valuation, sport and public finance, and revenue creation by delivering her market-responsive curriculum.
 
Potter is the recipient of many honors, including Women Who Mean Business in Finance and 40 Under 40 by the Houston Business Journal, Houston’s Most Influential Women, Community Advocate Honoree by the Houston Area Women’s Center, and Extraordinary Women Making History. Carrie has chaired and served on many non-profit boards, including Women in Sports & Events (WISE) Houston, which she founded as President in 2016. Learn more about Carrie at www.potteradvisors.com.