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Spotlight on Lewis McMahan
Sometimes, being uninformed is a good thing. For instance, when United Way staff members recruited Lewis McMahan, former Vice President of Worldwide Facilities at Texas Instruments, to serve as co-chair on the Central Allocations Committee in 2002, it somehow slipped their minds to mention that he would share responsibility for helping implement an all-new funds allocations process. It was at his first committee meeting, when being introduced to the group, that he found out the scope and timetable of the work to which he'd committed himself. "It all turned out fine in the end," said McMahan, "and had I known, I just might not have accepted the job, which would be a pity."
A second-generation Dallasite, Lewis has spent the past 12 years or more volunteering for United Way in some capacity. He was first recruited by co-workers to help with workplace campaign efforts at Texas Instruments, and followed that up with roles on a number of United Way funds allocation teams - helping to determine where best to invest donor dollars to achieve maximum results.
About his experience as a United Way volunteer, Lewis states, "Because both my parents and I were born and raised here, I have a special place in my heart for Dallas and everything about it. It's been very rewarding to use my business training to help this community." About the staff, he says, "I have always been impressed with the quality and overall talent of the United Way staff. They seemed to always be there to support you when needed, but didn't try to influence your decision- making, or resist different ideas and approaches."
Retired from Texas Instruments after 36+ years, Lewis currently spends a good portion of his time running his ranch, and is also engaged in a number of community volunteer roles, including president of the Texas Instruments Alumni Association, executive board member of the SMU Engineering School, and member of his homeowners' association architectural review committee. He also is an executive coach for a Dallas ISD high school principal. He recently completed service as a board member for the Dallas Museum of Art, the SMU Alumni Board and the North Texas Commission Board.
