By Rob Kepple
TDCAF Executive Director in Austin
The Foundation was created 20 years ago this past August. The mission is to support the professionalism of Texas prosecution by devoting additional resources toward training Texas prosecutors. The Foundation exists, in other words, so the State is always ready.
To recognize 20 years of devotion to the mission, we contacted 12 people who have regularly and generously supported the Foundation over the years, and we asked them why they give. Then we collected their answers in a flyer, which was sent to all elected prosecutors and Foundation supporters as part of the 2026 Annual Campaign. In it, you’ll find the stories of luminaries such as Judge Susan Reed, former CDA in Bexar County; Ken Magdison, former DA in Harris County and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas; and current prosecutors Beth Toben, Assistant County & District Attorney in Limestone County, and Amy Derrick, Assistant Criminal District Attorney in Dallas County. Their stories are different, but they share a common thread of appreciation for TDCAA’s excellent training and responsiveness when extra help is needed. Thanks to all 12 for sharing their stories and for their continued support of the mission—and thanks to all of you who support the profession through the Foundation!
Aggies coming through!
The reception honoring the 2026 Class of the Texas Prosecutors Society (TPS) will take place at the Zone Club at Kyle Field in College Station on Wednesday, December 2. The reception is held in conjunction with TDCAA’s Elected Prosecutor Conference. We are delighted that the Aggies among our ranks have stepped up and created a host committee chaired by Bobby Bland, former District Attorney in Ector County.
Furthermore, we are proud to have a unique honorary sponsor of the committee: Robert Ahdieh, the dean of the Texas A&M University School of Law. What better way to connect a new flagship Texas law school with Texas prosecutors!
I also want to thank Rusty Hardin for his generous gift in support of the reception and the Class of 2026, as well as the Foundation Board members who have committed to matching Rusty’s support.
TPS Sustaining Members
The Texas Prosecutors Society was created from the vision of the late Dan Boulware, former DA in Johnson & Somervell Counties, and Tom Krampitz, former TDCAA Executive Director. The first 106 members to join the Society were designated as the Founding Fellows (in honor of the 106 years TDCAA had been serving Texas prosecutors when the Society was founded). And today, TPS boasts over 300 by-invitation-only members whose contributions have built an endowment of well over $1 million. You can recognize these supporters by the sterling silver TPS pins they often wear—they are modeled after Texas Ranger badges.
This fall, Foundation leadership announced the creation of a new level of TPS supporters, who are called Sustaining Members. Those who have fulfilled their initial TPS pledge ($2,500 over 10 years) will at some point be invited to join as a Sustaining Member, where their gift to the endowment will support TDCAA training well into the future.
The first Sustaining Member invitations will be extended to the original Founding Fellows, with invitations to others to come in the future. Those who say “yes” to this invitation will be easy to pick out of a crowd; their sterling pins will also include a solid bronze “halo” designating them as Sustaining Members. Watch for those invitations coming soon in the mail, and thank you in advance for your support!