MSC FLC Speakers
MSC Fall Leadership Conference is proud to host a variety of experienced leaders who can provide diverse backgrounds and unique perspectives. Please enjoy reading about this year’s speakers in preparation for the conference!
Max Gerall ‘18
Max Gerall was born in Houston, Texas, and is a member of the Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 2018. Max is a dedicated social entrepreneur passionate about inspiring others to serve those who serve us. He is committed to transforming lives and lifting individuals and families in Brazos Valley out of multigenerational poverty. He meets this commitment by infusing REACH’s core values of Respect, Education, Achievement, Community, and Hope into all of REACH’s programs. The REACH Project in the Texas A&M community is the first application of his vision, but it will not be the last.
In 2017, as an A&M undergrad, Max founded The REACH Project, a nonprofit organization. An unexpected friendship with a cafeteria worker led to his realization that the 3,000 contract service workers on campus were virtually unknown and unseen, but essential members of the community. Since graduating in 2018, he has dedicated everything to fulfilling his “life’s purpose”, which is to engage the collective intellectual wealth, talent, and goodwill of the university to enhance the quality of life of the greater community.
Col. (R) Pauletta Blueitt ‘81, USAF
Colonel (retired) Pauletta D. Blueitt ’81 is a native of Nacogdoches, Texas. Upon graduation from high school, she was awarded a 4-year Air Force ROTC scholarship and joined the Fightin’ Texas Aggies Corps of Cadets in the Fall of 1977 as a member of the fourth freshman class of women in the Corps. Pauletta graduated from Texas A&M University in 1981 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Management and was commissioned as an ROTC Distinguished Graduate and 2nd Lieutenant into the U.S. Air Force. She received her Master’s of Health Administration degree with Honors from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO in 1989.
Col (ret) Blueitt served as a Health Care Executive in the Air Force for 28 ½ years, retiring in 2009. She was the first African American female to attain the rank of O-6 in her career field, the Medical Service Corps, and is a Life Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.
In 2015, Col (ret) Blueitt and her husband, COL (U.S. Army retired) Odis R. Blueitt ‘82, established an endowed scholarship for students pursuing an undergraduate degree from the School of Public Health (SPH), with a preference for members of the Corps. In 2021, Col (ret) Blueitt was the first female to be inducted into the TAMU Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor. She currently serves as Association of Former Students Representative-at-Large, Chairman of the SPH External Advisory Committee to the Dean, and is a member of the SPH Development Council, Corps of Cadets Board of Visitors, Corps of Cadets Association, Black Former Student Network, and she is a major donor to the Minerva’s Finest Endowed Scholarship, which honors the contributions of Women in the Corps. She is also a proud Silver Life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Alpha Alpha Xi Omega Chapter.
Col (ret) Blueitt currently resides in San Antonio, Texas. She and her husband, Odis, have been married for 43 ½ years, and they are the proud parents and grandparents of three extraordinary daughters, two awesome sons-in-luv, and five amazing grandchildren.
Tiana Sanford, Bureau Chief—Professional Development Harris County District Attorney’s Office
Tiana Jean Sanford is the Professional Development Bureau Chief, overseeing multiple divisions including: the Misdemeanor Division and Juvenile Division as well as the training and development efforts of prosecutors. As a member of the leadership team she assists with the creation and implementation of policies for the office.
Tiana grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and went on to pursue her undergraduate degree at Texas A&M University. She received her law degree from The University of Houston Law Center and started her prosecution career in Montgomery County. There, she began as a misdemeanor prosecutor, served as a Chief prosecutor in multiple County and District Courts, as well as Specialized Crime Sections and as a Division Chief of the Intake, Misdemeanor and Special Crimes Divisions before she joined Harris County.
She has extensive experience prosecuting all levels of misdemeanor and felony offenses, advising law enforcement during investigation, determining appropriate charges, presenting cases to a jury at trial and working with members of the community to better serve victims of crime. She has been honored with the White Hat Award recognizing her commitment to justice and community. Tiana has a special interest in the prosecution of sexual assault offenses involving adult survivors. She served as the presiding officer of the Montgomery County Sexual Assault Response Team and was appointed to the Prosecutor’s Working Group of the Governor’s Sexual Assault Survivors Task Force where she currently serves as Co-Chair. Her commitment to effective prosecution has always gone beyond her work in both Montgomery and Harris County as she has served as a special prosecutor in multiple Texas counties.
Tiana has been given the opportunity to apply her passion to nontraditional prosecutorial roles. While in Montgomery County she established the Montgomery County District Attorney Internship Program and served as Chair of the Hiring Committee. She implemented and coordinated Community Based Prosecution efforts and established the Montgomery County Citizens’ Prosecutor Academy. Tiana served as a Legislative Liaison to the Texas State Legislature during the 84th through 88th legislative sessions and was instrumental in shaping policy related to criminal law, criminal procedure and victim’s rights. She worked with stakeholders to develop legislation aimed at giving communities the tools they need to combat crime and support survivors.
She is an active member of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association where she currently serves as a member of the Diversity Recruitment and Retention Committee as well as the Training Committee and has previously represented Assistant Prosecutors as a member of the Board of Directors and as the Training Committee Chair. She received the C. Chris Marshall award for distinguished faculty from the organization honoring her commitment to the education of Texas Prosecutors. In addition to licensed attorneys, Tiana also teaches law students as an adjunct member of the faculty at Baylor Law School.
Tiana is an active member of the State Bar of Texas, serving on the Criminal Pattern Jury Charge Committee and is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Tiana’s leadership and service extends outside of the legal community as she is involved in many community and philanthropic efforts including serving on the Advisory Board of The Bush School of Government and Public Service. She believes that everyone has a responsibility to use their skills to influence their environment for good, is energized when collaborating with others and seeks the opportunity to build community wherever she goes.