Abounding Prosperity Board appoints Tamara Stephney as acting CEO

Tamara Stephney, acting CEO for Abounding Prosperity, Inc.

Following the April 4 death of founder and CEO Kirk Myers-Hill, the board of directors of Abounding Prosperity Inc. has voted unanimously to appoint Tamara Stephney as the agency’s acting CEO.

The board voted on the appointment in an emergency meeting held on the evening of Myers-Hill’s death, and “the appointment went into immediate effect as part of the agency’s succession plan,” according to a press release.

Board Chair Michelle Myers said in a written statement, “Ms. Stephney has played a vital role in helping Mr. Myers-Hill grow the agency to what it is today. We, the board of directors, have no doubt that she is well suited to further advance the mission of Abounding Prosperity, Inc., and the legacy of Mr. Myers-Hill.”

Myers-Hill, who founded Abounding Prosperity in 2005, died unexpectedly in his office at the agency’s headquarters, at 2311 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, Tuesday morning. A vigil in his memory is set for Saturday night, April 8, at Trigg-Myers Park, following by visitation Thursday evening, April 13, in the Hall of State at Fair Park and funeral services Friday morning, April 14, at Cathedral of Hope.

The press release announcing her appointment described Stephney as “a long-standing, committed and visible part” of the organization. She has been with AP, Inc. for 12 years and worked “side-by-side with Kirk Myers-Hill [as] chief operating officer for the past six years.”

“I am truly honored and privileged to have worked alongside Mr. Kirk Myers-Hill for the past 12 years,” Stephney said in a written statement, adding, “The best way to honor his memory is to continue the work and carry his legacy forward. I will continue that work, the work to fulfill the mission of Abounding Prosperity, Inc. and the vision of Mr. Kirk Myers Hill.”

Stephney has more than 20 years of public health experience working in medically-underserved areas, including developing and implementing high-impact prevention efforts for Black and Latinx populations in the southern U.S., including here in Texas. She has more than 10 years of experience fiscal management and programmatic infrastructure and management.

Stephney is “an active advocate in the community, contributing as part of many relevant organizations,” the press release continued, noting that she is a member of the State HIV Planning Group, the Dallas local HIV Task Force and the Hepatitis C Task Force.