Plano-based Texas Back Institute has provided spinal care since it opened in 1977. Today, it's one of the largest freestanding multidisciplinary academic spine centers in the world.
Here are 21 facts on TBI's executive team:
Patricia Bowling: CEO
1. Ms. Bowling was named CEO in January 2010 and has served on TBI's executive team since June 2005.
2. She previously served as the institute's CFO, appointed June 2005, and COO, appointed October 2008.
3. Ms. Bowling graduated with her bachelor's degree in business administration and accounting from College Station-based Texas A&M University in 1985.
4. After graduating, Ms. Bowling worked as an auditor for U.K. accounting firm Ernst & Young for over 12 years.
5. She was the director of finance at Dallas-based management and leasing services company USCardiovascular for eight years, from 1997 to 2005.
Deborah Lief, RN: COO
6. Ms. Lief has been with the Texas Back Institute since 2014, when she joined as the regional director of operations.
7. In October 2016, she was appointed to her current role as COO.
8. Ms. Lief was the then-youngest RN ever promoted to a head nurse position at the Tulsa (Okla.) Regional Hospital.
9. She worked for 16 years with Orange, Texas-based Home Health Home Care, first as a local manager, and eventually rising to the position of executive vice president.
10. In 2007, Ms. Lief was appointed COO of Dallas-based Family Sleep Diagnostics, a position she held for seven years.
11. She is a Denver native and attended both the University of Colorado and Montana State University.
12. According to her biography page on the TBI website, Ms. Lief is an endurance bicyclist.
Lise McConnell: CFO
13. Ms. McConnell has been with the Texas Back Institute for 15 years, beginning in February 2006 as the director of financial reporting and later the director of finance.
14 She was appointed to her current role in 2016.
15. Ms. McConnell graduated with her bachelor's degree in business administration from Huntsville, Texas-based Sam Houston State University and afterward pursued a career in commercial real estate.
16. After her time in real estate and a period of time off spent with her family, Ms. McConnell worked for 10 years in accounting.
17. According to her biography page on the TBI website, she enjoys knitting and baking in her downtime.
Cheryl Zapata: Chief development officer
18. Ms. Zapata has worked with the Texas Back Institute for 30 years — the first 17 as a consultant.
19. She was appointed director of communications in 2008 and chief development officer, her current role, in 2010.
20. Ms. Zapata worked as a legal assistant at the start of her career.
21. She's founded five businesses including Garland, Texas-based medical records company AMRAS and Prosper, Texas-based retreat and hog hunting company Wolf Pen Ranch.