Board Members
Charlie Abney
president
Charlie Abney is our President. He is a Captain with the Dallas Fire Department, a Vice President of the Dallas Fire Fighters Association, and a Water Group Supervisor with the Texas A&M Task Force 1 water team. His fire service career started in 2008 and has been with TX-TF1 since 2011. He is also a swiftwater rescue instructor with TEEX, and swiftwater boat instructor with TX-TF1.
Charlie lives in McKinney, Texas, is married to his wife Alyssa, and has four children: Maddox, Cason, Rylie, and, Parker.
Charlie lives in McKinney, Texas, is married to his wife Alyssa, and has four children: Maddox, Cason, Rylie, and, Parker.
Rachael Walker
TREASURER
Rachael accepted the role of Treasurer in 2024. She brings over 15 years of experience as a Corporate Controller of private equity backed companies with significant revenue and EBITDA growth. Controllership roles included ownership of Human Resources, Contracts and Procurement, as well as responsibility for annual year end audits, acquisition company due diligence and financial integration of purchased companies, and divestiture and shut down processes. Before moving to private equity, Rachael served as the U.S. Accounting Manager for Stiefel Laboratories, Inc., the largest privately held dermatology company in the world.
Rachael has extensive experience with Enterprise Resource Planning systems including Peachtree-Sage 50, Sage 100, Sage 300 (certified consultant 2017), SAP and currently supports clients on Acumatica, Xero and QuickBooks Online. Rachael is an independent consultant who acts as a Controller and Software Engineer for her clients. She provides monthly consolidated financials and represents her clients under audit. Rachael graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Maryland with a B.S. in Accounting and electives in Computer Science which allows her to design the accounting systems that interrelate to support business functions.
While Rachael is not a TX Task Force One responder, she is married to the Helicopter Team Manager, DJ Walker. Rachael is a lifetime caver and found her niche in rope racing, deep cave pits and long rope climbs. She still holds several world records for rope climbing and was the first woman to raise the U.S. flag at New River Valley Gorge Bridge Day in West Virginia. Rachael has served on the board for the Southeastern Cave Conservancy and implemented their original accounting system. She has been a National Cave Rescue Commission instructor for over a decade and is currently their National Financial Officer, a role she held previously for a decade. She has responded to numerous cave rescues as a team member of Chattanooga Hamiliton County Cave Cliff Technical Rescue Team.
Rachael has extensive experience with Enterprise Resource Planning systems including Peachtree-Sage 50, Sage 100, Sage 300 (certified consultant 2017), SAP and currently supports clients on Acumatica, Xero and QuickBooks Online. Rachael is an independent consultant who acts as a Controller and Software Engineer for her clients. She provides monthly consolidated financials and represents her clients under audit. Rachael graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Maryland with a B.S. in Accounting and electives in Computer Science which allows her to design the accounting systems that interrelate to support business functions.
While Rachael is not a TX Task Force One responder, she is married to the Helicopter Team Manager, DJ Walker. Rachael is a lifetime caver and found her niche in rope racing, deep cave pits and long rope climbs. She still holds several world records for rope climbing and was the first woman to raise the U.S. flag at New River Valley Gorge Bridge Day in West Virginia. Rachael has served on the board for the Southeastern Cave Conservancy and implemented their original accounting system. She has been a National Cave Rescue Commission instructor for over a decade and is currently their National Financial Officer, a role she held previously for a decade. She has responded to numerous cave rescues as a team member of Chattanooga Hamiliton County Cave Cliff Technical Rescue Team.
Denise Corliss
SECRETARY
Denise Corliss serves as our secretary. Denise has been a member and canine handler on Texas A&M Task Force 1 (TX-TF1) since 2000, a canine handler/fire fighter with Cy-Fair Fire Department, and currently serves FEMA as a canine evaluator and instructor. In her over 20 years of experience in emergency services, she has deployed over 40 times to such notable events as the World Trade Center Attacks on 9/11, Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, and Harvey, and the West Texas chemical plant explosion.
Denise recently retired from the oil and gas industry, where she worked as an Engineer, Project Manager, and Manager of Engineering. She and her husband have three Golden Retrievers, two of which are currently members of TX-TF1.
Denise recently retired from the oil and gas industry, where she worked as an Engineer, Project Manager, and Manager of Engineering. She and her husband have three Golden Retrievers, two of which are currently members of TX-TF1.
Stephanie Bjune
DIRECTOR
Steve Dankers
DIRECTOR
Kevin Deramus
DIRECTOR
Kevin currently serves as the Director of EMS for Washington County where he oversees both the EMS and the Office of Emergency Management. He has worked in numerous roles within emergency services including as a flight paramedic for Baylor Scott & White in Temple Texas for nearly 7 years, an adjunct instructor for Blinn College and TEEX Rescue School. He also currently serves on numerous local, regional, and state committees such as the Homeland Security Advisory Committee for the Brazos Valley COG, the Brazos Valley Regional Advisory Trauma Council where he is the presiding chair for the pre-hospital committee, currently serving an appointment on the Governors EMS & Trauma Advisory Council. Kevin also serves as a swift water rescue instructor for TEEX (Texas A&M) where he is a primary instructor for Level I and II swift water technician classes. Kevin currently serves as a swift water boat operator instructor for Texas Task Force 1 and a Water Group Supervisor.
Dr. Jeff Beeson
DIRECTOR
Jeff Beeson has been a Medical Team Manager on Texas A&M Task Force 1 (TX-TF1) since 2010. His first deployment was to the West fertilizer explosion in 2013 and has been on many state and federal responses since. Jeff has over 30 years specializing in out of hospital healthcare delivery as an EMT, Paramedic, Registered Nurse and Physician. He is currently the Executive Vice President of Health Systems at University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth.
Jeff has served on many non-profit boards including the Texas EMS and Trauma Acute Care Foundation, the National Association of EMS Physicians, the Governor’s EMS and Trauma Advisory Council, the UNTHSC Foundation and the Cowtown Marathon board. Jeff’s wife Jeanice is a Neonatal and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, their daughter Darby is attending medical school at Loma Linda University and their son Dylan is a commercial pilot.
Jeff has served on many non-profit boards including the Texas EMS and Trauma Acute Care Foundation, the National Association of EMS Physicians, the Governor’s EMS and Trauma Advisory Council, the UNTHSC Foundation and the Cowtown Marathon board. Jeff’s wife Jeanice is a Neonatal and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, their daughter Darby is attending medical school at Loma Linda University and their son Dylan is a commercial pilot.
