Meet the Philanthropy Team

Chief Philanthropy Officer

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Justin is chief philanthropy officer at Texas Methodist Foundation. Justin joined TMF in 2013 after nearly a decade working in various fundraising roles at Southwestern University, including the university’s successful $150 million comprehensive campaign. Justin leads all aspects of TMF’s fundraising and gift planning programs.

Justin holds Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, where he currently serves on the Board of Visitors. He went on to receive a Master of Business Administration from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Additionally, Justin is a past president of the Charitable Gift Planners of Austin and holds the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) designation.

Senior Engagement Representative

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Rev. Melvin Amerson is a member of the Texas Annual Conference and serves as a Senior Engagement Representative at TMF. His experience and passion lie in encouraging and developing generous, faithful leaders and congregations.

Melvin is the author of Celebrating the Offering, Fruit for Celebrating the Offering, and Stewardship in African American Churches: A New Paradigm, as well as several articles covering topics from generosity, leadership, and visioning. He served as a board member of the Ecumenical Stewardship Center until it was dissolved in 2021 and is currently serving on the Texas Annual Conference Church Leadership Team. He is a nationally recognized generosity consultant known for his engaging presentations. Beyond strengthening congregational leaders, one of his favorite ways to use his skills is to empower Wesley Foundation staff to effectively fund their college ministries.

Melvin obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi, an Master of Divinity degree concentrating in Christian education from Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia, an Executive Leadership certificate from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and a certificate in Professional Fundraising from Boston University. Recently, he completed a fundraising certificate with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Director of Philanthropy

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Pamela Gray, director of philanthropy, gift planning, started in September of 2023 at TMF. Prior to arriving, she was the national personal philanthropy director at Disabled American Veterans (DAV) in Erlanger, Kentucky, where she managed a team of eleven, focused on individual relationships and gift-planning activities. Pamela has also served as the senior director of philanthropy and alumni at the University of Kentucky (UK), College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Prior to her return to Kentucky in 2016, she worked as a director, gift planning at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

Pamela has over 29 years of experience in planned giving, major gifts, marketing, public relations, special events, and fundraising data management from previous positions at the University of Denver, Boys and Girls Clubs, Alzheimer’s Association, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, Colorado Historical Society and Denver Dumb Friends League (Humane Society of Denver, Inc.). Pamela holds a Master of Professional Studies degree in Leadership in Organizations from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kentucky in communications.