Local Named UT Exes President

Arleas Upton Kea, native of Schulenburg, is the new President and Chairman of the Board of the Texas Exes, the Alumni Association of the University of Texas in Austin. The alumni association was established in 1885 and now has more than 120,000 members. The Board of Directors of the Association includes graduates of UT, all of whom are recognized in their respective careers in law, business and government.

It is one of the largest alumni organizations in the nation. The Association works to unite alumni and friends around the world, create a passionate voice that strengthens the university, promotes alumni accomplishments, supports students with scholarships, and celebrates Longhorn spirit and traditions. The Exes work in cooperation with the UT Development Office for the advancement of the University of Texas as a whole. There are about 150 Texas Exes chapters across the globe that engage alumni.

The Alumni Association is headquartered in the Alumni Center adjacent to the Darrell Royal Memorial Stadium on the UT Campus. The Center hosts gatherings coinciding with home football games and organizes traveling groups for away games as well as other travel events through its Flying Longhorns program. The Exes are very actively involved in funding scholarships for students and hundreds of students benefit from these scholarships each year. The Exes publish news about the University and its programs in a bi-monthly magazine, the Alcalde. The Association also engages alumni and friends through social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Kea will continue to live in Washington, DC but will spend time in Austin, and she plans to visit local chapters throughout Texas and other parts of the nation during her one year tenure as President of the Association. During the year, she has stated that she intends to focus on expanding membership opportunities, enhancing scholarship support and investing in the education of future generations and encouraging the spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie that will serve to strengthen the University.

Arleas is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Thrivent Funds, where she serves as Chair of the Ethics and Compliance Committee. Previously, she was the Chief Operating Officer and Deputy to the Chairman for External Affairs, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. An accomplished lawyer and executive, she assisted in resolving two national financial crises and received numerous honors, including recognition as a finalist for the Service to America Medal of Honor and serving on a PresidentialWhite House Advisory Committee. A woman of many firsts, Kea was the first person of color to assume significant roles held at the FDIC and at UT, including being president of the UT Law Alumni Association. She also serves as a Trustee on the UT Law School Foundation and is a member of the Center for Women in Law and Alpha Kappa Alpha Service Sorority. Mentored by Congresswoman and professor Barbara Jordan, Kea continues the tradition by mentoring UT students and serves as an Adjunct Banking Law Professor at Texas Law. She has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumna of UT for 2020 and Outstanding Alumna for the UT Law School for 2024.

Arleas continues to be active in her home town community, and she maintains her membership at St. James Missionary Baptist Church, under the leadership of Rev. Andrew Stafford, Pastor.