President & CEO

Chris Boleman, Ph.D., has served as President and CEO of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ since May 2020, leading the organization through a period of strategic growth, innovation, and community impact. Under his leadership, the Rodeo has expanded its year-round presence, deepened its investment in education and youth development, and strengthened its commitment to agriculture and Western heritage.

Since becoming CEO, Dr. Boleman has guided the Rodeo through post-pandemic recovery and positioned it for a dynamic future—enhancing its mission and adapting to the evolving needs of the Houston region. Known for his collaborative leadership, he has worked closely with volunteers, stakeholders, and staff to drive innovation, improve operational efficiency, and elevate the Rodeo’s role in the community.

Dr. Boleman was recognized as Most Admired CEO by the Houston Business Journal in 2022 and in 2024 and named CEO Communicator of the Year by PRSA Houston in 2022, acknowledging his transparent leadership style and strategic vision for the organization’s future.

Dr. Boleman joined the Rodeo in 2017 as Executive Director of Agricultural Competitions and Exhibits and was later promoted to Chief Mission Officer in 2019. In that role, he oversaw livestock and horse shows, educational exhibits, auctions, grants, scholarships, and donor engagement, while helping lead a major internal reorganization to better align the Rodeo’s structure with its long-term goals. He currently directs over $28 million annually to support scholarships and educational initiatives that benefit Texas youth, which brings the total commitment to education over $630 million since 1932.

A lifelong advocate for agriculture, education, and leadership development, Dr. Boleman previously served as the Texas 4-H State Leader with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Over his career, he has delivered more than 800 presentations, authored over 100 publications, and partnered with organizations such as the Texas FFA Foundation, National 4-H Council, and North American Livestock Show and Rodeo Managers Association to advance youth and agricultural programming.

He is a graduate of Harvard University’s Art and Science Leadership Program and the Governor’s Executive Development Program at The University of Texas. Dr. Boleman holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, where he also served as an Associate Professor.

A native Texan, he lives in Houston with his wife, Dr. Randi Boleman, a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Director and active volunteer. Together, they enjoy spending time at their family ranch in Brazos County. Outside of work, he is an avid runner, reader, and traveler.

General Counsel

Chris Atmar serves as the General Counsel of the Houston Livestock and Rodeo and is responsible for overseeing legal affairs, risk management and corporate governance.

Prior to joining the Rodeo, Atmar most recently served as an associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Houston, where he advised clients on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions and corporate governance matters. His prior experience includes roles at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.  In 2025 and 2026, Atmar was recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch as a top attorney in the areas of Corporate Law and Oil and Gas Law.

Before attending law school, Atmar served in the U.S. Army as a Green Beret with the Fifth Special Forces Group (Airborne).

Atmar earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Houston Law Center and holds bachelor’s degrees in history and political science from Texas A&M University.

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Katie Grahmann serves as chief financial officer and is responsible for overseeing all accounting and finance operations of the organization.

In her previous role as senior director of accounting and controller, Grahmann oversaw the Rodeo’s accounting and finance functions, which includes treasury, investments, donations and sponsorships, payables, receivables and fixed assets.

Prior to joining the Rodeo in 2014, Grahmann served as controller at the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, as well as audit manager at Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC).

For over a decade, she has volunteered her professional financial skills, serving many organizations in the Houston community, including the Junior League of Houston, where she currently serves as nominating committee secretary and previously served as financial vice president. She is also a founding board member of Impact100 Houston, a nonprofit organization that includes a diverse local group of women of all ages, stages in life, income levels and backgrounds. Recently, she was honored with the Houston Business Journal’s 2021 “Women Who Mean Business Award,” which recognizes women in leadership roles who have demonstrated excellence in their careers and community.

Grahmann received a bachelor’s degree of business administration in accounting, a master’s degree in finance from Texas A&M University and is a licensed CPA in the state of Texas.

She and her husband, Scott, live in Houston. In her spare time, she enjoys bike rides with her dad and cooking.

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

Lisa Gagnon serves as chief marketing officer, leading the Marketing, Public Relations & Presentations Division, which includes Brand, Broadcast & Audio Visual, Communications, Digital Media, Sports, Customer Experience and Merchandise.

Since joining the Rodeo in 2017, Gagnon has led her team on several initiatives, including market segmentation, crisis communications, advertising campaigns, consumer research and the development of a new customer experience department. She developed the Rodeo’s first-ever brand positioning, redeveloped the organization’s advertising campaign, and oversaw the Rodeo’s 2024 and 2019 Economic Impact Studies. Throughout her time, Gagnon has elevated the organization’s brand into one of the strongest in the community.

Prior to joining the Rodeo, Gagnon served as vice president of Marketing for the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee, leading all marketing, brand management and fan engagement efforts. She is a dynamic leader in the Houston community, serving as president of WISE Houston while actively mentoring young women in the sports and events industry. In 2020, Gagnon was named a Houston Business Journal ‘Women Who Mean Business’ honoree.

Gagnon received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in business administration from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received the prestigious Frank Hawkins Kenan Award for Excellence.

CHIEF MISSION OFFICER

Julie Beken Bass graduated from Texas A&M University in 2003 with a degree in Agricultural Development. She was a member of the equestrian team during her enrollment at A&M, so with her passion for agriculture and the equine industry, Julie gladly accepted a position with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 2006 in the Horse Show Department.

Three years later, she moved to a manager’s role in the Exhibits and Attractions Department. After three years in this capacity, Julie accepted a position as the Fair Manager of the Montgomery County Fair in Conroe, Texas.

In the fall of 2014, Bass returned to her roots in the fair and festival industry at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, where she was named the Executive Director of General Exhibits and Attractions. Six years later, this role ultimately led to her being named the Chief Mission Officer in 2020.

This position includes her overseeing educational and commercial exhibits, agricultural competitions, auctions, and scholarship components of the Rodeo’s 20-day event. This division supports more than 45 committees and is staffed by 24 full time employees.

Amid the pandemic, she was honored with the Houston Business Journal’s 2020 “Women Who Mean Business Award,” which recognizes women in leadership roles who have demonstrated excellence in their careers and community.

Julie and her husband, Alan, live in Weimar, Texas, with their two sons, Tate and Brady. She and her husband also manage a small ranching operation on her family’s homestead there.

CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

Amber Burda is the Chief Revenue Officer for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In this critical leadership role, Burda is responsible for driving the organization’s revenue growth by overseeing ticketing, corporate and business partnerships, and official sponsors. By leading and managing the sponsorship and ticketing departments, she collaborates closely with the marketing, mission, and strategic planning divisions to foster alignment and develop comprehensive plans that ensure the organization’s short-term and long-term success.

In January 2017, Burda was named the executive director of sponsorships, business, and corporate development. During this time, Burda led a team who create, design, develop, negotiate, and execute all official Rodeo sponsorships. Burda and team have the privilege of working with local, national, and international organizations to forge lasting partnerships and surpass top objectives. Her exceptional leadership and expertise resulted in a 48% increase from 2017 to 2023.

Prior to joining the Rodeo, Burda served as director of multi-channel sales planning with Houston-based retailer, Mattress Firm, Inc. There, she spent over six years managing and cultivating relationships with more than 300 events nationwide. Under her guidance, Mattress Firm became one of the top supporting sponsors across the event industry.

She graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality administration. Burda and her husband, Greg, live in Santa Fe, Texas, with their son and daughter.

CHIEF SHOW OPERATIONS OFFICER

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

Steve Gumerman joined the Rodeo in 2001 and most recently served as director of IT infrastructure where he managed network configurations, server maintenance, hardware procurement, and at times, the software domain. He has demonstrated a keen ability to manage the IT department’s financial health, overseeing both expense and capital budgets to optimize resource allocation, creating opportunities for ongoing advancements in technology. Previously, Gumerman held programming and software development positions at Oracle, Price Waterhouse and Lockheed Missiles and Space Co.

As Chief Technology Officer at the Rodeo, Gumerman will lead the Technology Division, overseeing the Information Systems and Software Development departments. He will be responsible for identifying and implementing technology improvements for the Rodeo, its staff and volunteers.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science and Mathematics from Beloit College. As a young adult, Gumerman worked as an archaeologist each summer and visited the captivating landscapes of Black Mesa in Arizona, where he focused on excavating the ancient Ancestral Puebloan sites.

CHIEF STRATEGIC PLANNING OFFICER

CHIEF VOLUNTEER & HR OFFICER

As Chief Volunteer and HR Officer, Melinda ‘Mel’ Underhill is responsible for maintaining a positive and collaborative environment at the Rodeo. She manages the hiring, training, professional development and performance evaluation processes for the Rodeo’s 148-plus staff and 36,000 volunteers. Underhill also oversees all internal communications across Rodeo staff and volunteers.

Prior to joining the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, she served as an Executive Vice President at Direct Energy and Centrica. As an EVP, Underhill was the Global Head of Organization Effectiveness and led Strategic HR Business Partnering for the Commercial Business Division. She was responsible for leading a global team of HR partners, providing strategic consultation and developing talent capabilities and leading global internal communications and culture transformation.

Underhill holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin and has received multiple HR certifications. She is the chairman-elect for the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto.