William Pherigo has served as Executive Director of WestAid since late 1993. At that time WestAid was a service agency administered under Catholic Charities Fort Worth Diocese. WestAid became independent and fully self managed non-profit since about 2000.

He is originally from Oklahoma with Choctaw Indian ancestry and has been married to Beverly for over 25 years. She is a Business Analyst; their daughter is a student at Hardin-Simmons University, their son a Journalist in Georgetown, Texas.

After receiving his masters degree from Southwestern Seminary, William served for over thirteen years with First Baptist Church in Brownwood, Texas. As Community Minister he administered the Christian Social Ministries program of the church, pastored the mission church and organized InterFaith Ministries which led to the establishment of the current county-wide Good Samaritan Ministries.

William is an ordained minister and focuses on the ministry opportunities through WestAid. He is responsible for the overall WestAid program including fundraising; client services; business, community and church relations; volunteer leadership.

Virginia Richardson has served on the WestAid staff for about ten years. She has been a life-long resident of Benbrook – except for five years when she lived in the nearby suburb of Fort Worth!

Virginia and her husband have four grown children. They have one granddaughter and two grandsons, and also two step-grandchildren and three step-great grandchildren.

She worked for Montgomery Ward, retiring after 20 years. Virginia then served as a volunteer for several years at the John Peter Smith Hospital and later for two years at WestAid before beginning in a part-time staff position at WestAid. She works three days a week tracking client information, client relations, compiling information, maintaining reports and general functioning of the office.

She enjoys reading, quilting and counting cross-stitching. Virginia and her youngest son enjoy participating in Kairos Prison Ministry together.

Linda Bartles married and lived in Arlington for 30 years working part-time as a teacher-aide and assistant school secretary. The short workday allowed time to raise her two daughters and to also volunteer teaching pre-school children through the Pupil Enrichment Program (PEP) sponsored by the Arlington ISD.

Linda later worked for the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, and then became a pre-litigation supervisor for a local law firm. In addition she volunteered teaching an adult literacy class and served meals at the James L. West Alzheimer Center.

Linda retired in 2002 from the 2nd Court of Appeals and was responsible for researching legal citations, and circulating and editing published opinions for the State of Texas.

She was volunteering at WestAid when a part-time staff position opened up in 2008. She works two days a week and is responsible for publications, distribution of newsletter, office communications and general oversight of the office.

Linda and her husband Bob have been married for about 20 years and enjoy entertaining family and friends in their Arlington Heights home.