Founders
Reggie and LaChanda Dupard
Reggie knew from some of his earliest memories that he was a leader. Once in elementary school, he shared that he wanted to one day play in the NFL and his classmates laughed, the embarrassing laughter propelled him with a drive to prove them wrong. As he moved through his school years, it became obvious that his desire to achieve excellence extended also to the football field.
Reared in New Orleans, Louisiana he attended John Curtis Christian High School where he was coached by all time winning and Louisiana Hall of Fame Coach J.T. Curtis. Reggie was the first African American to attend John Curtis Christian High School (River Ridge, LA) and by his senior year, he was courted by many of the top colleges offering scholarships. He chose Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, where he earned impressive rankings and was named an SMU All-American Running Back.
Not surprisingly, Reggie's talents led him to the National Football League (NFL) where he was a first-round draft pick for the New England Patriots, later leading the team in receiving. In 1991, he was traded to the Washington Redskins and retired from the NFL after playing five years. In 2005, Reggie was inducted into the 2005 New Orleans Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame and in 2016 he was inducted into the SMU Hall of Fame.
After retiring from the NFL, Reggie returned to SMU and graduated in 1999. Over the past 11 years, Reggie has helped Texans Can Academies students achieve their college and career goals. His engaging personality and dedication to those less fortunate in his community has made him a sought-out advisor and mentor in the Dallas/Ft Worth metroplex.
Reggie is married to LaChanda, his high school sweetheart and a former high school All-American athlete. They celebrate 30+ years together and they have two adult children: Jonathan, a graduate of Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX and Rachel, a graduate of Santa Fe University of Art & Design in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
LaChanda is the co-founder and Executive Director of Fit and Faithful Living (FFL). Together with her husband, Reggie, they started FFL out of their joint love for maintaining a balanced lifestyle and an unyielding commitment to better the lives of children in their communities.
Serving as Executive Director, LaChanda is charged with vision casting and goal setting.
After attending University of Southwest Louisiana (USL) in Lafayette, LA, she later moved to Chicago, IL where she began her career in Telecommunications at AT&T and MCI Telecommunications as a circuit design engineer and project manager. In Dallas, she held positions with Oracle and Bank of America as Assistant Vice President.
LaChanda has earned many certifications throughout her career, but perhaps she is most proud of IASSC Six Sigma Green Belt Certification. The skills she learned through this intensive program have helped her lead and drive FFL for the past 10 years.
She also donates her time in service on many boards including: President of North Central Texas Youth Federation (2004-2008) and current board member, Camp Fire Advisory Board (former), Oak Cliff Boys and Girls Club Advisory Board (former) and is an AARP State Ambassador.
Most recently, LaChanda received the 2019 Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dallas “On the Move Award” for providing keys of success programming to area youth.
In her spare time, LaChanda is a Certified Life Coach, Motivational Public Speaker, Mindful Relaxation Coach, and a certified Spin fitness instructor.
Photo: Ray Williams Collection, Dallas, TX
