Founders

Carl B. King was born in Neiltown, Pennsylvania, not far from Titusville, where the U.S. oil industry started in the 19th century.  He and his wife Florence moved to Oklahoma in 1909 to seek their fortune in the oil fields.  Honest, forthright, and hardworking, the young Mr. King worked oil deals for leases until he had acquired sufficient resources to purchase his own drilling rig equipment.  

The Carl B. King Drilling Company established offices in Tulsa, where the King family lived for 25 years, and in Dallas, where they moved in 1935.  The Kings remained in Dallas until Mr. King’s death in 1967 and Mrs. King’s death in 1983.  

Mr. and Mrs. King started the King Foundation in 1966, a year before Mr. King’s death.  Mrs. King served as the president from 1967 until her death in 1983.  The giving policies for the Foundation have been shaped by the wisdom and compassion of the Kings, who were unabashedly generous during their lives.  They preferred to give without fanfare, and sought to strike a balance between causes that created future opportunity and those that “put shoes on people’s feet.”

In addition to his early work in Oklahoma, Mr. King became active in the Permian Basin beginning around 1940.  His sagacity in the energy industry continues to benefit the Foundation today, through the many mineral properties bequeathed to the Foundation.  The Foundation gives in West Texas in the belief that a region whose resources contribute so much to the Foundation’s prosperity should continue to benefit from them.

While they were living in Tulsa, the Kings acquired a farm in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, which they named Kingford Farms.  The farm was a favorite retreat for the entire family, and the Kings quickly grew to love Arkansas and its people.  The Foundation’s current giving in Arkansas pays homage to their affection, while focusing on the neediest parts of the state. 

MICHELLE D. MONSE
President

Michelle joined the Foundation in 2005.  She has previously served as a grants officer and fundraiser for a community foundation, administered a corporate foundation, directed a capital campaign for a historically black college, taught in three law schools, and practiced law in a Dallas law firm.  She earned her B.A. at Texas Tech University and J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law.  She spends much of her free time gardening, cooking, and dog wrangling.

AMANDA S. K. FINNEY, J.D.
Senior Program Officer

Amanda joined the King Foundation in 2018.  Originally from St. Louis, she has lived her adult life in Dallas.   Amanda received a B.A. from St. John’s College in Santa Fe and a J.D. from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law.  Professionally, Amanda has practiced family law and raised funding for small to large nonprofit organizations.  She actively volunteers in the community and believes communities are made of the collective stories and voices of each person.

Dr. Joyvin Benton
Program Officer

Joyvin joined the Foundation in 2024. Originally from Arkansas, she has had the pleasure of living on both coasts.  She returned to Arkansas after completing her doctoral degree in Systems and Public Policy from Rutgers University. Her work experience includes serving as a researcher and evaluator for several federal, state, and local projects, and as a professional fundraiser. As a fundraiser, she was a major gift officer for a college and a director of development for several nonprofits.  She is active in her community and enjoys helping nonprofits build their capacity and expand their impact.  In her spare time, she enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

CRYSTAL R. SMITH, C.P.A.
Director of Accounting

Crystal joined the Foundation in 2017.  Her work experience includes working as a freelance C.P.A., a senior manager in the oil and gas industry, and a senior audit manager at a local public accounting firm.  She obtained her M.P.A. and B.B.A. concurrently through the Professional Program of Accounting at The University of Texas at Austin in 2003.   In her spare time, Crystal enjoys spending time with her husband, playing UNO with her two children and reading.  She loves being a basketball and gymnastics mom.

AMIE ANDERSON
Grants Administrator

Amie joined the Foundation in 2016.  A Texas native, she followed family to Minnesota where she worked in the Department of Development at Mayo Clinic.  She returned to Texas in 2016.  Amie spends her free time exploring Texas, singing whenever possible with other area musicians, and going on road trips with her husband.