SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
SAVE THE DATE: 30th Anniversary Celebration November 17, 2012. Switching from Austin to Dallas, TX (see details below).

To view the October - November 2011 Newsletter, Click Here.

 
To learn more about our flagship programs Leadership Texas and Power Pipeline and to download an application, go to www.womensresources.org/onlineapplications.asp.

Current Job Openings in Texas and other cities posted at Connections (for members only). Members must log in with login name and password and click on Connections in menu on left side of home page. Latest posting: January 19, 2012 

WR Board President Presents 2011 Annual Report

WR President Penny Beaumont addressed a large contingent of graduates at the organization's Annual Meeting held in San Antonio November 18-19 and presented the 2011 Annual Report. She highlighted the accomplishments of the various Committees of the Board, the recent actions taken by the WR Board of Directors and encouraged alumnae to plan to attend the 30th anniversary celebration of Leadership Texas to be held in Dallas November 17, 2012. To read the entire annual report, Click Here.  

Leadership America Accepting Applications for 2012 Session

Leadership America, the sister program of Leadership Texas, has returned to the umbrella of Women's Resources where it first launched in 1988. In honor of the 25th anniversary of Leadership America, we are reprising the cities from the very first class year (DC, San Francisco and Houston) and offering the full program at a very reasonable $3,000. Martha Farmer, first ED of Leadership Texas, will continue to serve as Director of Leadership America.

This offer is being sent first to the women of Texas who are LT graduates. Time is of the essence, though, and your online application and all requested materials are due no later than Friday, January 27, for you to be considered for the upcoming program year. For additional details on the program sessions, dates and topics, please go to www.womensresources.org/LA.asp  to go to the Leadership America page on the Women's Resources Website.

Health & Wellness for Leaders Focus of Annual Meeting in San Antonio

Outstanding speakers, including The Honorable Henry Cisneros, former Under Secretary of State and Mayor San Antonio, The Honorable Julian Castro, Mayor of San Antonio, Jane Hickie, JD, Senior Research Scholar & Director, Politics, Scholars and the Public Program at Stanford University, and Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, VP & Chief Medical Officer of Blue Cross/Blue Shield, stimulated and educated attendees at the Women's Resources Annual Meeting in San Antonio. The Annual Meeting was the culmination of the Leadership Texas 2012 class year and celebrated the graduation of the 104 class members.

Fascinating, interactive panel discussions featured experts on a wide variety of topics:

*  Don't be a Patient Patient: A Real Look at Patient Advocacy with Joleen Chambers (LT04), advocate for patient protections from failed implanted medical devices and Mellanie True Hills (LT03), advocate for awareness of atrial fibrillation

*  The Power of Plants: Texas Plants as Cancer Fighters with Dr. April Risinger, Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Texas health Science Center at San Antonio/Cancer Therapy & Research Center

*  A Solution for Mom with Georgia Brown (LT11), Senior Vice-President, Home Healthcare Solutions

*  The Aging Brain: Challenges & Opportunities to Promote Healthy Aging led by Dr. S. Liliana Oakes, MD, CMD, Associate Professor, UTHSC San Antonio.  

Annual Meeting November 17, 2012, 30th Anniversary Celebration Moved to Dallas
In the category of best-laid plans, the Leadership Texas 30th anniversary celebration was dealt a blow when it was announced that Formula 1 Racing would take over the City of Austin during the exact same dates as the WR event. The city will be expect an influx of as many as 100,000 visitors for this major racing competition. Rising to the occasion, the planning committee has moved the celebration and the final LT session of the 2012 year to Dallas. Mark your calendar now because this is one event you won't want to miss - a fabulous opportunity to connect with classmates, honor the history of Leadership Texas and take a long look into the future of women's leadership. Already announced is the keynote speaker: Patricia Sellers, editor at large of Fortune Magazine.

San Antonio Welcomes Final LT2011 Session and Annual Meeting

The final session of the LT Class of 2011 was brought to a close with an up close and personal look at San Antonio, immigration, cultural communication and connections. The class members visited the Institute of Texas Cultures where they were privileged to observe a very moving citizenship and naturalization ceremony. Board Member Patricia Diaz Dennis hosted the class at her lovely San Antonio home featuring art work by Hispanic women artists. She also shared with class members leadership lessons she has learned throughout her career.

Women's Resources Forms Alliance with She Should Run
Women's Resources is proud to announce a new alliance with She Should Run. This organization informs individuals about the state of women in public office and mobilizes them to take action. The online movement provides tools to help women who are considering running for office. The result is a powerful pipeline for women eager to learn more about a career in politics, from school boards to state legislatures to Congress. It is party neutral and designed with broad impact in mind. Check out www.sheshouldrun.org for information on how to run for political office!

A Focus on Education Highlight of Austin LT Session Sept. 12-14
Viewing the important topic of education through the perspective of a wide variety of experts was the focus of the fourth Leadership Texas session. For more on this story, go to the News link on the Menu.

Sustainability and the Environment Anchor Corpus Christi LT 2011 Session
Continuing their journey entitled "Leading With Strength Into the Future," the LT 2011 class traveled to Corpus Christi July 18-20. For more on this story, click on the News link on the Home Page Menu.

East Texas Women's Conference Inspires and Educates
From the Lufkin Daily News, June 17, by Denise Hoepfner, features editor: "Wow. That's the best, and only, way I can sum up last week's East Texas Women's Conference. Going in, I knew it was a great idea - a day spent among women who share different life experiences but common goals. I expected to learn a couple of new things, maybe meet a few new people. What I didn't expect was how incredibly uplifted and empowered I would feel afterward. Now here it is a week later and I'm still caught of up in the excitement generated from that day." For the complete editorial, Click Here.

The first East Texas Women's Conference, facilitated by Women's Resources, made headlines in the Lufkin Daily News for its effectiveness and impact. Sponsored by the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce, the event featured presentations on leadership and break-out sessions about finding balance and learning how to deal with difficult people. Presenters included Candace O'Keefe Mathis (WR CEO), Judith Guthrie (WR Board Member), Audrey Selden (LT92 and WR Vice-President), Sarah Fontenot (LT07 and WR Board Member), Heidi Murray (PP04 and WR Director of Logistics) and Pamela Benson Owens (PP98 and WR Director of Programming. To read more newspaper coverage about the conference, Click Here or Here. 

A highlight of the Conference was the presentation of the Athena Leadership Award to Ellen Temple (WR Board Member). The Award recognizes leaders for their professional excellence, community service and efforts to actively assist women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills.
Participants pictured are,  standing: Ellen Temple, WR Board Member and Athena Award Winner, Judith Guthrie, WR Board Member, Candace O'Keefe Mathis, WR CEO, and seated: Audrey Selden, WR Vice-President.

Midland Session Focuses on Energy
The Permian Basin rolled out the red carpet for Leadership Texas May 9-11. Topics covered all things relating to energy with speakers including experts on oil production, clean coal, and future technologies. Class members particularly enjoyed their visit to an oil drilling site with an up close and personal tour. Local alumnae including Ann Bradford and Sharla Hotchkiss helped plan the session which also included visits to the Petroleum Museum, a breakfast at the Midland County Courthouse hosted by Judge Mike Bradford, a tour of the University of Texas at the Permian Basin and an elegant dinner at the home of Ray and Lorraine Perryman (see photo below). Photos from the session can be found on the Photo Page link (you must be logged in to view). Corpus Christi is next on the agenda for the LT2011 class with the session scheduled for July 18-20.


WR Launches Health and Wellness Blog
Leading the way to health and wellness, your Women's Resources has launched its first blog entitled "Healthy Leading Women. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, a WR Pinnacle Partner, is sponsoring the site which can be found at www.womensresources.org. The goal of the blog is to create a conversation about what we're reading, seeing, hearing, observing and concluding about critical health issues facing society. 
Many thanks to Valerie Strong (LT02), president and CEO of Sunshine Avenue, a full service marketing firm, who proudly contributed her services to making the blog a reality.
 
Power Pipeline Class 65 Members Strong
The 2011 Power Pipeline class spent the weekend of April 15-17 enjoying, learning, connecting and sharing a once in a lifetime experience. From a fascinating presentation on managing financial resources by local financial consultant Erin Botsford to up close and personal time spent with experienced women leaders, the emerging leaders eagerly absorbed new information and leadership skills. 
 
Power Pipeline Class of 2011

Dallas Welcomes Leadership Texas 2011 First Session
The members of the 2011 class gathered at The Adolphus Hotel in Dallas on March 14 to begin their leadership journey, "Leading with Strength into the Future." This year's class of 104 joined the more than 3,000 Texas women leaders who have previously participated in the Leadership Texas experience. Session One concentrated on the subject of Community, from the individual to the larger community. To read more about the Dallas session Click Here.
Photos from Session One can be found at Dallas 2011 - Day One - Page One.
    
Women's Resources Welcomes New Board Members
At its November Board meeting, the Women's Resources Board of Directors appointed three new members. These include Trisha Cunningham (LT10), Freda Wright (LT09), and Cindy Conroy (LT07). Trisha (Dallas) serves as Director of Global Corporate Citizenship at Texas Instruments; Freda (Dallas) is Divisional Vice-President and Chief of State at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas; Cindy (El Paso) is Program Manager at University of Texas at El Paso. In addition, the Board has invited alumnae representatives of each of the Committees of the Board (COB) to serve on the WR Board. These include Andrea Anderson (LT10), Power Pipeline COB; Joleen Chambers (LT04), Alumnae Relations COB; Sarah Fontenot (LT07), Leadership Series COB; and Dale Simons (LT93), Leadership Texas COB.

Alumnae and 2010 Graduates Enjoy Annual Meeting, Noted Author, Panelists
An enthusiastic crowd of over 200 women gathered in Austin for Women's Resources annual meeting. Laura Liswood, noted author and Secretary-General of the Council of Women World Leaders, enthralled the audience with her dry wit and wisdom. Participants eagerly scooped up her book, "The Loudest Duck," and gathered to visit with her following dinner.
Saturday's programming, "It's All About You," was a hit with alumnae and graduates. Experienced panelists gave relevant advice on running for office, serving on state board and commissions, changing your course, and authoring a book. Marsha Nelson (LT2008) challenged participants to confront their "inner critic" when making decisions that will impact their life.
 
LT 2010 concludes with Austin session 
Whether it was learning about the upcoming legislative session, hearing from a veteran government leader, or visiting the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, the LT2010 class members gave their final session high marks. Graduation was highlighted by WR's Board Member Patricia Diaz Dennis  speaking on "Ethical Leadership: The Cowgirl Way."  

Waco More than a Quick Stop on I-35
Visits to four women's prison units at Gatesville were a highlight of the fourth Leadership Texas session based in Waco. Led by prison wardens, the tours highlighted the incarceration issues facing women in the state, the productive work that is being done by the women offenders as well as the Austin Girl Scouts' innovative program that works with the daughters of women in prison. To read more about the Waco session Click Here.  

Merchandise Sales to Benefit Scholarships

Honor Liz Carpenter with Donation to Scholarship Fund
Our dear friend Liz Carpenter recently passed away and we are deeply saddened by this loss. If you wish to commemorate her numerous contributions to Women's Resources you may make a donation to the Leadership Texas Scholarship Fund in her name. To donate, login to this site with login name and password and click on Donations. Acknowledgment of your donation will be sent to her family. Other donation opportunities include the Liz Carpenter Endowed Lectureship at the University of Texas and the Liz Carpenter Book Award established by the Texas State Historical Association for the best publication on Texas History.

Pipeline Session Provided Powerful Lessons
Nearly 60 emerging leaders gathered in Dallas Friday at noon for a weekend full of motivational and informational sessions. Members of the class enjoyed and learned from mentors who included WR Board President Penny Beaumont (LT88), Board Vice-president and Secretary Audrey Selden (LT96), Sarah Fontenot (LT07) who helped facilitate the session, Vicky Barajas (LT08), Board Member Tegwin Pulley (LT83), Freda Wright (LT09), Heather Hall (LT09/PP COB), Alice Reinarz (LT96/NISA COB). Hattie Hill (LT).

Inaugural Leadership Program Launched in Amarillo

Emerging women leaders in Amarillo were the first in the state to experience the one-day Leadership Launch Program on February 27 at the Amarillo Area Foundation. The program explored the importance of personal and professional awareness as it relates to leadership, career path, fiscal responsibility and leveraging relationships. The participants identified ways to exercise their personal power and influence more effectively. Amarillo Regional Directors Anette Carlisle (LT03), Ellen Robertson Green (LT09) and LT 91 Alumna Charlotte Rhodes helped coordinate the program.

Terrific Speakers and Reunions Highlight Annual Meeting and Brain Conference
A crowd of more than 150 Women's Resources alumnae and friends were captivated by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor's keynote presentation. Her down-to-earthstyle and method of weaving her personal experiences with valuable information on brain capacity captured everyone's attention for more than an hour. Her book"My Stroke of Insight" quickly sold out, and she graciously stayed and visited with guests until all had left. Attendees spent the day Saturday with other speakers, including Dr. Jerry Grammer, Austin's Psychologist of the Year; Dr. Jerry Winakur, gerontologist and clinical professor of medicine and associate faculty member at the UT Health Sciences Center San Antonio; Lee Robinson, poet and attorney; and a panel of experts from Mental Health AmericaTexas, including Lynn Lasky Clark, CEO, Gyl Switzer, public affairs director, and Bob Kamm, lobbyist.

Dr. Jerry Grammer	Dr. Jerry Winakur	Gyl Switzer; Bob Kamm, Lynn Lasky Clark

The presenters identified ways to help maintain a healthy brain while aging, addressing stress at work, how to prevent strokes, and how to get involved with the Parents as Partners program to ensure that young children grow to be mentally healthy adults. 
In addition to the conference, many classes enjoyed reunions. LT09 had 25 members in attendance, followed by LT08 with 20. Women's Resources Founders Judith Guthrie, Sarah Weddington and Cathy Bonner were in attendace as well as original 1983 LT class members Tegwin Pulley and Melissa Hield.

For more photos from the annual meeting go to Annual Meeting - Jan. 15, 2010
  
Mary Crites, Ann Yakimovicz, Amy Smith (LT08)


Carolyn Huffman, Ellen Green, Tracey McCoy, Robyn Johnson, De'Borah Jones (LT09)
                                        
Women's Resources Board Welcomes New Members
The Board of Directors of Women's Resources gathered at the annual meeting and welcomed new members Tegwin Pulley (LT83) and Graciela Cigarroa, attorney and community leader. Colleen Barrett (LT83), Southwest Airlines President Retired, has also joined the board. The Board reviewed reports from the Committees of the Board chairs, reviewed the organization's financial position (healthy), and discussed plans for Women's Resources 30th anniversary.
 
Front row seated: Audrey Selden, WR Vice-president and Secretary,
Amalia Rodriguez-Mendoza, Tegwin Pulley, Graciela Cigarroa, Lana Porter.
Second row: Cathy Bonner, Karla Bonner, Penny Beaumont, WR
President, Candace O'Keefe Mathis, CEO, Judith Guthrie, 
Patricia Diaz Dennis, Rosemary Breedlove, Diana Johnson Hightower.
Not pictured: Ann Korioth, treasurer, Colleen Barrett, Pat Bailey, Shirley Hoskins.    

El Paso Alumnae Roll Out Red Carpet for LT09

Whether it was rappelling from a tower at Fort Bliss, learning about how El Paso is turning brackish water into potable drinking water or hearing about safety and security issues that border cities face, the LT09 class experienced a fabulous journey to El Paso. Alumnae from the region worked for months to ensure that the class members got to know El Paso and the issues facing this dynamic city. A melodic greeting from the city's Mayor opened the session which was followed by an interactive presentation by Dr. Barbara Mackoff, entitled "Don't Come Back From Hell Empty-handed."

Lisa Apfelberg (09) with               At Fort Bliss                                     Rappelling at Fort Bliss

Madeleine Kunin,

inaugural Sandy Tyler

Series speaker

 El Paso Alumnae warmly               Touring the Desalination                Enjoying time together

welcome LT 09                               Plant                                               at Mary Ann Dodson's

                                                                                                              home

Leadership Texas Session I - 2/27/2012

Leadership Texas Session II - 4/23/2012

Power Pipeline Deadline - 4/6/2012

Power Pipeline 2012 - 5/18/2012

Leadership Texas Session III - 6/18/2012

Leadership Texas Session IV - 9/10/2012

Leadership Texas Session V & 30Th Anniversary - 11/15/2012

30Th Anniversary Celebration Of Leadership Texas - 11/17/2012

Danny Ballard (LT01) a nationally recognized leader the field of health, has officially been named division chair of Health Education in the Department of Health and Kinesiology.  Ballard, past president of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), will continue in the role she has been serving in on an interim basis for the past two years.  After a nationwide search, many in the department believed that the right person was already in place to lead the division.  The decision to make Ballard’s position permanent was decided from opinions from faculty in the health education division and the approval of department head Richard Kreider.

Jean Callison (LT09) was named the recipient of the Distinguished Leadership Award from Leadership Plano this month. The Plano City Council member was recognized for her outstanding community service as a community volunteer and elected official.

Gov. Rick Perry has named Judge Donna Klaeger (LT08) of Horseshoe Bay chair of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. The commission establishes standards for the care and treatment of county prisoners, and the construction, maintenance and operation of county jails. Klaeger is Burnet County Judge. She is a member of the County Judge’s Association of Texas and Capitol Area Rural Transportation Planning Organization, and an officer on the Capitol Area Planning Council of Government’s Executive Committee. She is a past member of the FWR Leadership Texas Class and University of Texas Fellows Program.

 
Cynthia “Cindy” Leon (LT 92 and LT COB) has been appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the State Affordable Housing Corporation Board of Directors. The Board oversees the provision of affordable housing for low income Texans. Leon is a retired regional director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She is past chair of the Dallas-Fort Worth Federal Executive Board. Leon served in the U.S. Navy Reserve, and received a bachelor’s degree from Austin College and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She replaces Jesse A. Coffey of Denton.

Ann Margolin (LT94) has been elected to the Dallas City Council. Ann has a long history of community service and leadership.

Joan Shepack (LT07) was selected as the Alumni of the Year for the University of the Incarnate Word for 2009. The Alumni of Distinction Award is the highest award presented by UIW to an alumna/us. Honorees are selected based on their professional accomplishments, service to others, and Christian living. The award was presented at the May 9th Commencement in San Antonio, TX .  The Awards Committee of the UIW Alumni Association Board presents candidates to the full Board for recommendation. The recommendations are sent to the President of the University of the Incarnate Word for final approval.

FWR Board Elects New Members

At a recent board meeting, the Board approved the membership of Graciela Cigarroa as a new member of the FWR Board of Directors. The entire board list can be found at Committees, under the title of FWR Board of Directors.

FWR Honors Sandy Tyler (LT90) With Coveted Cathy Award

Cathy Bonner, namesake of the Cathy Award, presented this treasured award posthumously to Sandy Tyler (LT90) at the annual meeting of the Foundation, Friday, October 10. Sandy was honored for her dedication to Leadership Texas and the Foundation. On hand to accept the award was her dear friend, Cindy Conroy (LT07), regional director of the El Paso Region.

As a participant in Leadership Texas, Sandy found a venue that suited her well. With state-wide contacts, she enabled numerous other women and girls to achieve their goals. When the Women’s Museum was founded, Sandy was quick to donate both her time and money. She helped organize and fund the publication of the book “Desert Echo, Women Illuminate the Sacred,” with proceeds benefitting the Museum. Perhaps her greatest contributions were to the Girl Scouts of the Rio Grande since Sandy identified the lack of Girl Scout troops from the low-income areas of El Paso. As a result, El Paso now enjoys troops representing the fabric of the community. Her indomitable spirit was present as she raised funds to establish the Girls Go Tech Van, a mobile computer lab that travels to low-income girls to get them on computers with a focus on math and science.

Sandy’s civic involvement included leadership roles in the United Way Campaign, the YWCA, El Paso Chamber of Commerce and the University of Texas at El Paso. In 1990, Sandy received the City of El Paso Conquistador Award for service to the El Paso Community. She also served as Leadership Texas El Paso Regional Director for several years. Sandy’s commitment to the Foundation for Women’s Resources and The Women’s Museum were again demonstrated with significant bequests that will further the mission of each.

FWR Launches New Online Community for Alumnae Supporters & Friends