Fort Worth Council District 8

Fort Worth City Council District 8 runs primarily along the east side of Interstate 35 from roughly Texas 121 in the north to past Farm Road 1187 in the south. It includes central city and rapidly growing suburban areas, and has some of the city’s most depressed areas within its boundaries.

Under council member Kathleen Hicks, it has made great strides in the past four years.

Hicks, also mayor pro tem, is high-energy, hardworking and independent, but she has proved that she can bridge the needs of district residents and the city staff for the betterment of both. District 8 has shown a steady decrease of crime during her council tenure.

Hicks, 36, who is the executive director of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of Tarrant County, understands that the issues of transportation in Fort Worth affect the entire region — and vice versa.

Her keen interest in the development of the city’s 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness stems from the fact that the majority of the city’s homeless men, women and children seeks services and help at agencies located in her district.

Hicks pledges to focus in a new term on seeing that Code Compliance works with other city departments and government agencies to improve neighborhoods not only in District 8 but throughout the city.

The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends Kathleen Hicks for Fort Worth City Council District 8.

www.star-telegram.com/242/story/1336715.html

By: Mayor Pro Tem Kathleen Hicks
I recently had the opportunity to attend the inauguration of President Barack Obama. It was a spectacular experience. 

Thanks to Congressman Michael Burgess and Congresswoman Kay Granger, I received the coveted inauguration tickets to witness history in making with my family. I was particularly moved to be able to share the moment with my mother and her sisters.

These strong women survived segregation in the South in 1950s and 1960s and countless other indignities. While experiencing the inauguration, I also reflected on my grandmother, Kathleen, for whom I am named, who surely had to be looking down at us all with a big smile!

Despite what they had to go through, my “sheros” as I like to call them, succeeded in their given fields, from education to corporate America to politics. In some small way, they paved the way for Barack Obama to become the 44th president of the United States of America .

Yes, it was bitterly cold for this life-long Texan. Yes, it was extremely crowded as upward of 2 million people gathered to witness the peaceful transfer of power that some countries will never enjoy. Despite it all, I would not have wanted to be any where else.

As I looked out on the Mall and saw a sea of American flags, the tears flowed.  I cried for how far this country has come and the remarkable journey that we continue to be on together. Whatever your political views might be, we all must agree that only in America could the son of Kenyan immigrant and a mother from the American heartland become one of the most powerful persons on earth. 

Indeed, President Obama once said, “In a tolerant America, your name is no barrier to success.” This is an awesome country and I truly got to witness that at the inauguration in January. Any child growing up can now truly know that anything is possible.

For a moment in time, we were united as a country – not by geographical boundaries or race or gender. We were united as Americans and it felt great! As we commemorate African-American history month during February, I am reminded that we celebrate all of history – American history!

Mayor Pro Tem Kathleen Hicks represents District 8 on the Fort Worth City Council.

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After nearly 23 hours on the road, Joe Eggleston and Jennifer Perez of Fort Worth finally pulled up to the Cherry Hill Park campground in Maryland on Saturday night, ready to pitch a tent and camp out through President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration Tuesday.

They hit the road Friday night in their Kia Rio, determined to participate in the inaugural celebration despite not having tickets to the ceremony or to the balls.

They alternated driving and sleeping during the 1,350-mile trip.

"When we came into town, I felt a huge sigh of relief," said Eggleston, 29. "We can finally start our trip. We’re tired but absolutely excited."

Although they didn’t face heavy traffic for most of the trip, backups began within 60 miles of Washington.

"There’s a million people on the road," Eggleston said. "There’s no room. We obviously were not the only ones who came out here."

Eggleston and Perez are among the countless local residents making their way to Washington by car, truck, bus and plane.

Fort Worth Mayor Pro Tem Kathleen Hicks and her mother, Maryellen Hicks, were on the road Saturday evening.

They left Fort Worth early Friday on a journey that began as a promise on election night.

Kathleen Hicks said she had told her mother that if Obama won, they would drive to the inauguration. With the help of her friend Camille Rodriguez, she was true to her word.

"It’s a long journey, but in the end, it’s worth it," Kathleen Hicks said. "It’s a good experience, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else."

They stayed with relatives in Atlanta on Friday night and were back on the road Saturday. They spent their 20-plus hours in the car catching up with old friends wishing them well via e-mail, text messages and phone calls. Kathleen ate Skittles and drank Diet Coke.

Within a few hours’ drive of Washington, they started seeing signs warning people that traffic would be heavy for the inauguration.

They also started seeing Obama bumper stickers nearly everywhere.

"We saw a woman with Georgia plates with a sticker that said, 'Obama, here we come,’ " Kathleen Hicks said. "I’m excited to be part of it."

FORT WORTH — For the first time, Fort Worth officials unveiled a plan showing how a limited streetcar system could be built, including preliminary routes and a way to pay for it.

It would still take about five years and $250 million to build the 12-mile system, and there’s a significant funding gap, according to Andy Taft, chairman of an 18-member task force that studied the idea.

But the plan is significant because it shows that a streetcar system is possible, he said.

"The committee identified within a pretty tight margin how we could possibly do it," Taft said. "It’s where we take Fort Worth, Texas, to the next step."

The task force and city staff recommended hiring a consultant with transit experience to help with the project. The plan recommends starting with a limited system:

A loop in downtown Fort Worth

A route along West Seventh Street to the Will Rogers Center and the University of North Texas campus

A route down South Main Street with a spur to Evans Avenue and Rosedale Street, and a connection to the medical district along Magnolia and Eighth avenues.

The plan has broad support among the City Council — whose members inspected similar systems in Seattle; Tacoma, Wash.; and Portland, Ore., earlier this year.

Being left out

Council members Kathleen Hicks and Sal Espino, though, questioned why the original routes left out low-income neighborhoods on the north and southeast sides of town.

"That area of the city has the highest ridership of public transit," Hicks said.

Future routes would run further along East Rosedale to serve southeast Fort Worth and along North Main Street to the Stockyards on the north side.

The trains would run on existing streets and are designed to supplement buses and other forms of transit. It would be a separate system from commuter trains, such as the Trinity Railway Express, that run on existing railroad tracks and are intended to carry large numbers of people over long distances.

Working together

Councilman Joel Burns said it’s important that the different systems work together.

"It’s got to be right outside the door. That’s the way you get a nurse who lives in Bedford to ride the TRE, get the streetcar and take it to his or her job at the hospital," he said.

The biggest source of capital funding — $89 million — would come from the existing tax increment financing districts that already pay for extra amenities. The downtown improvement district also would kick in money.

About $97 million would come from the city, Tarrant County, gas well revenue and hotel taxes. But that level of funding would require expanding the tax districts and possibly changing state law to allow an increase in hotel taxes.

The funding gap — $64 million — is equivalent to the cost of three miles of track, Taft said.

Members approved most of a new drilling ordinance Tuesday night.

But they were divided on what sort of setback to impose on sites with multiple wells and on which buildings should be protected by the setback provisions. They opted to hold another workshop before voting on that section.

"I don’t want to get in a hurry and shoot ourselves in the foot," Mayor Mike Moncrief said.

Contentious provisions

The council appointed a task force in November 2007 to review the drilling ordinance amid public outcry that drillers were encroaching on homes, parks and other sensitive areas.

The task force recommended tougher noise standards for wells and compressors, reduced emissions from drilling sites, city permits for pipelines through residential areas, restrictions on open pits and a new board to review permits for wells near homes. The task force also exempted the Trinity River trail system, stores, restaurants and malls from the setback requirements.

Councilwoman Kathleen Hicks asked to reconsider protecting some of those buildings.

Members voted 7-1 to approve all the ordinance except the provisions on multiple well sites and public-building definitions. Councilman Carter Burdette voted "no," saying he didn’t want to reopen discussion.

Under a multiple-well permit, a site can be drilled multiple times after getting approval from surrounding property owners just once — even if new homes are built inside the setback. The trade-off is that the setback — 600 feet unless all surrounding landowners agree — is much larger because it is measured from the boundary of the site instead of the well itself.

The task force wanted to make the multiple-well permits mandatory for drillers that put more than one well on a site, rather than allow multiple permits for individual wells. Existing sites would be grandfathered.

Setback reduced

City staffers decreased the setback around the pad sites from 600 feet to 525 feet, though, touching off protests from neighborhood groups.

"This is an issue about how many homes . . . have the opportunity to participate in a public process about something that’s about to happen in their neighborhood," said Jim Bradbury, a neighborhood representative. "Please keep it at 600 feet."

Tolli Thomas of the Southwest Fort Worth Alliance urged the council to strengthen the board that will oversee gas drilling.

"This is an industry that absolutely will affect our neighborhood property values, health and safety," she said.

Greg Ricks of the Woodhaven Neighborhood Association said the regulations might hurt neighborhoods by cutting off the money and jobs that drilling produces.

"I think we need to be an example of a community that does not have a NIMBY attitude: 'not in my back yard,’ " he said.

Some council members, echoing gas industry representatives, questioned whether requiring the pad site permits might lead operators to simply drill on more sites.

"I’m going to have to find . . . another 20 to 30 well sites," Councilman Jungus Jordan said.

Hicks said the grandfathering provision would mean more wells at a contested site on Scott Avenue without more input from surrounding neighbors. Lowering the setback for multiple well sites would also affect residents near sites along Berry Street and at the old Masonic Home.

"We’ve gone and said to people over and over, if there are more wells, they’d have the right to come talk to this council," she said.

The council will vote on the setback issue next week.

Other council business

Jeff Halstead, Fort Worth’s new police chief, was sworn in by Moncrief. Halstead starts work this week.

The Fort Worth City Council Tuesday night passed tough new restrictions on gas drilling.

The ordinance includes new noise restrictions, new licensing requirements for pipelines and even stricter landscaping guidelines.

Gas drillers, who are in the process of slashing budgets, are not happy with the new rules. But city leaders say it balances money and jobs with quality of life and better protects neighborhoods.
 
"I think obviously people are receiving royalties, and the Barnett Shale is here to stay," Mayor Pro Tem Kathleen Hicks said. "But at the same time, as the council representatives, we owe our constituents the best."

The vote was 7-1.

The council delayed a decision on part of the ordinance, which would set new limits on how close certain types of drilling can be to homes.

By  SCOTT GORDON

• 36,800 square feet
• 1,200-square-foot public meeting room
• Five aluminum sculptures by artist Floyd Newsum Jr. will hang in the building's two-story lobby
• 67 parking spaces in the adjacent lot and 146 spaces in a lot across the street, accommodating future development
• The city's first building designed to meet the Leadership in Environmental Excellence Design (LEED) Silver standard

Preliminary site work started recently on the 24-acre tract at 2031 SE Loop 820, an Interstate 20-fronting piece of land at the intersection with Campus Drive. Foundations and utilities will go in by year's end, with vertical work to be under way by late spring.

Today's groundbreaking agenda featured Dennis Brink, administrator of the VA's Fort Worth outpatient clinic; Joseph Dalpiaz, director of the VA's North Texas healthcare system; and Jim Bremner, president of Indianapolis-based BremnerDuke. Also attending the commemorative start was Kathleen Hicks, mayor pro tem of Fort Worth, and state and local congressional leaders.

harles Vogt, BremnerDuke's senior vice president and chief strategy officer, tells GlobeSt.com that the clinic's interior design is still being fine-tuned, but pledges it will be a "personal" setting in a "state-of-the-art facility that will be comfortable for families and veterans." The VA signed a 20-year lease in June for the project, which is being touted as its largest leased facility of its type in its network.

The VA North Texas Health Care System services 16 counties in North Texas. The new clinic has been designed with the capability of supporting 165,238 annual patient visits, the projected traffic in 2025. In contrast, the existing 48,691-sf clinic at 300 W. Rosedale St. supports 45,000 annual visits.

Austin-based Page Southerland Page and F&S Partners Inc. of Dallas designed the clinic. It will include surgical and recovery rooms with an energy monitoring system to ensure it meets the federal government's design excellence mandate. The design will include LEED Silver elements, but isn't required to be LEED certified.

The Fort Worth clinic is BremnerDuke's first build-to-suit clinic for the VA. "We are honored to be part of it. Our goal is to show them proper stewardship of how we care for our veterans, construction and how we care about doing it on budget and on time," Vogt says. "These are the people we should be serving in honor of their serving us."

Once again we are at that time of the year when The Dallas Weekly decides its list of 25 People to Watch. This list is always controversial and brings out the best and worst in folks. In addition to the folks selected for the Class of 2008, we urge you to be on the lookout at the polls as well as the courtrooms. The Dallas Weekly will be paying attention to the financial landscape also and that will be one of the hardest tasks of the year because of the quickness with which dollars leave the Black communities! Still, we are looking forward to a prosperous 2008, with focus on family, home training, education, financial security and independence, health, and combating crime. Many of those listed in this year's Class of 2008 are already doing their part. What are or will you do to make the list in 2009?

First we begin with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the oldest public service sorority in the world for Black women. 2008 marks its Centennial, and it will be an exciting year around the world for not only are there celebrations but also more attention will focus on the many programs and causes this organization of college-educated women has championed for 100 years. Barbara McKinzie is the International Grand Basileus (President). Locally AKA has several chapters, and we'll be watching and celebrating with them. Alpha Xi Omega, Omicron Mu Omega, Tau Rho Omega, Upsilon Lambda Omega, Xi Theta Omega, Chi Zeta Omega and Arlington Alumnae are the graduate chapters, and there are chapters on many of the college campuses throughout the metroplex. We look forward to seeing the ladies in their apple green and salmon pink as well as their 20 pearls!

Tennell Atkins is the District 8 Representative on the Dallas City Council. He is serving as the vice chair of the Economic Development committee and he serves on the Housing and Public Safety committees. Mr. Atkins is also chair of the Mayor's Task Force on Southern Sector Economic Opportunities. Following in the footsteps of James Fantroy and Al Lipscomb, Mr. Atkins has already been visible and vocal. He has been responsive to constituents and has shown concern about their issues, as well as their demands. He gets out in the community and that's a good thing. Mr. Atkins' district has been the subject of development talks and he will be expected to play a big role in the revitalization of that area and citizens will be anxious to see what happens under his leadership.

Dorothy Burton is the at-large City Council member in Duncanville. Learning from the likes of former Dallas County Judge Lee Jackson and County Commissioner John Wiley Price, Ms. Burton has won three elections and most recently was elected to the National League of Cities (NLC) Women in Municipal Government (WIMG) board of directors. A charter graduate of Dallas Blueprint for Leadership and a graduate of Leadership Southwest and Leadership Texas, Ms. Burton was the first African American elected to the Duncanville City Council and is serving her third term. She is a graduate of UTA with a bachelor's degree in Communications and a Masters in Urban Affairs. Duncanville is growing and as it tries to keep up with the boom in Cedar Hill, it will be interesting to see what happens.

Dwaine Caraway is the Deputy Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Dallas. A member of Friendship-West Baptist Church, Mr. Caraway is also a member of the Pylon Salesmanship Club, Cotillion Idlewild Club, Dallas NAACP, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and Cedar Crest Neighborhood Association/Board Member. The Texas Southern University alum is a former Vice President of the Dallas Parks & Recreation Board and former Chair of the South Dallas/Fair Park Trust Fund. Mr. Caraway has been hosting town hall meetings for Dallas' youth, and he has been very vocal in calling for young men to pull their pants up and to stop letting them sag. In 2008, Mr. Caraway is expected to appear on the CBS show Dr. Phil to discuss young men walking around with their pants sagging. Additionally, Mr. Caraway has been meeting with groups throughout the City, to get an idea of concerns citizens have. He also has a 20-Point Plan worth watching.

Thelma Sanders Clardy was the first African-American women elected to the DeSoto City Council and is in her third term. Ms. Clardy received her undergraduate degree cum laude from Tennessee State University in 1976, and in 1979 she received her law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. An active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Ms. Clardy is the founder of the Dallas Association of Black Women Attorneys. Ms. Clardy has served on several professional and community boards the State Bar of Texas, the Dallas Bar Association, J. L. Turner Legal Association, Visiting Nurse Association, Child Care Dallas, and the Women's Center of Dallas.

District 7 grassroots community members were ecstatic when Carolyn Davis was elected to her first term on the Dallas City Council in May 2007 because she had been in the trenches with them. A life-long resident of South Dallas, she attended Charles Rice Elementary, Pearl C. Anderson Middle School and James Madison High School. She is the president of the Queen City Neighbors in Action/Crime Watch and a former board member of Community Development Commission, North Texas Housing Coalition, Urban Rehabilitation Standards Board and Preservation Dallas. Currently a board member of the African-American Museum, Ms. Davis was a recipient of the Allstate Community Service Award.

The Democratic Party has long been an embarrassment in Dallas County, especially when it comes to raising funds and getting out the vote for Black Democrats. Well, it appears the Democratic Party has been born again. In the 2006 election, it was all about the Democrats, so it will be interesting to see what the future holds. There have been Democrats who were elected then and have since shown that they deserve to continue in office. And then there are others... Anyway, in 2008, there's the presidential election, Commissioner John Wiley Price is up for reelection along with others, and then there are some Democrats who have returned to the Party and are seeking posts. We'll see what the Party and voters say in November.

L. Diane Evans is the national president of the 2000 member The Urban Financial Services Coalition formerly known as the National Association of Urban Bankers (NAUB). UFSC is an organization of minority professionals in the financial services industry and related fields. Affiliation with UFSC offers a unique opportunity to influence the shape of the banking and financial services industry. Ms. Evans has been president of the local chapter, which has been active in the area, including hosting professional development seminars for students at Paul Quinn College. She is a diversity officer for JP Morgan Chase Bank for the Treasury and Security Services Department. The mother of two, Jarius and Jamel, is also chair of UJIMA (the JP Morgan Chase African American Networking Group), serves as the southern sector advisory board chair of the YMCA. According to Ms. Evans, we'll be seeing a lot about the UFSC under her leadership.

A definite upset when the Democrats swept the elections in '06 had to be the unseating of Dallas County Treasurer Lisa Hembry who is now president and CEO of Dallas iMedia Network (formerly Dallas Community Television). The former CEO of the Dallas Historical Society, Ms. Hembry is a past board member of the Dallas Museum of Art, the African American Museum, and the National Museum of Miniature Arts. She is a past member of the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Texas County and District Retirement System, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington, D.C. Ms. Hembry received a bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University and was recently appointed to the Texas Historical Commission by Gov. Rick Perry. As the cable industry changes, expect to see exciting programming and activities from Dallas iMedia Network and Ms. Hembry. And don't count her out in the political arena--she still has a lot of support.

Kathleen Hicks is the Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Fort Worth. Representing southeast Fort Worth (District 8), the young, energetic, conscientious and conscious Ms. Hicks is a force to be reckoned with. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Nottingham University in England, Ms. Hicks comes from a family of activists; her mother is Judge Maryellen Hicks. In Kathleen Hicks' first election, she garnered about 90 percent of the vote, and she has not let her constituents down. She has worked relentlessly in their best interest, battling everyone from Republicans and those who consider themselves to be the powerbrokers to special interest folks. But Ms. Hicks remains focused and won't back down when she is fighting for what she believes in. A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Ms. Hicks, like many of the women in her family, has traveled extensively and is particularly interested in humanitarian efforts in the Sudan, Darfur and working to find a cure for AIDS.

Vonciel Jones Hill was elected to the Dallas City Council District 5 last year. But she's no stranger around town, having served as a municipal court judge, assistant city attorney and Dallas County district court administrator. She has received degrees from UT, Atlanta University, Rice University and SMU. She also received the Doctor of Humane Letters (Ph.D. Honorary) from Paul Quinn College. Her service is extensive, from serving on the Board of Trustees for Paul Quinn and as senior pastor of Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church to assistant and associate pastor of St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church. Hill also serves on the advisory board for Mothers Against Teen Violence. Councilmember Hill is exciting to watch in action. She knows who she is and whose she is, so you can expect her to make a big difference during her term.

Brenda Jackson is the senior vice president of customer/community for TXU Electric Delivery. With 32 years of service to TXU, Jackson brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her position in customer relations and community affairs. Previously, she served as senior vice president of electric asset ownership for Oncor. In this role, Ms. Jackson was responsible for customer and market services, relationship management, and economic development and transmission services. In addition to her career in community outreach, Ms. Jackson is a devoted community servant. This graduate of Prairie View A&M serves on the board at Presbyterian Hospital and the Dallas Symphony. Jackson previously served on the boards of Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas Museum of Art, Metropolitan Young Women's Christian Association, North Texas Commission and the Dallas Opera. Also, Jackson is a past trustee of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas and served on the Dallas Regional Selection Panel for the 2004, 2005, and 2006 White House Fellowship Program.

Ella Goode Johnson was elected president of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. last year. Interestingly, she also served in that same post 24 years ago. The retired General Motors Corp. employee is a community servant and was the first female chair of the board of directors of The Black Academy of Arts and Letters. In addition to holding several positions locally in Delta Sigma Theta, she has also served regionally and nationally. A member of Concord Missionary Baptist Church, Ms. Johnson graduated from UNT with a degree in business and received a master's degree from Amberton University. She is also a recipient of the UNT Green Glory Award and was selected to serve as honorary co-chair of UNT's yearlong observance of its 50th anniversary of desegregation. She established the Ella Goode Johnson Library and Resource Center at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Denton. As president of one of the largest DST chapters in the region, you can expect to see quite a bit of Ms. Johnson.

Willis Johnson is more than just a radio personality. Sure he's been on Soul 73 KKDA, waking you up in the mornings for the past three decades, but there's more to the Crooner than solving your love problems with a song. If there's a winning campaign, you can bet that Willis Johnson is associated in some way. A graduate of East Texas State University, Mr. Johnson has used the airwaves to educate, entertain, offer testimonies, provide assistance and advocate. At one point he also hosted a television show, bringing some color and variety to a dismal scene in Dallas. Black businesses and the lovelorn have found a friend in Willis Johnson. Just check out his website www.willisdacrooner.com. Now he's having an impact in the political arena. We still wouldn't be surprised if we suddenly saw “vote for” signs popping up in the neighborhoods!

It won't be too hard to watch Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert--he's everywhere. And you know, they said the same thing about him when he was campaigning. He was all over the city then, and he has continued to make his presence felt. Who could have imagined that the first proclamation that he would present as Mayor would be to human/civil rights activist Dick Gregory? And Mayor Leppert has been around town to the community meetings, at school programs and wherever Dallas citizens are assembled. With freshman council members representing more than half of the City Council, it will be interesting to watch Mr. Leppert navigate, build consensuses and effect change.

Actress Naima Imani Lett was featured in Prison Break last year. When she received her Masters degree, she was the first graduate to receive a masters in Media and Communications from Dallas Theological Seminary. Ms. Lett is also the co-founder of Lett's Rise, LLC, a new Dallas-based production company. Naima received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree as a top graduate of Howard University's Theatre Department and studied classical theatre with the British-American Drama Academy in Oxford, England. Recently, Naima garnered a Best Actress Nomination in the EDOC Film Festival. She had a recurring role in Lifetime's Original series Inspector Mom with star Danica McKellar (Wonder Years) and filmed a featured role in a 2008 Paramount feature film starring Brad Pitt. Naima also completed filming on Wire in the Blood to be released in 2008.

Bishop David Martin made headlines in 2007 when he brought together Black men to assist Principal Cheryl Northcutt at Frederick Douglass Elementary School. More than 100 men who mentored students--90 percent of whom come from single mother homes--joined Bishop Martin for the entire day. The author of "Late Bloomer,” Bishop Martin is a strong advocate of chivalry. He educates his men at Gospel Tabernacle on the importance of catering to women in an appropriate manner at all times. He assures us that his visit to Frederick Douglass Elementary was not a one-shot deal and that you will see men gathering and taking charge in the schools and the community.

Some might say that 2007 was the year to watch Curtistene McCowan, who had a school named in her honor in Glenn Heights, had a day designated in her honor by Mayors Bobby Waddle (DeSoto) and Clark Choate (Glenn Heights) and received the A. Maceo Smith Volunteer Service Award. The former DeSoto ISD Board Trustee president and former president of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority is President of the DeSoto Economic Development Corporation and a Texas Southern University Board of Trustees member. She is a charter member and the Immediate Past President of Concerned DeSoto Citizens (CDC). McCowan has also served on the Board of Directors for the North Texas Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and as a member of the Maurine F. Bailey Cultural Foundation Advisory Board. McCowan received a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Dallas Baptist University and an Associates Degree in Business Management from El Centro College. At the Omicron Mu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority's annual Image Awards in March, Ms. McCowan will become the second member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority to receive the prestigious award.

Shay Moore is young, gifted and Black and making waves at KRNB-FM as the Program Director. A native of Queens, NY, she attended Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC and earned a bachelor's degree in communications in 1999. She has worked at KSJM-FM in Wichita, KS, WPEG-Charlotte, WBAV-Charlotte and WBLK in Buffalo, NY. Previously Shay's column appeared in the Dallas Weekly. The only female in a line-up that includes Steve Harvey and Skip Murphy, Shay is making a name for herself in the industry as well as with community, civic and social organizations because of her work on and off the air. A member of Delta Sigma Theta, she has received awards for her outstanding community service. KRNB is climbing on the ratings chart and Shay has to receive some of the credit.

Margo Posey is the executive director of the Dallas-Fort Worth Minority Business Development Council. With the entrepreneurial scene rapidly increasing, it's imperative that "minority" vendors are represented and Ms. Posey does just that. She knows the landscape, and she is a strong advocate for business opportunities for minority-owned businesses. She has championed efforts locally and nationally on behalf of minority business utilization by private, public and governmental agencies. Ms. Posey holds a B.A. degree in political science from Kent State University and has completed M.B.A. course work at the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management. She holds certificates from Drucker Institute for Non-Profit Management and the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in its Minority Business Executive Program and its Advanced Executive Program.

Personal reasons prevented Lynn Flint Shaw from continuing her quest to join the Dallas City Council last year. But she has not disappeared and recently she was elected chair of the DART Board of Directors. While on the DART Board, Ms. Shaw chaired the Project Management Committee, served as vice chair of the Planning Committee and served on the External Communications, Budget/Finance and Operations committees. A graduate of Xavier University and the Louisiana State University Medical Center, Ms. Shaw has held numerous leadership roles, including as chair of the Arts Strategies Advisory Committee of the 2003 City of Dallas Bond Campaign, member of the Parkland Hospital Board, and executive board member of the Center for the Performing Arts Foundation and the Dallas Symphony Association executive committee. DART is going into new areas, has increased fares, is working to pick up more riders and finishing expansion work while attempting to keep those costs low. Ms. Shaw's action will definitely be worth watching.

Michael Sorrell is bringing back the rich tradition of the historically Black college to Paul Quinn College as he changes the culture by changing not only the dress code but also the "culture" of the school. Interestingly, if you watch The Great Debaters, you'll see that Mr. Sorrell is taking folks back to a time when dignity and respect were the order of the day. It is sad that he has critics because he has high expectations for his students. Mr. Sorrell has challenges ahead of him as he works tirelessly to increase funds and enrollment. This attorney and businessman knows what it takes to turn the college around. Hopefully, the resources will start rolling in so that our students can have the benefit of a quality education. Mr. Sorrell is meeting with everyone-- from the students and faculty to the business community, churches and elected officials. And he doesn't run from the media. Whenever and wherever he can tell the Paul Quinn story, he's there. Methodist churches--get on your jobs!

Ebony Steele arrived on the scene last year as the co-host of the Rickey Smiley Show on 97.9 The Beat. A longtime friend of the comedian/activist, Ms. Steele said that about 15 years ago Mr. Smiley told her when he made it she was going to be right there with him. And good thing. Ms. Steele, another member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, is one sharp sister, and as the show continues to gain listeners, you'll be seeing and hearing a lot more from her. She recently revealed that she has breast cancer and the topic has been discussed at length on the show. In coming months, we're sure that Ms. Steele will be sharing more of her story and educates listeners about the importance of getting tested and following through with treatment. The Dallas Weekly will share her story and encourage readers to get tested.

Pastor Robert Townsend is the senior pastor at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church. Hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas, Pastor Townsend is bringing excitement to Dallas' oldest Black congregation in Dallas County. Prior to arriving at Mt. Pisgah, he served as the pastor of the St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church, Little Rock. He was named Pastor of the Year in 1999 at the Greater Little Rock Baptist Pastors Conference. He has served as president of the Greater Little Rock Baptist Pastors' Conference, Christian Education Director for Consolidated Missionary Baptist State Convention of Arkansas Young Pastors Division, and teacher for the Consolidated Missionary Baptist State Convention Congress of Christian Education, Union District Congress of Christian Education, and the Golden Rule District Congress of Christian Education. A graduate of the Southeast High School, Kansas City, Mo, he received a Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He has also accumulated college credit toward a Masters' of Divinity.

Marian Willard is the principal of James Madison High School in the heart of Sunny South Dallas. The always-pleasant Ms. Willard is also on a mission. She's going to get the best out of her students and everyone associated with them--faculty, staff and parents. Since she arrived at Madison in 2005, it has become apparent that it's a new day at Madison, and it is exciting to watch the transformation. Prior to coming to Madison, she was the principal at Sarah Zumwalt for three years. A graduate of East Texas State University with a Bachelor and Masters' degree in physical education, health and recreation, Ms. Willard is a member of the National Association of Black School Administrators, Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. While at W. H. Adamson, she was first runner-up for Teacher of the Year. Several success stories have come out of Madison, and you can look for many more under Ms. Willard's leadership.

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