BURLWAY GARDENS

BY MEREDITH KNIGHT PHOTO BY LAUREN MEDEAN

“AS A SOCIAL WORKER IN THE FUNERAL INDUSTRY I’M ABLE TO LOOK TO THE ‘NEEDS’ OF THE CLIENT AS OPPOSED TO JUST SELLING THEM SERVICES,” SHE SAID. “BY PLACING THEIR NEEDS AHEAD OF A SALE, I CAN PROVIDE COMPASSION AND EMPATHY FOR A LOVED ONE AND THEIR FAMILY.”

KATHLEEN RAMON VENABLE

Burlway Gardens

For Kathy Venable the road to success has not been easy. She began her working life at 18, serving as a hotel concierge but soon married and with her husband owned and ran a limousine service. Children followed and, if she thought it was tough balancing the demands of motherhood and marriage with the challenges of running a thriving business, it paled by comparison to working two jobs as a single mom, just a few years later. Kathy welcomes challenges and does not discourage easily. She pulled herself up by her bootstraps and began a 16-year career in the insurance industry eventually relocating to Kansas City. There she met and married a kind, charismatic college professor and marketing executive. “Bill encouraged me to fulfi ll my ambition of becoming a role model to young Latinas, and to prove it was never too late to get an education,” Kathy said. “In Kansas City, I was involved in economic development as managing director of the Greater Kansas City International Business Development Center, where I provided business services, event management, and translations. I participated in economic development trips to Monterrey and Guadalajara, Mexico, and served as a translator for the Kansas City delegates to the NAFTA Corridor (NAITCP), Mayor’s Conference.” Bill encouraged her to pursue a college degree which she did carrying a 3.8 GPA, becoming a member of the National Social Work Honor Society and the National Spanish Honor Society, all while managing her own business, volunteering at the Guadalupe Centers Inc. Senior Center, and serving on the Guadalajara Sister Cities Committee. “One of my biggest accomplishment was presenting a paper on advancing social work education to serve the aging population at the annual Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors conference,” she said. After earning her Master of Social Work and continued membership in the National Social Work Honor Society, she accepted a position with Dignity Memorial in the Dallas Market, which includes Arlington, Mansfi eld, and Grand Prairie. There she worked as a counselor and case manager helping families plan funeral services and meet cemetery property needs. Expanding her role in the Arlington community, Kathy proposed a business plan for a new Latino Business Group to the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce. As a result she served as the inaugural chair and continues to help build relationships with Latino businesses through education, professional development, and community awareness. “In the Latino community I’ve been able to bring people together to build consensus,” she said. Kathy volunteers at The Summit Senior Center in Grand Prairie and helps Latino business owners access public and private services. She’s active in the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, with the Latino Business Group, and with the weekly business networking group. All of this activity has led to the advancement of her role in the funeral industry, where she was named as president of Burlway Gardens Association, a cemetery and mausoleum complex in Mansfi eld. “As a social worker in the funeral industry I’m able to look to the ‘needs’ of the client as opposed to just selling them services,” she said. “By placing their needs ahead of a sale, I can provide compassion and empathy for a loved one and their family.”

CONTACT

400 BURL RAY STREET | MANSFIELD, TX 76063 682-518-6091 | WWW.BURLWAYGARDENS.COM