South Dallas Business and Professional Women’s Club 2023 Trailblazer Award Recipients

Ombudswoman

Carolyn King Arnold is currently the first Black female Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Dallas. Her work as an educator and community servant leader has spanned nearly four decades. She earned her B.A. degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and Master of Education from the University of North Texas. Additional current/past community service/offices includes President of the Glen Oaks Homeowners Association, Precinct Chair - 3056 Democratic Party, Delta Sigma Theta Inc., Friendship West Baptist Church, Contributing writer to the Dallas Examiner and North Dallas Gazette newspapers, Radio Host Talk Show Host, KHVN/97.0- “Community First,” Volunteer South Oak Cliff High School, PTA (Lifetime Member), NAACP, Texas Organizing Project (TOP), League of Women Voters, and Urban Forestry Advisory Committee.

Trailblazer Derick D. Miller

1st African American Chief of Police, City of Irving agement Institute of Policing, the Institute of Law Enforcement Administration, and Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

Chief Miller is an Adjunct Professor at UTA, President of the DFW Major City Police Chief’s Association, First Vice President of the North Texas Police Chief’s Association, Executive Advisory Board Member of the Caruth Police Institute at UNT Dallas, and a member of the MADD Executive Advisory Board for North Texas. He is also a member of the FBI National Academy Associates, International Association of Chiefs of Police, and NOBLE.

Trailblazer - Jacquin Headen

First Black Woman to Serve on Grand Prairie's City Council

History was made in Grand Prairie when voters elected Jacquin Headen to be the first Black woman to serve on the City Council. Jacquin is a co-Pastor, small business owner, community servant, and law school graduate. She transitioned from the legal profession to her creative passion, and she currently operates an interior design company and art business. She also teaches negotiation seminars and has spoken on the topic of negotiation at colleges and business conferences, such as the Capital One “Beyond Summit.”

Alongside serving as a co-Pastor, Jacquin also serves as a board member on Grand Prairie’s Library Board and Grand Prairie’s Westchester Public Improvement District.

She is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law.

Trailblazer: Katrice Hardy

1st African American Executive Editor of the Dallas Morning News

Chief Derick Miller previously served as chief in Carrollton, TX, where he was the ninth chief in the department’s 75year history.

A native of Benbrook, he holds both an M.A. and B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from UTA. A graduate of the FBI National Academy, the Senior Man-

The Dallas Morning News is making significant strides. Louisiana native Katrice Hardy is the first woman and Black journalist to lead the newspaper as executive editor. She came from Indianapolis, where she was the top editor for the Indianapolis Star, a Gannett regional editor, and the Midwest regional editor for the USA Today Network.

Trailblazer: Tonya McClary Dallas' First Police Oversight Monitor

While most people know Brown is married with two grown children and four grandchildren, few know she’s a published author, “Twenty-one to Life.” Her book was about the healthy lifestyle she adopted and her transformation from the inside out.

Woman of the Year: April Allen

A proud graduate of LSU, and highly decorated journalist, Katrice is a past board member of the Associated Press Media Editors and a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, where she is a former president of the Hampton Roads, VA chapter. She served on the executive board of the South Carolina Press Association and was a graduate of Furman University’s Diversity Leadership Institute for senior leaders.

Trailblazer – Dr. Nicole Arleane Roberson

First Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer for Missouri S&T

Dr. Nicole Arleane Roberson, director of equal opportunity and diversity at the Texas A&M University System, is the vice chancellor of diversity, equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer for Missouri S&T.

Roberson earned a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from Regent University. She holds an MBA in international management from the American Graduate School of International Management, and master’s degrees in human resource management and project management, both from the Keller Graduate School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in strategic management from the University of North Texas.

Roberson also is a certified human resource professional (SHRM-CP), a senior certified affirmative action and EEO professional (Sr. CAAEP) and a certified diversity professional (CDP).

Dallas' first police oversight monitor, Tonya McClary, is a pastor, former lawyer and activist who once lived in Kaufman County. She joined the city of Dallas from New Orleans, which has a police department that's nearly three times smaller than the Dallas Police Department.

McClary serves as Dallas’ first-ever police monitor.

She held the chief monitor position in New Orleans for three years where she was in charge of reviewing and monitoring every officer-involved shooting in New Orleans. McClary’s history earns her credibility. She is a former public defender, but she’s also a minister who has her roots in indigent defense and criminal justice advocacy. McClary worked as a public defender in DFW—living in Kaufman County.

Trailblazer: Sonja A. Brown

1st African American Female Mayor of Glenn Heights

April Allen Is the President and COO of the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation. She has provided organization, strategy and management consulting to emerging businesses across the for-profit and nonprofit sectors and now she is leading the development of the Southern Gateway Park.

April is a native of Toronto, Canada and has happily made her home in Oak Cliff for over 15 years.

She received a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and an M.B.A from Harvard Business School. She is an alumnae of Leadership Dallas and The OpEd Project through the Texas Women's University Public Voices Thought Leadership Institute, where she published editorials with local and international media.

In a prior role, April served as the founding executive director of KIPP DFW, a college-preparatory charter school management organization serving students in southern Dallas.

Toi Thurman Professional Woman Award

There’s a new mayor in town and she has lofty goals for her city. Sonja A. Brown is the Mayor of the City of Glenn Heights. She was elected to the City Council in 2018. Thirteen months later, she became the Mayor Pro Tem by a unanimous vote of her fellow Councilmembers.

Born and raised in Dallas, she is a proud product of Lincoln Humanities/Communications Magnet. She attended Prairie View A&M, took courses at UTA and completed her education with a BS in Business Administration from Canterbury University.

Toi Thurman is a long-time resident of North Texas and a graduate of DeSoto High

School. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting degree from Jackson State University (JSU) in Mississippi.

A Certified Public Accountant, Toi’s professional service includes various leadership roles with multiple corporations - PricewaterhouseCoopers (19961999), VarTec Telecom (199-2003), and Blockbuster (2003 – 2011). For the past 11+ years, she has worked for Santander Consumer USA, a leader in equitable pay and rewards in the automobile finance industry. Since 2018, she has served as that company’s Vice President and Assistant Controller.

Toi joined Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. in Spring 1994 through Lambda Beta Chapter and is a Diamond Life Member. She serves as a board member of Stork's Nest Charity Fund of Dallas and is also a member of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and the JSU Alumni Association.

Her college experience is one Hart Jones said every Black child deserves to have, so when she was looking to purchase an HBCU-branded doll for a friend’s child, she was confused by the lack of options out there.

During the pandemic, Hart Jones created a line of dolls that represented various key moments of the HBCU experience including a homecoming queen figure, cheerleaders, and student body president.

Less than two years later, Jones partnered with prominent Black-owned toy company Purpose Toys to release the collection of three 18-inch dolls donning natural hairstyles. Now, they’re being sold in Target and the consumer reception has been great.

Candace E. Wicks

Margaret Gilbert Volunteer Service Award

Independent School District (LISD) where she is responsible for 15 middle schools, Accelerated and Night High School and the district’s virtual learning program.

Chantell previously served as LISD middle and high school principal, associate principal, and English/Language Arts classroom teacher. For her commitment to fostering community among schools and families, she was awarded the PTA Lifetime and PTA Extended Lifetime Awards.

Chantell graduated from Prairie View A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Spanish. She earned a superintendent certification from the University of Texas at Tyler and a Master’s in Education from the UNT. Chantell is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Kimberley Runnels Community Service Award

State Representative Toni Rose was elected in 2012 to represent Texas House District 110, which includes the communities of Oak Cliff, Pleasant Grove, and Balch Springs in Dallas County. Representative Rose is a proud alumna of Paul Quinn College. Her legislative focus includes mental health reform, access to affordable healthcare, and criminal justice reform.

Representative Rose's hands-on approach was instrumental to her election as First Vice- Chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, her appointment as Chair of the House Democratic Campaign Committee, and her former roles as Secretary to the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and Treasurer of the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women (NOBEL Women).

Representative Rose holds membership with the: NAACP Dallas Branch, League of Women Voters of Dallas, Paul Quinn National Alumni Association, Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, United Negro College Fund (UNCF), National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Club, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Brooke Hart Jones

Mabel Meshach White

Businesswoman Award

Brooke Hart Jones is a graduate of Hampton University.

Candace E. Wicks is a native of Dallas, TX, and daughter of the late Mr. Samuel and Mrs. Lela Wicks. She received a BA Huston-Tillotson College and a Master’s in Education from Texas Woman's University. Candace holds a certificate in Biblical Studies from Liberty University. She is now a student at Andersonville Theological Seminary in Carmilla, GA.

A Diamond Life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., she served as the SW Regional Director of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Candace has served in Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., Remembering Black Dallas, the American Legion Auxiliary, and National Coalition of 100 Black Women-Dallas Chapter, the Order of Omega Honorary Fraternity, Order of the Eastern Star, and a devoted, 47-year member of New Hope Baptist Church.

Chantell Ford Upshaw

Humanitarian Award

Chantell Ford Upshaw serves as Chief of Middle Schools for Lewisville

A graduate of Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), Kimberley Runnels holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish with a minor in biology. Kimberley was named 2013 Alumnus of the Year by the PVAMU National Alumni Association. From 2017-2021 she served as the 38th President of the PVAMU National Alumni Association.

Kimberley is employed as a trainer/ coach in the Office of Family and Community Engagement of the DISD. Additionally, she has been recognized by the United States Department of Education for Exemplary Program Implementation and Leadership.

A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Kimberley was recipient of the 2018 Ivy Spotlight HBCU Award from the Omega Alpha Omega Chapter for services rendered to PVAMU.