As a community-serving organization, your focus lies in achieving your mission. That’s why our team of professionals at Whitley Penn offers a comprehensive range of tax, audit, and consulting services tailored specifically to help you stay focused on making a greater impact. Discover our Nonprofit industry offerings by visiting www.whitleypenn.com/nonprofit.
Texas isn’t just part of our name, it’s our home. We care about this state and the people in it. It’s why we’ve contributed more than $60 million to organizations that are strengthening the workforce, helping families and making a real di erence in our communities. At Texas Mutual, we’re dedicated to being a stable force for good, and we proudly partner with groups who share our commitment to building a brighter future for Texas. Learn more at texasmutual.com/community.
Community is the heart of Higginbotham. It’s how we became one of the largest independent insurance, financial and HR services firms in the nation. It’s also why we’ve supported DFW community partners since our founding in 1948.
In that spirit, to celebrate our 75th anniversary, hundreds of our employees took part in a day of service at local nonprofits.
We’re proud to recognize acts of generosity to our community by sponsoring D CEO’s Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards.
(817) 241-2413
higginbotham.com
Park Place congratulates all the most successful businesspeople in DFW who are constantly raising the bar. As advocates of excellence, we understand what it takes to go above and beyond. It’s why we always offer an exceptional dealership experience, fit for even the chief executives. That’s what makes Park Place Experts in Excellence.
With a strategic focus on building a brighter future for all, Mavericks at The University of Texas at Arlington live at the intersection of innovation, research, and action for the greater good. That’s why we’re ranked No. 14* in the nation for sustainable development goals that prioritize education, human rights, public health, economic growth, and more.
*2023 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings
Santander Consumer USA, Inc. is committed to being a part of the communities in which we do business by supporting organizations that make a positive and measurable impact. Thank you to City Year Dallas and New Friends New Life for each nominating us for the Corporate Partner of the Year award. Truly, it is our honor to serve you.
Your Dallas Zoo now diverts almost 70% of its waste from the landfill, on our way to a goal of 90% by 2030.
The introduction of Zoo Poo has played a huge role in increasing that number over this past year. This 100% organic compost product is made from herbivore waste from the Dallas Zoo!
Thanks to our friends at Silver Creek Materials - our partner in creating and selling Zoo Poo. This is a true sustainability success story!
The Dallas Foundation is proud to support D CEO’s Non-Profit and Corporate Citizenship Awards!
For nearly a century, there is little across this community that a grant from The Dallas Foundation or one of our fundholders hasn’t touched. From the neighborhoods of Bachman Lake to Oak Cli , from the Arts District to the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge to Fair Park, our fingerprints are all over Greater Dallas. Through our Community Impact Fund, we are able to support innovative and scalable solutions to our community’s biggest challenges.
We do not do this work alone. Generous, forward-thinking donors help us create meaningful change for generations to come. Together, we are here for good.
Learn more about the Community Impact Fund and other ways to partner with The Dallas Foundation.
dallasfoundation.org/philanthropy
Spend a day exploring Fair Park in Dallas and take a stroll through our museums, gardens, and esplanade that highlight the beauty of art, history, and nature.
Fair Park is home to a variety of cultural institutions and attractions that operate onsite daily, including the African American Museum, Children’s Aquarium, Hall of State, Texas Discovery Gardens, and more.
Discover more about Fair Park by visiting FairParkDallas.com.
To see upcoming events at Fair Park, scan the QR code or visit www.fairparkdallas.com/events.
Congratulations to Fair Park First CEO Brian Luallen on being a finalist for the D CEO Leadership Excellence Award.
What do you need to deliver your mission now and into the future?
Finding the right partner is key to supporting your mission. Whatever your goals, we bring the size and scale of Bank of America, with a unique combination of portfolio management, strategic advice and administrative solutions delivered locally so you can accelerate your organization’s impact. Contact your advisor or email us at PhilanthropyTeam@bofa.com today.
What would you like the power to do?®
Bank of America Private Bank is a division of Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC and a wholly owned subsidiary of BofA Corp. Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A., and affiliated banks, Members FDIC and wholly owned subsidiaries of BofA Corp. Institutional Investments & Philanthropic Solutions (also referred to as “Philanthropic Solutions” or “II&PS”) is part of Bank of America Private Bank, a division of Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”). Trust, fiduciary, and investment management services are provided by wholly owned banking affiliates of BofA Corp., including Bank of America, N.A. and its agents. Investment products: Are Not
Dallas stands apart when you travel by trail. For the first time, Dallas will connect north, south, east, and west to provide equitable access to green space and active transportation for all. As a 50-mile connected trail system, The Loop Dallas will make our city more vibrant and pedestrian-friendly, creating a sense of community and making abundant green space part of its identity. theloopdallas.org
Though many miles of trail exist, Dallas was missing critical connections between communities and neighborhoods because of physical, political, and financial barriers. The Loop Dallas is the catalyst to Connect Dallas to Dallas.
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Board Jeff Ellerman Chairman, Board of Directors | Rick Perdue President, Board of Directors Larry Dale Treasurer, Board of Directors | Vana Hammond Board of Directors | Terrence Maiden Board of Directors Linda Owen Board of Directors Mike Terry Board of Directors Philip Hiatt Haigh Executive DirectorWE GIVE IT OUR EVERYTHING BECAUSE KIDS CAN DO ANYTHING.
Incredible Together. At Children’s Health,SM we work hard to drive innovative medical research and advanced treatment options to make life better for children.
Join us in congratulating our team and all the other finalists of the fifth annual D CEO Magazine Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards.
Learn more at childrens.com
Deaf Action Center is active in bridging the gap between deaf and non-deaf communities.
We provide consultations and trainings on the Americans with Disabilities Act to help companies provide the most accessible experience possible to their clients and employees. We also offer American Sign Language classes and interpreting services at a competitive price, allocating all earned revenue back to support our programs.
We are honored to be among the best and brightest organizations across the DFW metroplex as a finalist for D CEO’s Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards this year.
Scan the QR code or visit us at www.dactexas.org to learn more!
Discover the West Dallas STEM School (WDSS), featuring a 50/50 Transformation school (PreK through 6th) determined by a lottery-based enrollment process. We are dedicated to being a supportive presence in the West Dallas community, o ering STEM education that prepares students for high-demand careers.
Through hands-on activities like robotics, experiments and coding, students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that empower them to tackle real-world challenges. Join us on a journey of limitless possibilities, as we enrich the lives of children and families through engaging events and programs. Together, we ’ re commited to being a valuable resource and partner in West Dallas to enhance the quality of life for children and families.
ADMISSION
The West Dallas STEM School brings together ve integral components to create an innovative PreK - 8th grade school model:
STEM, Project-based Curriculum and Instruction
Wraparound Services
Professional Learning and Educator Preparation
Research and Evaluation
4-way Partnership
Serving studnets in PreK through 2nd grade in 2023-24, adding one grade level each year to 8th grade. Diversity by Design:
A 50/50 socioeconomic diversity lottery determines which applicants are awarded enrollment o ers.
NOW ENROLLING
Grades PreK3 - 2
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
HOW TO APPLY Enroll at our one-stop online application, visit www.DallasISD.org/choosedallasisd
of
IS WORTH SO MUCH MORE!
MORE THAN 100 DAILY SHOWS AND ACTIVITIES ARE INCLUDED WITH ADMISSION TO THE FAIR
Don’t miss the nightly Kroger Starlight Parade and the Mattress Firm Illumination Sensation
Your ticket to the State Fair of Texas unlocks more than a fun photo with Big Tex® and the chance to enjoy fried food. In fact, your day of fun helps support the Fair’s mission by funding community programs that impact Texans throughout the state. These are some of the important programs funded through proceeds from the Fair.
Big Tex® Scholarship Program Youth Livestock Shows
Big Tex® Urban Farms
Community Grants Program for South Dallas Non-Pro ts
Historic Preservation of Fair Park
A TEXAS-SIZED THANK YOU for purchasing your Fair ticket and supporting our mission,
Right now, nearly 1,200 children with critical illnesses are waiting for their wishes to be granted. As a 100% locally-funded nonprofit, Make-A-Wish North Texas grants wishes that create joy, unite families and transform lives.
Learn more at ntx.wish.org I
Catholic Charities Dallas is a social service agency focused on improving the quality of life for people in need. We are first responders to our community’s most vulnerable, helping those in crisis move toward a better life. Much of our work is focused on the areas of poverty and hunger alleviation, welcoming the stranger, and strengthening families.
Scarlett is soaring once again after a successful hip surgery. Because there’s never pressure put on our physicians to consider the financial impact to the hospital, they can focus on recommending the best course of treatment for every patient – regardless of a family’s ability to pay. Just another way we’re defining greatness in pediatric orthopedics. scottishriteforchildren.org
The Concilio board would like to congratulate our CEO, Florencia Velasco Fortner, for being a Leadership Excellence finalist for DCEO Magazine’s 2023 Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards.
To build stronger communities by unlocking opportunities for Latino families.
Equity and opportunity for ALL families.
September 26, 2023
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hilton Anatole | Dallas txwfluncheon.org
motivational Annual Luncheon experience, where we’ll bring together our community in support of women and
soon-to-be announced keynote speaker who will talk about their work as an advocate for social change. And, how you and your organization align with the movement to build inclusive communities where women can thrive.
Ashleigh Everett
Senior VP & General Counsel for Hunt Oil Company
Yolanda Garcia
Co-leader Securities & Shareholder Litigation for Sidley
BATTLING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
In an effort to lower the euthanasia rate of animals, Mazie’s Mission provides exceptional, low-cost veterinary care to rescue groups and municipal shelters. maziesmission.org
ATTEND THE NATION’S LARGEST LGBTQ+ FUNDRAISING DINNER OCTOBER 28, 2023
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70% of graduates earn a college degree within six years or are placed on a career pathway that will provide economic freedom.
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Alumni using our career services after college earn starting salaries 40% higher than those of their peers. SUPPOR T OUR IMPAC T
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Council membership offers direct access to premier speakers, world leaders, and experts in issues that impact us here in DFW and abroad. Our membership network is made up of globally-minded, engaged citizens, eager to go beyond the headlines and explore the nuance of current events with the very people leading the conversation. We are reminded at each of our in-person events that “what happens there matters here.”
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D CEO earned top honors in the 2023 Editorial Excellence Awards, presented by AABP, * and the National City and Regional Magazine Awards, presented by CRMA.**
“From impactful and gorgeous covers to an engaging End Mark departments, this magazine is vibrant in both content and visuals. Hard-hitting pieces tackle serious subjects and a diversity of profiles introduce readers to people they should know. Beautiful photography and a refined design round out a magazine that’s packed with vital know-how and know-who.”
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the real estate council’s premier Young Guns spring event returned for 2023 with a Disco Fever theme, presented by 42 Real Estate. More than 300 emerging industry leaders came together on May 4 at The International in Dallas’ Design District for a night of casino-style gaming, music, and raffles, raising more than $55,000 for TREC Community Investors and the 2023 Young Guns project—redevelopoment of a storefront on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard into a community engagement center. The renovation will be completed as part of TREC Community Investors’ ongoing Dallas Catalyst Project, a multiyear, place-based neighborhood revitalization initiative in the Forest District of South Dallas.
All of us want to find the best things in life. Studies show many people are obsessed with finding the best product, service, or information. Instead of relying on their own personal experiences or word of mouth, most consumers seek input from Google, Yelp, social media influencers, and other independent sources on the internet. The explosion of click-bait proves the point. You can’t access the internet without being bombarded by a multitude of wildly varying “best” lists, ranging from the helpful to the absurd.
Best lists attract eyes, ears, and purchases. This consumer phenomenon sells products, garners advertisers, and drives internet traffic. Consider every year how many people anxiously await the publication of U.S. News & World Report college rankings.
This human instinct explains why so many businesses ask their customers to submit a review on Google, Yelp, or other social media platforms. The difference between a 4.1-star rating and a 4.5-star rating can be the difference between making and missing a sale.
These “best” lists are so effective that people are blindly persuaded without investigating to determine the methodology used to produce the list, the person(s) responsible for compiling the list, and their connection with the companies providing the products and services that are ranked. Many times, the lists are quickly thrown together, based on a purely subjective unscientific preference by one person who compiled the ranking. Yet, because the lists have all the trappings of carefully considered, quantitative analytics, the lists drive action by the readers.
“Greatest” lists might provide valuable information: the 20 best budget Caribbean vacations, the 20 best MBA degrees by value, or the 10 best airfare specials of the week. They may provide harmless conclusions that generate fun debate: the world’s best 100 rock
guitarists, or Hollywood’s 50 greatest actors. They may involve the totally absurd: the top 20 water-resistant designer purses or the 10 most comfortable snorkel masks. Whether informative or frivolous, they attract attention and are persuasive.
Years ago, companies began touting that their products were recommended by experts and specialists: “More dentists use our toothpaste.” “More orthopedic surgeons endorse this dietary supplement to ease joint pain.” Radio stations play the 500 greatest songs over Labor Day weekend. Starting in 2003, Rolling Stone began releasing its lists of greatest lists (500 best albums of all-time). Local magazines honor the best lawyers, real estate agents, doctors, dentists, etc.
These internet rankings are by far the first, and often only place, consumers look at when evaluating products or services. I see no end to this trend. Accordingly, find ways to express how the product, service, or argument you’re promoting has been highly rated.
The takeaway: any product, service, or argument considered to be the best will be received more favorably. Therefore, embrace this concept in your next presentation to maximize the persuasiveness of your message.
ROGGE DUNN represents companies, executives, financial advisors, and entrepreneurs in business and employment matters.
Clients include the CEOs of American Airlines, Baker Hughes, Beck Group, Blucora, Crow Holdings, Dave & Busters, Gold’s Gym, FedEx, HKS, Texas Motor Speedway, Texas Capital Bancshares, and Texas Tech University as well as sports figures such as New York Mets manager Buck Showalter, NBA executive Donnie Nelson, and NBA Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown. Dunn’s corporate clients include Adecco, Beal Bank, Benihana, Cawley Partners, Match.com, Rent-A-Center, and Outback Steakhouse.
In 2021, 2022, and 2023 Dunn was included in D CEO Magazine’s Dallas 500 list, which recognizes the most influential business leaders in North Texas.
He has been named a Texas Super Lawyer every year that award has been given and recognized as one of the top 100 attorneys in Texas by Texas Monthly (a Thomson Reuters service) and a D Magazine Best Lawyer 14 times.
on may 4, d ceo, in partnership with the Association for Corporate Growth Dallas-Fort Worth, hosted the 2023 Mergers & Acquisitions Awards, now in its 10th year. A crowd of 200 gathered at On the Levee to honor DFW’s top deals and dealmakers. Along with the awards, the event featured a panel discussion where attendees were taken behind the scenes with key players involved in Crossplane Capital’s acquisition of Kaemark. It was moderated by Brian Walsh, chief lending officer at Sunflower Bank, and featured Brian Hegi and Katie Oswald of Crossplane Capital. A highlight of the evening involved revealing winners in deal and dealmaker awards in nine categories, as well as an attorney of the year award. You can read about the winners in the May issue of D CEO.
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“People are not your greatest asset. The “right people” are!”
-Blaine L. Nelson, President & CEO66 74 78
After nearly a decade, a small band of business and civic leaders are approaching the finish line of creating a 50-mile loop of trails that will transform Dallas.
PLUS: 126 finalists in D CEO’s 2023 Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards
story by CHRISTINE PEREZ
photography by KATHY TRAN
How a small-town girl from Louisiana became a major player in Texas’ steakhouse business.
story by BRANDON J. CALL photography by KATHY TRAN
In August 2016, Nike Golf shut down golf club manufacturing at its research and development headquarters in Fort Worth. But for $100,000, two North Texans took control of the property and fanned a new flame in the industry: Artisan Golf.
story by BEN SWANGER photography by SEAN BERRY
i recently participated in a panel discussion on the future of media as part of a Global Silicon Valley summit at Southern Methodist University. I was joined by Interlock Partners’ Harry Hawks, Fort Worth Magazine’s Hal Brown, and American City Business Journal’s Whitney Shaw. Sherry Phillips, chief revenue officer for Forbes, served as moderator.
I was especially interested to hear what Whit would have to say. As ACBJ’s president and CEO, he oversees local business journals in 45 markets across the country. Before joining D CEO in 2010, I spent a decade working for him at the Dallas Business Journal.
Whit grew up in a family of journalists. One uncle was a White House correspondent; another won a Pulitzer Prize. His late father, Ray Shaw, was a reporter and editor who became president of Dow Jones & Co. and The Wall Street Journal before deciding, at age 55, to go out on his own with the acquisition of ACBJ.
After considering a career in law, Whit decided to follow his heart and get into journalism, too. As a sports reporter in college, he wrote a weekly bowling column. “I had committed to making it the best damn bowling column anywhere in America,” Whit shared at the panel discussion. “I would go around and pick up score sheets and write about it. Years later, that local feet-on-the-streets and the potential loss of it is what keeps me up at night.”
What he’s talking about is generative AI—content, images, and video generated via artificial intelligence. Whit calls it “the most dramatic change in our professional lives as journalists that we’ve ever seen.” Generative AI is evolving at warp speed, and its potential uses and impact are far from certain. But, just like other media transformations of the past (photography, radio, television, the internet), I’m hopeful that generative AI will enhance the way journalism is produced, not replace it. In fact, my guess is that trusted local sources will become even more valuable. And that’s good news for all of us.
Christine Perez Editor
Over the last three years, we have provided more than $2 million in contributions to Dallas area nonprofits, including a two-year initial investment of $200,000 to help under-resourced areas achieve economic mobility, specifically focused in west and south Dallas. Supported by paid time off to volunteer, our team members have volunteered over 8,000 hours— many participating in Learn for Life, a program designed to teach financial literacy to children and young adults.
At Bank of Texas, our commitment to giving back is core to our company and our employees. We’re proud to support organizations going beyond in their efforts on behalf of our community.
PUBLISHER Noelle LeVeaux
EDITORIAL EDITOR Christine Perez
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Brandon J. Call
MANAGING EDITOR Ben Swanger
ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Kelsey J. Vanderschoot
SENIOR EDITOR Will Maddox
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Richard Alm, W. Michael Cox
EDITORIAL INTERNS Ryan Bozman, Zoe Cote, Garrett Tarango
ART
DESIGN DIRECTOR Hamilton Hedrick
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Elizabeth Lavin
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SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Cami Burke, Haley Muse
MANAGING EDITOR OF SPECIAL SECTIONS Jennifer Sander Hayes
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MARKETING & EVENTS
MARKETING DIRECTOR Gigi Ekstrom
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2023 State of Homelessness in Dallas
4,000+ homeless
21% increase in Homeless Veterans
18% increase in Homeless Youth
15% increase in Homeless Families
Bring
55,000 meals
48 pallets of water
8 semi loads of food for residents, sobriety houses and after school programs
Bring the Light Ministries is dedicated to bringing the light to the lost, broken or starving through spiritual discipleship, the word of God, and meeting human needs by providing food to families in need, feeding, clothing, and housing the homeless, as well as providing other essential personal hygiene needs.
Bring the Light Ministries is a proud finalist for the 2023 DCEO Non-Profit Awards.
bringthelight.org
6,800 personal hygiene kits
1000+ blankets and sleeping bags to South Dallas
Pastor Earl Fitzsimmons, Founder/CEO *Housing Forward 2023JPMorgan Chase is committed to helping consumers and businesses of all sizes at every stage of maturity achieve their financial goals. Our teams offer global capabilities and specialized expertise, all delivered locally to position your business for long-term success.
jpmorgan.com/startups
about 15 years ago, mark wade faced unexpected challenges that redefined his purpose. “I had a brother who passed away in 2007, another brother who passed away in 2008, and my wife was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer in 2008,” says Wade, the top executive at Bank of Texas. As a way of dealing with tragedy, he threw himself into his work—and emerged with a new mindset. “I want to be known, at the end of the day, for hiring great people, developing great people, and running a good bank,” he says.
Wade will have ample opportunity for fulfillment in his new role at Bank of Texas, which he joined in 2001, just 12 days before 9/11. He was leaving a vice president job at Bank One (which Chase later acquired in a $58 billion deal) and submitted his resignation to his boss at the time, Norm Bagwell. “When I left Bank One, Norm told me, ‘Hey, you’re making a big mistake.’ Seven years later, Norm joined us,” Wade laughs. During that seven-year interim, Wade ran Bank of Texas’ corporate banking division and started heavy equipment and healthcare banking groups.
When Bagwell was named CEO in 2008, Wade was promoted to president and chief operating officer. “I ran North Texas,” Wade says.
All the while, he was learning from Bagwell, who remained in the captain’s chair for the next 14 years. “Norm prepared me for this role,” Wade says. “He knew he would step aside and do something different within the company. I look
Aback on it, and I can see that now.” Wade credits Bagwell with teaching him how to work with people, see all sides of a situation, and where to spend his time as a leader. “I’ve known him for 27 years,” he says. “I’ve worked for him for 20 of those. A lot of who I am today and the things I’ve learned are because of Norm—there’s no question about that.”
In 2019, executives at Oklahoma-based parent, BOK Financial, asked Wade to transition from his role as president and COO of Bank of Texas to overseeing commercial banking across the organization. While running 10 markets in seven states, he helped integrate acquisitions in Colorado and Arizona into BOK, among other accomplishments over the past four years.
Now, as Bagwell steps into a chairman role and Wade takes the helm, he hopes to work through a list of goals he made with his predecessor last year. “I’ve always been pretty simple-minded from the standpoint of putting your goals and where you are trying to get to on a single piece of paper,” he says. Topping the list are continuing to build company culture and collaboration, increasing effective sales growth, and augmenting loan growth.
Wade also hopes to expand the bank’s market share in Texas and business in Arkansas for BOK Financial, which has a total of $45 billion in assets. “We are only in the northwest corner of Arkansas, and it’s not a big piece of the puzzle, but it’s an important piece of the puzzle,” Wade says. “The majority of the growth [opportunities are] here in Texas.”
Bank of Texas has offices in Fort Worth, Dallas, and Houston, and recently added a San Antonio outpost. “We view it as a market— from a commercial standpoint, from a treasury management standpoint, from a wealth standpoint—where who we are, and how we go about business, will fit very well there,” Wade says.
As he continues to drive growth for his company, Wade will rely on the tenacity he developed during the personal crises he faced. “I’m not the smartest person in the room, but I’m going to outwork people,” Wade says. “I’m going to have grit, perseverance, and passion.”
A voracious reader of books on leadership, Mark Wade keeps some of the key principles he has learned displayed on his desk. Here are some of his key takeaways:
BE AUTHENTIC
Be genuine and play to your strengths.
COMMUNICATE
Be as transparent as possible.
NURTURE OTHERS
Care about your employees and their success.
BE VISIBLE
Take time for 1:1 conversations and be accessible.
BUILD A STRONG TEAM Surround yourself with talent. You don’t want to be the smartest person in the room.
LEARN AND GROW
Be better tomorrow than you were yesterday.
SHARE THE SPOTLIGHT
Realize it’s not about you. Credit your team for group success and take ownership of group failures.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Be patient but know when to take action.
HAVE A FILTER
Think before you speak.
Regional Vice President and Associate General Counsel TIAA
last year was a big one for caren lock. she was named to the Dallas Mavericks’ Advisory Council and her employer, TIAA, announced it was building a new regional campus at The Star in Frisco. The 15-story, $58 million building will allow it to add 2,000 new employees; upon completion, TIAA will be the largest employer in Frisco. Lock has been a leader at the Fortune 100 company since the early 2000s, but her first job was bussing tables at a restaurant where her mother worked. “I learned the power of determination and hard work,” she says. “The little restaurant grew to double in size because everyone believed in the American dream.”
EDUCATION: Baylor University (JD), The University of Texas at Austin (BBA)
BIRTHPLACE: Hong Kong
BEST ADVICE:
“Treat everyone you meet with the same respect and honor your word.”
HOBBY/PASSION:
“I practice yoga and have taught at Cancer Support Community North Texas for the last 10 years. In that one hour, we are all focused on bringing love and light to our body and mind.”
INDUSTRY CHANGE:
“If I could change one thing, it would be the bipartisan nature of the political process. As a lawyer and lobbyist, I believe that we can have honest discourse without stooping to name calling or fear mongering.”
LOCAL FARE:
“My favorite restaurant is Wu Wei Din Chinese
Following the launch of several successful handbag lines through Parker & Hyde, Zack and Lauren McLarnon are adding men’s dress shirts.
Cuisine. It is a small, familyrun restaurant tucked into a shopping center. They serve the best soup dumplings.”
GO-TO ADVISERS:
“I have a personal board of directors that I go to when I need a gut check or professional advice. I think it is important to surround yourself with people who are honest and always have your back.”
FIRST RIDE:
“I had a blue Oldsmobile Cutlass. The interior upholstery was falling apart, and the automatic windows would drop all the way down occasionally. But I paid for that car by saving up money from working at Burger King, so I was very proud of it.”
A BETTER DFW:
“Dallas could improve on our public transportation. When I visit other large, international cities, I marvel at the public transit and the range of options including buses,
subways, and light rails.”
PIVOTAL MOMENT:
“I walked away from practicing law and switched my career to lobbying. It was not planned but an opportunity presented itself. I am grateful that I didn’t let fear take over, and now I have been a lobbyist for almost two decades. The lesson is to always stretch yourself.”
WALK-UP SONG:
“I am a glass-is-half-full kind of person, so my theme song is ‘Walking on Sunshine.’”
MUST-READ:
“The Color of Water is one of my favorite books. Author James McBride writes about his relationship with his mother during a difficult time in our country’s history. His mother was White and married a Black man in 1942. It is a powerful story about self-motivation and love. I have a copy that is falling apart at the seams because I have reread it so many times.”
SPIRIT ANIMAL:
“A dog. I am loyal and trusting and only bite if I sense danger or fear.”
BUCKET LIST: “Visit Nepal and hike through the Himalayas”
KEY STRATEGIES:
“Listening to employees is critical. As leaders, we may not be as connected to the day-to-day interactions that employees have with clients; they are the ones who can identify our gaps and strengths.”
after zack mclarnon sold his recruiting company, Bear & Boone, in 2015, he wanted to move into making custom cowhide rugs and furniture. So, he invested in a Brazilian tannery—without telling his wife, Lauren. After Zack got out of the doghouse, Lauren shared an idea: “With the leather scraps, why don’t we find someone to make handbags?” The then-pregnant entrepreneur found a manufacturer, and the couple launched handbag company Parker & Hyde in December 2016, referencing their newborn son, Parker, in the venture’s name. Two months later, the brand hooked its first big client, Saint Bernard. “That year, we grew to 400 stores and boutiques across the country,” Zack says. Now, Parker & Hyde’s handbag collections are sold in Dillard’s, Belk, Stanley Korshak, and more than 3,000 hotels. Its line has expanded to include woven neoprene totes. Next, the company is gearing up to launch a men’s dress shirt line in country clubs and online. —Kelsey
J. Vanderschoot
story by BRANDON J. CALL
whether it is suspending 22,000 -pound boulders in an underground parking garage or creating a large-scale art installation within a volcanic cinder cone, masonry and stonework experts Dee Brown Inc. have seen it all. “There’s not anything we can’t do,” says President and CEO Robert Barnes III. “If someone can dream it up and has the means and ability to pay for something, we can put together the technical team to get the job done.”
The Richardson-based contractor is a national leader in interior and exterior stone installation and custom fabrication, sourcing materials from around the world. It also tackles complex masonry projects—like matching the aged and weathered bricks at Southern Methodist University so new construction projects look uniform. “You’re trying to match something that is 70 years old, and a lot of times, the bricks aren’t being made anymore,” Barnes says. “Masonry is a craft, sure, but I really think it’s an art form.”
Before Barnes took the helm as CEO in 2015, his father, Robert “Buddie” Barnes Jr., had been president, CEO, and chairman since 2000. Barnes’ grandfather, C. DeWitt “Dee” Brown Jr., the company’s namesake, founded the enterprise in 1955. “My grandfather spent a lot of time with me in my formative years teaching me the business,” Barnes says. “Some of my fondest memories are on the golf course with my grandfather; he’d do everything possible to throw me off my game. He’d throw golf balls at me while I was trying to putt. He’d create all these distractions to try to mess with my focus.”
The lessons have paid off. Barnes now leads a company that has had a hand in the construction of the Dallas Federal Reserve, Crescent Court, the George W. Bush Presidential Center, and the Nasher Sculpture Center. In the firm’s 68-year history, it has also worked on all the major sports stadiums in DFW, except for Globe Life Field in Arlington and Toyota Stadium in Frisco. The company also completed renovations to the Old Parkland Freedom Tower and the Trammell Crow Center in 2019.
So, what’s the secret to staying a family-run business for nearly seven decades? Barnes says community involvement is key. He’s a Salesmanship Club member and on the board of the Friends of Brain Health for UTD’s Center for BrainHealth. “My grandfather and my father did a good job of laying out the roadmap of what to be involved with,” Barnes says. “Our company has a vested interest in helping make our city a better place to be.”
Third-generation, family-run company Dee Brown Inc. has worked on some of the region’s most iconic buildings.METICULOUS Dee Brown Inc. projects include the marble work throughout the lobby of Dallas’ Trammell Crow Center.
Capital One is focused on creating a world where everyone has an equal opportunity to prosper.
We are committed to improving the environmental sustainability of our business, advocating for an inclusive society, and creating financial tools that enrich lives.
of three sellout crowds. During that weekend, the Wings hosted a party at W Dallas with more than 500 guests, including WNBA stars, retired WNBA legends, league and city officials, corporate sponsors, and more.
story by BEN SWANGER illustration by JAKE MEYERSgreg bibb and i settled into a couple of lounge chairs at the Highland Park Village Starbucks with his unsweetened iced coffee with a little half-and-half and my peach green tea lemonade in hand. Bibb is in his eighth season leading the WNBA’s Dallas Wings and just wrapped up his second with National Lacrosse League expansion team Panther City Lacrosse Club. Both teams are overseen, by and large, by the same ownership group while sharing employees and office space—which recently more than doubled in size.
When Bibb and I met, the Wings were coming off its season opener and logged an 85-75 home victory. The game hosted 5,600 fans, just 500 short of a sellout of College Park Center at The University of Texas at Arlington—nearly 2,000 more fans than what the Wings averaged throughout the 2022 season, according to Statista data. “The team has reached a point now where it is no longer a hope to make the playoffs, but an expectation,” Bibb says. “Ultimately, we want to secure a WNBA championship.”
His on-court expectations align with his vision of success for the front office. With 48 employees, the CEO expects revenue to grow by more than 30 percent in the 2023 season; each of the past two years, the Wings turned a profit, despite the WNBA not doing so. “The Wings will set records this year with ticket sales and overall revenue,” Bibb says.
In April 2023, women’s basketball became sports’ headline act. The American Airlines Center hosted the NCAA Women’s Final Four in front
Building off the momentum, Bibb says the Wings are no longer in startup mode, but rather—as one of the top three revenue producers in the WNBA— an aggressive growth phase. “When we started [the Wings relocated from Tulsa to Dallas in 2015], pick the business metric, we were at the bottom of the barrel,” Bibb says. “Pick the business metric now, and we’re at the top. I liken it to turning the Bad News Bears into the New York Yankees.”
On the way to becoming the Bronx Bombers of women’s basketball, Bibb says that legalized sports betting will be the fuel the team needs to climb higher. He has helped position the Wings and Panther City Lacrosse in legislation proposals alongside other professional teams in Texas. “We went down to Austin in 2021 and we stomped for it,” he says. “But in terms of how it would impact our revenue, the best way to explain it is transformative. We’re making progress toward legalization and I’m hopeful for 2025.”
For Panther City Lacrosse, Bibb says that operations are still in the startup stage, but “having grown the Wings out of that mode, we can execute the same strategy with Panther City,” Bibb says.
During the Wings’ 2023 season, in line with revenue, Bibb expects the team to report more than a 30 percent spike in ticket sales—meaning demand is approaching College Park’s supply of 6,100 seats. So, as he sips his iced coffee, I ask about the team’s plans once demand outweighs supply. “My focus right now is on what’s down the road for us—I will leave it at that,” he says.
Since 2014...
50,000 Clients served
180MM Secured dollars back to clients
for
THE SENIOR SOURCE is proud of our Elder Financial Safety Center team for being a finalist for D Magazine's BEST Nonprofit team of the year.
The Senior Source’s Elder Financial Safety Center addresses the financial security of older adults through prevention, protection and prosecution services. Last year alone, the center served 5,865 seniors.
3.4 MM Secured for clients in state benefits
60,100 Additional clients educated and trained
“For more than 30 years, we’ve partnered with groups in Dallas and across the state to bridge gaps in health care access. Whether it’s immunizations, preventive screenings or dental care, we’re dedicated to improving health outcomes of Texas children and their families, all at no cost and right in their community.”
The Caring Foundation of Texas, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is dedicated to its mission to improve the health of Texas families by connecting them to education and preventive services. Financial, geographic and time barriers limit access to care for uninsured and underinsured families. With the support of our lead sponsor, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, all services provided are at no cost to those who qualify. The Caring Foundation of Texas is building healthier futures for Texas children and their families in the communities where they live, work and play.
Sheena Payne, Executive Director
Why is it important for companies to seek out opportunities to become involved in their community?
At CUTX, “we’re committed to the communities we serve.” It’s a catchy phrase, but without the actions to support it, it’s nothing more than that. That’s why it’s important for companies to actively and authentically seek opportunities to become involved in their communities; it demonstrates a sense of accountability that is vital to the growth and success of your business. Community engagement also serves as a reflection of your company’s ideals. For example, CUTX was founded by a group of teachers, so a significant portion of our efforts focus on engaging with and supporting the schools in many communities throughout Dallas-Fort Worth and East Texas. Taking advantage of opportunities like event sponsorships, financial donations, and volunteerism can help reinforce that your company is a community leader that understands its customers and their needs, is willing to meet them where they are, and is genuinely invested in their well-being where they live and work.
What is the best way to select charities/ causes and begin a campaign within the company to give back?
Communities vary in terms of size and needs, so creating an organized plan is the first step in executing successful community engagement efforts. It’s also critical that you examine and research the nonprofits and other organizations that are making an impact on those that need it most. Gaining an understanding of a community’s needs can come from listening to customers, employees, board members, and the community at large. Often, casting a smaller net that can go deeper will have a greater impact and be more meaningful than trying to reach far and wide all at once. Most importantly, putting boots on the ground will maximize your impact. For example,
at CUTX, we created a Community Engagement Model that includes community engagement officers who identify hyper-local needs and how to address them. Creating an organized plan has allowed our team to make sure that we’re effectively targeting causes but also help to build trust for and create excitement about CUTX’s efforts.
How does event sponsorship benefit a company and the community?
Event sponsorships benefit both companies and communities alike. First, for companies, it’s an opportunity to establish yourself as a leader while demonstrating a commitment to a local issue. For example, in support of Dallas teachers while honoring the legacy of a longtime CUTX board member and influential local leader, we sponsor the W.H. Cotton Scholarship annually. Event sponsorships also create opportunities to educate consumers about service offerings and build brand awareness. As for the community, sponsor support enables them to minimize costs and provide valuable programs and events for their residents.
How does Credit Union of Texas motivate and excite employees to become involved in community impact?
Giving back to the communities we serve is baked into our culture at CUTX, and our team members are incredibly proud of the positive impact we’re making together in our communities. Along with our members, our team is the lifeblood of our business, so it’s vital that we create opportunities to serve the communities where they work and live. To recognize their volunteering efforts, we reward our team with a paid time off match. We’ve learned that successful community impact efforts that engage employees lead to a stronger community and an empowered group of team members, both of which help fuel the long-term growth and success of our business.
ABOUT THE EXPERT:
Beginning as a part-time teller at CUTX at age 21, Eric Pointer has worked his way up across his 30-year career with the company, becoming CUTX’s president and CEO in 2017. With a passion for learning, he received his MBA in 2017 from the SMU Cox School of Business and is constantly providing the CUTX team with unique opportunities to create and reach new goals for themselves and the credit union.
In 2014, a small band of business and civic
leaders began working on a project that would create a 50-mile loop of hike and bike trails around Dallas. Nearly 10 years and $90 million later, they’re approaching the finish line.
story by CHRISTINE PEREZ
RIDING HIGH Philip Hiatt Haigh leads a public-private partnership that is building The Loop.
IN THE FALL OF 2014, Dallas commercial real estate executive Jeff Ellerman was out cycling with his longtime buddy, oilman Larry Dale, when he had an epiphany. “We had meandered through the Design District and got to the Trinity Skyline Trail on the river bottom,” Ellerman says. “It’s beautiful with great views of the city, but it’s a chasm that has separated the haves and the have-nots forever. And we said, ‘This is ridiculous. You have miles of opportunity to the north and the south.’”
Not long afterward, Ellerman ran into Mike Rawlings, the then-mayor of Dallas, and talked with him about the need for an expanded trail system. Rawlings agreed and said it would take a public-private partnership—and thanked Ellerman for volunteering to lead the effort. “Larry and I talked about how good Dallas has been to us from a business standpoint,” Ellerman says. “We decided this would be our gift back to the city.”
IDallas had been working on a master trail system that would connect neighborhoods to transportation hubs and economic centers, and miles of new trails had been constructed. But the plan was missing an overall strategy and some critical links. “It was a spaghetti map of trails that would never get built because the city had no money,” Ellerman says. “It would take private leadership.”
He and Dale figured it made more sense to create an unbroken trail around the city. They formed the Circuit Trail Conservancy (since renamed The Loop Dallas) and pulled together a board that had the wherewithal to make it happen. Founding members were Linda Owen, who led the development of Klyde Warren Park; Joseph Pitchford, managing director of development for Crescent Real Estate (which played a key role in getting the park off the ground); Philip Henderson, the driving force behind the Katy Trail (who passed away last December); Rosewood Property Co. President Rick Perdue; and Dallas investor Mike Terry. In 2020, Pitchford rolled off the board, and Russell Glen Co. founder Terrence Maiden and AT&T executive Vana Parham were added.
With partners that now range from the City of Dallas and TxDOT to Dallas County, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and NCTCOG, the team developed plans for The Loop Dallas. It involves adding 11 miles of new trails to 39 miles of existing trails to create a continuous 50-mile pathway. The first of five planned connectors opened this past May. Two additional links are under construction. The whole project is expected to finish in about three years.
“At this point, 99 percent of people don’t know anything about it, because we’ve kept a relatively low profile and kept our heads down,” Ellerman says. “But 10 years from now, everybody in the entire region will know The Loop. It will be a destination. It will be an active transportation system. It will be a legacy asset for the City of Dallas.”
Before planning could even happen, funding had to be secured. Leveraging their connections, Eller-
An urban link taking the Katy Trail through Victory Park and the Design District to the Trinity Strand Trail.
man, Dale, and other board members raised about $10 million from private donors, including Lyda Hill. The next step was accessing public support. A big win came in 2017 when $20 million in bond funds were approved. All told The Loop Dallas has secured $75 million in public funding, including $10 million from Dallas County and $11.5 million from the Sports Arena TIF, and more private donations for a total of $90 million. The project is expected to cost about $120 million.
A game-changing moment came in 2019 with the hiring of Philip Hiatt Haigh as executive director. Prior to joining CTC, he led the reelection campaign of Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins and served as director of public policy for the Dallas Regional Chamber, among other posts. He currently is vice chair of TxDOT’s bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee, District 1 representative on the City of Dallas’ Environmental Commission, and a Dallas County Trail and Preserve Program board member.
“I was a little hesitant because it was a new organization that didn’t have any full-time staff,” Hiatt Haigh says. “I was convinced by the reputations of the board members, their commitment to the project, and their expertise. Larry, for example, has a ton of experience with right-of-way issues. He talked us through how to get our first agreement with a Class 1 freight line. With a railroad that has been on the ground for more than 100 years, we were able to steward an agreement to pass a trail underneath their tracks.”
Ellerman says he vastly underestimated the challenge of overcoming right-of-way issues. “If you’re dealing with farmland in southern Oklahoma, it’s one thing,” he says. “But we’re in an urban environment building a linear park. There are a million encumbrances and stakeholders—Oncor and all the utilities, the railroads, TxDOT, the Corps of Engineers—the amount of people Philip deals with on a daily basis is astounding. With a 50-mile trail, one right-of-way issue can screw everything up.”
To help fine-tune the plan, The Loop has relied on design consultants TBG, Halff Associates, SWA
Growing up in the Chicago suburb of Northbrook, Illinois, Jeff Ellerman and his brothers frequented their hometown Schwinn store. By the time they were in high school, the siblings graduated to road bikes and thought nothing of going on extended day trips. “We had bike packs, and we’d ride about 75 miles to 100 miles a day on the back roads up to the lakes in Wisconsin,” Ellerman says. “This was well before cell phones and GPS;
it was so much fun. Several years later, I did the same thing in Colorado.” Ellerman left Chicago to attend SMU, fell in love with Dallas, and decided to stay. His office tenant rep career has taken him from Fults Co. and Cawley International to The Staubach Co. and CBRE, where he now holds a top executive post in the world’s largest commercial real estate firm. Through the years, he has negotiated more than 50 million square feet in deals valued at more than $30 billion.
Ellerman has kept up with his biking regimen to stay in shape and owns a Specialized Bicycles carbon road bike, a Giant Bicycles mountain bike, and a Trek electric mountain bike. He rides both here and in Aspen, where he has a second home. Locally, his go-to destinations are White Rock Lake and the Skyline Trail, which now runs from the Trinity River to Irving. “I love being outdoors and riding; it gets my head right,” he says. “It’s a way for me to decompress and think and be grateful for the life I have.” That sense of gratitude inspired Ellerman to take on the challenge of leading the effort to develop The Loop in 2014. “This city has been good to me,” he says.
The new, 50-mile system will allow riders and hikers to travel from White Rock Lake to the Trinity Forest, around to the Trinity River, and then through the Design District and Victory Park, all without ever leaving a trail.
50
Total miles of The Loop upon completion, with 39 miles of existing trails linked by 11 miles of newly built trails.
$43M
Amount of money secured in 2019 from private donors, City of Dallas bond funds, Dallas County, and TxDOT.
$42M Additional public funds that have been raised for The Loop, with three projects now under construction.
5.7M
Pedestrians and cyclists currently using City of Dallas trails, according to Dallas Park and Recreation trail counters.
50:1
For every $1 invested in trails, research shows that Dallas receives a $50 ROI in economic impact.
Group, and Simon Engineering and Consulting. Hiatt Haigh is also focused on programming and working with Friends of the Katy Trail, Friends of Santa Fe Trail, and other such organizations to maintain various sections of trails, which are cityowned. “Our biggest priority once the trails are open is to make sure they are safe and accessible,” he says. “And that means we want activity on them.”
The Loop Dallas also is funding Dallas Off Road Bike Association’s work to operate and maintain Creekside Park, a 50-acre mountain biking area accessible via the Trinity Forest Spine Trail. Located about four miles from downtown near Tenison Park Golf Course and scheduled to open before the end of the year, it will include about five miles of trails and a separate skills park, all geared toward beginner and intermediate riders.
Beyond the recreational opportunities, supporters are hopeful about what the project will mean to the city’s southern sector, as two-thirds of the investments in new trails are south of Dallas. Among the brightest possibilities is what The Loop Dallas is doing near Parkdale Lake. Surrounded by about 110 acres east of Fair Park—closer to the city than White Rock Lake—Parkdale is the largest urban parkland dedication in Dallas since 1937. A joint venture between Oncor Electric Delivery, the City of Dallas, and The Loop Dallas, it allows for the completion of the Trinity Forest Spine Trail and creates a green connection between the neighborhoods there, White Rock Lake, and the Great Trinity Forest. “Our mantra is ‘connecting Dallas to Dallas,’” Ellerman says.
The final phase of the Trinity Forest Spine Trail is a collaboration between The Loop Dallas, TxDOT, the City of Dallas, and Dallas County. To help win federal funds, this component was expanded to include a new Lake June Bridge that connects to two DART light rail stations. “We moved from thinking, ‘OK. How do we make this trail work?’ to ‘Why don’t we stitch back together Pleasant Grove and this area and connect everyone to the forest and to The Loop?’” says Hiatt Haigh. Economic development possibilities are not lost on The Loop team. One only needs to look at what two high-profile projects have meant for surrounding real estate properties and businesses. Over the past decade or so, estimates put the economic impact of the Katy Trail at $1 billion and Klyde Warren Park at more than $300 billion.
NEW WALKWAY
The Hi Line Connector includes the city’s first midintersection crossing, at Oak Lawn Avenue and Hi Line Drive.
“Our biggest priority once the trails are open is to make sure they are safe and accessible. And that means we want activity on them.”
Ellerman, one of the region’s top tenant rep brokers, knows a little bit about what office users are looking for. And trails are emerging as a key desirable amenity and commuting option, he says, adding that such access was a consideration in Goldman Sachs’ decision to build a new campus on Field Street near Victory Park. (Landowner Hunt Realty recently selected Hillwood Urban to develop the $500 million project.)
The campus will be close to a signature trailhead called The Loop Plaza. It links the Katy Trail to the new Hi Line Connector, running through Victory Park and the Design District to the Trinity Strand Trail. Infrastructure improvements include new lighting, upgraded traffic and pedestrian signals, and a 12-footwide path for bike riding, running, and walking. It also includes the city’s first mid-intersection crossing at Oak Lawn Avenue and Hi Line Drive. From Interstate 35-E to Houston Street and under the DART/TRE rail line, Victory Avenue will be reconstructed to separate bicycle and pedestrian areas from vehicle traffic.
As the dream of The Loop approaches reality, Ellerman is reflective about how far the project has come.
“It’s a connector,” he says. “I view it as a highway system, similar to LBJ. It will have all these feeders, as neighborhoods and apartments and office buildings want to connect to it. It will be built out over decades.
“For me, it’s kind of like Christmas time, when you’ve got a really great present you want to give someone,” he says. “You’re excited, but you haven’t given it to him yet. I feel like we’ve got something that people don’t know about yet, but everyone will find out about it and will enjoy it for years to come.”
JEFF ELLERMAN | Board Chair, The Loop
“For me, it’s kind of like Christmas time, when you’ve got a really great present you want to give to someone.”
CORPORATE LEADERSHIP
Jennifer Chandler, Bank of America
Finalists: Brad Alberts, Dallas Stars; Clifford Fischer, Fischer; Chandra Pemmasani, UWorld; Eliza Solender, Solender/Hall
CORPORATE PARTNER
Santander Consumer USA and City
Year Dallas and New Friends New Life
Finalists: Credit Union of Texas and Trusted World; DATCU Credit Union and Serve Denton; Fossil Group and Big Thought; Tolleson Wealth Management and Bonton Farms
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Finalists: Comerica Bank; Daltile; Energy Transfer; Medical City Healthcare; MoneyGram; Park Place Dealerships
EQUITY LEADERSHIP
Virgin Hotels Dallas
Finalists: Alternative Wealth Partners; AT&T; Auticon U.S.
IN-KIND SERVICES
Vari
Finalists: Bimbo Bakeries USA and NFI Industries; HKS; Two Roads Consulting; Weil, Gotshal & Manges
SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP
Southwest Airlines
Finalists: Oncor; Twisted X; The University of Texas at Arlington
COLLABORATION
Dallas Animal Services, SPCA of Texas, and Spay Neuter Network
Finalists: Charles Schwab and Uplift Education; Community Beer Co. and Dallas Pets Alive; ReadyToWork and Aspire; Toyota Motor North America, Dallas ISD, and Southern Methodist University
LEGACY AWARD
Kirk Myers-Hill, Abounding Prosperity
VOLUNTEER IMPACT
Cynt and Kenny Marshall, Dallas CASA
EMERGING LEADER
Madi Franquiz, World Literacy Foundation
ORGANIZATION (MEGA)
Momentous Institute
Finalists: Metrocare Services; National Breast Cancer Foundation; Partnership with Native Americans
ORGANIZATION (LARGE)
Make-A-Wish North Texas
Finalists: Austin Street Center; Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation; Southwestern Medical Foundation
ORGANIZATION (MIDSIZE)
The Loop Dallas
Finalists: Carry The Load; Mazie’s Mission; Viola’s House
ORGANIZATION (SMALL)
Bella House
Finalists: C5 Youth Foundation of Texas; Cancer Support Community North Texas; Somos Tejas; Union Coffee
ORGANIZATION (MICRO)
She Supply
Finalists: 3to1 Foundation; Finding Independence by CPSH; Horns 4 Hope; Texas Native Cats
LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE (MEGA)
Brian Luallen, Fair Park First
Finalists: Trisha Cunningham, North Texas Food Bank; Andy Keller, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute; Heather Ormand, Nexus Recovery Center; Dave Woodyard, Catholic Charities Dallas
LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE (LARGE)
Florencia Velasco Fortner, The Concilio
Finalists: Adam Powell, Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region; Daniel B. Prescott Jr., Services of Hope
LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE (MIDSIZE)
Monica Paul, Dallas Sports Commission
Finalists: Dan Bailey, Youth Equipped to Succeed; Yasmin Bhatia, Uplift Education; Jarred Howard, The National Juneteenth Museum; Abigail Erickson-Torres, Bryan’s House
LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE (SMALL)
Dr. John M. Joseph, Lions Clinic of Texas
Finalists: Amy Gayhart, Blue Sky Therapeutic Riding and Respite; Earl Fitzsimmons, Bring The Light Ministries; Bill Chinn, The DEC Network; Tracey Hardwick, Together We Thrive
LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE (MICRO)
Tazora Moore, Hear My Cry Foundation
Finalists:Jennifer Halley, 3FTL; Auntjuan Wiley, AIDS Walk South Dallas; Elvia Wallace-Martinez, Debes Creer en Ti; Dr. Jerret Rosenborough, Manifest Your Smile
MOST SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING OR AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Finalists: Dwell with Dignity; Children’s Medical Center Foundation; Dallas Museum of Art; My Possibilities
NONPROFIT TEAM (LARGE + MEGA)
The Senior Source, Elder Financial Safety Center
Finalists:Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region, Clinical Mental Health Team; Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, Research and Data Analytics
Team; Operation Kindness, Community Initiatives Team; State Fair of Texas, Community Team
NONPROFIT TEAM (MICRO + SMALL + MIDSIZE) Act (Advocates for Community
Transformation), Impact Team
Finalists: Combined Arms, The Texas Veterans Network; Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center, Advocacy Team; Dental Health for Arlington, Smiles Team; Friends of the Katy Trail, Major Gifts Team
OUTSTANDING INNOVATION
4DWN
Finalists: Dallas Zoo; The Family Place; OurCalling; Sharing Life Community Outreach; The Water Cooler at Pegasus Park
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
Envision Dallas
Finalists: Xela Aroma by Austin Street Center; Deaf Action Center; UpSpire led by Presbyterian Night Shelter
INNOVATION IN EDUCATION (MICRO + SMALL)
Groundwork DFW
Finalists: Austen’s Autistic Adventures; Foundation For C.H.O.I.C.E.; Noggin Educational Foundation
INNOVATION IN EDUCATION (MIDSIZE + LARGE + MEGA)
ScholarShot
Finalists: Camp Fire First Texas; City Year Dallas; Dallas Symphony Association; University of North Texas
VOLUNTEER
Dr. Laurie Berger, The Family Place
Finalists: Laura Cobb Hayes, Head Start of Greater Dallas; Helen Danby, Paper for Water; Michael Davenport, All Community Outreach
CAPITAL ONE IMPACT AWARD
Best Buddies International
Finalists: Agape Resource & Assistance Center; Family Gateway; WiNGS; Women’s Business Council Southwest
With a healthy serving of charisma and plenty of grit,
Dee Lincoln has solidified her reputation as the “Queen of Steaks” with her latest venture, Dee Lincoln Prime, at The Star in Frisco.
HAS A LONG TRADITION OF OVER-THE-TOP STEAKHOUSES. And Dee Lincoln Prime at The Star in Frisco is no exception. The vast dining room boasts a luxe aesthetic reminiscent of old Hollywood, featuring ornate slatted ceilings, dark wood tones, and gold accents. Banquettes covered in shimmery silver fabric and booths with crushed black velvet add glamour, while a grand glass-enclosed wine library greets visitors with more than 2,000 bottles of fine wine.
The restaurant serves fresh seafood, sushi, a premium Japanese beef program, and prime cuts of steak—including The Cowboy Way, a 35-ounce dryaged prime tomahawk. And founder Dee Lincoln didn’t earn her famous nickname, “The Queen of Steaks,” by being timid or demure.
The woman behind the famous Del Frisco’s brand is a firecracker who blazed a trail in the male-dominated steakhouse business. Among her numerous accolades is being named the Texas Restaurant Association’s Restaurateur of the Year and earning Restaurant & Institutions magazine’s Ivy Award.
Still, Lincoln says her biggest achievement isn’t an award, the sale of Del Frisco’s for a reported $23 million to a national restaurant chain, or building her personal brand during a 40-year career. Instead, Lincoln says giving birth to her daughter, Bella, in 2000 is what she is most proud of.
“It’s not all fine wine and chandeliers,” says the battle-tested 64-year-old restaurateur. “You don’t get to where I am without a few bumps in the road along the way. But like the old Sinatra song, ‘I’ve found when my chin is on the ground, I pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again.’”
Lincoln was born in New Orleans and raised in Des Allemands, Louisiana, to a blue-collar family. Her father worked for a drilling company for
30 years and her mother ran local lounges and a club for The Royal Sonesta New Orleans hotel.
Lincoln credits her work ethic to her father, who modeled determination and discipline by performing backbreaking work in the oil fields of eastern Louisiana. Her tenacious spirit, Lincoln says, is the product of growing up with four brothers. “I wasn’t treated any differently because I was a girl,” she says. “My dad always reminded me not to limit myself, and I grew up fostering this unwavering can-do attitude about everything I did.”
When her parents divorced, a teenage Lincoln moved to the New Orleans suburb of Gretna with her mother. That’s where her love of dining flourished. “The Big Easy is known for its fabulous food,” Lincoln says. “I’ve always had a passion for cooking, good food, and big flavors. Growing up in Louisiana, everything is tied to food and wine. It brings people together.”
Without the financial means to attend college after high school, Lincoln found a job with an offshore marinetime company. At 22, she married George Lincoln, who ran a tugboat business. She eventually found her way into hospitality, where her personality was tailor-made for the front of the house. “What I love most about restaurants is that they are a lot like a family,” Lincoln says.
Then, tragedy struck. In 1988, just eight years into her marriage, Lincoln’s husband was killed in a car accident. She says she relied on her close-knit family and extended restaurant family to continue forward. Looking back, she says her most significant career opportunity came out of this tragedy.
IN THE EARLY 1980S, Lincoln met her future business partner, Dale Wamstad, in Louisiana. At the time, he was looking to expand a Kansas City steakhouse into New
AFTER HOURS
Orleans. In 1989, Lincoln moved to Dallas to open a pair of Del Frisco’s Steakhouses with Wamstad. She oversaw the restaurant’s Belt Line Road venue as part of the business arrangement, while he led the Lemmon Avenue location. Both locations were successful, grossing total revenue of more than $3.5 million each. By 1993, the partners decided to co-found the iconic Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse on Spring Valley Road.
“Those early Del Frisco days were a lot of fun,” Lincoln recalls. “I look at how it all came together, with the two of us co-founding this beautiful, independent, freestanding steakhouse. We had people coming in from all over the country—Los Angeles, Chicago, and even New York—to dine with us. That’s when we really got on the map.”
The next two years, Lincoln says, were financially robust, so much so that it attracted the attention of Jamie Coulter and Wichita-based Lone Star Steakhouses, which was looking to expand its national footprint. After an ownership buyout in 1995, Lincoln stayed on with the company as vice president of operations of Lone Star, while Wamstad left to pursue other ventures.
Coulter was her mentor from 1995 until he died in 2022, Lincoln says. “What I always admired about Jamie was that he worked his way up in the industry,” she says. “He was a very hands-on leader. He grew Lone Star from eight locations to almost 400 at its heyday.”
Together, the duo opened steakhouses in four national markets over the next dozen years. A highlight was Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse’s debut in New York. Opening in 2000, the buildout of the three-story,
16,000-square-foot location overlooking Rockefeller Center cost more than $15 million.
“New York is another level,” Lincoln says. “We were competing against some of the titans of the industry at the time.” The brazen Texan proved she meant business; New York City is where she famously received her iconic nickname as “Queen of Steaks,” being so dubbed by the late co-owner of Sparks Steakhouse, Pat Cetta.
IN 2009, LINCOLN developed a wine bar concept for a space on the silver suite-level of the new AT&T Stadium, which offers bubbles by the glass and fine wines on tap. She went on to parlay her decades-long relationship with the Jones family, which began in her early Del Frisco days, into the current Dee Lincoln Prime location at The Star in Frisco. “Every single steakhouse in the country was jockeying to be part of The Star,” Lincoln says. But Lincoln had a fan in Dallas Cowboys owner, president, and general manager, Jerry Jones.
“When we were conceptualizing The Star in Frisco, we thought we could build a ‘star within The Star’ with Dee,” he says. “With her pure tenacity, enthusiastic spirit, and relentless work ethic—there are few like her. What she has built has been a complete honor to witness and work alongside her all these years as a treasured friend and trusted business partner.” The venue on Winning Drive is on track to surpass $14 million in revenue this year, with alcohol sales surpassing $500,000 in the month of May alone. But complacency and success don’t work for Lincoln. In 2020, she successfully petitioned two Frisco mayors and
the city council for approval to add Havana Dee’s, a 50-seat speakeasy lounge that allows cigar smoking, to her eponymous restaurant.
Lincoln admits there have been hiccups along the way: She founded Lincoln Steak & Burger Bar in 2013; it shuttered within two years. (“It was too casual to be called a steakhouse and too pricey to be a burger joint,” she recalls.) A short-lived wine and champagne bar concept at The Crescent in Uptown debuted in 2010 in the space that is now Tipsy Alchemist.
But the Dee Lincoln brand marches on. Lincoln is proud that her daughter, now 22, is pursuing a career in hospitality. Lincoln also developed a Napa Valley private label partnership and entered the highly contested tequila sector. She also is conceptualizing a high-end, private-label bourbon venture and a possible expansion of a second location of Dee Lincoln Prime. “Next, I need to make a really outstanding bourbon,” she says. “We’re seeking out partnerships that make sense for our brand, and we’re fighting off newer competition to stay relevant with our customers.
“That’s exactly what gets me excited and keeps me getting out of bed each morning,” Lincoln adds. “Heck, I hope I’ll be doing this well into my 80s.”
photography by SEAN BERRY
In August 2016, Nike Golf shut down golf club
manufacturing at its research and development headquarters in Fort Worth. But, for $100,000, two North Texans took control of the property and fanned a new flame in the industry: Artisan Golf.
Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016, was a sweltering day on the westside of Fort Worth. It was 102 degrees outside, but inside ‘The Oven,’ Nike’s research and development golf facility—the heart and soul of a brand that hosted the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy for club fittings, television commercials, and more— temperatures were cooling. It was the day Nike Golf shuttered its hard goods operations; no more golf balls, golf bags, and golf clubs. “We were in shock,” says John Hatfield, a former putter craftsman for Nike. “We were expecting changes, but we weren’t expecting to be out of a job.” Nike athletes Paul Casey, Tony Finau, Brooks Koepka, Francesco Molinari, Nick Watney, the aforementioned Woods and McIlroy, and more, all lost their club sponsorship deals.
Hatfield, wedge and iron specialist Mike Taylor, and six other Nike employees stayed on with the Oregon-based sporting goods giant for roughly three more months to supply any needs that the company’s PGA Tour athletes demanded. But by mid-November, The Oven ceased operations for good. “[Nike founder]
Phil Knight told me that that was a very tough decision for him,” says Taylor, Woods’ personal golf club craftsman with Nike. “Some part of that made things heal up just a little bit easier.”
In their time with Nike, Taylor says he and Hatfield made “millions upon, millions upon, millions of dollars worth of free golf clubs” for its contracted PGA Tour athletes. The duo also made clubs for NBA legends Michael Jordan and Penny Hardaway, MLB star Ken Griffey Jr., two-sport phenom Bo Jackson, and other elite professional athletes.
As operations were ceasing, Hatfield cooked up a plan to buy the manufacturing machines that shaped, molded, and produced Nike putters. “I guess I’m gonna keep making putters with all this stuff,” Hatfield told Taylor at the time. “I don’t want to have to start my career over.”
“Hmm,” Taylor responded with a grunt. “Why don’t you get me a price on the grind shop?” (A grind shop is where wedges are manufactured, ground, and shaped.)
Two weeks later, after Nike vacated the property, the two craftsmen who spent the last 35 years making golf clubs leased The Oven, everything in it, and a neighboring short-game area and driving range from the proper-
ty’s owner. In all, the duo invested $100,000, and Artisan Golf was born in February 2017. Six-and-a-half years later, Artisan has seen two Major champions win with its wedges and has turned a profit every quarter since its inception. Despite their success, the perpetuation of the company is something its two founders question.
Mike Taylor grew up a country boy raised by working-class parents. He and his family toiled on the land they owned in Burnet, a city just west of Austin. “We were ornery kids,” Taylor says. “I might’ve played golf several times growing up, but I’ve always been a working guy. All my grandparents were, and came from, ranching and farming types. We were people who worked hard for what we got, we appreciated it, we thanked the good Lord for it, then we got up the next day to do it all over again.”
As Taylor came of age, his grandmother Grace planted seeds in his life that are still being nurtured to this day. “She taught me to find something I love and stick with it,” Taylor says. After high school, his grandmother convinced him to continue his education, and he earned an engineering degree from Tarleton State University in 1987.
As for Hatfield, he was always a golf junkie. From the age of 13, the Granbury native spent most summer days playing golf. “There were some empty grass lots behind our house, and one day I took a push mower out there and cut me a tee box, a fairway, a 100-yard green, a 150-yard green, and I would hit balls until I was blue in the face,” he says. “If it weren’t for golf, I never would’ve found my way to the Ben Hogan Co.”
After Taylor graduated from college, he moved to Fort Worth with plans to work for General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) or Bell Helicopter. “I just wanted to be in aerospace,” Taylor says. While trying to figure out his long-term plans, he began working for a family friend who ran a plastic injection molding company. Then one day, Taylor was approached by Tom Stites, a recent hire by now-defunct Fort Worth-based Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Co. (Stites is regarded as a golf club manufacturing legend and has been awarded more than 300 golf-related patents.) Stites told Taylor, “We could use a guy like you over at Ben Hogan. We make golf clubs.”
Taylor responded in his country twang, “Golf clubs?!” But the neophyte engineer visited the facility and fell in love with the manufacturing plant. At the time, Ben Hogan was turning in around $50 million in revenue a year and was one of the top club manufacturers in the world. “Man, I saw the machines, the sparks—I just remember how cool it was,” Taylor says. “They were making persimmon woods, so it was a cross between a welding shop and a furniture plant. I could smell the wood, the rubber, and they were making golf balls. There were so many engineers there; I couldn’t even count them all.”
“We don’t get paid until the customer’s clubs are finished… That’s the way good ol’ boys from Fort Worth do business.”Mike Taylor has made golf clubs for Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and more.
He was ready to jump on board, but his golf career almost ended before it began. An executive at the club manufacturing company spoke out against Taylor’s hiring. “The first time I talked to Mike, I quickly realized he had no idea what we were doing at the Ben Hogan Co., but he was a farm kid, he was hands-on, and he knew how to fix things, so he fit the bill of the type of people I like to hire,” Stites recalls. “As soon as I hired him, I got a lot of flak from my boss because Mike didn’t even play golf. But I told my bosses that he knows how to do things around here that nobody else knows how to do.”
Ben Hogan’s higher-ups quickly soon came to appreciate Taylor’s unique gifts. “[Master club maker] Gene Sheeley took Mike and me under his wing, and we quickly realized that Mike’s natural talents and abilities with his hands, eyes, and ability to understand technology took him to a different level,” Stites says.
Hatfield had joined Ben Hogan Co. six months earlier, in 1986. Within two years, Hatfield, Taylor, and other artisans began manufacturing the Hogan Edge, one of golf’s top-selling iron sets of all time. For a six-month pilot run, Hatfield ran weight inspections creating 100 iron sets. Within the first year, the company sold more than 120,000 iron sets, toppling the leading performer of the day: Ping. It resulted in $70 million in revenue for the Fort Worth-based company.
In 1990, Hatfield and Taylor joined the golf division of the American-Austrian manufacturing company Head. “It was a startup when we joined; they had nothing,” Taylor says. “We built it from the ground up.” In 1993, Stites founded Impact Golf Technologies, and Taylor joined him at the new venture. Hatfield stayed on with Head until 1995.
“There were several midsize and small companies that didn’t have the engineering capabilities that the large manufacturers of the day had,” Stites says. “So, with Impact, we provided the engineering, the tooling, manufacturing, consulting, and factory setups, and we just started fulfilling all the needs of those companies by providing
Even before PGA Tour superstar Scottie Scheffler enrolled at Highland Park High School, he was working with Mike Taylor on his junior golf clubs. “Scottie was our little pro in the facility,” Taylor says. “Seeing him work his way up to No. 1 in the world is so cool.” Fast-forward a decade, and Scheffler equipped his bag for a while on the PGA Tour with Artisan wedges. (Scheffler does not currently use Artisan wedges, but as Taylor puts it, “Athletes come and go.”) Says Scheffler: “Mike was always supporting me and helping me with my equipment. I was privileged to work alongside true professionals when I was 13 and get an inside look at how Mike designs golf clubs. I can’t even begin to describe the impact they had on me because it was so significant.”
them with a complete engineering department. At Impact, we were able to work with well over 100 professional golfers and a dozen club manufacturing companies.”
In 2001, Impact Golf Technologies was purchased by Nike to launch the company’s entrance into golf clubs. That year, David Duval became the first player to win a Major on tour with Nike clubs, and the company’s full line of golf clubs hit retail stores in 2002. By 2008, after stints with midsize manufacturers Miura, Ray Cook Golf, and others, Hatfield rejoined Stites and Taylor.
“Mike was incredibly valuable in working with touring pros and being able to interpret what they wanted,” Stites says. “Mike knew the language of attack angles, how the club engaged the dirt and turf, and how the ball reacted off the club face. Then John was able to take that and fit the pros with the appropriate shaft and get the club to be aesthetically pleasing for the way the touring professionals wanted it.”
Together, Hatfield and Taylor gained the trust of some of the game’s top pros to personally craft their golf clubs—including Woods, McIlroy, and David Duval. A magazine cover that hangs in Artisan’s headquarters is signed by Woods: “To Mike, thanks for finally making me a good wedge — Tiger.”
“From Tiger to Rory and everybody in between, The Oven was the place to be,” says Gilbert Freeman, a 16year club professional for Nike Golf who’s now a head golf pro at Lakewood Country Club. “Watching Mike Taylor work—I’d never been exposed to so much detail. Mike is a golf celebrity, but nobody would know it.”
Stites has even higher praise: “There have been four or five people in the history of golf club manufacturing that are legends, and I believe Mike has joined that club.”
Working alongside the game’s biggest names intimidated Taylor from time to time, but the grizzled veteran was never thrown off course. “I definitely felt fear in this career,” Taylor says. “There’s always a fear of disappointing athletes, but the fear just made me more aware of making a good plan to be successful at what I was doing. When you see these athletes hit golf balls, you realize you must make the tools that enable that. You gotta be on your A-game.”
Artisan measures the client’s existing club specs and the client identifies what they’re looking for. The client then swings through their entire club lineup. Next, Artisan chooses shaft style and sets the loft. For wedges, clients hit on Artisan’s private three-hole par 3 course and for irons, clients hit on the driving range. Artisan then identifies the club’s grind. Last, the client chooses head and grip color and can add custom engraving.
Taylor and Woods didn’t form just a working relationship; the two became friends—and cut it up from time to time at The Oven.
“Nike did a lot of filming at the Fort Worth headquarters,” Taylor says. “One day, Tiger was filming a commercial with Nike to make it look like he was making his own clubs. So, at the grind station, there were sparks flying, and he had to wear these horrendous-looking glasses. We were just watching from afar behind some glass, pointing at him and heckling him, ‘You look good in those!’ And he was cracking up and shaking his head at us.”
By 2013, Nike Golf’s revenue peaked at $792 million. But, by 2016, the company’s revenue dropped to $706 million—becoming the worst-performing producer under the Nike umbrella. That same year, operations at The Oven ceased. “I think Nike decided to stop because the leaders realized becoming the top club manufacturer in golf was unattainable for them,” Freeman says.
Becoming the game’s top club manufacturer is not a goal for Taylor or Hatfield. Artisan, which generated $1.2 million in sales in 2022, is more of a passion project. “Our heart, soul, and everything we know is built into this product,” Hatfield says. “Right now, we’re a nobody on many people’s radars, and that doesn’t bother me at all,” Taylor adds. “But we’ve won two Major championships in six years and the first LIV event ever.”
Artisan starts by examining the client’s ball position and offset when putting. Then, Artisan walks through the type of head styles available. Third, Artisan identifies how much the putter head should weigh and hosel style. Then, John Hatfield walks the client through a putting lesson and talks through what specs he thinks would work best. Last, the client picks a head and grip color and can add custom engraving.
This year, the entrepreneurs expect sales to grow to $1.8 million, fueled by the launch of Artisan’s new iron set. It’s all organic growth; the company has never spent a penny on marketing. The company name, Artisan, perfectly describes what Hatfield and Taylor do with their venture. They make each wedge, iron, and putter by hand—an approach that has all but died with the advent of computer-aided design and mass production. “Now, everybody is just engineering the clubs with CAD and all that modern technology. And, really, there’s a loss of knowledge that comes with the mass manufacturing process,” Taylor says.
He and Hatfield care deeply about the products they make and about outfitting their clients—professional or not. But they have no desire to scale in such a way that challenges the industry giants like TaylorMade, Titleist, Callaway, Ping, Cobra, Mizuno, or Srixon.
They also have no plans to seek additional funding. The $100,000 they put into launching Artisan has fueled the company for more than six years. Every dollar made goes into paying the company’s 11 employees and crafting more custom golf clubs. Taylor and Hatfield have no desire to let an outside investor or corner-office executive oversee their operations, despite interest from pro golfers. “If it was an investable company, I would try to buy all of it,” says Rocco Mediate, a six-time PGA Tour winner.
As their company continues to expand, Taylor and Hatfield aim to stay true to their old-school entrepreneurial strategies and ideals. “The way we run our business, we don’t get paid until the customer’s clubs are finished,” Taylor says. “Getting stuff finished and getting paid once it is done is highly motivating to all teams. We live in this world now where companies are fronted investments before the work is finished. But frankly, I like the way we do things. That’s the way good ol’ boys from Fort Worth do business.”
The strategy, though, does raise questions about the long-term outlook for the company—questions even Taylor and Hatfield acknowledge. They may not want to grow big, but they do want Artisan to become a staple in golf.
“Mike and John have the ability to create a boutique image and brand that allows them to market clubs to the people that want something they can’t get anywhere else other than Artisan,” Stites says. “I know they learned a little bit about that when they were at Impact. We had people paying us $10,000 to $20,000 for an iron set. I look at Mike and John like granite sculptors—they’re just doing it with steel.”
Artisan provides customers, whether they have a 20 index or are on tour, with professional-caliber club fittings for wedges, iron sets, and putters. It’s the same process Taylor used to fit Woods, McIlory, and other Nike athletes. Along with providing exceptional service, it allows the company to never have a backroom of stockbuilt inventory it can’t offload. Every item is custom. “Our heart and soul go into fitting and matching up the tool to the player,” Hatfield says. “We make golf clubs every day,
but there are not back-to-back days that we produce the same product. They’re all snowflakes.”
Mediate is a loyal Artisan customer and gladly pays for the custom wedges Taylor makes him. He says the buying experience was unlike any other he’s ever experienced. “Mike, got my specs and the first one he made was just f—ing perfect,” he says. “There was no trial and error process. Had I known these guys 20 years ago, I don’t know how much better my career would have been.”
Over its six-year lifespan, Artisan has built a list of pro clients that rival the game’s giant manufacturers. Mediate, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Charles Schwartzel, Abraham Ancer, Bernhard Langer, Patrick Reed, Jhonattan Vegas, and more have all, at one point or another, used Artisan clubs—even while some have lucrative club sponsorships with golf’s major brands. “They all pay for their clubs—and are happy to do so,” Taylor says with a laugh. Reed and DeChambeau won Major championships with Artisan wedges in their bags: the 2018 Masters for Reed and the 2020 U.S. Open for DeChambeau. Taylor even outsources his talents to tour players to work on clubs produced by other manufacturers. “I worked with Keith Mitchell’s Mizuno irons— just because I know exactly what he needs,” he says.
To date, Artisan has sold clubs to nearly 2,000 customers. Hatfield and Taylor know this off the top of their heads because their company engraves each successive number into the customer’s club as their personal Artisan number. It allows them to go back into its system and review past specifications when tailoring upgrades or re-fitting customers when they want a fresh set of clubs. Long-term, though, Taylor and Hatfield aren’t certain how high that number will go.
“It would not be positive for us to decide that we want Artisan to be a $100 million company,” Taylor says. “I don’t know if we can agree on what the long-term future of Artisan looks like. Would it shock you if I said I don’t know if it will exist in the long term or not? The perpetuation of this brand comes down to finding the people who feel about making golf clubs like we do—and once we find that, it’s on like Donkey Kong. It could be a 100year run for Artisan.”
“We make golf clubs every day, but there are not back-to-back days that we produce the same product. They’re all snowflakes.”
Services of Hope is a non-profit organization based in Dallas, Texas that is dedicated to helping those in need throughout the community. The organization was founded in 2004 by Dr. Daniel Prescott, III, who recognized the need for comprehensive support services to help individuals and families facing poverty, homelessness, and other challenges. Today, Services of Hope continues to operate under Dr. Prescott’s founding principles, with a mission to promote self-sufficiency and dignity for all individuals. The organization is committed to providing a range of services and resources that empower individuals to overcome obstacles and achieve their full potential, including the Texas Homeowners Assistance Fund.
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The Women’s Business Council – Southwest is dedicated to increasing the value of women-owned businesses through certification, education, advocacy, and providing mutually beneficial opportunities for women-owned businesses and corporations throughout Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and north and central Texas
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CBRE greatly appreciates our generous sponsors, participating chefs, silent auction donors and countless volunteers who made the 24th annual Chefs Showcase a tremendous success. Over the last 24 years, this iconic event has become one of the most anticipated social events of the spring. Most importantly, it has helped thousands of kids with chronic illnesses or physical disabilities experience the therapeutic benefits of camping through the programs at Camp John Marc.
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“most people think of unexpected turns as being for the worse, but my unexpected turn went for the better. A couple of years ago, I received an invitation to meet with Trammell S. Crow and Lynn McBee. It started as a simple discussion of sharing my perspectives and trying to help them solve their challenges, but it led to an incredible opportunity. What resulted was an almost perfect role where I could have a dual mandate on leading investments and helping to catalyze impact. Reflecting on this experience, I would never have been given this opportunity if it weren’t for maintaining an open mind, being candid and honest but respectful with my feedback, taking the time to act as a problem-solver with no expectations for anything in return, and, most important, having integrity and staying true to my values. Too many times people are looking for the quick win or easy money and forget about just helping good people, which I believe will eventually lead to success.” — as told to
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HEALTHCARE
Despite national real estate industry headwinds, several healthcare projects continue to spur growth in Dallas’ Medical District.
story by WILL MADDOX
Lleaders from ross perot jr. to elon Musk have warned of a real estate recession and the challenge of lining up capital for new projects. The evolution of remote work has left millions of square feet of unused office space languishing as loan payments on those properties come due.
But up and down Harry Hines Boulevard between Medical District Drive and Mockingbird Lane, the real estate challenges facing the country are a faint whisper. North Texas’ population and business growth are providing a bulwark against real estate headwinds, and healthcare tends to be a recession-proof, though often expensive, real estate investment.
There are several significant projects underway—with more in the pipeline. The effect? Compounding value and synergistic collaboration. “We think that there will be future growth [in the Medical District],” says Lance Hardenburg, CEO and managing partner of Dallas-based Caddis Healthcare Real Estate. “There’s vacant land that we think will continue to redevelop.”
Two sizable new hospitals are already in the works, totaling around $3 billion in development. Children’s Health and The University of Texas Southwestern are building a new pediatric campus via a joint venture. Solicitation documents state the project was initially estimated to cost $2.5 billion and include 532 beds and a new labor and delivery unit—Children’s Medical Center Dallas doesn’t currently have one. The hospital will be built between 2024 and 2028, and UTSW President Dr. Daniel Podolsky says demolition prep is already underway for the buildings that occupy the space where the new hospital will stand.
Across the street from the existing Children’s Health campus, the State of Texas is building what Texas Health and Human Services says will be a $482.5 million state psychiatric hospital. UTSW and Children’s Health will provide mental health services to the 296-bed hospital, which will be called Texas Behavioral Health Center at UT Southwestern. Construction has begun and is slated for completion in 2025.
Meanwhile, Dallas County is planning a $52 million development for its Health and Human Services’ Public Health Laboratory. The 75,000-square-foot life science building will be a significant upgrade from the current lab, which is in a basement. It will study infectious agents, as well as test for and monitor infectious diseases. “It’s exciting to have this concentration of all health and healthcare resources so close together,” says Dallas County Medical Director Dr. Philip Huang. “These are world-class facilities and institutions, so there is a lot of synergy that can happen with this center being developed.”
Additionally, UTSW and Dallas ISD are partnering on an elementary school that finished its inaugural year in May. Led by Colombian family physician Dr. Roberto Gonzalez, the school received more than 500 applications for just a few dozen open spots for the next school year and a new campus is underway. The new elementary
building will be directly behind the new pediatric campus, offering ample opportunities for future collaboration. The campus, which the Construction Journal says will cost around $25 million, will wrap around and attach to the existing school building. It is set to open by 2025. “Things in the area have changed. It is completely different than when I first saw it,” Gonzalez says. Because so much of healthcare is funded by the state, its support has played a big role in the investment in the city’s Medical District. “Dallas is very intentional about pushing the development of this medical corridor,” Hardenburg says. “Private developers are going to be involved, but that development is in part due to the support and affirmative push from the city.”
Among the private developers investing in the area is one of the largest life science REITs in the U.S., Alexandria Real Estate Equities. The company has purchased, and is replotting, 16 acres at Harry Hines Boulevard and Mockingbird Lane. Caddis is also eyeing a medical office in the area, drawn by the abundant development, despite cheaper real estate prices in other parts of Texas. Experts don’t expect activity to slow anytime soon—despite national trends. “You certainly are not going to feel as though your development is on an island,” Hardenburg says.
Even as many projects backfill empty space in the Medical District, more prime real estate will open in the next several years. In 2022, the former Parkland Hospital closed its doors. Its demolition and removal over the next year will provide another opportunity for growth. Additionally, when its new pediatric campus is built, the Children’s Medical Center Dallas will become a desirable property for future development. “Leasing and demand continue to be strong,” says Caddis Healthcare Real Estate CEO Lance Hardenburg. “Even with projects that tend to be leveraged, they are closer to the center of town, so projecting demand is easier in the Medical District.”
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“My first paid job was at Graeter’s Ice Cream. I tore my ACL that summer, so I couldn’t scoop ice cream due to being on crutches. Instead, I was moved to the register, where I sat and checked out our long line of customers. Just because I couldn’t perform at my best didn’t mean I couldn’t participate as a team member. I learned to always show up and give everything you can, even if it isn’t what you anticipated.”
CEO and Co-founder TIMELYCARE
“My first entrepreneurial adventure was selling rocks, followed by a rabbit breeding venture—their gestation period is only 31 days long. These experiences taught me how to differentiate, market, and sell products, which became useful as I pursued a career in advertising, then in healthcare. My first real job was working as a camp counselor, where I learned that success can vary from day to day.”
“When I was 13 years old, I began working for a company called Over the Rainbow in Preston Royal Village that sold hand-painted custom gifts. I added people’s names or decorative pictures on popcorn cans, cups, and just about anything that could be painted on. It taught me to be dependable, on time, and take responsibility. I also came to understand what it takes to earn, and the value of, a dollar.”
THOUGHT LEADER
Propelled Brands executive Mark Jameson shares best practices for supporting the LGBTQ+ community and making inclusion a priority at your company.
KNOW WHERE YOUR COMPANY STANDS. Businesses that support LGBTQ+ equality need to practice what they preach, and this starts with adopting a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination. The Human Rights Campaign offers an annual guide of
In september of 2018 , i became the co-founder of the International Franchise Association’s Franchising Pride Council. Growing up as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I never imagined that one day I would be working to make my industry more supportive of inclusion and diversity, allowing me to bring my whole authentic self to work. A few months later, I traveled to Washington D.C., for a meeting with the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and the Human Rights Campaign, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. Encompassing diversity and inclusion brings richness and strength to our business and industry. Many brands are quick to display a rainbow logo and “celebrate Pride’’ on social media. Although the growing acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community is worth celebrating, businesses also need to back up these symbols of solidarity with meaningful support. There’s no official roadmap for how your business can become an LGBTQ+ affirming business; being an ally is a process of ongoing learning, listening, and becoming authentically involved. Here are some ways to get started.
the most LGBTQ+-friendly companies and practical advice and guidelines for formulating inclusive policies and procedures for your company.
PROMOTE INCLUSIVITY.
Start your inclusion journey by adopting diverse hiring practices. And when you advertise open positions, make it clear that your business welcomes applicants from all communities, including LGBTQ+. Formulate HR and DEI strategies that ensure every employee is supported and can bring their whole self to work. And adopt employee-led affinity groups and resource groups among employees with similar backgrounds, interests, and demographic factors such as gender or ethnicity.
BE PART OF THE SUPPORTIVE CULTURE. Inclusion isn’t just something your HR department should be championing. Take it upon yourself to educate yourself and try to learn more, thereby creating a culture in your workplace that feels safe for your LGBTQ+ co-workers and allies to be open about themselves at all levels of your company.
HOST OR PARTICIPATE IN EVENTS.
Your business should strive to be a supportive ally to the LGBTQ+ community not only when celebrating Pride month in June, but year-round. This could include donating or fundraising for local events, posting flyers, or promoting events on social media.
Mark Jameson is chief development officer of Carrollton-based franchisor Propelled Brands.
Community Council of Greater Dallas provides leadership in moving individuals and families from surviving to thriving. We improve quality of life by alleviating poverty, fostering independence and wellness and connecting people to the resources they need.
Nov 9th 2023
-Mahatma Gandhi
when dr. donna casey was six years old, she was feeding horses in her family’s North Texas barn when one of them playfully nipped her head. The nip caused a gash that her father, an internal medicine physician, stitched up himself. He forbade her from returning to the barn, but the next day she was back with her beloved steeds, head bandages and all.
The Dallas County Medical Society president and internist has adored horses since her earliest days on the farm, where her family raised everything from ferrets to a cow that was rejected by its mother. Though the land is now a residential neighborhood, Casey hasn’t lost her love of horses. As a child and teenager, she and her three older sisters were barrel racers, practicing from dawn to dusk and traveling throughout the state to compete. At full speed, tight barrel turns can be dangerous, and Casey has had her share of flying off her horse, although she has been spared from serious injury.
When she was 15, Casey began competing in equestrian jumping and even placed at a national competition. She took a break from jumping during medical school but continued to ride and compete until she was 50, as a potential fall off on an airborne horse became more risky.
Although she knew she needed to move on from jumping, Casey was committed to owning a horse, riding, and competing. So, she found the next logical extension that would both satisfy her needs and eventually become her cur-
rent passion: dressage. Meaning “training” in French (and rhyming with the word “massage”), dressage is a lesser-understood Olympic sport that requires the rider and horse to perform a series of predetermined movements that look like something between a traditional trot and a dance to the rhythms of the music that accompanies the performances. At the highest level, riders don tailed jackets and top hats, giving it an old-world traditional charm.
“It’s much harder than anything I’ve ever done,” says the now 56-year-old Casey, who trains three days a week with her horse Hubble, so named because of her love of astronomy. “It’s subtle. Instead of jumping over jumps as fast as you can, you and the horse must communicate well. If your horse doesn’t trust you, then nothing will work.”
Hubble arrived highly trained to do all the trots, canters, and rhythms of dressage, but that doesn’t mean putting a routine together is easy. Unlike other horseback skills that lean on the reins, dressage is executed with the core, legs, and on the seat. In the early days, Casey watched as Hubble performed maneuvers with her trainer that Casey was unable to replicate. It took time to create a precise performance that appeared effortless. “He has a lot of buttons to push,” she says.
Much like practicing medicine, dressage aims for the horse and rider to appear relaxed and smooth while applying years of training, preparation, and knowledge. “It’s beautiful,” she says. “It feels like you’re just smooth as butter and going across a beautiful ice-skating rink.”
In 1999, while studying at UNT, Brad Pritchett, now the chief experience officer for the Dallas Museum of Art, auditioned for a part as a Six Flags Over Texas stage singer and dancer. He earned the role, and a year later, for the Holiday in the Park show, he was joined by the soon-to-be inaugural “American Idol” winner, Kelly Clarkson. For 30 minutes every night, Pritchett and Clarkson performed in front of thousands of park goers to a medley of 75 songs as part of a grand closing show. “We got to a point where we were so tired; many nights our lifts just wouldn’t happen,” Pritchett says. “There were many lyrics and steps missed. Kelly and I became so close we would just look at each other and laugh.” — Garrett Tarango
Hear My Cry Foundation, a 501c(3) charitable organization, was founded with a mission to address the growing epidemic of suicide impacting our communities and underserved populations through programs and services. We exercise high standards of ethics, best practice management, and accountability in education, prevention, and recovery. The mission of Hear My Cry is personal to the founder, Tazora Moore as she lost her husband to suicide in July 2012. As a result, Hear My Cry Foundation is dedicated in remembrance of Daryl Wayne Moore.
Services we provide Free counseling • Burial assistance • Mental Health medication assistance • Support Groups
hearmycryfoundation.org
“Together we WILL save lives from suicide.”— Tazora Moore Founder of Hear My Cry Foundation Hear My Cry is a proud finalist for the 2023 DCEO Non-Profit Awards.
We asked area executives which two local business leaders they’d most like to have dinner with. Here’s who they chose—and why.
“Bernard Kim is the CEO of Match Group. It would be interesting to learn more about his decision to transition into a non-gaming space. John Carmack founded id Software and is a gaming industry pioneer. I’d love to learn more about how his mind works and where his creativity comes from, as well as where he thinks gaming tech is heading in the future.”
CAROL MIU PeopleFun“I’d choose Roger Staubach and North Texas Food Bank CEO Trisha Cunningham. Roger is a fantastic example of how you can translate athletic and military success to personal and business success. From Trisha, I would like to understand how she can take something small and make it a grand idea that serves many. Giving back is a passion of mine, and she lives that daily.”
CHRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ Charles Schwab“I’d like to have dinner with Chris Kleinert, CEO of Hunt Investment Holdings, and Bob Jordan, CEO of Southwest Airlines. Chris runs a successful business, and he’s known to be a servant leader. At Southwest, Bob is a humble leader, has been instrumental in nurturing a great culture, and seems to pull all the right levers to strengthen and grow the company.”
TINA YOUNG MarketwaveEstablished as a non-profit 501(C)3 in 2008, the mission of the C5 Texas is to change the odds for high-potential youth, inspiring them to pursue personal success and preparing them for leadership roles in college, work and their communities, and the ONLY five-year youth leadership program in north Texas. C5 Texas does this by recruiting 7th graders from under-resourced communities and over the next five years providing them intensive leadership experiences including year-round leadership development programs, signature summer activities, community service, and preparation for college and career development. Since 2008, 100 percent of our 5th year students have graduated high school and 97 percent have been accepted into higher learning. c5texas.org | contactus@c5texas.org | @C5texas
“I am president and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Our incredible staff educates our community on all things international affairs and engages North Texans on how the world impacts all of us here at home and why we need more civic engagement.”
STYLE ICON:
“These style icons inspire me in some way: Grace Kelly, 1970’s Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Emmanuelle Alt, Victoria Beckham, Debbie Harry, Chloë Sevigny, and Harry Styles.”
ON THE JOB:
“I regularly interact with big-name speakers, up to the highest levels of government, so much of my work calls for decorum and buttoned-up styles of neutral, simple suits, and dresses. I’ll go a bit more colorful and fun on days that don’t contain highprofile programs. And for the rare internal office day, I’ll be a bit more relaxed and casual. My staff has seen me in flowy, wide-leg trousers and a fun top with sneakers.”
FASHION INSPIRATION:
“Chasing a fad is not a priority. I’ve learned it’s better to wear clothing that works well with my
body, in my colors that make me feel confident.”
STYLE DEFINED:
“Classic, preppy, and elegant with a twist. There’s always an evolution, and I like watching my path unfold; keeping myself guessing is half the fun.”
FASHION ESSENTIALS:
“My cell phone, lip balm or gloss, and sunglasses.”
GO-TO LOOK:
“When in doubt, go all black.”
HOW I ACCESSORIZE:
“I typically go for delicate components but have gone through phases over the years of big and fun statement pieces. I feel the pendulum starting to swing in that direction again. I sure do love a shoe.”
WEEKEND LOOK:
“On weekends, you’ll often find me in trendier looks and bolder choices.”
FAVORITE STORES:
“Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom are great, but I prefer smaller boutiques whenever possible. I love the personalized touch at the local boutique Betty Reiter. It has interesting and unique items that I enjoy, and it’s always fun being there.”
The Naveen Jindal School of Management has become a national and international leader in research and education since its own entrepreneurial beginning in 1975. Over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled in the Jindal School, the largest and fastest growing school at UT Dallas. With over 30 programs, we boast a diverse faculty and student body that provide an inclusive fusion of cultures and experiences. We prepare our students for a global understanding of life and work as we continue to cultivate the next generation of thought leaders, innovators, and change makers.
jindal.utdallas.edu
Accommodations are luxurious and family friendly at The Royal at Atlantis Resort.
The Cove’s adults-only pool is a perfect spot for peacefully reading, sipping, and lounging.
WELL TRAVELED
The collection of Caribbean isles is an unforgettable destination for real estate developer Terrence Maiden
story by KELSEY J. VANDERSCHOOTMARINE LIFE
Atlantis Resort’s properties tower over the earth’s largest open-air marine habitat, which features more than 250 species.
A beachside meal at Kamalame Key lets you take in clear blue waters while enjoying delicious eats.
ADRENALINE
Atlantis Resort’s plunging waterslides are designed to resemble ancient ruins.
The beaches directly behind Atlantis Resort boast private cabanas, soft white sand, and memorable scenery.
ISLAND OASIS
Atlantis Resort includes several hotels, 14 pools, many dining options, waterslides, a lazy river, and more.
as i walk into the atlantis resort in nassau, Bahamas, I contemplate its namesake— the legendary underwater advanced civilization. With towering waterslides modeled after ancient ruins, 14 pools, six beaches, and more than 50,000 marine animals living in the world’s largest open-air marine habitat, the resort does not stray far from its inspiration.
Of Atlantis’ several properties, The Cove is the most luxurious, with koi ponds that lead up to its 600 balcony suites, each with an ocean view. The Cove is also home to the resort’s adults-only pool. Enjoy a piña colada and an order of Watermelon Poke from poolside restaurant Frezca for a lite lunch or afternoon snack, then head next door to Cascades Grill for a Bahama Mama (rum, coconut rum, and orange and pineapple juices). Those seeking an even more secluded and luxurious afternoon can rent a private beachside cabana for the day. When you are done enjoying the sand and waves, choose from one of the resort’s many dining destinations for your evening meal.
Dinner at Fish by José Andrés showcases several ways to sample the local seafood, including the resort’s well-known conch, a mollusk kind of like a mussel. Those seeking a bit of a kick can enjoy cracked conch, while diners with more mild palates can opt for the conch fritters.
The shrimp and grits are an excellent take on a Southern classic, and the Chocolate Paradise is a rich finish. Another restaurant option is Olives inside The Royal, which features Mediterranean cuisine curated by Chef Todd English. Nearby Nobu showcases sushi options galore. I opted for the Wagyu Dumplings and Chilean Seabass with Truffle Dashi Ponzu to start, followed by the Spicy Scallop, Bahamian, and Japanese Eel and Cucumber Rolls. On the walk back, stop by The Dig, the resort’s aquarium, then pass by the property’s four sawfish sharks, the only members of their species bred and raised in captivity.
When you are ready for an adventure, take a Coco Bahama seaplane to neighboring Andros Island (keep an eye out for sharks and rays as you pass the third-largest barrier reef and descend on the water) and enjoy lunch on the beach or stay at one of Kamalame Cay Resort’s private bungalows, cottages, villas, or suites. Walk out your back door to white sand beaches or cruise in one of the resort’s golf carts to the overwater spa, where you can relax while watching the waves below. Owned by a British family who grew up in Jamaica, the island’s culinary program showcases specialty wine and fare. Try a Kamalame Spritz (Louis Picamelot Cremant de Bourgogen, Cocchi Americano, Giffard Abricot du Roussillon, soda water, and fresh-squeezed lemon) before heading back to Atlantis.
Round out the trip with a walk through the resort’s Marina Village, where you’ll find locally made souvenirs, upscale dining options, and The Dilly Club—a new venue by wine import businessman William Young and mixologist Kyle Jones that combines coffee and tiki bar concepts. I toasted a successful trip with a robust espresso martini, soaking in the last moments of the island’s hospitality, rich food, and relaxation—the perfect ingredients for a legendary experience.
A visit to Atlantis Resort’s Dolphin Cay made for a memorable moment for Russell Glen Co. leader Terrence Maiden. The real estate developer spent an afternoon with the resort’s 17 dolphins, many of which were rescued from New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. “You get to watch them do different performances, and you’re able to get up close and personal in the water with them in the cove. I actually have a picture kissing the dolphin on the nose,” Maiden says. During the encounter, the dolphins perform tricks where they jump out of the water and flip. Some even come behind guests, pick them up under the arms, and guide them through the water. “They’ll swim around you and play with you,” Maiden says.
WESTMOUNT REALTY CAPITAL
cliff booth grew up in montreal, canada, speaking French and English and skiing and playing hockey during long winter months. The real estate investor and chairman and CEO of Westmount Realty Capital moved to Dallas in 1979 with his family. He went on to buy 28 properties downtown and build his business, which he named for two peaks surrounded by “The Highland Park of Montreal” in 1984. “It was sort of a tip of the hat to Montreal,” Booth says. Today, the company’s portfolio includes 11 million square feet of industrial properties and 4,000 multifamily units nationwide. Here, Booth shares his story. “I was third generation in our family antique business that my grandfather started. In 1976, the province of Quebec had an election where the government that
came into power pledged to try and separate Quebec from the rest of Canada and become its own country. It didn’t succeed, but it wasn’t good for business. We’re Jewish, and there was a little bit of some uncomfortable undertones there as well. A lot of people left Montreal at that point. We were among them. When I was a young adult, we moved the family business from Montreal to Dallas in 1979. We bought a property on Maple Avenue, across from The Crescent, which we called Booth Galleries. The antique business didn’t do that well, but the real estate, because it was announced that The Crescent would be built across the street, turned out to be a great investment. We sold that property after a while, and that helped me launch into my real estate career.”
Born in 1833 to a baptist preacher in Tennessee, Robert Cooke Buckner moved to Texas in 1859 to follow his father’s footsteps and serve as a pastor in Paris, Texas, where he founded a religious newspaper. During the Civil War and Reconstruction, he witnessed the plight of many orphaned children. Census data says that Buckner was a slaveowner in 1860, but he went on to start the first Black high school in Texas and the first orphanage for Black children. He left the church and organized Baptist deacons to build the Buckner Orphan’s Home in 1879, renting a three-room cottage on two acres of land in what is now the northeast corner of Junius and Haskell streets in Dallas. R.C. became known as “Father Buckner” to hundreds of orphaned children. His contemporaries were led to say, “Buckner could do the work of six men.” He was an early organizer of what would become Baylor University Medi-
cal Center and ran the orphanage until he died in 1919. His legacy continues today with Buckner Boulevard in East Dallas and the namesake nonprofit Buckner International, which cares for vulnerable children and older adults through foster care, adoption services, and senior living communities.
We are thrilled to be named a finalist for the Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards as Corporate Partner of the Year with Bonton Farms.
An organization committed to empowering its residents with comprehensive resources, Bonton Farms is more than just a farm in South Dallas. Its mission is to transform lives by disrupting systems of inequity, laying a foundation where change yields health, wholeness, and opportunity as the norm.
bontonfarms.org
Service is the driving force behind our purpose at Tolleson Wealth Management.
We roll up our sleeves to dig deep. Whether it’s partnering with client families to give together or empowering nancial wellness to meet community needs, our goal is to create meaningful and generational impact.
Learn more about how we create impact at tollesonwealth.com
The path to greatness isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s full of chances and opportunities with no promises. It takes stick-to-itiveness. We know it because we do it every day for our clients and our communities. If you know that feeling, come to Texas Capital and don’t just bank, bank boldly.
If achieving greatness feels like a roller coaster, you’re on the right track.