GREETINGS FROM THE PRESIDENT
TONY GRIMES PRESIDENT, CARROLLTON-IRVING NAACP Greetings! Thank you for your support during this unprecedented time, which dictates that we must practice social distancing. The virtual platform has become the norm for us to communicate. This is the case with our Freedom Fund Luncheon where annually we rely on our supporters to provide college scholarship dollars for graduating high school seniors. Thank you for embracing this virtual platform to support us during the COVID19 pandemic: sponsors, donors, program participants, members, YOU! Since voting is an essential component in which we must participate, we have consistently registered individuals to vote. The next step is to encourage registered voters to let their voices bring about positive change through the ballot box by showing up during early voting or on voting day regardless of the weather or other impediments. Make a voting plan to get there! It is our right to let our voices be heard on the local, state, and national levels by casting ballots for candidates who embrace all communities. We need to get these registered voters to the polls during early voting and on November 3! For that reason, we chose the theme, "Getting Out the Vote," to explore areas to enlighten voters, including safety protocols at the polling places, the benefits of voting, and how to navigate barriers to cast votes. If not voting by mail, our message to voters is that when they drop off their ballots or vote in person, wear a mask or other face covering and maintain a physical distance of six feet to protect themselves, election workers, and fellow voters. Before and after voting, please wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (sing the ABC song). If soapy hand washing is not available, immediately use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. If voters are concerned about the cleanliness of the voting equipment, they should not try to clean the voting system but ask an election worker. Finally, voters should visit the polls when they think there is less traffic, usually mid-morning or early-afternoon. You are very important to us as we continue our fight to improve the political, education and the social and economic status of minority groups to eliminate racial prejudice and discrimination. All individuals deserve to be treated decently and with respect. The NAACP still needs your help! I would like to encourage you to become a member of the Irving-Carrollton Branch. We are the LARGEST and the OLDEST, The BADDEST and the BOLDEST, The MOST LOVED and the MOST HATED, The MOST FEARED and REVERED, The MOST CUSSED and DISCUSSED Civil Rights Organization in America!
OUR SPEAKER The Honorable Ingrid M. Warren Presiding Judge of Dallas County Probate Court No. 2
Judge Warren is Presiding Judge for Probate Court No. 2, Dallas County, Texas, an elected position, and one of 18 statutory probate courts in Texas. The statutory probate courts are responsible for probating wills, declaring heirs of deceased persons dying without a will, and creating and monitoring guardianships for incapacitated Texans and minors. The probate courts also have the jurisdiction to hear lawsuits related to a decedent’s estate or an incapacitated person’s estate. Typical lawsuits include disputes by or against the personal representative of the estate. The cases are diverse, ranging from fiduciary litigation to family law. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Texas A&M University and a law degree from The University of Texas. She is currently a board member for the Association of Former Students for Texas A&M University (2017 – 2020) and a Former Representative at Large, The Association of Former Students (2014). Other community service include Aggie Women; Black Student Former Student Network; Former Big Sister with Big Brothers & Big Sisters of North Texas; Former Finance Chair, City of Dallas Cultural Affairs Commission; Former Trustee, and YMCA Metropolitan Dallas Foundation. Judge Warren is a member of the Information Desk Ministry at Concord Church in Dallas, Texas.
MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES Catherine Whiteman Producer/Anchor—City of Irving Communications/Irving Community TV Cathy Whiteman has been part of the production team at Irving Community Television Network for 40 years. Currently, she is the anchor and producer of ICTN’s award-winning arts and community events program, About Towne, and producer of the talk show, Open Line. In her 40-plus year career in television and media, Cathy has enjoyed meeting and interviewing political figures such as former congressman Martin Frost and former First Lady Laura Bush and celebrities like Will Smith, Drew Barrymore, Paul Walker, Salma Hayek, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. But the local volunteers, artists, business people and educators who work to make their communities the best they can continue to inspire Cathy the most. Cathy also volunteers in the community with projects such as the NEA Big Read and KIB Awards. She frequently emcees local events like Irving ISD’s ICE Awards and the Ms. Mature Pageant. Cathy also enjoys performing for children in schools and libraries as a professional storyteller with her husband Len Barnett. Cathy is a member of St. Mark A.M.E. Zion Church and the proud mother of two sons, Christopher and Stephen.
2020 Freedom Fund Banquet
Program Catherine Whiteman, Mistress of Ceremonies Musical Prelude Greetings
Tony Grimes, President The Honorable Rick Stopfer, Mayor, City of Irving
Invocation
Pastor Rob Robinson New Beginning Worship Center Lift Every Voice and Sing Catherine Whiteman
Song (YouTube) Introduction of Speaker
Keynote Speaker THE HONORABLE INGRID M. WARREN Presiding Judge of Dallas County Probate Court No.2 SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS Business Owner of the Year Award J. R. Sheppard Clergy of the Year Award Fletcher Yates Community Service Award Maurice and Ruby Walker Educator of the Year Award Excellence in Law Enforcement Award 2020 Miller Scholars “GETTING OUT TO VOTE” ROUNDTABLE Moderated by Cathy Whiteman Barbara Lewis, Dallas County Elections Judge, Susan Motley, League of Women Voters, Irving, Bob Lydia, Texas NAACP Voting Day Poem President’s Award / Sponsors
Roshni Khosal, Scholarship Recipient President Tony Grimes
Recognition of Special Guests, Elected Officials, Candidates for Office Closing Remarks Benediction
President Tony Grimes Pastor Andrew Jackson West Irving Church of God in Christ
BUSINESS OWNER OF THE YEAR AWARD
HEATHER LEILANI FOSTER Heather Foster has practiced cosmetology in the DFW Metroplex for the last 26 years. In 1998, she opened De La Tresse Salon in Irving where she has served clients from all over the Metroplex for the last 23 years. She implemented training courses for product knowledge. In addition to her cosmetology certification, she has degrees from Northlake College with one being in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Foster has worked for the Dallas Independent School District and Grand Prairie Independent School District. Her other businesses are Shop Until You Drop Wardrobe Consulting and Personal Shopping and Males Express Shampoo Shop. While expanding her businesses, she served with several organizations such as Dress for Success of Dallas and Irving Police Department Shop Talk, which bridges community relationships in minority communities. De Las Tresse Salon is the first female owned salon to participate in Shop Talk. She puts her clients in contact with police officers when they have issues or just to engage in dialogue. In September, she represented salon owners along with barbershop owners and police officers via Zoom to celebrate Shop Talk’s 4th anniversary, Live with Shop Talk. She has been highly active speaking on live Zoom forums on topics, including Race and Community Relations, Social Justice, and Community Outreach and Involvement. Her passion is serving others, education, leadership, and financial literacy. She enjoys working with people while learning new and exciting things. She has appeared in Ebony Magazine, Heart & Soul Fitness Magazine, and an American Heart Association Brochure. A member of The Potter’s House, she has one son.
FLETCHER YATES COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
RUBY SEVCIK Ruby Sevcik is Chief Executive Officer of Crisis Ministries and has served as its Executive Director since August of 2012. Crisis Ministries assists individuals and families in crisis by meeting many of their physical and spiritual needs, including emergency shelter assistance, food, hygiene, baby products and other essential items. During the pandemic, Ruby and her team is partnering with the North Texas Food Bank to provide food to those in need. She volunteers an average of 45 hours a week at Crisis Ministries, a 100% volunteer, non-profit where everyone is serving because they love people. In addition, some of Irving’s homeless families reside in extended stay hotels so Ruby and her team rely on donations from individuals, companies, and churches to assist with paying rent for these families to keep them off the streets. At one time, as many as 100 students were in hotels being served by Crisis Ministries. She is also a member of the Irving Community Actions Network, an association of non-profits, and has served as its President since January 2019. The goal of ICAN is to build collaboration and resources among non-profits, the city and business to provide for needy individuals. Ruby has served on the City of Irving Complete Count Committee for the 2020 Census and engaged in a number of community efforts relative to homelessness, underserved populations and predatory services. She currently serves on the City of Irving Homeless Task Force and on the North Texas Food Bank Advisory Council. Prior to being called to serve her community as a full-time volunteer, Ruby owned and operated an international logistics company and a business consulting firm. In 1994, she was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown to the North Texas District Export Council. In this capacity, she assisted manufacturers with exploring and understanding foreign markets as an opportunity to grow their business. She is licensed by the Department of Homeland Security as a Customs Broker and has assisted a number of companies in strengthening their supply chain against possible terrorist activities. She has been an active member of her church as a greeter and teacher of children in K thru 2nd grade. Ruby and her husband, John, have one daughter who is an educator in Lancaster, Texas.
J. R. SHEPPARD CLERGY OF THE YEAR AWARD
PASTOR LA-RESA RENEE ROGERS TYSON God’s Anointed Ministry for Empowerment Pastor La-Resa Renee Rogers Tyson preached her trial sermon on January 11, 2005 and then completed studies with the African Methodist Episcopal Church Board of Examiners. In 2015, God directed her to God’s Anointed Ministry for Empowerment, Irving, Texas where she was ordained a pastor in 2015. She serves as the Senior Pastor of G.A.M.E. She is a graduate of Irving High School, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Paul Quinn College, Waco, Texas, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biblical Studies from Southern Bible Institute in Dallas. God’s Anointed Ministry for Empowerment’s motto is “Serving Our Neighbors, Serving God”. Its mission is to go into the community and unite as children of God. God has allowed her church to offer several outreach ministries in the community, including Dannie’s Clothes Drive (free clothes), feeding homeless families, school supply drives, Sylvia’s Food Pantry (food for those in need), providing masks, hand sanitizers, and gloves, monthly alms (financial donations to the sick and others), college students ministry, visitation ministry (visits, calls and cards), voters registration drives, and Souls to the Polls (transportation for voters without rides). The Church is part of the following organizations: Family Promise of Irving, West Irving Improvement Association and NAACP Irving/Carrollton Branch. When not leading her members in making a positive impact on the community, Pastor Tyson enjoys reading and writing short stories, plays, and poems. Pastor Tyson and her husband, Jerry Wayne Tyson, have one son, De’Bryan Jerrel Tyson.
MAURICE AND RUBY WALKER EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
HENRY LEE TAYLOR, JR., PRINCIPAL Thomas Haley Elementary School
Henry Taylor graduated from the University of New Orleans with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Performance and Health Promotion. He obtained his Master of Education in Educational Administration from Lamar University. Mr. Taylor is a member of Concord Missionary Baptist Church, where he serves as a member of the Mighty Men of Valor Choir and is a leader in the Men’s Grow Group. Mr. Taylor is a committed volunteer in his church and community. It is not unusual for Mr. Taylor to spend his Saturdays painting the walls of Thomas Haley, gardening in the community, tutoring students, or helping the elderly with yard work and household needs. A proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Men’s Fraternity, Mr. Taylor is always happy to help anyone in need! Mr. Taylor has worked tirelessly in education for over 18 years. He served as an assistant principal in both Dallas Independent School District and Irving Independent School District before moving into his current role as the principal of Thomas Haley Elementary. Mr. Taylor is committed to ensuring that every student reaches his or her full potential; therefore, he works hand-in-hand with students, parents, school staff, and community members to promote the academic, social, emotional, and personal development of all of students. Henry and his wife, Monique Taylor, and have two children, Jahlil, a student at Howard University, and Kaila, a student at Hurst Junior High School. His vision is for all children to DREAM BIG and achieve greatness!!!
EXCELLENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AWARD
OFFICER RODNEY STOVALL Carrollton Police Department Officer Rodney Stovall personifies the Carrollton Police Department Mission Statement. He “proactively protects our community while treating all he encounters with professionalism, dignity, and respect” on a daily basis, without fail. In the first quarter of this year alone, Officer Stovall received 13 commendations from members of the public who felt compelled to contact our department with a compliment for him. Many of these compliments even came from people whom Officer Stovall had issued traffic citations! Here is an example of a typical compliment: “Just want to thank officer R. Stovall #704 for understanding. He was great and even offered to pray for me because I told him I was going through so much and to also know a little bit of his story. I just want to let him know thank you for praying for me and blessing me and I will be praying for him. Such a great officer.”
In addition to his patrol duties, Officer Stovall has committed his time to the Carrollton Police Department’s Police Athletic League, coaching and mentoring a basketball team of middle school students who otherwise would not have had an opportunity to play organized sports. He did this on his own time and initiative, and once even coached from the sideline in full uniform when he was also needed in patrol on the same day. Officer Stovall is a wonderful representative of our department and role model not just for police officers, but for mankind in general.
EXCELLENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AWARD
OFFICER GREG BLACK Irving Police Department Officer Greg Black has been a member of the Irving Police Department since 2014. He is a veteran police officer having served in the Knox County, Tennessee Police Department for six years.
During his time with the Irving Police Department he has taken an active role in supporting our community policing initiatives. He recognizes the importance of having trust relationships with the different community groups within the City and takes pride in developing and nurturing those relationships. When the Shop Talk Program started, Officer Black was one of the first officers to embrace the concept and begin participating in visiting the shops in his beat. His participation in the program is not to bring attention to himself, but to build trust between the police department and shop owners/customers he encounters during his visits. Recently, the Irving Police Department received a letter from Arron Magee, the owner of Mitchell’s Barbershop. The letter read, “I would like to make you aware of the actions of one of your officers. For the past year, this officer has shown a true concern for the area of Belt Line and Country Club Road. He comes into my shop on a regular basis, providing my customers and me with an opportunity to ask questions and keeping us informed on events in the area. My shop is predominately African-American and this is the type of interaction needed to forge positive relationships in the community. I hope to see more officers devote time to making positive contacts with the public. With the understanding that officers have many duties to perform, Officer Black takes time to communicate which makes a difference in the community. If a crime occurs, I would feel comfortable talking to Officer Black.” Officer Black clearly is making a difference in our community and is leading by example. In this time of civil unrest and calls for racial justice, Officer Black is doing his part to ensure the people he encounters can trust him and the Irving Police Department.
JEARLENE MILLER 2020 SCHOLARS
SONIA IHEZIE RANCHVIEW HIGH SCHOOL Sonia Ihezie is a 2020 International Baccalaureate Graduate from Ranchview High School in the CarrolltonFarmers Branch Independent School District. She attends Texas Tech University majoring in Nutrition. Her high school extracurricular activities included the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Fellowship Christian Athletes, Choir, Medical Club, Soccer, and Tennis. Community service involved Project Still I Rise, Night to Shine, Confirmation Leader, and Altar Service. Her goal is to do her part to ensure everyone has access to healthcare. She is the daughter of Cosmas and Judith Ihezie.
ROSHNI KHOSLA R.L. TURNER HIGH SCHOOL Roshni Khosla is a 2020 graduate of R. L. Turner High School in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District. She attends Austin College and is majoring in Neuroscience. Her high school extracurricular activities included Marching Band, Concert Band, HOSA Future Health Professionals, Tennis, National Honor Society, Louder Than a Bomb Slam Poetry, and Girls in STEM. Her community service included 100 volunteer hours at Your Clinic of Las Colinas and being a Chess Coach. She wants to positively impact climate change. She is the daughter of Rajesh and Anuapaura Khosla.
JEARLENE MILLER 2020 SCHOLARS
BETHANY MERINO CREEKVIEW HIGH SCHOOL Bethany Merino is a 2020 graduate of Creekview High School in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District. She attends Oklahoma State University where she is majoring in Communication. High school extracurricular activities included Student Executive Board, Orchestra, Choir, Parents, Teachers, Student Association, and the National Honor Society. Her community service was Altar Server and Vacation Bible School Teen Leader at St. Rita Catholic Community Church. Bethany wants to ensure that everyone has access to nutritious food and clean water. Her parents are Stephen and Lisa Merino.
ALMIN KOTADIA CREEKVIEW HIGH SCHOOL Almin Kotadia is a 2020 graduate of Creekview High School in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District. He attends the Dallas College Brookhaven Campus where he is majoring in Automotive Engineering. High school extracurricular activities were AVID, AUTOBASIC, Theater, and Eagle Scout. Community service was through Boy Scouts of America, National Honor Society, Teaching Assistant for Religious Education, and as Creekview Lab Manager. He promotes youth entrepreneurship. His parents are Bahadur and Hamida Kotadia.
Irving Carrollton Branch NAACP and Scholarship Recipients
Tuesday, October 13, 2020 to Friday, October 30, 2020