2021 Women of Distinction - Fort Worth Program

2021 Awards Luncheon

Friday, August 27 Hurst Conference Center

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Program Lifetime of Leadership Video Presentation Mission Moment Welcome

Deborah Ferguson - NBC5, News Anchor

Lara Fulghum, Troop 1806

Invocation

Courtney McKay - Co-Pastor, Lights Church

Lunch Served Women of Distinction Committee

Paulette Turner, Chair

Special Recognitions

Becky Burton - CEO, Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains

2021 Honoree Presentation

Rising Star

Savannah Haynes

Outstanding Community Partner Fort Worth (TX) Chapter, The Links, Incorporated Man Enough To Be A Girl Scout Dr. Marcelo Cavazos

Lifetime Achievement Debra Shackelford

Woman of Distinction Dr. Jacquelyn Minor, Ed.D.

Remembering This Moment

Dr. Jacquelyn Minor, Ed.D.

Closing Remarks and Acknowledgments

Deborah Ferguson

Rising Star

Savannah Haynes

Photography: Gittings

Savannah is a fourteen-year-old student at Martin High School.

She runs track, cross country, and plays basketball. Savannah is a member of National Honor Society, Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains Media Corp, a Student Council Officer, and has achieved both her Bronze and Silver Girl Scout Awards.

Throughout Savannah’s ten years in Girl Scouts, she has jumped at every opportunity to put her leadership skills to work with younger Girl Scouts. During COVID-19, she developed zoom badge work to teach and mentor younger scouts who were at home and unable to meet with their troops. Savannah also coaches various youth sports teams in her free time.

Over the last five years, Savannah created a give back program called Cookies for Cooks. Each year, through this program, she rallies local Girl Scouts to join her by donating boxes of Girl Scout cookies to healthcare workers at Cook Children’s hospital. To date, Savannah’s program has donated 5,403 boxes of cookies to Cook Children’s. Savannah has earned a reputation in the community as a civic- minded young lady who truly strives to make the world a better place.

Outstanding Community Partner

Fort Worth (TX) Chapter, The Links, Incorporated

Over its sixty years of service, the Fort Worth (TX) Chapter has philanthropically invested close to $500,000 to a wide variety of institutions; among them the Bass Performance Hall, Casa Mañana, Carter Blood Bank, the Day Resource Center, the Fort Worth Library Foundation, Jubilee Theater and the Sojourner Truth Players, the Stop Six Community Dental Clinic, the Stop Six Community Health Center, and the United Negro College Fund.

They have invested in Fort Worth’s future leaders by funding scholarships to deserving college-bound students, including their most recent scholarship – a four-year all-tuition college scholarship to a graduate of Fort Worth ISD’s Women’s Leadership Academy.

The Fort Worth (TX) Chapter has also devoted countless hours of service, especially to Fort Worth’s underserved youth for whom the opportunity gap persists. Among these efforts: Fort Worth ISD’s “Just Say No” initiative; Project LEAD: High Expectations; Links to Success; HOPE Farm, and EMPRESS Gaining S-T-E-A-M. Their current STEM-focused programs include Elementary NSBE, Jr. Chapter at Saintsville Academy and Preparatory School, Middle School - Links2Leadership Girl Scout Troop 3950 at Fort Worth ISD’s Morningside Middle School, and High School Leadership & Beyond with participating students from Tarrant County College South/Fort Worth ISD Collegiate High School, Fort Worth ISD’s OD Wyatt High School and Everman ISD’s Everman High School. In particular, they have focused on uplifting girls. The Chapter’s 2019-2021 biennium program year builds on their legacy of service ensuring their work is relevant.

Man Enough To Be A Girl Scout Dr. Marcelo Cavazos

Photography: Gittings

Dr. Marcelo Cavazos started his teaching career as an English teacher in the Mission Consolidated ISD in 1990. He has served in the McAllen ISD, Mercedes ISD, San Benito Consolidated ISD, and the Texas Education Agency Department of School Finance and Support. He has served as the Arlington Independent School District Superintendent since 2012.

The opportunities students in the Arlington ISD have under Cavazos are endless. Since he became superintendent two major bonds have passed, the 2014 Bond and a $966 million bond, which passed in the fall of 2019 and will continue the Arlington ISD on its bold Achieve Today Excel Tomorrow strategic plan of having 100 percent of the graduating students prepared for college, career, and citizenship.

Cavazos is an ex-officio member of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce Board. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Arlington, an associate member of the Greater Arlington Lions Club, a Lifetime Supporting Member of the Texas Lions Camp, a Melvin Jones Fellow with Lions Club International Foundation, a member of the Knights of Columbus, and an active parishioner at St. Matthew Catholic Church.

Cavazos holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the University of Texas – Pan American and a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin.

He has been married to Nora for 21 years; his children, Theresa and Diego, attend school at Arlington High School and Gunn Junior High.

Lifetime Achievement Debra Shackelford

Debra Shackelford’s commitment to the Girl Scout mission began as a volunteer twenty-one years ago. She initially volunteered to serve as a troop leader for her daughter and through that experience, Girl Scouts became a life-long passion for her.

Debra has served on the Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains service team in many positions throughout the years and became a volunteer facilitator fifteen years ago. Debra loves the great outdoors and believes it is a crucial component of the Girl Scout leadership experience for both girls and adult volunteers. Stevens Ranch Girl Scout camp, outside of Glen Rose, is Debra’s favorite place to grow her appreciation for the natural world and to invest her heart and soul as a loyal Girl Scout volunteer.

“Debra is Mrs. Girl Scout in my mind. She does so much for her community and Stevens Ranch. She volunteers out here at Stevens literally two to three weekends a month.”

-Michael “Big Tex” Bock Stevens Ranch Site Manager

Woman of Distinction

Dr. Jacquelyn Minor, Ed.D.

Photography: Gittings

Not everyone would trade their fast-paced, cutting edge, competitive career, to be a 5th grade reading teacher in an underfunded, inner-city school, but when the push of her calling became greater than the pull of corporate America, Jacquelyn Minor took the leap of faith…and soon found her heart opening up in ways she had never dreamed of. That was twenty-four years ago, and now the college professor and mother of three can’t imagine another career path. A creative writer, animated speaker, an award-winning educator, Dr. Jacquelyn Minor has a heart for empowering women, and has personally touched over fivethousand lives through teaching alone. As a veteran educator, she is passionate about watching learners move forward, equipped with more and more confidence, competence, values, and convictions. These are the keys, she says, to success in your endeavors and joy in your life.

“To truly love teaching, you can’t just look at what is in front of your eyes. There’s just too much more you need to be able to see.”

Dr. Minor credits God’s influence in her family, especially her mother, with showing her how to see with her heart. Growing up, Jacquelyn watched her parents connect with people through ministry, service, and friendships. In turn, she now invests her talents and gifts to build relationships with and among community organizations, businesses, and individuals, and to help create pathways for others to come along. She is thankful that her work at Tarrant County College, Southeast Campus, Crossroads Christian Church, and the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Alliance afford her the opportunities to do this.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

Emerald Partner

Media Sponsor

Photography Sponsor

Floral Sponsor

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors Discover Sponsors

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors Ambition Sponsors Arlington Independent School District

Sandra McGlothlin Mutual of America

Ben E. Keith Co.

Palmer & Cay

Becky Burton

Perdue Brandon Fielder

Dr. Judith Carrier

QuikTrip Corporation

Clements Gear Management Co.

Jane Rector

Fort Worth (TX) Chapter, The Links, Incorporated

State Farm Laura Geninatti

Garvey Texas Foundation, Inc.

Auction Donors Billy Bob’s Texas • CDW • Capital Grille Fort Worth • Central Market Fort Worth • Cooper’s BBQ • Costco • Fish City • Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains • Hotel Drover • In-N-Out Burger • James Avery • Marilyn Jones • Kendra Scott • Angela Lamb • Malai Kitchen • Mrs. Renfro’s • Heather Parrish • Raising Cane’s Hurst • Sam’s Club • Paulette Turner

In Support of Women of Distinction Ntegrated Kelsey Patterson

MAKING A DIFFERENCE M AT T E R S.

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Women of Distinction Planning Committee Paulette Turner, Chair Greer Christian Laura Geninatti Angela Lamb Heather Parrish Susie Reyes

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