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National Women's History Month : Honoring Trailblazing Women

infinitieplus MARCH 2021 SPECIAL EDITION

VOL. 11 NO. 3 LONGVIEW BUSINESS MAGAZINE

INDSIDE

Hayley Choy VP Kamala Harris Natalie Lynch Zoe Martin Anna Suriano Nona Snoddy Chris Hudson

HE SOLD 16.1 MILLION

BLAKE TUCKER

TALKS FAMILY, FAITH, LOVE AND REAL ESTATE

FLIP THIS MAGAZINE

Arts and Culture Table of Contents

Justine Hayes and Holly Kotulla

Amy Canton and Rachael Sumrow

National Women History Month: Hayley Choy

National Women History Month: VP Kamala Harris

National Women History Month: Natalie Lynch

National Women History Month: Zoe Martin

National Women History Month: Anna Suriano

National Women History Month: Nona Snoddy

National Women History Month: Chris Hudson

Bundles Bundles Bundles Bundles Bundlesof of of of ofjoy. joy. joy. joy. joy. It’s It’s It’s It’s It’swhat what what what whatwe we we we wedeliver. deliver. deliver. deliver. deliver. From From From the the the day day day you you you find find find out out out to to the to the the day day day you you you deliver, deliver, deliver, there’s there’s there’s nothing nothing nothing more more more important important important to to Longview to Longview Longview Regional Regional Regional Medical Medical Medical Center Center Center From From From From From the the the the day the day day day day you you you you you find find find find find out out out out to out to to the to the to the the day the day day day day you you you you you deliver, deliver, deliver, deliver, deliver, there’s there’s there’s there’s there’s nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing more more more more more important important important important important to to to Longview to Longview to Longview Longview Longview Regional Regional Regional Regional Regional Medical Medical Medical Medical Medical Center Center Center Center Center than than than your your your and and and your your your baby’s baby’s baby’s health health health and and and well-being. well-being. well-being. This This This isis is why why iswhy why we we we provide provide provide extra extra extra amenities amenities amenities such such such as as private as private private rooms, rooms, rooms, spacious spacious spacious than than than than than your your your your your and and and and and your your your your your baby’s baby’s baby’s baby’s baby’s health health health health health and and and and and well-being. well-being. well-being. well-being. well-being. This This This This This isis why why iswhy is why we we we we provide we provide provide provide provide extra extra extra extra extra amenities amenities amenities amenities amenities such such such such such as as as private as private as private private private rooms, rooms, rooms, rooms, rooms, spacious spacious spacious spacious spacious birthing birthing birthing suites, suites, suites, childbirth childbirth childbirth classes classes classes and and and breastfeeding breastfeeding breastfeeding support. support. support. And And And if you if you and and and your your your newest newest newest addition addition addition need need need aalittle little aalittle little extra extra extra help, help, help, birthing birthing birthing birthing birthing suites, suites, suites, suites, suites, childbirth childbirth childbirth childbirth childbirth classes classes classes classes classes and and and and and breastfeeding breastfeeding breastfeeding breastfeeding breastfeeding support. support. support. support. support. And And And And And ifififyou ifyou ifyou you ifyou you and and and and and your your your your your newest newest newest newest newest addition addition addition addition addition need need need need need aaalittle alittle little little extra extra extra extra extra help, help, help, help, help, we we we offer offer offer perinatal perinatal perinatal services services services that that that include include include maternal-fetal maternal-fetal maternal-fetal medicine medicine medicine specialists specialists specialists and and and a a Level Level a Level III III NICU. NICU. III NICU. we we we we offer we offer offer offer offer perinatal perinatal perinatal perinatal perinatal services services services services services that that that that that include include include include include maternal-fetal maternal-fetal maternal-fetal maternal-fetal maternal-fetal medicine medicine medicine medicine medicine specialists specialists specialists specialists specialists and and and and and aaLevel aLevel aLevel aLevel Level IIIIIIIII NICU. NICU. IIINICU. IIINICU. NICU. For For For more more more information information information about about about our our our labor labor labor and and and delivery delivery delivery services, services, services, visit visit visit LongviewRegional.com/baby. LongviewRegional.com/baby. LongviewRegional.com/baby. For For For For more For more more more more information information information information information about about about about about our our our our labor our labor labor labor labor and and and and and delivery delivery delivery delivery delivery services, services, services, services, services, visit visit visit visit visit LongviewRegional.com/baby. LongviewRegional.com/baby. LongviewRegional.com/baby. LongviewRegional.com/baby. LongviewRegional.com/baby.

Giving Back

Inspirations

Famous First

Keira Ewald and Jim Bartlett

Natalie Lynch

RISE TO SUCCESS "My dad is the person I call on when I need advice about business, and he gives me the motivation to be successful,"Blake says. "He is the hardest working man I know." His parents Dick and Alaine have been joyfully married for 49 years and overcame difficult childhoods to become abundantly prosperous.

2901 2901 2901 N. N. Fourth N. Fourth Fourth Street Street Street ••Longview, Longview, ••Longview, Longview, TX TX 75605 TX 75605 75605 ••903-242-3490 903-242-3490 ••903-242-3490 903-242-3490 ••LongviewRegional.com LongviewRegional.com ••LongviewRegional.com LongviewRegional.com 2901 2901 2901 2901 2901 N. N. N. Fourth N. Fourth N. Fourth Fourth Fourth Street Street Street Street Street • ••Longview, •Longview, Longview, Longview, TX TX TX 75605 TX 75605 TX 75605 75605 75605 • ••903-242-3490 •903-242-3490 903-242-3490 903-242-3490 • ••LongviewRegional.com •LongviewRegional.com LongviewRegional.com LongviewRegional.com www.facebook.com/InfinitiePlusmagazine

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Editor's Note

Giving Back The Magazine for Living Life Beyond, Plus One…

ach year, March is designated as National Women’s History Month. This annual celebration enables the communities across the country and the world to recognize and commemorate the accomplishments of women. This year’s theme is: Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced. Therefore, infinitieplus magazine and its sponsors: AUSTIN BANK, JIM BARTLETT FINE JEWLERY AND THE HONORABLE GREGG COUNTY JUDGE BILL STOUDT, STONEWORKS made this special edition possible. Please do not forget to thank them for supporting local female icons. In the past and even in times, women’s tenacity and purpose have been overlooked or under appreciated. Nonetheless, women manage families, businesses, volunteer and do extraordinary, amazing, and often unrecognized work that enrich families and communities. Infinitieplus is proud to use this medium to congratulate all the girls and women trail blazers everywhere. In the spirit of National Women History Month, we brought inspiring stories of: Hayley Choy, a Real Estate prodigy, Trina Griffith and Company Real Estate, LLC. Kamala Harris, First Female Vice President of the United States Natalie Lynch, Executive Vice President and Regional President, Austin Bank Ana Suriano, Marketing and Membership Consultant, Longview Chamber of Commerce Nona Snoddy, Educator and City Councilwoman District 2 Zoe Martin, Principal, Zoe Martin Photography; General Manager, Landmark Social Chris Hudson, City of Longview Senior Equipment Operator. Please check out other stories in the magazine as well. Then flip the magazine. Thanks for reading. We look forward to serving you again in April by God’s grace.

B y I N F I N I T I E P LU S S TA F F R E P O R T S

Publisher / Editor Joycelyne Fadojutimi

Photography Joycelyne Fadojutimi Graphic Designer Kuneho Designs Contributing Writers Dr. Michael Guido Stacy M. Brown

For advertising: contact Joycelyne Fadojutimi at joy@iplusmag.com OUR MISSION

To enrich the local-global community with the “just in time knowledge,” to assure future successes

OUR VISION

To become an information oracle of functional and constructive reports that serves the needs of businesses and communities. Submission Deadline: The first of every month prior to month of issue. infinitieplus magazine is not responsible for any discrepancies or changes since the publishing of this issue. At the time of publication, to the best of our knowledge, all information was accurate though not guaranteed. The entire contents of infinitieplus magazine is copyrighted 2021. Any reproduction or use in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. infinitieplus magazine reserves the right to edit and make appropriate modifications. The opinions published by contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the views of infinitieplus magazine or its advertisers. 911 NW Loop 281 211 Suite 24 Longview, Texas 75604 www.iplusmag.com Phone: 903.236.0406

Joycelyne Fadojutimi,

Keira Ewald show off her bouquet

im Bartlett of Bartlett Fine Jewelry is always looking for avenues to give back to the community. Whether it is dancing and donating funds to CASA and several organizations, Longview can count on Bartlett’s Fine Jewelry to go above and beyond the call of duty. Hence, for Valentine celebration, Jim Bartlett Fine Jewelry came up with Galantine, a day to give any person with or without Valentines. So, they bought flowers and asked whoever came by to pick out the flowers they wanted. Amy Canton or Holly Kotulla of Jim Bartlett

Shirley Gage accepts Galantine bouquet from Amy Canton

Fine Jewelry made them bouquets. Shirley Gage, a long-time employee of the City of Longview came all the way from Gilmer to get one.

Contd. on Page 11

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VOLUME 11 | ISSUE 3

Publisher

Giving back on Galantine’s day

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Blake Tucker

Absolutely passionate about helping his clients find their dream homes

Cover Story

Blake Tucker:

Real estate mogul a boon to Longview economy

"I have a passion for people, and I love helping my clients find the home they desire. The excitement my clients have after signing the dotted line at the closing table is super rewarding." Blake Tucker, Trina Griffith and Company Real Estate, LLC. By JOYCELYNE FADOJUTIMI/IPLUS.COM

lake Tucker started out by living off the land. Now he sells it. Four years ago, he left his family's tree farm, MTV Trees. He also toiled fruitfully in the other family business Tucker & Associates, specializing in high end residential/commercial landscaping. After ten years of earning a living alongside his relatives, he struck out on his own into real estate. Still, he maintains career ties with his family. His success-

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ful father, Dick Tucker, is a wellspring of business expertise. "My dad is the person I call on when I need advice about business, and he gives me the motivation to be successful," Blake says. "He is the hardestworking man I know." His parents Dick and Alaine have been joyfully married for 49 years and overcame difficult childhoods to become abundantly prosperous. Never ones to look for pity or handouts, they worked their way to prosperity. Most important of

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all, they passed on this trait to Blake. Mother Alaine equally a positive influence that he calls himself a "Momma's boy." "She has always been my biggest cheerleader and motivates me to be the best version of me all the time," he says. "I can remember coming home from church camp and finding thirtyfive motivational posters stapled to the ceiling of my bedroom.” According to Tucker, some of his favorite posters include: ‘Dare to be great!’ and ‘Learn from the past, live in

March 2021

Cover Story

Blake Tucker

Talks about his loving wife Margie, Sons, Kyle and Tatum; Great parents Dick and Alaine Tucker

Cover Story the present, prepare for the future!’ She reminds me every day that I was meant to do Real Estate, and that it is God's calling,” stated Tucker. “She has played a huge part of my success in real estate business. 1 am very blessed to have Mom and Dad on my team.” Undoubtedly, his parents fully supported him leaving their enterprises and moving into real estate. Still, he found it a daunting maneuver. "It is very hard to leave a family business to pursue a business on your own," he says. "It was a huge risk, but I ultimately decided to jump." His careers came after thorough preparation. After graduating from Pine Tree High School in 2001, be moved on to Texas Tech and pulled down a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. He also found time to fall in love. In addition, wife Margie helps others heal as a full-time nurse while studying to be a nurse practitioner in tandem. "She is the most caring, smartest and selfless person I have ever met," he says. "She has a smile that will light up

a room. People are naturally drawn to her because she has such great positive energy." The thirty-eight-year-old Tucker is a Longview native, and his intimate familiarity with the area was a major factor in his decision to enter real estate. His knowledge of the city and its knowledge of him eased his entry into the field and helped him make the move a quick success. Some of his friends call him "mayor" because he seems to know everybody in town. Tucker’s vivacious, outgoing personality is another excellent asset. He blends this with his studies in communications to find common ground with others. Furthermore, Tucker realizes that what he knows is not as important as who he knows. After a lifetime spent in the Longview, Texas area, he knows several people. Besides, he never meets a stranger. This approachability and his close family ties came to the rescue early in his real estate days at Trina Griffith and Company Real Estate, LLC. But wait. It was not all smooth sailing -yet. After making zero sells

"Margie my lovely wife and best friend, is the most caring, smartest and selfless person I have ever met. She has a smile that will light up a room. People are naturally drawn to her because she has such great positive energy." Blake Tucker, Trina Griffith and Company Real Estate, LLC.

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“I would not be the realtor I am today without the leadership, encouragement and, knowledge I get from working with Trina Griffith. She is a great friend and an outstanding broker. I love working in her amazing office with the best team atmosphere. I am so thankful and honored to work for her. She is my idol.”

Blake Tucker

Appreciates his mentor, top-most, amazing and prodigy of a realtor Trina Griffith

Blake Tucker, Trina Griffith and Company Real Estate, LLC. his first five months in, Tucker was concerned that he may have taken the wrong path. It was indeed more difficult than he had anticipated, so he called his father in search of advice and reassurance. "I remember calling my dad, bawling my eyes out because I began to feel like a failure," he says. "He motivated me to hang in there, to not give up, and to give it a year. BOOM! I got my first sale the following week." But wait. That was just the beginning for this worker bee. In May, he will celebrate his fourth year in real estate business. According to Tucker, he has doubled his production each year since being in real estate - 1st year $3.7, 2nd year $7.7, 3rd year $16.1 million. What is his secret? Tucker confirms it is pure: “Hard work, following up, being available, staying positive, going

above and beyond for my clients. Doing more than what is asked of my title as a real estate agent.’ One can see how parental guidance and the priceless example of their work ethic put Tucker over the top with his mantra of "Doing MORE than what is asked of my life as a real estate agent." While realtors do not have set hours, he often works very late exceeding expectations. More importantly, he still finds time for Margie and sons Kyler (twelve) and six-yearold Tatum who he takes to school every morning before heading to his real estate work. Finally, Tucker is clear on what he loves most about real estate. "I have a passion for people, and I

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love helping my clients find the home they desire," he says. "The excitement my clients have after signing the dotted line at the closing table is super rewarding." Those he serves generally become his friends as well as his clients. Even when something goes wrong and a contract falls apart, he remains positive and upbeat. He knows every day brings new opportunities for success. "I try my best to steer away from the negative and focus on the positive," he states. "I believe we can do it together!"

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Inspiration Contd. from Page 5

Giving Back

By DR. MICHAEL GUIDO

“I think it is a good thing to do-very kind and thoughtful,” Gage said. Keira Ewald was quite surprised at the bouquets. “This is above expectations. I am not surprised though. Jim Bartlett is doing things for the community,” she exclaimed. It is important to note that this was not for women only. Travis came by and got a bouquet to surprise his fiancée Ashley Perkins. 10 x 7.5” Color—Infinity Plus

here is a story of a man who was waiting for a traffic light to turn green. On his rear bumper was a sticker that read: “DO NOT FOLLOW ME – I’M LOST!” Another car stopped next to him. The man rolled down his window and motioned for him to do the same. When the man with the sticker on his bumper rolled down his window, the person in the car next to him pointed to himself and said, “Me too. But at least you look like you are going someplace. Mind if I follow you?” If there is anyone who everyone needs, it is someone smarter than all of us put together that we can follow. We all need a Counselor who is wiser and smarter than we are, and who has more insight and foresight than any one person could ever possess. We all need a Counselor who knows and understands us. We need One who knows our attitudes and abilities, our flaws and failures, our sins and shortcomings - yet One who is interested in us despite ourselves and can help us get beyond ourselves.

We all need a Counselor who knows tomorrow. We need One who knows what is in store for us and can guide us and guard us through difficult days and long, lonely nights. Some One who will be with us from the beginning of life until the end of life as we now know it. We all need a Counselor who knows and respects the truth. We need One who will not allow us to hide behind our lies. We need One who will expose our words of deceit or false statements about who we are. We need One who will show us who we are and who we can become through the grace of God. Have you found Him yet? Prayer: Open our hearts, Father, to be willing to accept the truth of Your Word. Speak to us and lead us through Your Holy Spirit. Guide us and guard us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Scripture for Today: Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods. I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood or even speak the names of their gods. Psalm 16:4

Travis accepts Bouquet from Amy Canton

Sheila Johnson accepts her bouquet from Amy Canton

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Cover Story

National Women’s History Month

Famous Firsts in Women’s History

merican women’s history has been full of pioneers: Women who fought for their rights, worked hard to be treated equally and made great strides in fields like science, politics, sports, literature, and art. These are just a few of the remarkable accomplishments by trail-blazing women in American history.

Your Longview Team:

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2. Wyoming Territory is first to grant women the vote, 1869 In 1869, Wyoming’s Here are 21 territorial legislature defamous firsts in clared that “every woman women’s history. of the age of twenty-one years, residing in this 1. First women’s-rights territory, may at every convention meets in election…cast her vote.” Seneca Falls, New York, Though Congress lob1848 bied hard against it, WyoIn July 1848, some ming’s women kept their 240 men and women right to vote when the gathered in upstate New territory became a state in York for a meeting con- 1890. In 1924, the state’s vened, said organizers, “to voters elected the nation’s discuss the social, civil, first female governor, and religious condition Nellie Tayloe Ross.

Your Bank, Your Business Partners Dan Droege Sharon Denton Sarah Humphrey Jason Petersen Jim Wallace Cody Bailey Natalie Lynch Tim Spraggins Ricardo Baeza

and rights of women.” One hundred of the delegates–68 women and 32 men–signed a Declaration of Sentiments, modeled on the Declaration of Independence, declaring that women, like men, were citizens with an “inalienable right to the elective franchise.” The Seneca Falls Convention marked the beginning of the campaign for women’s suffrage.

Member FDIC

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Bill

Stoudt Honors

National Women's History Month Honoring the accomplishments of women that makes this country the best in the world |

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Cover Story

National Women’s History Cover Month Story

Hayley Choy:

Real estate agent combines career and family

ayley’s family gave her an early introduction to the meaning of faith. As a young child, she attended Gilmer's First United Methodist Church, and commenced a lifelong devotion to the Holy Trinity. Nowadays, she goes to Mobberly Baptist Church, and her faith just keeps growing. Except for the Lord, nothing means more to her than family. "My family is unique because we are a mixed and blended family," she says. "Our diverse cultural makeup gives us an appreciation for one another and nurtures a loving

By JOYCELYNE FADOJUTIMI/IPLUS.COM

acceptance that the world needs more than ever right now." Even as Hayley Choy and her husband Edward, learned and developed as parents of a blended family, she saw her real estate career take off and flourish. In 2017, she started her work in land and homes after her job as an escrow officer gave her an interest in real estate and motivated her to earn her license. She had already been working with real estate agents daily and came to regard their job as both challenging and fun. The work's flexibility and her innate desire to try and excel at something new attracted her to the profession. "I loved the idea of being able

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to build a career for myself and also invest precious time into being a mom," she says. Indeed, she loves how being a real estate agent brings her a sense of accomplishment. She stays busy studying photographs and descriptions to reveal and act on the unique characteristics of individual properties. Hence, she loves guiding her buyers through the process of identifying, purchasing and settling into their new homes. "Being a real estate agent is enjoyable and fulfilling because you are a small part of a new chapter in someone else's story," she says. Again, it was her family that was the catalyst for striving for ex-

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March 2021

cellence. She was a single mom, and naturally yearned to insure a better future for her family. Her love of working with others was an asset as her sunny personality paved path to success. "I knew the sky was the limit," she says. "It was really up to me and how hard I wanted to push myself to achieve my goals, she says." She spends her days meeting with buyers and sellers and familiarizing herself with their specific objectives. Before showing a house, she runs comps so her buyers can see that the houses they tour are priced. She also shows that photographs that highlight attractions and positive characteristics in general. All this leads up to the actual transaction. "On closing days, I coordinate with buyers and sellers to make sure our schedules run smoothly," she says. "This involves making sure funds are in place, signing docu-

ments, taking final walk throughs, and making sure things are ready for move-in day." Hers is a profession that involves repeatedly meeting new people, and this is something she loves. Even though she only works in direct contact with them for a short time, she adores seeing the joy they experience upon becoming homeowners, and how this makes her a contributor to serving the communities of her beloved East Texas. Still, as in all professions there are setbacks. Such things as job losses can jeopardize closings, clients may change their minds and back out, financing may not be available or sufficient, and this is hard on everyone involved. However, the greater the challenge the greater the opportunity for resounding success. Ensuring that everything is aligned, everyone is ready to go, and that all hurdles are cleared is crucial in real estate. Hayley loves a challenge, and

The Choy Family: Edward and Hayley; Laynie, Clark, and Henry

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her views are clear on how today's young women can follow her sparkling example. "Surround yourself with people who share your values, live a positive lifestyle and lift you up rather than bring you down," she says. "It's also important to have the knowledge and skills to build a future for yourself and to be independent and self-sufficient." Her faith in God is the lynchpin for not only her professional accomplishments, but for her total life. Her implicit faith that the Almighty will care for her and her loved ones is a great comfort and frees her from nagging family concerns that might otherwise distract her from her work. "Coming into the real estate profession was a blessing from Him, and part of His plan for me," she says. "I am thankful for and excited to continue this journey that I’m on."

Edward, Hayley and Henry Choy

Laynie, Clark, and Henry Choy

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K Cover Story

National Women’s History Cover Month Story

amala Harris:

The Rise of the American First Female Vice President The daughter of a Jamaican immigrant father who taught at Stanford University, Vice President Harris’ mother, a cancer researcher, was the daughter of an Indian diplomat. And, the new Vice President has never forgotten her roots, nor has she forgotten those who helped her achieve the American dream. By STACY M. BROWN/SPECIAL TO IP MAGAZINE

ice President Kamala Harris will be the most influential vice president of the 49 that we have had, declared a proud Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick. With 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans seated in the Senate, Vice President Harris holds the tiebreaking vote, which adds to the power she now wields.

The nation’s first Black and Female Vice President Kamala Harris takes Oath of Office.

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“The power in politics is from influence,” Frederick remarked. “I think, for that reason, she could potentially be the most influential vice president in our history.” Following President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris’s inauguration, The Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel on Howard’s campus rang its bell 49 times to honor Harris.

More than 3,000 miles away, in San Francisco, many remember when the nation’s first Black vice president cut her teeth as a valiant prosecutor. The daughter of a Jamaican immigrant father who taught at Stanford University, Vice President Harris’ mother, a cancer researcher, was the daughter of an Indian diplomat. And, the new Vice President

“The American dream belongs to the student in Sacramento who doesn’t have much money but who goes to bed each night dreaming big dreams. It belongs to the men and women across this country who know it shouldn’t be against the law to marry the person you love,”

The then-aspiring Senator Harris.

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has never forgotten her roots, nor has she forgotten those who helped her achieve the American dream. During a 2018 National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) award ceremony honoring Harris as “Newsmaker of the Year,” Vice President Harris talked about her years as a San Francisco’s district attorney. As San Francisco’s top prosecutor, Vice President Harris worked to reduce recidivism by offering nonviolent, low-level drug trafficking defendants’ job training and other life skills education as an alternative to jail. Her office reported that during the first two years of the program, “less than 10 percent of those who graduated from the program were re-offenders — compared to 53 percent of drug offenders statewide who returned to prison or jail within two years of release.”

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Cover Story

Arts and Culture

Famous Firsts in Women’s History “What is important for my daughter to know is that… if you are fortunate to have opportunity, it is your duty to make sure other people have those opportunities as well.” Vice President Kamala Harris

The nation’s first Black Female Vice President Kamala Harris takes Oath of Office, Husband Douglas Craig Emhoff, a successful high-profile lawyer and the second gentleman of the United States, looks on.

In 2010, she defeated Steve Cooley to become the first woman, the first African American, and the first Indian American in California history to win the attorney general’s seat. She later joined other state attorneys general in brokering a $25-billion nationwide settlement deal with the nation’s five largest mortgage institutions for improper foreclosure practices during a housing market crash. Born October 20, 1964, in Oakland, the overachiever attended Howard University, where she earned a degree in political science and economics. Three years later, she earned a law degree from Hastings College in Nebraska. The tenacious California native entered the national spotlight in 2012 when she delivered a remarkable address at the Democratic National Convention in North Carolina.

During the address, she touted President Barack Obama’s desire to hold Wall Street accountable and argued how everyone deserves a chance to live the American dream. “The American dream belongs to the student in Sacramento who doesn’t have much money but who goes to bed each night dreaming big dreams. It belongs to the men and women across this country who know it shouldn’t be against the law to marry the person you love,” the then-aspiring Senator Harris proclaimed. “It belongs to the immigrants, young and old, who come to this country in search of a better life. And it belongs to little girls who have the joy of watching their mother, like I did, buy her first home. The American dream belongs to all of us.” In 2017, Harris easily won election to the U.S. Senate from California, taking the seat that

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once belonged to the popular Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer. When Harris accepted her 2018 Newsmaker Award from the NNPA, she urged everyone never to forget the community and always lend a hand. She also spoke about the importance of unifying a nation divided by racism and classism. “We all come from somewhere, and it’s important that we remember from whence we came,” Harris concluded.

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3. Californian Julia Morgan is first woman admitted to the Ecole de BeauxArts in Paris, 1898 The 26-year-old Morgan had already earned a degree in civil engineering from Berkeley, where she was one of just 100 female students in the entire university (and the only female engineer). After she received her certification in architecture from the Ecole de Beaux-Arts, the best architecture school in the world, Morgan returned to California. There, she became the first woman licensed to practice architecture in the state and an influential champion of the Arts and Crafts movement. Though she is most famous for building the “Hearst Castle,” a massive compound for the publisher William Randolph Hearst in San Simeon, California, Morgan designed more than 700 buildings in her long career. She died in 1957.

in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Since state “Comstock Laws” banned contraceptives and the dissemination of information about them, Sanger’s clinic was illegal; as a result, on October 26, the city vice squad raided the clinic, arresting its staff and seizing its stock of diaphragms and condoms. Sanger tried to reopen the clinic twice more, but police forced her landlord to evict her the next month, closing it for good. In 1921, Sanger formed the American Birth Control League, the organization that eventually became Planned Parenthood.

5. Edith Wharton is the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize, 1921 Wharton won the prize for her 1920 novel The Age of Innocence. Like many of Wharton’s books, The Age of Innocence was a critique of the insularity and hypocrisy of the upper class in turn-of-the-century New 4. Margaret Sanger opens York. The book has infirst birth control clinic in spired several stage and the United States, 1916 screen adaptations, and In October 1916, the the writer Cecily Von nurse and women’s rights Ziegesar has said that it activist Margaret Sanger was the model for her opened the first Ameri- popular Gossip Girl secan birth control clinic ries of books.

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After that first trip across the ocean, which took more than 20 hours, Amelia Earhart became a celebrity: She won countless awards, got a tickertape parade down Broadway, wrote a best-selling book about her famous flight, and became an editor at Cosmopolitan magazine. In 1937, Earhart attempted to be the first female pilot to fly around the world, and the first pilot of any gender to circumnavigate the globe at its widest point, the Equator. Along with her navigator Fred Noonan, Earhart successfully hopscotched from Miami to Brazil, Africa, India, and Australia. Six weeks after they began their journey, Earhart and Noonan left New Guinea for the U.S. territory of Howland Island, but they never arrived. No trace of Earhart, Noonan or their plane was ever found. Did you know? The 15 states that never ratified the Equal Rights Amendment are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, 7. Amelia Earhart is the Oklahoma, South Carofirst woman to cross the lina, Utah, and Virginia. Atlantic in an airplane, 1928 6. Activist Alice Paul proposes the Equal Rights Amendment for the first time, 1923 For almost 50 years, women’s-rights advocates like Alice Paul tried to get Congress to approve the Equal Rights Amendment; finally, in 1972, they succeeded. In March of that year, Congress sent the proposed amendment– “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex”–to the states for ratification. Twenty-two of the required 38 states ratified it right away, but then conservative activists mobilized against it. (The ERA’s straightforward language hid all kinds of sinister threats, they claimed: It would force wives to support their husbands, send women into combat and validate gay marriages.) This anti-ratification campaign was a success: In 1977, Indiana became the 35th and last state to ratify the ERA. In June 1982, the ratification deadline expired. The amendment has never been passed.

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Cover Story

National Women’s History Cover Month Story

Natalie Lynch: Banking icon finances superior experience By JOYCELYNE FADOJUTIMI/IPLUS.COM

ike many of her noble callings, Natalie Lynch cites her immediate ancestors as her role models. Her mother Cindy Lassen and grandmother, Dora Montana were both hardworking women who expertly, lovingly balanced their careers and family lives. Through them she learned her strong work ethic, found perfect balance and how to pass on this legacy to her own children, sons Sam, 14, and ten-year-old Jack.

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Husband David Lynch is another pillar of support. According to Ms. Lynch, “He is the master chef, and we just reap the benefits.” Except for holidays and major family events, he does most of the cooking at home. During times of heavy culinary demand, they both put on aprons and work as a kitchen team. Before embarking on her banking career, Ms. Lynch pulled down her business

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administration and a major in finance bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Tyler. She did not stop working, either. "I decided to continue

my banking education by attending and graduating from the Southwest Graduate School of Banking at SMU," she says.

903.291.0020 1408 Lago Trail Longview heartis.com

Assisted Living and Memory Care Community

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"The bank encourages community outreach and involvement to all employees and provides nearly $700,000 in charitable giving each year." – Natalie Lynch, Executive Vice President and Regional President, Austin Bank

"This three-year program broadened my banking knowledge significantly and allowed me to connect with bankers all over the state and country." It is important to note, her banking career started when she was in college. A local bank granted her an internship, putting her to work in credit analysis and underwriting. This was all it took to convince her to major in finance, giving birth to her life's work. After graduation, she hired on with Austin Bank, and has spent the past twenty-one years as a major asset to this institution. She initially worked in the credit analysis department before moving on to lending. She now serves as the bank's executive vice-president and regional president. In this capacity she manages all banks in the North Region, which includes Gilmer, Marshall and all

five Longview locations. Although banking has traditionally been a man's job, Lynch has helped make this inclination a thing of the past. She overcomes all challenges simply by doing her best. "My key to success has always been to keep my head down, work extremely hard and let the work speak for itself," she says. "I have never been the type to compare myself to others." Moreover, banking ideally suits her desire for many close and profitable relationships. She loves collaborating with local businesses and seeing her input make a positive difference. Regardless of whether she is assisting someone with his first-ever home purchase or structuring a financing package for a small business, she loves banking and how it enables her to assist others. "I have always said

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banking has never felt like work to me," she says. "It is a gift that has fulfilled me both professionally and personally. Quite simply I live by the Golden Rule." Besides banking, she finds to donate her time, talents, and treasures to Longview and the Lone Star state. She has spent the past five years working with the Longview Economic Development Corporation and is currently its chair. Moreover, she has toiled selflessly with the Junior League of Longview, Junior Achievement and Newgate Mission. In addition, her work as a director with Texas Lyceum enabled her to bring together various thought leaders of diverse backgrounds and political ideologies to advance civil discourse and further constructive private sector, public sector and individual responses to all

matters impacting Texas. Still, her banking career is another avenue to helping her community. "The bank encourages community outreach and involvement to all employees, and provides nearly $700,000 in charitable giving each year," she says. Despite her long list of accomplishments in pursuit of her passion for helping others, Lynch feels she still has a long way to go, both as a priceless community leader and as a wife and mother. "My goals are to continue to see success in my career, and most importantly to give back to the community and state that I love," she says. "I am also looking forward to watching my two sons grow into the gentlemen they are becoming and enjoying all of these wonderful years with my loving husband."

"My goals are to continue to see success in my career, and most importantly to give back to the community and state that I love. I am also looking forward to watching my two sons grow into the gentlemen they are becoming and enjoying all of these wonderful years with my loving husband."

– Natalie Lynch, Executive Vice President and Regional President, Austin Bank

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Cover Story

National Women’s History Month

Ana Suriano: A Paragon of Faith and Service By JOYCELYNE FADOJUTIMI/IPLUS.COM

na Suriano is quick to name four priceless attributes her parents and the Christian faith have imparted to her: 1. God first. When you place Him first in your life everything else will fall into place. He will always guide you. 2. Appreciation. Be grateful for what you have received. 3. The Golden Rule. Always treat others with kindness. It is a constant reminder for me as to who I am. 4. Gratitude for life. When we wake up every morning it is a special gift from God. Not every day is granted, which is why I am grateful to be given another day to serve His purpose. Suriano's cultural background is as rich as her faith in the Almighty. Her father was six years old when he immigrated to this country from Italy, while her mother came here from Mexico in her early twenties. "I am grateful to be of Italian and Mexican descent," she says. "It is the best of two cultures."

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She is a daddy's girl. Her father is the glue that holds the family together, a literal jack of all trades. Most important of all in a global world, he is bilingual fluent in English and Italian. "There is nothing he cannot do," she says. "He is my superhero." Ana, too, seems capable of almost anything. After high school, she moved on to Kilgore College and explored the general basics of higher education in search of her true calling. After graduating with an associate degree, she enrolled in LeTourneau University, and fell in love with the school. Studying in this Christian environment taught her a great deal about herself

and her most promising career paths. "I think the most memorable part of attending LeTourneau was being able to deepen my faith in God," she says. "It helped me understand God as a whole, and that has stayed with me ever since." Her thirst for learning led her to study what she calls "the Chamber of Commerce world." She sought to understand how Chambers operate by pursuing course work through the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. She emerged from her studies ready and able for her career. In May, she will celebrate two years of working as a marketing

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BartlettFineJewelry.com The Village Shopping Center 2002 Judson Road, Suite 101 Longview, Texas 75605 (903) 758 . 4367

National Women's History Month

2019

Honoring the accomplishments of JEWELRY women that makes this country the best in the world

BartlettFineJewelry.com The Village Shopping Center 2002 Judson Road, Suite 101 Longview, Texas 75605 (903) 758 . 4367

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2019

Cover Story and membership consultant for the Longview Chamber of Commerce. She concentrates on marketing membership to potential investors in pursuit of the Longview Chamber's objective of advocating for businesses to help them prosper and grow. "We contribute to building a stronger community by keeping our membership focused and involved in the top business, civic and social priorities of the community," she says. Keeping others happy and content is nothing new for her. Prior to going to work for the local CoC she had a career in hospitality, working for Hilton. Despite her success in this field, she felt drawn to the Chamber opportunity when it arose. "I believe everything happens for a reason," she says. "This is where I am supposed to be right now because He has led me here." A lifetime of overcoming obstacles was already behind her and had prepared her for taking the plunge into civic government. She was the first in her family to graduate from

high school, and the first to attend college. She graduated from LeTourneau at the top of her class, with a 4.0 grade point average. This established in her a healthy dose of selfconfidence that led her to a succession of successes and realization that no barrier is insurmountable. "You just have to try your hardest and never give up on yourself no matter how difficult it becomes," she says. This philosophy is crucial in a profession in which every day is unpredictable. As a CoC employee she must always expect the unexpected as she negotiates endlessly changing initiatives and projects daily. She thrives on the ongoing variety of her calling, and how it gives her opportunities to help others. "There is no doubt that I am a people person, so of course the best part of my job is networking with other people," she says. "I enjoy meeting new people. I get to see different perspectives, and I love the personalities it comes with." The sole drawback she sees in her profession is that there simply is not time enough in the day to complete as many selfless

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Cover Story

tasks as she would like. She is terribly aware of the many community needs around her, but despite her eagerness to help she does not cut corners. She completes each task one thorough step at a time. She is also clear on a major factor hindering younger women entering today's workforce. At the tender age of twenty-four she has accomplished much more than so many others twice her years. She advises girls to not allow their youth to define them or cause them to be underestimated. She considers her youth an advantage. "You have so much to offer with your own perspective, ideas and skills," she says. "Put your mind to it and you

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will flourish." Again, it goes back to her fervent faith in God. She converted to Christianity when she was sixteen and describes it as "a life-changing moment" as her Lord and Savior filled her heart with unconditional love. She realizes she owes everything she has accomplished in her young life to Him. Placing God first in her life set her on the track to worldly success in careers that are essentially in His service. "My day starts and ends with His Word," she says. "I am grateful to be living the life that God has blessed me with, and words can never express the appreciation I hold for my Father in heaven." Ana Suriano's life is truly an example to follow.

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Cover Story

Nona Snoddy:

Education and service key for City Councilwoman District 2

By JOYCELYNE FADOJUTIMI/IPLUS.COM

ona Snoddy learned early about the far-ranging effects of personal tragedy, and not just her own. For years she and high school classmate Melson Snoddy scarcely noticed each other, but their junior year in college he lost his mother to cancer. Upon offering her sincere condolences she realized, "we had more in com-

mon than I realized." It has been thirty-five years since they married, and have two beautiful daughters, Roshundalyn Chardee Snoddy and Rikki Jonese Snoddy. "I can't begin to express how these two would change our lives and complete us," she says. "Being first-time parents was challenging, but we made it through." It was the first of many successes made possible by fine role models. Nona’s parents made sure she grew up in a loving family that shared deep affection despite nearpoverty. The Almighty and prayer were always the main priority as her mother and grandmother faithfully laid all troubles on the Lord's alter. He always came through. "Going to church three times on Sunday was non-negotiable, as well as being on program and participating in church," she says. "When I look back over my life and I think about how things really were, it was only by the grace of God that we made it through." As her mother had taught her,

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Nona passed on to her own daughters the crucial Biblical message that it is more blessed to give than to receive. After graduating from Longview High School in 1978, she moved on to East Texas State University and took her Bachelor of Science degree in sociology and physical education in 1982. She aimed for a career as a P.E. coach, but the Lord sent her in another direction. Exploiting her natural compassion, patience, creativity, and faith she commenced a career in recreation, mental health, and education. She was a blessing to all she worked with as she moved from position to position, eventually winding up today as a special education teacher with the Longview Independent School District and doing a magnificent job for the past seventeen years. "I have only worked in an alternative setting with the most challenging students," she says. "I wouldn't trade this experience for anything." Her passion for improving the lives of others (particularly children) is the proverbial gift from God. She must |

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National Women’s History Cover Month Story perform multiple roles as an educator, and not all of them can be found in textbooks. For her, no situation in which a child has needs to be addressed is abnormal or out of routine. She considers one of her greatest roles as that of humanitarian as she looks upon her students as part of her Christian family. Her faith is the driving force that makes her and her ministrations successful as she and her students weather the darkest times and come out ahead. Her early Baptism and lifelong exposure to the direct influence of Jesus allows her own light to shine. "With faith all things are possible," she says. "My faith is what allows me to withstand the obstacles in life." A native East Texan, as a child she was always able to be a part of friends' and neighbors' family lives. This taught her that caring, and sharing is

the way to unify a community. She still lives in South Longview because "that is where my heart is." Most of her memories of this neighborhood are positive and worthwhile." Despite her workload, she even finds time to serve as a city council representative, which she considers a personal (not official) committment. In keeping with her unselfish, giving nature she uses her political position to collaborate with other organizations and initiate such community events as CPR (Compassion, Pride and Respect.) "My involvement has and always will be personal," she says. "The things I do are not for show, but to enhance the life of another individual." Helping those in need is what she loves. Sharing her God-given blessings with others comes naturally to her as she strives to do her Lord's will

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without standing out or making personal demands. "Any position I hold earns me no credit," she says. "I decrease so that the God in me may increase."

"My involvement has and always will be personal. The things I do are not for show, but to enhance the life of another individual."

Nona Snoddy, Educator and City Councilwoman District 2

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National Women’s History Month

Zoe Martin:

A Picture of Fortitude and Success "When you find something that makes your heart sing, pursue it. Do not make excuses. Make a way." Zoe Martin, - Principal, Zoe Martin Photography By JOYCELYNE FADOJUTIMI/IPLUS.COM

h i l e she was g r ow i n g up, Zoe Martin's mother encouraged her to believe in herself and to gravitate toward a career in business. She strongly believed that "If a job's worth

doing, it's worth doing right the first time." Hence, her daughter feels the same way. Her father conveyed the same message, and now Zoe's children are hearing this indisputable philosophy from her. But that is not all. Ms. Martin holds

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firmly to the Reverend Dr. Jack Hyles' assertion that, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." From the beginning this family has lived on love and good advice. "We make time for our kiddoes," she says. "Once a week we gather in the kitchen and make pizza from scratch." Zoe is celebrating twenty-five years of harmonious marriage with her Hubby Frank who she endearingly calls him, “Sweet Baboo." They have three adorable children. Zoe and Hubby Frank have long associated themselves with the spiritual well-being of youth through church activities. However, they learned not to spend so much time at it that they did not have enough time for their own |

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kiddoes. This resulted in the pizza-making family night – a tradition in the Martin family. Zoe started out studying elementary education at Anderson College in Crown Point, Indiana, but changed majors and graduated with an MRS degree. Nonetheless, her first course was not waste. For example, it enabled her to home school her own children. Still, photography was the career she chose, hence, she learned from the best. "Sue Bryce Education has to be my favorite hands down," she says. "She teaches not only photography, but the importance of showing women their value." By following this sterling example, Martin uses this expertise to delight infinitieplus

March 2021

her own clients. She makes certain their self-confidence soars before they sit in front of her lenses. It is absolutely important to note, complimentary hair styling and makeup are part of her photo sessions. Besides excelling in headshots, glamour, and videography as owner/operator of Zoe Martin Photography, she works as general manager for Landmark Social, Longview's newest event venue downtown. She is a relative newcomer, having opened her photography studio when she moved to Longview three years ago, and has been with Landmark Social since it opened in October 2020. When Zoe started, she worked primarily as a baby photographer, but found her true calling taking pictures of adults. When she

relocated to Longview, she elected to specialize in personal branding, which drew her to Landmark Social. "I'm a networker," she says. "Knowing that networking would benefit the venue and promote life in downtown [Longview] at the same time...it was a win-win." Martin’s Personal Brand Photography offers headshots, Behind the Scenes, products, teams, food, and events. Since the pandemic has curtailed so many functions and activities, she has switched her emphasis to Modern Glamour portraits, which are her favorite work anyway. "To see women, gain self-confidence from the initial consultation right through to their personalized session when I show them all the fabulous prod-

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uct options, they have to display their portraits...it is empowering for them," she says. Upon setting up her business, she quickly joined the Longview Chamber of Commerce, hooked up with local networking groups, and became a graduate of the Leadership Longview class of 2020. There is more. Moreover, in April of 2020, she joined forces with local ladies Lisa Mull, Lynette McKinley, and Caroline Sikes to form Successful Women Influencing the Future Today (SWIFT,) which donates to 100-Plus Women of Longview. SWIFT has not let the pandemic curtail its activities. "Our mission is to help women entrepreneurs and business leaders thrive," she says. "As a collective we support the development of their Godgiven talents and abilities to bless others." For Martin, a typical day finds her planted in front of her computer, working sessions two to three hours long. Then, there are consultations, planning, retouching, designing, gallery reveals and marketing. She handles it all from her desk. It is all in pursuit of her mission to empower women. She delightfully takes it in

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strides because it is not an easy ride, either. "Women's tendency is to replay negativity in their own minds," she says. "It doesn't matter how old you were when someone said something that hurt your feelings or commented negatively about how you looked...you remember." She convinces her clients of their beauty, and then proves it by taking photos that she calls, "the icing on the cake." This as close as she comes to marketing. She will network as long as it takes to get her job done but does not want to come across as "salesy." She shares her techniques for championing the fairer sex with young ladies. "When you find something that makes your heart sing, pursue it," she says. "Don't make excuses. Make a way." Additionally, Martin finds time for much more than her professional careers. For example, she volunteers with the Martin House, Children Advocacy Center, photographing its fund-raising events, stuffing goody bags, sitting with families in the office, and making headshot benefit events. She also takes their staff's headshots. Martin House CAC workload March 2021

has increased dramatically during the pandemic. "The numbers of abuse cases has risen," she says. "The statistics are heartbreaking." As a matter of fact, Zoe’s expertise is widely used even in losses. Her photographic skills have benefitted the organization Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, (NILMDTS) where she is an affiliate photographer and a community volunteer. She has worked with them for five years providing heartwarming remembrance photography to families experiencing the death of

infants. She provides this service completely complimentary. NILMDTS serves all East Texas. They can be reached at https:// www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org. Indeed, this was a venture she embarked on, almost fearfully. "When I first applied, I didn't think I could keep my emotions intact, but then I realized this moment isn't about me," she says. "This service is a healing journey for the families we are blessed to meet through their difficult situation." Zoe’s faith is strong, and she has no problems

"I'm a networker. Knowing that networking would benefit the venue and promote life in downtown [Longview] at the same time... it was a win-win." - Zoe Martin sharing it. She knows some can conceal their sins better than others, but she hopes that “when people look at her, they see Christ."

"My faith is believing that God sent His Son to cover my sins with His sinless blood," Zoe says. "He looked beyond my faults and forgave me."

Famous Firsts in Women’s History 8. Frances Perkins becomes the first female member of a Presidential cabinet, 1933 Frances Perkins, a sociologist, and Progressive reformer in New York, served as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Secretary of Labor. She kept her job until 1945. 9. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League becomes the first professional baseball league for female players, 1943

Women had been playing professional baseball for decades: Starting in the 1890s, gender-integrated “Bloomer Girls” teams (named after the feminist Amelia Bloomer) traveled around the country, challenging men’s teams to games–and frequently winning. As the men’s minor leagues expanded, however, playing opportunities for Bloomer Girls decreased, and the last of the teams called it quits in 1934. But by 1943, so many major-league stars

had joined the armed services and gone off to war that stadium owners and baseball executives worried that the game would never recover. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was the solution to this problem: It would keep ballparks filled and fans entertained until the war was over. For 12 seasons, more than 600 women played for the league’s teams, including the Racine (Wisconsin) Belles, the Rockford (Illinois) Peaches, the Grand Rap-

ids (Michigan) Chicks and the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Daisies. The AAGPBL disbanded in 1954. 10. The FDA announces its approval of “The Pill,” the first birth-control drug, 1960 In October 1959, the pharmaceutical company G.D. Searle applied for a license from the federal Food and Drug Administration to sell its drug Enovid, a combination of the hormone’s estrogen and progesterone, for

Famous Firsts in Women’s History use as an oral contraceptive. FDA approval was not guaranteed: For one thing, the agency was uncomfortable with the idea of allowing doctors to prescribe drugs to healthy people; for another, the young bureaucrat assigned to the case was fixated on moral and religious, not scientific, objections to the pill. Despite all this, Enovid was approved for short-term use in October 1960. 11. Katherine Graham becomes the first woman to become a Fortune 500 CEO, 1972 When Katherine Graham, known as “Kay,” took over leadership of The Washington Company in 1972, she became the first woman to be CEO of a Fortune 500 Company. Under her leadership, The Washington Post flourished and famously broke the story of the Watergate scandal to the world. 12. Janet Guthrie is the first woman to drive in the Indy 500, 1977 Guthrie was an aerospace engineer, training to

be an astronaut, when she was cut from the space program because she did not have her PhD. She turned to car racing instead and became the first woman to qualify for the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500. Mechanical difficulties forced her out of the 1977 Indy race, but the next year she finished in ninth place (with a broken wrist!). The helmet and suit that Guthrie wore in her first Indy race are on display in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. 13. President Ronald Reagan nominates Sandra Day O’Connor to be the first woman on the Supreme Court, 1981 Sandra Day O’Connor was confirmed that September. She did not have much judicial experience when she began her Supreme Court term—she had only been a judge for a few years and had never served on a federal court—but she soon made a name for herself as one of the Court’s most thoughtful centrists. O’Connor retired in 2006.

Tampa Bay Lighting in a preseason exhibition game, making her the first woman to play in any of the major men’s sports leagues in the U.S. In that game, she deflected seven of nine shots; however, she was taken out of the game early and never played in a regularseason game. Rheaume led the Canadian women’s 15. Aretha Franklin be- national team to victory in comes the first women the 1992 and 1994 World elected to the Rock and Hockey Championships. Roll Hall of Fame, 1987 The team also won silver Aretha Franklin, “The at the 1998 Olympics in Queen of Soul” known Nagano, Japan. for megahits like the feminist anthem “Respect,” 17. Madeleine Albright became the first woman becomes the first female elected to the Rock and Secretary of State, 1997 Roll Hall of Fame on JanIn January 1997, the uary 3, 1987. international-relations expert Madeleine K. Al16. Manon Rheaume is bright was sworn in as the the first woman to play in United States’ 64th Secrean NHL game, 1992 tary of State. She was the Manon Rheaume, a first woman to hold that goalie from Quebec City, job, which made her the Canada, was no stranger highest-ranking woman to firsts: She was well- in the federal governknown for being the first ment’s history. Before female player to take President Bill Clinton the ice in a major boys’ asked her to be part of junior hockey game. In his Cabinet, Albright had 1992, Rheaume was the served as the country’s starting goalie for the Permanent Representative National Hockey League’s to the United Nations. 14. Joan Benoit wins the first women’s Olympic Marathon, 1984 At the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, Joan Benoit (today known as Joan Benoit Samuelson) finished the first-ever women’s marathon in 2:24.52. She finished 400 meters ahead of the silver medalist, Norway’s Grete Waitz.

Contd. on Page 34

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Chris Hudson: Helps keep Longview clean and beautiful

hris Hudson is a prized employee of the City of Longview Public Works. Her position is senior equipment operator. Most importantly, her job is a vital one that she has flawlessly performed for the past eleven years. Not many women do what she does, and very few people do it as well as she does.

Ms. Hudson drives her sanitation truck four days per week. She also services 3.5yard waste routes daily and picks up overlooked trash when needed. Her expertise is a labor of love. It did not come easily. "It was hard for me as a female working in what is usually a man's position," she says. "I try to stay focused and positive every day and provide

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Famous Firsts in Women’s History In 2004, Condoleezza Rice became the second woman–and first African American woman to hold the job. Five years later, in January 2009, the former Senator (and First Lady) Hillary Rodham Clinton became the third female Secretary of State. 18. Kathryn Bigelow becomes the first woman to win an Oscar for Best Director, 2010 The American film director Kathryn Big-

elow’s 2008 film “The Hurt Locker” garnered six Oscars on March 7, 2010, including the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture. Written by Mark Boal, a former journalist who covered the war in Iraq, the movie follows an Army bomb squad unit as they conduct dangerous missions and battle personal demons in wartorn Baghdad. Bigelow, whose previous films include “Strange Days” and

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“Point Break,” was the first woman to take home the Best Director distinction. She triumphed over her former husband, James Cameron, whose science fiction epic “Avatar” was another presumed front-runner.

state was officially nominated as the Democratic nominee, becoming the first woman from a major party to achieve that feat. Clinton had previously mounted an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2008 (before losing to Barack Obama in the 19. Hillary Clinton be- Democratic primary) comes first female presi- and fought off a strong dential nominee of a challenge by Vermont major party, 2016 Senator Bernie Sanders On July 26, 2016, in 2016 before clinching the former first lady, U.S. the glass ceiling-breaking senator and secretary of nomination.

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Chris Hudson with her sanitation truck

By JOYCELYNE FADOJUTIMI/IPLUS.COM

National Women’s History Month good customer service to everyone on my route even if I have to help others with theirs." Bolstered by a close, loving family she worked hard preparing for her career, attending Collen County Community College and Kilgore College. After becoming an ENT in Richardson, Texas back in the nineties she also took a couple of code enforcement classes. It led her to her present job. "I just wanted to work for the community and/or customer service," she says. Considering the crucial nature of her calling she has totally succeeded

in this quest as she starts her workdays at 7:00 a.m. by checking her truck to insure it is mechanically ready for its route. She also tries to plan to make certain her workday is safe, productive, and timely. Her truck and its upkeep are the main issues facing her daily. She is very, very good at getting the job done without anyone having to hover over her shoulder. "I know what is expected of me on a daily basis, and I am quite able to work in peace without supervision," she says. "I stay positive and make the best of my workdays." This simple, power-

fully correct philosophy is one she shares with young girls and women just entering the work force. She also recommends a completed education and a college degree "to better your life and future." Mostly, however, Chris Hudson professes her faith in Almighty God. "I believe and have faith that God never leaves my side," she says. "He's led me around this far and will continue to do so until I die." Few children grow up dreaming of a career as a sanitation worker. They might, however, if they knew this one.

Famous Firsts in Women’s History 20. Katie Sowers becomes first woman and first openly gay coach in Super Bowl history, 2020. On February 2, 2020, Katie Sowers became the first female coach—and the first openly gay coach—to guide her team at the Super Bowl. Sowers, a former quarterback, was an assistance coach for the San Francisco 49s as they took on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. While her team did not win, Sow-

ers broke records, saying: "Being the first, it is historic, but the most important thing is just to make sure I'm not the last."

dent. Harris's husband, Doug Emhoff, broke a barrier of his own, becoming the nation’s first second gentleman. Born and raised in 21. Kamala Harris be- Oakland, California, Harcomes first female, first ris is the daughter of JamaiBlack and first South- can and Indian immigrants Asian vice president in to the United States. She U.S. history, 2021. attended Howard UniverOn January 20, 2021, sity, a historically Black Kamala Harris was sworn university in Washington, in alongside 46th U.S. D.C., before embarking on president Joe Biden as the a career trajectory that took first-ever female vice presi- her from district attorney

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of San Francisco to California attorney general to U.S. senator. After Harris ended her own 2020 presidential run, former vice president Biden, the Democratic nominee, chose her as his running mate. History.com Editors https://www.history. com/topics/womenshistory/famous-firstsin-womens-history

March 2021

Getting here to there on your wedding YOUR FLOORING, LIGHTING, APPLIANCE AND MORE STORE

www.stone-works.net (903) 663-3344 SWIMMING POOLS AND SPAS

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ou have planned the date, met with the officiant, decided on what to wear, and booked the venue. But how are you going to arrive in style? Arranging wedding transportation can be tricky, even if it seems like it is a relatively minor detail. However, getting not only the bride and groom, as well as the rest of the bridal party and guests, from point A to point B and even point C is often a taller task than it seems. If the wedding will be held during prom or graduation season, couples may want to reserve vehicles even earlier due to high demand. While rented transportation is not necessary, it is a luxury many couples prefer, as it allows them to leave the driving to someone else. Generally speaking, hired cars will pick up the bride and groom separately before the ceremony; otherwise, they will arrive to the ceremony by other means and then utilize a limo or other vehicle afterward. The transportation will then take the married couple and typically members of the bridal party and immediate family to the reception venue And since the limos will leave after the reception drop off, some other form of transportation will be necessary to take the couple and whomever else rode to the reception

back home (or to the airport). Budget also will dictate if transportation is provided for other guests. The majority or guests will drive their own cars to the wedding. However, if the ceremony and reception site are far apart or if the journey is arduous and out of the way, some well-meaning couples will arrange for transport Pricing out different options can yield the most cost-effective route, which very well may be a school or charter bus instead of several limousines. Couples can start the process by asking their reception venue for transportation recommendations. Or if there are hotel accommodations after the party, the hotel may have connections or offer shuttle services.

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How couples can benefit from hiring local

ngagements precede wedding dresses, flower arrangements, limousines, and even a couple’s wedding vows. And no proposal is complete without a ring. Knowledge of rings and stones is essential for those who plan to propose in the near future. A recent survey from the wedding resource The Knot in which 12,000 brides and 1,200 grooms in the United States were asked about their rings, found that people spend an average, of $5,978 on engagement rings. Recognizing the potential cost of engagement rings can help ring shoppers prepare for their purchases. In addition to considering costs, couples can employ the following tips to shop with confidence. Know your settings. How the diamond is framed can affect how big it looks and even how much it sparkles. Get the desired cut. A skilled jeweler knows how to properly cut a stone to bring out its best radiance. From round to princess to emerald to mar-

quise cut, cut styles can affect how the stone looks as well as the price. Know ring metals. Platinum and gold are some of the most popular ring setting metals. Platinum costs considerably more than gold or silver but is long-lasting. Investigate personal style. Men should pay attention to the jewelry their girlfriends wear so the engagement rings complement their style. Some women love modern jewelry, while others gravitate toward vintage pieces. Jewelry stores are in the business of developing relationships with their customers. When purchasing engagement rings, couples can discuss their desires in regard to a ring, as well as their budgets.

ocal vendors are often a go-to choose when couples are planning their wedding ceremonies and receptions. As the shop local movement grows in popularity, weddings present a prime opportunity to embrace this movement. Couples may have different ideas regarding where to tie the knot, but local vendors can be hired regardless of geography. Hometowns might be the traditional choice regarding wedding location.

Savings: Couples who travel for their weddings and employ local vendors will not have to pack as much.

Familiarity: Local vendors will be familiar with the area and possibly even the location where the wedding will be held. That can help couples avoid having to give directions, discuss venue protocols, and handle other tasks that must be worked out with non-local vendors.

Environment: Individuals who take great strides to conserve resources by reducing their energy consumption and protecting the environment often find that shopping local is beneficial. Local vendors are more likely to source their materials from other local businesses, reducing their carbon footprints along the way

Proximity: Local vendors can meet with brides and grooms more readily throughout the planning process, making things less stressful on the happy couple.

Customization: Working with local vendors often translates into getting more personalized service and attention than mass retailers or merchants can provide.

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