Dallas Weekly‘s 25 to watch in 2008

by Cheryl Smith of Dallas Weekly

Once again we are at that time of the year when The Dallas Weekly decides its list of 25 People to Watch. This list is always controversial and brings out the best and worst in folks. In addition to the folks selected for the Class of 2008, we urge you to be on the lookout at the polls as well as the courtrooms. The Dallas Weekly will be paying attention to the financial landscape also and that will be one of the hardest tasks of the year because of the quickness with which dollars leave the Black communities! Still, we are looking forward to a prosperous 2008, with focus on family, home training, education, financial security and independence, health, and combating crime. Many of those listed in this year's Class of 2008 are already doing their part. What are or will you do to make the list in 2009?

First we begin with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the oldest public service sorority in the world for Black women. 2008 marks its Centennial, and it will be an exciting year around the world for not only are there celebrations but also more attention will focus on the many programs and causes this organization of college-educated women has championed for 100 years. Barbara McKinzie is the International Grand Basileus (President). Locally AKA has several chapters, and we'll be watching and celebrating with them. Alpha Xi Omega, Omicron Mu Omega, Tau Rho Omega, Upsilon Lambda Omega, Xi Theta Omega, Chi Zeta Omega and Arlington Alumnae are the graduate chapters, and there are chapters on many of the college campuses throughout the metroplex. We look forward to seeing the ladies in their apple green and salmon pink as well as their 20 pearls!

Tennell Atkins is the District 8 Representative on the Dallas City Council. He is serving as the vice chair of the Economic Development committee and he serves on the Housing and Public Safety committees. Mr. Atkins is also chair of the Mayor's Task Force on Southern Sector Economic Opportunities. Following in the footsteps of James Fantroy and Al Lipscomb, Mr. Atkins has already been visible and vocal. He has been responsive to constituents and has shown concern about their issues, as well as their demands. He gets out in the community and that's a good thing. Mr. Atkins' district has been the subject of development talks and he will be expected to play a big role in the revitalization of that area and citizens will be anxious to see what happens under his leadership.

Dorothy Burton is the at-large City Council member in Duncanville. Learning from the likes of former Dallas County Judge Lee Jackson and County Commissioner John Wiley Price, Ms. Burton has won three elections and most recently was elected to the National League of Cities (NLC) Women in Municipal Government (WIMG) board of directors. A charter graduate of Dallas Blueprint for Leadership and a graduate of Leadership Southwest and Leadership Texas, Ms. Burton was the first African American elected to the Duncanville City Council and is serving her third term. She is a graduate of UTA with a bachelor's degree in Communications and a Masters in Urban Affairs. Duncanville is growing and as it tries to keep up with the boom in Cedar Hill, it will be interesting to see what happens.

Dwaine Caraway is the Deputy Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Dallas. A member of Friendship-West Baptist Church, Mr. Caraway is also a member of the Pylon Salesmanship Club, Cotillion Idlewild Club, Dallas NAACP, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and Cedar Crest Neighborhood Association/Board Member. The Texas Southern University alum is a former Vice President of the Dallas Parks & Recreation Board and former Chair of the South Dallas/Fair Park Trust Fund. Mr. Caraway has been hosting town hall meetings for Dallas' youth, and he has been very vocal in calling for young men to pull their pants up and to stop letting them sag. In 2008, Mr. Caraway is expected to appear on the CBS show Dr. Phil to discuss young men walking around with their pants sagging. Additionally, Mr. Caraway has been meeting with groups throughout the City, to get an idea of concerns citizens have. He also has a 20-Point Plan worth watching.

Thelma Sanders Clardy was the first African-American women elected to the DeSoto City Council and is in her third term. Ms. Clardy received her undergraduate degree cum laude from Tennessee State University in 1976, and in 1979 she received her law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. An active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Ms. Clardy is the founder of the Dallas Association of Black Women Attorneys. Ms. Clardy has served on several professional and community boards the State Bar of Texas, the Dallas Bar Association, J. L. Turner Legal Association, Visiting Nurse Association, Child Care Dallas, and the Women's Center of Dallas.

District 7 grassroots community members were ecstatic when Carolyn Davis was elected to her first term on the Dallas City Council in May 2007 because she had been in the trenches with them. A life-long resident of South Dallas, she attended Charles Rice Elementary, Pearl C. Anderson Middle School and James Madison High School. She is the president of the Queen City Neighbors in Action/Crime Watch and a former board member of Community Development Commission, North Texas Housing Coalition, Urban Rehabilitation Standards Board and Preservation Dallas. Currently a board member of the African-American Museum, Ms. Davis was a recipient of the Allstate Community Service Award.

The Democratic Party has long been an embarrassment in Dallas County, especially when it comes to raising funds and getting out the vote for Black Democrats. Well, it appears the Democratic Party has been born again. In the 2006 election, it was all about the Democrats, so it will be interesting to see what the future holds. There have been Democrats who were elected then and have since shown that they deserve to continue in office. And then there are others... Anyway, in 2008, there's the presidential election, Commissioner John Wiley Price is up for reelection along with others, and then there are some Democrats who have returned to the Party and are seeking posts. We'll see what the Party and voters say in November.

L. Diane Evans is the national president of the 2000 member The Urban Financial Services Coalition formerly known as the National Association of Urban Bankers (NAUB). UFSC is an organization of minority professionals in the financial services industry and related fields. Affiliation with UFSC offers a unique opportunity to influence the shape of the banking and financial services industry. Ms. Evans has been president of the local chapter, which has been active in the area, including hosting professional development seminars for students at Paul Quinn College. She is a diversity officer for JP Morgan Chase Bank for the Treasury and Security Services Department. The mother of two, Jarius and Jamel, is also chair of UJIMA (the JP Morgan Chase African American Networking Group), serves as the southern sector advisory board chair of the YMCA. According to Ms. Evans, we'll be seeing a lot about the UFSC under her leadership.

A definite upset when the Democrats swept the elections in '06 had to be the unseating of Dallas County Treasurer Lisa Hembry who is now president and CEO of Dallas iMedia Network (formerly Dallas Community Television). The former CEO of the Dallas Historical Society, Ms. Hembry is a past board member of the Dallas Museum of Art, the African American Museum, and the National Museum of Miniature Arts. She is a past member of the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Texas County and District Retirement System, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington, D.C. Ms. Hembry received a bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University and was recently appointed to the Texas Historical Commission by Gov. Rick Perry. As the cable industry changes, expect to see exciting programming and activities from Dallas iMedia Network and Ms. Hembry. And don't count her out in the political arena--she still has a lot of support.

Kathleen Hicks is the Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Fort Worth. Representing southeast Fort Worth (District 8), the young, energetic, conscientious and conscious Ms. Hicks is a force to be reckoned with. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Nottingham University in England, Ms. Hicks comes from a family of activists; her mother is Judge Maryellen Hicks. In Kathleen Hicks' first election, she garnered about 90 percent of the vote, and she has not let her constituents down. She has worked relentlessly in their best interest, battling everyone from Republicans and those who consider themselves to be the powerbrokers to special interest folks. But Ms. Hicks remains focused and won't back down when she is fighting for what she believes in. A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Ms. Hicks, like many of the women in her family, has traveled extensively and is particularly interested in humanitarian efforts in the Sudan, Darfur and working to find a cure for AIDS.

Vonciel Jones Hill was elected to the Dallas City Council District 5 last year. But she's no stranger around town, having served as a municipal court judge, assistant city attorney and Dallas County district court administrator. She has received degrees from UT, Atlanta University, Rice University and SMU. She also received the Doctor of Humane Letters (Ph.D. Honorary) from Paul Quinn College. Her service is extensive, from serving on the Board of Trustees for Paul Quinn and as senior pastor of Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church to assistant and associate pastor of St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church. Hill also serves on the advisory board for Mothers Against Teen Violence. Councilmember Hill is exciting to watch in action. She knows who she is and whose she is, so you can expect her to make a big difference during her term.

Brenda Jackson is the senior vice president of customer/community for TXU Electric Delivery. With 32 years of service to TXU, Jackson brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her position in customer relations and community affairs. Previously, she served as senior vice president of electric asset ownership for Oncor. In this role, Ms. Jackson was responsible for customer and market services, relationship management, and economic development and transmission services. In addition to her career in community outreach, Ms. Jackson is a devoted community servant. This graduate of Prairie View A&M serves on the board at Presbyterian Hospital and the Dallas Symphony. Jackson previously served on the boards of Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas Museum of Art, Metropolitan Young Women's Christian Association, North Texas Commission and the Dallas Opera. Also, Jackson is a past trustee of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas and served on the Dallas Regional Selection Panel for the 2004, 2005, and 2006 White House Fellowship Program.

Ella Goode Johnson was elected president of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. last year. Interestingly, she also served in that same post 24 years ago. The retired General Motors Corp. employee is a community servant and was the first female chair of the board of directors of The Black Academy of Arts and Letters. In addition to holding several positions locally in Delta Sigma Theta, she has also served regionally and nationally. A member of Concord Missionary Baptist Church, Ms. Johnson graduated from UNT with a degree in business and received a master's degree from Amberton University. She is also a recipient of the UNT Green Glory Award and was selected to serve as honorary co-chair of UNT's yearlong observance of its 50th anniversary of desegregation. She established the Ella Goode Johnson Library and Resource Center at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Denton. As president of one of the largest DST chapters in the region, you can expect to see quite a bit of Ms. Johnson.

Willis Johnson is more than just a radio personality. Sure he's been on Soul 73 KKDA, waking you up in the mornings for the past three decades, but there's more to the Crooner than solving your love problems with a song. If there's a winning campaign, you can bet that Willis Johnson is associated in some way. A graduate of East Texas State University, Mr. Johnson has used the airwaves to educate, entertain, offer testimonies, provide assistance and advocate. At one point he also hosted a television show, bringing some color and variety to a dismal scene in Dallas. Black businesses and the lovelorn have found a friend in Willis Johnson. Just check out his website www.willisdacrooner.com. Now he's having an impact in the political arena. We still wouldn't be surprised if we suddenly saw “vote for” signs popping up in the neighborhoods!

It won't be too hard to watch Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert--he's everywhere. And you know, they said the same thing about him when he was campaigning. He was all over the city then, and he has continued to make his presence felt. Who could have imagined that the first proclamation that he would present as Mayor would be to human/civil rights activist Dick Gregory? And Mayor Leppert has been around town to the community meetings, at school programs and wherever Dallas citizens are assembled. With freshman council members representing more than half of the City Council, it will be interesting to watch Mr. Leppert navigate, build consensuses and effect change.

Actress Naima Imani Lett was featured in Prison Break last year. When she received her Masters degree, she was the first graduate to receive a masters in Media and Communications from Dallas Theological Seminary. Ms. Lett is also the co-founder of Lett's Rise, LLC, a new Dallas-based production company. Naima received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree as a top graduate of Howard University's Theatre Department and studied classical theatre with the British-American Drama Academy in Oxford, England. Recently, Naima garnered a Best Actress Nomination in the EDOC Film Festival. She had a recurring role in Lifetime's Original series Inspector Mom with star Danica McKellar (Wonder Years) and filmed a featured role in a 2008 Paramount feature film starring Brad Pitt. Naima also completed filming on Wire in the Blood to be released in 2008.

Bishop David Martin made headlines in 2007 when he brought together Black men to assist Principal Cheryl Northcutt at Frederick Douglass Elementary School. More than 100 men who mentored students--90 percent of whom come from single mother homes--joined Bishop Martin for the entire day. The author of "Late Bloomer,” Bishop Martin is a strong advocate of chivalry. He educates his men at Gospel Tabernacle on the importance of catering to women in an appropriate manner at all times. He assures us that his visit to Frederick Douglass Elementary was not a one-shot deal and that you will see men gathering and taking charge in the schools and the community.

Some might say that 2007 was the year to watch Curtistene McCowan, who had a school named in her honor in Glenn Heights, had a day designated in her honor by Mayors Bobby Waddle (DeSoto) and Clark Choate (Glenn Heights) and received the A. Maceo Smith Volunteer Service Award. The former DeSoto ISD Board Trustee president and former president of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority is President of the DeSoto Economic Development Corporation and a Texas Southern University Board of Trustees member. She is a charter member and the Immediate Past President of Concerned DeSoto Citizens (CDC). McCowan has also served on the Board of Directors for the North Texas Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and as a member of the Maurine F. Bailey Cultural Foundation Advisory Board. McCowan received a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Dallas Baptist University and an Associates Degree in Business Management from El Centro College. At the Omicron Mu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority's annual Image Awards in March, Ms. McCowan will become the second member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority to receive the prestigious award.

Shay Moore is young, gifted and Black and making waves at KRNB-FM as the Program Director. A native of Queens, NY, she attended Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC and earned a bachelor's degree in communications in 1999. She has worked at KSJM-FM in Wichita, KS, WPEG-Charlotte, WBAV-Charlotte and WBLK in Buffalo, NY. Previously Shay's column appeared in the Dallas Weekly. The only female in a line-up that includes Steve Harvey and Skip Murphy, Shay is making a name for herself in the industry as well as with community, civic and social organizations because of her work on and off the air. A member of Delta Sigma Theta, she has received awards for her outstanding community service. KRNB is climbing on the ratings chart and Shay has to receive some of the credit.

Margo Posey is the executive director of the Dallas-Fort Worth Minority Business Development Council. With the entrepreneurial scene rapidly increasing, it's imperative that "minority" vendors are represented and Ms. Posey does just that. She knows the landscape, and she is a strong advocate for business opportunities for minority-owned businesses. She has championed efforts locally and nationally on behalf of minority business utilization by private, public and governmental agencies. Ms. Posey holds a B.A. degree in political science from Kent State University and has completed M.B.A. course work at the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management. She holds certificates from Drucker Institute for Non-Profit Management and the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in its Minority Business Executive Program and its Advanced Executive Program.

Personal reasons prevented Lynn Flint Shaw from continuing her quest to join the Dallas City Council last year. But she has not disappeared and recently she was elected chair of the DART Board of Directors. While on the DART Board, Ms. Shaw chaired the Project Management Committee, served as vice chair of the Planning Committee and served on the External Communications, Budget/Finance and Operations committees. A graduate of Xavier University and the Louisiana State University Medical Center, Ms. Shaw has held numerous leadership roles, including as chair of the Arts Strategies Advisory Committee of the 2003 City of Dallas Bond Campaign, member of the Parkland Hospital Board, and executive board member of the Center for the Performing Arts Foundation and the Dallas Symphony Association executive committee. DART is going into new areas, has increased fares, is working to pick up more riders and finishing expansion work while attempting to keep those costs low. Ms. Shaw's action will definitely be worth watching.

Michael Sorrell is bringing back the rich tradition of the historically Black college to Paul Quinn College as he changes the culture by changing not only the dress code but also the "culture" of the school. Interestingly, if you watch The Great Debaters, you'll see that Mr. Sorrell is taking folks back to a time when dignity and respect were the order of the day. It is sad that he has critics because he has high expectations for his students. Mr. Sorrell has challenges ahead of him as he works tirelessly to increase funds and enrollment. This attorney and businessman knows what it takes to turn the college around. Hopefully, the resources will start rolling in so that our students can have the benefit of a quality education. Mr. Sorrell is meeting with everyone-- from the students and faculty to the business community, churches and elected officials. And he doesn't run from the media. Whenever and wherever he can tell the Paul Quinn story, he's there. Methodist churches--get on your jobs!

Ebony Steele arrived on the scene last year as the co-host of the Rickey Smiley Show on 97.9 The Beat. A longtime friend of the comedian/activist, Ms. Steele said that about 15 years ago Mr. Smiley told her when he made it she was going to be right there with him. And good thing. Ms. Steele, another member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, is one sharp sister, and as the show continues to gain listeners, you'll be seeing and hearing a lot more from her. She recently revealed that she has breast cancer and the topic has been discussed at length on the show. In coming months, we're sure that Ms. Steele will be sharing more of her story and educates listeners about the importance of getting tested and following through with treatment. The Dallas Weekly will share her story and encourage readers to get tested.

Pastor Robert Townsend is the senior pastor at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church. Hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas, Pastor Townsend is bringing excitement to Dallas' oldest Black congregation in Dallas County. Prior to arriving at Mt. Pisgah, he served as the pastor of the St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church, Little Rock. He was named Pastor of the Year in 1999 at the Greater Little Rock Baptist Pastors Conference. He has served as president of the Greater Little Rock Baptist Pastors' Conference, Christian Education Director for Consolidated Missionary Baptist State Convention of Arkansas Young Pastors Division, and teacher for the Consolidated Missionary Baptist State Convention Congress of Christian Education, Union District Congress of Christian Education, and the Golden Rule District Congress of Christian Education. A graduate of the Southeast High School, Kansas City, Mo, he received a Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He has also accumulated college credit toward a Masters' of Divinity.

Marian Willard is the principal of James Madison High School in the heart of Sunny South Dallas. The always-pleasant Ms. Willard is also on a mission. She's going to get the best out of her students and everyone associated with them--faculty, staff and parents. Since she arrived at Madison in 2005, it has become apparent that it's a new day at Madison, and it is exciting to watch the transformation. Prior to coming to Madison, she was the principal at Sarah Zumwalt for three years. A graduate of East Texas State University with a Bachelor and Masters' degree in physical education, health and recreation, Ms. Willard is a member of the National Association of Black School Administrators, Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. While at W. H. Adamson, she was first runner-up for Teacher of the Year. Several success stories have come out of Madison, and you can look for many more under Ms. Willard's leadership.