Chief of Police Vera Bumpers leads the Houston Metro Transit Authority Police Department, the largest and oldest transit law enforcement agency in Texas. In this role, Bumpers is responsible for leading approximately 200 special-purpose peace officers and nearly 100 civilian employees. Their purpose is to safeguard METRO, its customers and employees by providing police services…

Vice President of Operations for Fort Bend Services, Inc. Tammy Faber is responsible for running all facets of the business. She has a proven executive track record and over 20 years of experience leading change, growth and improvement efficiencies.  She works with the CEO/President to cultivate change within the organization to ensure the company is…

Staci Taylor Fullmighter has worked as a teacher, instructional coordinator, school improvement facilitator, principal, adjunct professor and assistant superintendent.  She is currently the officer of student assessment for the Houston Independent School District.  As a product of the Houston Independent School District Fullmighter is committed to ensuring all students receive a quality education regardless of…

Grammy-Nominated Artist and Owner, Mahogany Entertainment, LLC Mary Griffin displays the vocal prowess, attitude and range of a true ingénue. With a powerfully unique voice and a definitive sound, Griffin consistently delivers soul stirring performances that captivate audiences around the world. Using her past as a spring board, Griffin channels memories into melodies that are…

Arquella Hargrove has been “dubbed” a change agent based on her work supporting both established organizations and entrepreneurial ventures advising them through stages of creation, growth, and stabilization. She brings a successful 25-year track record of creating and implementing productivity inducing practices through the application of strategic planning and organization development in both the public…

Member, Clark Hill Strasburger Attorneys At Law For nearly 25 years, Debra Gatison Hatter has focused her law practice on corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic partnerships, financings, corporate governance, structuring and general business matters. Hatter represents private equity funds, public companies and privately held businesses in the energy, technology, telecommunications, healthcare…

Mayor’s Chief of Staff, City of Houston Marvalette Hunter is Chief of Staff for the Honorable Mayor Sylvester Turner, Mayor of the City of Houston, Texas. As the Mayor’s chief administrator and policy advisor, Hunter plans, manages and directs the administrative, programmatic and budgetary operations of the Mayor’s Office and ensures strategic alignment within each…

Trustee, Fort Bend Independent School District Grayle James received her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and her Secondary Education teaching credentials in mathematics and physical sciences from California State University, Bakersfield. When living in California, she taught high school chemistry and physics for several years before moving…

Vice President Operations, Houston Minority Supplier Development Council Business is in her blood. For as long as she can remember, Constance Jones has had an affinity for business, and she’s dedicated her life to helping entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs build successful and thriving businesses. Constance is living her passion every day as Vice President of…

Trustee, District VIII, Houston Community College A life-long educator and community volunteer, Eva Loredo brings a no-excuses spirit to the Houston Community College. She was elected to HCC Board of Trustees in November 2009 and re-elected in 2015. She served as Board Chair in 2017. Loredo feels strongly that HCC offers the Greater Houston area…

Entertainment Attorney, Actress, Producer, Author, Founder & Artistic Director, Mack Performing Arts Collective Entertainment Attorney Jalene M. Mack will not be overlooked when it comes to African-American women emerging as leaders to the national forefront. Mack is not only an entertainment attorney but also a successful integrator of the demanding roles of wife, mother, playwright,…

CEO, Acacia Medical Research Institute, LLC Maria Emee Mendoza-Nisnisan was born and raised in the Philippines. She finished her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila known as University of the City of Manila. She came to the United States in 1992 to work as a registered nurse in Chicago with…

Global Controller, HP Inc. Marie Myers is an internationally recognized business leader and expert in global information technology, finance and business strategy. As senior vice-president of finance for HP Inc. in Houston, Texas, Myers oversees the Global Controllership and Financial Shared Services organizations. In addition, she is pioneering the adoption of technology, robotics, automation and…

Chief Executive Officer, Boys & Girls Club of Brazoria County Amber Newman joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Brazoria County (BGCBC) in September 2016 as Chief Executive Officer. She is responsible for ensuring that the Boys & Girls Club meets its overall strategic and operational objectives. Prior to joining BGCBC, she was with The…

Founder & CEO, DT Pharmacy/DT Collagen and President, VAPhA Dr. Dieuthao Khoa Nguyen received her Doctorate in Pharmacy degree in 2004 from University of Louisiana at Monroe. After her graduation, Dieu Thao founded DT Pharmacy in 2005 with the goal to serve underserved residents in Pasadena city and surrounding areas. Under her leadership, the enterprise…

Principal, AUTOARCH Architects Farrah is a principal and director of planning at the Houston-based architecture firm AUTOARCH Architects. In this leadership position, she oversees all aspects and phases of design for the firm’s various assignments. Her qualifications as both a registered architect and certified planner enable her to effectively and successfully manage all stages of…

Director, Behavioral Health Services, Amerigroup Texas Stacey M. Parker-Blake is a licensed professional counselor and a proud graduate of Prairie View A&M University. She holds a Masters of Arts in counseling and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in psychology. She has dedicated all of her professional life to helping and supporting those who cannot do…

President & CEO, TKO Biz Solutions Tiko Reynolds-Hausman is the president and CEO of TKO BizSolutions and the director of development for the Transportation Agency Group– Houston Region, a local nonprofit dedicated to building a broad‐based coalition of businesses, local governments and community organizations to demonstrate public support for full and adequate funding of transportation…

Executive Vice President, Texas Children’s Hospital Michelle Riley-Brown serves as Executive Vice President at Texas Children’s Hospital, President of Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands and President of Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus. Through her leadership roles, Michelle oversees and directs Texas Children’s broad community strategy. This includes the organization’s community hospitals, primary care practices, urgent…

Maribel Rodriguez was born in Parral, Chihuahua Mexico and raised in Houston, Texas. She is the oldest of three siblings. She completed her associates degree in Houston and is currently continuing her education to complete her bachelor’s degree. Rodriguez married her husband, Alejandro, at the age of 18, and they have been married for 22…

Sadie Rucker, the president of Horizon International Group, LLC is a native Houstonian – rooted in her support for the betterment of her hometown. Horizon International Group is a premier general contractor and construction management firm which is a City of Houston certified minority and women owned business and Small Business Enterprise and is designated…

In her role as Director of Purchasing & Logistics at CenterPoint Energy, Cindi Salas is responsible for supply chain operations including the procurement (strategic sourcing, procurement planning and purchasing of direct and indirect goods and services), supply/demand planning, logistics, warehousing, material distribution and inventory and supplier management. This responsibility is relative to both electric and…

Shawn Emerson Simmons, PhD is currently the Environmental & Permitting Manager for the Gulf Coast Growth Venture for ExxonMobil Chemicals. Prior to this assignment she was the Water, Waste and State Regulatory Manager for the Central Safety, Security, Health, and Environment Organization of Exxon Mobil Corporation. Simmons has led global teams as a supervisor, responsible…

Hazel K. Smith is a proud owner and operator of several McDonald’s restaurants located throughout Houston. Smith grew up in Dallas, Texas. She was attending college and working on her degree to become an accountant when her mother suddenly passed away. At that point, she decided to quit her job at the bank. At the…

Heidi McDonald Smith is the chief of staff at Texas Southern University, one of the nation’s largest historically black universities. In her role as chief of staff, she serves as a member of the president’s cabinet and is responsible for the efficient operation of the president’s office. Her role includes managing the budget, scheduling and…

Maya P. Thornton is the Historically Underutilized Business Operations Department director at the University of Houston. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Xavier University of Louisiana and a juris doctorate from Southern University Law Center. Prior to joining the University of Houston, Thornton was the procurement manager for Harris County Department of…

Joycelyn Williams has navigated her life with excellence. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Prairie View A&M University. She continued graduate studies at Prairie View A&M in business management. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and was elected MS Alpha Kappa Alpha. She is the co-founder of Williams6 Enterprise and…

Dr. Nancy C. Yuill is the president of Chamberlain University College of Nursing Pearland campus, bringing more than 40 years of academic and leadership experience to the position. In her current role, Yuill oversees curriculum implementation, delivery of student services, growth and development of regional clinical partnerships and management of day-to-day campus operations. Prior to…

The Honorable Shelia Jackson Lee Community Achievement Award Recipient Dr. Betty N. Adams is professor and dean of Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing. In her leadership of 18 years, Dr. Adams has led in the expansion of programs at the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels. She also tripled enrollment and graduates, appointed a…

Prior to being elected to the Texas House of Representatives, State Representative Dr. Alma A. Allen served on the State Board of Education for over 10 years. She currently serves as vice chair of the House Committee on Corrections C and is a member of the House Committee on Public Education and the Committee on…

Anna M. Babin was named President and CEO of United Way of Greater Houston in August 2005. As chief executive of the nation’s third largest United Way, Babin blends sound business acumen with a deep understanding of community needs. Working closely with corporate and community advisors, she led the organization through the development of three…

Cheryl D. Creuzot is a 35-year industry veteran, wife, mother and current president and chief executive officer of Wealth Development Strategies, LLC. Wealth Development Strategies, one of Houston’s oldest comprehensive financial planning firms, offers contemporary personalized solutions for individuals and business professionals who wish to protect, grow and efficiently distribute their wealth. Creuzot serves as…

McKemie joined Sonic Automotive in 2008. She has held several senior management roles including Divisional Vice President which included the operational and financial oversight of Sonic’s 104 dealerships. She is currently the Senior Regional Vice President for Sonic’s Texas region which is comprised of 20 dealerships and Sonic’s most profitable region. McKemie initially joined Sonic…

Donna Sims Wilson is the president of Smith Graham & Co. Investment Advisors, L.P., a $6 billion investment management firm in its 28th year of operation. Wilson is responsible for business development, marketing and client relations. She also works in conjunction with the chairman and CEO on new product development and short and long-term strategies…

For more than 30 years Merele Yarborough’s passion has been her community service involvement. Her personal proverb is “the strength of one’s commitment gives birth to the realization of another’s dream,” and it has been her catalyst. Through her charitable efforts she has helped raise millions of dollars for community needs and scholarships Yarborough is…

In 1990, Clarease Rankin Yates was the first African-American woman to be appointed to the United States Immigration. Yates is the founder/director of Let the Fashions Begin-Men of Style. This 501(c) (3) corporation has raised funds for Sickle Cell Research for the past 19 years. The funds raised from this event have been instrumental in…