Author: Bria A. Casteel

Driven by a passion for empowering people towards career and economic advancement, in 2006 Tracy Taylor Smith founded Taylor Smith Consulting (TSC), a staffing and professional development firm. In just over a decade, Tracy has grown her award-winning firm into a multi-million-dollar business with offices across several U.S. cities. Her Fortune 500 clients gush about…

Dr. Shelly Lesikar deZevallos, President of West Houston Airport, is a pilot, business owner, mom, wife and passionate spokesperson about sharing the importance of the aviation and aerospace industry and workforce development. As the first person in her family to graduate from college, she understands what a difference in her life that challenge meant. Her…

Lenora Sorola-Pohlman is a second-generation native Houstonian, born and raised in Houston’s East End barrio.  Lenora has been a licensed insurance broker since 1996, a small business owner of Sorola Insurance Services LLC, and currently works with Navarro Insurance Group.  She began her career at Travelers Insurance in the late 80’s during the HMO boom. …

Dr. Patricia K. Allen was elected to the Houston ISD Board of Education in December of 2019. She served her initial year as an officer – Board Secretary, then was elected by her peers to serve as the Board President during her second year in office.  She is a third-generation career educator who retired in…

Dr. Ira K. Blake is the 5th president of the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL), one of the region’s top public universities. A native of Arkansas, President Blake grew up in Fontana, California, and is the first woman and first African American to serve in the role. Since she arrived at UHCL, President Blake has…

Linda M. Rhodes brings more than 26 years in nonprofit leadership and development to her role as the Executive Director of The Women’s Fund for Health Education and Resiliency. Under her leadership, the organization has exponentially grown its community outreach footprint, annual revenues, and the number of staff employed. Rhodes has collaborated with community partners…

Melanie Miles is a board-certified family law attorney who has served the citizens of Harris County for over 25 years. She is a native of Houston, Texas, and grew up in the Third Ward and Braeswood areas. After graduating from Bellaire High School, she went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree from Howard University and…

Lauren Haller Fontaine is Senior Director & Legal Counsel – Operations at Pattern Energy Group LP, a renewable energy company focusing on the clean energies of wind, solar, transmission, storage, and advanced energy technologies with operations in the U.S., Canada, and Japan, as well as additional development projects in Mexico. At Pattern, Lauren supports the…