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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
