WiNGS, a nonprofit organization that helps Dallas women lift themselves out of poverty, hosted its Annual Mentors & Allies Awards Luncheon at the Omni Dallas Hotel on May 1. The Mentors & Allies Awards recognize women, men and companies whose leadership and commitment positively impact women. The fundraising and awards event raised $250,000 for programs that help women and their families move beyond poverty.
WiNGS honored retired real estate executive Ka Cotter with the Lifetime Achievement Award. A lifelong champion for women and a former WiNGS board chair, Cotter helped bring the national Nurse-Family Partnership program to WiNGS and advocated for its expansion to 43 other Texas communities.
Other 2017 honorees included:
• John Donovan, Chief Strategy Officer, AT&T
• Hattie Hill, President & CEO, Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF)
• Toyota
• Volunteer of the Year – Cheryl Barnes, Community Bank Manager, Mutual of Omaha
“In Dallas, we are surrounded by women struggling to make ends meet. This is why we are thankful so many advocates for women came together to support our mission,” said Jennifer Ware, WiNGS CEO. “The dedication of the Mentor and Allies’ honorees, as well as the support of our entire community empowers women to manage their finances, raise healthy children and open successful businesses.”
More than 500 attended the event and heard keynote speaker Erin Botsford of Botsford Financial Group share her inspiring journey out of poverty and misfortune to become one of the top financial planners in the country. The event was chaired by Tèa Williams, general manager for Texas Instruments’ Sensing business, and emceed by NBC 5 news anchor Katy Blakey.
The luncheon was made possible by:
• Awards Sponsor ($15,000) – Toyota
• Mentor Sponsors ($10,000) – Colleen Barrett, Ebby Halliday REALTORS, Herb Kelleher, Mary Kay, Sammons Enterprises, Inc., and Women’s Foodservice Forum
• Partner Sponsors ($7,500) – AT&T, Mutual of Omaha, Oncor and Vistra Energy
• Ally Sponsors ($5,000) – AlixPartners, Botsford Financial Group, Jones Day, KPMG, Point 2 Point, Texas Instruments, Tuesday Morning and United 1 International Laboratories
A new partnership between WiNGS and Women’s Business Council – Southwest was announced at the luncheon. The partnership connects aspiring female entrepreneurs with Women’s Business Council – Southwest members who will provide valuable insight and counsel to WiNGS clients.
About WINGS
WiNGS, is a nonprofit agency that helps women lift themselves out of poverty. WiNGS programs help women becomestrong mothers, financially secure and successful in the workplace. The organization, formerly known as the YWCA of Metropolitan Dallas, served more than 3,300 individuals in Dallas County last year. WiNGS is headquartered at the WiNGS Center at Ebby’s Place, named after the late Ebby Halliday Acers, whose life exemplified extraordinary integrity with a focus on empowering women.