FALL WARDROBE: A whole lotta sequins and turquoise / DAYGLOW: Five Years After 'Fuzzybrain'
CEO, philanthropist, style icon, cowgirl — she wears all the hats.
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VOLUME 26 ISSUE 09
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We take the ancient myth of inspirational goddesses and apply it to the world of Western art. The results just might have you itching to pick up a fiddle or paint a horse.
BY BRIAN KENDALL AND CHARLOTTE SETTLE
72
as a
know
14 Buzz
Could a city that derives its nickname from beef become the plant-based protein capital of the world? One guy thinks it’s the state’s future.
20 Calendar
From a Shaq-headlining music festival to Lederhosen on the Trinity, we’re summing up this month’s events with one word: eclectic.
22 Fort Worthian
Tammy Gomez, a spoken-word poet, writer, and advocate, wishes to impart some good advice to her fellow city dwellers.
24 History
When Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi were shocking audiences on the small screen, Bill Camfield might’ve bested them all.
30 Art
Despite being blind, internationally renowned artist John Bramblitt wants to teach you a thing or two about painting.
32 Culture
Turns out two of Fort Worth’s favorite things — smoked meats and beer — are evidence of Cowtown’s deep German roots.
36 State Lines
Get in the car. An authentic taste of all things Germany — including the best strudel you’ll ever have — is only an hour’s drive.
40 Music
Catching up with Dayglow’s Sloan Struble and revisiting Fuzzybrain five years and nearly a billion Spotify streams later.
44 People
Christy Dunaway Smith, the local gal behind SoFortWorthIt, talks new charities and what the heck to call a blogger.
48 Restaurant News
Marcus Paslay opens a new sea-fare joint, Walloon’s, in the Near Southside and is racking up some much-deserved kudos.
122 The Tarrant County Heart Ball at the Worthington raised over $300,000 for the American Heart Association.
118 A look at the distinct architecture behind Dream Street’s trifecta of homes and a chat with interior designer Traci Darden.
136 If you didn’t manage to catch August’s full supermoon, don’t sweat it. This month’s parting image has you covered.
Toward the end of my conversation with Elaine Agather, she shared what I thought was a poignant moment during the more recent celebration of Bass Hall’s 25th anniversary.
She read off a list of the original board of directors. There were 16 or so, among them Dee Kelly Sr., former Mayor Bob Bolen, and John Justin Jr.
Only three from the original board are alive today, Agather reminds. “I said [to the assembly at Bass Hall] our job is to make sure everybody in this room nurtures and includes and invites this next group.”
Today, Agather is chair of Performing Arts Fort Worth, the entity that owns and operates Bass Hall. She succeeded Ed Bass, the original chair. But, initially, of course, 25 years ago, Agather was invited to be a part of the enterprise.
That invitation came from Bayard Friedman, the former Fort Worth mayor, who had been recruited by Bass to head the $60 million capital campaign to build the world-class performance hall.
“He said, ‘Come on, you can help us here,’” Agather recalls.
Like Agather, Friedman was a banker, rising to CEO of Fort Worth National Bank. Friedman had initially joined the bank as head of marketing, a position, he later remarked, “which I knew nothing about.”
In addition to his tenure as mayor, Friedman served his hometown as a founding member of the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Board, as well as a member of the TCU
Board of Trustees, among others.
At the time of his death in 1998, Friedman was remembered as “one of the most visible and effective leaders in Fort Worth over the past four decades.”
“His contributions have been across the breadth of the community,” John Roach said. “He gave people a real confidence to follow his lead.”
Another tribute read: “He’s probably our most outstanding citizen. He knew how to make things happen.”
In our September issue, we examine “Women Who Forward Fort Worth.” In brainstorming ideas for the issue, there was one woman who stood out as an exemplar of just that.
Elaine Agather, chairwoman of the Dallas Region for JPMorgan Chase & Co., very closely resembles all that said about Friedman. She leads with humility and integrity, not to mention with an elegance and strength.
And, like Friedman did with her, Agather is nurturing the leadership figures Fort Worth will need 25 years in the future.
ON THE COVER:
Elaine Agather came to our photo studio with three business outfits and two Nudie suits in tow — you can catch a glimpse of her second Nudie suit on the story’s opening spread (page 72). Combining the photo shoot with the interview, Mrs. Agather successfully charmed our office for three hours. A special thanks to Fort Worth Camera for providing lighting and film.
John Henry EXECUTIVE EDITOR, FORT WORTH INC. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, FORT WORTH MAGAZINE
NEXT MONTH
Next Month: Dream Street
The Texas Rattlers
Who is a female historical figure whom you look up to and why?
As a kid, my family and I visited Helen Keller’s birthplace in Alabama, where I learned about her struggles (losing her sight and hearing as a toddler), her resilience, her intelligence, and her activism. It stuck with me.
Dolores Huerta. Why? Because she had to overcome her era’s typecasting of women and Latinas to cofound the Community Service Organization (CSO).
If we are talking specifically historical, Abigail Adams comes to mind. Wife of John Adams, the nation’s first vice president and second president, few, if any, first ladies carried as much influence. She was John Adams’ strongest adviser and emotional rock before, during, and after the Revolutionary War.
Mary Cassatt because she was an integral part of the male-dominated impressionist movement. She created her own career path, and she supported the suffrage movement and equality for women.
owner/publisher hal a. brown vice president dream street operations mike waldum
executive editor brian kendall contributing editor john henry digital editor stephen montoya contributing writers malcolm mayhew, tiffany ortez parish, michael h. price, charlotte settle, shilo urban copy editor sharon casseday
creative director craig sylva senior art director spray gleaves advertising art director ed woolf director of photography crystal wise
sales director andrew yeager advertising account supervisors gina burns-wigginton x150 marion c. knight x135 account executive tammy denapoli x141 territory manager, fort worth inc. rita hale x133 client services manager julia martin x116 executive administrator/project coordinator kaitlyn lisenby
director of digital robby kyser director of marketing and audience development sarah benkendorfer content marketing specialist grace behr events and partnerships manager lauren roberts
chief financial officer charles newton founding publisher mark hulme
US main line 817.560.6111 subscriptions 817.766.5550, fwmagsubscriptions@omeda.com
Anne Burnett Marion — a visionary rancher and horsewoman, philanthropist, and an internationally respected patron of the arts, Anne Marion left her indelible mark on Fort Worth in the form of the Modern Art Museum and the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU. Diana, Princess of Wales, because of her glamour, grace, and compassion for others.
The first female self-made millionaire, Madam C.J. Walker. To be Black and female and a self-made millionaire, during that time is amazing.
Susan B. Anthony. She was a prominent suffragist and women’s rights advocate who played a significant role in the fight for women’s right to vote in the United States.
Belinda Jo Carlisle. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go’s, the most successful all-female rock band of all-time.
According to a local entrepreneur, plant-based protein could have us beef-loving Fort Worthians soon saying, “Soybeans,
BY JOHN HENRY
The story of cattle raising holds a storied place in Texas history and an instrumental role in the molding of its identity, beginning with the Spanish Colonial era.
It’s not only a tale of incredible economic development but also a narrative that reflects the diverse cultures, traditions, and great personalities and families of Texas. Chief among them are the Burnetts, of course, and the legendary Four Sixes Ranch.
Texas is home to the “Beef Capital of the World,” not to mention the moniker closer to home, “Cowtown,” where the Fort Worth Stockyards are headquartered. There’s more drinkin’ that goes
it’s what’s for dinner.”
on down there than slaughterin’ these days, but what it represents of the days gone by is unmistakable.
Well, there is an entrepreneur nearby who has a vision of his own. Brett Christoffel sees a day at hand that Texas — our Texas — will be the center of plant-based protein production.
“There’s no reason we can’t be between where we can grow on the earth … and I’m not talking about your standard road crops, but where you can grow on the earth as well as vertical farms, indoor farms, hydroponics, etc.,” says Christoffel. “I mean, there’s limitless opportunities because any building can be converted into a grow for plants. It just
depends on what’s needed.
“And when it comes to producing of the proteins, there’s just this huge opportunity. It’s just that people don’t necessarily see that.”
Be still your heart. This is not the result of any conspiracy from the horse-and-buggy migratory trends of the Berkeley Californians.
Christoffel, born and raised mostly in Dallas, is CEO of All Y’alls Foods based in the Denton County town of Cross Roads, population 1,744, according to 2020 census figures. Cross Roads is a mere 10 minutes or so south of Aubrey, the “Horse Capital of Texas.”
The state’s movement toward clean energy and sustainability has increased significantly in recent years, Christoffel says, and that shift could lead to innovative, new forward-thinking by consumers and business leaders in other sectors.
Plant-based protein production uses 10% of the land, fuel, and water required for its animal equivalent. And every Texan knows we must conserve our precious water more than ever.
“Here in Texas, we produce more petrochemicals than any other state,” he says. “But we also capture the most wind energy in the U.S. — 30%. And, amazingly, we are the secondlargest solar energy producer in the U.S. There is more balance here than you might think. People are starting to think differently.”
Christoffel is admittedly an activist for both his business and the social and environmental impacts of a plantbased diet. His epiphany actually took place at the Fort Worth Zoo seven years ago. He and his wife were taking their stroll through when they came to the elephants’ exhibit.
“It occurred to me instantly, and for the first time, that all animals are aware and present and don’t want to die,” says Christoffel, whose previous career was in sales. “I don’t know how I never really saw that before. I turned to my wife and said, ‘I am done eating animals,’ and that was that.”
He began to see cows as he did dogs and cats, he says.
Before this, the concept of a plantbased diet had been something akin to a visit from Mr. Spock for Christoffel, who says, “I was the last guy in the world that you’d expect to become vegan.”
“I loved juicy burgers, pork chops, and everything else. I couldn’t understand why anyone would remove animal products from their diet,” he says. “That didn’t make sense to me. The first time I heard the term ‘meatless Mondays,’ I laughed out loud because I couldn’t even think of a meatless snack.”
He studied the lifestyle, including attending seminars conducted by plant-based chef Matthew Kenney.
His conversion translated into health benefits, he says. Over a four-year period, beginning on that day at the zoo — which, as an aside, was followed by a stop for lunch at the vegan Spiral Diner on Magnolia — he lost more than 100 pounds, plus, he adds, “a peace I’ve never known before and a sense of connection with all living things.” He says he cured his own depression through diet alone.
Christoffel began experimenting with GMOfree whole soybean-based recipes in his home kitchen in 2017. In May of the next year, he launched his first product: It’s Jerky Y’all and with it, his company, All Y’alls Foods.
It’s Jerky Y’all flavors today come in Prickly Pear Chipotle, Prickly Pear Teriyaki, Black Pepper & Sea Salt, and It’s Big Crunchy Bacony Bits Y’all toppings.
“We launched [the bacon bits] in July of 2020, and within six months, they hit the No. 1 meatless bacon on Amazon,” Christoffel says. “And they’re our biggest seller to this day.”
Compared to beef jerky, he says, All Y’alls’ has more protein, calcium, iron, and magnesium and is full of fiber and phytonutrients. It has no or low sugar and sodium.
“Oh, and did I forget to mention that it has zero cholesterol? You’re welcome.”
A portion of every sale goes to helping rescued animals at Rowdy Girl Sanctuary.
“We’ve got a new flavor coming out in a couple of months that you’ve never heard of. I say, never heard of because you never think of it with jerky. But it’s fun, and people who are trying it are, like, ‘This is amazing.’”
In addition to selling direct on the company website, It’s Jerky Y’all is in upwards of 400 stores, including 143 H-E-B grocery stores. Christoffel outsources manufacturing and distribution.
Christoffel has bootstrapped the enterprise, he says, though the company is currently looking to raise $1 million to ramp up operations.
“We just want to continue to release products, including jerky, with unique and bold flavors. Do we expect everyone to like everything? No, it’s just not gonna happen. But for the most part, we put out products that people enjoy, and we get a lot of feedback saying that they do.”
On the eve of the start of college football, we received this piece of news.
TCU has called for an indefinite pause to its series with SMU, which dates to 1915.
The Star-Telegram, citing TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati, said the reason for the pause is so that TCU can add more home games. He indicated that a future home game with SMU is certainly a possibility, but playing every year seems to be a thing of the past.
The two will continue to play through 2025.
A recent poll on Twitter indicated that TCU fans were split about continuing the series. Meanwhile, SMU’s athletic department appears to be in a state of limbo. Reports suggest that the Mustangs, a member of the American Athletic Conference, might be part of a re-worked PAC-12 Conference, which is down to four teams after the Big Ten and Big 12 offered greener grazing pastures to eight members.
Even though we’re all supposed to be friends now, the game has been an ideal backdrop to the gritty civil war waged between the city “Where the West Begins” and “Them Over There.”
The news was a buzz kill for Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who posted on his Twitter, or, perhaps, X File: “This is the greatest college football rivalry in North Texas, but this is about more than football — this is about Dallas vs FW, Hatfields vs McCoys, good vs evil, the Force vs the Dark Side.”
He implored Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker to “put a stop to this!”
TCU leads the all-time series, better known as the “Battle for the Iron Skillet,” 52-42-7, and will host the 102nd meeting this season at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Sept. 23. The Frogs ended a two-game skid last year by defeating the Mustangs 42-34.
The schools shared conferences from 1923 to 2000 in the Southwest Conference and then later the Western Athletic Conference. TCU split for Conference USA, the Mountain West, and eventually the Big 12. However, TCU and SMU continued to play each season.
TCU won the first game between the two, 43-0, in the season opener in 1915 at TCU. SMU, in its first game in the school’s history, was playing at a decided disadvantage.
“The Methodists, with a team composed entirely of freshmen, played a scrappy uphill game against great odds,” the Star-Telegram said.
“The Christians took advantage of every break made by the visitors. When a fumble was made, it was nine chances out of 10 that a TCU man would be on top of the ball when Referee Moore untangled the mess.”
Well, so long, SMU. We’ll miss beating you like a drum. — John Henry
Mayor Mattie Parker outlines the budget items that have her attention.
BY STEPHEN MONTOYA
In the week leading up to the City Manager’s presentation of a proposed budget for the FY2024 — a presentation city manager David Cooke gave to the City Council on Aug. 8 — Mayor Mattie Parker earmarked a few items she hopes to prioritize. Parker, who won her reelection bid in May, outlined these top items, which include public safety, exceptional city services, and green space, with an emphasis on reducing the property tax rate, in a memo sent to Cooke.
In the aftermath of the proposal, the City Council has engaged the community in a series of meetings. The elected officials are listening to feedback before the final budget for FY2024 is approved by City Council in September, taking effect Oct. 1.
Parker stated in her memo to Cooke that her top line items were picked after she spent countless hours talking with constituents about the city’s overall vision.
“As the fastest-growing city in [the] U.S, it is critical that we think not only of what residents need today, but also of how we are investing now to prepare us for the next 50 years, especially if that growth is sustained,” she says.
The first of Parker’s proposed priorities is reducing the property tax burden on Fort Worth residents.
“Our residents came out the other side of the pandemic to be met with harsh new realities — rapidly rising home valuations, inflation on everyday expenses, and a cost of living that is increasingly difficult to maintain,” Parker says. “We absolutely must do everything in our power to be good stewards of every taxpayer’s dollar.”
The most direct way to do this, she writes, is to decrease the property tax rate. “The City Council has lowered the tax rate five times in the past six years, totaling 12.25 cents in reduction, but we understand that this effort must continue.”
Parker’s second priority is public safety. In last year’s budget, the city helped increase staffing for both the fire and police departments while making significant investments in technology.
“That investment should continue with funds dedicated to the appropriate increases in staffing levels to support our growing city as well as the technology and infrastructure needed to ensure that when someone calls for help, their calls are answered and supported in a timely manner,” Parker says. “Investments in a strong public safety network should cover Police and Fire, as well as related services including 911 and medical emergency response services.”
Third on Parker’s list of fiscal priorities is city services. Parker says being the fastest-growing large city in the country is worth celebrating, but it is not a distinction we should take lightly.
“Growth for the sake of growth will not serve our residents in the long run, and we have a responsibility to residents to be thinking about how our city can grow smarter and avoid the pitfalls of other major cities that have grown rapidly,” she says.
According to a list she provided Cooke, Parker states that Smart growth means executing the basics, even as the population balloons. This means the budget should execute on:
• Improving efficiency in the development services process, especially for small business.
• Championing innovative infrastructure and mobility projects that meet current demand and plan for growth, including a larger investment into PayGo funding for capital projects.
• Balancing investment in new development with reinvestment in existing development.
• Combatting the affordable housing and homelessness crises by creating opportunities for affordable housing and homeownership.
Last but certainty not least on Parker’s list is green space and parks. According to a recent public survey of Fort Worth residents, nearly 96% of respondents said conserving natural areas within Fort Worth is “very important.” Plus, almost 99% said that the city should establish a permanent program to conserve natural areas for future generations. Parker agrees.
“We have an opportunity, and responsibility, right now to protect natural areas to preserve critical watersheds and provide green space for future generations,” Parker says. “There is a distinct urgency around this issue due to Fort Worth’s exponential growth. This budget, and arguably several budgets in the years to come, should push us to think bigger about how we develop the approximately half of our city that has not already been developed.”
SEPT. 1 – 3
Hotel California: A Salute to the Eagles
The show advertises itself as the only symphonic performance of Eagles tunes to receive official authorization from the band itself. So, we suspect audiences will receive tasteful and accurate reproductions of some of the late Los Angeles band’s biggest hits.
Bass Performance Hall 525 Commerce St. basshall.com
SEPT. 7
The multi-platinum, Oscarwinning singer-songwriter is supporting his latest album, Gloria, which includes the 1.2 billion-streams-onSpotify-hit, “Unholy.” While the English crooner kicked off his career with soulful, piano-led ballads, he’s since experimented with various styles of pop.
Dickies Arena 1911 Montgomery St. dickiesarena.com
SEPT. 8
Abraham Alexander will perform in Fort Worth for the first time since the release of his debut album by closing out the evening’s festivities. But the evening’s other festivities are nothing at which to scoff. A night of conversation and education, the event will showcase films focused on environmental themes.
Downtown Cowtown at the Isis 2401 N. Main St. downtowncowtown.com
SEPT. 9
Fall Gallery Night
The annual gallery-hopping event will give art seekers and aficionados a taste of local, national, and international art in 22 separate galleries and museums. This year, Artspace111 will present an all-woman show featuring works by North Texas-based artists.
Various Locations fwada.com
13 & 15
Earlier this year, the Seattlebased grunge stalwarts released a live recording from their 1998 gig in Melbourne, Australia. Give Way captures the group, whose hits include “Even Flow” and “Alive,” in full-on emotive form. Not touring behind a studio album and known for mixing up their setlists, we’re not even going to try to guess what Eddie Vedder and company have in store.
Dickies Arena 1911 Montgomery St. dickiesarena.com
15
Following the release of her platinum debut album, Goldmine, the former “American Idol” contestant hasn’t let her foot off the gas. This year, she’s released two singles, including “Glory Days,” which figures to be the lead single on a forthcoming album. This will mark the second time Barrett’s graced the stage at the world’s largest honkytonk.
Billy Bob’s Texas 2520 Rodeo Plaza billybobstexas.com
Amphibian Stage, one of the city’s most beloved local theaters that justly counteracts the prissier aspects of Cowtown is holding its annual fundraising event at BRIK Venue. With the effects of the pandemic still reverberating among live theaters across the nation, it’s high time one supports this group of local artists whose work is a Fort Worth necessity.
BRIK Venue
501 S. Calhoun St. amphibianstage.com
‘Jagged
If you don’t recognize this title, you’re likely not of an age that incessantly rocked out to tunes like “You Oughta Know” and “Hand in My Pocket.” Alanis Morisette’s massive debut album, and an anthem for many a child of the ’90s, has gotten the Broadway treatment and is making its way to Bass Hall in all its flannel-wearing glory. Bass Performance Hall 525 Commerce St. basshall.com
SEPT. 16
Shaq’s Bass AllStars Festival
Despite winning bball accolades in Miami and Los Angeles, Shaq (yes, that Shaq) is hosting his inaugural music festival in Cowtown. Not that we’re complaining. The Shaq’s Bass All-Stars Festival brings a solid and diverse lineup of rock, EDM, metal, and hip-hop acts headlined by Alison Wonderland and the Diesel himself.
Panther Island Pavilion 395 Purcey St. pantherislandpavilion.com
SEPT. 21 – 23
Fort Worth Oktoberfest
The weekend-long Deutschland-infused festival that celebrates all things German nestles into its usual spot along the Trinity River. The family-friendly affair will include German-themed games, live music that we assume will be a derivative of polka, carnival rides, the everpopular dachshund dash, and a whole lotta brats and beer.
Trinity Park 2401 University Drive fortworthoktoberfest.com
SEPT. 16 – JAN. 28, 2024
SEPT. 26 – OCT. 1
Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Academy Award-winner Aaron Sorkin, whose screenwriting credits include “A Few Good Men,” “The Social Network,” and “Moneyball,” takes a stab at adapting the beloved Harper Lee novel to the stage. The play opened on Broadway in 2018 and collected nine nominations at that year’s Tony Awards. The six-day residency includes Saturday and Sunday matinees.
Bass Performance Hall 525 Commerce St. basshall.com
SEPT. 27
While undeniably rock, the Cincinnati-based troupe has long experimented with different sounds, tempos, and song structures — all of which are present on their latest effort, 2021’s A Beautiful Life. You can expect a highenergy performance at the Near Southside venue with plenty of samplings from the band’s 20-year career.
Tulips
112 St. Louis Ave. tulipsftw.com
SEPT. 29
The jangly folk rock of Wilderado is easygoing and inoffensive fare that feels ripe for a Friday night — especially when paired with a couple of beers. While the band’s last studio release came in 2021, they released a live album earlier this year. Check it out to get a taste of their stage presence.
Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall
122 E. Exchange Ave., Ste. 200 tannahills.com
Of the original 20 million acres of Texas’ tallgrass prairie, less than 1% remain. James Prosek, a Peabody Award-winning artist, is shedding light on this conservation concern through his rich watercolor portraits of the prairie’s distinct flora, all of which he collected during a two-year expedition across the endangered ecosystems.
Amon Carter Museum of American Art | 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd. | cartermuseum.org
SEPT. 30
Sometimes you gotta get motivated to run; a free tee just doesn’t do it for ya anymore. Well, the Rock of Ages hopes to keep your wheels turning with rock ‘n’ roll music throughout the course and free pancakes at the postrace party. And those who add pizzazz to their running getup could walk away with a Best Costume Award.
Billingsley Field House 1400 Foch St. dallasathletesracing.com
Poet, multimedia performer, and playwright
BY CHARLOTTE SETTLE
BY
Tammy Gomez is an awardwinning spoken-word poet and interdisciplinary performer. Her poetry has been anthologized in countless publications, and she has performed her work throughout the U.S., Mexico, and Nepal. Though she has lived various places in Texas and throughout the country, Cowtown has been her home since early childhood.
Much of Gomez’s creative process involves veering from traditional ways of living. “As a female-bodied person of color in this state and country, I had to do a lot of untethering to become a creative expresser and maker,” says Gomez. She has chosen to only work part time since the early ’90s. “I don’t want to wait until retirement to do creative, exploratory things,” she explains. Gomez is an urban gardener and has not owned a vehicle since 2008. Instead, she bicycles everywhere to forego dependence on fossil fuels and to feel immersed in her community. “It’s part of me trying out a life that’s different from the life my ancestors lived,” she says. “I want to be an example of how you don’t have to do things just one way.”
In 2007, Gomez premiered her first full-length play about bicycling — “She: Bike/Spoke/Love” — in the black-box theatre at Arts Fort Worth on World Car-Free Day. “The main characters were female, and there was a lot of poetry in Spanglish,” she says. “It really celebrated the joy of bicycling.” After the show, many audience members expressed interest in biking more. “I want to make art that can influence people to consider different lifestyle choices,” says Gomez.
A couple of years later,
Gomez debuted her one-woman show, “Saliendo Abierta” (Emerging Open) in Fort Worth. She wrote the play after being trapped in a closet inside an old house in Fairmount for 55 hours.
“I accidentally locked myself in and had to figure out how to survive,” she says. “I thought, if I can survive and remember the details of what this excruciating experience was like, it’s going to be a one-woman show.”
Gomez has since restaged “Saliendo Abierta” several times throughout DFW and Austin.
Recently, Gomez has been working on a climate crisis script for La MaMa NYC with a cohort of writers from around the country. “It’s set seven generations in the future,” says Gomez. “We had a climate scientist educate us on what the world is likely to look like then.” The work will be presented digitally, as well as live in Oakland, the Bay Area, and New York. Being the only Texan working on the script, Gomez is pushing for a performance in the Gulf Coast, as well.
Favorite things to do in Fort Worth?
“I love biking and going nowhere — just wandering and listening and noticing. Laughing with family, sharing ideas with other artists and writers. And I love a good pint at The Chat Room or Hop Fusion.”
Any wisdom you want to offer to readers?
“Love your library. And hope there’s one in your neighborhood. If there isn’t, start raising your voice for getting one. If not for you, for your children.”
Gomez currently hosts Second Sunday Spoken Word, a monthly open mic night at Arts Fifth Avenue. “It’s an opportunity for people to test-drive their work — scenes from plays, screenplays, or monologues,” she says. “It’s also me trying to mentor and set an example for other writers.”
When asked about her work’s legacy, Gomez emphasizes the importance of embracing the unknown and seeking experiences that cultivate awareness, sensitivity, and humility. “Dive into your real liberated life, and don’t wait to start,” she says. “That’s what I want to impart.”
In the era of ‘Shock! Theater’s’ tonguein-cheek emcees, Channel 11’s Bill Camfield introduced a petrifying persona that managed to scare the bejesus out of Fort Worth.
BY MICHAEL H. PRICE
Remembrances of autumnal seasons past in Westby-Northwest Texas used to have a great deal to do with vandalized outdoor plumbing and generalpurpose mischief: The treat lay in the trickery for generations of Southwestern youngsters. For this rambling territory, such seasonal customs were changed forever when a Fort Worth broadcasting executive named Bill Camfield brought Halloween indoors and kept it there.
This autumn marks the 66th anniversary of an intense pop-cultural phenomenon known as “Shock! Theater” — a nationwide sensation that struck a particularly resonant
chord in North Texas. For Camfield personalized the TV-syndicated “Shock!” program to such an extent as to brand it with a character unlike any other “Shock!” presentations in New York or Los Angeles or New Orleans or … you get the picture.
Longtime residents with longtime memories will recall the television breakthrough of “Shock! Theater” under a localized name: “Nightmare” premiered during September of 1957 over the scrappy and innovative Channel 11.
“Shock!” was no rigidly scheduled program, but rather an adjustable package of movie chillers and whodunits from the Depression-into-WWII years. These Universal Pictures productions, recycled to television by Columbia Pictures’ Screen Gems syndicate, included such recognized classics as James Whale’s “Frankenstein” (1931), with Boris Karloff; Tod Browning’s “Dracula” (1931), starring Bela Lugosi; and George Waggner’s “The Wolf Man” (1941), with Lon Chaney, Jr. One or another local TV station typically would assign a staff announcer to pose as a creepy/comical master of ceremonies; most prominent of these so-called horror hosts was John “the Cool Ghoul” Zacherle in Philadelphia and New York. The emcee, in turn, would introduce the various Frankensteins and Draculas and so forth — and then intrude at intervals to present skits and gags.
At Channel 11 in Fort Worth, chief writer and announcer Bill Camfield took a different approach. He portrayed a severe character named Gorgon, who took the movies seriously enough to reflect their no-joking nature in his introductions and interludes.
“Classic horror states a moral lesson, y’know,” Camfield told me during a reminiscent conversation in 1984. “Usually has to do with menaces loosed upon humanity by some arrogant genius who ‘tampers where forbidden,’ as the saying goes: Take Mary Shelley’s Dr. Frankenstein, for example, who took a cue from Prometheus and literally stole the very heaven’s own fire in order to create taboo life — and paid for his arrogance. Same with H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man: Don’t mess with nature, lest nature mess with you.
“And Bram Stoker’s Dracula?” Camfield asked. “As righteous a bloodthirsty shocker as ever you’ll find: Pure predatory erotic menace, but entirely susceptible to the holy icons. Get a vampire on the run with a good silver crucifix — and he’s a scram-pire.” Had I mentioned that Camfield enjoyed seasoning his essentially serious nature with old-fashioned cornball humor?
“I had majored in English literature at Texas Christian University,” Camfield (1929-1991) continued on that occasion, “and I had developed a keen appreciation for the Gothic origins of The Wolf Man and Dracula and Frankenstein and suchlike.
“Most of the other horror-show hosts around the country were playing it tongue-in-cheek with the ‘Shock! Theater’ package — but I wanted to play my version for all the menacing mood I could muster,” added Camfield, relishing the alliterative wordplay.
“I was a grammar-schooler in Amarillo, Texas, when ‘Shock! Theater’ arrived in 1957. My classmates and I sensed a connection between these ferocious movies and the emerging phenomenon of rock ’n’ roll music, if only because our parents and schoolteachers seemed distrustful of both influences. (The kinship was cinched when John Zacherle released a recording called “Dinner with Drac,” competing for airplay with Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis.)
“Our local host, an Amarillo Little Theater hambone named Fred Salmon, called himself Mr. Shock and played his Friday-night ‘Shock!’ segments for grotesque slapstick effect. I found the character a distraction but kept watching, anyhow. Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein Monster, Bela Lugosi’s Count Dracula, and Claude Rains’ tormented Invisible Man were too good to miss. To the target audience that my schoolboy contingent represented, the movies seemed as new as such fresh-from-Hollywood, big-screen sensations as ‘I Was a Teenage Werewolf’ (1957) and the ostensibly futuristic ‘Frankenstein 1970’ (1958).”
A movie-business colleague in West Virginia, Robert Tinnell, explains the appeal: “While the fallout from the release of the ‘Shock! Theater’ package cannot compare to, say, the Beatles, in scope, it absolutely can in terms of intensity. The reverberations of the showering of kids with those films is still being felt today — in everything from breakfast cereals such as Frankenberry and Count Chocula to big-budget films like ‘The Wolfman’ [the 2010 remake] and [2004s] ‘Van Helsing.’” (The influence is particularly evident in the web’s heavy-traffic Classic Horror Film Board.)
“What’s more,” adds Tinnell, “I think it’s undeniable that a significant portion of the fan community was born of the ‘Shock!’ experience … I still feel very connected to the phenomenon. I’m just grateful I grew up with a horror host like Chilly Billy Cardille out of Pittsburgh — he took the job of warping my impressionable mind seriously.”
Such warpage in my experience included the Shock!ing spectacle of watching my hometown’s horror-picture host nearly electrocute himself on live television with an unshielded microphone cable, while staging a remote broadcast alongside the duck pond of a cemetery. Hence the name “Shock! Theater,” one supposes.
The impact of such programs was as widespread as the then-48 United States. Such “Shock!” hosts as Los Angeles’ Jeepers Creepers and New Orleans’ Morgus the Magnificent followed John Zacherle’s example of taking a stab at the hitrecord market. The Jeepers recordings feature the work of a young Frank Zappa; a Morgus record showcases New Orleans rockers Frankie “Sea Cruise” Ford and Malcolm “Dr. John” Rebennack.
“I had thought about maybe making a Gorgon record back then,” Bill Camfield recalled, “what with our fine local community of rock ’n’ roll talent, like Delbert McClinton and his band, available to back me up. Never quite got around to that. TV was plenty — and I had some other specialty-show characters that kept me busy, as well.”
A former production staffer at KTVT/Channel 11, Darrell Beck of Portland, Oregon, found one 1960s taping of a “Nightmare” segment especially memorable: “We had decided to [shoot] behind the KTVT studios, just off the West Freeway in Fort Worth. We had set up a cemetery on the side of the berm, using cardboard tombstones and a cardboard casket for this
evening’s taping.
“We were to have Gorgon [Camfield] come over the lip of the berm, drag the coffin partway down the hill, stop amid the tombstones, showcase the movie, continue his walk while giving the trademark, echo-enhanced Gorgon laugh, while we faded to black. We had several pots of hot water hidden, and blocks of dry ice generated a respectable ground fog.
“We had about 30 to 45 minutes,” adds Beck. “Down to our last attempt, Bill Camfield came over the hill, silhouetted nicely, dragging the coffin. He stopped partway down the hill, said his setup spiel for the movie, began a cackle that would build into the Gorgon laugh as the audio man turned up the echo pot. As the laugh built, Bill began to walk down the hill — and tripped. Then Gorgon, the coffin, a few tombstones, and pots of water, all caught up in the wake, all came tumbling down the hill. The mike was still on, echo effect still in place, as laughter turned to curses and groans.
“By the time we helped Camfield and cleaned up the mess, it was too late to try taping again. We watched the outtake again and again. It was as funny watching it the 20th time as it was the first. I think we taped a tamer version the next day.”
Camfield’s Gorgon held forth with the “Nightmare”/“Shock! Theater” duties into the 1960s, then staged revival appearances during the 1970s. Those “other specialty-show characters” he mentioned included “Slam Bang Theater’s” signature personality, Icky Twerp, who helped to spearhead a revival of interest in “The Three Stooges” during the 1950s and ’60s. Lured out of retirement by the newfound popularity of their earlier films, surviving Stooges Moe Howard and Larry Fine thanked Camfield and other TV kid-show hosts by casting them in a valedictory movie called “The Outlaws Is Coming!” (1965).
Various “Slam Bang” revivals during the 1980s found Camfield — in civilian life, a serious writer and levelheaded, suit-and-tie businessman — as generous as ever with the unbridled silliness.
Camfield could be just as generous with the low-key, ominous presence, although he preferred to retire Gorgon rather than venture beyond Old Hollywood’s classics.
“Without the ‘Frankenstein’s,’ the ‘Dracula’s,’ the ‘Mummy’s’ pictures, etc.,” as Camfield told Elena M. Watson, author of a 1991 book called Television Horror Movie Hosts, “you would have a mishmash of cheap science fiction, splatter pictures, and some mysteries.”
During his last years, Camfield became a newspaper columnist and cable-television developer, and a reliable source for my own efforts to write persuasively about the business end of the broadcasting industry. No strictly-business luncheon conversation with Camfield was complete without his occasional split-second lapse into character as Icky Twerp or the hollow-voiced Gorgon — to the amused delight and/or befuddlement of other diners seated nearby.
With lots of space inside for passengers and cargo, Paige Pritchett’s 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe from Pegasus Chevrolet is big in all the ways she wants it to be. “I’ve wanted a Tahoe for a long time. My kids are old enough that purchasing one was justified so they would have space, and I could easily take them and their friends around,” says Pritchett, a hospital administrator at Texas Health Clearfork. “I went with the Premier level for the heated/cooling seats because you really need that in Texas!” she says. The Premier level trim has a whole host of desirable features including leather seats, 10-speaker Bose audio system, power-operated second- and third-row seats, and a ton of driver-assistance tech. “And I love the panoramic sunroof — it makes the whole car brighter, which makes me feel even happier when I am driving it.”
When asked what sets the Pegasus Chevrolet dealership apart, Pritchett heartily cites the “above and beyond” personalized customer service. “Mike Brown, the GM, was amazing,” she says. “I decided to custom order my Chevrolet, and Gary held my hand through the ordering process, explaining each step along the way so that I got the Tahoe that I wanted.” Working with Pegasus Chevrolet in Ennis, Pritchett points out, is the ultimate car-buying experience. “I would absolutely purchase another vehicle from a Gilchrist dealership in the future.”
North Texas painter John Bramblitt may be blind, but he knows exactly where he’s going.
BY STEPHEN MONTOYA
For most, darkness is a blank, black screen — a place or an idea that is physically devoid of light and metaphysically daunting and unnerving. But for John Bramblitt, darkness is his world.
Stricken completely blind in his mid-20s, Bramblitt is a Denton-based artist who paints despite a handicap that would otherwise hinder or even prevent him from doing so. Like Beethoven, who continued to compose masterpieces while completely deaf, Bramblitt is an immensely popular and prominent painter whose work has sold in over 120 countries and appears on large murals in the booming metropolises of Dallas, New York City, and right here in Fort Worth. His paintings are far from the work of a hobbyist. He’s a virtuoso, and he’s damn good.
A quick Google image search will give readers an idea of his work and distinct style — a visually stunning style no doubt rooted in impressionism with radiant colors and well-defined strokes. The paintings are so awe-inspiring that it’s only natural for one to wonder aloud, “How the heck did a blind man create this?”
Bramblitt employs a technique he calls “haptic visualization,” which enables him to “see” his subjects through touch. He touches the faces of his subjects, getting a sense of their personal geometry, their texture, their structure, and their overall look — the person’s facial feng shui, so to speak. He then uses thick
lines as a guide for his fingers, which double as his eyes. Without sight, the act of painting becomes rooted in feel. This is how he created portraits of country music star Lyle Lovett, skateboarding icon Tony Hawk, and blues legend Pops Carter, to name a few. His technique has become so popular, in fact, that he’s received three Presidential Service awards for the art workshops he teaches around the country that instruct blind artists on this method.
While one could easily point to Bramblitt as perseverance personified, his ability to cope with blindness came slowly. At the time an undergrad student at the University of North Texas, Bramblitt lost his sight and 40% of his hearing in 2001 due to complications stemming from epilepsy and Lyme disease.
“I kind of felt like a ghost when I first lost my eyesight,” he says. “I felt like I’m in the world, but I can’t exactly affect the world. It was like I had zero power.”
This left Bramblitt with the daunting task of trying to rebuild his life while attending college classes, which left him in a depressive state. “I felt like everything was over. I had to relearn to read in Braille, which means I was technically illiterate while I was attending college, funny enough.”
And this sudden, life-altering ordeal was only magnified by the fact that, ever since he could remember, Bramblitt wanted to be an artist. “Before I could even talk, I was drawing and doodling,” he opined. “I would do this daily as a creative outlet. So, when I lost my sight, I lost a huge part of what made me, well, me.”
Undeterred and unwilling to lose this outlet, Bramblitt began experimenting with ways to scratch his creative itch. Having never worked with paints before losing his sight — his younger-self’s drawings and doodles fueled by pen and pencil — Bramblitt discovered he could feel the difference in weight and texture between the various hues. An ability to distinguish colors based on feel
was an aha moment that reignited his creative ambitions.
As a result of losing his eyesight, Bramblitt had to go through cane training to relearn the world around him. The training requires each student to use their cane to make a grid or mental map of their surroundings. After each student makes said grid, they then have to walk through it using only their cane. This is known as O&M (orientation and mobility) training.
“I did this for a while until I could get to school on my own and back with the aid of a service dog,” he says. “Then one day when I felt like drawing or creating something, I thought, if I could get myself around a college campus blind, I should be able to navigate a small art canvas using the same technique.”
Using what he remembered from drawing, he taught himself how to paint using raised lines to help him find his way around the canvas. But without being able to see, Bramblitt would have to tap into his stockpile of images he’d collected in his 20-plusyears’ memory bank. His recollections — the images of Albert Einstein, Jim Morrison, and James Dean — would become the subjects for his initial paintings. “I didn’t tell my art teachers in school that I couldn’t see, so they gave me some really honest feedback on my work, which at that time I needed,” he says.
Bramblitt began painting daily, sometimes in lieu of sleep. “I would meet up in places where I knew my classmate would be so I could be around people for my own mental health,” he says. “Then I would go home and paint for hours, sometimes until it I needed to head back to class.”
This literal tireless desire to paint resulted in steady improvement. Bramblitt began with exclusively white and black paint, but he eventually expanded to the wide selection of colors visible in many of his compositions. Lines matured into confident brush strokes, which, in turn, blossomed into beautifully vibrant works of art worthy of being displayed at art
shows and galleries. When his works first started making public appearances, Bramblitt would decline to let on that he was blind.
“As the years have gone by, I learned to embrace the fact that I am known as a blind artist. I lean into it now, but back then, I was really apprehensive about letting anyone know what I was dealing with.”
Ironically, Bramblitt, perhaps projecting his own inability, never thought anyone would ever actually see his paintings. After all, his purpose for painting was never more than a form of therapy. “I wasn’t sure what these would look like when I was finished, let alone that anyone would want to see one,” he says. “But I’ve gotten some great feedback over the years.”
Given his inspirational story, Bramblitt has since become the subject of a plethora of media stories and penned a best-selling autobiography, Shouting in the Dark: My Journey Back to the Light. Recently, Bramblitt and his wife, Jacqi Serie, opened an art bar, Bramblitt’s Yellow Dog Art Bar & Gallery (named after Bramblitt’s service dog, Eagle), in Denton. The space is exactly as advertised: a bar, an art space, and a gallery, all rolled into one. The couple established this art hangout as a way of paying art teachers better wages to teach classes. Yes, they’re reaping the profits from the drink sales, which help fund the art section of the bar.
There’s also an art supply shop inside that boasts everything from blank canvases to naughty gnomes waiting for a pop of color.
The space’s walls are adorned with art from students and Bramblitt himself — one piece on display he created for Coca-Cola in honor of Disability Awareness Month. And the joint’s become a regular hangout for the Dentonite. On any given day, you might catch him teaching an impromptu art class or kicking back and enjoying a cold one.
“At first I thought blindness made me different from everybody else,” he says. “But I’m realizing it’s made me more like everyone else, because we all have something we struggle with and have to overcome to achieve our goals.”
Fredericksburg and New Braunfels don’t have a monopoly on Texas’ rich German culture. In fact, immigrants from the land of Deutsch had a big hand in shaping the jewel of North Texas.
BY SHILO URBAN
Take a stroll through Fort Worth during the heyday of the Wild West: German music spills out of German-owned saloons where dustcovered cowboys drink German beer with German farmers. You walk by the
German-English school and pick up a German-language newspaper to read about the season’s biggest events: a masquerade ball, a singing competition, and a spring festival — all hosted by German social clubs.
Most people’s minds travel south
when they think about German settlement in Texas, to Fredericksburg, Boerne, and New Braunfels. Indeed, this area was the heart of Teutonic immigration within the state, a “German Belt” that stretched from Galveston to the Hill Country. But plenty of Germans landed in North Texas as well, contributing greatly to the development of Fort Worth from its earliest decades.
While you probably won’t hear much German spoken the next time you’re walking down Main Street, the culture’s values of freedom, equality, and community — not to mention its beer and barbecue — have left an indelible mark on the Texan identity.
The first Germans arrived here before Texas was Texas — it was Mexico. In 1831, a charismatic German of dubious reputation named Johann Friedrich Ernst brought his wife and five children to live in Stephen F. Austin’s colony. Ernst’s glowing letters to friends and family back home weren’t just passed around the dinner table, they were published in the newspapers. He painted Texas as an earthly paradise of “meadows with the most charming flowers … melons of an especial goodness” and “persimmons sweet as honey.” Every man received “a small kingdom” of land.
“Climate like that of Sicily. The soil needs no fertilizer … No winter, almost like March in Germany. Bees, birds, and butterflies the whole winter through … Scarcely three months’ work a year. No need for money, free exercise of religion.” Taxes were virtually nonexistent, and you needed no license to hunt or fish. All that Texas lacked, said Ernst, was German industry and genius. He failed to mention that he was on the run from embezzlement charges back home — and that “Ernst” was not his real name.
But it didn’t matter; his letters lit a fire, and soon Germans began pouring through the port of Galveston. Like all immigrants, they left their homelands for better lives: to find economic
opportunity, to escape narrow belief systems and overcrowding, or simply for adventure. Some were fleeing the wars (and concurrent drafts) that plagued Central Europe during the mid-1800s. They came from a land of duchies and principalities that were aggressively jostling for space on the map of Europe, like Prussia, Saxony and Alsace (Germany didn’t unify until 1871). This patchwork nature of their homeland(s) helps to account for the diversity of the German pioneers. They had different religions and dialects, even different physical features. There were Lutherans, Catholics, Methodists, Mennonites, Baptists, and Jews. Most were middle-class peasants, land-owning farmers that could afford the boat ride over. But there were also businessmen, artisans, aristocrats, and even an enclave of intellectual atheists.
Despite their differences, a shared cultural heritage helped German communities in Texas to retain their sense of a collective identity for decades. They often settled in groups of small families that recreated the tightknit social structure of their native villages. Many kept to themselves and showed little interest in assimilating, which also served to maintain their traditions.
Early 19th century stereotypes of German immigrants painted them as plodding, dirty, kind but slow-witted slackers that liked drinking beer and eating sausages. But as more and more Germans moved to Texas and the existing inhabitants actually met a few of them, the image shifted to one we recognize today: industrious, orderly, efficient workers that like drinking beer and eating sausages. The Germans’ cozy limestone and halftimber homes were a stark difference from the quickly raised (and drafty) log cabins most common in the state. They built houses to last, even if it took two or three years. Instead of smoking fireplaces, they made tidy stoves. They also planted a wider variety of crops than most Texans, who usually
stuck to cotton and corn. Germans had fruit orchards and vegetable gardens, dairies, and smokehouses — making their meals much more exciting (and healthier) than the customary diet of cornbread and fried pork.
While Germans espoused the ideas of freedom and equality like all Americans, they were much more community-minded than the individualistic Texans. Most were opposed to slavery, which did not endear them to many of their neighbors. Germans also placed a prime value on trade skills and education. They favored a humanistic approach to learning, going beyond the standard “3 Rs” (reading, writing, and arithmetic) to include music, philosophy, history, and physical development. Music was particularly essential to their way of life, from classical music and opera to the polka and the accordion. They had this in common with the Moravians and Bohemians (aka Czechs) who also traveled to Texas in droves during the 1840s and ’50s, and the groups often settled together and even shared churches. Their combined influence is largely to thank for the Central Texasstyle smoked barbecue and brewing traditions that we hold dear today.
By 1847, so many Germans were living in the state that the legislature began publishing laws in German along with English. Back in the fatherland, a group of noblemen on the Rhine River founded the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, which helped thousands to make the trip. On the eve of the Civil War in 1861, more than 20,000 Germans were living in well-established communities down south.
Immigration stopped entirely during the war, restarting soon after with renewed vigor. With the collapse of the plantation system in the former Confederacy, broad tracts of farmland were parceled out and sold as small units. Railroad companies went all-in on promotional efforts to attract settlers who would purchase and colonize their lands; their agents worked the docks in
Galveston to recruit immigrants fresh off the boat. The footloose nature of existing Texans, who exhibited a high propensity for moving around, also added to the abundant amount of land up for grabs. The Germans snapped it up, and their population surged. Between 1861 and 1878, German immigration to North Texas increased by 1,000%. Germans accounted for 2% of all newcomers to the state (6.5% came from Mexico and 89% from other states). By the end of the 1870s, almost three out of every 10 people in the American West were born in foreign countries, usually Ireland or Germany. This was the era of the cattle drives and the Chisholm Trail — and the wildest days of Fort Worth.
Fort Worth had always been home to a few Germans, but their numbers ballooned between 1866 and 1875. They often arrived here after stopping first in the Midwest or South Central Texas. Many were second-generation German-Americans. Others moved to isolated outposts in North Texas like Muenster and Lindsay, Teutonic islands in an Anglo-American sea. These two colonies were organized and promoted by a private company owned by the Flusche brothers. Similar towns were sponsored by the Catholic Church, but most immigration endeavors were piecemeal. While the majority of settlers continued to be farmers, Fort Worth and other cities attracted a greater proportion of skilled workers like merchants, craftsmen, innkeepers — and brewers.
Germans introduced beer to the city when a few of them built a tiny brewery “back of Samuels Avenue” sometime after the Civil War (the source is a little vague). Fort Worth’s war-weary citizens were hungry for amusement and distraction, and they flocked to the brewery for both. The small operation supplied many of the town’s busiest watering holes, two of which were owned by Germans: J. Bohart’s Bismarck Saloon and Herman Kussatz’s Tivoli Hall. Both were workingman’s bars that served fresh beer
on tap to cowboys, farmers, and other rough-and-tumble types that inhabited Fort Worth in the 1870s and ’80s.
Tivoli Hall was the biggest saloon in the city and one of the most famous in all of cattle country. Advertising beer “as cold as ice itself,” Tivoli’s refrigerator had enough space to chill down 150 kegs. Guests could enjoy a free “warm lunch” like ham and beans every day at 10 a.m., a happy hour-like perk that was common in German drinking establishments. But this was no family-friendly beer garden — it was a rowdy saloon and dance hall. German musicians and raucous variety shows kept the masses entertained.
As more Germans made their home in Fort Worth, the brewers shared the skills and secrets of their trade with their countrymen. The group soon began to dominate the local beer trade, as well as the trade in liquor, cigars, and saloons. German-owned breweries and barrooms proliferated across the city, though only a few left traces in the historical record. By 1873, Mauer & Co. brewery was operating on Rusk Street (Commerce Street), and another brewery on the east side was in the works. With the arrival of the railroad in 1876, businesses began to multiply — and living in heat-baked Texas was thirsty work. Many Germans congregated at E. H. Keuln’s saloon on Houston and First,
which was right across the street from a German-owned wholesale whiskey supplier. The optimistic German Evangelical Church of North America took the opposite tack and established an outpost in the middle of Hell’s Half Acre, which unsurprisingly never prospered.
As the cattle trails closed and a new century dawned, it was clear that Germans gave much more to Fort Worth than sudsy brews: They enlivened the local culture and helped fuel the city’s social life. Gregarious and communityspirited, the Germans loved nothing more than to gather with their friends and family to relax, listen to music, and have a beer or two. Their eatdrink-and-be-merry philosophy stood in contrast to the customs of Fort Worth’s prevailing Anglo-American society, which descended largely from East Coast Puritans and Scots-Irish Calvinists — two groups not exactly known for their fun-loving lifestyles. While the Anglos were drafting blue laws to ban heathen practices on Sunday, the Germans formed numerous organizations to host festivals and celebrations. The Como Social Club threw Christmas masquerades, and the Deutsche Verein (German Society) held fancy summer balls. The Sons of
Hermann had their Maifest. The Turnverein (Gymnastic Society) attracted athletic types to its sporting events at Germania Hall, a social hub not just for the Germans but for everyone.
Grunewald Pavilion was even busier. Situated at the intersection of Samuels Avenue and Pavilion Street, the wooden dancehall was built in 1885 by the Rosedale Streetcar Line Company to promote its new route. It had two cupolas as viewing points and was surrounded by a pretty park, the perfect setting for a beer garden. So thought Peter Grunewald, a German businessman who already operated a hotel, saloon, and restaurant in the city. He purchased the building in 1889 and turned it into the go-to destination for cookouts, cakewalks, carnivals, concerts, dances, singing festivals, and patriotic celebrations.
Newspaper ads for events at Grunewald Pavilion promised riders that streetcars would run every 15 minutes between 1 p.m. and 1 a.m. One announcement nods to Fort Worth’s multicultural heritage: “A Mexican orchestra will furnish the music for the Scotchman’s concert and ball tonight” at the German pavilion, it says. “Ladies free.” Many ads also specify no “questionable characters” or “roughs, toughs, and hoodlums.” One journalist surmised that the dancehall had been visited by “practically the entire population of the city.”
The same could no doubt be said for Hermann Park, another major social center and the stomping ground for the Sons of Hermann members and their friends. Perched on the banks of the Trinity River opposite the courthouse, the waterfront park grew out of a beer garden to become a prominent pleasure park in the early 1900s. Every Sunday evening, Germans would gather around tables in the open-air pavilion to play cards, sip lager, and picnic on traditional foods. Young people danced to overtures and popular music by a live orchestra. During a time when it was considered highly improper for ladies to patronize any place selling liquor or beer, German
women socialized at beer gardens shoulder to shoulder with the men. Wives, unmarried women, and even children all came out to have a good time.
This weekly Sunday revelry ruffled feathers with many of the locals, who believed drinking alcohol on a church day should be illegal — and indeed it was within Fort Worth. But both Hermann Park and Grunewald Pavilion were located right outside the city limits, so the Sunday ban on drinking did not apply. For the Germans, these Sunday events weren’t about getting drunk but about getting together. They drank beer slowly while eating and talking, often nursing one stein the entire night.
But there was one time of the year when everybody in Fort Worth was German: Maifest. With music, dancing, and fireworks, the springtime festival functioned as a semiholiday and was rivaled only by Independence Day as the city’s biggest celebration. It was hosted by different groups at various venues through the decades, including Grunewald Pavilion and Hermann Park. The catching of a greased pig was the highlight of the earliest recorded Maifest in 1882. Soon a parade was added. Decorated floats trundled down the dusty streets, and the young May Queen rode by in a carriage. A German band played Viennese melodies, drawing people out of their homes and to the main event.
Texans traveled from across the state to hear jolly Germans singing fatherland songs and see a “pantaletted donkey” — Maifest’s star attraction in 1891. By 1897, the schedule was stacked with all kinds of competitions: pole climbing and “hunting money in the flour pan” for boys, “striking the pot” for married women, and “hop, skip, and jump” for young men. There were also prize races for grandparents, “fat ladies,” and runners who were blindfolded. The sound of military drills filled the
air, and hot air balloons rose in the sky. Crowds thrilled to the walking prowess of world-champion pedestrians, one of the era’s most popular spectator sports. While today’s Mayfest at Trinity Park no longer has greased pigs or flour pans, all the essential elements of the early festival are still there: music, dancing, and plenty of ice-cold beer.
German influence peaked in Fort Worth during the 1890s and early 1900s, after which emigration from Europe began to dwindle. Secondand third-generation immigrants assimilated, intermarried with other ethnicities, and came to feel more American than European. The process accelerated in 1917 when the U.S. declared war on Germany. German communities became less visible but didn’t disappear. In 1935, 3,000 Fort Worthians claimed German descent and 400 were native Germans, around 2% of the population. In the Fort Worth City Guide produced by the Federal Writers Project the same year, the author writes that “The Germans in the past have been by far the most influential foreign-born group in the city.” As late as 1937, German was the only language spoken in the local Sons of Hermann lodge, and pockets of the
language still existed in small Texas communities until the 1970s. Today, census estimates indicate that more than three million Texans claim whole or part German ancestry, one-third of the state’s entire citizenry.
While Germans no longer animate Fort Worth’s social life or dominate the beer trade, their values and customs echo through the ages. Listen closely, and you can hear the German influence on Tejano music, whose players adopted the polka and made the accordion their own. You’ll taste it with your next bite of brisket, slow-smoked by German settlers to preserve leftover meats — and you’ll definitely feel it the next time you have an ice-cold Shiner Bock in your hand. Mayfest lives on as one of the city’s marquee events, and Oktoberfest (September 21-23 at Trinity Park) celebrates all things German, from keg-rolling contests to schnitzels and sausage dogs.
So, raise a stein to the hard-working German immigrants who sang, danced, and socialized their way into the story of Texas — and helped to create the Fort Worth that we know and love. Prost!
With special thanks to Gaby Kienitz at the Fort Worth History Center
BY SHILO URBAN
Languid white wind turbines tower over Red River Valley wine country, a wedge of rolling hillsides tucked between the Oklahoma border and Muenster, Texas. Founded by a small group of Catholic Germans in the late 1800s, the tiny town gives travelers a taste of the old world with sizzling sausages and decadent strudels — plus three pretty vineyards for sipping wine in a slow-paced country setting. While German hasn’t much been spoken in Muenster since World War I, many of the original settlers’ descendants still live in the area and preserve their ethnic customs.
A stroll down Main Street reveals German-inspired architecture with a charming half-timbered aesthetic. Bidimensional murals evoke a hamlet somewhere along the Rhine River complete with a bierstube (beer tavern), blumenladen (flower shop), and süsswarengeschäft (candy store). The mural village also features a metzgerei (butcher’s shop), but you’ll want to go to the real thing: Fischer’s Meat Market.
This 1927 landmark is Muenster’s must-do destination for foodies, an uber-blitz of sausages in almost every variety imaginable (we stopped counting at 40). From bratwurst and
knackwurst to boudin and bologna, it’s a true sausage fest. The fresh meats are cut and trimmed by hand, and everything is butchered locally. Load up on smoked meats and cheeses and peruse a dizzying array of artisan dressings, jams, jellies, preserves, and pickled everything. You might want to bring the big ice chest. Try to visit Fischer’s at the top of the hour so you can catch the Glockenspiel action outside. The Bavarian-style clock tower over the store’s entrance puts on a show every 60 minutes with a parade of seven traditional characters, including a milkmaid and a sausage man — and they’re telling you it’s wine o’clock.
Heading north out of town you’ll reach 4R Ranch Vineyards and Winery first; the most scenic and least dusty route follows FM 373 past Turtle Hill Golf Course and loops back down on County Road 414. The winery’s “Wind Shed” tasting room has a real getaway vibe, its cantilevered deck perched amidst the oak trees with views of the valley beyond. Try four different flights of wine (dry white, dry red, dry mixed, or sweet) and
nibble on cheeses — or go for the Butterfinger gelato paired with their port-style red. If you’ve brought your dog on your adventure, you can order a “barkcuterie” board with mini hot dogs, carrots, and other tail-wagging goodies.
Located a few minutes up the road, Blue Ostrich Winery boasts a breezy hilltop setting with a vista of viognier vines under blue Texas skies. A few decades ago, thousands of ostriches nested on this land before the owners switched from raising birds to growing grapes. Like 4R, the wines here lean toward the dry side. Nosh on pesto-balsamic flatbreads and seasonal butter boards, like blueberry lemon-
lavender butter sprinkled with chopped pistachios. Blue Ostrich has family connections with the third winery, Arché, and the two co-produce the dry white wine County Line. Keep an eye on Arché’s social media channels for menu specials like roast beef paninis and brisket nachos.
From Arché’s award-winning chardonnay to 4R’s citrusy albariño, this undiscovered wine region offers picturesque beauty, laid-back charm and hearty treats from the Germans. Their language may have faded in Muenster, but their sausages and sauerkraut live on.
Savor: You’ll probably end up eating at the wineries, but what about dessert? Save room for a colossal strudel from Bayer’s Kolonialwaren. The gas station bakery is nothing fancy, but its strudel could be the best you’ve ever had. There’s only one size: giant. But you have 10 flavors to choose from: blueberry, cherry, or peach? Cream-colored cheese or a crisp apple strudel? Pure pastry nirvana awaits you underneath a snowdrift of powdered sugar, which will blanket your car if you try to eat said strudel from the dashboard. To quench a hankering for German cuisine, Rohmer’s Restaurant plates up schnitzels and pork sausages with sides of red cabbage, sauerkraut, and warm potato salad.
Shop: Head to Main Street just south of Fischer’s to find most of the shops, such as Bird’s Nest — a garden and gift store that’s chockablock with colorful wind chimes and puckish gnomes. A separate room houses well-priced apparel and dainty accessories. Across the street, Girlfriend’s Boutique stocks sassy T-shirts and on-trend attire. If you’re looking for antiques or wooden Longaberger baskets, Main Street Mercantile presents an organized hunting ground with a little German flavor, including beer steins and Hummel figurines. Muenster Antique Mall is a few blocks away but also has plenty to browse, especially vintage tools and stained-glass windows.
Enjoy: Muenster shifts into high gear for Germanfest every spring and Oktoberfest in autumn, the latter of which takes place this year on October 6-8. Kick back with a cold beer and enjoy German folk dancing and happy-golucky oompah music at two stages, indoors and out. Test your mettle at the stein hoisting and bratwurst eating competitions, or head to the wiener dog races to cheer for short-legged pups with enough mettle to go around. The Tapping of the Keg takes place on Saturday at noon, followed by contests for the best lederhosen and dirndl (traditional German dress for men and women).
Snooze: Sleep in Muenster’s swishiest digs at The Loft at 113, a two-bedroom apartment overlooking Main Street with exposed brick walls, dark wood ceiling beams, and a svelte kitchen. You might not want to leave the freestanding tub, especially if you’ve brought a glass of wine with you. Right around the corner is Schillinghaus, a small B&B with two balconied rooms and an adorable German façade. For a bit of fairy-tale romance, book a long weekend at Elm Creek Manor five miles outside of town. With a relaxed, woodsy setting amidst rolling hills, this highly rated culinary destination offers an authentic farm-to-table experience — they raise all their own meats, eggs, vegetables, fruits, honey, and milk.
How to Get There: Drive north on Interstate 35 for about an hour until you reach Gainesville, then take Exit 498 to US-82 traveling west. Muenster is 14 miles ahead.
Aledo born and raised, Sloan Struble of Dayglow revisits his debut album, which contains the perfect pop song.
BY BRIAN KENDALL
The daughter of musician Frank Zappa, Moon Zappa, once declared, “I’m totally convinced I can write the perfect pop song.”
To some, this proclamation might not seem far-fetched. After all, as Moon’s father often lamented, pop music is formulaic. The songs typically follow a verse/chorus/verse/throwin-a-bridge-somewhere structure and have a couple clever, easily repeatable lines — maybe even a double-entendre. Hey, learn a few chords, sing about love, and you have a hit, right? I’ll follow this query with a note that the 55-year-old Moon has never recorded any music, ever.
In June 2017, Vulture asked Jack Antonoff, the Bleachers’ frontman who regularly collaborates with Taylor Swift, Lorde, and Lana Del Rey to construct the current soundtrack for everyone in their 20s, to write a how-to article on creating the perfect pop song. In “Jack Antonoff on How to Write a Perfect Pop Song,” the singer/songwriter/producer delivers a rhapsody about the perfect pop song requiring emotional connectivity. “The big question is this: What is a pop song? The easiest way I can describe what makes a pop song a pop song is that it’s a song you want to hear over and over. Some people will instantly think, Well, that means it’s simple and stupid. The truth is that it’s the opposite. What song have you played 10,000 times? It’s probably not something basic. It’s probably a song that validates your experience on earth.”
While any attempt to make a perfect anything is futile, a great pop song is something relatable, stirs emotion, and never ever outstays its welcome. To the contrary, once a great pop song is over, you want to hear it again. Countering Moon’s songwriting confidence, John Lydon once said, “It’s not easy to write a good pop song.”
I have no idea when I first heard Dayglow’s “Can I Call You Tonight?” It could’ve been while scrolling through social media, flipping through
low-end-of-the-dial radio stations, or hearing it in the background at a get-together with a random playlist on shuffle. But I know I’d heard it, and I’d heard it a lot. It’s one of those songs that’s just out there, rightly taking up a breadth of space in the world. Put it this way: If you don’t know Dayglow, I would still wager your ears have, at some point, been introduced to this song.
It wasn’t until I was a passenger in a car, an Uber ride, and the song came on that I’d truly listened to it — my brain isolating it from any background noise. I was finally listening with intent. The slightly jagged rhythm of the electric guitar combined with the upbeat melodic lines that steadily progressed into one of the best hooks these ears had heard in some time had my complete attention. It was all at once dreamy and strained. I loved it. While I couldn’t make out all of the lyrics, the refrain “Can I call you tonight?” followed a line or two later by “Just how I feel” and “Tell me what’s real” were enough to trigger a sense of teen angst and young, unrequited love. All terrible feelings, but nostal-
gic feelings, nonetheless. A bashful Shazaming of the song showed the artist, Dayglow, and it would subsequently enter my normal listening rotation — on occasion seeking it out and playing it multiple times in a row. I liked what it made me think about and how it made me feel. And I’m clearly not the only one who might’ve gotten a little spellbound by the tune, it having over 500 million streams on Spotify.
Is it a perfect pop song? According to Antonoff, yes.
“Can I Call You Tonight?” appeared on Dayglow’s 2018 debut album, Fuzzybrain, itself a collection of 10 similarly melodic, catchy tunes that ironically combine a wide-eyed sense of wonderment with paralyzing self-awareness. You might call that indie pop.
And the band is, well, not really a band at all. Dayglow’s vocalist, rhythm and lead guitarist, drummer, and keyboardist are all a guy named Sloan Struble, who recorded the entirety of his debut album in his bedroom at his parents’ home in Aledo when he was 18 years old.
That’s right, the craftsman of a
perfect pop song was, at that time, attending All Saints’ Episcopal School. In between his solo band practice and creating clever guitar hooks, he was taking standardized aptitude tests, applying for college, ducking normal high school embarrassments, and thinking about girls. But, as he tells us, he really was “just making music.”
In the words of Mark Twain, “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”
Sloan now lives in Austin, but with his wife also hailing from North Texas, the pair often find themselves in the area. On one of their excursions up north, we met up with Sloan at local venue Tulips for a chat.
Sporting a blond mop of shaggy hair, white tee, and Vans, Sloan’s quiet and reserved disposition contradicts the lively tunes he so easily invents from whatever instrument happens to be in his hands — something we witnessed firsthand when he sat behind a piano. He bashfully smiles a lot and is incredibly humble, slightly embarrassed by any compliments and deflecting praise — a general pattern among those born and raised on the good side of the metroplex.
“I don’t know if I’m shy,” Sloan says, “but I am pretty reserved. Like, I never thought I was gonna get interviewed for any reason in my life.”
When I ask him about his upbring-
ing, which I had read includes growing up on a farm-like plot of land with fainting goats, he simply drills through his primary and secondary education, “I went to Stuard Elementary, and from there I went to Aledo Middle School.” But, yes, he did in fact grow up on a farm with goats.
He describes his parents as chill, his dad an endodontist — “Shout out John Struble, DDS, if any of your readers need a root canal” — and his mom stayed at home. “Typical childhood for a kid in Fort Worth, I would assume,” he says. He also had a couple older brothers whom he says are nothing like him. In fact, he clarified, no one in his family is like him. “But we’re all close.”
Music came early to Sloan, starting out by making what he calls beats at the age of 10, when he also first picked up guitar.
“My mom got me guitar lessons at our church, and then I quickly quit cause it was nothing like Guitar Hero, which made more sense to me,” Sloan says unironically. “It was the buttons, which translated pretty quickly to music production. I wound up just teaching myself guitar after I knew how to play and make a beat.
“Very slowly have I learned guitar. I’m still learning.”
At All Saints’, he clearly had his priorities in order. And, by that, we mean
his creative endeavors came first.
“I wasn’t necessarily too involved with things [in school],” Sloan says. “I wasn’t concerned with climbing the social ladder because I could see that it ended when people moved to college. Out of high school, you just move on, and I knew that was coming.
“So, all of that time during high school, I just wasn’t concerned with making friends.”
In 2016, while a sophomore at the private high school, Sloan had fashioned a studio out of his bedroom and released his first proper album along with three singles under the name Kindred. Abandoning that moniker the following year, Sloan started recording as Dayglow and released four new singles, including “Can I Talk Tonight?” before walking the stage at his high school graduation.
He had also recorded an entire album’s-worth of songs, which would eventually become Fuzzybrain, released his first semester while at the University of Texas.
“In high school, I was just making music. I had a studio. I mean, it was just in my bedroom. But I basically worked on [songs for Fuzzybrain] all day long.”
While he certainly didn’t dislike Fort Worth, one can sense he was likely itching for a change of scenery.
“I thought really highly of [Fort Worth], but I was in high school, so my judgment in all things is probably off.”
So, like any 18-year-old Texan seeking to better understand their place in the world while jumping at the bit to call a new city home, he high-tailed it to Austin. This moment, a moment of youthful crisis, is what ultimately inspired his new album’s name.
“I knew what I wanted to call the record before it was done. I felt like [Fuzzybrain] just encapsulated how I felt. You’re a senior in high school, and you’re waiting for this change to happen. At the time, I didn’t feel fully understood where I was. That’s a testament to growing up where I did, but at the same time, just being at that age. So much self-discovery. A
lot of the record is fueled by that.”
Following the independent, selfrelease of Fuzzybrain in September 2018, it was clear it had legs. Fast ones. And they were running at a speed with which Sloan could hardly keep up.
“Can I Call You Tonight?” became a phenomenon. Sloan managed to eschew the normal get-your-songon-the-radio marketing plan for something far more organic. It was simply out there, and one day, it was everywhere. First becoming popular on the TikTok social media platform, the tune took on a life of its own, getting shared incessantly from TikTok user to TikTok user and racking up millions upon millions of streams. Sloan quickly went from small-time bedroom recording artist to dropping out of college and selling out large concert venues on tour. It all happened in the blink of an eye. Sloan was an international pop star.
“I didn’t think it’d happen,” Sloan says. “I knew it could, and I kind of learned how rare it was because, for marketing and relatability, people might make it seem like it organically happened. I found out it rarely does. There’s usually a label involved or someone that they knew or had connections, and I really didn’t. It just happened.”
Sloan, again in his humble ways, doesn’t take a lot of credit, at one point telling me, “I don’t know what I’m doing to make it grow ’cause I didn’t have anything to do with it [growing] in the first place.
That is, with the notable exception of actually writing the song.
And the song’s shelf-life seems almost everlasting. “Can I Call You Tonight?” has had what Sloan describes as five different waves, having gone viral multiple times and continuing to reemerge. Today, Fuzzybrain, as an album, has nearly 1 billion streams on Spotify.
All of this, of course, is a testament to the power of the song. Sure, one could have a difficult time defining
“Can I Call You Tonight’s” enduring and endearing quality. But even an abstract reason makes the song all the more charming.
Sloan still records in a bedroom, only that bedroom is now in Austin and it has some gold records hanging on the walls. Since the release of Fuzzybrain, he’s released two more albums, played at ACL, and recently had a sold-out show at the nearby Southside Ballroom. Concerning new tunes com-
ing down the pike, he’s putting music making on hold for a minute.
“I’m trying to get back to making music for fun,” Sloan says. “I’m still producing all myself and still haven’t signed to a major label. I haven’t, in my opinion, sold out by any means.”
Regardless of when a new record gets released, Fuzzybrain and “Can I Call you Tonight?” will always sound fresh. After all, it’s a perfect pop song.
With two new charity initiatives, Christy Dunaway Smith, the blogger behind SoFortWorthIt, puts energy back into what she loves most.
BY FWM STAFF
Going unnoticed when attempting to conduct an interview with Christy Dunaway Smith in a public place, be it a restaurant, cocktail bar, or coffee shop, is an impossibility. The local philanthropist and content creator behind the popular lifestyle blog, “SoFortWorthIt,” simply knows too many people. And these people, who each cheerfully approach Smith, don’t seem to be mere acquaintances sharing normal pleasantries, either. No,
they’re friends who immediately engage in banter that alludes to a fondness and deep affection for one another. “Tell Jason [Christy’s husband] he needs to work on his short game,” would be one example of an exchange, despite my not hearing those words specifically.
While Christy’s vivacious personality is no doubt infectious — she practically speaks in emojis — she also readily admits that her overt positivity can teeter on naivety, a trait that has, at times, put her in hot water.
“I’ve always kind of lived in my own little positive world,” Christy says. “It’s kind of a bubble where I assume too many good things.”
The blogging landscape has changed considerably since Christy began “SoFortWorthIt” in 2012. Today’s content largely lives via Facebook posts and reels on Instagram and TikTok, where comment sections become a feeding ground for trolls and naysayers. This is the drawback of being in the modern day’s public eye — the contrarian’s voice, whether rightly or wrongly, is more amplified than it’s ever been.
Following an incident in February 2022, the negativity hit an apex (or basement, depending on how you look at it), and Christy took a much-needed break from social media. This respite allowed her to regroup and focus on two philanthropy projects she’d been toying with: a city-wide collection day for Beautiful Feet Ministries, a nonprofit church for displaced people that provides food, health care, clothing, and worship services, and Your Dress, Their Dream, a prom dress drive for young girls with financial concerns.
We caught up with Christy a few weeks ago to talk about what she’s been up to lately. Unable to conduct the interview over drinks or dinner due to reasons already stated, I gave Christy a call when she was on a road trip, during which we discussed her new charity initiatives, what inspired her to take on philanthropic work, and the world of being “internet famous.”
FW: Hi, Christy, how’s it going?
Christy Dunaway Smith: Hi! How are you? I’ve got you on speaker and my son’s in the car, but he’s pretty much heard everything in my entire life, so …
FW: OK. All right.
CDS: It’s all good. He’s 15.
FW: Well, I’ll still make sure the language remains PG. I’d love to talk about your new charity initiatives [Beautiful Feet Ministries and Your Dress, Their Dream]. Let’s start with Beautiful Feet. How did you get involved and how did the idea strike you?
CDS: Well, for so long I had just been doing social media stuff, and I had stopped doing philanthropic work — I used to be on all of these boards, and I chaired this and that. But when I started blogging, all of that got pushed to the side because it was very difficult to do both at the same time. It was one or the other, and I really missed it. [Philanthropy
work] really is my heart and joy. So, last January, I started thinking about doing a Kingdom cause — something that supported God’s mission.
In February, I fell into a space where I got off social media for a brief time, and it was during this time when I decided to partner with Beautiful Feet Ministries for a city-wide collection drive. We did a letter campaign and filled an entire U-Haul truck up to the roof with food, cases of water, backpacks, luggage — a whole list of very specific needs — and we delivered it to Beautiful Feet. But I wasn’t satisfied. Even though we got a lot of donations, I knew that our community could do better. So, I formed a Beautiful Feet committee that was family oriented — parents and children, all hands on deck. And we did a giant letter campaign, and we raised over $28,000. We’re still growing and trying to make a big impact on the city.
FW: Why did you decide to partner with Beautiful Feet?
CDS: With so many great foundations and charities, it’s difficult to pick one. Beautiful Feet is kind of the boutique homeless community outreach program, and their focus is on Christ and saving and healing people who are disadvantaged. They are an actual Christian, faith-based organization, so they get zero money from the government and zero support. The church is run by real people giving real donations.
The Presbyterian Night Shelter and Union Gospel also do amazing work for the homeless community down there. They are both very, very well-oiled machines and very well-funded. It’s really a trifecta of great organizations that work in the homeless community. Beautiful Feet is just more grassroots. But my hope, my vision for the future, is that this campaign will one day be bringing in millions of dollars.
FW: Now let’s talk about the second charity, Your Dress, Their Dream.
CDS: I know, it’s cuckoo. How did I do two in one year? So, this was very organic compared to Beautiful Feet, which was more structured. This charity was simply: I did something, and it caused a ripple effect.
While cleaning out my closet — I literally still had stuff from middle school — I made several piles. There was stuff that was going to Beautiful Feet. There was stuff that was going to Berry Good Buys. And there was stuff going to The RealReal [secondhand designer clothing store in Dallas]. Then there was stuff that wasn’t a right fit for any of those, and I ended up with 10 incredible ball gowns. Then Bonnie, who was helping me clean my closet, suggested I gift them to [underprivileged] girls who might need them for prom or homecoming. I thought it was such a good idea, and, literally, just a few weeks later, we kicked off a prom dress drive right in my own home. And it was a smashing success. We ended up with 350 gown donations, and everybody loved it. This was last August, and I cannot tell you how many phone calls I’ve received over the past year asking if we’re going to do it again.
So, this September 17, we’re doing another prom dress drive
at Into the Garden in Clearfork. We’ve got B&B Butcher’s doing the food; there will be a DJ and balloons. It’s almost going to feel like an adult prom party for everyone to come and bring their prom dresses to give to people in need. I’m hoping the people who show up and donate go well beyond my bubble of friends and followers, and we end up with 350 dresses this time.
FW: So, what ultimately inspired you to get involved in philanthropy work?
CDS: Well, going back to college, I dove into philanthropic work, and I started doing a lot of stuff with the museums, and I chaired a lot of things. And it was seeing my parents do this — my mom was on so many boards and chaired so many things — that made it a natural segue for me. I knew that that’s what I wanted to do when I was old enough. And so, right out of college, I started filling those shoes and serving on boards and raising money. And, honestly, it just filled my heart and soul to be able to give back in such impactful ways.
And when I started blogging in 2012, I couldn’t do both; I needed more hands and more Christys to make that happen. But, even when I’m blogging, I always try to use that platform to promote charities, philanthropy, and giving back to the community.
FW: So, what’s the word for it these days? Is it blogging? Are you an influencer or content creator? What’s your title?
CDS: That is such a good question. I personally hate the word influencer. I think it’s overused and abused. And blogger is so blasé. I mean, now, I think it’s more content creator. But, really, I’m a community volunteer with a philanthropic heart.
Oftentimes when I am talking with residents they say to me, “I wish I had moved to The Tradition much sooner.” Also, they remark on the many meaningful friendships they have developed. Studies show companionship is vital to all of us; it makes for a thriving and healthy lifetime.
If you are starting your search for luxury, rental retirement living, you’ll love our beautiful Communities and all the extraordinary services, amenities, activities, and new friendships that our residents enjoy. Maintaining an engaged and independent lifestyle is easy when you are close to the city’s most desirable neighborhoods and near to all that is familiar. Start enjoying your to-do list in warm, enriching surroundings, and take advantage of our many educational and social events as well as outings to cultural venues, popular restaurants, and special area attractions.
I hope that you consider a new way of living and join us at The Tradition. Please make an appointment to tour our beautiful Community, meet residents firsthand and learn more. I look forward to welcoming you home!
Founder & CEO The Tradition
North Texas chef Marcus Paslay’s new seafood restaurant is an impressive – and distinctive –addition to his growing empire of high-end eateries.
BY MALCOLM MAYHEW
There’s often a vein of familiarity that runs through independent restaurants owned by the same restaurateur or family. In Fort Worth, Felipe Armenta and Tim Love, both of whom own more than a halfdozen restaurants in the city and beyond, offer visual and culinary calling cards that let you know who’s the boss, whether it’s a recurring dish or an architectural easter egg.
Those similarities are more difficult to spot at the restaurants owned by Marcus Paslay, the city’s low key but nonetheless productive restaurateur who is celebrating two milestones this year: the recent opening of a new restaurant, Walloon’s, and the tenth anniversary of his first restaurant, the still-going-strong Clay Pigeon.
Over the years and the course of four restaurant openings, Paslay has told us, time and again, that he strives to make each of his restaurants unique — and so far, he and his From Scratch Hospitality restaurant group have made good on that promise.
With its romantic vibe and small, carefully curated menu, Clay Pigeon is a far cry from Provender Hall, Paslay and company’s rambunctious, twostory Americana restaurant and bar located in the heart of the Fort Worth Stockyards.
In between is Piattello, Paslay’s ode to modern Italian cooking, whose stately atmosphere goes against the grain of everyday Italian restaurants and their humdrum checkerboard tablecloths. Of this triplet of restaurants, Piattello has made the greatest culinary impact, igniting a local foodie
trend: scratch-made pasta. Before Piattello opened in 2017, it was hard to find in Fort Worth.
Since then, several new Italian restaurants in Fort Worth have opted to make their pastas, such as Tre Mogli, il Modo, and Caterina’s.
Paslay’s latest effort, Walloon’s, fits right in with his others, mainly because it’s incongruent with its siblings. Paslay describes it as his thank-you letter to the food of New Orleans, Chicago, and the Gulf Coast — food he hasn’t had the platform to spotlight, until now.
“It’s seafood but a lot more than that,” says Paslay, a graduate of the hallowed Culinary Institute of America. “I feel like this menu started out as a clean slate, no expectations. I knew it would be seafood — that’s a genre of food we had yet to take on, and we wanted to tackle it. But it’s far from just a seafood restaurant.”
Here, the menu is playful, full of surprises. An Italian beef sandwich, piled with paper-thin, braised sirloin and crowned with crunchy and spicy giardiniera, resides side by side with show-stopping redfish, its skin expertly seared, its texture appropri-
ately buttery and smooth. A seafood tower, jammed with poached shrimp, cold-water oysters, and tuna crudo, shares the same menu space as a big plate of steak and fries. Grilled trout here, braised short rib there.
Appetizers include oysters Rockefeller, steak tartare, French onion dip, Louisiana BBQ shrimp, and deviled eggs.
To Paslay’s point, though, seafood is the thrust of what Walloon’s serves, in both traditional forms and not. There’s a pan-roasted salmon for conversative diners and beer-battered redfish beignets for adventure-seekers. One of the restaurant’s focal points is its stool-lined raw bar, offering oysters, shrimp cocktail, and spicy tuna crudo, along with the aforementioned seafood tower.
In addition, there’s a New Englandstyle lobster roll and nearly a half-dozen salads, one punctuated with pan-roasted salmon, the other with crispy bites of calamari.
One of the restaurant’s must-try dishes combines the land and sea: the supremely rich seafood mac and cheese, an addicting collision of lob-
ster, shrimp, breadcrumbs, and a trio of cheeses. At most restaurants, this is served as an app; here, it’s an entrée, a behemoth that’ll take two to topple.
Walloon’s is part of a new, 68,000-square-foot, mixed-use development called The 701, so named because of its address: 701 W. Magnolia Ave. Walloon’s takes over an historic building best known as the former headquarters of Fort Worth National Bank.
Paslay says he was adamant about maintaining the building’s historical significance. As a result, guests can dine within feet of the bank’s original vault, which Paslay says will be turned into a tasting room or wine cellar.
Other architectural elements include the original tin ceiling tiles and the inlaid terrazzo flooring that encircles the raw bar.
The restaurant’s centerpiece is its horseshoe-shaped bar, lined with milk glass lights that cast a sepia-tone glow, like an old picture from the 1920s.
Walloon’s not only marks Paslay’s foray into seafood, but also into the Near Southside neighborhood.
“We’ve had our eye on this area for a long time,” says Paslay, whose From Scratch Hospitality team is made up of executive chef Scott Lewis, who’ll be doing most of the heavy culinary lifting at Walloon’s, and director of operations Kellen Hamrah. “But the time was never right, or the space was never right. We didn’t want to force anything.”
Paslay says he didn’t mind taking his time before going into the area, one of the city’s most popular and fastest-growing communities.
“We never begin with a restaurant concept and then try to find it a home,” he says. “We do it the other way around — we find a neighborhood or area we want to be a part of and let the concept complement the area. There wasn’t anything like Walloon’s in the Near Southside, so to us, it was a perfect fit.”
701 W. Magnolia Ave., walloonsrestaurant.com
A new soul food restaurant in Arlington jazzes up classic dishes with a unique ingredient: Indian food spices.
BY MALCOLM MAYHEW
In the same way certain movie titles perfectly illustrate a film or a book title that thoroughly encapsulates what you’re about to read, the name of Fort Worth native Mary Sholars’ new restaurant nicely captures her unique style of food.
She calls it soul food with an Indian twist. Hence, her restaurant’s name, Spice & Gravy Southern Eatery.
But before visions of fried chicken masala run through your mind, note that most of Sholars’ dishes are deeply embedded in soul food traditions. This is not fusion cuisine — no mashups of collards and curries.
Rather, the Indian influences come in the form of some of the spices she uses to jazz up her soul food classics. It’s more subtle than obvious, she says.
The military veteran, mother, and grandmother says the inspiration to use Indian spices here and there came from her former sisterin-law, who is Hindu. “She brought my mother multiple Indian spices, but she didn’t use them right away. My curiosity was driving me crazy. Finally, she created several dishes, using those spices, and they were the best things that have ever touched my palate.”
Sholars’ restaurant, which she opened earlier this year with help from her husband, Reginald Williams, and, in particular, its menu were heavily inspired by Sholars’ mother, an expert cook whose specialty was soul and American food, she says.
Spice & Gravy’s menu includes renditions of dishes Sholars grew up eating: blackened whitefish set atop
a mountain of smoked Gouda cheese grits; fried catfish served with collard greens and mac and cheese; smothered chicken; chicken and waffles; shrimp and grits; and brisket and mac and cheese eggrolls.
“When I was a little girl, my mother would always assign me to be her prep cook or sous-chef in the kitchen,” she says. “This helped me understand ingredients and seasonings.”
In an effort to help her mom, Sholars began whipping up meals for herself and her two older brothers at a young age — “7 or 8,” she says. “My mom worked multiple hours at her job to support us, and that led me to make the family meals. I created meals with anything I could find in the cupboards or refrigerator. I liked making complex meals with simple ingredients such as ground beef, cheese, and bread. I liked meals that weren’t typical.”
While a student at Arlington Heights High School, Sholars worked in local restaurants, grocery stores,
and delis, further enhancing her cooking skills and knowledge of food. After she graduated from college, she traveled throughout the U.S. and Europe, both on her own and as a member of the military, soaking up the flavors and aromas of various cuisines along the way.
In 2003, she returned to the North Texas area, where she married and started a family. Over the years, she developed an itch to open her own restaurant. That itch mutated into an obsession until, she says, the time was right. Earlier this spring, she opened Spice & Gravy.
She takes great pride in the food she serves, saying it shouldn’t just taste good. “A perfect meal, for me, appeals to all of my senses,” she says. “A good dish should appeal to all of our senses: sight, smell, texture, and taste.”
Spice & Gravy Southern Eatery, 7401 Matlock Road, Arlington, spicegravy.com
Prince’s Lebanese Grill in Arlington recently launched a cool partnership with the Arlington Independent School District in which the restaurant will develop new menu items that will be served in all 78 of the AISD’s school cafeterias. Working within the guidelines of the National School Lunch Program, Prince owner/chef Aziz Kobty will create various dishes throughout the school year that will put healthy and delicious top of mind. Probably the coolest part of this initiative is the fact that Kobty’s menu items will be tested and approved by the students themselves. The dishes were still being hammered out at press time but included baked chicken wings for the first day of school. At 34 years old, Prince’s Lebanese Grill is one of the city’s popular and longest-running Mediterranean restaurants. 502 W. Randol Mill Road, Arlington, princelebanesegrill. com
Downtown Italian restaurants il Modo and 61 Osteria recently unveiled new late summer menus. Il Modo, the restaurant on the ground floor of the Kimpton Harper Hotel downtown, introduced several new seasonal items, such as wild boar pappardelle with a tomato-herb ragu; salmon with garlic spinach, ribbons of squash and confit tomatoes in a tomato emulsion; and asparagus soup with crispy prosciutto and crème fraîche. In step with its housemade pasta program, the restaurant offers pasta-making classes on the first Thursday of each month, the next one being September 7. 714 Main St., ilmodorestaurant.com
Meanwhile, a few blocks over at 61 Osteria, owner Adam Jones and executive chef Blaine Staniford recently added new items to their lunch and brunch menus. New apps include local tomatoes served with hand-stretched mozzarella, basil, saba, and Texas olive oil; prosciutto di parma and melon, 12-month-aged ham with local melon, herb oil, black pepper, and chives; and pork belly spiedini, woodgrilled pork belly with black olive caramel, celery leaf, and orange zest. New entrees include Texas Corn Soup, a Wagyu burger, and handmade spaghetti and serpente pastas. 500 W. Seventh St., 61osteria.com
Eazy Monkey, chef Andrew Dilda’s ode to mashups of Asian and American cuisine and ’90s skater-punk culture, quietly opened in August in the old Fixture spot in the Near Southside, but for third-party delivery service only. Dilda says he still has some details to work out before he opens for dine-in service; he’s looking at mid- to late-September. Once open, this spinoff of Dallas’ Monkey King Noodle Co. should be one of the city’s most unique restaurants, with a fun, rock ‘n’ roll atmos and an adventurous menu made up of items like cheeseburger fried rice and crab Rangoon nachos. 401 W. Magnolia Ave., eazymonkey.com
The 70-mile trek to Hico will feel like a breeze once you get a taste of BarbaCelli’s pizza.
BY MALCOLM MAYHEW
In Texas culinary circles, the tiny Texas town of Hico — found about 70 minutes southwest of Fort Worth — is best known for the Koffee Kup, an old-school diner that serves pie topped with skyscrapers of meringue and onion rings the size of small children.
But over the past couple of months, Hico has become home to another restaurant whose food is well worth the drive: BarbaCelli’s Pizza Joint, a fast-casual Italian spot in the heart of downtown.
Think of it as a mashup between Pie 5 and Cane Rosso — it adopts the same counter service as P5 but has more of a chef-inspired sensibility, a la Cane Rosso. Pizzas with thick, floppy crusts are cooked in a wood-fired oven and come with toppings such as chorizo, pancetta, spicy honey, and burrata cheese. There are traditional toppings, too, from pepperoni to mushrooms.
At least one pasta is made as a special every week, and this is where owners Shannon and Austin Odom truly shine. Both self-taught chefs and both college dropouts, they’ve spent years mastering the art of pasta-making, watching how the high-end restaurants do it, studying old and new cookbooks, and taking cues from the cooks in their own families. Any pasta you get at BarbaCelli’s will be on par with any pasta you’ll get at Tre Mogli or Piattello’s.
BarbaCelli’s is the second concept from this young, ambitious, and talented couple, whom this magazine profiled two years ago when they opened a wildly popular farmto-table restaurant called Oma Leen’s in the nearby town Walnut Springs. It was at Oma Leen’s where the two made names for themselves for their incredible pastas.
Wanting to be closer to Hico, where they live, the couple closed Oma Leen’s last year and is planning to reopen it this fall a couple blocks over from BarbaCellis, which, like Oma Leen’s, is named after relatives in both couple’s families.
But in the meantime, there’s BarbaCelli’s, which offers a half-dozen specialty pizzas, plus sandwiches, wings, garlic bread, and, on Fridays and Saturdays, a weekly pasta special. The restaurant is a way to keep them busy until Oma Leen’s reopens, but more important, Austin says, it’s allowed them an opportunity to learn how to make pizza, one of their favorite dishes.
“We didn’t know what we were doing when we first started out,” Austin says, laughing. “But just like everything we cook, it’s been trial by fire. Maybe more fire this time — it is not easy. But I know we’re doing something right, because people are loving it.”
BarbaCelli’s Pizza Joint, 114 N. Railroad St., Hico, barbacellis.com
This fall, we’re channeling that era of country when Conway Twitty was topping the charts, and sequins, colossal collars, and Nudie Suits were a staple of Sunday service — we exaggerate, of course. This was when mutton chops were known simply as male grooming, and it took far more than a cowboy hat to fit in at a local honky-tonk. You had to full-on express yourself with your garb — shyness and a touch of misplaced insecurity were no dang excuse.
When you compare the colorful country duds of the 1960s to those straight-laced, monochromatic, buttoned-up, mop-top-matching squares of the pop/rock world, it’s obvious who was having all the fun. Starting in the 1950s, when it came to fashion, country had an undeniable leg up on everybody. While multiple genres would later imitate (but never surpass) the glitz and glam of country-western, we know who influenced ya. You’re welcome, disco.
[Editor’s note: This photo shoot was done in partnership with Fort Worth Camera as part of this year’s Fort Worth Foto Fest, during which the magazine’s director of photography, Crystal Wise, led a workshop on editorial photography. Some of the following images were photographed by students who attended this class. They all have proper attribution.]
I’ll buy some brand-new clothes and dress up fancy
For my journey to the wilder side of life
Tammy Wynette, “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad” (1967)
BY
And then she painted my eyes and lips Then I stepped into a satin dancin’ dress That had a split on the side clean up to my hip BobbieGentry,“Fancy”(1969)
A kaleidoscope of colors, you can toss her round and round You can keep her in your vision, but you never keep her down
The women all look at you like you’re bad The men all hope you are LorettaLynn,“RatedX”(1973)
You want my dress below my knees
And never up above ‘em
She wears her miniskirts up high
And on her you love ‘em
Jeannie C. Riley, “I’ll Be a Woman of the World” (1968)
All the cowboys strained and craned to see Her sequined skirts would swirl and twirl And catch the light and sparkle And Belinda’s eyes would wander restlessly BobbieGentry,“Belinda”(1971)
According to the ancient Greeks, inspiration comes in nine forms: the Muses. Penning Fort Worth’s own folklore, we’re taking this ancient concept and finding nine inspiring writers, painters, and performers of the Western world who might stoke your creative fire.
BY BRIAN KENDALL AND CHARLOTTE SETTLE PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRYSTAL WISE
In the olden days, before anyone ever uttered the phrase “year of our Lord,” there were some fascinating, if not perplexing, notions about how inspiration struck. Scholars of the time wondered how artists — painters, poets, and playwrights who were otherwise doomed to general ineptitude — experienced sudden jolts of creativity and workaholism to produce timeless, magnificent works. Unable to accept that artists could pull such tricks straight out of their own minds (with or without assistance from the good ol’ mead), the powers that be among ancient Greeks theorized that nine of Zeus’ daughters, each personifying a different medium, would appear before the aforementioned artists and perform choreographed song and dance routines to inspire creation. These were the nine Muses of Greek mythology, each inspiring an artist of one of these distinct trades: epic poetry, love poetry, hymns, history, music, comedy, tragedy, dance, and astronomy.
While the concept might sound a little dated, we couldn’t help but apply this archaic belief to something that is quintessential Fort Worth: Western art. But rather than spin a yarn and create Muses
out of thin air, we set out to find nine real-life Western Muses — local Fort Worthians who could inspire creators. And we decided these Muses should be creators themselves, each in a different medium, whose work and devotion to Western art and the Western lifestyle would serve as inspiration for others — no choreographed song and dance necessary.
With that said, yes, you will notice we took some liberties and strayed from the ancient Greek’s initial concept. First and foremost, none of these people are, or claim to be (we don’t think), gods or goddesses. Second, because finding a cowboy astronomer proved too difficult, we updated the nine art forms to the more manageable writing, painting, poetry, acting, singing, dancing, photography, sculpting, and illustrating. And, lastly, much like the goddesses of ancient Greece, we gave each a Greek name fitting for a Muse.
Whether you’re an artist or not, we think everyone can use a little inspiration and hope the following pages serve as an antidote for that ever-persistent procrastination. Happy creating, y’all.
The Photographer
A suspender of time and a revealer of truth. Click Thompson has photographed some of the nation’s most prestigious rodeo events and was named the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PCRA) Photographer of the Year in 2022. You can regularly catch him close to chutes, with camera in tow, at both Cowtown and Will Rogers coliseums. clickthompson.com, IG: @clickthompson
Writer
A wielder of words whose stories beget candor and myth. Christian Wallace is an award-winning writer whose long-form and “shorter” form work you can read in Texas Monthly. His popular podcast, “Boomtown,” is soon to become a Taylor Sheridan-produced, Billy Bob Thornton-starring series called “Land Man,” on which Wallace is credited as a co-creator and executive producer. christianwallace.com, IG: @wormwithdagger
The Contemporary Painter
A visionary who conveys an unknown perspective of the world.
Chloe M. Burk is an artist and barrel racer who grew up in the French countryside. Despite studying fashion in London and Paris, Burk ultimately dedicated her life to painting and, specifically, painting her muse: horses. Her unmistakable style, Native American and cowboy scenes with horses typically in full stride, feels simultaneously contemporary and folkloric. Her paintings are currently on display at Parson Gallery of the West in Taos, New Mexico. cmburkwesternart.com, IG: @c.m.burk.westernart
The Modern Painter
An illusionist who wields windows out of canvas. Jacob Lovett is a contemporary Western oil painter and entrepreneur, who in 2021 founded Muse — a collaborative studio space for local creatives. His distinct perspective on Western art has led to numerous group and solo shows at local galleries, including Love Texas Art; Studio Sabka, where he studied under Aleksi Xhaferi; Turner House in Dallas; and The Gage Hotel in Marathon. jacoblovettart.com, IG: @jacoblovettart
An engineer whose bricks and blocks are the spoken word. Red Steagall is a poet, actor, musician, songwriter, radio host, and stage performer. A dang North Texas renaissance man, Steagall creates and promotes art that personifies the ideals, philosophy, and culture of the Old West. Through collaborations, syndicated radio and television shows, published books, and written songs, Steagall’s name has endured and remains synonymous with Western art. redsteagall.com, IG: redsteagall
The Actor
A shape-shifter who vitally portrays all that is good, bad, and ugly.
JP Guana is a Choctaw Native American/Mexican actor and model whose credits include Taylor Sheridan’s “1883” and the films “Terror on the Prairie,” “The Harbinger,” and “Washington’s Armor.” A former employee of The Dallas Morning News, Guana is now a full-time actor and committed to being an educated representative of his heritage. IG: @choctawnativejp
The Singer
A siren whose spell is not one to avoid. Kristyn Harris is a singer who’s just as comfortable on the back of a horse as she is behind a microphone. Eschewing the Nashville sound for more traditional fare, her Western swing rhythm style and power-packed yodeling have made her a five-time recipient of the International Western Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year Award. You can check out her tunes, including three full-length albums, on Spotify. kristynharris.com, IG: kristyn_harris
The Sculptor/Welder
A blacksmith who forges life as he sees it.
Jason Owen is a welder, wrangler, rancher, and actor. You can catch his work on several Taylor Sheridanproduced and/or Christina Voros-directed shows and movies — or just about any production that requires a horse and someone to be on said horse. Though his art as a welder rarely enters public spaces, he’s managed to cleverly find new uses for old horseshoes at his shop in Van Horn.
The Dancer
A historian whose steps chronicle a past. Claudia Tiffany Rodriguez is a TCU theatre major and a conserver and promoter of ballet folklorico, or traditional Mexican folk dance. In folklorico, every movement, instrument, and design on a vestuario (dress) holds a meaning. Rodriguez is currently advocating for ballet folklorico courses at TCU and hopes to one day convince the university to offer it as a major. IG: @tiffany_y_folklore_
That’s Elaine Agather, a one-of-a-kind businesswoman who ‘lights up a room.’
BY JOHN HENRY PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRYSTAL WISE
Of all the tributes lavished on Elaine Agather over the course of 44 years as a banker and civic leader — there have been many — one strikes a chord with the reader.
Well, this reader, at least.
Elaine Agather is tough, energetic, and chic.
Agather enjoys a hearty chuckle at the thought.
“It’s just funny,” she says, “that combination of words. I mean, I am tough, and I am energetic, and I do love clothes. But it’s just funny hearing it together.”
OK, what Agather is, is a person of elegance and strength. And a fantastic sense of humor and charisma that will have you in the palm of her hand in just mere moments. That kind of sense of humor should be no wonder considering “develop your funny bone” is one of “Elaine’s Eight” rules.
You cannot survive — in business or in life — without a sense of humor. Lighten up, loosen up, and laugh. It’s amazing how far this will take you. And, you’ll sure feel a lot better!
Teaching with humor is the best way for the mentee to learn, she is a firm believer.
She has used all of that, not to mention the gift of ingenuity, to leave a giant footprint in Fort Worth, the place she fell in love with “at first sight” when she
arrived more than 30 years ago.
“The people, the town, the rodeo, the history, everything about it was familiar to me, and I loved it,” she says. “I mean, I loved everything about it.”
The list of her contributions is as long as the road that connects Fort Worth and Dallas, the Turnpike we used to call it. That’s not excess by a supposed wordsmith. Agather is asked to lead projects for the obvious reason: She gets things done.
“She is a one-of-a-kind businesswoman,” says John Goff, a Fort Worth-based real estate developer and billionaire investor. “She lights up a room with her enthusiasm, smarts, and tenacity. She can be charming and tough as nails in the same meeting.”
Agather is chairwoman of the Dallas Region for JPMorgan Chase & Co., where she provides strategic direction, governance oversight, and leadership in various aspects of its operation. She also serves as the CEO of the Central Region and managing director of The Private Bank at J.P. Morgan.
there ever since. She is also involved in the building of the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington. It remains a mystery how there has not been one up until now.
Agather was also a driving force for the building of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth to honor the extraordinary women who helped build the West.
Perhaps only her two grandchildren, whom she is admittedly “bat,” ahem, guano “crazy about” get more of her attention than a new exhibit at the museum telling the story of a former slave, Clara Brown, who managed to save $10,000 working as a freed laundress and eventually helped newly freed slaves to relocate to Colorado.
“She is a legend within JPMorgan; [Chase CEO] Jamie Dimon lights up when he sees her. Beyond her many senior roles within JPMorgan, she gives back to the community in so many ways.” — John Goff
She is an icon really. It has been noted that among Fortune 500 companies, there are more male CEOs named ‘John’ or ‘David’ than there are female CEOs.
“I have never seen her intimidated,” Goff continues. “She is a legend within JPMorgan; [Chase CEO] Jamie Dimon lights up when he sees her. Beyond her many senior roles within JPMorgan, she gives back to the community in so many ways.
“She never says no to lending her expertise, contacts, and ingenuity to a worthy cause. I am so proud to have her as both my banker as well as good friend.”
Agather is chairwoman of Performing Arts Fort Worth, having taken over for Ed Bass. Agather was among the original directors when Bass put together a civic group to plan and build the world-class, multimillion-dollar performing-arts center, better known as Bass Hall, downtown. She has served
When the mayor called her during COVID to co-lead an organization to help Fort Worth businesses get through the pandemic, she answered.
And, then, more recently, she became the first woman to serve as an officer of the 127-year history Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo, a position she was told would never come to her because, well, that’s just the way it is. Women aren’t officers of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
Agather didn’t go marching down Main Street demanding change. She just kept doing things. And doing things. She just kept showing up. It’s amazing what happens when you just show up and do things, aka, leading.
She can count with one finger the times she has missed riding in the rodeo entry in 32 years. Once. A meeting with her boss, Diamond, took priority. She stands out there, too, simply because of her fashionista western attire. Other planets can certainly see the bling.
Agather arrived in Fort Worth in 1991 with her husband, Neils, as a first — the first woman to be named president of a downtown Fort Worth bank, Texas Commerce Bank. She later was named
chairwoman and CEO of Texas Commerce, the first woman to direct a major downtown Fort Worth bank.
She is a pioneering leader for progress in her industry and her city, but she cautions use of the word trailblazer.
“There was a moment that we laugh about today because at the end of the day, one, it wasn’t so smart,” she says. “But I guess it was in the seventh grade, and all the boys got a choice. They could take a foreign language or something else. And the girls had to take homemaking. There was no choice. It made me mad. And I went home to my mother, and I said I’m not doing that. That’s just unfair. What if I want to take shop, which I didn’t. She was probably tired at this point with having so many girls. She called the principal who was an old friend and said, ‘Can you just let her take a foreign language.’ And they didn’t make me take homemaking.
“And now I can’t boil water. I should have taken homemaking.”
The journey to Fort Worth all started simply because she wanted a “J-O-B,” as she describes it.
Raised in Sherman, among her first memories are atop a bulldozer.
Her father was a bulldozer operator. He left home at 13 to learn how to make a living, when there were few opportunities to make a living, in Franklin Roosevelt’s Depression-era, New Deal Civilian Conservation Corps in Colorado. Three squares a day and a bed were enough reason for many men to enroll. Enlisters made $30 a month. Of that, $25 went to their families. The other $5 was theirs.
He raised four girls — Agather was the youngest of the brood — as a bulldozer operator.
“We just thought we had everything,” she says. “He was quite charming and funny. He had a great sense of humor. I went to New York after business school; Chemical Bank offered me a job — this is the late 1970s — so, I went outside to a phone booth — do you remember those? — and called home collect.
“My mother answered, and I told them that I had just been offered a job at Chemical Bank. And this is how he
When attending the annual, month-long Stock Show and Rodeo, Agather dons custommade Nudie suits — something for which she has become renowned.
just always made you laugh … he goes, ‘Well, does this mean you’ll stop calling collect?’ He was large in my life.”
Business school was actually an idea put into her head by one of her older sisters. Agather was the youngest by many years. Her next-closest sister was eight years her senior. Agather was the first to go to college. She finished with a degree in history and economics from University of Oklahoma.
She found the job market a difficult one with a history and economics degree. Her older sister recommended business school.
“It’s all about a J-O-B, and she said she had heard about business school. This was late ’70s, and there were a lot of women in business school. I said, ‘Well, I could get a job after that,’ and I did. I wish there was a better story. Today, there’s so much more thought, and they have a plan. I didn’t have much of a plan except I knew I needed a job.”
Elaine’s Eight: Saddle Your Own Horse — Don’t wait for others to take care of you or for that dream job to come along. Never wait! You’re in charge of your life and your career.
Those are the first two of her rules. So, off she went to Austin and business school. An MBA at the University of Texas indeed did end with a job, that one, a training program, in New York City with Chemical Bank. The one she called her parents collect about. The same parents who had never stepped foot in in New York City.
She went globetrotting immediately with the bank. That wasn’t the plan, but New York was a platform for jobs in London, San Francisco, and then Dallas. She moved to Dallas in 1984 to become vice president in the bank’s Southwest Group.
Her training program actually never started. She had been in New York for all of two weeks when they asked her if she would go to London … before the program started. “I didn’t know anything,” she recalls.
“I said, ‘Sure I can.’ I don’t know what gave me that; that’s probably just DNA.”
Elaine’s Eight: Turn on a Dime — Become a speed demon at changing directions. Embrace new opportunities and ideas. Adapt
and thrive because changes will just keep coming. How you respond to change is what matters most.
She returned from living in London for that training in New York. The bank then needed an analyst in San Francisco, so, she went out there for a year before returning to New York.
In the mid-1980s, she was ready to return to Texas.
“You don’t have to put this in there because it’s cussing, and I’m not trying not to cuss,” she says. “But I go in to see my boss, and I said, ‘I’m from Texas.’ He goes, ‘No shit. We know.’ And I said, ‘Well, I know, but I’m telling you that because I want to be up front. I want to interview you down there. I’m ready to go home. He goes, ‘We just bought a bank; go sit down. We just bought a bank down there.’ That was Texas Commerce Bank.”
She was appointed executive vice president and department manager for Texas Commerce Bank-Dallas. There she handled corporate, correspondent, and middle market accounts for customers with sales of more than $100 million a year.
to laughter from her interrogator, who notes that she then has decades to go. “One of my clients of years and years and years told me to make sure ‘you go before they shoot you.’
“I think the key is if you add value; do you love what you’re doing? Can you help clients and develop relationships? I love it.”
Elaine’s Eight: Like What You Do — I didn’t say “Do what you like” – there’s a big difference. Liking what you do means you know how to make the most of opportunities. You look for the positives in every situation. You play the hand you’re dealt, and you win.
That same philosophy she has used in her philanthropic pursuits.
Philanthropy is something that goes back to her roots. In Sherman, she recalls her mother always making food for something or another.
“I do think they’re worried I’m gonna stay as long as the queen,” she quips to laughter from her interrogator, who notes that she then has decades to go. “One of my clients of years and years and years told me to make sure ‘you go before they shoot you.’” — Agather
In 1990, the bank asked her to move to Fort Worth.
“We had these separate Texas Commerce banks, but they didn’t have one female running one. So, they asked me to go to Fort Worth. That’s how that happened.”
Chemical Bank, through a series of mergers and acquisitions, purchased Chase Manhattan Bank. JP Morgan eventually changed the Texas Commerce to JPMorgan Chase & Co. Agather, now in her late 60s, has been with the same bank her entire career, 44 years and counting. She’s been there that long and continues simply because she loves it. She’s devoted to it and its mission.
“I do think they’re worried I’m gonna stay as long as the queen,” she quips
“We were always participating,” she says. “When you started out of the bank 44 years ago, you were expected to show up, it was part of being a banker. So, that kind of got in me. Then you fall in love with something, you fall in love with being part of it. I was careful to make sure I got on boards that I really cared about.”
In addition to Performing Arts Fort Worth, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, and the Stock Show, Agather serves on the board of the J.F. Maddox Foundation and the Dallas Citizens Council.
Betsy Price, then the Fort Worth mayor, turned to Agather and John Goff to lead a task force in helping the city recover financially from the pandemic and its shutdowns. The work of that task force eventually landed a big fish: Texas A&M agreeing to build a downtown research campus in Fort Worth. Goff, she says, “was behind all that.”
“Elaine represents the poise, class, and absolute tenacity it takes to lead in a way that is lasting and meaningful,”
says Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker. “I’ve been glad to know Elaine for years and see firsthand how she invests her time and expertise in both business and community. Her work is helping to build a stronger North Texas region.”
If you don’t know Agather, you certainly would recognize her if you are a regular rodeo-goer. Sitting atop a horse — for every single performance — is a woman whose attire matches the vibrant spirit of the land. Agather’s western wear is not just clothing — it’s a statement, a fusion of tradition and modernity that commands attention.
Her boots, a masterpiece of functional elegance, are a testament to both her style and, well, coincidentally enough, her endurance.
The only memorable faux pas was wearing Texas burnt orange on “Texas A&M Day” at the stock show and rodeo. Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp rode in the entry that night.
“No one told me we had added an A&M night,” she says, half laughing and half still mortified. “John Sharp [joked] that he’d be back next year, and ‘young lady, if you’re not in maroon next year … .’ I said, ‘I will be!’”
She loves the rodeo and all it stands for. When she was informed that women don’t serve as officers of the Stock Show, no problemo. The institution of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, not to mention her love for it, was one of those things that was bigger than herself.
“Over the years they let me ride and then they put me on the executive committee,” Agather says of the Stock Show. “John Justin was still alive. He looked at me and said, ‘We’re real proud of you.’ I said, ‘Thank you, Mr. Justin.’ He said, ‘But a little advice: Don’t say anything in there for two years.’ I said, ‘Oh, it’s gonna be so hard for me.’ He goes, ‘Try, just try.’”
She laughs at the memory. Actually, she’s almost doubled over.
“I was just grateful for anything, any participation because I loved it.”
Over the years, she served on various committees and was told, “Elaine, you know, we really appreciate every-
Not long after Elaine Agather was appointed president of Texas Commerce Bank — the first female president of a downtown Fort Worth bank — she became in demand for speaking engagements to various organizations across the city. In developing her address, she came up with eight rules she believed were essential to achieving. These are “Elaine’s Eight.”
Don’t wait for others to take care of you or for that dream job to come along.
You’re in charge of your life and your career.
I didn’t say, “Do what you like” – there’s a big difference. Liking what you do means you know how to make the most of opportunities. You look for the positives in every situation. You play the hand you’re dealt, and you win.
Become a speed demon at changing directions. Embrace new opportunities and ideas. Adapt and thrive because changes will just keep coming. How you respond to change is what matters most.
Develop and nurture relationships. Find mentors and reach out to those who might want to learn from you. Stay close to those you care about.
Communicate all the time. Repeat your message as often as possible. People need to hear what you have to say. Don’t assume they already know – they usually don’t.
Don’t dwell on the past. Don’t take things that happen in business personally. Tough decisions have to be made. That’s part of the process. And, you will make mistakes. Fix them and move on.
You cannot survive — in business or in life — without a sense of humor. Lighten up, loosen up, and laugh. It’s amazing how far this will take you. And, you’ll sure feel a lot better!
Do the right thing when it’s not easy or popular. Character is our foundation. Integrity has to be our guiding value. We’re nothing without it.
thing you’re doing, but we never have females. I said, ‘I got it. I get it. I do.’”
She was after all from the good ol’ boy town of Sherman, Texas.
Elaine’s Eight: Get Over It — Don’t dwell on the past. Don’t take things that happen in business personally. Tough decisions have to be made. That’s part of the process. And, you will make mistakes. Fix them and move on.
At Charlie Moncrief’s death in 2021, he was the second-longest serving board member of the Stock Show. He had served there 47 years. Only Bob Watt, the Stock Show’s president emeritus at the time, exceeded Moncrief’s tenure.
Agather delivered his eulogy. A couple of months later, she was offered a position as an officer — secretary — to fill the vacancy created by Moncrief’s passing.
“I am very, very honored and proud of that position,” Agather says. “That’s the other reason I never miss. I show up for all kinds of reasons, but I think it starts with a love for it.”
And she adds, a genuine respect for the traditions the Stock Show represents.
Preceding my meeting with her, Agather had lunch with a group of JPMorgan interns at Reata.
The daytime dining reminded her of the recently celebrated 25th anniversary of Bass Hall. The event was filled with toasts and speeches. She recalled when Bayard Friedman, the former mayor who had been tapped by Ed Bass to lead the $60 million capital campaign to build the hall, asked her to join the initial board of directors.
“He said, ‘Come on, you can help us here.’ I wasn’t at the bank that long,” she recalls. “At the end [of the anniversary party], I announced that I was going to read who was on the board 25 years ago. There are three people alive today. I said our job is to make sure everybody in this room nurtures and includes and invites this next group.”
It’s another of her rules, after all, to stay connected.
Develop and nurture relationships. Find mentors and reach out to those who might want to learn from you. Stay close to those you care about.
Agather’s current triad of job titles includes
for
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Discover the Ultimate Family Experience at Dead End Trading Post: Barbecue, Beer, Bands, and More! Are you ready to enjoy a family outing right here in the heart of Fort Worth? Look no further than the Dead End Trading Post, the family owned business that has it all! From mouthwatering barbecue and ice-cold beer to live bands and a welcoming atmosphere. Sink your teeth into our tender, slow cooked meats, seasoned and smoked to perfection by our own pitmaster. From juicy ribs and pulled pork to savory brisket and sausages.
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Every weekend we have unforgettable entertainment with a variety of live bands. So, sit back, relax and listen to some fine tunes all while surrounded by our western town which offers wonderful photo opportunities. Bring your family and four legged friends to enjoy outdoor games including cornhole, washers and horseshoes.
Join us at the Dead End Trading Post located on the west side of Fort Worth. Dead End Trading Post is off the beaten path and is becoming known for fantastic food, live music and unforgettable moments. Our friendly staff looks forward to welcoming you.
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Just a glance across the business landscape of Fort Worth and the surrounding cities reveals many women who own or run companies or other organizations that greatly influence the life of the community. On the next few pages, these successful women will tell you more about their professional endeavors and share inspiring advice.
The information in this section is provided by the advertisers and has not been independently verified by Fort Worth Magazine.
Dr. Cynthia English
Fort Worth Obstetrics & Gynecology
Privia Medical Group of North Texas
FOCUS: Obstetrics and Gynecology. EDUCATION: B.S., University of North Texas; D.O., University of North Texas Health Sciences Center; residency, Texas Tech University HSC; Board Certified, American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: At Fort Worth Obstetrics & Gynecology, our unwavering commitment is to deliver patient-centered, personalized care that reflects the standard of excellence we would demand for ourselves. The profound trust bestowed upon us is a cornerstone of our values. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: We champion women’s health and overall well-being, actively engaging in initiatives that empower our patients to partner in their health care decisions and advocate for themselves.
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: We foster cross-specialty collaboration aiming to advance the cause of minimizing
opioid use to improve surgical outcomes and promote a healthy recovery. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Remember that your potential knows no bounds. As you embark on your journey, hold steadfast to the belief in your abilities. Set clear, actionable goals that will serve as guiding stars and never cease to learn and grow. Surround yourself with mentors and a community of supporters who uplift and inspire you. Embrace challenges as steppingstones to greatness, and let resilience be the armor that shields you in the face of adversity.
Fort Worth Obstetrics & Gynecology
6317 Harris Parkway, Ste. 400
Fort Worth, Texas 76132
817.423.2002 | fortworthobgyn.com
Nicole English Project Manager Herzog Contracting
FOCUS: Construction management in rail transit development; 17 years’ experience in complex project management within a multidiscipline team environment, including transit design, construction, testing, commissioning, and track/systems technical leadership. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: There is something genuinely special about the work I do. Building commuter rail systems for communities within my hometown is deeply rewarding. In my role at Herzog, I contribute to the creation of mobility opportunities that furnish our community with cost-effective and eco-friendly transportation alternatives. As a resident of Tarrant County, I find it highly fulfilling to witness the economic growth that surrounds public transportation, including job creation and accessibility options. Herzog is a leading rail and heavy/highway contractor across North America. As a project manager for Herzog,
I have worked on construction projects that have expanded the major public transit agencies in the metroplex, including Trinity Metro, DART, and DCTA. I take pride in knowing transportation provides our community with benefits and opportunities in their personal and professional lives. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: As a woman working a predominantly male field, I want other women to know that there are exciting opportunities in construction management. There isn’t a stereotypical job market anymore. I endorse STEM education to encourage the next generation of women to expand their career possibilities.
Herzog Contracting
14450 Trinity Blvd., Ste. 250 | Fort Worth, Texas 76155
817.514.0755 | herzog.com
Jeannie Baldwin, Vice President
Texas
Capital
FOCUS: A leader in Small Business Lending utilizing the SBA7(a) and 504 Loan Programs at Texas Capital Bank, a premier full-service financial firm founded and headquartered in Texas. During her 30-year career as an SBA Lender, Baldwin has facilitated hundreds of millions in financing to owner-operated businesses across numerous industries including: franchises, manufacturers, exporters, day cares, self-storage, powersports, veterinarians, CPAs, and many, many more. She works with small businesses having a two-year average after tax net income up to $5,000,000 and a tangible net equity of less than $15,000,000.
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Baldwin is passionate about helping small business. She is consistently recognized as a top performing lender earning positive feedback from her clients. She takes pride in her industry expertise and reputation to serve as a successful, trusted partner and resource to her clients. Every loan is unique and has an impact in moving a business, its employees, and the community forward. There is no greater reward than seeing a client succeed, return for additional financing, or to sell the business to the next great leader. For Baldwin, the joy that what she is doing makes a difference to so many is what makes her job so rewarding and has kept her in her career so long. She has always valued a great network and found success to be a team effort with the support of family, friends, and her lending team. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Over the years she has served in leadership positions and on different boards both professionally and personally. Baldwin is a member of the North Texas Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders and volunteers in the community with Scouting, local Booster Clubs, as well as the Young Men’s Service League. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Your integrity is everything. Don’t compromise your values. Be grateful, work hard, enjoy what you do, and surround yourself with a village you love and trust.
Texas Capital
300 Throckmorton St., Ste. 200 Fort Worth, Texas 76102
972.467.8714
Jeannie.Baldwin@texascapitalbank.com texascapitalbank.com
FOCUS: At Acclaim Multi-Specialty Group, we are dedicated to our constant mission of improving health together. As an affiliate of the Tarrant County Hospital District, we strive to improve the health of each patient in need across Tarrant County by providing quality, patient-centered care. MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY: Our most valued partnership lies with our patients and our ability to support the clinicians and staff who treat them with the utmost integrity and compassion.
MISSION: To improve the health care system and provide cost-effective, high-quality care to all, while maintaining a healthy practice environment for those who provide the care.
ADVICE
Besides developing your skills, actively seek out a network of mentors who can provide guidance and support. While focusing on work is important, do not forget to prioritize selfcare and strive to maintain a healthy work-life balance. PICTURED: Nadia Alawi-Kakomanolis, MD, MBA, Internal Medicine Physician, Vice President Clinical Operations; Loree Ching, CPA, Vice President, Finance; Jodie Sanderson, MHA, SHRM-CP, Executive Director, People & Clinician Services; Roopina Sangha, MD, MPH, MBA, FACOG, Women’s Health, OBGYN Chair, Women’s and Infant’s Service Line; Linda Siy, MD, Family Medicine Physician, Acclaim Physician Board of Directors; Kristin Stanley, DNP, MBA, MSN, APRN, Trauma Acute Care Emergency Services Nurse Practitioner, Senior Director, Advanced Practice; Jocelyn Zee, DO, FAAFP, SFHM, Intensivist, Chair, Acclaim Physician Board of Directors.
200 W. Magnolia Ave., Ste. 201 Fort Worth, Texas 76104
817.702.2450
teamacclaim.org
FOCUS: Wealth management for individuals, families, and organizations, including investment management, trust services, oil and gas management, and other fiduciary services. EDUCATION: Kathy Christoffel – CTFA, Morton College, Canon Trust School. Patrice Parks – Dallas Baptist University. Jen O’Connell – College of William & Mary. BUSINESS RECOGNITIONS: Bronze honoree of the 2023 American Business “Stevies” Awards for Company of the Year – Large. PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: Lead by example. Always listen first. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Kathy – active member, Trinity Episcopal Church and board member, Amphibian Productions. Patrice –active member, First Baptist of Burleson. Jen – executive board, Ryan Place Improvement Association and Daggett Elem. & Middle PTAs. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: With almost a century of combined experience, these ladies chose to join Argent to build something new and important in Fort Worth, leveraging the resources of Argent. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Be yourself. Stay genuine and display confidence that you are willing to learn from others and then be ready to contribute! Believe in your ability to do great things. Take the step. Be courageous. MOTTO: You, First. PICTURED: Patrice Parks, trust administrative officer; Jen O’Connell, trust officer; Kathy Christoffel, market president.
Argent Trust Company
4200 S. Hulen St. Fort Worth, Texas 76109 817.502.3586 kchristoffel@argenttrust.com ArgentTrust.com
FOCUS: Family, faith, and friends. Real estate, rodeo, local politics, and community charities.
HONORS: Andra was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2020, recognizing her activities and contributions to the sport of rodeo. Additionally, she was presented with the Realtor® Mark of Excellence Award and the prestigious Marie and Dayton Sheridan Award from the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors. She is a Fort Worth Magazine Top Realtor for 2023.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Andra serves on the executive board of directors for the Texas Trail of Fame and is a charter member of the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and Museum.
GREATEST
Andra is among the select group of only 100 realtors in the state acknowledged by Texas Realtors® for her “Acts of Kindness.” This honor is due to Andra’s outstanding community involvement, leading by example, and going above and beyond to improve the lives of her clients, friends, and neighbors. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Through courage, confidence, and faith, take ownership of your journey. View obstacles and challenges as opportunities for positive growth and creative problem-solving. Joshua 1:9.
MISSION: Make a difference in the lives of others, as illustrated in her favorite book by Carol Kent, Becoming a Women of Influence: Making a Lasting Impact on Others.
4500 Mercantile Plaza, Ste. 300 Fort Worth, Texas 76137 817.713.4598 andrabeatty.com
FOCUS: Benbrook Stables has been providing a true Texas experience for our hometown residents and travelers from all over the world since 1957. Centrally located in southwest Fort Worth on 100 acres of land adjacent to Lake Benbrook, Benbrook Stables is a convenient destination for anyone looking to ride a horse, have a party, take a lesson, or attend one of many equestrian camps and riding academies. With over 30 miles of equestrian trails that meander through creeks and along wooded trails teeming with local wildlife and gorgeous Texas scenery, Benbrook Stables has everything you need to get out and relax on a horse. ACHIEVEMENTS: Benbrook Stables is a staple in the community and a part of the fabric of Fort Worth. Our amazing horses keep us at the top of everyone’s favorite place-to-ride lists, and our two venues make us the favorite hometown place for a Western birthday party for little ones, a gorgeous wedding, or a fun corporate event. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: We enjoy being able to donate the facilities as often as we can to help raise money for children’s organizations. A few of our favorites include Heritage Fest, Saddle Up for St. Jude, Fort Worth Stock Show calf scramble, and our largest fundraiser of the year, 65 Roses. PICTURED: Alex and Molly Thomson.
Benbrook Stables
10001 Benbrook Blvd. Fort Worth, Texas 76126
817.249.1001
benbrookstables.com
SPECIALTY: Founded in 1960, Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty is the leading luxury brokerage in North Texas. Our Fort Worth office — a modern, minimalist space along the historic Camp Bowie Boulevard bricks — keeps us close to our wonderful clients, right in the heart of things. Plus, it’s a great spot for collaborating while we work to find and sell the finest homes in Fort Worth — and beyond. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: First Grandmothers’ Club; Fort Worth Botanic Garden; Fort Worth Country Day School; Fort Worth Lecture Foundation; Jewel Charity; Junior League of Fort Worth; Tarrant Area Food Bank; Tarrant County Master Gardener Association; Young Men’s Service League, Trailblazer Chapter. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: You can’t do it alone. It’s OK to have mentors and be guided by those you admire and trust throughout your entire career; find a group of women who love and encourage you to always be the best version of yourself. Never talk negatively about others, and surround yourself with other women who follow this advice; don’t be afraid to try something new. Watch and learn from others who are successful; always be willing to go the extra mile. PICTURED: (front, left to right) Ashley Mooring, Margaret Motheral; (center) Susan Thornton; (back, left to right) Marilyn Newton, Megan Green, Amy Trott, Adrianne Holland.
Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty 4828 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth, Texas 76107 817.731.8466 briggsfreeman.com
FOCUS: Center for Transforming Lives works alongside women and their children to disrupt the cycle of poverty by providing comprehensive housing services, early childhood education, economic mobility services, and clinical counseling. CERTIFICATIONS: Certified by Council on Accreditation (COA). COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Our staff is involved in various chambers and civic organizations that support women and children. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Each year, CTL works with over 3,000 people, from more than 1,000 families, to provide comprehensive services no matter where they are on their journey from poverty to prosperity. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Raise your hand for the hard stuff. Put in the hours, get the degree, and make your voice heard. Decide the impact that you want to have on the world and make it happen. Barriers exist, especially for women of color. But set a goal and work toward it. Say yes when someone offers to help. The world is better off when you are your best and whole self. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: To provide two-generational services to women and children in Tarrant County. PICTURED: Carol Klocek, Lisa Brown, Carlye McQuiston, Jenna Babbit, Alana Mondragon, Sandra Pena, and Amy Corriveau.
Center for Transforming Lives 512 W. Fourth St. Fort Worth, Texas 76102
817.332.6191
transforminglives.org
FOCUS: General obstetrics and gynecology full-spectrum practice. EDUCATION: Sunny Glenn – Texas Tech; UTMB Galveston; Texas A&M/Scott & White. Lori Atkins – Baylor University; UTMB and UT Southwestern/Parkland. Catherine Bevan – Washington University; UT Southwestern/ Parkland. Alicia Larsen – Baylor University; UTHSC Houston; Texas A&M/Scott & White. Andrea Palmer – University of Oklahoma; OU Health Sciences Center. All physicians are board certified and fellows of the American College of OBGYN. RECOGNITIONS: Our physicians have served the community and hospital in many leadership roles including chief of surgery (Palmer). They have earned teaching awards and recognition from the staff for their expertise and bedside manner. Our doctors have been recognized as Top Docs and are “Mom Approved.” PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Our collective achievement is creating a team that offers expert care for the whole patient. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Always approach your patients with empathy and understanding, acknowledging the unique health challenges women face. Strive for continuous learning to stay updated with the latest advancements in women’s health. Develop excellent communication skills to effectively convey medical information and instill trust, enabling your patients to actively participate in their health care journey. MISSION: Our mission is to provide whole life inclusive collaborative health care. PICTURED: Sunny Glenn, M.D.; Lori Atkins, M.D.; Alicia Larsen, M.D.; Andrea Palmer, M.D.; Lauren Tabor, M.D.; Catherine Bevan, M.D.
Fenom Women’s Care
1250 Eighth Ave., Ste. 320 and 322 Fort Worth, Texas 76104
817.924.2111
social @fenomhealth fenomhealth.com
FOCUS: Amanda Kunish is the VP Branch Leader at Fidelity Investments in Fort Worth. She leads a talented team of female consultants who lift each other up as women in finance. Fidelity is dedicated to helping secure a stronger financial future for clients. As a team of female financial consultants in Texas, we bring a unique perspective that allows us to understand our clients’ needs and aspirations so we can align and build a specialized plan. With over 50 years of experience across this team, we take pride in helping our community strengthen their financial well-being. PHILOSOPHY: We offer a client-centric approach to support financial planning that is based on individual goals and unique needs. COMMUNITY INVOLEMENT: We support the Fort Worth Food Bank, The Boys and Girls Club, and others. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Be yourself, while seeking opportunities to grow yourself – as a person and investor. Recognize your strengths and unique circumstances. Use these skills to your advantage to find financial and personal success. PICTURED: Amanda Kunish, Betty Jo Hutton, Lauren Hejl, Emily Silva, and Jessie Sheridan.
Fidelity Investments 2933 West Seventh St. Fort Worth, Texas 76107 800.224.6561
Investing involves risk including the risk of loss. Fidelity is not affiliated with the third parties mentioned. Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Member NYSE, SIPC, 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917 © 2023 FMR LLC. All Rights Reserved. 1099575.1.0
Amanda Kunish, VP Branch Leader
FOCUS: Galvan Floors specializes in all residential and commercial installations of tile, wood, luxury vinyl tile (LVT), vinyl composition tiling (VCT), and carpet. Custom quartz and natural stone countertops are fabricated in-house, including fireplace facades & facets. Our commercial division specializes in working with developers and general contractors to deliver a wide range of products along with top-quality installations. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: Our mission is to serve the residential and commercial construction industry by providing the highest level of professionalism, exceptional customer service, and quality workmanship. We strive to provide a professional approach that will meet our client’s budget and schedule goals. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Our training and substantial amount of experience completing out-of-the-ordinary projects set us apart from our competition. We believe anything can be done. If the customer imagines it, then we will find a way to bring it to life.
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Customers’ expectations are met as we bring their vision to reality. We take pride in making our services the best experience in our customers’ building or remodeling project. PICTURED: Anabel Muñoz.
3140 South Freeway Fort Worth, Texas 76110
817.920.0931
info@galvanfloors.com galvanfloors.com
FOCUS: Our focus is to understand your retirement goals and develop a plan to help you reach them. AWARDS/ACHIEVEMENTS: Star Award; Great Women of Texas; Fort Worth Business Press CEO: Women at Work; multiyear winner of top 10% Financial Advisor at FSC nationwide. PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: Your team and clients will see your example even when you think no one is around; always choose what’s in their best interest. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Tricia has made an impact on people’s lives with volunteer efforts in the Fort Worth/Cameron communities, serving on many boards, including The Ronald McDonald House, the Aledo Education Foundation, the Samaritan House, the Parenting Center, and the Cameron Education Foundation board. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: “Let’s discuss balance. Our lives are like a book. We have chapters in life, and each of these chapters declares a title. These titles require a bit more attention during that time. I love my family and practice; both are making a positive impact in our community.” INNOVATIONS: Successful expansion with second location in Tricia’s hometown of Cameron, Texas. This Austin area location added three new full-time employees to our team. MOTTO: Golden rule: Greed leads to long-term loss of income and reputation, so create a business model and relationships where everyone wins. PICTURED: Tricia Carter Wood.
Haber Wealth Management
2501 Parkview Drive, Ste. 110 Fort Worth, Texas 76102 817.527.8079 haberwealthgroup.com
Michelle Hollaender Founder and CEO
International Esperanza Project
FOCUS: To lead a nonprofit by inspiring hope and making an impact in the developing world through Health Care, Community Infrastructure, and Education programs. EDUCATION: Texas A&M University, B.S. Finance. RECOGNITIONS: Maestro Award – Dallas, USA, issued by Latino Leaders Magazine, Nov. 2014; Mujeres que generan impacto en la sociedad – Guatemala, Guatemala, issued by Cámara de Comercio Guatemala, Oct. 2022. PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: Have a work environment in which excellence and integrity are characteristic of everything being done. The following principles form the basis for this philosophy: Get the job done; be resourceful; follow up and follow through; always have a positive mindset; teamwork is basic; don´t forget to always be kind; communication will usually solve the problem; always be committed to growth. I believe in setting an example through a positive mindset and the best attitude. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Founding an international nonprofit organization helping Guatemala. Involving large corporations like AMN Healthcare and Sandford Health to volunteer for Mission trips. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Always do your best and a little bit more. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: Impact the largest number of people in need in Guatemala through IEP´s programs. OUTSIDE INTERESTS/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Skiing, diving, working out, and traveling to Guatemala with Medical and Community Infrastructure Teams.
International Esperanza Project
7700 Windrose Ave.
Plano, Texas 75024
214.886.9830
michelle.hollaender@i-ep.org i-ep.org
Sponsored by Kensington Custom Homes kensingtonestates.net
FOCUS: Branding – creating, supporting, advancing business ID; marketing communications –evaluating, planning, developing, managing; web design – creating, supporting, advancing business web presence; trade shows and events – planning, promoting, support services; creative director – coordinating and supervising. EDUCATION: Milwaukee School of the Arts. RECOGNITIONS: American Graphic Design Awards sponsored by Graphic Design USA; Creativity ‘Awards of Excellence’ and published in Creativity; Design 2K and the national publication The Big Book of Design Ideas; National Premier Print Awards; American Corporate Identity and its annual publication American Corporate Identity; Bronze Quill Awards; Katie Award for Communications Excellence; The National Registry of Who’s Who in Business Executives PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: Encourage true collaboration with clients to yield the greatest results possible, in the most efficient manner, and with the most effective use of budgets. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Volunteering for nonprofits and assisting with communications needs; Trophy Club Women’s Club – Art & Garden Festival. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Received Worldwide Quality Award from GTE (by companywide election); built a new website for Operation Kindness that allowed them to capture four times the funds of previous North Texas Giving Days fundraising. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Be open to possibilities. Opportunities can appear from the most unlikely places! MOTTO: Treat everyone with respect, kindness, and understanding. It can make a difference to someone who might be struggling and in need of validation.
JA DESIGN SOLUTIONS
817.854.0210
jean@jadesignsolutions.com
jadesignsolutions.com
FOCUS: Kari Breen has established herself as the leading pet photographer in Fort Worth. Breen turned two of her passions, animals and photography, into a leading business of fine pet portraits, paintings, and a greeting card company. Although dogs and cats are what she’s asked to photograph most often, she has photographed every animal from horses to hedge hogs. PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY: Portrait skills, a sense of humor, and a big love for animals all come in handy as a pet photographer. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: For every portrait session sold, Breen donates a session to an animal in need of finding a home. She is committed to using her business resources to support local charitable causes for animals in Fort Worth, as well as serving on the board of a local animal rescue. Furthermore, Kari Breen Inc. raised enough funds to outfit every K9 that protects Fort Worth with a custom-made, bullet-proof vest. INTERESTS: Being a local artist, Breen knew that artists needed a place to display art, so after purchasing Marty & Pat’s Frame Shoppe in 2019, the lobby of the Frame Shoppe became 100% local art. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Do what’s right, be patient, follow your heart, and pay it forward. If you do all of these things, somehow it just all works out. PICTURED: Kari Breen.
Kari Breen Inc.
5025 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth, Texas 76107
817.832.2537 cell
817.738.7328 shop
karibreeninc@gmail.com karibreeninc.com
FOCUS: Legal, professional services. EDUCATION: Baylor University School of Law, J.D., with highest honors; Baylor University, B.A. RECOGNITIONS: Best Lawyers in America ® U.S. News & World Report, 2015-2024; The 400 Most Influential People, Fort Worth Inc. magazine, 2018-2023; Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 20132023; Top 50 Women Texas Super Lawyers, 2022, 2023; Top 100 Dallas/Fort Worth Super Lawyers, 2022, 2023; Top Attorney, 360 West magazine, 2017-2023; Top Attorney, Fort Worth Magazine 2012-2022; Best Lawyers in America®, Women in the Law, Business Edition, 2020-2023; Great Woman of Texas, Fort Worth Business Press, 2018; Law Good Scout Recipient by the Longhorn Council of the Boy Scouts of America, 2017. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Serves on board of directors for several nonprofit organizations, including the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Fort Worth Report, Visit Fort Worth, and Tarrant To and Through Partnership. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: No one achieves anything alone. To the extent that I have achieved anything professionally, I share credit with the many mentors, colleagues, and friends who have provided support and guidance along the way. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Act with integrity, work hard, treat others fairly, and express gratitude. MOTTO: It’s never the wrong thing to do the right thing.
Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP
201 Main St., Ste. 2500 Fort Worth, Texas 76102 817.332.2500
marianne.auld@kellyhart.com kellyhart.com
Marianne Auld
Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP
FOCUS: Real estate expertise across residential, farm & ranch, and commercial sectors. RECOGNITIONS: Throughout her real estate career, Talia has garnered numerous accolades and has been consistently recognized as a Top Realtor in Fort Worth Magazine for several years. PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: Talia’s influence extends beyond Fort Worth, encompassing connections that span coast to coast. Her expansive network within the equine realm uniquely positions her to connect clients with exclusive ranch properties not publicly known in the Greater Fort Worth area. OUTSIDE INTERESTS: When she’s not negotiating real estate deals, Talia can be found indulging her passion for horses or competing in equestrian events. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: A standout accomplishment is Talia’s ability to maintain a strong presence among clients from diverse backgrounds, aiding them in both buying and selling real estate. Her unwavering dedication, robust negotiation skills, and resolute determination define her approach. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Talia’s counsel to aspiring women is to discover endeavors that ignite a sense of vitality and significance. While deeply engaged in the Fort Worth community, she has embraced the equestrian culture as her driving force. MISSION: Talia’s business model centers on a commitment to hard work, fostering relationships, and delivering exceptional customer service. PICTURED: Talia Lydick.
3707 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ste. 300 Fort Worth, Texas 76107
817.692.4821
talia.lydick@williamstrew.com williamstrew.com
FOCUS: Serving the entire DFW metroplex and beyond by providing a transparent approach to funeral and cremation services. EDUCATION: Hampton University, B.S. in Molecular Biology; Tennessee State University/Meharry Medical College, M.S. in Endocrinology; Dallas Institute of Funeral Service, A.S. in Embalming and Funeral Directing. RECOGNITIONS: 2022 Finalist, Fort Worth Inc. Entrepreneur of Excellence – “Up and Coming Award”; 2022 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business graduate and commencement speaker; 2022 Finalist, BWWS “Eye Catcher Award”; first woman-owned funeral home in Mansfield; Leadership Mansfield graduate. PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: Guiding my staff in their approach to decision-making, employee well-being, and organizational effectiveness. PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Top-rated funeral home in Texas for consecutive years. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Mansfield Centennial Lions Club inaugural president; Education Commissioner for the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association; district governor for the Independent Funeral Directors Association; vice president of the Dallas Local Funeral Directors Association; founder of Amethyst Gala and Crème de la Crème Gala; board member, Epsilon Nu Delta Embalming Fraternity; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Be confident in your voice. Be bold in your ability to effect change. MISSION: Our mission is to ensure all families leave with a sense of peace and feel proud of the way they honored their loved one’s life. PICTURED: Christie K. Moore.
Mansfield Funeral Home and Cremations
1556 Heritage Parkway
Mansfield, Texas 76063
817.453.3009
info@mansfieldfuneralhome.com
IG & FB: @mansfieldfuneralhome mansfieldfuneralhome.com
FOCUS: Medical Billing/Practice Management.
EDUCATION: The University of Alabama, B.A., summa cum laude; American College of Medical Practice Executives, CMPE.
PROFESSIONAL MISSION: Dedicated service. Exceptional results. RECOGNITIONS: Nichole Crites was recognized by the Medical Group Management Association as a 2021 Exceptional Leader. She was also awarded the Mary Avis Todd Award for Leadership and Community Service. Medisource was among the Best Companies to Work For in Fort Worth, 2020. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Nichole has dedicated her time with Medisource to building a team that is confident in their ability to provide great service. The leaders at Medisource are essential in creating a culture that aligns with necessary core values such as loyalty, empathy, intellect, and gratitude.
GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Building a company that allows schedule autonomy for staff, remote or hybrid work options, and a robust benefit package. Medisource has quickly become a place where women can hone their talent, grow their skill set, and work toward their individual goals without having to compromise time with family.
PICTURED: Nichole Crites, CMPE.
Medisource Revenue Cycle Management
1704 Tennison Parkway, Ste. 120 Colleyville, Texas 76034
682.593.7771 info@medisourcercm.com msrcm.com
Metro Golf Cars, Inc.
Beverly King Werner, President
FOCUS: Metro is an award-winning Club Car, HuntVe, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Columbia, and GEM car dealership offering sales and rentals to the golf, neighborhood, and commercial users of golf cars and low speed vehicles.
EDUCATION: Paschal High School Class of 1955. RECOGNITIONS: Club Car Commercial Dealer of the Year, 1998, 2008, and 2012; Kawasaki Ichiban Silver Award, 2022; Club Car National Consumer Dealer of the Year, 2010; Yamaha Double Eagle, 2016. PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: Servant leadership and respect of all employees lead to best-in-class customer service. This understanding is founded in my belief in Jesus Christ and biblical principles. OUTSIDE INTERESTS: Time with family is most important. PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Multiple national awards for our dealership’s performance. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Always find time for yourself and your family. MOTTO: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. PICTURED: Beverly King Werner, Laura King Hufstedler, and Shirley King.
Metro Golf Cars, Inc.
4063 S. Freeway
Fort Worth, Texas 76110
817.921.5491 laura@metrogolfcars.com metrogolfcars.com
Lisa Nussbaum, Ph.D., RID
& Branch Construction
FOCUS: To bring a collaborative approach to the process of building and design to better serve our residential and commercial clients. Our design-build concept refines the project from beginning to end and manages the design and construction process in a clear, collaborative, and concise format. EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree, Interior Design, University of North Texas; Ph.D. in Psychology, Southwestern University. I have designed both commercial and residential interior design projects in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area. COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT: My husband, Gary Nussbaum, and I are passionate about giving our time and talent to projects in the community. Recently we completed the Discovery Studio build-design project for the Wings of Hope Equitherapy Center. Over the years we have enjoyed being wish grantors for the local chapter of the MakeA-Wish Foundation. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Be a good steward of your time. Get involved in the community, stay on the cutting edge of your career path through continued education, and reach out to others in kindness each day. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: We view the building and design process as a collaborative dialogue between the homeowner, builder, architect, and interior designer. Our common goal is to produce creative, sensible, and value conscious projects.
BoBeche & Branch Construction
1501 Summit Ave.
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
817.368.9955 bobecheandbranch.com
FOCUS: Pro Serve specializes in both residential and commercial new construction. Our current operations consist of custom and volume production in residential plumbing including multifamily and the latest niche — build to rent. Our commercial division focuses on industrial structures, accommodations, sports facilities, retail stores, and restaurants. PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: We believe and operate under servant leadership. We believe in empowering our team to achieve all they seek personally and professionally. Our leadership team focuses on encouraging and empowering individuals to engage, explore, and initiate growth for themselves and the company. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: We have been a vendor for the Dream Home and Dream Street projects since 2014 benefiting a Wish with Wings. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: We have experienced tremendous growth over the years and have forged many relationships that continue to contribute to our success. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Never stop learning. No matter how long you have been in your industry. You can always learn more. Be open to new ideas and new opportunities. MISSION: To provide all employees with a work environment that reflects our company culture. The key components of our culture are positive and reinforced management style, engaged workforce and invited participation, vision for personal and professional growth, and unlimited earning potential. PICTURED: Melissa Golden.
11255 Camp Bowie W. Blvd., Ste. 120 Aledo, Texas 76008
817.244.0614
proserveplumbers.com
PROFESSIONAL MISSION: The Schweitzer Group always does things the right way, and they are proud to be known for their ethics, professionalism, knowledge, long-lasting relationships, and extraordinary level of service to clients — to make buying or selling a home a truly positive experience.
EDUCATION: Barbara Schweitzer – BBA in management information systems, University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business. Shelly Forrest – culinary arts degree; 200-hour certification in Vinyasa yoga; Four Day Weekend improv group level two graduate; attended Business Mastery with Tony Robbins. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Top Producers 2019-2022. WHAT SETS THEM APART: These global real estate advisors can assess a property, provide estimates, and complete any repairs or updates that their clients want to make. This enables their clients to be in the best position to make an informed decision about each property they are either buying or selling.
The Schweitzer Group has closed transactions in 15 different cities in North Texas. WHO MOST INFLUENCED THEM: The Go Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann has heavily influenced the team and how they work with clients every day. By putting others’ interests first and continually adding value to their lives — ultimately leads to unexpected returns.
PICTURED: (left to right) Shelly Forrest and Barbara Schweitzer.
The Schweitzer Group
4828 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth, Texas 76107
817.821.2694
bschweitzer@briggsfreeman.com briggsfreeman.com/realestate/agent/ the-schweitzer-group
EDUCATION: B.S., Nutrition; B.A., Psychology. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Awarded Best Weight Loss Center by Fort Worth Star Telegram - DFW Favorites. OUTSIDE INTERESTS: Exercise enthusiast, dog lover, and board member of American Warrior Association. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: To empower people to live life to its fullest by supporting and educating a healthy lifestyle that leads to proper weight management and overall wellness. UNIQUE CARE: SciFit Center provides an all-encompassing program with personalized nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle consulting that incorporates body composition scanning, food sensitivity testing, and optional semaglutide injections to ensure efficient and sustainable results. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Co-founding SciFit Center which has grown to be one of the most successful weight loss programs in the industry. WHO MOST INFLUENCED HER: My father has always instilled honesty, integrity, and a hardwork ethic which has taken me far in life.
SciFit Center
4000 Bryant Irvin Road
Fort Worth, Texas 76109
817.975.7583
HealthyLife@scifitcenter.com scifitcenter.com
Angela Calvillo, Nutritionist
SciFit Center
Sarah C. Seltzer Seltzer Family Law, PLLC
FOCUS: Family Law — divorce, custody, child support, paternity, child welfare (CPS), premarital/post-marital agreements, and adoption.
EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS:
B.A., Texas Tech; J.D., Texas Wesleyan; Board Certified in Child Welfare Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization; Mediation Trained.
RECOGNITIONS & AWARDS: Texas Rising Star, Super Lawyers (2019-2023); Top Attorney in Family Law, Fort Worth Magazine (2017-2023); CASA Attorney Ad Litem of the Year (2020).
MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY: To empower each member of the team to efficiently and effectively provide personal, professional, and passionate representation to clients during the most difficult and vulnerable of circumstances.
INTERESTS: When I am not at the office, you can typically find me working in the yard or doing projects around the house with my kids.
GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Acquiring 100% ownership of the firm earlier this year. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Feel the fear and do it anyway.
PROFESSIONAL MISSION: As an attorney, I genuinely care about my clients and strive to provide an unparalleled level of strategic representation that each deserves. As an employer, I am committed to providing each member of our team with the tools and training to best utilize their strengths and skills for maximum success and growth. PICTURED: Sarah C. Seltzer.
Seltzer Family Law, PLLC
6777 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ste. 340 Fort Worth, Texas 76116 817.887.9206 YourTexasFamilyLawyer.com
FOCUS: Luxury Interior Design. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATION: Graduate of TCU, Bachelor of Science. RECOGNITION/AWARDS:
Philanthropist of the Year, Best Luxury Interior Design, Most Influential People in Fort Worth, Entrepreneur of Excellence Award, Most Innovative Interior Design Firm, 10 Most Powerful Leaders Revamping the Future, 2023 Rosie Moncrief Wings of Hope Award, and multiple award-winning Fort Worth Magazine Dream Homes Designer. MANAGEMENT
PHILOSOPHY: Developing a close-knit, workfamily circle of like-hearted people you love and trust, building an environment of loyalty, and creating a shared purpose and passion. Home is a sanctuary. Family is everything. Faith is the foundation. Giving is the response. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: The desire to give back is the “why” of Semmelmann Interiors. We have the joy of partnering with and supporting wonderful organizations and many local charities as it puts wind in our sails to push forward so we can give more. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Launching my brand in 2019 where I can serve my community and clients by building a platform for giving and embracing the sphere around me with the team I love.
ADVICE FOR ASPIRING BUSINESSWOMEN: It is never too late to chase your passion and turn it into reality. Just start. Don’t think; just do it! MOTTO: The Spirit of Living Is in the Giving.
4374 W. Vickery Blvd. Fort Worth, Texas 76107 888.SSI.FWDS info@semmelmanninteriors.com semmelmanninteriors.com
Kimberly Tarver Broker, Keller Williams Realty
FOCUS : God, Family, and Business in Residential, Commercial, and Relocation Real Estate. BUSINESS RECOGNITIONS/AWARDS: Licensed in 1987; Broker for Keller Williams Fort Worth and Johnson County; on the MetroTex Board of Realtors. PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: Management is to be of service to all they serve. As a broker, it is my job to help agents grow professionally and open new avenues of income so they can live their best life. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: VIP member of Bedford Police Department; volunteer, fundraiser, supporter of Meals on Wheels and St Jude’s Hospital. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Becoming a leading broker in real estate and operating partner for over 500 agents. On my way to becoming a broker, I served as a Productivity Coach, and I am happy to say my coaching clients have successful real estate careers. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Adapt a servant’s heart, discover what job brings you joy, and find a way to thrive in that career. MOTTO: Excellence in Action.
Keller Williams Realty
2813 S. Hulen St. Fort Worth, Texas 76109
817.975.4463 kim@kimberlytarver.com kimberlytarver.com
UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: We provide comprehensive care to women with cancer including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, genetic counseling, nutrition assessment, and social services. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS: (pictured, left to right) Jennifer Hecht, D.O., FACOS – Breast Surgical Oncology; D.O., Oklahoma State, Breast Surgical Oncology, Grant Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; Board-Certified in General Surgery. Chi Pham, M.D. – Medical Oncology; M.D., UT Southwestern; Residency - Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern; Board Certified in Medical Oncology. Rachel L. Theriault, M.D. – Medical Oncology; M.D., Baylor College of Medicine; Residency- Internal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine; Board Certified in Medical Oncology. Kathleen L. Shide, M.D., FACR – Radiation Oncology; M.D., UT Southwestern Medical School; Residency, Mayo Clinic; Board-Certified in Radiation Oncology. Noelle Gillette Cloven, M.D. – Gynecologic Oncology; M.D., Baylor College of Medicine; Residency, UC Irvine; Board-Certified in Gynecologic Oncology. Cristi Lynn Aitelli, D.O. – Medical Oncology; D.O., UNT-HSC; Residency, BUMC; Board-Certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology. Reagan M. Street, M.D., MMS – M.D., Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center; Residency, University of Texas Medical Branch; Board-Certified in Gynecologic Oncology. INNOVATIONS: Minimally invasive surgery, genetic counseling and testing, molecular profiling to allow for targeted therapy, clinical trials through NCI and Gynecologic Oncology Foundation. MOTTO: More breakthroughs. More victories.®
Texas Oncology
Fort Worth Cancer Center
500 S. Henderson St. Fort Worth, Texas 76104 817.413.1500
Southwest Fort Worth 6500 Harris Parkway Fort Worth, Texas 76132 817.263.2600
texasoncology.com
Dr. Emily W. Messer, President Texas Wesleyan University
EDUCATION: The University of Alabama, Ed.D., Higher Education/Higher Education Administration; Jacksonville State University, M.P.A., Education, B.A., English. RECOGNITIONS: Future Presidents Intensive, EAB, April 2022; Executive Leadership Academy, American Academic Leadership Institute, June 2021.
PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: Improving higher education opportunities in our community starts with a focus on building our relationships both internally and externally. From sitting down with students in the dining hall to discuss their needs and concerns, to talking with faculty and staff about new opportunities, to meeting with people like Mayor Mattie Parker to find solutions for bettering our community with education, it takes open and honest conversations to be able for us all to work together and empower our community.
During my time at Jacksonville State University, I was able to lead the university in breaking record enrollment numbers and a record year in philanthropic support, including fundraising for a major gift initiative for the $25 million Randy Owen Center for the Performing Arts. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Believe in yourself and your capabilities, never give up on your dreams, and find opportunities to advance yourself. MISSION: My professional mission is to help provide more opportunities for people in our communities to receive the higher education they need to help continue to make a more prosperous society.
Texas Wesleyan University
1201 Wesleyan St. Fort Worth, Texas 76105
817.531.4444 messer@txwes.edu txwes.edu
EDUCATION: B.A. in psychology from UT, Dallas; M.A. in professional counseling from Texas Wesleyan University. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: Therapy for everyone. At Vervewell, therapists foster therapy as self-care and use little verbiage that supports the diagnostics with which the industry is plentiful. They believe there is a place for diagnostic information, but when overused, they are aware that diagnostics can be part of an oppressive problem when it comes to emotional well-being. WHAT SETS THEM APART: It is unique for a licensed therapy group to pull away from the diagnostic and statistical lens used in overflow in most therapy groups. Vervewell therapists believe intellectual conversations with the human beings that sit in their therapy rooms are the best way to help clients rise to the best version of themselves.
GREATEST
Beth Lewis and her staff have helped thousands. And they are grateful and honored each day as they continue to help more clients. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Lewis is a strong supporter of local arts and music. Her home is host to the art of many statewide artists. WHO MOST INFLUENCED HER: Two rather radical and thought-provoking therapists in graduate school specifically helped Lewis dig deep to find the skills within her that would help others. PICTURED: Beth Lewis; (Not Pictured) Ashli East Smith, Jason Leito, Heather Chandler, Blake Overstreet, Shani Kratz, Elyssa Whaley Hernandez.
Vervewell
1814 Eighth Ave. Fort Worth, Texas 76110
682.395.7226 inquiries@vervewell.org vervewell.org
Beth Lewis, LPC-S Founder at Vervewell
Christine Figley, owner
FOCUS: Full-service landscaping company servicing the Greater Fort Worth area, plus a retail store with carefully chosen home and garden products. EDUCATION: Louisiana Tech, B.A. in Accounting. RECOGNITIONS: Landscaped all five gardens selected for the Fort Worth Historic Hidden Garden Tour, 2023. PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: Hire the right people, treat them like family, and empower them to deliver quality service. OUTSIDE INTERESTS/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Christine has served as the president of the Fort Worth Tennis Association (FWTA) for several years. During her tenure with the FWTA, 11 neighborhood tennis courts have been resurfaced in conjunction with the City of Fort Worth. Christine is active in the Fort Worth Garden Club, Colonial Kids for a Cause, and Jewel Charity. PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Grew a company from 11 employees to currently 50 employees; maintained low turnover of employees in an industry with notoriously high turnover; opened a second company (retail), which continues to expand due to demand. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Follow your interest and figure out how to make money at it. Pay more than your competition for quality employees to build a strong team. Empower them to do their job. MISSION: Build person-to-person relationships – people buy from people. PICTURED: Christine Figley, owner.
West Fork Garden Market 2932 Marquita
Fort Worth, Texas 76116
817.953.6800 christine@wforks.com wforks.com
FOCUS: Residential Real Estate. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS: Martha Williams – Bachelor’s degree, University of Texas at Austin. Amanda Massingill – Bachelor’s degree, Texas Christian University, licensed Real Estate Broker. RECOGNITIONS: Top 1% of Realtors nationally. PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: Our ability to connect with our buyers and sellers grants us unparallel access to some of the finest properties in the Fort Worth market.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Junior League of Fort Worth, Van Cliburn Foundation, Fort Worth Country Day School, UT Southwestern Medical Foundation, Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County, Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Opening our women’s owned company Williams Trew Real Estate. Finding the perfect home for our clients and their family. Receiving a buyer or seller referral from a past client. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Actively engage in and connect with your community. Truly know and understand the intricacies of what you do. Dedication to Customer service and customer relationships should always be a top priority. MISSION: Fort Worth is Home. Martha, Amanda, and Patricia were born and raised in Fort Worth. Our commitment is to provide extraordinary service and to be attentive to clients’ needs. PICTURED: (left to right) Patricia Williams, Martha Williams, and Amanda Massingill.
The Martha Williams Group
3707 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ste. 300 Fort Worth, Texas 76107
817.570.9401
marthawilliamsgroup.com
martha@williamstrew.com
You can see Traci Darden’s work on the Fort Worth Magazine Dream Street this October when the homes will be open for touring. For more information and to purchase tickets for the monthlong tour, visit dream.fwtx.com.
Traci Darden, owner and chief design wiz at Elements of Design, is taking on her second Fort Worth Magazine Dream Street project. Teaming with Brian Demma of Brian Michael Distinctive Homes, the duo is in the midst of tackling a 6,800-square-foot Tuscan palace, one of three multimillion-dollar homes being built for the Dream Street in the Oak Alley development in Colleyville. We caught up with the veteran interior designer to discuss her latest project with the magazine, how to keep a long popular style like Tuscan fresh, and how livability is the common thread in all of her designs.
FW: This being your second Dream Street project, you’re becoming a pro at this. What excites you about this year’s home?
One of three interior designers for the Oak Alley project, the 34-year industry vet makes livability her calling card.
BY BRIAN KENDALL
Traci Darden: So, this year, the style of the home is a modern Tuscan. What I love about [Tuscan] is the natural elements that the style itself embodies — the stone, the wood, the different textures for walls and finishes. And we got to implement quite a few of those into the project itself and, at the same time, taking, not something I would call a tired style, but updating the Tuscan style by cleaning up the lines and doing some smoother finishes on interior walls. We pretty much just got to have a lot of fun in all the areas of the house.
FW: Right. It’s not tired, but it is a style that’s been popular for some time, so it is kind of, like, how do you put your stamp on that, right? How do you make it a little different?
TD: Right. Well, that’s the beauty of a Dream Street home: We really get to go outside of the box a little bit. For example, in our kitchen, we really mixed finishes and textures and profiles style for doors and drawers. You get to play with that a little more. And, when clients are walking through these homes, you see that they get a little bit more confident in how [these elements] would come
off for their own project. Instead of a designer just sitting across the table and saying, “You know what would look great is if we mix this and that,” but rather being able to show it to them in-person allows them to really envision it.
FW: Because, normally, you are doing something for a client who has very specific demands, right? But in this case, you have a blank canvas.
TD: Exactly. We’re working with the builder to make sure he’s comfortable, of course, with what’s going on, but there’s no other client, per se. We’re really leaning into trends, if you want to use that word, and showing people what’s new and upcoming.
FW: While, of course, you work for a client and adhere to their demands and can design in any number of styles, I’ve always thought that interior designers put their own stamp on things. While a house may be a Tuscan design, there’s also a little bit of Traci Darden in it. What would you say is your stamp?
TD: I think that is a very true statement. We really tote that livable lifestyle and making a client feel comfortable when they enter their home. It’s accessorizing to the point of livability, where they feel welcome to put their feet up, curl up on a sofa with a book and glass of wine, or just live their lifestyle, whatever it may be. It needs to be livable for them for the foreseeable future.
FW: Is there a specific design or style that you see as a current preference or a preference of the market?
TD: I think the market is continuing to toe that clean-line, modern vibe but not to the point where you get overly contemporary or cold — so minimalist to the point where’s there’s nothing to it besides straight lines and shiny finishes. But, really, our clients, even those who are on the board right now, their project scopes cover each end of the spectrum. And we really have fun with that.
Meet this year’s Fort Worth Magazine Dream Street designers and learn about each home’s distinct architectural style.
World-famous architect Frank Gehry once said of his craft, “Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.” So, basically, trends aren’t terrible but should be applied sparingly as to not make a home hackneyed once new trends emerge. Date it, but don’t make it dated, if that makes sense. In other words, avoid the blasé.
The trio of designers for this year’s Fort Worth Magazine Dream Street, three luxury homes constructed in Colleyville’s Oak Alley neighborhood, have drawn up such distinct and outof-the-box designs that these homes might transcend trends. No, instead, they’re setting trends.
This year’s home designers include Arch House Collaborative, Heritage Design Studio, and C.A. Nelson Architecture Group. While you’ll get a chance to catch their work when Dream Street touring begins this October, we thought we’d give our readers a sneak peek at the homes’ renderings below.
7235 Oak Alley Drive
Home Designer: Heritage
Design Studio
Home Style: English Arts and Crafts
Description: Featuring an asymmetrical façade, a steeply pitched roof, dormers, and windows of nontraditional dimensions, the home will provide visitors with a sense of happening upon a massive cottage in Cornwall. The style emphasizes simplicity, functionality, and attention to detail.
7239 Oak Alley Drive
Home Designer: Arch House
Collaborative
Home Style: Mediterranean
Description: The Mediterranean architecture style is characterized by a fusion of various design elements from the countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea, including Spain, Italy, Greece, and Morocco. The home will feature a classic stucco façade, tile roof, archways, and tall windows.
7243 Oak Alley Drive
Home Designer: C.A. Nelson
Architecture Group
Home Style: Tuscan
Description: Harmoniously combining stone, stucco, tile, and wood, the Tuscan style evokes the enchanting era of Leonardo Da Vinci and the Italian Renaissance. Inspired by the classical architecture of ancient Greece and Rome, this architectural masterpiece captures the essence of simplicity, elegance, and a profound connection with nature.
FortWorthMagazine’sDream Street wouldn’t be possible without the partnerships of local home industry professionals. Our project partners bring talent, passion, and experience to the project and are an integral part in bringing the homes to life.
Appliances: The Jarrell Company
Architectural Design: Arch House Collaborative
Artificial Grass: WinterGreen Synthetic Grass
Cabinetry (Kitchen): The Kitchen Source
Cabinetry (Master): Closet Factory
Countertop (Fabrication): Absolute Stone & Tile, Inc.
Countertop (Materials): KLZ Stone Supply, Inc.
Drywall and Texture: Alliance Drywall Inc.
Electrician: Powered Solutions
Fencing: Lambert’s Ornamental Iron
Fireplaces: Fireside Hearth & Home
Flooring Labor: Premier Designs Flooring
Flooring Material (Wood and Carpet): Premier Designs Flooring
Flooring Material (Tile): Daltile
Framing: Lone Star Framing & Construction LLC
Garage Doors and Openers: Open Up Garage Doors
Garage Epoxy Coating: Firehouse Garage
Glass: Galactic Glass
Gutters: Loveless Gutters
Hardware: Rick’s Hardware & Decorative Plumbing
HVAC: Interior Climate Experts
Insulation: Texas Insulation
Interior Design: Susan Semmelmann Interiors
Lighting Fixtures: Passion Lighting
Low Voltage, AV, and Security: Multimedia Solutions
Outdoor Furniture: Yard Art Patio & Fireplace
Paint (Labor): J&V Painting
Paint (Materials): Benjamin Moore & Co.
Plumbing (Fixtures): Expressions Home Gallery
Plumbing (Labor and Supplies): Pro Serve Plumbing
Pool: Leschber Designs
Realtor: The Jeannie Anderson Group COMPASS
Roofing: Tarrant Roofing
KENSINGTON CUSTOM HOMES
Appliances: The Jarrell Company
Architectural Design: Heritage Design Studio
Cabinetry (Kitchen): The Kitchen Source
Countertop (Fabrication): Absolute Stone & Tile, Inc.
Countertop (Materials): KLZ Stone Supply, Inc.
Drywall and Texture: Alliance Drywall Inc.
Electrician: Prewitt Electrical Services
Fencing: Lambert’s Ornamental Iron
Fireplaces: Overhead Door Company of Fort Worth
Flooring Labor: Vintage Floors
Flooring Material (Wood and Carpet): Vintage Floors
Flooring Material (Tile): Daltile
Front Doors: Silverado Custom Door & Window
Garage Doors and Openers: Overhead Door Company of Fort Worth
Garage Epoxy Coating: Premier Custom Floors
Glass: Galactic Glass
Gutters: Loveless Gutters
Insulation: Texas Insulation
Interior Beams: Green Valley Beam & Truss Co.
Interior Design: Heritage Interiors
Landscape and Irrigation: Guardado Landscaping
Lighting Fixtures: Passion Lighting
Low Voltage, AV, and Security: H Customs
Motorized Patio Screens: Blinds Brothers
Outdoor Furniture: Yard Art Patio & Fireplace
Paint (Materials): Sherwin Williams
Plumbing (Fixtures): The Jarrell Company
Pool: Claffey Pools
Realtor: Randy White Real Estate Services
Roofing: Texas Tile Roofing
Stairs and Railings: Aaron Ornamental Iron Works
Appliances: Expressions Home Gallery
Architectural Design: C.A. Nelson Architects
Cabinetry (Kitchen): The Kitchen Source
Countertop (Materials): Levantina
Drywall and Texture: Alliance Drywall Inc.
Electrician: MPT Electric
Fencing: Lambert’s Ornamental Iron
Fireplaces: Fireside Hearth & Home
Flooring Labor: Galvan Floors
Flooring Material (Wood and Carpet): Galvan Floors
Flooring Material (Tile): Daltile
Garage Doors and Openers: Open Up Garage Doors
Garage Epoxy Coating: Professional Garage Concepts
Glass: Galactic Glass
Hardware: Pierce Fine Hardware & Plumbing
Interior Design: Elements of Design
Landscape and Irrigation: Guardado Landscaping
Lighting Fixtures: Passion Lighting
Low Voltage, AV, and Security: Comware AV
Outdoor Furniture: Yard Art Patio & Fireplace
Paint (Labor): J&V Painting
Paint (Materials): Sherwin Williams
Plumbing (Fixtures): Expressions Home Gallery
Plumbing (Labor and Supplies): Pro Serve Plumbing
Pool: BlueWater Pools
Realtor: Randy White Real Estate Services
Roofing: Texas Tile Roofing
Sport Court: NexCourt Inc.
Stucco (Material and Labor): Metro Architectural Finishes
The Tarrant County Heart Ball was a truly elegant evening, brimming with humble gratitude for the precious Gift of Time. As soon as guests entered the celebration, they were greeted by a survivor wall, a powerful reminder of the purpose behind the event. WBAP radio host Hal Jay with his wife, Ann, are celebrating the Gift of Time after his recent heart transplant. Jay took the stage and warmed the hearts of all in the room with his moving call to action and heartfelt thank you to the surgeon who saved his life. The Heart of Tarrant County campaign raised more than $300,000 this year.
There’s nothing more rewarding than giving back and making a difference in the lives of people in this great community. As the city’s magazine — which has the eyes and ears of some of Fort Worth’s most affluent and philanthropic citizens — we feel a responsibility to give back, which is why Philanthropy is one of our core values..
Every year, Fort Worth Magazine sponsors more than 100 charity events, which range from luncheons to black-tie galas. The following promotional section is devoted to these charities and their fundraisers. We invite you to consciously peruse and consider lending a helping hand by either making a donation or attending these events.
Sept. 8
Wild Game Dinner
Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth
Sept. 9
Annual Craft Cocktail Competition Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
Sept. 17
Your Dress, Their Dream SoFortWorthIt
Sept. 20
Heart of Gold Luncheon Arts Fort Worth
Sept. 27
Signature Chefs March of Dimes
Sept. 27
Inspiring Hope Luncheon
The Salvation Army of North Texas
Sept. 30
Mad Scientist Ball
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
Sept. TBD
Voices of Autism
Bobby Norris Roundup for Autism
Sept. TBD
Clay Shoot
Pure Adventure (Father and Son Connection) GIVE BACK
Enjoy
Please join Mayor Mattie Parker and Fort Worth City Council for
Thursday, October 12, 2023 at Billy Bob’s Texas
presented by
Enjoy an evening reception, dinner, and two-stepping in support of the Fort Worth Promotion & Development fund. Let’s celebrate The Best of the West with our host, Justin Boots. Their presence will
Autism affects approximately 1 in 36 children.
When 6-year-old Aiden started ABA therapy at the Autism Treatment Center's Fort Worth clinic, his family felt overwhelmed and frustrated by his challenging behaviors.
At 4-years-old Aiden started exhibiting aggressive behaviors, began frequently flapping his hands, avoided eye contact, and could not speak. After working hard in the Ft. Worth Clinic, Aiden has been using single words to indicate his needs.
Tasha Morrow, Aiden's mother, says "It's incredible to see how far he has come; from no words to echoing, using his picture book, and responding to his name. ABA was a life changing choice for our family."
p r e s e n t s t h e 9 t h A n n u a l
b e n e f i t i n g T h e P a r e n t i n g C e n t e r
1 0 . 1 9 . 2 0 2 3 | T H E O S T R E U M
Mark Topel & Trish Thompson
Whitley Penn
Lewis & Debra Ropp
Fred & Michele Reynolds
John & Leslie Enlow
John & Melinda Matthews
Minyard Founders Foundation
Warren Gould & Mary Katherine Anderson
Dr. Paul & Lois Bowman
Callie Enlow
Doug & Julie Renfro
Kevin Connelly & Cheryl McDonald
Dr. Ken & Jennie Heym
Clarissa Johnson
Ann Williams
Roger & Becky Hendren
Dr. Lauren Akers
Carly Witulski
Terry & Marcia Boggs
Larry & Karen Anfin
Jason Ledbetter
Ron & Lauren Surratt
Dr. Daniel Ashton
Dr. Chelsee Greer
Mike & Liz Lattimore
Cook Children’s Hospital
Veritex Community Bank
Radiology Associates of NT
UNT Health Sciences Center
Texas Oncology
Frost Bank
FortWorthMagazine
Mira Vista Country Club
Park Place of Fort Worth HSC
Event Chairs Leslie & John Enlow • Honorary Chairs Dr. Ken and Jennie Heym
Guest of Honor Natalie Turner • Celebrity Emcee Jenny Anchondo
Host Committee
Karen and Larry Anfin, Dr. Paul and Lois Bowman, Fay Wooten, Dr. Shane Fernando, Joann George, Greg Hatch, Kathy Jamison, George Johnson, Melissa Laymance, Sherry LeFils, Ashley Peeders, Michele Reynolds, Lauren and Ron Surratt, Gracie Topel
20 Years … 42,000 Clients 200,000 Art Therapy Sessions
Breakthroughs for Children, Teens & Adults
Join Us for Some Fun and Support the Mission of The Art Station
Wednesday, October 4, 2023
5:30-8:30pm
Fabulous Hors d’oeuvres, Desserts, Specialty Cocktails, Wine & Beer . Live Music
Silent & Live Auction of artwork created by business/community leaders & artists
Historic Masonic Center
1100 Henderson Street (at West Lancaster), Fort Worth, Texas
For tickets, sponsorships or donations: Visit www.bidpal.net/PFPA D Questions? Email pmarshall@theartstation.org
Presenting Sponsor: Byrne Construction Services
Picasso Patron: Integrated Transfer Services
Monet Masters: Melinda & Jerry Johnston
Creative Champions: Stacy & John McKnight . Maggie & Jim Lacamp
Artful Advocates: Autobahn Fort Worth . Mica Bergman . Frost . Laura Haskin
Joy & Johnny Harvison . Lane Gorman Trubitt . Palko/Bogle/Malone
Republic Services . LaVonne Scharbauer . Lee L. Tennison
The Human Source Foundation . Nancy & Richard Wilson
Dawn & Andy Taft/Mary Margaret & Grant Davis
Red Productions/Peggy Marshall
Palette Partners:
Amarillo National Bank . Kelly Hart . La Playa Maya Restaurants
Susan Motheral . Elia & Al Saenz . SkiHi Enterprises. . Susser Bank
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth
In-Kind Sponsors: Acre Distilling . Rahr Brewing
Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty
FEATURED ARTISTS
Kurt Anderson
Jane Avila
Jim Beckman
Marsha & Barclay Berdan
Debra Bessent
Becky Renfro Borbolla
Jinx Burk
Georgia James Clark
Patricia Cole
Michael Crain
Owen Daniel
Rachel Delira
Deborah Ferguson
Gregg Froman
Wesley Gentle
Kay Granger
Janet Hahn
Joy Harvison
Lee Herring
Natalie Island
Barry King
Louis Lambert
Cleve Lancaster
Kitty Lancaster
Rachel Malone
Dalton Maroney
Boyd Matson
Tim McKinney
Stacy McKnight
Mike Micallef
Pam Minick
Bob Mitchell
Nancy Mitchell
Hope Montey
Steve Montgomery
Susie Monzingo
Sainty & Eric Nelsen
Patrick Newman
Grace Nowlin
Susan Nus
Mary Palko
Victoria Puente-Peters
Rachael Navejar Phillips
Sara Richardson
Felix Schilling
Mouty Shackelford
Dawn Taft
Lee L. Tennison
Andrew Walker
Carolyn Watkins
Stacey Watkins Martin
Ginger Watson
Jeff Wentworth
Mary Ann White
Scott Winterrowd
Juan Zamora
Media Partner:
10.15.23 EAT. DRINK. PARTY. CHANGE
River Ranch Stockyards Sunday, October 15, 2023 6 PM - 9 PM
TABLES & TICKETS
October 12 - 15, 2023
Premier Sponsor
Trinity Shelter Pavilion Fort Worth, Texas SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5
Celebrate culinary excellence with local top chefs; an interactive cocktail party atmosphere reflects North Texas style and flavors with event highlights including a live auction, and compelling appeal to support the mission of March of Dimes.
Celebrate culinary excellence with local top chefs; an interactive cocktail party atmosphere reflects North Texas style and flavors with event highlights including a live auction, and compelling appeal to support the mission of March of Dimes.
SEPTEMBER 27, 2023 | 6:OOPM SEPTEMBER 27, 2023 | 6:OOPM RIVER RANCH STOCKYARDS RIVER RANCH STOCKYARDS
Lead Chef
Ben Merritt
Executive Chef
The Fitzgerald
Our Sponsors
Signature Chefs
Jon Bonnell, Bonnell's Molly McCook, Ellerbe Fine Foods
Jenny Castor, Luckybee Kitchen
Craig Bonham, River Ranch
Michael Tomson, Michael's Cuisine
Christian Lehrmann, Courtside Kitchen + more!
Pediatrix Neonatology of Texas | Primrose Schools | Baylor Scott & White All Saints | Cook Children’s | Fort Worth Magazine | Frost Bank | Texas Health Resources | Texas Health Alliance
Join us for an evening of cosmos, dinner and entertainment! You’ll have a blast moonwalking to the sounds of the Emerald City Band or defending the earth from Space Invaders and Asteroids! So grab your favorite Martian for what promises to be the biggest party in the universe, all in support of The Women’s Center!
In early August, a supermoon — the astrological event that occurs when a full moon appears as the lunar object is at its closest to Earth — appeared in the sky above Fort Worth. This photograph, taken by local photographer Edgar Miller, captures the moon as it rests between the two cone-shaped corner pillars of T&P Station.
“Nighttime photography always inspires me with its challenges of equipment, setting, and editing in order to capture or enhance what I saw with my own eyes,” Miller says. He uses location apps on his iPhone to track the moon so he can end up in the right spot at the right time. “Planning becomes a case of where I can stand or get access for the best alignment against interesting elements.” For this shot, Miller used a Fuji X-T5 with a 100-400mm lens.
@edgarmillerimages
Get your photo on this page and win a $100 gift card to Fort Worth Camera. Just tag Fort Worth Magazine (@fwtxmag) and Fort Worth Camera (@fwcamera) and use the hashtags #fwtxmag and #fwcamera on all your amazing Cowtown images. main line 817.560.6111 | subscriptions 817.766.5550 | website fwtx.com
The Sorensens are steadfast Land Rover fans. Paul Sorensen, owner of Vacana, a Broken Bow property management company, has purchased four Land Rover Range Rovers from Park Place Land Rover DFW — most recently the redesigned 2023 Range Rover SV. The uber-luxurious SUV is the perfect blend of distinctive design, first-class comfort, and off-road capability. Paul describes himself as a “car guy” who’s owned many cars, but he’s been a loyal Range Rover owner since 2008. “I’m loyal to the brand and always will be,” Paul says. Meanwhile, a 2018 Range Rover Sport offers everything that Paul’s daughter, Lexi, 24, relishes, especially the plush interior, and sports the style and overall quality that Land Rover is legendary for. Paul’s son, Ethan, 23, has four-wheeled fun in his 2018 Range Rover Sport SVR, equally at home on the freeway as it is on a back road, fast and thunderous, with its
amazing, distinctively throaty engine sound. The Sorensens return to Park Place Land Rover DFW because of its elite service and staff. “I personally worked with Justin Snyder in sales and Juan Ramirez, my service advisor for years. They always treat me like a VIP customer … always deliver a great experience,” Paul says. “Park Place is My Place because of the outstanding care my family receives from both the sales and service departments. They really take care of us!”
