Fort Worth Magazine - September 2024

MISS UNIVERSITY

Rachael Capua, Emily Messer, and Kim McCuistion are taking Cowtown's higher education into a new stratosphere.

We Drive the Difference

The Gilchrist Valet Service:

• Online or over-the-phone sales purchase and delivery

• Service pick-up and delivery

Experience the Gilchrist Difference:

• Family owned and operated

• Purchase process tailored to your needs

• Three stores to choose from where each General Manager personally assists you

• Customer relationships do not end with the sale

• Each experience is special when you work with Gilchrist Automotive

Left to Right: Stephen Jimenez, GM, Spur Chevrolet Buick GMC, Daniel Arceneaux, GM, Pegasus Chevrolet, Justin Rudd, GM, Platinum Chevrolet, Stephen Gilchrist, Dealer Operator, Gilchrist Automotive.

Dance of the People

Ancient indigenous rituals and Spanish flamenco come together with German polkas, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and classical ballet to become something new and authentically Mexican — Ballet Folklorico.

By Shilo Urban

40 A Tragedy Revisited

Twenty-five years after one of the darkest days in the history of Fort Worth, survivors reflect on the enduring impact of the Wedgwood Baptist Church shooting on their community and their faith.

By Malcolm Mayhew

48 Deans of Women

Three women are leading three university institutions in Fort Worth: one, the oldest higher education body in the city, and two others overseeing schools making bold moves into the city.

By Brian Kendall and John Henry

DEPARTMENTS

THE FORT

14 City Dweller

Fort Worth gathers to celebrate the life of Police Sgt. Billy Randolph.

20 Calendar

What’s happening in September? Pat Green with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, for one.

22 Fort Worthian

Artist Abigail Jackson is turning heads at the Bowie House.

24 State Lines

Chappell Hill, Texas, population: 600.

28 Cowhand Culture

The Fort Worth upbringing of the talented Miss Highsmith.

30 The Reverie Musings, commentary, and insights about the people, places, and things that make our city great.

CHOWTOWN

102 Dining News for Fort Worth foodies: Pitmasters stand out through innovative dishes.

106 4 Courses

The Crescent Hotel Fort Worth’s Preston Paine.

On Passion

It was a year, almost to the day, that I first met Tiffany Rodriguez. She was one of the subjects of a feature we ran in September of last year, “The 9 Muses of Western Art.” It made sense — she is an artist, after all. She came to our studio with, as I remember, suitcases full of different dresses, each signifying a specific region in Mexico — Jalisco, San Luis, Baja California, etc. Yes, she had multiple costume changes and, with each costume change, came a different dance also specific to the region.

As I learned that day, because Tiffany can’t help but teach, is that this was ballet folklorico, the traditional cultural dances of Mexico. We spent, again as I remember, a couple of hours in the studio, shooting multiple dresses and witnessing multiple dances. The rhythmic pounding of her shoes on our studio floor brought out more than a few office spectators.

After all of those costume changes, all of that dancing, all of that chatting, and all of those incredible photos taken by Crystal Wise, we’d ultimately use a single photo and three lines of text. But that was the feature. That was the story. We were highlighting and devoting a single page to nine separate and distinct artists in different mediums of Western art — hers being folklorico. By the way, the feature and the feature’s photographer, Wise, would become finalists for a City and Regional Magazine Award the following year.

But, while listening to Tiffany — hearing her stories, her encyclopedic knowledge of this singular subject, and her … passion for said subject — we quickly knew this was a story that required more than a single page. We had to, as we like to say, blow it out.

Fast-forward 10 or 11 months, and we’re, yet again, doing a photo shoot with Tiffany. This time it’s at Joe T. Garcia’s (huge thank you to the fine folks at that establishment for allowing us to photograph this feature,

by the way), and Tiffany has brought additional dancers — fellow students of ballet folklorico. With the additional dancers and additional costumes came additional pages and additional photos we were able to run.

You see, Tiffany, a TCU student who advocates for ballet folklorico to become a part of the university’s curriculum, conveys a passion for ballet folklorico akin to the passion Indiana Jones has for archaeology or Howard Hughes has for air travel and Hollywood starlets. It’s impressive and, dare I say, a passion I wish I had about, well, anything.

I’m pleased we were able to tell her story in a very deserving eight-page feature written by the talented Shilo Urban and photographed by the equally talented Darah Hubbard. After all, finding these stories, uncovering these passions, and sharing them with you is what this gig is all about. We hope you learn a little something. Happy reading.

CORRECTIONS? COMMENTS?

CONCERNS? Send to executive editor Brian Kendall at bkendall@fwtexas.com.

Brian Kendall EXECUTIVE EDITOR

ON THE COVER:

Rachael Capua, the vice president of external operations and dean of Tarleton State Fort Worth, graces the cover as one of three women who are transforming Cowtown into a hub for higher education.

Photo by Richard Rodriguez.

NEXT MONTH

Boots

Cody Jinks

Curing Cancer in the Fort

Who is a fictional female character that you admire, and if she were to have a role in our office, what would that role be?

Scout Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. Her integrity and inquisitive nature would make for a damn fine journalist.

Aunt Esther, “Sanford and Son.” We need a Scripturereading project manager with snark in editorial, sucker. We don’t actually.

With her exceptional cooking skills, Minny Jackson, a selfless and brave woman from The Help, would write culinary stories and recipes for delicious meals and her infamous chocolate pie.

Princess Leia. Her fearlessness on the battlefield would keep us safe from the tyranny of the Empire.

owner/publisher hal a. brown

president mike waldum

EDITORIAL

executive editor brian kendall

contributing editor john henry

digital editor stephen montoya

contributing writers malcolm mayhew, michael h. price, charlotte settle, shilo urban

copy editor sharon casseday

ART

creative director craig sylva

senior art director spray gleaves

advertising art director jonathon won

ADVERTISING

advertising account supervisors gina burns-wigginton x150

marion c. knight x135

account executive tammy denapoli x141

account executive kenidy herring x157

account executive jim houston x158

territory manager, fort worth inc. rita hale x133

senior production manager michelle mcghee x116

MARKETING

director of digital robby kyser director of marketing grace behr events and promotions director victoria albrecht

project manager kaitlyn lisenby

summer intern nic korzeniewski

CORPORATE

chief financial officer charles newton

founding publisher mark hulme

CONTACT US

main line 817.560.6111

subscriptions 817.766.5550 fwmagsubscriptions@omeda.com

Clarice Starling from “The Silence of the Lambs.” And if she were to work in our office, she would be a journalist who always has great story pitches for us, like stories about serial killers, for example.

Elle Woods from “Legally Blonde” obviouslyyyy. Her role in the office would be making sure everyone wears pink and has a positive attitude.

I have two: Sarah Connor from “The Terminator,” who would make a great head of IT, ensuring all of the computers are working “like they are supposed to,” and Leeloo from “The Fifth Element,” who would be in the compliancy office, assuring all editorial not only passes compliance, but that they “Multi-Pass.”

Scarlett O’Hara has always been a fictional female that I have idolized. Her beauty, leadership, determination, ruthlessness, and charm would make her an excellent Director of “Tomorrow Is Another Day” Affairs.

DIGITAL EDITION:

The virtual editions of both current and previous issues are available on our website. Flip through the pages to read more about the great city of Fort Worth by visiting fwtx.com.

©2024 Panther City Media Group, LP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

FortWorthMagazine(ISSN 1536-8939) is published monthly by Panther City Media Group, LP, 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd., Suite 130, Fort Worth, TX 76116. Periodicals Postage Paid at Fort Worth, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notices and undeliverable copies to Panther City Media Group, PO Box 213, Lincolnshire, IL 60069. Volume 27, Number 9, September 2024. Basic Subscription price: $21.95 per year. Single copy price: $4.99

3

817.570.9401

9 Years of Leon

It was months before the release of his first album, ComingHome,that Leon Bridges first stepped into the offices of FortWorth Magazine.He brought three separate outfits — a tux, a denim-jacket-tie combo, and a blue suit with a skinny tie — for what was ultimately a style feature in the magazine’s May 2015 issue. Of course, music was still a topic of conversation, and during the shoot, the yet-to-be discovered Bridges would serenade our editorial staff with his velvety voice and strums on acoustic guitar — video evidence of which still exists on YouTube.

Bridges would grace that month’s cover with a feature by Holland Sand-

ers called “Style and Soul,” marking the first of three cover stories over the next seven years. A few months following its publication, the Fort Worth native, who was once a dishwasher at Del Frisco’s and routinely plucked tunes — even writing a few — outside Avoca Coffee on Magnolia Avenue, went from smoky open mics to selling out concert venues across the nation. Coming Home would eventually go platinum, and Bridges would get substantial writeups in Vanity Fair, NME, and Texas Monthly. And, yes, it is a point of pride around these parts that we beat them all to the punch.

In 2018, Bridges released his second album, Good Thing, and the following April, he’d headline Fort Worth’s Fortress Festival. In the lead-up to this performance, Bridges would again serve as the cover star, this time for our March 2019 issue. The long-form profile by Shilo Urban, “Homecoming,” featured exclusive photography of Bridges at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and Shipping and Receiving by Rambo Elliott — the Fort Worthian and close friend of Bridges who photographed his first two album covers.

Four years later, Bridges joined former TCU head coach Gary Patterson for a photo shoot in the dingy garage of Fort Worth Magazine’s office building. The two were promoting The Big Good, a charity founded by the pair whose main beneficiaries include the Tarrant To & Through Partnership, United Community Centers, and UpSpire. The two sharing the cover for the magazine’s May 2022 feature was apropos, as each had been our cover feature twice before. And, with both appearing on our cover for the third time, Bridges and Patterson are tied for being on our cover the most.

Bridges isn’t the first or only bigname music star to hail from our area. Kelly Clarkson, T Bone Burnett, and the Toadies have all succeeded in said craft. But none have been as devoted to their hometown as Bridges. Whether it’s in his music, style, or social media posts, Bridges reps Fort Worth and champions our city with a genuine love for this community. To put it bluntly, he’s become one of the city’s biggest ambassadors.

In early August, Bridges announced a release date for his fourth album, Leon, and a North American tour that includes a stop at Dickies Arena on Nov. 15.

“I will stay [in Fort Worth] for as long as I can,” Bridges told Holland Sanders for the magazine’s 2015 cover feature. “There is no temptation or reason to move … I love Fort Worth because it is good to be all over the world but be able to come home to something familiar like friends and family.”

photography by Crystal Wise // Rambo Elliott // Alex Lepe

CONNECTING PEOPLE TO THEIR DREAMS®

From Playroom to Boardroom

Growing up, you always took make-believe to the next level. Today, you still pursue the full potential of each idea–finding advisors who relate to your intuition. We share that drive, because connecting people to their dreams is our true passion. Every great relationship has an Origin story. Start yours today at Origin.Bank/YourStory

THE FORT

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AND THE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO

FORT WORTHIAN Abigail Jackson took a different route to becoming an artist, but that story is as compelling as her intricate works.

by John Henry

‘A

Cop’s Cop’

Fort Worth Police Sgt. Billy Randolph, 1967-2024

Fort Worth Police Sgt. Billy Randolph was laid to rest on Aug. 17, leaving in his wake a legacy as the quintessence of servant leadership.

Logan Bidding, a seven-year veteran of the Fort Worth Police Department who worked under Randolph as a patrol officer, recalls looking for a suspect wanted on a warrant for a violent crime. He couldn’t recall exactly what, but “like aggravated assault or something like that.”

Randolph and Bidding stopped a guy who looked like their suspect in the Felix Street area, south of downtown. It turned out not to be the guy.

“We could have just left it at that,” Bidding says. “But Sgt. Randolph stopped to talk to him, and he found out he wasn’t really from around here, and he didn’t really have any winter clothes. Sgt. Randolph picked the guy up, and he took him to Walmart because it was open at the time. And he bought the guy a winter coat, and he bought him a couple outfits out of his own pocket.”

Randolph didn’t go around telling everyone of his deed.

“I don’t know how many people were there to witness it,” Bidding says, “but I saw it, and he didn’t have to do it.”

Tend the flock of God in your midst, [overseeing] not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you but be examples to the flock.

Billy Wayne Randolph Jr., 56, died in the early morning hours of Aug. 12. Randolph, a 29-year veteran of the department, was killed after being struck by a car allegedly driven by 25-year-old DeAujalae Evans. Evans, police say, entered Interstate 35 on a southbound exit driving the wrong way. Police suspect that Evans was intoxicated.

Evans was being held on a charge of intoxication manslaughter of a peace officer. The story came clearer into focus through reporting by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which discovered that Evans was on probation

for a conviction of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker both expressed outrage at what they called a lenient sentence.

Randolph was among officers who responded about 2:30 a.m. to a crash and fire involving an 18-wheeler on Interstate 35 southbound, near Sycamore School Road.

He was standing outside his vehicle when police allege that Evans drove a 2020 Nissan Versa through the accident scene hours later, at 5:30 a.m., and struck Randolph.

“His genuine kindness touched many lives,” said Officer Jimmy Pollozani on his social media platform on Facebook.

Bidding, a U.S. Marine, worked in the South Division for about three years under Randolph.

Bidding, 32, says Randolph wasn’t a “boss,” but rather a leader.

“I don’t think they make a desk that could have kept Billy Randolph behind it for any meaningful period of time,” Bidding said.

Randolph was always in the field doing field work, Bidding said. He operated that way until his last day. The first to come to work, and the last to leave, all in support of his guys.

“I guess everybody’s got one of those kinds of people in their field,” Bidding said, at this point now just managing to compose himself to speak. “They’re the guys that show up to work every day. They don’t complain. They’re the best at what they do. And you measure yourself against them.

“When you think of Billy Randolph, he was a cop’s cop. Billy Randolph was a cop, and if you imagine a cop, you imagine Billy Randolph. And I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the idiom, ‘Often imitated but never duplicated.’ I think that was the best way I could describe Billy Randolph, there’s only ever going to be one Billy Randolph.”

by John Henry

Return of the Rangers

The Texas Rangers return to Washington as champions — finally

The site was Washington, D.C., and everyone was naturally pissed off.

The air was a stuffy 76 degrees, and it was filled with an incongruent mixture of shouting for and against. Lots of noise. More noise than a crowd of 14,000-something should be able to generate. A mob finally surged, these activists as untamed as salivating French revolutionaries.

Jan. 6, you say? No. Just another day in Washington? Almost.

“Bob Short, on your way to Texas, go to hell.”

The day was the Washington Senators’ last in D.C. — Sept. 30, 1971. On that final, inglorious day, the Senators had to forfeit to the New York Yankees, as more than 500 people stormed the field at RFK Stadium in the top of the ninth. They stole bases, ripped numbers and names off the scoreboard, and looked for anything else they could call a souvenir.

The second iteration of the Senators — the first moved to Minnesota and became the Twins — left for the greener ranch land of cattle country. And thus began the complicated history of the Texas Rangers.

It took a bit, but they finally made the ultimate triumphant return, as the Texas Rangers, 52 years later.

No one then would likely have been surprised it took so long. The Rangers carried with them a bunch of baggage from the nation’s capital, including a mantra: “Washington: First in war, first in peace, and last in the American League.”

Those demons have now officially been exorcised, left behind in the house where some swear the ghost of Abigail Adams’ laundry appears in the form of the scent of lavender.

On a Thursday in August, President Joe Biden welcomed the franchise to the White House for the traditional reception for the World Series champions.

“It’s been 50 years since the franchise left Washington,” said the president, who, like any chief executive, knows exactly how Bob Short felt on his way out of town. “You’re back in the nation’s capital as world champions and you deserve it.

“There’s word you all embody — resilience. You’re a hell of a resilient club, man. You never gave up. You kept the faith.”

History says that the tradition of sports teams visiting the White House dates to at least 1865, when President Andrew Johnson — as popular as Bob Short — hosted the Brooklyn Atlantics and Washington Nationals amateur baseball clubs. Ulysses S. Grant played host to the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, in 1869.

The first White House soiree for a World Series championship team is believed to have taken place for, wait for it, this is worth it … the 1924 Washington Senators. Calvin Coolidge did the praising. It was not tent-revival evangelizing, you can count on it, not from Silent Cal. Manager Bruce Bochy presented Biden with a Rangers jersey with his last name and the number “46” inscribed on the back, symbolizing his status as the 46th president. A pair of cowboy boots for the president followed.

“Thank you for your gracious remarks,” Rangers general manager Chris Young told the president. “You’ve provided us an unbelievable reception, for which we are extremely grateful.

“The character of this team and the resilience they demonstrated will forever define the 2023 Texas Rangers. These players made history and forever changed the perception of our franchise.”

TILE THAT MAKES A STATEMENT.

As the world-class leader in Tile, Natural Stone & Countertops, Daltile offers the largest assortment of high-style solutions to elevate any space or design.

Daltile

Photo features Marble Attaché™ Lavish Golden Reverie on the floor with Remedy™ Elixir on the wall and ONE Quartz Surfaces® Broadway Black on the countertops.

by

Stephen Montoya

Roosevelts Ride Again

The Original making a return to Camp Bowie

Aslimmed down Original will be returning to the bricks on Camp Bowie Boulevard, shoveling Roosevelts out a drive-thru window.

Owner Robert Self is planning to build a 900-square-foot drive-thru restaurant on property he owns, adjacent to the original Original Mexican Eats Café, where it did business for 90 years before closing down in September.

We found out about this through documents filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. We believe it was Bud Kennedy — it usually is — who initially spied an application to sell and consume alcohol at the location, 4735 Camp Bowie.

Cost of the project is estimated to be about $300,000.

Bulldozers and jackhammers were expected to start excavating at the end of last month. The building is expected to be complete by the middle of January.

It’s a continuation of yearslong drama over the future of the Original. The last we heard there was no future for the Original on Camp Bowie after a judge ruled in favor of landlord Derek Muzquiz in a lease dispute with Self.

For the better part of a year, foodies and Original diehards held their collective breaths on news about the

restaurant. It was set for closure in June 2023. It received a reprieve but finally closed in September.

The restaurant earned distinction not only for its longevity, but also its chili con carne and the “Roosevelt Special,” named for either President Roosevelt or his son Elliott Roosevelt — no one seems to be certain. Elliott lived here while his parents visited often.

Self moved out and turned his entire focus to The Original del Norte on the North Side. His presence on Camp Bowie, however, remained. He owned the parking lots to the south and west of the strip mall that housed the Original.

In an act of apparent defiance — spite? — Self barricaded his lots so no one could use them.

Self, seemingly reluctant to speak after his court defeat, didn’t return calls about this either.

Muquiz, meanwhile, has done wonders with the place, renovating all the storefronts in the center and doing so mostly with his own hands. He has found lessees for most of the stores.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll never starve. Teach a man to build, and he’ll make an almost 100-year-old building look new.

Around Cowtown in 8 Seconds

A smattering of things you might’ve missed

1. Not Bucking Convention: City leaders and major stakeholders mark a major milestone of the $95 million Phase 1 of the expansion of the Fort Worth Convention Center with a “topping out” ceremony in August. The final structural piece was swung into place where a grand southeast lightbox atrium entrance will be.

2. The Web He Weaves: Southlake’s Sam Watson is the fastest speed in the world. The 18-year-old set two world records at the Paris Olympics. Unfortunately, he didn’t set the records at the right … times. Bronze was his prize, nonetheless.

3. She Was Just Saying ‘Hi:’ Mayor Mattie Parker was among those who raised her hand when she and four City Council colleagues were asked about running for reelection. Just relax, a spokesperson says. The mayor hasn’t decided, merely raising her hand to avoid speculation that she wouldn’t be running again. So, instead she created speculation.

4. Where Do We Buy That Scratch-Off Ticket? The Fort Worth City Council agreed to a $5.2 million settlement with ex-Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald to end protracted litigation. Fitzgerald and two former IT workers had sued the city, alleging that their firings were retaliation as whistleblowers.

5. WWBigTexD: The State Fair in Dallas, a private nonprofit, found itself in the eye of demagogues who say it has no right to ban concealed carry handguns at this year’s fair. Perhaps the gun toters should bring back the Texas Frontier Centennial.

6. Yellow Stoned: A resident in a Montana neighborhood annoyed by all the lights, camera, and action of “Yellowstone” filming got on Reddit to try to spoil the experience of cliffhanger for everybody else, giving away whom she thinks she saw on a stretcher fully covered with a white sheet after a big, blowout fight.

7. More Drama on Commissioners Court: Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn declined an invitation from Commissioner Alisa Simmons to explain the jail’s standard operating procedures, saying that, rest assured, the jail is “heavily mandated.” What he did not say is if he follows the mandates. Sixty-three inmates have died under Waybourn’s care since 2017.

8. Then There’s This: Two special interest groups allege that Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare, a wallflower, and Commissioner Manny Ramirez are conspiring to remove Cesar Chavez Day from the county’s holiday calendar. Ramirez accused one of Simmons’ staffers of lying about his position, leading the groups to wrongly believe where Ramirez stands.

September

5

Sublime with Rome

This could seem like an odd pairing — the reggaeinfused rock band from Long Beach once simply known as Sublime, headlining the World’s Largest Honky-Tonk — until you realize STYX, The Monkees, and The Temptations have all graced the stage at Billy Bob’s.

Billy Bob’s Texas billybobstexas.com

6–8

Fringe Fest

Despite the fate of the Community Arts Center — Arts Fort Worth recently announced it will vacate the building — the threeday fest featuring theater and poetry performances will carry on as planned. Fort Worth Community Arts Center texastheatres.org/fringe

6

Trace Adkins

The Louisiana-based country balladeer who’s penned such Billboard toppers as “(This Aint) No Thinkin’ Thing” and “You’re Gonna Miss This” rolls his “Somewhere in America” tour through Cowtown.

Will Rogers Auditorium dickiesarena.com

7

Fall Gallery Night

Encompassing numerous galleries, museums, community centers, and local businesses, this annual event will showcase a wide variety of art — both local and not.

Various Locations fwada.com

14

Pat Green with the FWSO

The Fort Worth musician will take the stage with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at Bass Hall, where the pairing will run through Green’s string of Texas country chart-toppers. Bass Performance Hall basshall.com

Sept. 20 – 22

‘Cinderella’ by

14–15

Noah and Abby Gundersen

The Seattle-based singer/ songwriter known for his crawling, mid-tempo ballads swings by Tulips with his wife, Abby, an accomplished multi-instrumentalist who regularly appears on Noah’s albums. Tulips tulipsftw.com

21

Elle King

Despite making headlines of late thanks to a rocky relationship with her father, comedian Rob Schneider, Elle King’s recent collabs with Miranda Lambert and Diplo will ensure a packed house at the World’s Largest Honky-Tonk. Billy Bob’s Texas billybobstexas.com

Texas Ballet Theater

Trading glass slippers for glass pointe shoes, the age-old folk tale of a servant who wins the heart of a young prince gets the ballet treatment from our local troupe.

Bass Performance Hall basshall.com

21

Cigarettes After Sex

Hailing from El Paso, this ambient pop outfit with one of the catchiest names in the music industry brings its dreamy tunes with androgynous vocals to the 14,000-seat Dickies Arena. Dickies Arena dickiesarena.com

26–28

Oktoberfest

Dust off your lederhosen for a weekend of brews, brats, and plenty of Bavarian shenanigans. Activities include live music, carnival rides, and themed games like stein hoisting and beer barrel rolling.

photos provided by Billy Bob’s

Elle King

Noah and Abby Gundersen

For over 75 years, Texans have trusted The Jarrell Company for their appliances, plumbing, lighting, and decorative hardware solutions. Get inspired. Experience one of our comprehensive showrooms today.

Abigail Jackson

Artist

By Charlotte Settle Photo by Darah Hubbard

Abigail Jackson’s artwork is turning heads at Fort Worth’s Bowie House, blending Western imagery, Mexican heritage, and fierce feminism into dazzling portraits.

Born and raised in Cowtown, Jackson’s path to becoming an artist was as unexpected as it was transformative. She attended Texas A&M University with plans to go into the medical field. But when her brother passed away her sophomore year, everything changed.

Jackson began to reevaluate what was truly important to her. Desperate for an outlet, she enrolled in art classes and was immediately hooked. “I realized all that pain and love I was feeling, I could put into my artwork,” she says.

Post-graduation, Jackson spent two years teaching English in Spain. She became enthralled with the influence of Spanish colonialism, both positive and negative, on Mexico, Texas, and the modern West.

Back in Fort Worth in January of 2023, a Fort Worth Magazine cover caught Jackson’s eye. The image, shot by Crystal Wise, featured an escaramuza — a female equestrian in Mexican rodeo — atop a horse in an ornate red gown. “That image touched something deep inside my soul,” Jackson says. She immediately set out to recreate it on a canvas, a process that unexpectedly reconnected her with her grandfather’s Mexican heritage. Since then, Mexican rodeo has remained a staple in Jackson’s work. She even traveled to Mexico City to immerse herself in the culture and capture images to paint.

When Bowie House opened, Jackson became a hostess at the hotel and soon befriended its gallery director, Emily Gregoire. Upon seeing Jackson’s work, Gregoire offered to represent her through Gallery at Bowie House and picked out a corner in the swanky Billet Room to hang her first piece.

Gregoire chose to display Jackson’s “Pamela Blake on the Far Frontier,” a tribute to the iconic Western film actress from the serial, “Ghost of

Zorro.” The portrait features a formidable cowgirl wielding a pistol amidst a rugged backdrop of desert and cacti. “I just love the idea of a fierce woman,” Jackson says. Within a month of being on display, “Pamela” sold for $11,000 — an impressive feat for Jackson’s second-ever painting sold.

Since then, that wall in the Billet Room has been reserved exclusively for Jackson’s work. Her current piece on display, titled “Baby, You’re No Good,” features her best friend sporting a Nick Fouquet cowboy hat, a vintage fur coat, and a sterling silver pistol from the 1870s. Her posture, style, and energy exude femininity with a “don’t mess with me” attitude.

Like much of Jackson’s recent work, “Baby, You’re No Good” incorporates a 24-karat gold and sterling silver leaf background — inspired by golden mosaics she encountered on a trip to Ravenna, Italy. Like “Pamela,” the piece sold in record time, so Jackson is working on an even larger gold leaf cowgirl portrait to take its place. “The future of the West is female,” she laughs.

Above all, Jackson hopes her paintings illuminate the common threads and shared heritage that bind us all. “I want to make people feel seen through my work,” she says. “I want to create a world where women are free to be strong, fierce, and fearless, and where Mexican culture is painted on gold where it belongs.”

FormoreinformationonAbigailJacksonand herwork,visitabigailfaye.comorgalleryatbowiehouse.com/artist/abigail-jackson.

BY THE WAY....

What are some museums, galleries, or places where you dream of showing your artwork?

“I have dreams about showing my work in other states, like New Mexico and Wyoming. But also, Bowie House is my dream. I never expected to find this treasure at home. I needed to leave Fort Worth, and now the fact that my dreams are here is crazy. I’m also manifesting that I’m in the Cowgirl Museum one day. I want a piece there so badly!”

1. Jackson’s “Pamela Blake on the Far Frontier.” 2. Jackson at Frida Kahlo’s house in Mexico City. 3. Photo taken by Jackson at the rodeo in Mexico City. 4. Jackson’s favorite photo she’s ever taken—Luis Ovando and his horse, Leon, in Mexico City. 5. Jackson’s piece, “Golden Hour,” which she donated to Scottish Rite Hospital’s Summer Colors Art Auction. 6. The escaramuza painting that started it all, based on FortWorthMagazine’sJanuary 2023 issue. 7. Jackson with her latest painting,“Sundance.”

by Shilo Urban

Chappell Hill, Texas

Population: 600

What do fainting goats, a kazoo band, and sawdust pie have in common?

You’ll find them all in Chappell Hill, a quaint and quirky village that’s one of the best historically preserved towns in the state. Situated just off Highway 290 between Austin and Houston, Chappell Hill is surrounded by rolling meadows and horse pastures on the bucolic Blackland Prairie. Bluebonnets bedeck the

roadsides each spring thanks to the area’s fertile soils, which inspired Stephen F. Austin to settle his original colony here in 1821. Early arrivals planted cotton, corn, and sugarcane in the rich farmland of the Brazos River Valley. Chappell Hill was established in 1847, and today the hamlet evokes an authentic Old West-meetsOld South atmosphere with its restored homes and storefronts.

You can sign up for a tour of the Main Street Historic District during the annual Scarecrow Festival, held on Oct. 12-13 this year. Hundreds of scarecrows adorn the town in elaborate displays, creating an idyllic autumnal setting for the pumpkin decorating, artisan booths, and musical performances. Kids can dally in the petting zoo and ride the barrel train. Chappell Hill also has a popular Bluebonnet Festival every April and goes big (in a small-town way) for the Fourth of July, hosting an old-fashioned parade featuring decorated tractors and the “World Famous” Marching Kazoo Band.

It’s also a great place to celebrate Texas Independence: The Republic of Texas was born on March 2, 1836, right around the corner at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Wander under pecan trees in the park-like setting and step inside a replica of Independence Hall where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed. The Star of the Republic Museum showcases artifacts from the Republic era; it’s closed for renovations until 2025. But you can still tour Barrington Plantation, a living history farm set in 1850 with livestock and costumed staff. See how early Texans tended animals and cultivated crops, and try your hand at activities like driving oxen, dying cloth, and churning butter.

The region’s agricultural bounty is on display at Chappell Hill Lavender Farm, where you can cut your own bundles of the fragrant purple

Timber shed with Chappell Hill sign and Texas star.

Fuse function with style.

Design your replace accent wall with Fireside Hearth & Home – and live it up.

An eye-catching, jaw-dropping fire feature is easier than you think. Browse a wide range of fireplace styles at our showroom, where you can choose everything from fuel type to material finishes, to create a stunning focal point in your home.

Visit our Dallas showroom 2917

Heat & Glo Primo II 60-inch linear gas fireplace, with Architectural interior panels and Driftwood logs

blooms. Lavender season runs from May to September, with a pause in July, and in certain months, you can pick peaches, blackberries, and figs. Year-round you can pet the adorable fainting goats, a breed that falls over when it gets excited. Stop by the boutique for lavender-infused everything, from spiced jelly to votive candles to pet shampoo. Whether you come for the flowers, the festivals, or the farms, Chappell Hill’s many charms offer a glimpse into the early days of the Texas story.

Explore Chappell Hill

Savor: Located in a folk Victorian cottage, lunchtime hotspot Bever’s offers homemade pies in almost three dozen flavors, from lemon blackberry to cream cheese brownie to sawdust (made with coconut, pecans, and graham cracker crumbs). Head to Chappell Hill Bakery & Deli for country-style comfort food and post oak-smoked barbecue and grab a few freshbaked kolaches for the road. At Grapevine on Main, you can nibble on a top-notch charcuterie board or a fancy artisan pizza; the relaxing bistro/wine bar has a pleasant, dog-friendly deck with live music on the weekends. Dine in or buy a few links to take home at Chappell Hill Sausage Company, a family-owned operation with smoked sausage galore along with honey-glazed ham and thick slab bacon.

Shop: With a blue and white exterior, the Bluebonnet House is a delightful garden store and gift shop near the town center with offbeat plants and funky yard art. It’s also fun to wander the aisles of vintage kitchenware and country crafts at the Brazos Star, which is housed in a 19th-century dance hall and saloon. Look for the ancient bullet lodged in the wall, a testament to the building’s rowdy past. Cotton Pickin’s boutique specializes in women’s apparel and accessories (especially linen clothing), and you can admire handmade belts and holsters at Chupacabra Leather Goods.

Enjoy: Pop inside the Chappell Hill Historical Society Museum, set in a red-brick school building from 1927, to peruse exhibits including a century-old schoolroom setup. The friendly staff can point you toward other notable buildings nearby, like the oldest continuously operating bank in America and the 1850 Greek Revival Stagecoach Inn (now closed and for sale). To travel even further back in time, head out into the countryside to Newman’s Castle, a medieval-style fortress (and one man’s labor of love) complete with a moat, drawbridge, and working trebuchet. Guided tours are available six days a week by reservation only. On a pleasant afternoon, the patio

at Texas Star Winery is picture-perfect. Linger on the patio and sip a Cab Sav or try one of the fruitier blends with prickly pear or hibiscus.

Snooze: Quarter horses, longhorns, and buffalo roam the 1,800-acre Texas Ranch Life, a working ranch about 15 minutes south of town. Seven historic Texas homes (with original German stenciling) dating back to the 1850s have been moved to the ranch and lovingly restored. Go fishing in multiple ponds, try skeet shooting, or saddle up for a trail drive. Closer to town, the Cottage at Chappell Hill is a pondside bungalow with pressed tin ceilings, wooden doorknobs, and front porch rocking chairs. Prefer something modern? Mustang Creek Hideaway sports floor-to-ceiling windows and angular lines, plus a pickleball court and hot tub. At Walking Star Farm, you can go big — the four-bedroom home features a pool, Peloton, and screened-in porch.

How to Get There: Drive south on I-35 to Waco and take Exit 337, turning left onto US-77 BUS S. In 1 mile, continue onto TX-484 Loop, then in 2.7 miles continue onto Highway 6 S. Stay on Highway 6 for 103 miles until you reach the outer edge of Navasota, then hop on TX-6 BUS S into town. In about 2 miles, turn right onto TX 105-E. In 13 miles, turn left on Flewellen Road and drive for 2 miles, then turn left onto FM 2193 for 0.3 miles. Turn right onto FM 1155 S, and Chappell Hill is 7 miles straight ahead. The 218-mile trip takes about 3 1/2 hours with no stops.

Main Street Water tower in Chappell Hill

Providence Baptist Church building dates from 1873

by Michael H. Price

Origin Story

The

Fort Worth upbringing of the talented Miss Highsmith

It might have seemed a match made in some celestial pop-cultural realm — Fort Worthborn Patricia Highsmith, the celebrated crime novelist, and Manhattanite Stan Lee, the embodiment of the heroic Marvel Comics Universe. Except for some obstacles.

For one thing, Stan Lee hadn’t yet outgrown his identity as a glorified office boy for a funny-book publishing company, owned by a cousin-in-law. He meant to reserve his actual name, Stanley Lieber, for an imaginary breakthrough as a sure-enough author. For another, Patricia Highsmith was slumming as a comic-book writer, marking time until her serious stabs at fiction might spring her from that stepchild-of-literature racket.

Lieber billed himself as Stan Lee on an early story in proto-Marvel’s Nazi-busting Captain America series. He had nepotized himself into an editorship at Martin Goodman’s Timely Comics — a teenaged upstart, feeling his way about in an industry scrambling to catch up with a rival

publisher’s bestselling Superman franchise.

Fellow editor Vincent Fago knew Patricia Highsmith as a contributing writer. Though degreed in English, she had found no welcome in the upscale magazine market. Freelance comics-scripting paid generously enough to allow her time for earnest writing. Fago maneuvered Highsmith into a blind date with Stan Lee.

But the author-to-be of The Talented Mr. Ripley and Strangers on a Train found Lee unappealing, romantically speaking. While preferring the intellectual company of men, she had yet to declare an overriding attraction to women. “And Stan Lee was only interested in Stan Lee,” Fago would recall, years later. Lee, post-retirement, would profess to recall only the name of “Pat Somethin’-or-’Nother,” although he seemed astonished to be reminded that Patricia Highsmith had come nearer writing something like the proverbial Great American Novel than Lee had ever imagined for himself.

Patricia Highsmith (1921-1995) was born in Fort Worth to working artists who had parted ways before her arrival. By 1924 the mother had remarried (with another artist, Stanley Highsmith) and moved to New York. At 12, Patricia had been sent back to Fort Worth, here to reside with her maternal grandmother. The author would recall the situation as an abandonment, leavened with the pleasures of the grandmother’s collection of books. Here, she found parallels with her fevered imagination in a psychiatric textbook. No accounting for taste, and entertainment value is where one finds it.

Highsmith’s output includes a cycle of novels portraying a suave predator named Tom Ripley. She seldom spoke of her comic-book background, for that idiom was popularly considered an embarrassment, in an age before Stan Lee’s neurotic Spider-Man and other hung-up Marvel characters began attracting the collegiate intelligentsia of the 1960s. Highsmith took a swipe at the profession in 1955’s Mr. Ripley,

when introducing an early victim: “He was a comic-book artist … didn’t know whether he was coming or going.”

Her first novel, Strangers on a Train (1950), benefited from Alfred Hitchcock’s motion-picture version of 1951. She cracked the prose-fiction market for her short stories around the same time.

Highsmith found her greater muse in a persistent “army of memories” — which she characterized in 1947 as “all the devils, lusts, passions, greeds, envies, loves, hates, strange desires, enemies ghostly and real..., with which I do battle.” She added: “May they never give me peace.”

In 1970, Highsmith would describe herself as “cynical, fairly rich ... lonely, depressed, and totally pessimistic.” And from 1991: “My imagination functions better when I don’t have to speak with people.”

Highsmith died at 74 in 1995 in Switzerland, long her base of operations. She deeded a $3 million estate and future royalties to an artists-and-writers colony where she had composed Strangers on a Train.

A later publisher, Otto Penzler, would remember Highsmith as “mean, cruel, hard, unlovable, [and] unloving... But her books? Brilliant.” A protègé, screenwriter Phyllis Nagy, found Highsmith “very sweet and encouraging ... and wonderfully funny.”

Such contradictions only reinforce the tense fascination exerted by a unique personality. Marvel Comics’ Stan Lee (1922-2018) often wondered — or marveled, you should pardon the expression — how his funny-book career-by-default had culminated unintentionally in one unified epic novel of words and pictures. In a kindred light, Patricia Highsmith can only have puzzled over how her essential contempt for humanity had given her a perpetually bankable byline.

Or as Stan Lee himself might have resolved the quandary: “Go figure.

’Nuff said.”

by John Henry

Legendary Thief Made a Fort Worth Visit

This business of criminality is much like a Lay’s potato chip. One simply won’t do.

A single achievement, no matter the take, will not satiate the appetite of greed or the need to turn on the faucet of those so addictive endorphins that activate in burglar’s risk-taking, searching for treasure, and realizing the successful get.

The subject matter becomes topical when turning the pages of The King of Diamonds, author Rena Pederson’s captivating whodunit on the search for Dallas’ brazen and clever thief who roamed the streets of the city’s affluent neighborhoods in search of the valuable jewels in the late 1950s and early ’60s.

Actually, our man carried out his last break-and-enter in the late 1960s, though his heists became very sporadic after 1964.

Dallas Police never made an arrest in the case, though detectives believe they knew the culprit. Only the obstruction of the Highland Park Police Department, more concierge service than crime-fighting organization, kept detectives from making a move on the person of interest.

Nonetheless, Pederson channels her inner Sherlock Holmes to try to solve the mystery.

And I think she does through this carefully crafted literary maze.

The book is skillfully researched. Pederson uses notes of Dallas Police detectives and conducts interviews of surviving victims or their survivors, as well as a surviving detective — quite the character in his own right. She analyzes human behavior and even has a psychological profile conducted

of the would-be break-in artist, who likely was part of Dallas’ high society. He knew its schedule of annual galas, balls, fashion shows, operas, exclusive dinner parties, and any other of the black-tie things.

He also knew jewelry. The thief was very selective on what he took. In one incident, he sat at the kitchen table and sorted through a drawer of jewelry — all while the family slept peacefully in their bedrooms.

The culprit ultimately got away with jewels valued at more than $1 million in today’s money.

The thief also threw a number of change-ups, which baffled police. One occurred in 1963: He crossed into Fort Worth.

His victims included oilman Jim McCurdy; T. Fred Hodge, president of Talco; and businessman Andrew T. Brown. All lived in Westover Hills.

McCurdy and his family were watching TV after supper on New Year’s Day. Margaret McCurdy heard a noise on the roof. A squirrel, she thought. The next day, the McCurdys discovered that a thief had climbed a tree and vaulted over a railing to the roof. He used a glass cutter to make a small opening in the glass door to a sunroom.

So, he was athletic, too.

“In response to the officers’ questions, Mrs. McCurdy acknowledged that she had numerous friends in Dallas, including Josephine Herbert Graf and her daughter, Joanne Stroud.”

Graf and her daughter were both victims. In fact, the Graf home was hit on the night she and her husband were at the Jewel Charity Ball at Ridglea Country Club.

McCurdy “had attended a party at the Dallas Sheraton the month before that was hosted by Nancy Ann Smith.”

The book is a great primer on Dallas aristocracy. You would certainly recognize the names Bankston, Graf, Murchison, and Hunt. Oh, and, yes, Herman Lay, he of the habit-forming Lay’s potato chips. The biographical sketches alone are worth the price of the book. The Dallas underworld makes a prominent appearance, too. Hello, Jack Ruby.

Also making an appearance is Sid Richardson, who unwittingly got mixed up in the thefts. Richardson had two sisters: Anne Richardson Bass, the mother of Perry Bass, and Fayrene Richardson, the mother of Nancy Ann Smith, a Dallas debutante blessed with charms as far as the eye could see.

Nancy Ann was the daughter of Howell Smith, Richardson’s partner in a cattle operation. When you were related to Sid Richardson, you apparently could always count on a good job.

Nancy Ann was, according to the book, the apple of Sid Richardson’s eye, too.

Her marriage at age 33 was said to be one of the most glamorous weddings of the era in Dallas. The guest list to celebrate the nuptials included 1,000 names.

“As far as fairy-tale moments went, Nancy Ann Smith’s wedding was the tops,” Pederson writes.

But that night was the highlight of this tale of lovers. Rumors began to swirl that her new husband, Jim Kirksmith, a ne’er-do-well playboy with two brothers just like him, was involved in the jewel thefts. Her father even went so far as to publicly accuse his brother, which led to fisticuffs at the Cipango Club.

Yikes. That’s gotta make for an awkward Thanksgiving dinner.

Suffice it to say, a divorce judge sooner rather than later took a flame thrower to that state-issued marriage license.

Don’t feel so bad, Ms. Smith, you’re hardly the first or last to board that ship of fools.

The American Heart Association Recognizes our Second Century Campaign Supporters

J. Maria Martineau, Assistant Vice President, Community Engagement, Vice President, Medical City Foundation, Medical City Healthcare, Joseph M. Parra, MD, MBA, CPE, FAAFP, Division Chief Medical Officer, Medical City Healthcare | HCA North Texas Division, Elizabeth Couch, Director of Community & Public Relations, Medical City Healthcare

Dr. Sreenivas Gudimetla, Cardiologist, Texas Health - Becky Tucker, SVP Channel Integration, Texas Health - Dr. Sunita Koshy-Nesbitt, Chief Medical/Quality Office THPG and CQO Hospital Channel, Texas Health - Dr. Tyler Bloomer, Interventional Cardiologist, Texas Health - Barclay Berdan, Chief Executive Officer, Texas Health - Julie Balluck, Chief Nursing Officer, Texas Health - Laura Irvine, SEVP, Chief Experience Officer, Texas Health - Ajith Pai, President, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth

THANK

Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Fort Worth

BNSF Railway

Charles Schwab

DynaTen Corporation

GM Financial

Heart to Heart Hospice Foundation

Huffman Real Estate

Dr. Amy Papst

Little Tyke Creative Child Care

OmniView Window and Door

Rosalyn G. Rosenthal

Standard Meat Company

Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust

Sandlin Homes

Texas Health

Vidette J. Forbes, South Central Region Vice President of Operation, Encompass Health

Zak Andersen, Chief of Staff and VP Communications, BNSF Railway

Dance Dance of the People

This ballet, ballet folklorico, substitutes pointe shoes for an array of mesmerizing costumes and synchronized dances. If you have yet to see it, don't worry, you will soon enough.

By Shilo Urban

Photos by Dara HubBard

Dancers swish and swirl their skirts in a burst of color and movement, twirling around the stage with kaleidoscopic verve. Lively music fills the air as dancers shout with joy. They kick and slide and stomp, hammering out quick-fire rhythms with their feet. Handkerchiefs wave and hands perch on hips. Vigorous and vibrant, graceful and intricate — Ballet Folklorico is a proud part of the Mexican national psyche.

A collection of dances from many different regions of Mexico, Folklorico is as diverse as the country itself. Ancient indigenous rituals and Spanish flamenco come together with German polkas, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and classical ballet to become something new and authentically Mexican. Through mesmerizing motion and beauty, each dance tells a unique story, but they all convey a profound sense of meaning that speaks to the soul of Mexico.

“Ballet Folklorico is a symbol of Mexico: our art, history, and culture,” says Tiffany Rodriguez, Folklorico’s unofficial ambassador in Fort Worth. A student at TCU and a bornand-raised local, the 22-year-old has charted her own academic path in Mexican dance and paved the way for others to follow.

You may have seen Rodriguez dancing Ballet Folklorico around town, from the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival to the Stock Show's Fiestas Patrias & Hispanic Heritage Kick-Off Celebration. She’s been a soloist for two years and performs at least once a month, many more times during Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15). But she’s not just passionate about dancing Folklorico. She’s also committed to educating herself and others about its rich symbolism and significance. The seeds of her mission to share the art of Folklorico were planted when she was just 5 years old.

“When I started dancing Folklorico as a kid, I was just doing it for fun,” Rodriguez says. “I didn’t necessarily understand what it meant.” She first learned to dance at Ballet Folklorico Azteca at La Gran Plaza, Fort Worth’s oldest and most well-established Folklorico school. Over the years, she moved in and out of dance

companies as competing distractions claimed her attention. “But something kept drawing me to Folklorico; I wanted to continue dancing. So I started doing competitive Folklorico around the age of 13 or 14 Compañia Folklorica Mexico Lindo, and that’s when I started noticing that different judges looked for different things.” Many judges awarded high scores for show presence or technique — but others gave more weight to tradition. It sparked her interest. “So I began investigating. What is Ballet Folklorico? What are the representations of the dances of each region?” Her quest for knowledge led her deep into the mists of Mesoamerican history, back to her roots and to the very beginnings of Ballet Folklorico.

Dance

as ritual The Aztec and Maya are the most famous civilizations of pre-Hispanic Mexico, but there were many others: the Olmec, Toltec, Mixtec, Zapotec, and Teotihuacan. Dance was a central form of religious expression in their societies, celebration as well as ceremony. They held great dance spectacles, sometimes with hundreds of participants, wearing elaborate masks and costumes with vivid flowers and feathers. Gold jewelry glistened in the sun. Rattles and drums beat out rhythms, and simple wind instruments chimed in.

Dances commemorated victories in combat or the birth of the sun; they appealed to the gods for good fortune in hunting and harvesting; they marked important milestones like marriage and death. Early accounts refer to Mesoamericans dancing in concentric circles or face-to-face in two lines, or imitating animals like butterflies and birds. Some dance rituals involved acrobatics, like the Danza de los Voladores, or Dance of Those Who Fly. In the dance, several men would climb an 85-foot pole and attach themselves to the top with long ropes, then launch themselves outward and slowly spin around the pole on a vertiginous descent to the ground. Versions of this ancient dance are still performed today in isolated Mexican villages (and for tourists in resort towns like Cancun and Playa del Carmen).

A seismic shift Before the tourists, however, came the Spanish. Conquistador

Hernán Cortés arrived in 1519 and claimed the land for Spain. Two years later, he overthrew the Aztec Empire. Soon Spanish ships filled with fortune-seekers and Catholic missionaries began to arrive. The emigres brought dreams of glory and God along with a flourishing artistic culture from their hometowns in the Old World. It was the height of Spain’s Golden Age. The era was marked by the brilliance of Spanish music and dance, which drew from myriad influences including Arabic, Byzantine, Romani (gypsy), Celtic, Italian, French, Basque, and Baroque. The colonists brought it all to the New World.

For the native people of Mexico, it was catastrophic. The Spanish Crown had no qualms about destroying the “heathen” religion and tried to stamp out all preHispanic music and dancing. They taught church hymns in local languages and attempted to replace Mesoamerican rituals with Catholic festivities like Christmas. But the conversion to Christianity was slow and incomplete. Missionaries found that a little laxity went a long way, so they allowed a few indigenous dances to carry on here and there — with new Christian themes, of course. Native Mexicans, in turn, adapted the European dances they saw and made them their own with different music and patterns of steps.

Over the centuries, many other ethnic groups added to the mosaic of Mexican dance. Enslaved people from West Africa and the Caribbean arrived in the southern port city of Veracruz, helping to create the hard-driving rhythms of the coastal genre son Jarocho (Veracruz sound). The song “La Bamba” is a classic son Jarocho. In the 1800s, immigrants from Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic flocked to northern Mexico and brought their accordions with them. Their polkas left an indelible mark on norteño (northerner) music and dancing. As separate regions developed their own personalities, native and foreign customs blended together and generated new traditions.

The birth of Ballet Folklorico Following the Mexican Revolution in 1920, there was renewed enthusiasm to nourish a national identity that drew on Mexico’s multifaceted history — a proud embrace of the country’s mixed heritage. This idea

fueled the country’s art scene, centered in Mexico City. At its heart was one woman who forever shifted the story of Folklorico: Amalia Hernández.

A teacher and choreographer at the Mexican Academy of Dance, Hernández had a global education in Russian ballet, Spanish flamenco, modern dance, and tap. But only Mexico’s dances captured her heart. She wanted to preserve them by adapting them to the stage, so she established a new dance company in 1952 with only eight members. Guided by a keen aesthetic vision, Hernández pioneered a novel style of nationalist dance that combined elements of folk rituals and regional idiosyncrasies with classical European influences. She called it Ballet Folklorico de México.

Hernández transformed the stories and colorful imagery of native dances into vivacious stage spectacles. Costumes and props remained integral, just as they had been for the Mesoamericans: masks, machetes, headdresses, and hats. From the European side, she kept the highnecked dresses and pointed toes, plus plenty of flamenco-style foot stomping. The stage itself was also European; indigenous dances were meant to be danced by everyone, not watched by an audience. Hernández added theatricality and drama, informed by years of experience in ballet and modern dance.

Most of all, she showcased Mexico’s astounding cultural diversity with a cavalcade of distinct dances, music, and costumes from every corner of the country. “Amalia helped unite different regions of dance and music into a show,” says Rodriguez. “She traveled around Mexico, she’d visit the pueblos, and she would observe what dances were celebrated.”

Inspired by what she saw, Hernández choreographed dozens of new ballets.

Ballet Folklorico de México was an international smash hit. Within a decade, her troupe grew to 60 dancers and began touring the planet, crystallizing the image of Mexico in the minds of audiences the world over. Folklorico groups sprang up across multiple continents. Today, the original Ballet Folklorico de México is still going strong. They continue to captivate sold-out crowds at the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City, where the group has per-

formed twice weekly for the last 64 years.

After Hernández passed away in 2000, her daughter Amalia Viviana Basanta Hernández took the reins. Rodriguez studied under the younger Hernández in Mexico City to learn the styles and techniques of Ballet Folklorico. Rodriguez also takes workshops and online courses whenever possible. “I try to educate myself as much as I can,” she says. “I want to preserve the traditions.”

Storytelling through symbols

“In Folklorico, what’s most important is what you transmit through the dance.” Most Ballet Folklorico dances share a few key characteristics, such as structured choreography and exaggerated gestures. Fleet footwork creates both sound and movement. Long, circular skirts are rhythmically fluttered and fanned out with dramatic flourishes.

But beyond these similarities, every dance tells a different story. “Each state of Mexico has its own style of dance,” Rodriguez says. “There’s a lot of symbolism in the costumes, the music, even when it comes to the dance steps. It’s really fascinating.” Every component is a little clue to the dance’s history and place of origin, from the length of the dress to the type of instruments played. The pocket where a man tucks his handkerchief might indicate whether he’s taken or single. For ladies, it’s the placement of flowers in her hair. Skirts in the coastal state of Sinaloa are rippled in flowing motions that reflect the ocean’s waves, and dancers in San Luis wear seven necklaces that represent the seven deadly sins. The Danza del Venado (Deer Dance) re-enacts a pre-Hispanic hunting ritual, while La Revolución evokes the female soldiers of the Mexican Revolution.

Perhaps Folklorico’s most famous number is the Jarabe Tapatío, also called the Mexican hat dance. You may not know the name, but you would certainly recognize its spirited mariachi music. Female dancers wear brightly colored dresses with high necks and stripes of ribbons around the hemline; the men wear sombreros and black “charro” suits with silver studs down the legs. The Jarabe Tapatío originated in the state of Jalisco as a flirtatious courtship dance, “the guy trying to get the girl,”

Behind the Dresses

Each dress and dance in ballet folklorico represents a specific region in Mexico. In the photos, you will see six different dresses, each with details signifying unique traits of a particular region.

Jalisco

Renowned for its vibrant colors, the “estrella” dress from Jalisco is one of the most iconic costumes from the state of Jalisco. The dress represents the joy, pride, diversity, and the liveliness of Mexican celebrations.

Baja California

Influenced by both Mexican and American cultures due to the region’s proximity to the U.S. border. This costume is a celebration of the cowboy spirit and rural traditions, expressing pride in the region's cultural roots.

Veracruz

A light-colored lace dress whose light material is used due to the region’s hot weather. The dress and accessories include flower patterns and literal flowers. Where a dancer places these flowers also has significance, including whether she is married, engaged, or single.

Sinaloa

A region of Mexico that rests on the Pacific Coast at the tail end of the Gulf of California. The dress of Sinaloa, which includes wavy skirt work, is meant to represent the beach and the waves of the Pacific Ocean.

San Luis

This costume includes necklaces with seven color ribbons, whose meaning could either symbolize the seven deadly sins, the seven virtues, or the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Aguascalientes

A handcrafted outfit rich in cultural symbolism. The decoration includes detailed images like a cockfight, grapes representing the region's wine production, and the San Marcos Garden.

explains Rodriguez. “But it has a double meaning.”

After being banned in the 1700s by Spanish authorities who were morally offended by mixed-sex dancing, the Jarabe became more popular than ever and took on rebellious overtones. Illegal dances popped up in plazas as people expressed their dissent through choreography. After Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821, the Jarabe was elevated to national dance status. Now associated with patriotism more than romantic pursuit, the Jarabe Tapatío is taught to elementary school students across Mexico and often performed on Mexican Independence Day (Sept. 16).

While Texas was long part of Mexico, our state doesn’t have its own Folklorico dance. But if it did, it might look like the Calabaceados, says Rodriguez. Hailing from the ranches of Baja California, the Calabaceados is performed while wearing cowboy boots and hats. Thumbs tucked behind their belt buckles, dancers stomp, jump, and kick up dust to the upbeat sounds of norteño music. It’s no surprise that the Calabaceados is also called el baile vaquero — the cowboy dance.

A dancer finds her footing Rodriguez learned all these dances and more through her high school years and then landed her dream school, TCU. Adjusting to college life proved difficult. “I wanted to continue dancing Folklorico, which I did … but it was very hard managing my schedule, being part of a team, and doing coursework.” She also struggled to identify an academic path. She wanted to study Ballet Folklorico, but TCU only offered dance degrees in modern dance and ballet.

So Rodriguez turned toward fashion merchandising, “because in Folklorico, you make your own custom dresses. It’s not a factory making them. They are sewed by hand or with a machine, and it’s very time-consuming.” She was disheartened, however, to find that her classes were all about business and industry, not textiles.

Next, she tried theater, thinking it would be a good choice since she wanted to perform. But the disappointment continued. During a conversation with

a faculty member in the department, Rodriguez expressed her desire to study Ballet Folklorico. “He gave me a funny look, and he was like … ‘Isn’t Folklorico more of a recreational thing?’ I was shocked. Folklorico is traditional indigenous dance. It’s indigenous theater.” She hadn’t expected that response, especially from not someone in the world of theater, where dance is recognized as a legitimate profession.

The conversation weighed on her mind. “It really took a toll on me. I was debating whether or not to continue at TCU, because people were telling me I didn’t need a degree if Ballet Folklorico is what I wanted to do.” Others advised her to take the “easy route” and major in communications. “But that didn’t sit well with me — and there’s no easy major at TCU.”

Then a new way forward appeared. “Last year TCU opened up the option for students who can’t find a career path to create their own major under interdisciplinary inquiry,” Rodriguez says. Designed for highly motivated students whose interests span different academic departments, the integrated degree plan required her to submit a detailed application and coursework proposal. She researched curricula at Mexican universities, which have long offered Ballet Folklorico degrees, and designed her own course of study. It was approved. Ballet, commercial jazz, art history, and textile classes all have a place in her degree plan now. “I hope that pursuing a Folklorico degree at TCU will open the door for other cultures too,” she says. “I feel like it’s very important not only to be educated about your roots and your art and your history, but also to be open to understanding other regions, other types of dances, other cultures.”

Sharing her passion With her academic path settled, Rodriguez turned toward another goal on her list: establishing a Ballet Folklorico group at TCU. “Coming into TCU, pretty much no one danced Folklorico. You wouldn’t see it on campus.” But as she began dancing more and more, at TCU baseball and volleyball games, people began asking about Folklorico. “I was connecting with performances.” She opened a social media profile and heard from dozens of students interested

in Folklorico. After another application process and special training this spring, her student group was approved and TCU Ballet Folklorico was born. “We already have performances booked,” she says, including at a TCU football game on Oct. 4. “I’m also hoping to create a group outside TCU, within the community. ‘Folklorico’ translates as ‘dances of the people,’ and it’s open to all ages, all communities. You don’t necessarily have to be Hispanic or Latino to dance Folklorico.”

Whether leading a Folklorico group on campus or out in the city, Rodriguez wants to share her knowledge of the dance. “A lot of people teach Folklorico dancing, but I want to bring in the educational aspect,” she says. “For me, it’s very inspiring to actually know what you’re doing.” She also wants to pursue a master’s degree after she graduates in December 2025. “I’m hoping to work for TCU either in Student Affairs or the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. And with that I’m hoping to start a Folklorico course on campus, to teach Folklorico within TCU and be the professor,” she says. “You have to educate yourself and continue to learn and grow.”

For now, Rodriguez stays busy dancing all over the metroplex, traveling between Dallas and Fort Worth, Six Flags and city hall. “I’m just like a little ping-pong ball,” she laughs. She’ll be performing Ballet Folklorico at multiple locations during Hispanic Heritage Month and is teaching a children’s class at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden on Oct. 5.

Tiffany Rodriguez is adding her story to the continuing evolution of Folklorico, every step fueled by her palpable enthusiasm and undeniable drive. “In Folklorico, what’s most important is what you transmit through the dance,” she says. “I want to preserve the traditions, and it really means a lot to me to be able to share what Folklorico is.” From Mesoamerican rituals to Spanish rhythms, the Mexican Revolution to Amalia Hernández, Ballet Folklorico is much more than a beautiful dance. It’s a swirling, stomping symbol of Mexico’s rich history and colorful creative heritage that lives on today with passion and pride.

A Tragedy Revisited

On a Wednesday evening in September 1999, a gunman entered Wedgwood Baptist Church and fatally shot seven people, including four teenagers. A quarter-century later, those whose lives were irrevocably altered by the tragedy reflect on its enduring impact on their community, their faith, and themselves.

By Malcolm Mayhew / Photos by Richard Rodriguez

Sept. 15, 1999.

It’s a date many of us remember vividly, a date etched into our lives. That was the night 47-year-old Larry Gene Ashbrook walked into Wedgwood Baptist Church on Whitman Avenue and, wielding a 9-millimeter Ruger and .380-caliber AMT pistol, began shooting those around him.

Less than 10 minutes later, one of the darkest chapters in our city’s history had been written: seven people were dead, three adults, four teenagers — a mass shooting before the term had even been coined; seven others were wounded. The eighth fatality was Ashbrook, who shot himself in the head as those in the church fled, hid, or stood in defiance of the chaos unfolding before them. Ashbrook, who left no suicide note but had exhibited erratic behavior in the weeks and days leading up to the shooting, took any motive he may have had to the grave.

Twenty-five years later, many of those whose lives were permanently transformed by the attack — the city’s deadliest mass shooting, then and now — spoke with Fort Worth Magazine about what they experienced that night and in the days to come, and how the events of Sept. 15, 1999 shaped their lives — and challenged, but ultimately strengthened, their faith.

~

On the night of the shooting, a police scanner alert jolted news reporter

Jim Douglas from his desk at WFAA's Fort Worth bureau, prompting him and photojournalist Russ Bauman to rush to the scene.

Jim Douglas: I clearly recall Russ speeding down I-35 as we listened to an officer inside the church call on the radio for more and more ambulances. We still did not know what had happened at the church, although I think we did hear police say a gunman was dead. We knew something horrible was unfolding, but we really had no idea what we were facing.

~

The church was hosting a youth-oriented prayer and worship event that featured North Texas Christian rock band 40 Days, a popular group led by twin brothers Mark and Joel Warren.

Mark Warren: The event was called See You at the Pole, where on the National Day of Prayer students gathered around the flagpoles of their campuses to pray together. Then, around the country on that Wednesday night, students gathered to pray and worship. We were invited by Jay Fannin, Wedgwood's student pastor at the time, to come and lead worship at the church. We met Jay and the youth group at a camp the previous summer. This was our first time on the church campus.

About 6:45 p.m., Ashbrook entered the church’s south entrance, wearing sunglasses and smoking a cigarette. Church employee Jeff Laster approached him, with the intent of asking him to put out his cigarette.

Jeff Laster: There was a group of us inside, some made up from the choir. The choir was rehearsing later that night. We saw him park his car. We saw him get out. We saw him walking around the grounds. He was walking toward the entrance where we were when someone in our group noticed he was smoking a cigarette. As he opened the door, I was getting ready to extend my arm out to shake his hand and to say something like, “Welcome to our church. Would you mind putting your cigarette out?” Before I could say anything, he looked right at me and said, “Is this where that damn religious meeting is being held?” and then he pulled out a gun and shot me twice. He then walked past me and turned to the person beside me, Sydney Browning, who was my best friend, and shot her three times, killing her.

~ When the sound of gunshots began ringing out, many in the church thought it was part of the event.

Debbie Gillette, administrative assistant: The concert hadn’t been going on very long when I heard the gunfire, but I thought it was part of a skit. A few seconds later, our youth minister came running into the office and said, “Call the police; they’re shooting my kids.” I tried to pick up the phone, but every line was busy. We had six lines. People had gone to different

parts of the building to call the police. I was desperate. My daughter was sitting on the front row.

~

Guided by the voices and music emitting from the concert, Ashbrook entered the main audience chamber, where the event was taking place, and continued to shoot.

Jeff Laster: I could hear everyone's reactions, people screaming. It’s like being in your living room but hearing the TV in your bedroom. I could hear everything that was happening, but I couldn’t move. My body was in shock. All I could do was just lie there and listen to what was happening.

Mark Warren: We were leading a song called “I Will Call Upon the Lord.” Toward the end of the song, we heard popping that sounded like a loose cable in the sound system. Looking down the aisle, I saw a man reloading a gun, and I realized what was happening. I dropped to the floor and started crawling toward a door.

~

Attending the event was church member Tralissa Griffin and her 14-year-old daughter Cassandra, who brought along six of her friends. Tralissa's husband David had planned to meet them at the concert.

David: Tralissa's job was to bring Cassie and all her friends home from school and feed them. And as soon as the kids were fed, they all headed off to the rally. At the time, I was working for the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a clinical social worker, and I was arriving home late. I met them as they were going down the sidewalk to get in the car. I told them I’d be there as soon as I ate and got changed. So Tralissa got the kids to the church, and Cassie and her friends went in and got great seats for the concert.

Tralissa: I was not sitting near Cassie. She was up on the second row with her friends, and I was back a few rows. I wanted to give the girls space, you know, so they could enjoy the concert.

David: Cassie had a lot of friends, and she was always inviting them to go to church with her.

Tralissa: When he came in the back door

and started shooting, everybody dropped to the floor and hid between the pews. The shooting just kept going on and on. It seemed like forever. I could see one of the band members was still on stage, trying to hide behind speakers. I remember looking up over the pews to see what was going on, and all I could see was this dark figure. I couldn’t make out any features, it was just darkness. I was just praying, “Lord, make this stop, Lord, make this stop.” After a few minutes of praying, I heard this voice behind me, confronting him. I learned later it was Jeremiah.

~

Jeremiah Neitz was a 19-year-old, 6-foot-tall former Boy Scout and high school football lineman who was visiting from another church. In the face of Ashbrook’s rampage, Neitz stood defiantly.

Neitz: While we're all enjoying the concert, it sounded like somebody was

popping firecrackers outside. So, I walked up to the door and looked out, and just as I did, the glass blew up, like he shot through the glass at me. I started yelling, “Everybody get down!” and as soon as that happened, he came through the doors shooting. I sat down in a pew and was holding a friend of mine down. I kept telling him to stay down. The next thing I know, he starts shooting at me. Bullets are flying around me. Then he walks right up to me and puts the gun inches from my face. I could feel the heat from the barrel. He asked me, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ?” I said, “Yes, sir, I do. I know where I'm going when I die. Where are you going?” His face just went pale white. He sat down and blew his head off.

Tralissa: That’s when the shooting stopped.

~

One of the first police officers on the scene was Chip Gillette, husband

of church employee Debbie Gillette. Their daughter Rebekah was attending the concert.

Debbie: When the shooting started, I tried to call my husband because he was at our house, which is directly across the street from the church, and he wasn’t answering. I didn’t realize it, but he was already on his way over.

Chip: I was napping on the couch when our yellow Labrador — his name was Jake — started barking wildly. I looked out the window, but there wasn't anybody out there. Then I saw a couple of guys come out, and they were just kind of looking up at the building and looking around. About that time, Paul Glenn, a member of our church, came out. I went over to him, and he said, “You need to call your SWAT buddies. There’s someone shooting in the church.” I immediately came back in the house, grabbed my radio and put in the call: “There’s a shooting at Wedgwood Baptist Church. Send everything you got.” I threw on my vest, grabbed my radio and pistol, and headed back over. At the time I was going over, the first arriving unit, Charles Gonzalez, arrived, and we went in together, not knowing what was happening inside.

Ashbrook was still shooting when Gillette and Gonzalez entered the building.

Chip: Right when we walked in, we could smell the scent of expended gunfire. Sydney Browning was lying there, drooped over the couch, dead. Shell casings were scattered all over the floor. Then we heard a couple shots go off, and we went toward them. We called it in, and they asked us to wait for SWAT. Gonzalez and I looked at each other and said, “We’re not waiting for SWAT.” When we entered the main room, another shot rang out, and I thought I was being shot at. I saw someone standing up, and all of a sudden, he yelled, “He shot himself,” and then everybody got up and started rushing out the door. My daughter was on the front row, and she got up and ran past me, and I ran past her, and I didn't see her and she didn't see me.

Debbie: I remember she had someone

A hymnal from Wedgwood Baptist Church, with a bullet still lodged."

else's blood all over her. When she first realized that, she said, “Man, the janitor’s going to be mad about having to clean up all of this fake blood.” Like a lot of people in there, she thought it was part of the show, part of a skit. The lights were low, this happened so quickly, there wasn’t enough time to process what was going on. You never think something like this is going to happen. And then she realized it wasn’t fake blood.

Chip: He had shot somewhere between 85 to 95 rounds using two pistols. He set off a pipe bomb near the front rows. As he was shooting, he was spewing all kinds of hateful rhetoric: “Are you ready to die for Christ?” — that sort of thing. Some of the kids, thinking it was a skit, thinking he was using a paintball gun, lept in front of him, saying, “Shoot me, shoot me.” Then people realized it was real, and they ran or ducked. How Jeremiah didn’t get hit or killed, I don’t know. How the bullets kept missing him, I don’t know. You’d have to ask the Lord about that.

The aftermath was grim. Seven dead, just as many wounded.

Jim Douglas: We arrived to a disorienting scene. Red emergency lights flashing everywhere, reflecting off homes and trees and faces. Sirens coming and going. It seemed like every ambulance and cop in the city were there. I had my phone to one ear, with a producer urging me to get on the air with answers as quickly as possible. At the same time, teenagers and some adults began emerging from the church as I was walking toward it. They were sobbing, clinging to each other, clearly traumatized. Zombie-like in my memory.

~

Her younger brother Chris survived, but Cassie Griffin was among those who perished.

Tralissa: She had just started the ninth grade at North Crowley High School. She was so excited because she was in band, and they had just started marching season. We have a couple pictures of her and her friends at football games and things like that. She loved to sing. When she was

at Crowley Middle, she joined the jazz band. She played clarinet and took piano lessons. She really loved to do both — play instruments and sing and just have fun. She played a little basketball while she was in middle school ‘cause she was tall and her head was right there by the basket (laughing).

David: But she really wasn’t very athletic.

Tralissa: And not very competitive. David: No, not very competitive at all (laughing). She wound up being more of their manager than a player. But really, she was just your typical 14-year-old kid who enjoyed music and hanging out with her friends. They watched movies and did lots of things around the house. She was just this normal teenage kid. She did love the Lord, though.

Tralissa: Cassie collected frogs, and there's a little story behind that. She started collecting them when she was in the fifth grade, just because they're cute, these funny little frog figurines she liked. This is when we were still living in Plainview. When we moved to Fort Worth, we went to Mardel's (a Christian book store), and there was this big poster with frogs

all over it. The poster had the letters "F-RO-G" acronym - "fully rely on God." She said, "I have to have this poster. My frogs now have meaning." Then she started sharing frogs with her friends. After the shooting, her friends started sharing frogs with us, as kind of a reminder that, as Christians, that's what we do when something happens in our lives. We fully rely on God.

For the next several days, Fort Worth was thrust into the national spotlight. Media outlets near and far poured into the city to cover the story. Then-President Bill Clinton offered condolences. Gov. George W. Bush, the Republican presidential front-runner, canceled campaign appearances to return to the state where he grew up.

Kenneth Barr, then-mayor of Fort Worth: I vividly remember getting two phone calls. One was from the governor of Colorado, Bill Owens, who’s from Fort Worth. Columbine had just happened a few months prior, and he was calling to offer condolences and tell me how Colo-

Debbie Gillette and her husband Chip hold a hymnal penetrated by a bullet.

Tralissa and David Griffin hold a picture of their daughter Cassandra, who was killed in the Wedgwood Baptist Church shooting.

rado had responded to the shooting. He was very helpful. The other call I got was from Gov. Bush, who was in the Midwest campaigning. He said, “I’ll be there this afternoon.” I told him he didn’t have to come. He said, “Of course, I’m going to come. When people are shot at a church in Texas, I need to be there.” He just wanted to be here to show his support.

~

Over the next few days and weeks, a profile of the gunman began to emerge. He was described by neighbors as “strange” and “solitary” and had been living alone since his 85-year-old father had passed away. Discharged from the Navy in 1983 for marijuana use and convinced the government was plotting against him, he penned antigovernment letters and made rambling calls to local media outlets, including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Fort Worth Weekly. But his motives were never determined.

Chip Gillette: He was still living in his dad’s house, and when he left the house that day, he knew he wasn’t coming back. He poured concrete into all the toilets and drains. He had destroyed the interior of his house, turned the washer and dryer upside down. Why? No one knows. There was no rhyme or reason to it, other than he was just mentally ill and demon possessed.

~

Those who were intimately affected by the shooting grappled with it in vastly different ways.

Jeremiah Neitz: I had PTSD for years and years. It's hard for me to be in crowded areas. If I hear any kind of loud bang, I think it’s gunshots. To this day, I still haven’t gone back into a church. I still have my faith, but I haven’t set foot in a church, and I don’t think I ever will.

Jim Douglas: I think everyone felt something beyond sadness and outrage. Some people viewed it as an attack on Christian faith itself. Churches began hiring armed guards, and congregation members started bringing guns to church. There was definitely a sense throughout the community that we all needed to support, comfort, and respect Wedgwood Baptist

in every way possible. It was almost like a loss of innocence for a city that really prided itself on feeling more like a town.

Jeff Laster: I’ve thought about it a lot, especially that first year — the survivor guilt. Why did he come in here and kill seven people and wound seven people? How did I get shot and survive, but my best friend got shot and died?

David Griffin: We worked with youth at the church for most of our marriage, teaching Sunday school, going on mission trips. After the shooting, we took several years off and didn’t do anything except just kind of exist and heal. We grieved in very different ways and allowed each other that space to grieve. Tralissa saw this as a spiritual attack, and so she dove into her faith. Me, I became angry. After dedicating so many years of our lives to serving God and working in the church and working with the youth, I felt angry and bitter. I didn’t share a lot of what I was feeling with Tralissa, and she didn’t share a lot of what she was feeling with me. We just wanted to give each other space.

Tralissa: We had to help Chris, too, you know, our son, because he was only 10 years old. That was really hard, to help this young child understand what’s going on.

David: And then her friends too, her best friend in the world is sitting next to her when she's killed. We had to put on a strong face for them. They would come over to the house and just sit in her room for hours.

Laster: I lost my best friend. That’s not the same as losing your daughter. David and Tralissa have gone to weddings of their daughter’s friends. Their daughter would have been grown, married, and had kids of her own. Those are things you think about and look back on. I got shot. I lost some of my dear friends. But I cannot imagine losing a child.

Rays of light came from this place of darkness, many who were affected say. Kenneth Barr: After Wedgwood, we decided we needed to more efficiently address mental health as a community. In a short amount of time, we established the Mental Health Connection,

an organization made up of mental health providers who meet to collaborate on how the community can meet the needs of the mental health community. Twenty-five years later, the organization is still active and still working to meet those needs.

Jeff Laster: Other churches came to us and said, “What do you need? We’ll come take care of babies, clean toilets, whatever you need.” Seeing the body of Christ bring all these churches and people together, that was inspiring and healing.

Jim Douglas: One thing I miss about reporting is the frequent opportunity to meet strangers who make you a better person by simply sharing their own strength and grace in the midst of despair. I was drawn to Debbie Gillette and her family. Years after the massacre, her daughter Rebekah married Justin Laird, who was paralyzed that night with a bullet in his spine. I followed their struggles to conceive a child, which they eventually did with the help of science. To me, it was important to show the renewal of life, like spring following the darkest of winters. The church itself did not close in around itself, as might have been expected, but instead opened itself, reaching out to the world. I remember that the church made a point of holding services the following Sunday, even though the sanctuary was still scarred from bullets and pipe bomb shrapnel. Wedgwood's resilience lit a path for the rest of us.

Killed in the attack were Kristi Beckel, 14; Shawn Brown, 23; Sydney Browning, 36; Joey Ennis, 14; Cassandra Griffin, 14; Susan Kimberly Jones, 23; and Justin Michael Stegner Ray, 17.

Injured in the attack were Robert DeBord, 17; Justin Laird, 16; Kevin Galey, 38; Nicholas Skinner, 14; Jeff Laster, 34; Jaynanne Brown, 41; and Mary Beth Talley, 17 (ages reflect the time of the shooting).

To mark the 25th anniversary of the shooting, Wedgwood Baptist Church will hold a special service at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, with speakers and musical performances. For more information, call 817-292-1400 or visit wedgwoodbc.org.

DEANS OF WOMEN

Fort Worth’s higher education is getting a big boost, thanks in large part to these three women.

Photos by Richard Rodriguez

Higher education has obviously put the second-fastest city in America in its sights.

An artist is making a lot of money on renderings. Texas A&M, Tarleton State, and UT Arlington all have big blueprints to expand their universities in Fort Worth.

As more and more move in and corporations seek to escape unfavorable circumstances elsewhere, the demand for education and a ready workforce has never been higher here.

Construction is underway in downtown on Texas A&M-Fort Worth, an urban research campus expected to be complete by the end of the decade. Tarleton State-Fort Worth is building off the Chisholm Trail Parkway in southwest Fort Worth, and UTA West will soon break ground in Walsh Ranch.

All three of those institutions, plus Texas Wesleyan, the oldest university in Fort Worth, and Tarrant County College will play an integral role in Fort Worth and Tarrant County’s future.

All five of those also have something in common.

They’re all led by women.

Kim McCuistion is the associate vice chancellor and director of the Fort Worth campus. Rachael Capua is the vice president and dean of Tarleton State-Fort Worth. Jennifer Cowley was tapped to lead UTA as its president last year.

At Texas Wesleyan, Emily Messer was formally installed as the 21st president, the first woman in the job in the school’s 133-year history.

Elva LeBlanc, once a student at Tarrant County College, today leads the community college, which boasts a robust offering in the trades.

We spoke to three, who shared their respective journeys and their aspirations for their institutions and the students they serve.

Emily Messer leads Texas Wesleyan, a bright light on Fort Worth’s East Side. A STAR IN THE EAST

By John Henry

Emily Messer’s professional journey, winding its way across the South and into Fort Worth, Texas, has all the feel of predestination, however one might feel how that could come about.

At a fraternity-sorority mixer as a college student, attendees were to dress how they saw themselves as fully grown adults making their contributions to society.

Messer went as a university president.

“I know, it’s crazy,” she says while we sit at a conference table in her office in the Oneal-Sells Administration Building, an edifice that has borne witness to each day and every significant moment of the school’s history.

“I got really involved as a student leader and kind of fell in love with it. It was kind of a joke that I loved being in college and that I was going to stay in college forever. And I have done that.”

Dr. Emily Messer today is the 21st president of Texas Wesleyan University, Fort Worth’s oldest university. She was formally installed in April, the first female president in the school’s 133 years, all of them in the historic Polytechnic Heights neighborhood.

The east, where the sun rises, has held significant places in literature and scripture. It symbolizes new beginnings and is frequently associated with spirituality, wisdom, and enlightenment.

And, so, it is that Texas Wesleyan remains a bright light on Fort Worth’s East Side.

Wesleyan is riding a wave of momentum that began with the sale of its law school to Texas A&M in 2013 and is surging with a resurrected football program that has fulfilled all of the school’s hopes and dreams when then-President Fred Slabach brought it back for the 2017 season.

It has met an economic expectation and made for a fuller college experience for students.

“Consistently since 2017, when we brought the program back,

football has increased the revenue it brought to the university,” says Messer, now almost a full year on the job.

A new football stadium will be ready for play in 2026. The field, the track, and light standards are already in place. The school broke ground on the field house this summer. Next year, they will begin construction of the stands. It will seat about 7,500, one of biggest, if not the biggest, stadiums in NAIA.

The school, with an enrollment of 2,600, welcomed its biggest freshman class a year ago until this fall, another record setter.

Messer was raised in a blue-collar home in a small community outside of Gadsden, Alabama. Her father was a firefighter, and her mother made her profession managing the home.

She went to Jacksonville State University, earning a bachelor’s in English, a master’s in public administration, and, lastly, a doctorate in higher education from University of Alabama.

Messer’s immediate past experience was in the role of vice president for advancement and enrollment management at Jacksonville State University in Alabama.

She warns that she will likely “bore you to tears” about her message of “our people, our place, and our programs.”

“I think that’s why I’m so passionate about working in higher education, because my college experience molded me into who I am today,” she says. “I think what we do here is transforming lives of students.”

The university, traditionally a four-year liberal arts school, is reimaging itself in the 21st century. That includes courses in micro-credentials and certificates. The university already has micro-credentialing courses in its school of business.

“What are ways that we can accelerate the path to the workforce?” Messer says. “I think it’s taking a step back and reevaluating what we are, continuing down the same path but adding different avenues.”

THE BIGGEST AGGIE IN THE NEW AGGIELAND

Having spent over 30 years as both a student and employee in the Texas A&M University System, Kim McCuistion hasn’t just witnessed the system’s growth, she’s played a key part in it.

By

Brian Kendall

Not sure anyone has ever posed this question, but we’ll ask it anyway: What is the most Texas A&M thing a Texas A&M grad has ever done? And we’re speaking in the professional context, mind you. Thus, maroon tattoos of “Gig ’em” are excluded.

Well, the career of Kim McCuistion, the associate vice chancellor and inaugural director for Texas A&M – Fort Worth, might be your answer.

Originally from the Houston area, though her mother is from the Bahamas, where she’d understandably spend summers visiting her grandparents, McCuistion would receive a bachelor’s in animal science from Texas A&M University’s flagship campus in College Station. She’d continue her education at Kansas State, which is probably the least Aggie thing about her. Though she’d make up for this by doing research on cattle nutrition while studying in Manhattan, Kansas.

She’d then make her way back to Texas and attend West Texas A&M, one of the 11 regional universities within the Texas A&M system. The Canyon-based campus is where she worked in Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service while earning her Ph.D. in agriculture.

Sticking to the A&M system, her first post-doctorate job would be at Texas A&M Kingsville, where she was on faculty at King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management and would eventually become the interim dean of the honors college.

“I realized the impact you could have university-wide and not just with the classroom interaction per se,” McCuistion says about her time in Kingsville. “That was the foot in the door into administration.”

She’d spend 17 years in Kingsville before accepting a position as chief of staff at yet another Texas A&M System university, Tar-

leton State in Stephenville, before becoming the vice president and dean of Tarleton State – Fort Worth. This coming less than a year after Tarleton State - Fort Worth cut the ribbon on its first building of a planned 80-acre expansion in southwest Fort Worth. And she’d see the groundbreaking of a second building in March 2022. Three months later, she would take on another ambitious expansion project in the Texas A&M System after becoming the first vice chancellor and director of the new Texas A&M – Fort Worth.

“I’ve been with the same employer for over 20 years,” McCuistion says. “So, I’ve been able to craft this fun career path while staying within the Texas A&M University System.”

But make no mistake, the new school, which will be in a planned state-of-the-art campus in southeast downtown Fort Worth, is not your everyday, run-of-the-mill, prestigious university. No, this facility, which will be the lynchpin of a planned innovation district, will co-op with commercial industry partners and future employers to collaborate on research — almost a school and incubator hybrid. The campus will also initially house five of the eight state agencies under the Texas A&M University System, and students will have degree opportunities in law, engineering, and the health sciences.

And as far as what the future holds for Texas A&M’s growth in Fort Worth, anything is possible.

“We need to see what programs thrive and are successful that need additional space,” McCuistion says. “And see how we can accommodate that with future buildings.”

So, to return to the initial question — having studied, researched, and taught agriculture; attended or worked at three separate Texas A&M regional universities; and currently heads one of Texas A&M’s most massive projects — McCuistion would give any Aggie a run for their money.

PERSISTENCE AND RETENTION

Rachael Capua has made a career out of ensuring the underdog makes it to the finish line. And her work at Tarleton State Fort Worth will be no different.

By Brian Kendall

Rachael Capua had wanted to start her college journey attending TCU. You know, go to welcome week, take a pic with the mascot, live in the freshmen dorm, wear purple to Saturday football games — first-year stuff.

“But I did not get accepted initially,” Capua says. “So, transfer for me was the path … and it would end up being one of the best decisions I could have ever made.”

She’s proud to be a second-generation community college graduate.

“My mother was a community college graduate, and my father was a student veteran,” she says. “I actually watched my dad walk the stage and get his bachelor’s degree after serving in the service. Literally, in my office, I have my mother’s framed community college ID, student ID, and I have framed my father’s graduation picture of his class graduating.”

After receiving an associate degree from Collin College in Frisco, Capua would end up finishing her last two years at TCU as a chancellor’s scholar — a relief, given the financial constraints of having grown up in a single-parent household. “That means I literally went to TCU on a full tuition-and-fee scholarship, having not been accepted two years before,” Capua says.

This experience would play a pivotal role in her career endeavors. “Everyone with a doctorate [Capua received her doctorate in education from SMU] has a research and dissertation focus. All of us [doctoral candidates] have an interest. And, for me, my dissertation and my research are literally in community college-to-four-year transfer student persistence and retention.”

So, the fact that Capua, in her current position as vice president and dean of Tarleton State Fort Worth, mainly serves students transferring from community colleges is about as apropos as one can imagine.

After all, she’s made a career out of it. Before arriving at Tarleton State Fort Worth in March 2023, Capua had worked as the assistant director of sophomore and junior year experience at TCU, was the

manager of internal communications at TCC, and was the director of college and career success at Tarrant To & Through Partnership.

Of course, with Tarleton State Fort Worth now offering firstand second-year courses at its southwest Fort Worth campus beginning in the fall 2024 semester, she’ll now be overseeing more “traditional” students, too.

Though Tarleton State University’s flagship campus is in Stephenville, the school has had a presence in Fort Worth since 1978, when it occupied a section of an office building off of Camp Bowie Boulevard. In 2014, Tarleton State Fort Worth received a gift from the Walton Group of 80 acres off Chisholm Trail Parkway in the southwest side of the city. Three years later, the college would release a 172-page master plan, which included renderings of a 30-plus-building-strong, full-fledged college campus. Until this year, the university has only offered upper-level and graduate courses, but it’s not conjecture to state the school’s long-term plans include creating a four-year university experience with this 80-acre plot of land.

And don’t forget, with Tarleton State a part of the Texas A&M system, they’ll be offering classes and degrees at the upcoming downtown Texas A&M-Fort Worth, as well.

“I think what makes our system [Texas A&M] so strong for Fort Worth is that we have a lot of resources and support going into the new Texas A&M-Fort Worth development and as well Tarleton State Fort Worth,” Capua says. “With our infrastructure and our acreage, it allows us to do some really creative things to support Fort Worth and surrounding communities.”

And, with the booming population on the west side of the metroplex, these public institutions of higher education are filling a void. They’re becoming a necessity.

“All of us have an important role to play in what we call the higher education landscape,” Capua says. “And each of us has a really important role to play. We have a responsibility to serve a growing population region like we are, and we have to step up in big ways.”

The Women of Varghese Summersett Confident and Classy

The women attorneys of Varghese Summersett have been recognized as Top Attorneys, Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, and Board-Certified Specialists. The firm’s mission is to provide unmatched service and obtain unparalleled outcomes while focusing on growth and nurturing a culture that supports each firm member and their family. To secure the most favorable outcome possible for each of their clients, the firm has built one of the most experienced and dynamic legal teams in the country. Surrounded by the best and brightest, Varghese Summersett has helped thousands of people through life’s most difficult challenges. It’s their greatest achievement that past clients continue to trust them to represent their family and friends.

Varghese Summersett | versustexas.com | 817-203-2220

PICTURED: Tiffany Burks, Christy Jack, Kristen Carr, Lisa Herrick, Letty Martinez, Anna Summersett, Stephanie Sabelhaus.

FOCUS Women Who Forward Fort Worth

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.

FOCUS WOMEN WHO FORWARD FORT WORTH

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, we love joining in on the neighborhood fun — from supporting our favorite small businesses (and neighbors) in Camp Bowie District to transforming our office into an artists showcase during the Fort Worth Art Dealers Association’s biannual Gallery Night. COMMUNITY

INVOLVEMENT: Greater Fort Worth Association of REALTORS® Educational Foundation; Bible Study Fellowship women’s group; The Woman’s Club of Fort Worth; Justin’s Place; Cowtown Loves Animal Shelter Pets; iRescue; Daughters of the American Revolution, Fort Worth Chapter; Humane Society of North Texas;

Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County; Key School and Training Center; Saving Hope Animal Rescue. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Get a mentor if you can. Ask questions and listen. Work hard and focus on providing the best service you can, and your business will grow. Stay curious and keep learning. Always do what is in your clients’ best interests and everything else will work out. PICTURED: (left to right) Michelle Scarborough, Sharion Bostic, Jana Stidman, Renee Eiband, Katie Roberts.

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

817.731.8466 | briggsfreeman.com

Fort Worth

4828 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth 76107

Fort Worth West

601 Willow Crossing E. Willow Park 76008

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

SPECIALTY: The best have gone west! Building on the success of our Camp Bowie Boulevard office, we have opened a new outpost in Willow Park. This expansion into Parker County means we can now offer our signature white-glove service to even more clients. The expert advisors at our new hub — known as Fort Worth West — specialize in westernmost Tarrant County; Parker County, namely Aledo, Hudson Oaks and Weatherford; and the Palo Pinto County communities surrounding Possum Kingdom Lake. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: The Fort Worth Club; TCU Frog Club; River Crest Country Club; UT Arlington Alumni Association; Christ Chapel Bible Church; Fort Worth Airpower Council; Tarrant Area Food Bank; TCU Alumni Association; Parker County Chamber of Commerce; TCU Lettermen’s Association; Fort Worth Lecture Foundation; Jewel Charity; Junior League of

Fort Worth. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Promote strategic thinking and embrace change. Treat others the way you want to be treated and be the kind of person others want to work with. Believe in your vision, work hard and never underestimate the power of perseverance. Love what you do and do what you love. PICTURED: (back, left to right) Caren Parten, Marilyn Riner, Pat Safian, Deborah Bailey; (front, left to right) Kandy Hale Maberry, Margaret Motheral.

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

817.731.8466 | briggsfreeman.com

Fort Worth

4828 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth 76107

Fort Worth West

601 Willow Crossing E. Willow Park 76008

The University of Texas at Arlington

MISSION: Less than 10% of Texas universities have a female president and provost. UTA is one of them. President Jennifer Cowley and Provost Tamara Brown both believe in the power of higher education and are committed to fulfilling the University’s mission of providing access to an affordable education and enabling student success. WHAT SETS UTA APART: Cowley –“UTA occupies a unique space in higher education. Our distinctly Maverick approach is what truly makes us a national treasure. We have the research and academic credentials to place us among the top 4% of the nation’s top research universities.” Brown –“UTA distinguishes itself within higher education by its strong commitment to accessibility, student success, and affordability. We serve a diverse student body and are deeply intertwined

with the dynamic Dallas-Fort Worth region. And by providing a supportive learning environment and accessible pathways to higher education, UTA empowers students from all backgrounds to achieve their full potential.” GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: Cowley – “I am proud to be back in Tarrant County to lead my hometown university as president. This is a true honor and one that I could never have dreamed of when I was taking summer courses at UTA while trying to finish college early.” Brown – “Earning a Ph.D. was the key that unlocked the door to a lot of other possibilities and accomplishments. As a first-generation college student in a family that prized higher education but never attained it, I feel that obtaining that degree enables me to be a role model who creates opportunities for others while benefiting

from mind-expanding and life-changing experiences.” FREE ADVICE: Cowley – “You should show up with the goal of fulfilling the mission and supporting your community by making sure those around you are successful. Focusing on service is the most critical thing you can do.” Brown – “Devote your life to being the best version of yourself that you can be.” PICTURED: Cheryl Nifong, Chief Information Security Officer; Tamara Brown, Provost; Jennifer Cowley, President; Elizabeth Merwin, College of Nursing Dean; Kate Miller, Research VP; Luisa Havens-Gerardo, Enrollment VP; Elizabeth Newman, College of Liberal Arts Dean; Ashley Purgason, Vice Provost of Student Success; Shereka Wright, Women’s Basketball Head Coach; Yue Deng, Physics Professor; Jewel Washington, Talent, Culture, and Engagement

VP; Teresea Madden, Global Education VP; Deepika Chalemela, Chief Information Officer; (Not Pictured): Salma Adem, Chief of Staff; Yolanda Bevill, Marketing VP; Marie Schultz, Development VP; Meghna Tare, Chief Sustainability Officer.

The University of Texas at Arlington uta.edu/president

FOCUS WOMEN WHO FORWARD FORT WORTH

EDUCATION: B.A. in Accounting, Hilldale College. AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: Selected to serve on Texas Capital’s Fort Worth Market’s Leadership Team as head of its Culture Committee; received the Chairman’s Award in 2020 from a prior organization. INTERESTS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: I am currently the board chair for the Women’s Center of Tarrant County and past chair for Women United. In my free time, I enjoy traveling with my husband, Murat, golfing, and playing mahjong with friends. MOTTO: Have a good attitude,

work hard, and have fun! WHAT SETS THE FIRM APART: Since Texas Capital’s founding more than 25 years ago, the firm has undergone an enterprise-wide transformation to now offer a full suite of services in the areas of commercial banking, consumer banking, investment banking, and wealth management with the goal of meeting clients’ needs throughout their entire lifecycles. Texas Capital offers industry-leading expertise, global reach, and a uniquely Texan approach to best serve our clients. Texas Capital is

Jennifer Baggs Kamacioglu Executive

Director

American Heart Association, Tarrant County, Go Red for Women

MOTTO: Advancing Health and Hope for Everyone, Everywhere. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women. It claims more women’s lives than all cancers combined. Since 2004, Go Red for Women movement has addressed the awareness and clinical care gaps of cardiovascular disease. Go Red for Women continues to make bold moves to save lives and empower women to stand together. GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: The Association expresses its deepest gratitude for these women who are volunteer leaders of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement in Tarrant County. They are dedicated changemakers in the community who strive to change the statistics that currently surround women’s cardiovascular health and aid in saving and enhancing countless lives nationwide. FREE ADVICE: Get Involved. Find out how to join these women leading the Go Red for Women movement in Tarrant County at heart.org/tarrantcountygored. PICTURED: Penny L. Johnson, President/CEO Texas Health Huguley Fort Worth South, 2023 Woman of Impact Winner; Melissa Huffman, Founder, Huffman Real Estate Services, 2024 Go Red for Women Co-Chair; Amy L. Papst, M.D., M.S.-HCT, Chief Quality and Medical Officer, Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth, 2025 Go Red for Women Chair; Monika Mathur, M.D., Chief Quality and Medical Officer, Texas Health Alliance Hospital, 2024 Go Red for Women Co-Chair; Michelle Davis, Senior Vice President, Sullivan Law, 2024 Hats for Heart Chair.

American Heart Association Tarrant County, Go Red for Women heart.org/tarrantcountygored

WOMEN WHO FORWARD FORT

Birdie Bridal

MISSION: The most important piece of clothing you’ll ever wear in your life is your wedding dress. A bride should feel like the most gorgeous girl on the planet while stepping into the next chapter of her life. Birdie Bridal brings that vision and feeling to life. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Voted Best of Bridal Boutiques for five consecutive years. WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT HER BUSINESS: Birdie Bridal is a standout in the wedding dress industry for our western designs. While we do carry all types of styles of bridal gowns, staying true to our Fort Worthian style is what is important to us. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Being featured on the Love Stories TV show “Styled to Wed.” WHO HAS MOST INFLUENCED HER: My father-in-law, Jeff Owings. He is an amazing Christian man who offers advice and encouragement rooted in God’s word. FREE ADVICE: Most people know what they need to do to be successful. The only difference between a successful person and an unsuccessful person is that one did what they needed to do, and the other did not. Successful people have a lower threshold of how prepared they must be to take a risk. You don’t have to know everything about something to get started. You only must start and never give up. PICTURED: Syble Owings.

Birdie Bridal 1490 E. Reno Road Azle 76020 birdiebridal.com

RECOGNITIONS: Fort Worth Magazine Top Agents; 360 West Top Producers; DFW Favorites, Top 3 Brokerage. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Junior League of Fort Worth; All Church Home; Saving Hope; Meals on Wheels; Tarrant Food Bank. MISSION: Selling The Fort! Our mission is to be client-focused and provide concierge-level service throughout the homebuying and home selling journey. We take our jobs as stewards to our clients very seriously. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Since we are privately-owned, we have been able to create the company culture we want, which, for us, is to empower our agents to be confident, successful, and something not commonly found in the competitive world of real estate, to possess a collaborative mindset and work environment. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: We started as just the two of us and have grown our brokerage to 44 agents in 11 years! MOST INFLUENCED BY: Each other. With our combined 60+ years of experience, we have had a lot of time to share our knowledge and skills with one another, grow our business, support, encourage, listen to and accept constructive feedback from the other one. The confidence we inspire in one another, we hope flows over to our agents by way of perspective, pride in their work, and achieving the goals they’ve set for themselves.

Burt Ladner Real Estate

1600 Montgomery St., Ste. 200 Fort Worth 76107

817.882.6688 burtladner.com

Suzanne Burt and Laura Ladner

Burt Ladner Real Estate

Dr. Rachael C. Capua Vice President of External Operations & Dean, Tarleton State Fort Worth

EDUCATION: Associate of Arts, Collin College; Bachelor of Science, TCU; Master of Education, University of Oklahoma; Doctor of Education, SMU. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Top 50 Latino Leader by the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; one of the 27 Fort Worth Newsmakers by the Dallas Business Journal; Bold Woman Honoree by Girls’ Inc. of Tarrant County. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Young Women’s Leadership Academy, the Tarrant Area Food Bank, and the Center for Transforming Lives. MOTTO: To live life inspired, not intimidated. WHAT SETS THEM APART: As Tarleton State, a member of the Texas A&M System, celebrates 125 years this month (September 2024), we are also welcoming our first freshman class to Tarleton State Fort Worth. This will provide a first-of-its-kind four-year public university option in our city. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: One of the greatest gifts was serving as the founding Director of College & Career Success for the Tarrant To & Through (T3) Partnership. MOST INFLUENCED BY: My mother, Catherine Benavidez. She is a fellow community college graduate-turned Registered Occupational Therapist, a business owner of more than 30 years, and a true champion of perseverance, servant leadership, tenacity, and grit. FREE ADVICE: The power of partnership – bringing others in and moving the work forward together – is one of the best examples of success.

Tarleton State Fort Worth 10850 Texan Rider Drive Fort Worth 76036 817.717.3311

tarleton.edu/fortworth

FOCUS WOMEN WHO FORWARD FORT WORTH

Dr. Mandy Cotten, APRN, FNP-C Institute for Hormonal Balance

EDUCATION: B.S., Psychology, and B.S., Nursing, TCU; Doctorate of Nursing Practice, Loyola University New Orleans; certified through American Association of Nurse Practitioners as a Family Nurse Practitioner. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Clinical Director, BioTE Medical, for eight years; Arlington Today “All Stars,” 2023 -24; Fort Worth Magazine Top Docs, 2022-2024; Living Magazine Top Docs, 2020-2024; Clinical Advisory Team of Formula 30A CBD Company. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Aledo Youth Football and Cheer Association Commissioners team; provides free program with hormone therapy to veterans with PTSD. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: My reason for becoming a nurse practitioner was to help those who wanted to be helped. I strive every day to provide the very best care to each individual patient. WHAT SETS HER APART: My goal is to make each patient feel comfortable in our office that feels like home. We focus on longevity and quality of life, not just quantity. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Creating a one-stop shop for patients with appropriate staffing to provide quality, compassionate care, which has been my goal from Day 1. WHO INFLUENCED HER MOST: My family — especially my mother, father, and husband. FREE ADVICE: Trust your body. If something feels off, it probably is. Find a health care provider that will listen to you and provide you with up-to-date information and options. PICTURED: Dr. Mandy Cotten, APRN, FNP-C.

Institute for Hormonal Balance 4224 Park Springs Blvd., Ste. 100 Arlington 76016

817.467.7474 Fax 817.468.8643 donovitz.com

EDUCATION: Catherine Harrell – B.A., Baylor University; M.D., University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Heather Volkman – B.S., Emory University; D.O., UNTHSC-TCOM. AWARDS/RECOGNITION: Both Drs. Harrell and Volkman – Top Doctors in Fort Worth Magazine and 360 West magazine. Dr. Harrell – Fort Worth Business Press 40 under 40 and Super Doctors Rising Star. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Both Drs. Harrell and Volkman – assistant professors at Texas Christian University Burnett School of Medicine; teachers of medical students and dermatology residents, UNTHSC-TCOM; consultants at Baylor All Saints, Cook Children’s, and Texas Health-Harris Methodist medical centers. MOTTO: To share God’s love to others by providing the best dermatologic care possible. WHAT SETS THEM APART: As the field of medicine has changed over the past couple of decades, there has been a decline in physicianowned practices. Physician leadership fosters warmhearted professionals who share the same goal of truly caring for each patient. Every patient’s visit to our office should be the best part of that patient’s day. We have a team that we think is becoming rarer in today’s health care field. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Building a 13,000-square-foot office building to house our thriving practice that had outgrown its old space. FREE ADVICE: You are never too old to discover your talents and gifts and use them purposefully.

Dermatology Specialists of Fort Worth

6131 Southwest Blvd., Ste. 100 Fort Worth 76132 fwdermatology.com

Dermatology Specialists of Fort Worth

Catherine Harrell, M.D., and Heather Volkman, D.O., Owners

E. Kim Dignum, CFP®, ChFC®, AIF® Dignum Financial Partners, LLC

EDUCATION: Texas Tech University, B.A., University Studies, Summa Cum Laude. AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: AdvisorHub, Women Advisors to Watch; Fort Worth, Inc. Fastest Growing Companies; Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors; Forbes Best in State Wealth Advisors; Five Star Professional. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Founded Fairway to Heaven – a 501(c)3 that holds golf tournaments to benefit other 501(c)3s in Tarrant County who serve children; served in leadership roles on numerous nonprofits throughout Tarrant County including Child Study Center, Women’s Policy Forum, and Leadership Fort Worth. MISSION: Our mission is to help individuals and their families realize their dreams. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Dignum Financial Partners, LLC is unique in that we are an independent financial planning firm that works on a referral only basis. As a boutique advisory firm with fiduciary asset managers, we act in the best interests of our clients without pressure to promote a particular product. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Starting my company 38 years ago in a male-dominated industry and turning it into the multimillion-dollar firm it is today. MOST INFLUENCED BY: My parents had the most influence on me. My father taught me a tremendous work ethic. My mother taught me to always do everything you set your mind to and do so with grace. FREE ADVICE: Giving your time, your expertise, and your care will help others to achieve success in their lives.

Dignum Financial Partners, LLC 4816 Bryant Irvin Court Fort Worth 76107 817.989.1300

Elements of Architecture, Inc.

Debbie Fulwiler, AIA

EDUCATION: Bachelor of Environmental Design, Texas A&M University. RECENT AWARDS: Aggie 100, 2008, 2015, 2021; Fort Worth Business Press, Top 100 Private Companies, 2019-2023; Fort Worth Business Press, Largest Woman Owned Business, 2020; Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Forte Award, 2019; Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation, Fort Worth Inc., 2023; Volunteer of the Year Award, Alliance for Children, 2024. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Giving back to our community has always been an integral part of my professional career and private life. Member of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., Near Southside, Alliance for Children; A+IAC Advisory Board to the Texas A&M College of Architecture; Dachshund Lovers of Texas Rescue; and Real Estate Against Community Hunger (REACH). MISSION: To be the go-to resource for clients and provide them with creative solutions. WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Our ability to improve environments uniquely suited to our clients’ needs. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Creating a firm of great people that truly care about our clients and community and are respected by those we serve. MOST INFLUENCED BY: My father, who was a general contractor and business owner. He taught me the value of hard work. FREE ADVICE: Stay focused on your goals and be willing to work hard to achieve them. Lasting success does not happen overnight.

Elements of Architecture, Inc. 1201 Sixth Ave., Ste. 100 Fort Worth 76104 dfulwiler@elementsofarc.com ElementsOfArc.com

Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains

MISSION: Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Girl Scouts uniquely engages girls in age-appropriate activities focused on entrepreneurship, STEM, life skills, and outdoor adventures. Girls discover how to set and achieve goals, overcome challenges, solve problems, and lead a team. Girl Scouts impacts a wide range of girls and provides diverse programming tailored to the needs of different communities and helps to foster confidence for girls and build a foundation of success for their future. Girl Scouts work diligently to engage the community and provide programs to allow their girl members to dream big and be ready to change the world. INFLUENCED MOST BY: Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouting, believed in the power of girls. Her dream to provide girls with leadership opportunities has remained the influence for all Girl Scout programming since she started the first troop in 1912. FREE ADVICE: Embrace the opportunity to mentor young girls. Be open to learning alongside them and understand that your dedication can profoundly impact their lives. PICTURED: (left to right) Shundrekia Stewart, advisory committee member; Amanda Stull, troop leader; Jan Titsworth, board chairperson; Monica Carter, board member; and Bernia Ivey, event committee member.

Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains

4901 Briarhaven Road

Fort Worth 76109

800.582.7272 gs-top.org

Goranson Bain Ausley

SPECIALTY: Goranson Bain Ausley is the largest law firm in Texas dedicated to family law. Our Fort Worth office features top-rated family lawyers who handle the full range of family law and divorce-related issues, from complex financial disputes to sensitive child custody matters. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Cindy V. Tisdale, a partner in Fort Worth and past president of the State Bar of Texas, received the 2023 Dan Price Award for her outstanding contributions to family law. She is a fellow of the International and American Academies of Matrimonial Lawyers and is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Fort Worth associate Cassidy Pearson has specialized in family law for over a decade, handling contested divorces, complex custody disputes, premarital agreements, and more. Cassidy was named a Top Attorney by Fort Worth Magazine in 2024, a Super Lawyers Rising Star since 2022, and Best Lawyers in America in 2025. WHAT SETS THEM APART: At Goranson Bain Ausley, our accomplished attorneys go the extra mile to help clients achieve the best possible outcomes. We focus on protecting your assets, preserving relationships, and delivering exceptional value. FREE ADVICE: Choose a family lawyer who will safeguard your family’s interests in the long haul and help you secure a promising future. PICTURED: (left to right) Cindy Tisdale and Cassidy Pearson.

Goranson Bain Ausley

1200 Summit Ave., Ste. 800 Fort Worth 76102

817.476.7658 GBAfamilylaw.com

Haber Wealth Management

FOCUS: Our focus is to understand your retirement goals and develop a plan to help your family achieve these goals. 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 fulltime employees to our team. MOTTO: Golden rule: Greed leads to long-term loss of income and reputation; create a business model and relationships where everyone wins. PICTURED: Karin Hutchins, Marie Zumpano, Tricia Carter Wood, Kadie Carter, and Arami Hutchins.

Haber Wealth Management

2501 Parkview Drive, Ste. 110 Fort Worth 76102 817.527.8079

haberwealthgroup.com

Suzanne Beauvoir Jackson, FACHE President and Chief Operating Officer Rodeo Dental & Orthodontics

EDUCATION: University of Illinois - Champaign, B.S., Community Health Planning with Honors; University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Master of Health Services Administration; University of South Florida - Muma College of Business Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Distinguished Service Award for American College of Healthcare Executives, VA Commonwealth’s Council on Women, Jack and Jill of America Inc. North Texas Chapter Top Model Mother, and University of Illinois - Champaign, College of Applied Life Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Delta Sigma Theta Public Service Sorority Inc, Crisis Link/Suicide Hotline, American Hospital Association Institute for Diversity and Health Equity Board, University of Illinois College of Applied Life Science Board of Visitors and Executive Board of North Texas, Jack and Jill of America, Inc. MISSION: Without a doubt, my mission is to operate with integrity and lead with purpose. I do my best to keep this at the forefront of everything I do. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: My greatest professional accomplishment has been developing and coaching leaders to accomplish their professional and personal goals. I get the most fulfillment in helping others become better versions of themselves. MOST INFLUENCED BY: My parents played a pivotal role in shaping my ethics to be the driven leader I am today. My husband and daughters have influenced me to be a more empathetic, patient, and intentional leader.

Rodeo Dental & Orthodontics

100 E. 15th St., Ste. 520 Fort Worth 76201 rodeodental.com

EDUCATION: Texas A&M School of Law, J.D.; Texas A&M University-Commerce, B.S. Criminal Justice. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Forbes Advisor Best Divorce Lawyers of Fort Worth (2024); Fort Worth Magazine Top Attorney (2022-2024); “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers (2022-2024); 360 West Top Attorney (2024).

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Tarrant County Bar Association, Tarrant County Family Law Bar Association, Texas Young Lawyers, and Fort Worth Mom of Multiples. MISSION: Because family law is oftentimes emotionally driven and difficult for everyone involved, it can feel like there are no “winners.” I always aim to make my clients stronger, braver, wiser, and more whole than when they first walked through my door, so no matter what happens, they walk away with at least one win. WHAT SETS HER APART: I get to know my clients personally and offer support beyond the courtroom. Plus, our office is unapologetically pink — because the law isn’t black and white, and neither are we.

GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT:

Every time I’m able to get a client to their desired endgame, it’s like winning the Super Bowl. Nothing fuels my determination to do better and make a difference than seeing injustice in the systems that are meant to provide for and protect us. FREE ADVICE: Lead with authenticity — being true to yourself not only builds trust but also attracts the right opportunities and people.

Dawn King Law Group

5608 Malvey Ave., Ste. 103 Fort Worth 76107 817.840.5111 DawnLKing.com

Elva Concha LeBlanc, Ph.D. Chancellor, Tarrant County College

EDUCATION: Doctor of Philosophy, Early Childhood Education and Administration; postdoctoral work in administration. RECENT RECOGNITION: 2024 Education Leadership Award from the North Texas Commission. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Currently I am focusing on running Tarrant County College — a huge enterprise with an impressive footprint. I also have served more than a dozen organizations in Tarrant County. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: Our success as individuals and as college leaders depends on our ability to build relationships and connect with people quickly. My passion for the work I do stems from an unshakable belief that through education we can move from poverty to middle class to — the sky’s the limit. My interest in education feeds my excitement about learning new ideas. WHAT SETS THE COLLEGE APART: Community colleges enrich quality of life through heightened literacy and vigorous job training. One definition of economic development is “the process by which a community creates, retains, and reinvents wealth to improve its productive capacity and raise the standard of living for all citizens.” That’s Tarrant County College — who we are and what we do. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Having the privilege to serve Tarrant County College as Chancellor. MOST INFLUENCED BY: My mother’s actions impacted me the most. I have a closeknit family and constantly receive affirmation from them.

Tarrant County College District

Elva Concha LeBlanc, Ph.D. 817.515.5201 chancellors.office@tccd.edu

Courtney Garner Lewis Cadence Bank

EDUCATION: BBA, with a concentration in Finance, SMU. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Fort Worth 40 under 40; National Association of Social Workers Public Citizen of the Year; DCEO Debt Provider of the Year. COMMUNITY

INVOLVEMENT: Past president, Rotary Club of Fort Worth; past president, Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth; past chairwoman, Housing Channel; past treasurer, Camp Fire First Texas; United Way of Tarrant County board member; Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce board member; Leadership Fort Worth past board member. MOTTO: Improvise, Adapt and Overcome. WHAT

SETS THE FIRM APART: Cadence Bank is a regional bank with deep expertise in specific industries, including health care, technology, franchise finance, energy and commercial real estate. It has comprehensive wealth management services including investment management, retirement planning, estate planning and philanthropy services. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: My greatest professional achievement is being a firstgeneration college graduate while being a single mom. I have not met with a larger obstacle in my 20-plus years in the banking industry. MOST INFLUENCED BY: My maternal grandfather was my first mentor who taught me the value of hard work and to have integrity in all things that I do. FREE ADVICE: My advice would be to look at every experience, good or bad, as a learning opportunity. Always stay curious and remember that experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.

111 NW 24th St. Fort Worth 76164 817.870.9727 cadencebank.com

Cadence Bank

Talia Lydick, Realtor

Williams Trew

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.

Talia Lydick - Williams Trew

3707 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ste. 300 Fort Worth, Texas 76107

817.692.4821 talia.lydick@williamstrew.com williamstrew.com

Kamille McCollum President/Chief Brand Officer

BODYBAR

Pilates Franchising

EDUCATION: BODYBAR Pilates Instructor/Masters Social Work. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Best of Fort Worth 2017; Entrepreneur Franchise 500; named INC. 5000 276th fastest-growing company in the USA and eighth fastest growing in DFW. MISSION: The mission at BODYBAR Pilates is to share our amazing workout experience rooted in the fundamentals of Reformer Pilates. We aim to build diverse communities where love, respect, and positive energy help us achieve the best version of our physical and spiritual self. WHAT SETS THEM APART: We are a franchise organization that is led by my husband, Matt McCollum, and me. We were once franchisees and still own three locations. This gives us a unique perspective with our franchise owners because we have been in their shoes and still are. We believe in working hard and yet still balancing that with having fun. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Owning three successful BODYBAR studios and spreading BODYBAR across the U.S. We have over 100 territories sold and continue to grow, changing lives physically and financially. MOST INFLUENCED BY: My parents have had a huge influence on me and my life. They taught me hard work, love for others, and that life is short so live it well. FREE ADVICE: Doing what you love makes your job not feel like work. Find what that is for you and pursue it.

BODYBAR Pilates

3236 W. Seventh St. Fort Worth 76107 817.862.9550 bodybarpilates.com

McCuistion, Ph.D.

Texas A&M – Fort Worth

EDUCATION: B.S., Animal Science, Texas A&M University; M.S., Animal Science, Kansas State University; Ph.D., Agricultural Systems, West Texas A&M University. AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: Great Women of Texas, Fort Worth Business Press; 400 Most Influential Leaders in Fort Worth, Fort Worth Inc. INTERESTS/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

As a mother of three active kids, my hobbies are soccer, volleyball, baseball, and 4H shooting sports. I enjoy my involvement in the Downtown Fort Worth Rotary Club, Leadership Fort Worth, and Leader Prime. MOTTO: Lead by Example. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Texas A&M - Fort Worth is a unique campus location and mission because it is not considered either a regional university or branch campus of Texas A&M. The hybrid nature reflects our goal of stimulating both commercial entrepreneurism (innovation) and workforce development (training and jobs) in the region through both our academic and system agency programs.

GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT:

Serving as Director of the Texas A&M - Fort Worth Campus development project – a bold and challenging opportunity for the Texas A&M System and the Tarrant County region. MOST INFLUENCED BY: My children. They serve as my constant reminder that what I do every day will influence their futures and the future of our nation’s youth. FREE ADVICE: Don’t just accept challenges, seek challenges and new ways to measure yourself.

Texas A&M – Fort Worth

Burnett Plaza, 801 Cherry St., Ste. 850 Fort Worth 76102 817.508.6620 fort-worth.tamus.edu

Kim

Chelsi McLarty Criminal Defense Attorney

EDUCATION: Texas A&M University, Texas Wesleyan School of Law (now Texas A&M School of Law). AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Fort Worth Magazine Top Attorney, 2014-2023; Texas Monthly Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2019-2024; 360 West Top Attorney; Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Courts member. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT/INTERESTS: Chelsi has been involved with the Junior League of Fort Worth since 2015, holding several leadership roles throughout her time volunteering for women’s and children’s charities. She has also been involved on the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Committee since 2017 and is currently serving on both the Equine Greeting Committee and the Guns and Roses Committee. On the weekends, Chelsi barrel races and rodeos on her horse, Sunni. Chelsi loves helping youth riders grow their love of horses. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: To help her clients get back on the right track after a difficult time in their lives. WHAT SETS HER APART: Chelsi is committed to your case from the beginning. Each case is different and requires a different strategy to achieve a favorable outcome. She listens to her clients and communicates with them to ensure they understand the legal process and options in their cases. Chelsi treats each client with compassion and excels in the courtroom. She has a reputation in the Tarrant County Criminal Courts for fiercely advocating for her clients. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Acquittals for those that have been wrongfully accused and seeing them excel in life afterwards.

McLarty Law Firm

855 Texas St., Ste. 140 Fort Worth 76102 817.900.3235

chelsi@mclartylawfirm.com mclartylawfirm.com

FOCUS: Enchiladas are our specialty at Enchiladas Olé! There is an enchilada sauce for everyone. Our rice is cooked every 45 minutes in small skillets, just like cooking at home. There’s no place like home cooking! RECOGNITIONS: Enchiladas Olé was nominated for a 2024 Tastemaker Award, voted one of the 10 best Tex-Mex restaurants in Texas in a USA Today poll, and also voted to a “10 best queso” list, Fort Worth Star Telegram. PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: Our employees are part of the Enchiladas Olé family. Our team members are an investment for the company as they represent what we stand for, serving great food, giving back to the community, and offering leadership opportunities for our team members as we continue to grow. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: Encourage your staff to be leaders. Everyone is family as their face represents your business. INNOVATIONS: Enchiladas Olé is opening a new restaurant near TCU called Holy Cue, combining barbecue and Mexican food. It will open mid-September at 2420 Forest Park Blvd. in the Parks Center shopping center. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Love what you do! Pick your passion and go for it! During difficult times, stay still; let the storm pass ... it will. PICTURED: Mary Perez, chef/founder/ co-owner.

Enchiladas Olé

2418 Forest Park Blvd. Fort Worth 76110 New location: 6473 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth 76116 817.984.1360 enchiladasole.com

Enchiladas Olé

Mary Perez

PROFESSIONAL MISSION: Emily Preston with The Property Shop has streamlined the process of buying or selling a home to make it easier for clients. Our team of industry experts provides the best service possible with the most up-to-date market data in the area and works tirelessly to help you with the home buying and selling process. FOCUS: Residential, Luxury, Farm and Ranch Real Estate. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Real Producers DFW Top 1%; Fort Worth Magazine Top Realtors; Top Producer of Stryve Realty in 2023 (No. 2 out of 80 Realtors). INTERESTS: Traveling and spending time with my two girls and family. WHAT SETS HER APART: I believe anyone who has a steady job and acceptable credit deserves to be a homeowner. It is my duty to help make that dream a reality! I am the #openhousequeen because I do two or three open houses every weekend and have for the six years that I have been in real estate. Open houses sell homes! GREATEST PROFESSONAL ACHIEVEMENT: In 2023, I had the honor and privilege to help my client buy a $12 million exotic animal ranch in Meridian, Texas. MOST INFLUENCED BY: My parents, by far! I would not be where I am today without them. FREE ADVICE: No matter what, don’t ever stop working. Good old-fashioned work ethic trumps everything! #cantstopwontstop

Emily Preston

The Property Shop

120 Saint Louis Ave., Ste. 117 Fort Worth 76104 817.992.4604 thepropertyshop.realtor

Emily Preston

The Property Shop

FOCUS WOMEN WHO FORWARD FORT WORTH

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.

Serve Plumbing

11255 Camp Bowie W. Blvd., Ste. 120 Aledo, Texas 76008

817.244.0614 proserveplumbers.com

Pro Serve Plumbing

Pro

Betty Rajan, M.D. Rajan Dermatology

EDUCATION: M.D., Baylor College of Medicine, Houston; B.S., Biology, Texas A&M University. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Fort Worth Magazine Top Doc; 360 Magazine Top Doc. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: I have volunteered for over 10 years at Cornerstone Charitable Clinic which offers free comprehensive medical care to uninsured adults in Tarrant County. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: Work hard, treat people with integrity, and always strive to do the right thing professionally and personally. WHAT SETS HER APART: Our office strives for excellence in the diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases and believes strongly in skin cancer prevention and screening. The needs of every patient are addressed fully, spending time to make sure that every patient has the tools to achieve their individual skin goals. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Having been in practice in Fort Worth for over 26 years, I’ve found that professional achievements are never achieved alone but occur over time and with a team of like-minded people with whom I feel grateful daily to help me perform my best. MOST INFLUENCED BY: My work ethic comes from my parents who were immigrants who achieved success in this great country through lots of hard work and sacrifice. FREE ADVICE: Be proactive about your health and get yearly skin exams.

Betty Rajan, M.D. Rajan Dermatology

6600 Bryant Irvin Road Fort Worth 76132 817.820.0011 bettyrajanmd.com

Schneider Law Firm, P.C.

EDUCATION: Various law schools in Texas. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Our attorneys have routinely received recognition as “Top Attorneys” in Fort Worth Magazine as well as “Super Lawyers” through Thomson Reuters. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Many of our attorneys are involved in local bar organizations including the Tarrant County Bar and Tarrant County Family Law Bar Associations, as well as local involvement in groups such as Junior League and Women Steering Business. MOTTO: “Be a tiger.” WHAT SETS THEM APART: Michael Schneider, the owner of the Schneider Law Firm, says it was never a goal to have a staff comprised entirely of women. It has just worked out that way. Women are at the forefront of the practice of law and often outperform their male colleagues. The ladies that make up my team are a prime example of this. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Expanding the Schneider Law Firm to three different office locations in Tarrant County which allows us to represent our clients in a way that is more convenient to them. INFLUENCED MOST BY: The strong women in our lives. FREE ADVICE: Select an attorney who has a good reputation that you can trust and you feel confident that they will effectively communicate and walk you through the legal process. PICTURED: Danielle Reagan, Melissa Swan, Jessica Phillips, Alison Porterfield, and Taryn Horton.

Schneider Law Firm, P.C. 400 E. Weatherford St. Fort Worth 76102

817.850.9955

TeamSLF.com

The Schweitzer Group at Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

Barbara Schweitzer

EDUCATION: BBA in Management Information Systems, University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business.

AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Top Producers 2019 – 2024, Martha Miller Fellowship Award, Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty Leaders Circle, consistent 5-star testimonials from our valued clients.

COMMUNITY

INVOLVEMENT: Member of Jewel Charity & Committee, Women Steering Business, and Ridglea Country Club. Supporter of the College Ready Program, American Warriors Association, Texas Ballet Theater, Putting on the Pink, United Way, Fort Worth Country Day Fund, and Fort Worth Gallery Night.

PROFESSIONAL MISSION: To make buying or selling a home a truly positive experience! 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. WHAT SETS

THEM APART: They have local, national, and international connections, extraordinary negotiations skills, and deep knowledge of risk mitigation and real estate wealth building.

GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT:

The Schweitzer Group has closed transactions in 17 different cities in North Texas. They are members of the Leaders Circle at Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty.

MOST INFLUENCED BY: 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: Barbara Schweitzer.

The Schweitzer Group 4828 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth 76107 817.821.2694

bschweitzer@briggsfreeman.com

briggsfreeman.com/realestate/agent/theschweitzer-group/

Sarah C. Seltzer Seltzer Family Law, PLLC

EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: B.A., Texas Tech; J.D., Texas Wesleyan; Board Certified in Child Welfare Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization; mediation trained; licensed to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. RECOGNITIONS: Texas Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2019-2024; Top Attorney in Family Law, Fort Worth Magazine 2017-2023; CASA Attorney Ad Litem of the Year, 2020. INTERESTS/INVOLVEMENT: 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. This summer, I adopted an abandoned newborn kitten, Leon. Because Leon needed a bottle every few hours, he would often come with me to work, so that I could feed him between client meetings and court appearances. WHAT SETS HER APART: For the last year, I have focused on bringing in individuals who have the character traits necessary to be successful in family law – even if that means training technical skills and knowledge at a foundational level. While this evolution has been staggering at times, I am continuously inspired by the level of service and expertise we provide to our clients. FREE ADVICE: Feel the fear and do it anyway.

PICTURED: Sarah C. Seltzer.

Seltzer Family Law, PLLC 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ste. 340 Fort Worth 76116 817.887.9206 YourTexasFamilyLawyer.com Contact@YourTexasFamilyLawyer.com

EDUCATION: Bachelor of Arts in Communication, University of Texas at Arlington; Certificate in Women’s Entrepreneurship, Cornell University.

AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Best of Fort Worth CBD Store, Fort Worth Magazine, 2024; DFW Favorites Best CBD Store, Fort Worth StarTelegram, 2024. INTERESTS/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Cannabis, cancer awareness, and fitness are my jam! I currently serve with the Fort Worth Adolescent & Young Adult Oncology Coalition (FWAYAOC) patient advisory council; UT Health Science Center Adolescent & Young Adult cancer STAR Lab community advisory board; and as a Texas Hemp Coalition board member. MISSION: The purpose of life is to know, love, and worship God, and then to love and serve people. WHAT SETS YOUR BUSINESS APART: Emerald Organics Cannabis educates and shares only the most trusted THC and CBD products from clean, green, certified sources. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: My greatest professional achievement is all the people who have helped elevate me along the way and introduce me to their network so I can pour everything I’ve learned into others. MOST INFLUENCED BY: The Man above who is the source to everything we hope for and desire: love, peace, faith, wisdom, strength, honesty, guidance, confidence, to do what is right, and to always serve others. FREE ADVICE: Life is chaos so share your story, keep being kind and smiling.

Emerald Organics Cannabis

5317 Golden Triangle Blvd. Fort Worth 76244

682.593.0195

candice.stinnett@emeraldorg.com

EmeraldOrganicsCannabis.com

Candice Stinnett Emerald Organics Cannabis, Founder

Susan Semmelmann Semmelmann Interiors

EDUCATION: Texas Christian University. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: ASID design awards (more than 10); Rosie Moncrief Wings of Hope Award. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: We invest deeply in our community through partnerships with organizations like Saint Jude, Raquel’s Wings for Life, and a Wish with Wings. MOTTO: “The spirit of living is in the giving.” WHAT SETS THEM APART: What makes Semmelmann Interiors truly unique is our unwavering commitment to the client experience, which is the heart and soul of everything we do. As a couture interior design firm, we offer a turnkey style of service that reflects my deep passion for servanthood and hospitality. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: My greatest professional achievement is founding Semmelmann Interiors and building a business model rooted in servanthood and giving back. While the accolades and recognition for our designs are deeply gratifying, I am most proud of how we’ve integrated philanthropy into our core values. MOST INFLUENCED BY: My team, my family, and, most importantly, my relationship with God. FREE ADVICE: My one piece of advice is to embrace the spirit of giving in all that you do and to follow your passion wholeheartedly. Whether it’s through your work, your community, or your personal relationships, giving back creates a ripple effect of positivity and fulfillment. PICTURED: Susan Semmelmann.

4374 W. Vickery Blvd. Fort Worth 76107 817.774.4045 semmelmanninteriors.com

Semmelmann Interiors

Texas Oncology

Fort Worth and Southwest Fort Worth

UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: We provide comprehensive care to women with cancer including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, genetic counseling, nutrition assessment, and social services. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Noelle Cloven, M.D. – Gynecologic Oncology; M.D., Baylor College of Medicine; Residency, UC Irvine; Board-Certified in Gynecologic Oncology. Jennifer Hecht, D.O., FACOS – Breast Surgical Oncology; D.O., Oklahoma State, Breast Surgical Oncology, Grant Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; Board-Certified in General Surgery. Cristi Aitelli, D.O. – Medical Oncology; D.O., UNT-HSC; Residency, BUMC; Board-Certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology. Kathleen L. Shide, M.D., FACR – Radiation Oncology; M.D., UT Southwestern Medical School; Residency, Mayo Clinic; Board-Certified in Radiation Oncology. Rachel Theriault, M.D. –Medical Oncology; M.D., Baylor College of Medicine; Residency- Internal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine; Board Certified in Medical Oncology. Chi Pham, M.D. – Medical Oncology; M.D., UT Southwestern; Residency - Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern; Board Certified in Medical Oncology. Reagan Street, M.D. – 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.® PICTURED: Cristi Aitelli, Noelle Cloven, Kathleen L. Shide, Jennifer Hecht, Rachel Theriault, and Chi Pham

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

The Kitchen Source

EDUCATION: Bachelor of Arts, Certified Kitchen Designers. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: When we started The Kitchen Source, Bob committed to community involvement, beginning with hosting showroom events for free, like events for the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS. We’ve since sponsored events for cystic fibrosis, Safe Haven, and other organizations. We also encourage employee volunteering and give employees time off to support the community. Last week, five employees volunteered their time at church camp. MISSION: Our goal is to revolutionize remodeling with a complete design, construction, and finishing solution. We simplify the process with innovative design, top craftsmanship, and exceptional project management for a stress-free experience. WHAT SETS THEM APART: With over 400 years of combined experience, we ensure effective communication and minimize client displacement by making decisions upfront. We continuously improve by reviewing each project to identify best practices. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Greatest achievements come when a homeowner recommends us to someone or they invite us back to do another area of their home. MOST INFLUENCED BY: Each design is most influenced by the client, their style and how they plan to use the space. FREE ADVICE: Set a budget upfront, quality over quantity. Identify your wants versus your needs. PICTURED: Amber Paulk, Jennifer Johns, Elizabeth Tranberg, and Corinne Danicki.

The Kitchen Source 3116 W. Sixth St. Fort Worth 76107 817.731.4299

thekitchensource.com

EDUCATION: Brooke Goggans – University of Oregon, Political Science and Communications. Susan K. Medina – B.B.A., Business Management/Marketing, UT San Antonio; New York University’s Public Relations Institute. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Goggans – 40 under 40, Fort Worth Business Press; Con Mi MADRE- Mariposa Award. Medina – 202224, Fort Worth Inc. Most Influential People. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Goggans –Co-chair, Women United - United Way Tarrant County; executive board, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce; board, North Texas Commission. Medina – Board involvement - Fort Worth Chamber, Jewel Charity, Brighter Outlook Community Center, Botanic Research Institute of Texas (BRIT), Leadership Fort Worth, Women Steering Business, and co-chair, United Way of Tarrant County’s Women United. MOTTO: Goggans – “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” (Quoting former Governor Ann Richards.) Medina - What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? WHAT SETS THEM APART: Goggans – We are the only bipartisan women- and minority-owned public affairs and communications firm in Texas. Medina – We’ve been told that given today’s political climate, successfully operating a bipartisan firm is remarkable. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Purchasing our office building in the Cultural District, the home of our firm, The Collaborative. FREE ADVICE: Goggans – Trust yourself. Follow your gut instinct and make decisions accordingly. Medina – Be the light, be positive, give yourself and others grace. Most of all, be brave.

The Collaborative 3613 Washburn Fort Worth 76107 817.732.7719

thecollaborativefw.com

The Collaborative

Brooke Goggans

Susan K. Medina

Cyndy Tonniges TriQuest Technologies, Inc.

SPECIALTY: TriQuest Technologies, Inc. is an IT Service firm specializing in IT risk mitigation. Recently, cybersecurity’s the greatest concern. Protecting our customers takes a team of knowledgeable technicians—people with skills, experience, and the ability to communicate clearly, with a friendly smile. EDUCATION: Texas A&M University, BBA Business Analysis. AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: Entrepreneur of Excellence winner; Aggie 100; Inc. 5000; Greater Tarrant Business Ethics Award. MOTTO: People leave TriQuest better off. WHAT SETS THEM APART: I’m proud of the caring culture we’ve created and team environment we’ve built. Recently, a customer said, “What I love about you is that you’re local; the techs are responsive, knowledgeable, friendly, and easy to understand!” FOCUS: We hire by concentrating on an individual’s natural abilities, then empower internally driven individuals to succeed. I work in the male-dominated IT industry, but we’re really in the people business. GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: My greatest contributions are working behind the scenes finding great people to serve our customers and creating an environment to help people find their unique blend of talents, then watching them maximize their potential. ADVICE: Find a workplace that fosters growth, provides guidance for success, maximizes your potential, and demonstrates the value of professionalism. My earliest mentor influenced my passion to create an environment where individuals can grow and flourish. Your circle shapes your path; choose wisely.

TriQuest Technologies, Inc. 2109 W. Broadway Ave. Fort Worth 76102 817.882.8500 TriQuestTech.com

MISSION: To provide women with evidencebased health care optimizing screening and prevention during midlife to promote a long health span. WHAT SETS HER APART: My practice focus is midlife gynecology, menopause, and health care that sets you up for healthy aging. I am a medical doctor specializing in women’s care but approach your health care as another woman who wants you to thrive. Health care should include prevention, and early identification and treatment recommendations should consider your short- and long-term health. There are many voices speaking about health care these days. I want to be a voice supported by science and experience. I am fortunate to have a career that has evolved with me. I have practiced women’s medicine for over 25 years, first as a general OB-GYN and now as a women’s health and gynecologic specialist. I understand a woman’s health journey and the transitions involved. I stay relevant through curiosity and the humility to learn. And, I really enjoy meeting patients and finding solutions that will improve their health in the long term. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: I am rewarded when women share how I had an impact on their lives. EDUCATION: Texas A&M, Biomedical Science; Kansas City University, College of Osteopathic Medicine, medical degree; Wayne State University at Detroit Medical Center, OB-GYN Residency.

elisabeth-wagner-do

Webb CFO

Sarah Webb

EDUCATION: BBA, Accounting, Texas A&M University; MBA, Texas Christian University. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Sustainer with The Junior League of Fort Worth; board member of Tech Fort Worth; Trailblazers of National Charity League; Texas Society of CPAs; American Institute of CPAs. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: Our goal is to bring financial transparency for business owners to make better decisions. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Webb CFO fills the gap for businesses when they don’t have the capacity for accounting and finance operations but are not so large they can hire a full-time professional. Our team focuses on handling the day-today accounting while our managers assist with budgeting and cash forecasting. We can bridge accounting operations as an organization grows. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: At pivotal junctures in its growth, our team has consistently guided several of our clients through an acquisition. Webb CFO’s extensive experience becomes a powerful asset during these times of transition. We approach each transaction from dual perspectives — as both a buyer and a seller — establishing systems that paved the way for lasting profitability. Additionally, when that client returns to seek our assistance with another transaction, that’s truly a remarkable achievement. MOST INFLUENCED BY: Sarah shared that at a young age her parents included her in discussions regarding family finances, current events, and the stock market. Sarah and her husband strive to have similar conversations with their children, seeding financial literacy.

Webb CFO

817.502.2658

webbcfo.com

April Wiechmann,

Ph.D., FNAP

Chief Behavioral Health Officer, HSC at Fort Worth

Neuropsychology Clinic, HSC Health

EDUCATION: Doctoral degree in Clinical Behavioral Medicine and Health Psychology, with postdoctoral fellowship training in neuropsychology; MBA in Health Administration, December 2024. COMMUNITY

INVOLVEMENT: Served as president and treasurer of the Fort Worth Area Psychological Association; assists with education and advocacy for older adults with the Tarrant Area Gerontological Society and the Alzheimer’s Association; volunteers with the Tarrant County Food Bank and Remote Area Medical. MOTTO: “Good Health Can’t Wait.” WHAT SETS HER APART: With over 7,000 patients treated in the community, she provides personalized care plans, early detection, and support for patients with dementia/cognitive impairment. Her deep-rooted dedication to bettering Fort Worth is evident in her efforts to ensure patients have the highest quality of life.

GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Being honored with the Distinguished Fellow Award from the National Academies of Practice. MOST INFLUENCED BY: “My 93-yearold grandmother demonstrates the resilience and wisdom, accumulated over nearly a century, that exemplify the strength and adaptability of the human spirit. Witnessing her navigate the challenges of aging with grace and determination for independence reinforces my commitment to enhancing the quality of life for older adults. Her story provides invaluable insight into the aging process and motivates me to continue my work with empathy and dedication.”

The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth 76107 unthsc.edu

LOCAL EATS AND RESTAURANT NEWS

4 COURSES Want to impress your dinner guests? Well, Preston Paine, executive chef of The Crescent Hotel Fort Worth, has some very tasty answers.

by Malcolm Mayhew

Photos by Darrell Byers

Raising the Bar(becue)

Experimenting with bold flavors and adventurous dishes, local pitmasters are injecting new life into Fort Worth’s BBQ scene

On a recent swelteringly hot Sunday morning, a familiar sight unfolds at local barbecue joint Smoke-a-holics: Hungry customers are lined up, once again, for owner Derrick Walker’s show-stopping food, which has helped bring national attention to Fort Worth’s barbecue scene.

Only today, people are ordering dishes you might not expect to see at a local ‘cue joint: smoked meatloaf, smoked chicken spaghetti, and, the dish that is flying out the door, smoked oxtails, made from the meat derived from cattle tails. “That’s usu-

ally the first thing to go,” says Walker. Today is “Soul Food Sunday,” in which the restaurant offers a slew of soul food staples that are available only on Sundays and only for a limited time; you gotta line up early, in other words.

Like many of Fort Worth’s critically acclaimed and wildly popular craft barbecue spots, Smoke-a-holics regularly ventures into culinary territory that goes beyond the barbecue’s basics of brisket, ribs, and sausage, for years the calling cards of most barbecue joints.

And while those three ‘cue essentials remain at the heart of what they do, restaurants such Smoke-a-holics, Brix BBQ, Dayne’s BBQ, Panther City BBQ, Sabar BBQ, and many others are offering dishes that not only elevate the cuisine but are proving to be instrumental in evolving it — dishes like pancakes topped with burnt ends, lamb ribs coated in a Sichuan peppercorn rub, smoked brisket croquettes.

“There’s no reason barbecue can’t be as adventurous as other cuisines,” says Zain Shafi, owner of Sabar BBQ, a Pakistani-inspired barbecue trailer located in the Near Southside. “You don’t want to go to one barbecue place and see the exact same thing that you’ll see at other barbecue places. You want there to be some diversity and personality. That’s how we all grow and grow the cuisine.”

To inspire his food, Shafi looks to his past, to dishes he grew up on. “My family is Pakistani, so I wanted to develop a menu that pays tribute to my family and heritage but still incorporates Texas barbecue traditions,” he says.

Sabar’s menu includes halal-cooked meats such as smoked turkey, whose rub of coriander, cumin, cardamom, and other spices meant to conjure the flavor of tandoori chicken; and a unique version of burnt ends that pays tribute to nihari, a slow-simmered Pakistani stew in a spicy gravy; Sabar’s version is served with naan bread. Sides include fruit chaat,

A big platter of delish at Dayne’s Craft BBQ

made up of fresh, seasonal fruit, and dal chawal, a traditional Pakistani lentils and rice dish.

“Our sides are traditional Pakistani sides,” Shafi says. “It’s what I ate growing up, what my family ate growing up. What I want to do is turn the barbecue people onto Pakistani-style food and the people who like our Pakistani food onto our meats. It’s not fusion cuisine. It’s more of the bestof-both worlds.”

Another local barbecue spot pushing the cuisine onward and upward is Brix BBQ in the South Main area. Pitmaster Trevor Sales has been offering left-of-center ‘cue dishes from Day 1, when he worked out of a food trailer, including smoked barbacoa tacos and housemade sausages. Since opening his brick-and-mortar location last year, he and his crew have continually expanded their culinary reach, serving entrees such as steak frites and porchetta, along with brunch dishes such as pancakes topped with beef tallow frosting and wagyu burnt ends.

In Aledo, Dayne’s Craft Barbecue

has become just as known for its brisket as it has for another essential Fort Worth eat: burgers. Once lauded by this magazine as the best in Fort Worth, the smashburgers made by owners Dayne and Ashley Weaver are a cut above the norm, topped in housemade sauces, the edges of their patties perfectly crisped. Artfully presented and packed with nuance and flavor, they’re about as forward-thinking as a burger can get.

Although a seemingly new phenomenon, local craft barbecue spots have been stretching the limits of ‘cue for years. An early restaurant to experiment with new flavors was BBQ on the Brazos, the first barbecue spot on this side of the Trinity to offer craft-style barbecue, a take on ‘cue inspired by the landmark BBQ joints of central Texas. Working out of a Cresson gas station, owners John Sanford and Kathryn Warren have been serving imaginative sides — see their excellent cornbread salad — and specialty items like brisket tortas for more than a decade.

Craft barbecue was introduced to Fort Worth proper by Heim BBQ, whose burnt ends — at the time, a new type of food in Fort Worth — became the restaurant’s signature item, and perhaps the first dish that got the ball rolling on ‘cue’s evolution in Fort Worth.

Today, most restaurants that subscribe to a craft-’cue doctrine offer their own signature items that have catapulted the cuisine to new heights. Think of the brisket elote at Panther City BBQ; Hurtado BBQ’s Texas twinkies, bacon-wrapped jalapenos stuffed with brisket, cream cheese and pimento cheese; the injera nachos at Smoke N’ Ash.

“Everybody needs their own signature dish, their own way of doing things,” says Walker. “That’s what makes us all different. We all have our own style, our own things that you can’t get anywhere else. That’s what makes us unique, but it also pushes barbecue forward, and that’s what we all want to do.”

Seemorebarbecuejointsonpage105

Smoked meatloaf at Smoke-a-holics

Brix BBQ’s pancakes topped with burnt ends

by Malcolm Mayhew

Photos by Darrell Byers

Fuel-Good Food

A Fort Worth-based chef is serving fantastic Cajun and comfort food out of an unlikely spot on the city’s east side.

Pull into the Chevron gas station at Loop 820 and East Berry and you won’t find a single clue that, inside, a tiny restaurant called The Chef’s Corner is serving some of the city’s best Cajun, comfort, and soul food.

There’s no outside sign advertising chef Mike Douresseaux’s excellent gumbo, a sprawling feast studded with crab legs and crawfish. No way to know about his lamb shank that falls from the bone or his chicken and waffles drizzled in burnt butter caramel;

either would fit nicely on the menu at any four-star restaurant.

Walk inside this modest gas station, and you still may not discover Douresseaux’s culinary joys, his kitchen is so hidden, so obscured by packages of doughnuts and drink machines.

But you’ll see the line, a steady stream of in-the-know neighbors and diners who’ve recently discovered his food through the social media grapevine. TikTok has grown particu-

larly fond of Douresseaux’s gas station eatery. Shared by local influencers, posts about The Chef Corner’s beautifully presented food have racked up thousands of views.

Chances are, you’ll see Douresseaux, too, in his pearl white chef’s coat, hand-delivering food to customers, showing them their dishes before sealing them in clamshell containers. There’s no dining room; you take your food to-go.

Gas station restaurants are nothing new in Fort Worth, but Chef’s Corner is a completely different experience from, say, a gas station taqueria or burger spot. It’s more along the lines of the original incarnation of Chef’s Point, a chef-driven restaurant that started out in a gas station in Watauga.

“To me, it doesn’t make that big of a difference where I’m cooking,” says Douresseaux, a Beaumont native who has spent 40 of his 56 years working in restaurants. “What matters to me is, do people like what I’m doing?”

In developing the menu, he looked to his parents — dad was from Alexandria, Louisiana, mom was a Texan. Those two worlds come together in dishes such as his corn-roasted jalapeno cheese grits with sausage, crawfish, fried catfish filets and jumbo shrimp, and his spectacular gumbo, a show-stopper spiked with crab two ways — blue crab and massive snow crab legs.

He also drew inspiration from his own experience as a lifelong chef, in which he’s worked as an executive and consulting chef for several high-end hotels and restaurants. Not many diners, after all, would expect to see lamb shank with a side of mushroom risotto, salmon glazed with sweet and fiery Thai chile sauce, or herb-grilled steak served in a gas station.

Diners, too, had a say in the direction of his menu. “When I first opened, I asked customers what they wanted to eat,” he says. “So many people said gumbo and chicken and waffles and pork chops, things that aren’t readily available in this area — and things that are right up my alley. It was then that I

Now that’s gumbo.

knew I’d be a good match for the neighborhood.”

Douresseaux has also spent several years as a dietary consultant, having graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in dietary management; his menu includes a handful of veggie and vegan options.

Two things drew him to this unlikely spot on the city’s east side: He lives close by and there’s nothing else in the area like it.

“I decided to open in a gas station while I was at another gas station across the street,” he says, laughing. “I pulled into a Shell wanting a po’boy sandwich. So I did a search on my phone, and every place that serves po’boys is far away. So, on a whim, I went inside and started talking to the owner about maybe opening a place there, and he said, ‘No, but what about at the Chevron across the street?’”

As it happens, the same person owns both stations, and soon the two were in business together, converting the Chevron’s storage space into a full-fledged kitchen; the restaurant opened in January.

The arrival of Chef’s Corner comes after a time of darkness for Douresseaux. Working long hours in restaurants cost him his marriage, he says, and a battle with alcohol landed him in legal trouble.

That’s in the past now, he says. Faith brought him out of those turbulent times, he says, and today he balances his life between proudly fawning over his three daughters, one of whom is on the road to becoming a chef, and focusing on his new restaurant.

Sometime in the next year, he’s hoping to take Chef’s Corner to the next level by opening a traditional brick-and-mortar.

“I’ve had a lot of highs and lows, but right now, life is great,” he says. “God is good. He’s brought so much into my life. I know he wants me to be exactly where I am today, doing what I love.”

Chef’sCorner,5728EastBerrySt.

Where to Eat FW’s New ‘Cue

Fort Worth barbecue eaters can’t live by brisket, ribs, and sausage alone — not anymore, at least. Most of the craft-style ‘cue joints in and around Fort Worth have their own signature items or style of cooking that separates them from others. Here are a few of those key dishes any local ‘cue connoisseur needs to try:

225 BBQ: Run by husband-wife owners Rene and Joyce Ramirez, this food trailer-turned-brick-and-mortar in Arlington is one of the area’s most underrated ‘cue spots. Must-try dishes include their terrific brisket ramen; chicken thighs wrapped in bacon, called baseballs; and their brisket-stuffed croquettes, smothered in a creamy cheese sauce. facebook.com/225BBQ

BBQ on the Brazos: Long-running ‘cue joint inside a gas station in Cresson serves several unique dishes, the best of which very well could be the brisket torta. bbqonthebrazoscressontx.com

Brix BBQ: Trevor Sales’ South Main ‘cue joint offers so many dishes that elevate barbecue, it’s hard to know where to start. Try the insanely decadent pancakes, topped in beef tallow frosting and wagyu burnt ends, available during Sunday brunch; the Texas porchetta, smoked pork belly stuffed with herbs and spices; and, served Saturday and Sunday nights, steak frites topped with chimichurri sauce. brixbarbecue.com

Dayne’s Craft BBQ: Go for the dynamite brisket, stay for the equally good smashburgers, next-level burgers that taste like they came out of a five-star kitchen. daynescraftbarbecue.com

Goldee’s BBQ: The state’s No. 1 ranked barbecue spot is best known for its holy trinity: sausage, brisket, and ribs. But co-owner Nupohn Inthanousay can often be found making and serving dishes that pay homage to his Laotian heritage, including a special Lao sausage and mango sticky rice. goldeesbbq.com

Hurtado BBQ: One of the biggest success stories in the barbecue community belongs to Brandon Hurtado, who went from serving his ‘cue in a food truck to serving his ‘cue at Globe Life Field, where the Texas Rangers play. At his location in Fort Worth, try the Mexican cornbread, a collision of chopped prime brisket, street corn, cilantro, onions, and cheddar cheese baked into a large cornbread muffin that’s topped with garlic butter and honey. His Texas twinkies are tough to beat, too. hurtadobbq.com

Panther City BBQ: By all means, get the brisket elote — Panther City’s fantastic, and fantastically filling, mash-up of corn and chopped brisket. But don’t sleep on their smoked brisket guisada. panthercitybbq.com

Ribbee’s: Newly opened spinoff of Goldee’s specializes in pork ribs, the first ‘cue joint of its kind. They come in various flavors, including hot honey, and are served with sides of crinkle-cut fries, slaw, and dinner rolls. ribbees.com

Sabar BBQ: Located on the Near Southside, this Pakistani-inspired barbecue trailer may be the best ‘cue spot in Fort Worth right now. Everything we’ve tried is great but definitely get the burnt end nihari, a flavorful Pakistani stew, and the excellent lamb ribs. instagram.com/sabarbbq

Smoke N Ash: The best way to try a little bit of everything at this Ethiopianinspired barbecue restaurant in Arlington — and you’re going to want to try a little bit of everything — is by ordering a gebetas, a circular platter filled with smoked meats co-mingling with Ethiopian sauces and sides, all meant to be scooped up and sopped up with injera, a traditional Ethiopian pancake-like flatbread. smokenashbbq.net

Zavala BBQ: Indie spot in Arlington makes its own sausage, and it’s the stuff of next levels, in flavors such as pizza pepper and brisket boudin. zavalasbarbecue.com

Chicken and waffles at Chef’s Corner

4 Courses

Preston Paine, the executive chef at The Crescent Hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant, Emilia’s, and the more exclusive Blue Room, shares some easy-to-make recipes that will impress your dinner guests.

By Preston Paine Photos by Darah Hubbard

TEXAS TOMATO SALAD WITH ALMONDS AND HERBS

Ingredients:

• ½ cup almonds, coarsely chopped and sifted

• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 garlic clove, finely grated

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• Salt

• Pepper

• 2 pounds mixed heirloom tomatoes, some sliced, some halved

• ⅓ cup very thinly sliced red onion, soaked in ice water for 10 minutes

• ½ small jalapeño, minced

• ¼ cup torn mint leaves

Instructions:

1. In a small skillet, cook the almonds in the oil over low heat until well browned, no more than 6 minutes. Strain the oil from the almonds through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl. Separate and save both the almonds and the oil. Immediately whisk the garlic into the warm oil and sugar and whisk until sugar has dissolved. Let cool slightly, then whisk in the vinegar and lime juice. Season the dressing with a pinch of salt and pepper.

2. Spread the tomatoes on a large baking sheet. Season with salt and let stand for 5 minutes so that excess moisture is leeched out.

3. Drain the onions; pat dry.

4. Scatter half of the almonds on a platter and top them with the tomatoes.

5. Drizzle with the dressing and top with the onion, jalapeño, mint, basil, and the remaining almonds. Serve.

CORN AND SHRIMP CHOWDER

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 scallions, minced

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

• 2 cups whole milk

• 1 large red onion, finely chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 3 plum tomatoes

• 6 cups fish stock

• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• Salt

Instructions:

1. In a large, shallow glass or stainless-steel bowl, toss the shrimp with two-thirds of the minced garlic, the scallions, lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 3 hours.

2. In a blender or food processor, puree the corn with the milk. Pour the puree through a coarse strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.

3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the remaining garlic, onion, bell pepper, and cumin and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add the corn milk, stock, cilantro, and cayenne and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until very flavorful, which should be about 20 minutes.

4. Pour and reserve the soup through a coarse strainer. Working in batches, puree the vegetables in a blender. Return the puree and the strained broth to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the shrimp and its marinade and cook over moderate heat until the shrimp are just opaque throughout, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and serve in warmed soup plates or bowls with a few cilantro leaves and a drizzle of good olive oil. Best served with grilled sourdough.

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cups (8 ounces) all-purpose flour

• 6 large egg yolks

• 1 large egg

• 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon milk

• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Add flour and salt to stand mixer and turn on medium with dough hook attachment.

2. Whisk together yolks and whole egg, milk, and olive oil.

3. Once mixed, slowly stream in egg mixture while the stand mixer is spinning.

4. Mix until incorporated, scraping sides and bottom as needed.

5. Once fully incorporated, keep on medium speed for 10 minutes to knead.

6. After it is kneaded, remove the bowl from the mixer, remove dough and form into a ball, place back into the mixing bowl and cover the bowl with a dish towel dampened with warm water, and let sit in a warm dry place for an hour.

7. After the dough has rested, remove from bowl and roll/shape the dough as you see fit into any shape you’d like. This dough is great for either rolled and cut pastas like linguini, pappardelle, or fettucine as well as filled pastas like tortellini, ravioli, and agnolotti.

FRESH PASTA DOUGH

Preston Paine

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients:

• 18 ounces butter, softened

• 8 ounces sugar

• 1 pound brown sugar

• 4 ounces egg, whole

• 1 pound, 4 ounces flour, cake

• 10 ounces flour, bread

• 1 pound, 12 ounces chocolate, 55%

• 8 grams salt

• 11 grams baking soda

• 7 grams vanilla extract

• 35 grams honey

Instructions:

1. Cream together the butter, both sugars, and salt.

2. Add in the eggs, one at a time, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for about 30 seconds.

3. Add the honey, vanilla, chocolate chips, and mix for 1 minute.

4. Add in the flours and baking soda, mixing just until combined.

5. Scoop and transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking tray.

6. Bake at 325 F for 12 minutes.

7. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

photos by Lance Pinnick

Best Companies

FortWorthInc.magazine

Every year, our sister publication, FortWorthInc.,publishes its list of the best companies to work for in Fort Worth. The contest is run and judged by Workforce Research Group, a third-party organization that analyzes companies throughout Fort Worth to find which has the best work environment according to the employees.

Fort Worth Inc.’s 2024 Best Companies To Work For awards luncheon was held at River Ranch Stockyards on Aug. 15. Over 350 attendees from companies across the Greater Fort Worth area gathered for this highly anticipated event to celebrate their accomplishments.

Curtis Needs a Ride provided the entertainment.

Platinum Sponsor: R Bank

Arthur Blanton, Jazmin Serrano, Kent McCune, Toni Zimmerman, Charles McElrath

(Front) Heather Scalf, Cindy Salter, Deanne Schmidt, Krystal Hiranhphom, Dani Little, Lauren Beard, Yvette Harper (Back) Greg Eyster, Esther Odidi, David Petter, Doug Hafer, Connor Smith, Ryan Eady

Cami Miller,Michael Flusche Kayla Cordero, Sherry Williams, Benna Bland, Juls Stocker, Melina Garcia

Bresha Shepherd, Melody Lanier

GIVE BACK

GREATER FORT WORTH’S CHARITY/SOCIAL EVENTS

Celebrating 25 Years of Giving Back

Philanthropy is one of the ways Fort Worth Magazine carries out its mission of celebrating Fort Worth and making it better.

During the past quarter of a century, Fort Worth Magazine has partnered with more than 225 different Tarrant County nonprofits, contributing over $16 million in cash and in-kind donations.

Sept. 5

Lunch & Learn

Sept. 21

Annual Gala

SEPTEMBER

National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Christ’s Haven for Children

Christ’s Haven for Children

Sept. 10

Creating Hope Cooke County

Catholic Charities FW

St. Peters - Lindsay, TX

Sept. 13

Wild Game Dinner

Ronald McDonald House

The Fort Worth Club

Sept. 14

Spread the Love 5K Soul Tea Foundation

Woodshed

Smokehouse

Sept. 14

Hoedown for Heroes

American Warrior Association

Highland Farm

Sept. 15

Main Table

Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.

Main Street

Sept. 19

Hearts of Gold Dinner & Auction

Rutledge Cancer Foundation

River Crest Country Club

Sept. 21

Mad Scientist Ball

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

Sept. 21

7th Annual Clay

Shoot

Pure Adventure

Pure Adventure Ranch

Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

FWCC

Sept. 21

Heart Walk

American Heart Association

Shops at Clearfork

Sept. 26

Mahj for Meals

Tarrant Area Food Bank

River Crest Country Club

Sept. 27

Celebrity Bra Maker

VIP Party

Bras for a Cause

TBD

Sept. 27

Cowtown Ball

American Cancer Society

Fort Worth Zoo

Sept. 27

Elevate

The Ladder Aliance

The 4 Eleven

Sept. 28

Camp El Tesoro

90th Anniversary Celebration

Camp Fire First Texas Camp El Tesoro

Sept. 28

Party on the Porch

Amon Carter Museum

Amon Carter Museum

An evening with Walt Wilkins

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE 10th ANNUAL dinner by Reata | silent auction | cocktails | fun for a great cause

OCTOBER 10, 2024 | THE 4ELEVEN

On Aug. 3, the National Cutting Horse Association held the second annual Military Cutting Competition as part of the NCHA’s Summer Spectacular, which ran from July 13 to Aug. 3. Darah Hubbard snapped the above photo during a practice session on Thursday, Aug. 1. Though fiercely competitive, many of these men, some of whom are still serving in the military, had never ridden a horse. Yet, here they were, training for a cutting horse competition that would occur in less than 48 hours. “This is not an easy sport to learn at all, and they’re getting a crash course,” one of the cutting horse trainers said. “Riding a horse is one thing, but then riding a horse and cutting and working a cow and staying in time with the cow — there’s a lot to it.”

Get your photo on this page and win a $100 gift card to Fort Worth Camera. Just tag FortWorthMagazine (@fwtxmag) and Fort Worth Camera (@fwcamera) and use the hashtags #fwtxmag and #fwcamera on all your amazing Cowtown images.

@itsdarah PHOTO BY DARAH HUBBARD

Read the full story about the NCHA’s tribute to our military at the QR code.

PICTURED: Chris Kosa, GM, Platinum CDJR; Chase Bradley, GM, SouthWest CDJR; Daniel Arceneaux, GM, Pegasus CDJR; Stephen Jimenez, GM, Spur CDJR; Stephen Gilchrist, Dealer Operator, Gilchrist Automotive

Power on the Road

Nick and Jenni Rogers decided to move farther out into the country by purchasing 5 acres in beautiful Ponder. “We enjoy the peace and quiet and a community that looks out for its neighbors,” Nick says. When they make their daily commute into the city, it’s behind the wheel of one of their fun-to-drive Mercedes-AMG performance vehicles from Park Place Motorcars Fort Worth.

Jenni’s 2021 Mercedes-AMG C63 S, a poised and powerful compact coupe, is beautiful from the outside in. The interior boasts all the latest tech features and luxury materials. “I love everything about my C63 S. I have driven a variety of SUVs for the past 20 years, so purchasing a sports car has been a really fun transition,” says Jenni, a senior vice president with Doximity Talent Solutions. Nick’s 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT63 is an impressive

four-door sports car that radiates luxury from both the way the car drives and how it’s equipped. “I absolutely love the look, style, performance, and options on my GT63. I don’t always drive fast, but if needed, I know I can be gone in three seconds,” says Nick, who recently started a recruiting company, GHI Staffing Solutions, as well as co-owning a franchised DonutNV with Jenni.

The couple raves about the Park Place Motorcars Fort Worth dealership’s amazing service. “Joe Sandoval treats us like family. He goes above and beyond to make sure we feel comfortable in our purchases,” Nick says. “At Park Place, they’re Experts in Excellence because the overall experience is second to none,” he says. “When you walk into Park Place, it screams luxury, and our new vehicles mimic just that.”