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Contributors Questions What leader has had the greatest impact on your life?

Issue 31 | Leaders of Fort Worth September/October 2022 Publisher Editor Associate Publisher

Victoria Wise

Angela

Trish

Carolyn

Definitely my mother! She taught me to love unconditionally and how to build a home full of love and good food.

Jesus Christ!

My mother hands down! She taught me the love of God, devotion to family, establishing oneself as an entrepreneur, and making a difference for the better.

Carolyn Morris

Victoria

Edward

Lyle

My parents.

Illustrator

Mark Zuckerberg. Who knew a local Facebook group could blossom into an amazing community and business?

My mother is a great leader, teacher, and inspiration. I continue to learn from her all the time.

Hannah

Lee

Katrina

My mom gave me life and has shaped it in every positive way possible. She inspires me.

Edna Gladney, without whose work I would not have my family, and my parents, who have modeled grace and generosity and love. I couldn’t have better parents. Thank you, Mrs. Gladney.

My grandmother, aka Big Mama.

She taught me how to act in love and lead where you see a need. Her accomplishments inspire me, and I hope I’m walking in her footsteps.

Lee Virden Geurkink Jennifer Kieta

Contributing Writers Lyle Brooks

Katrina Carpenter

Edward Brown

Angela Weaver

Hannah Bush

Contributing Photographer

Trish Wise

Lead Design

Cover Design

Conor Dardis

Victoria Wise

Madeworthy Magazine is an extension of Tanglewood Moms, LLC., and serves to tell community stories for a family audience. For website and magazine advertising opportunities, please contact: Victoria@MadeworthyMedia.com Looking for more copies Madeworthy Magazine? You can subscribe at TanglewoodMoms.com for free or pick up copies at Central Market in Fort Worth or Whole Foods in the Waterside shopping center.

Founded by Richard Marcus in 2015, March to the Polls established their Student Voter Empowerment Coalitions to address a Texas state mandate that high school seniors be introduced to the process of civic engagement twice a year. After all, most high school seniors are or will be of voting age. This includes registering students to vote.

Former Texas State Representative Lon Burnam and March to the Polls board member Athena Chavez were integral in expanding March to the Polls’ mission into Tarrant County schools. Lin Patton joined March to the Polls in 2019 and has been the Tarrant County Voter Engagement Leader since December 2021, working with volunteers to coordinate this important outreach.

According to March to the Polls, only 31% of high schools in our area met the mandated obligation to register students to vote. March to the Polls says that they have raised that number significantly.

Each semester, March to the Polls gives presentations to senior-level social studies classes.

In these presentations, that school’s Student Voting Empowerment Coalition is formed, which allows students to engage on campus throughout the year. March to the Polls started their high school initiative in Dallas County, but now there are Student Voter Empowerment Coalitions across the Metroplex. And March to the Polls is working to build these coalitions on all high school campuses in North Texas.

Camila Correa Bourdeau is March to the Polls’ executive director. She is passionate about giving young people the best tools to become actively involved in their communities.

Coming from an educational background, Bourdeau said, “I immigrated from Chile; my parents were recruited to teach. Because of them, I was encouraged to go into teaching myself. I realized how little I was able to do as a teacher in terms of influencing change. That’s when I started volunteering for school board campaigns and got elected to be a union representative at one of my school campuses.”

Eventually, Bourdeau left the classroom to work for an educational non-profit focused on school boards. It was through that job that she discovered the work March to the Polls was doing with high school campus outreach. She started volunteering with them in 2017 because she saw the chance for a different level of engagement.

“I’ve always been active with voting and voter registration; it’s one of my passions. So when I had this opportunity to work with the youth [of Tarrant County], it was really exciting for me,” Patton said.

CREATING CIVICALLY ENGAGED STUDENTS

by Lyle Brooks Engagement is important. In the past, a high school voter drive might have been a parent sitting at a table in the cafeteria, hoping to register students during their lunch break. Now, as Correa Bourdeau said, “We’re going into the classroom and making sure we’re talking with every senior, putting the registration form in front of their face.”

March to the Polls presents to approximately 20,000 high school seniors every year. Sample ballots are given to the students, encouraging them to research the candidates. A significant part of the classroom presentations involves making students aware of government beyond the national races, familiarizing them with their local elections for city council and school board. At one school, March to the Polls took 50 students on a field trip to a school board meeting so they could see the decisions that impact them most directly being made.

04

In March of 2022, March to the Polls organized meetings with Fort Worth ISD’s leaders, including Dr. Cherie Washington, the districts’ Director of Secondary Schools. She authorized March to the Polls to establish Student Voter Empowerment Coalitions on all 21 secondary school campuses in the district.

Part of the work on school campuses is training volunteers to be licensed to register voters. In order to register voters, a volunteer must become a Voter Deputy Registrar. March to the Polls now offers Voter Deputy Registrar certification training.

“We’ve brought four counties together — Dallas, Collin, Denton, and Tarrant — so people can learn to register voters in all of those counties with one training [session],” Bourdeau said.

Voter Deputy Registrar certification training occurs in the summer. Many teachers and a growing number of parents took advantage of March to the Polls’ certification programs this summer.

Bourdeau knows politics is a divisive subject.

“At the end of the day, it all comes down to trust.

Our work is absolutely on the side of the law [which mandates student voter registration] … we have to provide opportunities for students to register to vote.”

self-described “tone deaf, self-absorbed teenager,” Megan noticed how local business owners were at the center of every good neighborhood. While she left Texas, she always felt Fort Worth was home.

Leaving home to go to college was a difficult transition for Megan. Everything felt foreign, so she left school to move to Miami, but that wasn’t right either. She returned home to go to the University of North Texas, but she couldn’t figure out how to turn her interests into a career. She felt lost.

After college, Megan spent a lot of years traveling the world and working odd jobs. While she loved the people and places she visited, she always felt her roots were leading her home. Her travels gave her a bigger and broader view of the world, which she puts to good use as director of events and communications for Near Southside, Inc., the nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing the Near Southside neighborhood for Fort Worth.

A Love for Community

by Angela Weaver

Megan Henderson loves the Texas tradition of tight-knit communities. Growing up the daughter of pilots who ran their own business, Megan loved the community feel of the airport and the relationships her parents built with other small business owners.

Unfortunately, Megan also watched her parents struggle to keep their business afloat. They eventually went through a catastrophic bankruptcy, but they continued to be passionate about the importance of small businesses to their community. Even as a

Megan remembers that during one holiday break, she was sitting with her friend John Carney in The Chat Room on Magnolia. She was “spouting ideas of how to make this city better and all the things Fort Worth was lacking.” John listened to her talk for a while, and then he said, “Hey, listen. We love you but either put up or shut up. Either get busy fixing, or quit telling us how much better the rest of the world is.”

With this challenge, Megan had found her direction in life.

Around this time, Megan was working at John Peter Smith Hospital. She remembers that a man would come to deliver pizzas and could never figure out where the various departments were. She said, “He would tell me about why he came to the US and about his dreams of opening a restaurant.” He had just opened a pizza business in a gas station across the street from the hospital. His passion and his determination impressed Megan, and she knew that he would achieve his dream. But then she left town again.

When Megan returned to Fort Worth, the pizza man, Nehme Elbitar, was achieving that dream. He was

about to open his restaurant, Chadra Mezza and Grill, and he convinced Megan to come work for him.

There, a customer connected Megan with the folks at Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., and she soon left the restaurant world for the nonprofit world.

Working for Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., gave Megan an understanding of how nonprofits connect with businesses. “If it wasn’t for my childhood and going through those really hard years,” Megan said, “I don’t know if I would have an appreciation for what [nonprofits] are doing and what sacrifices these business owners are making.” After working for Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., she took on her current role with Near Southside, Inc. Megan’s job description is nebulous, but she’s the perfect person for it. She tells the stories of the people of the Near Southside community. She works on economic development and small business support, answering questions for property owners, explaining public policy. She’s a problem solver. She also produces newsletters, helps to find funding, and in her copious spare time, produces all the Near Southside’s events and festivals that Fort Worth loves: ArtsGoggle, Open Streets, Park(ing) Day, and Friday on the Green.

Fun fact: the beer concession for Friday on the Green is still run by Nehme and Chadra. Near Southside, Inc. prides itself on the fact that their members are really part of one big family.

“What makes the Near Southside so special is that there is space for everyone. Any passion or idea, any point of view, you can come in and be a part of the community and learn from each other.”

When asked for her official job title, Megan says, “I’m just a girl from the Southside.” She lives with her wife Tatara, an artist at SiNaCa Glass Studio, and their daughter on “the southern side of the Southside.”

She uses her experiences and her passion to help others. She is an advocate, an inspiration, and a friend to everyone she encounters.

Photo by Make Something Beautiful, Ben Bender

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Fresh Family Recipes

by Lee Virden Geurkink

Lil Boy Blue BBQ’s Salmon Croquettes

Carrie Lou's Peach Cobbler

Reggie and Cedric Robinson run Lil Boy Blue BBQ, and Cedric shared his recipe for a family favorite. He wrote, “We think it fitting to honor our first love alongside our culture in one of our favorite recipes, salmon croquettes. If you don't know them, it’s essentially a dumpling reconfigured inside a butterysaltine cracker crust that doubles as the best-fried fish you've ever had. It delivers a striking balance of the sea and the savory in each bite. Pro Tip: They're irresistible when cooked in a seasoned cast iron skillet with butterflavored shortening.”

Ingredients 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons flour 1/ cup milk 4 1 14.75-ounce can or two 7.5-ounce cans pink or red salmon, drained, deboned, flaked (reserving the liquid) 1/ to 1 small onion, depending 2 on taste, finely diced Black pepper to taste Vegetable oil 1 sleeve of saltine crackers, crumbled 1 egg, lightly beaten

Chef Carrie boasts an illustrious 25-year of fine dining experience, serving diners of all backgrounds and palates. Carrie has also been recognized for her partnership with local churches and community centers to feed and help seniors in the greater Fort Worth Community. Carrie Lou's is named after Chef Carrie's great-grandmother and namesake, Carrie Lou Williams, the originator of this delicious cobbler. Please note, this recipe has been modified for home cooks.

Ingredients For the filling 4 15-ounce cans peaches, drained 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 1/2 cups white sugar (divided use) Pinch of salt 1 stick unsalted butter (divided use), cubed

Directions In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and mix thoroughly. Stirring constantly, cook a couple minutes to cook off raw flour taste. Add milk and whisk in completely. Mixture will thicken quickly. Add onion and cook until onion becomes slightly tender. Add deboned and well drained salmon and mash into white sauce mixture.

Add pepper and cook for 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Mixture will resemble mashed potatoes.

Scrape mixture into a large bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly touching the salmon mixture (to eliminate crusting and drying) and place in refrigerator until mixture is completely cool. In the meantime, using a dough roller, roll crackers that have been placed in a plastic zippered bag until they make fine crumbs and set aside. Beat the egg in a plate with approximately 2 tablespoons of the reserved salmon liquid. Beat until thoroughly mixed, set aside.Working in batches, spoon salmon mixture by the heaping tablespoonful directly on cracker crumbs. Roll salmon croquettes in crumbs, then roll in egg mixture, and roll again in cracker crumbs. Shape in desired shape and set aside. Repeat until all salmon mixture is used. Heat vegetable oil or shortening in a large skillet, cast iron preferred, to approximately 350° or medium high. Place salmon croquettes in heated oil and cook approximately 2 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown. NOTE: Do not over crowd the pan because too many croquettes will cause the heat to drop. Also, watch and make sure that the heat is not too high so that the croquettes will cook completely inside and outside.

Enjoy! These are good hot or cold. Serve with buttered grits

Rainbow Carrots with Harissa This recipe from Central Market’s cooking school is easy and delicious. It’s perfect for a busy night or a dinner party.

Ingredients 1 pound rainbow carrots, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise 2 tablespoons ghee* 1 clove garlic, minced 3 tablespoons harissa paste** 1 tablespoon honey Juice of 1 lemon Chopped cilantro and lemon zest for garnish

For the crust 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/ teaspoon fine salt 8 3 tablespoons white sugar 1/ cup vegetable shortening, cold 4 12 tablespoons cold butter, cubed 1/ cup to 1/ cup ice water 4 2

Directions For the filling Combine the peaches, cinnamon, nutmeg, 1 cup of sugar, and salt.

For the crust In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the cold shortening and work it with your fingers, coating it with flour. Add in the cold butter cubes and work into the flour mixture using your hands, a fork, or a pastry cutter. Work quickly so the butter doesn’t soften too much. The mixture should be crumbly and look like coarse cornmeal. A little bit at a time, add in the ice water, mixing until a dough is formed. Once the dough comes together, STOP working it. The dough will get really tough if it’s worked too long. Form a ball with the dough, divide in half, and form each half into a round disk shape.

Wrap each disk in plastic and chill for about 30 minutes.

For the cobbler Preheat the oven to 350°.

Roll the chilled dough disks out on a floured surface into a rectangle that will fit a 9x13 baking dish. Place the first crust into the bottom of the pan. Poke holes in the crust with a fork to keep the dough from bubbling up through the cobbler. Spread the peach mixture over the bottom crust, and top with half the cubed stick of butter. Place the second crust over the peach mixture and poke vent holes. Spread the remaining half of the cubed stick of butter over the crust and sprinkle everything with the remaining sugar. Bake for 1 hour. Check to see that the crust is nice and golden brown. If not, cook 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven, cool a little, and serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Or just eat it out of the pan!

and Honey Directions In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the ghee. Add the carrots and sauté until they are tender but not soft, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds before adding the harissa and honey.

Toss the carrots well and then add the lemon juice. Toss again, making sure the carrots are well-coated. Turn the heat down to low and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with chopped cilantro and lemon zest. Serves 4 as a side. * Ghee is a clarified butter used in Indian cuisine. ** Harissa is a Moroccan pepper paste. It can be spicy or more mild. This recipe is great with the spicier version, if your family can handle it.

06

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Giving People A Second Chance

by Edward Brown

Fort Worth’s civic leaders have long worked to address homelessness.

While groups like the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition and Catholic Charities have success stories, the shelters around East Lancaster remind us that finding housing and resources for people experiencing homelessness remains a seemingly intractable problem.

In 2020, local real estate agent Tuan Phan and a team of volunteers created The Tuan Foundation to address economic inequality and affordable housing in our community.

Phan said his family wanted to create a legacy in Fort Worth, and housing was a natural focus. Tuan’s father, Cuong Phan, now works in real estate after a long career as an engineer for Lockheed Martin.

Tuan said his family’s knowledge of renovating and flipping homes will help the nonprofit self-fund a variety of programs.

“We plan on buying properties and charging low-market rent,” he said, adding that any income would go directly toward funding the charity.

“The other side of the program is job training. We would teach people the trades of flipping a house – hanging doors, installing drywall, plumbing, etc. Hopefully they can use those skills in the wider market, especially with the shortage of labor we have right now.”

The charity will pay anyone in the job training program a living wage while they learn their craft. Once the renovations are complete, the Foundation would sell the home to continue to fund The Tuan Foundation programs.

Although the Foundation is still in the early stages, the goal is to provide the refurbished homes to individuals who are often priced out of the housing market.

“The way the market is now, people are having cash offers,” Tuan said. “Think of people who are teachers. It’s a good solid job, but they can’t always save enough for a down payment. We would target those buyers… We wouldn’t just try to put our homes on the open market.”

Kathleen UpdePac, The Phan Foundation president, said adressing homelessness addresses many societal problems. Ending homelessness frees taxpayer funds for other programs, she said.

"Things go wrong," UpdePac added. "I like the idea of giving people a second chance."

After speaking with directors at local nonprofits, UpdePac said the Foundation will focus on training young people who are aging out of the state’s foster care system.

Helping young adults, particularly ones who haven’t had a steady home, can prevent them from falling into homelessness.

According to the National Foster Youth Institute, nearly one in four foster care children are homeless within four years of turning 18.

Photo by Andrew Updegrove

Tuan said the Foundation’s team applied for a county grant to launch some initiatives, and he has spoken with some city councilmembers about the possibility of using city grant funds for foundation projects. Those conversations revealed the politics of where affordable housing and shelters are placed in Fort Worth.

Here and across the country, many cities struggle with placing affordable housing evenly throughout the city.

“As a city, we need to address NIMBYism,” Tuan said, referring to the acronym N.I.M.B.Y., meaning “Not in My Backyard.”

“Basically, the way society is set up is segregated,” he said. “You have commercial areas here, lowincome projects there, and upscale homes here. By physically separating

society, you separate people socioeconomically, and you mentally separate people. We would like to address that because housing is the basis of everything.”

UpdePac said one way to begin reversing segregation within a city is through something she called urban acupuncture. The idea is to elevate the look and value of a neighborhood through adaptive reuse of old buildings.

“Imagine there is a dilapidated bank in a bad part of town,” she said.

“If you convert that into a multiplex, that is good for the fabric of the city. It elevates the neighborhood.”

Fort Worth can become a national leader in the effort to end chronic homelessness and address affordable housing supply. Tuan said the problem is daunting, but the solution may simply mean a new approach.

“We think we can solve these problems,” he said. “We are young and idealistic. The people at City Hall think these problems are solvable, too. If you have enough housing stock, you can have housing for people who need it. That means no one will be homeless for a long time, and anyone who transitions out of supportive housing frees that space for a new tenant… NIMBYism, that’s the biggest problem. People don’t want this in their backyard. I think with a generational shift and a change in attitudes, this can be solved.”

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by Madeworthy Editorial Staff Photos courtesy of Fort Works Art

Fort Worth has become a place for artists to come to explore their talents. This is, in large part, due to the efforts of Lauren Saba. Co-owner of Fort Works Art, one of the forces behind the Fort Worth Art Dealers twice-yearly Gallery Nights, and a leader in the Fort Worth art scene, Saba is showing local artists that is it possible to stay in Fort Worth and be a success.

Madeworthy: Tell us about Fort Works Art and your role in growing young talent?

Lauren Saba: Fort Works Art began as a pop-up show in 2014 when there were limited resources for artists to show their work… There is now a tremendous number of new spaces showing local artists, and [Fort Worth] has become quite a wonderful city to live and show your work in… our role in the cultural makeup of this city has changed. We are focused on doing fewer but larger and more ambitious projects.

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Offering an environment for individuals to come and interact with art is another direction… Our goal is to create temporal installations that you have to physically attend and are not going to be shown somewhere else… art that is created by living artists who understand how to fill a space and think outside of the box.

MW: You created Gallery of Dreams in 2017 to bring artists together to address social, political, and cultural issues. Have you seen your vision come to life in the way that you have imagined?

LS: We have brought wonderful projects to fruition. During the pandemic, we partnered with local organizations and individuals to give out over $300,000 in grants to artists and musicians… it was a wonderful community resource during a very difficult time.

[Another program is] the Mayorial High School Art Competition exhibition…

Every year, local students are selected to exhibit their work in a white wall gallery with a reception in their honor and cash prizes… The validation that the students get… leaves me with tears in my eyes. It is powerful.

The A.I.R. (Artist-In-Residency) program brings artists in to create work in our space… the program allows the community to see art being made and allows them to communicate directly with the artist. Crystal Wagner just installed an incredible environment... We paired her with four local female artists, and what they created in 12 days is breathtaking…

MW: Where do you think Fort Worth's art scene is headed in the next part of the 21st century?

LS: We’ve seen a lot of growth in how our community supports local artists – exhibiting artworks and creating murals for our city. We are still behind, however, in supporting these artists' reach outside of our community. Being a living and working artist is very challenging... artists need to be able to sell their work, apply for grants, and participate in residencies to support their careers.

This cannot be done in one city.

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MW: Which artists have you seen grow and succeed, and why do you think that is?

LS: Dan Lam, Riley Holloway, and Austin Uzor are three artists that come to mind. Their trajectories have been nothing short of a dream to watch. They have all gone on to sell their work and show internationally, and recently Lam did a large-scale artwork at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas… they all have the work ethic, commitment, and passion that are required for this type of success. They also all are extremely focused and set goals for their futures…

MW: Tell us about Art Worth, the new fine arts festival coming this October.

LS: Greg Belz is bringing this new festival to our city, and it is very focused on craft. I am thrilled to have this coming, as craft artists are not supported on the level I would like to see locally. This is a big step forward…

MW: Fort Worth has become an incubator for all sorts of artists. What is it about this city that allows artists to thrive here like they might not in other cities?

LS: This is an easy one. Fort Worth has more access to museums, artists, musicians, creators, organizations, and arts patrons than any other city I’ve been in. It opens doors for artists... this tremendous dedication to supporting culture is a very special thing, and it is truly unique to Fort Worth.

USING HER STRENGTHS TO CREATE COMMUNITY

by Lee Virden Geurkink

Photos by Carolyn Morris

10

Leah King is a busy woman. When she’s not bringing together nonprofit organizations, private businesses, governmental agencies, and individuals in her capacity as president and chief operating officer of the United Way of Tarrant County, she serves on various boards, including the Tarrant Regional Water District, in her copious free time.

“I drive my husband crazy. He’s like, ‘Really? One more thing?’” King admits that “no” is not her favorite word.

Although King is not a native Fort Worthian, her love of this city has served its people well.

King’s father was in the military, and his career had his family moving from pillar to post all over the world. After her parents divorced, King and her sister moved with their mother to Philadelphia, where she attended high school. She went to Rutgers University to study biomedical engineering.

“After my freshman year, I went to work in a hospital. For me, the eye-opening part was recognizing how much I would be working with machines, not people,” King said as we sat in her office on the North Side. “Until that point, I wasn’t mature enough to know that I needed the people and not the machines. So it had me rethinking my life… I enjoyed the work, but I couldn’t see living my life in one of these labs that are totally white and sterile. I needed to rethink things.”

King left Rutgers and headed to Dallas Baptist University. But that wasn’t the answer, either. So she took a job at a RadioShack in North Carolina. It was this job that eventually brought her to Fort Worth.

While King was serving as a store manager in North Carolina, RadioShack started a new marketing initiative called the Answer Team. “It was probably one of the most comprehensive marketing campaigns I’ve ever seen,” King said. “They brought one of their primary assets, the store managers, into the marketing, choosing six to become the Answer Team. It was the Answer Team’s job to help people across the country to not only utilize but maximize the electronics they got from RadioShack. It was so brilliant.”

Although King did not have a college degree, the upper management at RadioShack knew a winner when they saw one. Len Roberts was the chief operating officer of RadioShack at the time. “He gave me a shot. He believed in me,” King said with a smile. “There were times when I didn’t always believe in myself, and he was so encouraging and helped me.”

King was invited to be a part of the Answer Team. It was an exciting time. “The six of us traveled around the country; we did morning tv and print and radio interview to promote the Answer Team,” said King.

“And by this time, another component had been added to the campaign – crime prevention and safety. We weren’t making a hard sell of the security products; we were really trying to help people understand how to be aware of their surroundings and take responsibility for their personal safety.”

The crime prevention aspect of the new marketing campaign took off, and King was pulled off the Answer Team to come back to Fort Worth to develop it. Part of the crime prevention initiative was producing videos for law enforcement across the country. “We had incredible programming working with a variety of organizations,” King remembered.

“I did a diversity program way back in ’95 or ’96, bringing training and conversation around diversity and inclusion, perception versus reality to law enforcement officers. It was a great program.”

It was around this time that King settled in Fort Worth. “I was supposed to be her temporarily, but I was asked to stay on permanently. I had already fallen in love with Fort Worth – I originally came as a store manager for a week of training in the late ‘80s,” King said. “Before I left that training… I bought a postcard, and I wrote a note to my mom.

It was a picture of the Tandy Center, and I said, ‘I’m going to live here some day.’”

Settling in Fort Worth was somewhat momentous for King. As the child of the military, she moved constantly, leaving schools before she could really make friends. It left her both able to adapt to almost any situation, a skill that would come in handy in her professional life, and at the same time rootless.

“”

There were times when I didn’t always believe in myself, and he was so encouraging and helped me.

King admitted that when she was young, she felt that rootlessness. “You have people who say, ‘Oh, we’ve been friends since we were seven years old” – I have no concept of that… As a military brat and moving around constantly, I never got to pick where I lived.” During her time with RadioShack, she felt the pull of wanting to belong to a community. She found that community here in Fort Worth, and it felt like home.

“And then I met a boy. That didn’t hurt.”

Barry King was originally from Kentucky but had been in the Metroplex for several years. He and Leah met at RadioShack and started dating. For several months, the young couple kept their relationship quiet, but they decided to go public at a holiday party. “Len [Roberts} walked in as a saw us,” said King. “He said, ‘Leah, Barry, I need to talk to you NOW.’ I was convinced he was going to tell us we had to quit! He asked how long we’d been dating and then said, ‘The only thing I don’t like about it is that it wasn’t my idea. I’m supposed to be the marketing master around here – I should have been the one to think of this!’”

Roberts’ personal style of leadership made a big impression on King. He made her feel like she could do anything and, more importantly, that she mattered. Not just to the company; she mattered as a person.

RadioShack gave King a community to belong to and a foundation for her later career as an executive and a leader. Fast forward to 2020, and King would use every bit of that knowledge when the world turned upside down.

King came to the United Way of Tarrant County

11

(UWTC) in 2016 as executive vice president. In late 2019, she was named president and CEO. And then the pandemic hit. King said, “It was like, ‘Congratulations! You’re CEO and president. Now we’re going to close the world. Good luck.”

For over 125 years, the United Way has raised money and coordinated services between nonprofits and the community they serve. The United Way of Tarrant County was founded as the first community chest in the Southwest in 1922 and serves as the link between government entities, corporations, private donors, and local nonprofits. It is a vital part of our community.

“We’re a team of about 70,” said King. “That’s it.

We normally touch, both directly and indirectly, about 350,000 people in Tarrant County. After Covid hit, we were helping 500,000 people.”

One of King’s great strengths is that she is cool in a crisis. “I’ve come to accept that; that’s where God leads me. I was lead to United Way.” Three days before the City of Fort Worth shut down, King told her team that if they weren’t in the habit of taking their laptops home, they should get in the habit immediately. She reached out to the chief financial officer to make sure they had enough funds to meet their financial obligations. She met with the program team to say that any organization that receives funding from the UWTC needed to be released to use the money however they needed.

She met with human resources and marketing.

She started an organization-wide daily phone call because she realized that communication was paramount during that time of separation, isolation, and lightning fast changes.

team had to take care of themselves. Little gestures make a big difference in times of great stress.

“”

Every one of our team members rolled their sleeves up and worked. No one said, ‘This is more than I signed up for.’

Then King started calling community leaders, business leaders, local governments, and the United Way’s partners. King remembered, “I simply told them, ‘Here’s what we’re doing, this is what we’re doing, this is what we need.’ It was one of the most coordinated time periods in terms of what was happening on the ground. If one organization was having trouble, another was able to help.”

One of the first things that King did when it became apparent that Covid wasn’t going away was to reach out to Fort Worth ISD to ask if there were children they served who couldn’t access food. For many families, school breakfasts and lunches are the only way they can keep their children fed. Understanding this, Fort Worth ISD started distributing food to families at places across the city, but there were still children who, for whatever reason, were not able to receive that food.

“Fort Worth ISD gave me about a dozen different apartment complexes where the residents weren’t able to get the food,” King said. “So we went out, raised some funds, and then worked with a local

catering company to provide family meals to offset the food these children would normally eat at school. It was important for us to do meals for the family, not just the student, because we wanted to be sure that everyone in the house was receiving nourishment…

“This was well outside [the UWTC’s] core competency; however, it was a defined, major need in the community, so as an organization, we had a responsibility to respond and an obligation to help.”

King is justifiably proud of the UWTC team. Many cities did not weather the Covid crisis as well as Fort Worth and Tarrant County did, and the UWTC played a large part in that success.

“Every one of our team members rolled their sleeves up and worked. No one said, ‘This is more than I signed up for.’ They just said, ‘Let’s do it. Where do you need me?’ You cannot ask for anything better,“ King said.

While proud of their work, King also realized that the

“Initially, we thought that the shutdown would last for a few weeks and then everything would be back to normal. When it dragged on, we realized we needed to support the team. We got the Calm app for everybody… Human Resources would send care packages with notes and small tokens to say we’re thinking about you and thank you. These were just little things, but it said that they were cared for and appreciated and recognized.”

Just when it looked like normality might be in sight, George Floyd was murdered, and the world shifted off its axis again.

King said, “[George Floyd’s murder] impacted me…

I heard him calling for his mother in my sleep…

At times like that, it’s my natural inclination to go inward, but I couldn’t pretend this wasn’t happening, so over that long, long weekend, I decided to share my feeling in a video on Facebook.”

Recognizing the UWTC team needed to know what their president was experiencing as a Black Woman, King reached out. “They needed to know what I was going through as a person. They also needed to know that whatever they were feeling, they weren’t alone, so we [Zoomed] to share our emotions, our feelings, our hopes, our prayers… I think it brought us together more as a team. How ironic is it that even though we were physically as far away from each other as we have ever been, being authentic and true brought us together in a place we might not have gotten to without this.”

From a peripatetic childhood, Leah King learned to appreciate community. It is that love of community that defines her leadership style. King uses her skills as a communicator to enfold her team members, her friends, and her family and to make her community a better place for everyone.

“It took me a little while to figure out what I was led to do. My favorite things are to be around people and to talk… my whole career has been about that.”

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

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4

5

What things start with the letter A?

Find triangles in your house.

11

12

Build a tower using any materials.

WELLNESS

Put some music on and dance!

2

3

Write 3 things you wonder about.

Spend some time outdoors.

9

10

Help set the table for a family meal.

14

15

Listen to an audio book.

Practice counting by 10s.

Draw a picture of your family.

What words rhyme with cat?

Compliment your family members.

19

20

21

22

23

24

Practice taking 3 deep breaths.

Choose an insect to learn about.

26

27

28

29

Share a joke with a family member.

Practice reciting your address.

Tell someone how you are feeling.

Do something kind for the earth.

SCIENCE

SUNDAY

1

Learn a new word and tell someone.

25

Retell your favourite story.

SATURDAY

8

18

Practice tying your shoelaces.

FRIDAY

7

Fold a paper airplane.

6

THURSDAY

Turn a scribble into a picture!

10

13

PLAY

MONDAY

Find a puzzle to complete.

LITERACY

TUESDAY

MATH

B

What things start with the letter B?

VISUAL ARTS

WEDNESDAY

Practice your phone number.

What are you grateful for today?

16

17

Look for things that Make a poster for your door. have symmetry.

30

Play with a ball.

SPEECH

THURSDAY

Love yourself!

OTHER SKILLS

FAMILY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

activity calendar OCTOBER for kids

100

2

Practice counting to 100.

9

Play a game of "Eye" Spy.

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Paint with your fingers!

C

What things start with the letter C? 17

Choose a fruit to pack tomorrow.

Look outside for the moon tonight.

23 Go on a listening walk with family.

24 Try to eat something new.

30 31 Collect leaves and What words rhyme make leaf art. with lip?

SCIENCE

5

Recite any poem Ask any question to out loud. a family member.

10

16

WELLNESS

4

Sort a collection of objects.

Use recyclables to create something.

18

Build a blanket fort and play.

Sing a familiar song out loud!

Think of 3 things you love to do.

Think of a robot you could invent.

Choose a board game to play!

LITERACY

MATH

VISUAL ARTS

15

Have a movie night with your family.

Help to wash the dishes today.

21

Draw jack-olantern faces.

What would you buy with $100.

27

Find a leaf from outside to draw.

14

20

26

8

Repeat, "I Am Loved" 3 times.

13

25

PLAY

7

Write down your full name.

19

Make up a silly rhyming poem.

Write a thank you note to someone.

6

12

11

1

Z

22

Learn to say 'HI' in another language.

28

29

What things start with the letter Z?

How many clocks can you find?

SPEECH

FAMILY

OTHER SKILLS

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Talking Leadership with

Jennifer Treviño

by Madeworthy Editorial Team A member of the 2009 class at Leadership Fort Worth (LFW), Jennifer Treviño has been the organization’s executive director since 2020. She sat down to talk with Madeworthy about leadership and the role LFW plays in our city.

Madeworthy: For our readers who aren’t familiar with Leadership Fort Worth, what does the organization do?

Jennifer Treviño: Since 1972, Leadership Fort Worth has been providing Fort Worth with diverse and enlightened leaders through our community leadership development programs. We engage and challenge leaders to plan for the future and function as trustees by committing themselves to making their communities a better place to live.

Our mission is to educate, empower, and connect diverse leaders who serve as catalysts for a vibrant and sustainable community. Our vision is a community where everyone can be a leader and to serve the greater good.

Our programs include: • LeadershipClass – gathers established leaders for training in collaboration to address significant issues; 1st class graduated in 1973 • LeadingEdge – builds capacity, connections, and community trusteeship among the city’s emerging leaders, while also teaching leadership techniques and decision-making processes; 1st cohort graduated in 2009 • LeaderKids – provides selected 8th graders a way to develop leadership abilities through community involvement; 1st cohort graduated in 1996 • LeaderPrime – offers high-level civic orientation and engagement for the newest CEO’s and C-suite executives in Fort Worth and the surrounding area; 1st cohort graduated in 2016 MW: You’ve made a career in the non-profit sector.

What is it about working with non-profits that you find satisfying?

JT: The short answer is making a difference in people’s lives and working to make our community better for everyone.

I’ve been working in the nonprofit sector professionally for four years and as a volunteer, board member, and donor for 18 years. I discovered that I must connect with the mission or purpose of the organization I work for; otherwise, it was just a job. Nonprofits provide that opportunity and tap into my strengths of making things better, bringing people along to support the cause, and connecting people to help each other and do good things for others.

Photo by Rachel DeLira

when I went through the LeadershipClass in 2009.

I knew program graduates were “movers and shakers” in our city, so I saw it as a way to further my professional skills, network, and learn more about the broader community… I was always aware of being a minority in the room, whether that was being the only woman or person of color (I’m Hispanic on my mother’s side and Black on my father’s side). That’s how most of my professional career has been except when I was at Girls Inc. of Tarrant County, and I worked with a diverse group of women. Looking back, LFW and the experiences I had and relationships I formed played a huge part in my work across the community, which helped motivate me to run for City Council in 2017.

MW: How was it to step into the LFW executive director role knowing your predecessor, Harriet Harral, was in the position for almost 25 years?

JT: It was exciting, intimidating, and challenging all at once! But it’s also something I’m glad to be doing as only the third executive director and the first person of color to lead the organization. I am a strong believer that you need different leaders at different times to take organizations to the next level. My goal is to build upon the foundation that Tiny Batts and Harriet Harral laid to leave LFW in an even stronger position as the work continues for years to come.

MW: What do you think in your education prepared you most for the roles you serve today?

JT: I think having a strong knowledge of businesses and organizations and how people function within them has been very helpful in all my roles across now six industries.

MW: What have you been able to achieve in the last year that you are most proud of?

JT: We re-launched all our programs in person in the fall of 2021 with some of the most diverse cohorts we’ve had to date. Nearly 50 years on, LFW continues to build momentum and energy around the organization and the leadership pipeline we are fostering.

MW: What do you have your sights set on for the next year?

JT: Celebrating Leadership Fort Worth’s 50th Anniversary in a big way in June 2023!

MW: You’re a graduate of LFW. How did LFW affect your professional development as a Hispanic woman in business?

MW: LFW is one of the oldest leadership development programs in the US. What role do you think LFW will play in the Fort Worth of the future?

JT: [I was working at UNT Health Science Center]

JT: Now more than ever, we need well-prepared

14

leaders to serve in all sectors, and LFW is positioned to not only help develop leaders but also serve as a community sounding board as Fort Worth tackles tough issues such as affordable housing and a stronger public transportation system.

Through June 2022, we have graduated 3,959 people across all programs, so we have a strong record of providing leaders across the community.

That doesn’t mean we can be complacent, and that’s why we continue to enhance and adapt our programs to keep pace with the leadership needs of our broader community now and for the future.

MW: How do other cities’ leadership programs (like Dallas) work together?

JT: In the past, I understand we held a regional conference. Currently, we network and connect each other with program participants and partners. I’d love to partner with other local leadership programs even more in the future.

MW: What are some words of encouragement you would give to the next set of leaders starting out today?

JT: Like Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Surround yourself with good people in all aspects of your life – they will help you be a better leader. Don’t get so focused on the goal that you don’t enjoy the journey because that is the space where life occurs.

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Fort Worthies

This issue of Madeworthy is all about leaders in Fort Worth. In this issue’s Fort Worthies, we wanted to spotlight some of the incredible leaders in our community | by Lee Virden Geurkink

The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation (JEHF), a Fort Worth nonprofit working to eradicate suicide by funding depression research and promoting suicide awareness through education, announced Matt Vereecke as chief operating officer in August of 2022. Prior to coming to JEHF, Vereecke was Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Catholic Diocese of Dallas.

He brings more than 15 years of experience in teaching and educational leadership to the position.

In January of 2022, Michelle Green-Ford was named the president and chief

executive officer of the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce (FWMBCC). Ms. Green-Ford is the first female president in the FWMBCC’s history.

She brings a wealth of experience with her to the job. Green-Ford came from JPS Health Network, where she was a vice president and chief diversity officer.

Previously, Green-Ford owned a training and consulting company. “I feel honored to serve in the capacity of assisting business owners to achieve their goals,” Green-Ford said in a press release. “My overall focus is to partner with others to create a community where everyone can thrive.”

Joel Heydenburk, a real estate partner with Jackson Walker, recently became the board chairman of the Real Estate Council of Fort Worth.

Heydenburk is an alumnus of TCU, where he received

a bachelor’s in business administration. He received both an MBA and a law degree from Texas Tech. In a news release, Heydenburk said, “The Real Estate Council has been a leader in advancing commercial real estate interests and the community at large for years, and I look forward to working with the association to continue its mission.”

In March of 2022, the Morris Foundation named Elizabeth R. Brands, Ed.D, as its newest president and chief executive officer. Mrs. Brands has been with the Foundation since 2016, previously serving as the head of education giving.

The Morris Foundation was founded 36 years ago to provide people in need with resources to offer them the opportunity for a more hopeful future in the areas of education, healthcare, and social services. Mrs. Brands is

also the executive director of Read Fort Worth.

Photo by Joe Loper

Photo courtesy of ABS

In 1994, Patrick Phillips founded American Billing Systems (ABS) to provide billing support to medical professionals. Now, Patrick’s son, Adam Phillips, has been named the company’s new chief executive officer.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, doctors are increasingly outsourcing their billing to companies like ABS. Under Adam’s leadership, American Business Systems offers aspiring individuals another option – business ownership with minimal downside and maximum training and support so that industrious people can achieve success on their terms.

Andrew Eschelbacher recently took over as director of collections and exhibitions at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art (the Carter). He came to the Carter from the American Federation of Arts, a nonprofit that develops exhibitions for museums, develops art education programs, and publishes exhibition catalogs.

Eschelbacher served as director of curatorial affairs.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Carter, a museum I have long admired for its deep connection to its communities and for its extraordinary collection and tradition of vanguard scholarship,” said Eschelbacher in a release from the Carter.

minority business owners from east of 35.”

If you listed all the hospitals in Fort Worth, you’d find residents say they need and help connect them to What that first roundtable found was that resources. the greatest concentration of them in the 76104 zip Madeworthy talked with Katrina Carpenter, owner minority business owners were mostly unaware of code. In fact, the area with JPS, Texas Health Harris resources that are available to them. “For example, Methodist, Cook Children’s, Medical City Fort Worth, of Carpenter’s Café and Catering and a founding to get access to city government contracts, you have ambassador of BRAV/R Together. and Baylor, Scott & White All Saints is commonly to be certified,” Carpenter said. “The owners said “I grew up in Como. We were literally a called the Medical District. that they noticed that the same businesses were neighborhood separated by a wall. Now I’ve got my So why is it that the residents of 76104 have the getting the city contracts, but if they aren’t certified, roots in 76104, and it’s the same thing,” Carpenter lowest life expectancy in the state? they can’t get one. So we needed to figure out how said. “I-35 is a wall separating people… So when I This was the result of a study done by UT to help them get certified.” was asked to be an ambassador, I couldn’t say no.”

Southwestern in 2019. The study found that most The result was that BRAV/R Together hosted (Yes. You read that right. The Como neighborhood early deaths in 76104 were concentrated east of I-35 a workshop to help get minority business owners in the majority-Black neighborhoods of Morningside, was separated from the Ridglea neighborhood by certified. Now these businesses can bid for city Hillside, and Historic Southside. Additionally, it found a wall that was build in the 1940s. It came down in government contracts. “Really, it’s a that the maternal mortality rate in 76104 is collective effort to remove the barriers to the highest in the state. And Texas is one of success,” Carpenter said.

And the the top 10 states with the highest maternal ambassadors in the other sectors do mortality rates In the country. the same to help remove obstacles to It was this study that inspired the creation equitable education, affordable housing, of BRAV/R Together, short for BRAVE/RACE and better healthcare.

Together, a nonprofit founded by Shawn Also present at that first roundtable

by Katrina Carpenter & Lee Virden Geurkink | Photo by Habitat Agency Lassiter, Chief of Equity and Innovation Carpenter hosted was Robert Sturns, at Leadership ISD, and the United Way Economic Development Director for of Tarrant County that is dedicated to the City of Fort Worth, and Christina Brooks, Chief the 1970s, there are still Como residents who were addressing the roots of systemic inequities in Equity Officer and Director of the Diversity and affected by it.) our city.

Inclusion Department of the City of Fort Worth.

While it was a healthcare study that spurred According to the United Way’s website, “…the Their attendance, Carpenter emphasized, was vital.

BRAVE/R Together initiative is a group of community- BRAV/R Together’s founding, the organization “At that first roundtable, the City of Fort Worth doesn’t focus solely on accessible healthcare. It based ambassadors who work alongside community was listening. They were hearing what its residents is built on four key sectors that address historical leaders and leverage grassroots organizations, needed.” inequities: business/employment, education, corporate partners, public officials, and area And that is the greater purpose of BRAVE/R healthcare, and housing. residents to envision and fund innovative solutions.

Together, to Carpenter’s way of thinking. “We are Because of her successful business in 76104, The ambassadors are at the forefront of addressing here to help bridge the gaps that contribute Carpenter was asked to be a part of the business/ inequities in 76104. The 76104 Ambassadors have to the inequity in our city. We link hands employment sector. Her first order of business was to committed to focus on the four core inequities by host a community roundtable at Amphibian Stage on with the community on one side, convening other community leaders.” and we link hands with city on the the barriers minority business owners in 76104 face.

BRAV/R Together is unique. There is no other other side. That way, we can “When I was trying to get minority business organization like it in the United States. Instead of bridge those gaps.” owners together from 76104, I was stunned that I coming into 76104 and telling the residents what could count on one hand the number,” Carpenter they need to do to overcome the barriers they face, remembered. “We had a real hard time finding the organization’s ambassadors listen to what the

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The Epitome of a

SERVANT LEADER

by Hannah Bush

If you ask Winjie Tang Miao about her path to executive leadership with Texas Health Resources, one of the largest faith-based, nonprofit health systems in the United States, she will tell you that it’s a “very simple one.” That succinct response is not braggadocio. On the contrary, it’s the modest response of a person unfazed by (or perhaps even unaware of) personal achievement. Her role as senior executive vice president and chief operating officer for a health system that cares for more patients in North Texas than any other provider, however, gives her away.

My assumption is that Miao must have excellent upper body strength since her 22-year tenure at Texas Health Resources has been a constant upward climb.

Photo courtesy of Winjie Tang Miao

Starting at the bottom rung in 2000 as an administrative resident at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Miao, fresh out of graduate school, oversaw the development of more than $500 million in construction, as well as the growth and development of outpatient clinics and oncology services. Fast forward seven years, and she was named president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Azle before moving on to serve as the inaugural president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance.

While I stop to catch my breath, let me mention that we are only halfway through Miao’s career to date. Over the next decade, the girl with the Midas touch from smalltown Illinois helped position the relatively young healthcare system as a leader in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States. She joined the Texas Health Resources leadership team in 2015.

Since Miao’s promotion to C-suite status, first as chief experience officer and then in her current role as chief operating officer, it would be easy to assume that the “C” in her title stands for “compassion” instead of “chief.” When coerced by a nosy writer (me) to talk about her professional experience for a local publication (in your hands), Miao gently guided the conversation away from herself back to the 16 counties and more than 7 million patients she serves, emphasizing the responsibility Texas Health Resources has to its region to be a trusted provider.

Sure, you would assume someone at the executive level in the field of healthcare might feel a sense

of obligation to their customers, but Miao spoke in a way that suggested it is her moral imperative as a representative of Texas Health Resources to provide the people she serves with access to a lifetime of health and well-being services. In other words, Miao is a classic example of the servant leader. This description might cause her to blush, but it falls perfectly in line with her response when asked if there was a particular moment in her upbringing that shaped her as an individual and a leader.

“I had the opportunity to attend a STEM high school that brought students together from across the state of Illinois. One of the school administrators had a favorite quote he repeated often that hangs in my office today. ‘Be not simply good, be good for something.’ [Henry David Thoreau] That sentiment permeated the school and is a personal mantra of mine. It was humbling to suddenly be surrounded by such a high concentration of smart, talented, and high-achieving people who taught me so much – from how to build a webpage to what

The Midwestern teen left the cornfields to study biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University and was somewhat disenchanted when she discovered her degree was almost entirely science focused. She missed the human interaction element. But after discovering the existence of a field devoted to making impact at scale, Miao went to public health school and received her master’s degree in hospital administration from the University of North Carolina. She joined Texas Health Resources after graduate school and never looked back. “I mean, who does that anymore?” she laughed as she realized that her time with only one organization makes her something of a unicorn by today’s standards.

While it is important to highlight Miao’s education and training because it has equipped her with specialized skills required of her position (her credentials are just plain impressive), it would be a disservice to the young executive to assume her professional success is solely the result of high academic achievement. Leadership is intuitive.

There is no playbook to guide her day by day, nor is there a graduate class that prepared her for every challenge she would face; she’s had to rely heavily on instinct. She is quick to acknowledge that even a good leader is not immune from mistakes.

Her advice? Own it.

“It’s OK to make a mistake as long as you’re articulating what you’ve learned from it. None of us get to where we are without having made mistakes,” said Miao.

“”

One of the school administrators had a favorite quote he repeated often that hangs in my office today. ‘Be not simply good, be good for something.’ it means to be a true friend – and what an impact learning from each other can have on the world.”

Miao recalls her childhood as one being “spent in the cornfields” of Decatur, Illinois, a small industrial and agricultural town in the central part of the state.

Like most kids who can’t sit still, she was involved in every activity from show choir to athletics, and “grew up wanting to be a variety of things,” eventually settling on healthcare, which suited her inquisitive nature.

“I’m a very curious individual, so I loved understanding how things worked. I also wanted to be able to combine science with compassion,” said Miao.

19

Experience also plays a hand in effective leadership, which she says is especially useful when you find yourself alone on a metaphorical island.

“Sometimes the right decision is not necessarily the popular decision. But making the right decision and being able to anticipate and live through the intended and unintended consequences and stick it out is really important.”

Based on Texas Health Resource’s continual rankings as one of the best places in North Texas to work, however, Miao likely never feels she must stick it out. “The culture we have and the leaders that I had the opportunity to learn from are servant leaders in every sense of the word.”

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Making Room for All Kinds of Families: A Conversation with Mayor Mattie Parker

by Lee Virden Geurkink In 2019, Millennials became the largest generation group in the United States. Millennials are the demographic cohort were born between 1981 and 1996. Many are working parents of young children who are much more focused on finding a balance between their careers and their personal lives than previous generations. While Gen X saw the first home computers, Millennials are the first truly digital generation; they consume digital information quickly and comfortably on a wide array of platforms.

What does this mean? It means that America is in a period of change. Our population is shifting.

Naturally, voting practices are beginning to reflect this change, and the way our leaders govern will necessarily follow.

Now, what does this mean for Fort Worth?

When Mattie Parker was elected mayor in June of 2021, she was the youngest mayor to lead a top 25 city in the United States. (Since then, Michelle Wu, who is 14 months younger than Mayor Parker, was elected to be the mayor of Boston.) Parker has been tasked with the delicate task of leading an incredibly diverse city into the 21st century.

“This is a good time to talk,” Parker said, smiling.

“It’s been right at a year in office, and I feel like I might have a handle on this.”

Mayor Parker came into office during a time of social transformation. The worldwide Covid pandemic and the civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd shed light in places where light needed to be shed and lead to a realization that change was needed. Add to this an extremely partisan political climate, and Mayor Parker had her hands full.

“It may be irritating to some people, but I think the best way to govern large cities like Fort Worth is to build consensus and compromise,” said Parker. “It isn’t best practice for the city to lean to the far right or the far left; it’s not practical… we really have to listen to all voices.”

This is a hallmark of Millennials in government.

They are tired of partisan politics, of the “us versus them.” They want to find a way that involves all, not just some. “[Millennials] are going to live with our decisions differently and for longer,” Parker said. “Many of us, my husband and me included, are raising young children. Our youngest is six. We juggle the worklife balance, and I think that makes my perspective drastically different than some of my collegues who are at retirement age.”

From the small town of Hico, Texas, Mayor Parker moved to Fort Worth 15 years ago, following her husband’s job. Now the parents of three children, the Parkers have put down roots here.

After graduating from law school, Parker worked for Texas Representative Phil King, United States Representative Kay Granger, and former Mayor Betsy Price.

“I’m lucky,” said Parker. “It’s new for Fort Worth to elect an ‘outsider,’ but I’ve had the luxury of getting to work for and around the movers and shakers of a different generation who helped build this city and put it on a really good path. I have a lot of respect for them… I also belong to a different generation that does things differently.”

One thing that Mayor Parker hears a lot from her constituents is the fear that as Fort Worth moves further into the 21st century, it will lose what makes it special. Progress, it is felt, will take away the small town feel and community spirit that makes Fort Worth different from other big cities.

“For Fort Worth to remain special and hold onto its roots requires a certain level of respect for the past, never letting go of [our history] while embracing progress,” Parker said. “That’s a balance we have to find. Everyone has an opinion. People get scared of too much change or too much growth, and my response is, ‘I hear you. I understand you. I want Fort Worth to retain that small town feel and that integrity, but the growth is already here… what do we want to be when we grow up? What do we want to look like when we emerge out of this adolescent period of growth? How do we balance our [idea of] Fort Worth with progress?’”

Mayor Parker told me that one of her favorite things to do as mayor is to cold call her constituents who have emailed or messaged her. She feels it’s essential to her job. “Even if their message is not favorable, nine times out of ten, we have a real discussion… I don’t want to lose sight of that. I may be a mayor of a large city, but it’s important to me. It’s important the way we lead and the way we govern… to care about those one-on-one discussions, not that post on Facebook…

Fort Worth should be an example of how to get back to talking. It’s okay for us to disagree and have a really robust conversation, but the way we’re speaking to each other has got to change. It’s not always fun, but I always feel better after doing it.”

This seems to be a particularly Fort Worth and a particularly Millennial thing to do. Reach out to the person who disagrees.

Listen to their story. Try to understand the reasons behind the emotions.

And for a city with a diverse population, it’s the way forward.

“I think it’s important for us to reach families of all types who are trying to make a go of it,” Parker said. “As a citizen and as a resident and as your mayor, I maintain that Fort Worth is the best place to raise a family, and we have to consider all things that contribute to that [e.g., infrastructure, public safety, mobility] … what makes Fort Worth truly special is the family environment that makes room for all types of families while making the way forward for the next generations… from cradle to career. That’s my North Star.”

Mayor Parker laughed as she recalled one weekend she had recently. “I was at La Gran Plaza,

22

then Will Rogers, and then at one of the museums.

It’s such a diverse view of Fort Worth, but family was at the center of each of those events.

"People were gathering together and caring for one another in an environment where they felt fulfilled."

And isn’t that what everyone wants?

Photo by Glen Ellman

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