Fort Worth Can Academy, a nonprofit high school dropout recovery program, will present their Lifetime Achievement Award to philanthropist, wife and mother, Joy Ann Havran, at their annual Fort Worth Cares For Kids Luncheon being held Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 11:30 a.m. at the River Crest Country Club. The luncheon is open to the public and annually recognizes women who exemplify family and community leadership while benefiting the students of the two Fort Worth Can Academy campuses. Fort Worth Can Academies are part of Texans Can Academies’ 11 charter schools throughout the state of Texas.
Joy Ann Havran will be honored for her commitment to education, family and community. After graduating magna cum laude from Texas Christian University with a BBA in accounting and an MBA, Joy Ann began her career as a Certified Public Accountant working as a staff auditor for Peat, Marwick, and Mitchell, which is now KPMG. She holds the distinction of being the first woman hired by the Fort Worth firm. She later went on to teach accounting at the University of Texas at Arlington, Stephen F. Austin University and Texas Christian University.
Joy Ann has lent her accounting, fundraising, organizational, and motivational skills to many causes in Fort Worth; serving on boards, committees and chairing fundraisers for scores of entities. A few of the organizations that she has served include the Arts Council of Tarrant County, Baylor University Student Life Advisory Board, Casa Manana, First Texas Council of Campfire, Fort Worth Dallas Ballet, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Harris Hospital Foundation, March of Dimes, North Texas Super Bowl, University Christian Church, and the Van Cliburn Piano Competition. She served as event chair for the Commissioning of the USS Fort Worth Littoral Combat Ship of the U.S. Navy held in Galveston, Texas and is a past president of Jewel Charity, Fort Worth Country Day School Parent Faculty Association, Junior Woman’s Club, TCU Faculty Women’s Club and is a past Mayfest Chair.
She is currently serving on boards of Cook Children’s Medical Center, Jewel Charity, Greenwood/Mount Olivet Cemetery Association, is a member of the Host and Steering Committees for the Statewide Lonesome Dove Trail Reunion, is treasurer of the Executive Committee and Board of the Austin-based Humanities Texas State Board, and is a member of the TCU AddRan College of Liberal Arts and the TCU College of Fine Arts Board of Visitors. She is on the Mayfest Inc. and the Junior League Advisory Boards and is an active member of University Christian Church and the committee for the Barrett Havran Memorial Taste of Fort Worth benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star. In 2012 she was instrumental in raising over one million dollars to endow the Barrett Havran Little Steps Big Futures Program of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Joy Ann has been the recipient of many distinguished honors and awards, the most recent being the 2015 National Philanthropy Day Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser given by the Fort Worth Chapter of National Fundraising Professionals. She has been recognized as Volunteer of the Year by both Cook Children Medical Center and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Joy Ann has received the Easter Seals of North Texas Hats Off to Mothers Award, the Safe Haven of Tarrant County Legacy Award for Volunteerism, the Bank of America Local Hero Award, the Fort Worth Business Press Women of Influence Award, the FW Texas Magazine Art of Giving Award, and was named the Alpha Delta Pi Alumnae Association Outstanding Alumnae.
Congresswoman Kay Granger will serve as the Honorary Chair and Mike Snyder will serve as the Master of Ceremony. The luncheon’s event chairs are Amy Yudeski and Sam Tallis and the sponsor chair is Larry Anfin.
Guests will hear from Fort Worth Can students who will speak about their personal experiences, future educational endeavors and career goals. Each student-speaker has overcome difficult obstacles to remain in school and will share what the opportunity to complete their high school education has meant for them.
The proceeds from the annual fundraiser support students of Fort Worth Can Academies while they earn their high school diplomas. The schools believe helping these students is critical to breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty and illiteracy.
What: Fort Worth: Cares for Kids Luncheon
When: Thursday, May 19, 2016
11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: River Crest Country Club
1501 Western Ave
Fort Worth, TX 76107
Cost: Sponsorships and tickets are available.
Individual tickets are $125; table sponsorships begin at $1,000.
The public is invited to attend the luncheon. Tickets and sponsorships are available by contacting Vince Nelson at 817.204.8768 or vnelson@texanscan.org or by visiting www.texanscan.org/Luncheons/Fort-Worth/.