Former First Lady Laura W. Bush, one of the most beloved and admired American First Ladies, was the keynote speaker at the 5th Annual 4word Gala held Saturday, February 22, 2020 at the Dallas Renaissance Hotel. TOYOTA was the Presenting Sponsor and Gold Corporate Sponsors were Locke Lord, Valiant Integrated Services and Monica and Leland White. Proceeds from the gala will benefit 4word, a faith-based community who empowers and inspires women in the workplace through personal connection and mentoring.
The gala’s revenue including silent and live auction and donations helped raise more than $490,000 thanks to the generosity of the more than 500 attendees. Many from across the nation attended, joining to celebrate what God is doing for women in the workplace around the world through 4word.
The evening started with a reception in the foyer featuring classical musical quartet Serenata Strings. Guests had the opportunity to bid on hundreds of auction items elegantly displayed.
Karla Baldelli, emcee for the evening, introduced Bernice Washington, who gave a moving Invocation and the evening program began.
Karla introduced Honorary Chair Alva Adams, Senior Director of Multicultural Business Alliance and Strategy; and Multicultural Dealer Relations for Toyota Motor North America.
“4word is an organization that aligns with Toyota’s goals of helping women to grow and thrive in the business place,” said Alva. “Having spiritual awareness and support in the workplace is the key ingredient to properly handle obstacles that one may encounter.”
The Event Chair was Charity Wallace, who also interviewed Mrs. Bush for the program. Charity has worked with Mrs. Bush for many years, so she was very comfortable in her role to lead the conversation. Charity served as the Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to Mrs. Bush at the Bush Institute and was the founding Vice President of the Global Women’s Initiatives. She served all eight years in the Bush Administration, most notably as the Deputy Chief of Protocol of the United States and Director of Advance for First Lady Laura Bush. She is currently Managing Director, Global Women's Initiatives, Development Finance Corporation.
Mrs. Bush provided a brief family update and shared stories from her time in the White House. She also discussed her current work as the Chair of the Woman’s Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute which is improving the lives of women and children around the world by equipping women from the Middle East, North Africa, and Afghanistan with the skills to become more effective leaders.
Remarks by 4word Founder and Executive Director Diane Paddison were followed by a performance of the Potter’s House Mass Choir. Live auction giving and bidding followed to end the evening.
Next year’s Gala will be February 27, 2021 at the Dallas Omni Hotel. TOYOTA has already stepped up to be the Presenting Sponsor.
Proceeds from the gala will benefit 4word, a Faith-Based Community that Empowers & Inspires Women in the Workplace through Personal Connection and 4word’s Mentoring Program to:
- Elevate Leadership and Match Calling and Gifts to Work (Professional)
- Build and Strengthen Relationships (Relational)
- Integrate Faith into all aspects of Life (Spiritual)
- Develop Inner Confidence and Discover Purpose
The 4word Mentoring Program has paired 500 women whose lives have been transformed both as a mentor and a mentee. The deadline for applications for the summer mentoring program is May 3. Details are available on the website www.4wordwomen.org.
About 4word
4word has 29 Local and Affiliate Groups around the country serve over 1,500 women by providing authentic communities where they can find encouragement, prayer support and resources to help build their careers and live out their faith in the workplace.
4word’s digital programming, serving over 160,000, provides access to dynamic and influential experts through weekly blogs, bi-monthly podcasts, emails and social media, giving women valuable resources they cannot get at work. Social networking sites, blogs and podcasts provide inspiration for, making it assessible for anyone at any location. The Local Groups have regular networking meetups for face to face time.
Diane Paddison, 4word Founder and Executive Director, is a Harvard MBA, former global executive of two Fortune 500 companies and one Fortune 1000 company, and serves as an independent director for two corporate and four not-for-profit boards. Diane is a leading advocate for Christian women in the workplace. Diane published Work, Love, Pray in 2011, laying the foundation for 4word and Be Refreshed . . . a year of devotions for women in the workplace in 2017. She is passionate about mentoring. She authors weekly posts at 4wordwomen.org and is a featured columnist for The Washington Times. Diane and her husband, Chris, have four children and one granddaughter and live in Dallas, Texas.
Connect with 4word on Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/4wordwomen
https://www.instagram.com/4wordwomen/
https://twitter.com/4wordwomen
https://www.linkedin.com/company/4wordwomen/
https://www.pinterest.com/4wordwomen/
https://www.youtube.com/user/4wordwomen
https://plus.google.com/107732540196912548256
4word (4wordwomen.org) is a tax-exempt charity under the IRS code section 501(c)3,
tax ID#27-2865980.
Photos 1 & 2 by Grant Miller
All other Photos by Deborah Brown