Plans are underway to make the 2015 Mad Hatter’s Tea one most grandiose events in recent history. With an “April in Paris” theme, it will be chaired by veteran event organizer Sharon Popham and is scheduled for Thursday, April 9, 2015 at the Dallas Arboretum.

The Announcement Party was hosted by the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum at the Brook Hollow Golf Club on October 16 to introduce Honorary Chair Sherwood Wagner.

Sherwood grew up in Midland and graduated from Hockaday and TCU. She worked for PSI, a public relations firm. She is involved with various charities in Dallas and West Texas and served as president of Girls Inc. Auxiliary. Sherwood is a board member of Ellen Noël Art Museum in Midland, which is named after her grandmother. She has graciously donated a heart shaped pulpit to A Woman's Garden at the Dallas Arboretum that will be named The Ellen Noël and Lissa Noël Wagner pulpit, in honor of her mother and grandmother.

Sherwood’s mother Lissa flew in 10 friends from Midland to help celebrate this special occasion.

Sherwood gets things done while making everyone feel like they are the most special person in the world," says Women's Council president Marena Gault. "Her tireless efforts are appreciated by so many organizations and individuals. I am honored to introduce to you Dallas's breath of fresh air, one of DFWs most innovative and creative leaders, and Dallas's all around "IT" girl, Sherwood Wagner."

Sherwood wore jewels by jewelry designers David Lee Holland and Yanni Kyriazis who flew in from New York City for the evening. David Lee Holland Fine Jewelry is the brainchild of the two designers who create botanically-themed jewelry. They will be custom-designing a piece of jewelry to be auctioned at the Mad Hatter’s Tea.

Dallas’ premiere fashion event producer Jan Strimple will orchestrate the style show for the Mad Hatter’s Tea featuring the collections of fashion sponsors Betty Reiter, Canary, Nardos Imam, and V.O.D.

Celebrating its 27th year, this fabulous and fun party has been an ongoing fundraising event raising monies to grow and maintain A Woman’s Garden, a major garden at the Dallas Arboretum. 

Photos by Chuck Clark

Eighth Annual A Writer’s Garden Literary Symposium and Luncheon

presented by Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

The Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden presents “Treasured Legacies” at the eighth annual A Writer’s Garden Literary Symposium and Luncheon. “Treasured Legacies” will have three noted authors featuring vivid portraits of two of the most widely read and beloved writers in literature and compelling personal stories exploring our gardening heritage. The event will be on Thursday, November 6, 2014 from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Arboretum’s Rosine Hall, 8525 Garland Road.

The event is open to the public. Individual tickets are $150 with Patron and Sponsorship opportunities available. A Patron Party for Patrons and Sponsors to meet the authors is planned for Wednesday evening, November 5 at a private residence. 

Tickets and sponsorships are available online at www.womenscouncildallasarboretum.org. For additional information, contact Liz Respess at 214-739-6013. Funds raised from the “Treasured Legacies” will benefit A Woman’s Garden located at the Arboretum. 

The three noted authors in attendance include:

Kim Wilson, author and international speaker whose new book At Home with Jane Austen will be published September 30, 2014. Kim’s best-selling books Tea with Jane Austen and In The Garden with Jane Austen bring to life the Georgian and Regency worlds of Jane Austen with social history, biographical details and delicious excerpts from Austen’s novels and correspondence.

Kelsey Mullin, Director of Public Programming and Education, and author of The Mount: Edith Wharton’s Home will discuss the transformational effects of Wharton’s magnificent home and gardens on her success as a writer. Edith Wharton was the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Age of Innocence.

Greg Grant and William Welch, Co-Authors, Heirloom Gardening of the South, a captivating, personal encounter with two dedicated and passionate gardeners whose love of heritage gardening infuses their book’s  narrative from beginning to end. 

Since 1986, the major goal of the Women’s Council has been the design, construction, funding and endowment of A Woman’s Garden, the centerpiece garden of the Arboretum.  A Woman’s Garden is the only public garden in the nation conceived by women, funded by the efforts of women and dedicated to the spirit of women. The support of over 600 members of the Women’s Council make possible the continued expansion and improvement of A Woman’s Garden. 

The Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce will host the 10th Annual Economic Summit on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at Lakewood Country Club - 1912 Abrams Road. Keynote speaker is Bob McTeer with the National Center for Policy Analysis. Additional speakers are Steve Brown, Columnist, The Dallas Morning News; Dave Ridley, Senior Vice President Business Development at Southwest Airlines; and Mike Morath, Dallas ISD Trustee - District 2.

A special retail announcement will be made! 

Tickets start at $65 and can be purchased online: www.eastdallaschamber.com. For further information:
president@eastdallaschamber.com or Deborah Brown 214-649-1773.

Steve Brown 10:15 – 10:45Steve Brown is Real Estate Editor of The Dallas Morning News. He has covered the local and national real estate market for the Morning News since 1980. Prior to that he worked in the newspaper's Metropolitan and Tarrant County sections. He writes about commercial and residential real estate, mortgages, finance and design and construction. Brown is a fifth generation Texan and grew up in Dallas. He attended Dallas public schools and graduated with a degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University. He is an officer and director with the National Association of Real Estate Editors.

Dave Ridley 10:45 – 11:15 Senior Vice President Business Development, Southwest AirlinesDave is responsible for Marketing and Revenue Management, which includes activities related to building and maintaining our brand reputation; creating demand for our product through pricing, advertising, and promotion; managing our inventory of seats; and maintaining distribution of our product through various channels, including Southwest.com.

Prior to joining Southwest, Dave worked as a brand manager for Anderson Clayton Foods. He also worked at ENSERCH Corporation and Univest Development Corporation in marketing and business development capacities. Since joining Southwest in 1988, Dave has served as Senior Vice President, People and Leadership Development; Vice President, Ground Operations; and Vice President, Marketing and Sales.

Dave earned an M.B.A from Southern Methodist University in 1981. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Texas at Austin in 1975.  He started with Southwest in June 1988; retired unsuccessfully from February 2006 to October 2007; returned November 2007.

Mike Morath
DISD Trustee District 2 11:15 – 11-45
Representing Board of Trustees District 2, Mike Morath took office in May 2011. For the past decade, Morath served as President of Minute Menu Systems, a company that assists child care providers in administering a federal food program for low-income children. His company streamlined that federal program, improved the quality of nutrition offered, and helps feed roughly one million children a day throughout the U.S.

He has had a passion for public education for years, is an avid reader of information about school reform, and believes firmly that our school system can be changed so that all of our students succeed, no matter what their backgrounds.

With a belief system that continually calls him to serve others, Morath has participated in numerous volunteer activities, locally and internationally. He has volunteered in our schools and juvenile justice facilities and as a mentor Big Brother. He helped organize a trip to orphanages in southern India to set up clean running water systems, and he volunteered at an eye clinic in rural Mexico, where he was lucky enough to meet another volunteer, Dr. Laura Vondra, who is now his wife.

Bob McTeer – National Center for Policy Analysis 12:20 – 12:50
Robert D. McTeer had a 36 year career with the Federal Reserve System, including almost 14 years (1991-2004) as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and member of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). After retiring from the Dallas Fed in November 2004, Bob became chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, where he served for two years. Since 2007, Bob has been affiliated with the National Center for Policy Analysis, a Dallas-based think tank.

Bob has a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Georgia, where he was named Distinguished Alumnus in 1991. He joined the Richmond Fed as an economist in 1968 and became head of its Baltimore branch in 1980. He has been an adjunct professor at the University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth, and for almost 10 years in the 1980’s at The Johns Hopkins University.

Cynthia and Brice Beaird named Honorary Chairs
for the
Dallas Symphony Orchestra League
29^th Annual Presentation Ball

Cynthia and Brice Beaird have been named Honorary Chairs for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League 29^th Annual Presentation Ball. 41 debutantes will be presented at the event on February 7, 2015 at the Meyerson Symphony Center.

The Beairds are longtime supporters of the DSO and the Dallas Community.  Cynthia is a past co-chair of the Ball and also chaired the 25^th Anniversary Presentation Ball.  Their daughter, Jane Louise Beaird, was a Symphony Deb presented in 2007. Brice has performed for the Debs and their families at the traditional Thanksgiving presentation at the Myerson.

Cynthia is a founding Partner/Executive VP with Allie Beth Allman and Associates. She is active with Crystal Charity Ball, Junior League of Dallas Sustaining Advisor, Dallas Summer Musical Board, and Park Cities Historic and Preservation Society.

Brice is the owner of the Beaird Agency, Inc. He is active with the Salesmanship Club, Dallas Zoo Board, and Perkins School of Theology Executive Board. 

“We are honored to serve as the Honorary Chairs for the 29th Annual Presentation Ball,” said Cynthia. “We are grateful to all the many volunteers who make this all possible. There are many events leading up to the night of the Presentation Ball and hundreds of volunteers are working behind the scenes to make it look effortless.”

Over the years, the Presentation Ball has raised over $10 million for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The proceeds benefit the education and community outreach programs of the DSO.

Photo submitted by Cynthia Beaird

Dallas County Council of Republican Women hosted their bi-annual POWER Pep Rally on Saturday, September 6 at the Royal Oaks Country Club.  POWER is acronym for Power of Women to Elect Republicans. Proceeds of the event will benefit campaigns of Republican candidates. Over 300 were in attendance at the rally which energized Dallas County Republicans to work tirelessly these next few months until the November election.

Suzie Humphreys, TV and Radio Personality, was emcee with special guest speakers Congresswoman Kay Granger, U. S. Representative, 12th District of Texas and Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, U. S. Representative, 7th District of Tennessee. Also speaking were Congressman Pete Sessions and Cecilia Abbott, wife of Texas Attorney General and candidate for Governor Greg Abbott.

“This is the most dangerous time in the history of the world,” said Kay Granger. “There is a lack of decisions being made, and those decisions being made are a real concern. We are cutting defense at a time when ISIS is growing and a serious threat. When President Eisenhower chose to invade Europe, he took full responsibility knowing many lives would be lost. He took all blame – not blaming any other figure – now that’s a leader.”

Granger was the first woman from Texas elected to Congress and she is the only woman from Texas serving in Congress today. She is close with Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn who was the keynote speaker.  

“You are the way to get the word out about our candidates,” said Blackburn. “ Media won’t help us. In a recent Gallop poll, only 18% said they believed what was broadcast on the news. Our nation is on the endangered species list.”

Vicki Goode is President of DCCRW, Brenda Gaustad was the Event Chair.

Photos by Deborah Brown