HomeLWV Dallas Annual Luncheon

The LWV Dallas 27th Annual Luncheon

Friday, February 9, 2024, 11:00 a.m.

Marriott Quorum Hotel
14901 Dallas Parkway
Dallas 75254

Buy Tickets Donation only Sponsorships

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Welcome Message from Co-Presidents

On behalf of the League of Women Voters of Dallas members, we thank you for joining us as we celebrate the 27th Annual Luncheon. Today, we recognize two outstanding awardees, the Honorable Margaret Keliher and the Honorable Cristal Renata Lule.

LWV Dallas is a volunteer-driven organization whose mission is to empower voters, defend democracy, and protect the freedom to vote. We are part of a nonpartisan civic organization operating at the local, state, and national levels. We neither support nor oppose candidates or parties.

The bookmark in your program is an impact statement highlighting LWV Dallas’ accomplishments for 2023. It celebrates the work of the Board leadership team members and volunteers who worked hard to accomplish this mission. We also thank our non-partisan partner organizations throughout Dallas for aligning with us to accomplish our mission.

In the program, one QR code will take you to the digital program with bios of the participants, the sponsors, and other program information. The other QR code will take you to our website, where you can join LWV Dallas and/or make a special donation that will help fund a portion of education and information materials needed to inform voters at election times.

Thank you to our awardees, Margaret Keliher and Cristal Renata Lule, who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in leading county and city government, law, health care, community involvement, and civic engagement.

Thank you to our sponsors and donors for responding so generously and making this event a major success.

Thank you to The Honorable Barbara M.G. Lynn for being our keynote speaker with our luncheon theme, “Justice for All.”

Thank you to Sylvia Komatsu, KERA Chief Content Officer, for being our Mistress of Ceremonies.

Thank you to the honorary chairs for the luncheon, the Honorable Harriet Miers and the Honorable Helen Giddings.

Thank you to our outstanding Luncheon Co-Chairs, Cathy Estrada and Laura V. Estrada, our incomparable Director of Events, Cecilia McKay, the hardworking Silent Auction Chair, Becky Brakke, the Steering Committee, and the many volunteers and Board members who contributed to this endeavor.

Sincerely,

Libbie Terrell Lee and Sandy Thornton

Co-President- 2023-2025

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Making Democracy Work Award

The Making Democracy Work Awardee

Special Recognition by City of Dallas

The Honorable Margaret S. C. Keliher lives and works in Dallas. She is a practicing attorney with a primary focus of litigation consulting. Margaret is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Dallas Breakfast Group, which hosts civic participation events for Dallas area business and community leaders. Previously, she served as Dallas County Judge from 2002 to 2006. She is the first and only female to hold the position of head as the Commissioners Court. While County Judge she fought for healthcare for all, clean air, and programs to divert the mentally from jail. Prior to that, she served as Judge for the 44th State Civil District Court. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Dallas Bar Association, American Law Institute, and the Texas Society of CPAs.

Margaret has been called the “clean-air champion.” As executive director of the nonprofit Texas Business for Clean Air Foundation, Keliher is mobilizing companies to help clean up the air in Dallas-Fort Worth. That’s important because the Environmental Protection Agency has classified North Texas as a “non-attainment area” for ozone formation. “We risk losing our federal funding unless we address this,” says Keliher, who joined the foundation in the fall of 2007.

Margaret's volunteer activities include serving as a board member of the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, Advisory Council member of SPARK! Dallas, an arts education non-profit, a board member of the Center of American and International Law, and an executive board member of the SMU Dedman School of Law. Margaret is a Past President of Executive Women of Dallas, International Women’s Forum-Dallas, and Charter 100. Additionally, she is the former board chair of the Trinity River Audubon Center. Margaret received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor degree from SMU Dedman School of Law. She is married and has three children.

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Eleanor Sutherland Volunteer Award

The Eleanor Sutherland Volunteer Awardee

Special Recognition by City of Dallas

The Honorable Cristal Retana Lule believes in equitable access to opportunities and resources so that everyone can have an overall better quality of life. She serves as Community Relations Officer and Senior Director of Government and Community relations at Children’s Health. With her focus on health access and city and county public policy, Cristal helped form La Alianza, a coalition to unite trusted organizations across DFW to enhance the quality of life in Latino communities.

Prior to joining Children’s Health, she was with the Dallas Office of the Mayor and City Council and worked as Chief of Staff in the Texas House of Representatives. Cristal served on the Farmers Branch City Council where she was appointed as Deputy Mayor Pro Tem and Mayor Pro Tem. She implemented several initiatives, including the city’s first night court to ensure working individuals have access to services after hours, plus a program called UNIDOS, to bridge conversations between police and the Latino community. She also organized Farmers Branch first Hispanic Heritage Festival.

Cristal co-founded and chaired Noche de Carnaval Scholarship and Awards Gala for the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas, Dallas. Proceeds from the fundraiser helped Dallas area Latina students attend college.

Cristal was awarded the Altrusa’s Women of Tomorrow, the La Cima Young Professional of the Year award and the Blake Anderson Community Service award. Her leadership spans across several organizations including Hispanic 100, Metrocrest Hospital Authority, Metrocrest Services, The Family Place, Dallas Friday Group and North Dallas Chamber of Commerce.

Cristal enjoys running, mentoring, and spending time with family. She is a military spouse with husband Eric, and they have one son, Mateo.

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Special Recognitions

From the City of Dallas, Mayor Eric L. Johnson

The Office of the Mayor is pleased to recognize the people, programs, and events that make Dallas a vibrant city by issuing proclamations and other recognitions.

Special Recognition of Hon. Margaret Keliher by City of Dallas

Special Recognition of Hon. Cristal Retana Lule by City of Dallas

From State Senator Nathan Johnson

Letter from Senator Nathan Johnson

From Dallas County Commissioner Dr. Elba Garcia

Letter from Commissioner Elba Garcia

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Luncheon Chairs and Hosts

Luncheon Co-Chairs

Catherine Estrada
Laura V. Estrada

Honorary Chairs

Hon. Helen Giddings
Harriet E. Miers

Host Committee

Kim Askew
Garrett Boone
Camila Bourdeau
Joe O'Brien
Kevin Bryant
Chrysta Castañeda

Hon. Maurine Dickey

Hon. Lois G. Finkelman
Ileana Garza-Rojas
Jim Greer
Hon. Becky Gregory
Mike Gruber
Tom Hall
Margaret Hughes
Uno Immanivong
Hon. Delia Jasso
Joseph Keliher
Jeff Kitner
Monica Latin
Heather Lewless
Brian Lidji
Wendy Lopez
Hon. Ann Margolin
Byron Sanders
Lisa Sherrod
Julia Simon
Betsy Whitaker
Hon. Bill Whitehill

Steering Committee

Edna Arratia
Becky Brakke
Madge Cruse
Libbie T. Lee
Cecilia McKay
Jessica Rivera-Lucas
Diane Tasian
Sandy Thornton

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Keynote Speaker

Our Keynote Speaker

The Honorable Barbara M. G. Lynn has been a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Texas for twenty-two years. In 2016, she became the Chief Judge, the first female Chief in Texas.

A summa cum laude graduate of UVA, Judge Lynn graduated first in her class from SMU Dedman School of Law. She then joined the Dallas firm of Carrington, Coleman, where she remained until she took the bench.

Judge Lynn is the Vice-President of the American Inns of Court Foundation. She is a member of The Honorable Barbara M.G. Lynn American Inn of Court, and two other Inns. She has served as Chair of the ABA’s Section of Litigation and Judicial Division.

She received the Distinguished Alumni Award from SMU in 2021. She was listed in the Best Lawyers in America in Business Litigation and was designated by the National Law Journal as one of the fifty most influential women attorneys in the country. Judge Lynn has been named Judge of the Year by the Dallas Chapter of ABOTA. In 2021, she received the inaugural Jurist of the Year Award from the Dallas Bar Association. She has been recognized by the International Women’s Forum with the Women Who Make A Difference Award. Judge Lynn was the recipient of the Dallas Bar Foundation Fellows Award, and the Athena Award from the Dallas Regional Chamber. She received the Morris Harrell Professionalism Award and the Texas Bar Foundation Samuel Pessarra Outstanding Jurist Award. Judge Lynn is a Judicial FACTL. She is also a judicial advisor to the patent projects of the Sedona Conference.

Judge Lynn is married to Michael Lynn, a Dallas trial lawyer at Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann LLP. They have two daughters and three grandchildren.

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Mistress of Ceremonies

Our Mistress of Ceremonies

Sylvia Komatsu is Chief Content Officer for KERA and KXT. She oversees news, radio, television, digital media, community engagement and educational services.

An award-winning journalist, she began her career as a reporter for a nightly news analysis program. Later, she produced and executive produced documentaries and specials on a wide range of social, political and cultural issues. Among her national public television credits as program executive are The U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848), Sweet Tornado: Margo Jones and the American Theater, JFK: Breaking the News, Matisse & Picasso, For A Deaf Son and After Goodbye: An AIDS Story. Sylvia, along with KERA, have received numerous honors for their work, including national and regional Emmy Awards.

She is a graduate of Harvard University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Sylvia and her husband, George, live in Dallas.

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Past Awardees

Making Democracy Work Award

Prior to 2024, this award was named the Susan B. Anthony Award.

2023 Carol C. Donovan
2022 Natalie Sorrell
2020 Lois Finkleman
2019 Susybelle Lyons Goslee
2017 Debbie Dudley Branson
2016 Regina Montoya
2015 Hon. Ann Margolin
2014 Hon. Harryette Ehrhardt, Ph.D.
2013 Beverly Mitchell Brooks, Ph.D.
2012 Jan Sanders
2011 Ellen K. Solender*
2010 Julie Lowenberg
2009 Cecilia Guthrie Boone
2008 Virginia Bulkley Whitehill*
2007 Laura V. Estrada
2006 Essie Reed*
2005 Patricia Patterson*
2004 Vivian Castleberry* and Louise Raggio*
2003 Suzanne Ahn, M.D.*
2002 Rebecca Russell Sykes
2001 Catalina Garcia-Gary, M.D.
2000 Elizabeth Johannaber*
1999 Joanne Hill*
1998 Cathy Wilkins-Moffitt
1997 Elizabeth Cowles*