Every year, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (Legal Aid) hosts the Women’s Advocacy Awards, an event that highlights and recognizes honorees who have demonstrated extraordinary work benefiting women and children through their sustained service and leadership. The organization is now accepting candidate nominations for 2025.
Please nominate an individual, a company, or a nonprofit organization for one of the following categories:
1. Louise Raggio Women's Legal Advocate: An attorney who has done something extraordinary in the interests of low-income women and their children;
2. Business Leadership: A company or individual in business who has made an extraordinary contribution to the improvement of the lives of low-income women and their children;
3. Civic Leadership: A person or nonprofit organization who/which has served the interests of low-income women and children;
4. Champion of Justice: A person who has done something extraordinary to serve justice;
5. Advocate on the Rise: An attorney under 40 who has gone above and beyond in mentoring and supporting women and diverse attorneys, or who has demonstrated a commitment to pro bono efforts serving low-income women and/or children.
Nominations deadline is Thursday, December 12, 2024, at 6 P.M.
Please nominate an individual, a company, or a nonprofit organization for one of the following categories:
1. Louise Raggio Women's Legal Advocate: An attorney who has done something extraordinary in the interests of low-income women and their children;
2. Business Leadership: A company or individual in business who has made an extraordinary contribution to the improvement of the lives of low-income women and their children;
3. Civic Leadership: A person or nonprofit organization who/which has served the interests of low-income women and children;
4. Champion of Justice: A person who has done something extraordinary to serve justice;
5. Advocate on the Rise: An attorney under 40 who has gone above and beyond in mentoring and supporting women and diverse attorneys, or who has demonstrated a commitment to pro bono efforts serving low-income women and/or children.
Nominations deadline is Thursday, December 12, 2024, at 6 P.M.
Previous Women's Advocacy Award Recipients
Business Leadership Award
2024 Rachel Morgan, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
2023 Sekou Lewis, General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer, Dallas Mavericks
2022 Lisa Havens, Chief Legal Officer, Baylor Scott & White Health
2020 A. Shonn Brown
2019 Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
2018 Southwest Airlines
2017 AT&T
2016 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas
2015 Texas Instruments
2014 Energy Future Holdings, Luminant, & TXU Energy
2013 JCPenney
2012 Wayne Watts Sr., EVP & GC, AT&T*
2011 Gary Kennedy, SVP, Gen’l. Cnsl & Chief Comp. Officer, American Airlines*
2010 J. McDonald Williams, Dallas Civic Leader
2009 Charles W. Matthews, VP/GC, ExxonMobil* 2008 Kristin Vandergriff
2007 Ebby Halliday**
2006 Ruth Altshuler
2005 Gene Street, Chairman of the Board, Consolidated Restaurant Operations
2004 Texas Health Resources
2003 Norma Lea Beasley, Chair, CEO, Chief Counsel, Safeco Land Title Companies**
2002 Maurine Dickey, Chair, Parkland Health and Hospital System*
2001 Mary Kay Ash—Mary Kay, Inc.**
Louise Raggio Women’s Legal Advocate
2024 Nina Melanie Orendain and Miguel Baeza
2023 Monica W. Latin, Managing Partner, Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, L.L.P.
2022 Priya Aiyar, Sr. VP of Corporate Affairs, American Airlines
2020 Harriet Miers
2019 Mary Elizabeth (Liz) Cedillo-Pereira
2018 Cheryl Pollman
2017 Barry F. McNeil
2016 Paul Zoltan
2015 Will and Ellen Pryor
2014 Barbara Van Duyne
2013 The Honorable Tena Callahan
2012 Kenneth Fuller, DVAP Volunteer Mentor**
2011 The Honorable Jeff Coen, State District Court Judge**
2010 Diane Sumoski, Carrington Coleman Sloman & Blumenthal
2009 Craig Watkins and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office
2008 Janet L. Hahn, Decker, Jones, McMackin, McClane, Hall & Bates
2007 Lisa Blue Baron, Baron and Blue
2006 Rhonda Hunter, Farrow-Gillespie & Heath*
2005 Dawn Fowler, Partner, Keane, Fowler & Donohue
2004 Rebecca L. Greenan, Assistant Dean of Students, UNT Dallas College of Law*
2003 Sally L. Crawford, Partner, Jones Day*
2002 Anne Shuttee, Law Office of Anne Shuttee
2001 Diane P. Couchman, Attorney at Law
Nonprofit/Civic Leadership Award
2024 Frazier Revitalization
2023 New Friends New Life
2022 Ellen Magnis, President & CEO, Family Gateway
2020 Children’s Medical Center of Dallas
2019 Texas Women’s Foundation
2018 Vogel Alcove
2017 Girls Embracing Mothers
2016 Rev. Larry James & CitySquare
2015 Human Rights Initiative
2014 Mayor Mike Rawlings and the City of Dallas
2013 Junior League of Dallas
2012 Beverly Levy, Executive Director, Dallas CASA*
2011 Regina Montoya, Children’s Medical Center Dallas*
2010 Cathey Brown, Founder, Rainbow Days, Inc.
2009 Jennifer Morrison, New Beginning Center
2008 Barbara L. Lamsens, Executive Director, Parenting Center
2007 Jana Barker; Executive Director, Brighter Tomorrow*
2006 Paige Flink, Executive Director, The Family Place
2005 Barbara Lord Watkins, Parkland Foundation
2004 Jan Langbein, Executive Director, Genesis Women’s Shelter
2003 Dr. Beverly Mitchell-Brooks, Urban League
2002 Becky Sykes, Executive Director, Dallas Women’s Foundation
2001 Sharon S. King, CEO, CCCS, Inc.
Advocates on the Rise
2024 Nicole Munoz Huschka, Associate Judge, Civil District Courts
2024 Lindsey Provost, Senior Counsel, The Boeing Company
Champion of Justice Award
2024 Debra and Leon Carter
2023 Hilda Galvan, Partner-In-Charge, Jones Day
2020 Supreme Court of Texas
2018 The Honorable W. Royal Furgeson
2017 Jones Day
2016 Randy Johnston
*Retired/Former
**Deceased
Business Leadership Award
2024 Rachel Morgan, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
2023 Sekou Lewis, General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer, Dallas Mavericks
2022 Lisa Havens, Chief Legal Officer, Baylor Scott & White Health
2020 A. Shonn Brown
2019 Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
2018 Southwest Airlines
2017 AT&T
2016 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas
2015 Texas Instruments
2014 Energy Future Holdings, Luminant, & TXU Energy
2013 JCPenney
2012 Wayne Watts Sr., EVP & GC, AT&T*
2011 Gary Kennedy, SVP, Gen’l. Cnsl & Chief Comp. Officer, American Airlines*
2010 J. McDonald Williams, Dallas Civic Leader
2009 Charles W. Matthews, VP/GC, ExxonMobil* 2008 Kristin Vandergriff
2007 Ebby Halliday**
2006 Ruth Altshuler
2005 Gene Street, Chairman of the Board, Consolidated Restaurant Operations
2004 Texas Health Resources
2003 Norma Lea Beasley, Chair, CEO, Chief Counsel, Safeco Land Title Companies**
2002 Maurine Dickey, Chair, Parkland Health and Hospital System*
2001 Mary Kay Ash—Mary Kay, Inc.**
Louise Raggio Women’s Legal Advocate
2024 Nina Melanie Orendain and Miguel Baeza
2023 Monica W. Latin, Managing Partner, Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, L.L.P.
2022 Priya Aiyar, Sr. VP of Corporate Affairs, American Airlines
2020 Harriet Miers
2019 Mary Elizabeth (Liz) Cedillo-Pereira
2018 Cheryl Pollman
2017 Barry F. McNeil
2016 Paul Zoltan
2015 Will and Ellen Pryor
2014 Barbara Van Duyne
2013 The Honorable Tena Callahan
2012 Kenneth Fuller, DVAP Volunteer Mentor**
2011 The Honorable Jeff Coen, State District Court Judge**
2010 Diane Sumoski, Carrington Coleman Sloman & Blumenthal
2009 Craig Watkins and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office
2008 Janet L. Hahn, Decker, Jones, McMackin, McClane, Hall & Bates
2007 Lisa Blue Baron, Baron and Blue
2006 Rhonda Hunter, Farrow-Gillespie & Heath*
2005 Dawn Fowler, Partner, Keane, Fowler & Donohue
2004 Rebecca L. Greenan, Assistant Dean of Students, UNT Dallas College of Law*
2003 Sally L. Crawford, Partner, Jones Day*
2002 Anne Shuttee, Law Office of Anne Shuttee
2001 Diane P. Couchman, Attorney at Law
Nonprofit/Civic Leadership Award
2024 Frazier Revitalization
2023 New Friends New Life
2022 Ellen Magnis, President & CEO, Family Gateway
2020 Children’s Medical Center of Dallas
2019 Texas Women’s Foundation
2018 Vogel Alcove
2017 Girls Embracing Mothers
2016 Rev. Larry James & CitySquare
2015 Human Rights Initiative
2014 Mayor Mike Rawlings and the City of Dallas
2013 Junior League of Dallas
2012 Beverly Levy, Executive Director, Dallas CASA*
2011 Regina Montoya, Children’s Medical Center Dallas*
2010 Cathey Brown, Founder, Rainbow Days, Inc.
2009 Jennifer Morrison, New Beginning Center
2008 Barbara L. Lamsens, Executive Director, Parenting Center
2007 Jana Barker; Executive Director, Brighter Tomorrow*
2006 Paige Flink, Executive Director, The Family Place
2005 Barbara Lord Watkins, Parkland Foundation
2004 Jan Langbein, Executive Director, Genesis Women’s Shelter
2003 Dr. Beverly Mitchell-Brooks, Urban League
2002 Becky Sykes, Executive Director, Dallas Women’s Foundation
2001 Sharon S. King, CEO, CCCS, Inc.
Advocates on the Rise
2024 Nicole Munoz Huschka, Associate Judge, Civil District Courts
2024 Lindsey Provost, Senior Counsel, The Boeing Company
Champion of Justice Award
2024 Debra and Leon Carter
2023 Hilda Galvan, Partner-In-Charge, Jones Day
2020 Supreme Court of Texas
2018 The Honorable W. Royal Furgeson
2017 Jones Day
2016 Randy Johnston
*Retired/Former
**Deceased