News

Texoma Area ATHENA Award Nominees Announced

BJ Kirkpatrick Austin College, News
Austin College Athena Internatioal

SHERMAN, TEXAS

Austin College officials have announced the nominees for the 2018 Athena Leadership Award and Athena Young Professional Leadership Award, with the recipients to be announced April 27 at noon at the College. Tickets for the luncheon celebration at Austin College in Wright Campus Center’s Mabee Hall are available at https://www.picatic.com/athena2018for $25 per person. In addition to the award presentation, the luncheon will include a keynote address by Kate Murphy, senior child welfare policy associate for Texans Care for Children.

This year’s ATHENA Leadership Award honorees are Stephanie Chandler, director of community investment for United Way of Grayson County, Inc.; LuAnn Daniel, founder and chief executive officer for Women Rock Inc.; Deborah Estes, education consultant; and Tonya Price, chief nurse officer for Wilson N. Jones Regional Medical Center.

ATHENA Young Professional Leadership nominees are Amber Pilcher, banking services manager and regional retail manager for Landmark Bank Denison;  Kristina Quinlan, member services and events director for Sherman Chamber of Commerce; and Melanie Truxal, Main Street coordinator for the City of Denison.

The regional event, which honors women leaders who work or live in Grayson, Fannin, or Cooke counties, is sponsored by the Austin College Center for Community and Regional Development and the College’s Texoma Women Get Connected program, in partnership with United Way of Grayson County. The ATHENA Leadership Award® is presented to individuals who have attained and embody the highest level of professional excellence in their business or profession, devote time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community, and actively assist women in realizing their full leadership potential. ATHENA Young Professional Leadership nominees are emerging women leaders who demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession; provide valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in their community; and clearly serve as role models for young women both personally and professionally.

The luncheon also serves as a final session of the morning’s Nonprofit Symposium, which begins at 8 a.m. in Wright Campus Center, Room 254, and will feature information about grant writing, public policy as it pertains to nonprofits organizations, and fiduciary responsibility. The morning events are free and open to the public, but require registration, also athttps://www.picatic.com/athena2018.  

Event sponsors and table sponsors are needed for the event. Sponsorships benefit the College’s Social Entrepreneurship for Poverty Alleviation (SEPA) summer intern program, which partners with local nonprofit organizations. For more information, please contact Trish Jennings at 903.813.2042 or tjennings@austincollege.edu.

The ATHENA Leadership Award Program is administered by ATHENA International, a non-profit women’s leadership organization, along with licensed host organizations and sponsors. Over 6,000 awards have been presented in the U.S. and around the world since the program’s inception in 1982. Recent recipients include Condoleezza Rice, Billie Jean King, Pat Summit, and Gabby Giffords. A list of all known local recipients is included on the Austin College Athena Award website.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 40 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of approximately 1,275 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

Lisa Thomas to perform Native American Concert at Chrystal Opry House

BJ Kirkpatrick Entertainment, News
Lisa Cheryl Thomas

Sherman Texas | April 14, 2018

Lisa Thomas will perform a Native American Concert at the Chrystal Opry House located at Melody Ranch on April 20, 2018.

Lisa Cheryl Thomas has performed internationally as well as in various venues throughout the United States, including Edmonton, Alberta and St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada and Cuzco, and Lima, Peru as a 2017 Fulbright Scholar, the Smithsonian NMAI, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.  She has earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree and her research and lecture recitals regarding Native American Classical Piano Repertoire have awakened a new enthusiasm and interest in this music.

She is an accomplished performer and has recorded three CDs of the solo piano music of Arthur Farwell on the classical international London label, Toccata Classics.  Her CDs have garnered rave reviews in Fanfare Magazine and International Record Review.  She has a busy performance schedule and also presents many lecture recitals.  She was the center attraction for the Ruidoso, New Mexico Winter Concert Series in December of 2014.  Her unique concerts incorporate Piano, Native American Flute, Drum, Poetry, and Dancing, all I Native buckskin and fancy shawl regalia, with an atmospheric Native artwork and life slide presentation.  We look forward to having perform at the Chrystal Opry House on April 20th.

Chrystal Opry House is located at 1977 White Mound Road, off of Hwy 902 just Southeast of Sherman, Texas between Howe and Tom Bean.  Doors open at 6:30 pm. An authentic Native American meal will be served following the concert.  Advanced tickets must be purchased by April 18th.  Contact Lisa Thomas – Artist@IvoryArtists.org or call 214.763.8028 or Contact Bill Hayes at 903.546.6893.  Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door.

Apply Now for the 20th Annual Wildlife Youth Camp

BJ Kirkpatrick Lake Texoma news, News
Annual Wildlife Youth Camp

A week full of fun outdoor activities, conservation education and team building is in store for up to 35 lucky teens selected to attend the 20th annual Wildlife Youth Camp. Applications are now being accepted for this summer’s once-in-a-lifetime event.

“Campers will get a better understanding of wildlife and fisheries management and conservation law enforcement, while at the same time learning some fun outdoor activities,” said Game Warden Capt. Wade Farrar, youth camp coordinator. “If you are interested in hunting, fishing or a career with the Wildlife Department, then this camp is for you.”

The camp will be June 24-29 at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station at Lake Texoma. Game wardens, wildlife and fisheries professionals, and dedicated hunters and anglers will be conducting the camp and supervising activities.

Activities will include archery, wildlife identification, rifle/shotgun shooting, fishing, ropes course, self-defense, wildlife law enforcement scenarios, wildlife and fisheries management, education, and deer/turkey/waterfowl law enforcement techniques.

Thanks to the support of generous sponsors including the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, it’s all free for the campers.

Applicants must be Oklahoma residents who will be 14 to 16 years old as of June 24, 2018. Prospective campers must fill out an application and write a 75-word essay describing why they want to attend the camp, why they should be selected, and what they expect to learn. Also, they must furnish a letter of recommendation from someone other than a family member, and a recent photograph showing the applicant participating in an outdoor-related event or activity.

Applications must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. April 13, 2018.