Governor Greg Abbott has appointed North Texans Ashlee Kleinert, Catherine Susser, and Patsy Wesson, along with Laura Koenig Young from Tyler, among the 14 Texas women named to the Governor’s Commission for Women.
The commission is charged with developing a strategy and plan to help make Texas the No. 1 state for women-owned businesses and to address the issue of human trafficking. The Governor’s Commission for Women, which is housed within the Office of the Governor, specializes in outreach, education, research, and referral services.
Per the Governor’s office:
Ashlee Kleinert of Dallas is founder and operator of Ruthie’s Rolling Café and Ruthie’s Fueled by Café Momentum food trucks. Kleinert is a member of the Dallas Assembly and International Women’s Forum who currently serves on multiple boards, including United Way Foundation of Metropolitan Dallas, SMU’s Dedman College, SMU’s Maguire Center for Ethics, Methodist Health System Foundation of Dallas, New Friends New Life, The Rebecca Bender Initiative, and Genesis Women’s Shelter.
Catherine Susser, a new resident of Dallas, is a community volunteer who continues to serve both the Corpus Christi and Dallas communities. She serves on the UT Southwestern President’s Advisory Board and was recently a member of the Board of Trustees for the Corpus Christi Independent School District (CCISD), where she served as president of the board as well as vice president and secretary.
Patsy Wesson of Fort Worth owns Carriage Square Jewelers where she has designed custom jewelry for over 35 years. In 2020, Wesson co-founded a new digital custom jewelry manufacturing company called Ellansa. A member of the Jewelers Board of Trade, she holds multiple certifications from the Gemological Institute of America.
Laura Koenig Young of Tyler is president at Brighton Collectibles. A board member for the Cancer Foundation for Life and a former board member of the East Texas Symphony Orchestra, the East Texas Communities Foundation, and Southern Methodist University (SMU) Alumni Association.
Get on the list.
Dallas Innovates, every day.
Sign up to keep your eye on what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth, every day.
R E A D N E X T
-
CreateHers. BuildHers. DisruptHers. Risk-TakHers. InventHers. InvestHers. Texas women trailblazing new paths are the subject of a new podcast that features innovators disrupting their industries, building movements, and creating positive social change.
-
The DFW Alliance of Technology and Women held its 19th annual Executive Forum last week, urging attendees to "crack the courage code" and empower women in business. Afterward, DFW*ATW's president, Shanthi Rajaram, spoke with Dallas Innovates about her takeaways from the event—and how being "comfortable with the unknown" helped her start her own entrepreneurship journey.
-
Women entrepreneurs—especially those in the tech world—have something to keep them warm at home Thursday during tomorrow's winter storm: The DEC Network’s inaugural, all-virtual Women X Tech event, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is designed to help women founders from all tech industries connect, learn, and grow their businesses.
-
The NTXIA is a founding member of the new National Smart Coalitions Partnership, now one of the largest smart cities networks in the country. The organization unites more than 100 governments across seven regional smart cities consortiums. The goal? To accelerate sustainability and resilience in communities.
-
Nonprofit BUiLT is hosting the event to highlight the success and possibilities of Black tech talent in the region. “There is no talent pipeline problem,” says Peter Beasley, co-founder of the Blacks United in Leading Technology International. “Black tech talent is widely available, especially in North Texas.”
