Texas Woman’s University has named longtime nonprofit executive and community relations veteran Monica Christopher as the inaugural president of the university’s Dallas campus. She begins her role on Feb. 1.

Christopher, who has held key fundraising and relationship building posts spanning 25 years at Communities Foundation of Texas and The Dallas Morning News/WFAA, will lead the Dallas campus as it works to elevate the impact of the campus in the Dallas community.

“Monica is an exceptional innovator and collaborator with a solid track record of successful fundraising and relationship building in Dallas, which will serve Texas Woman’s well in its quest to grow the Dallas campus,” Texas Woman’s Chancellor Carine Feyten said.

“Her Dallas roots run deep, and she has an extensive background working with boards, foundations, nonprofits and corporations. With her leadership at Texas Woman’s ? Dallas and her partnership with other university and college leaders, I can see Dallas developing into even more of a destination city for those seeking higher education credentials,” Feyten added. “Monica demonstrates great passion for her work and exudes a polished, energetic professionalism.”

As president, Christopher will provide strategic leadership for the campus, which is located in the Southwestern Medical District. She will work with students, faculty, staff and key stakeholders — including alumni, community members, business and industry leaders, legislators and policymakers — to ensure Texas Woman’s is a key contributor to the higher education landscape in Dallas.

“Texas Woman’s has a distinguished history in Dallas, and I am honored and beyond thrilled to serve as the inaugural president of the Dallas campus,” Christopher said. “I look forward to working with the university’s talented faculty, staff and students to grow the campus, build on its legacy of excellence and bring greater awareness to the outstanding degree programs offered here.” 

The State of Texas established Texas Woman’s University System in 2021 as its seventh university system, pushing its Dallas and Houston campuses to transform, grow and continue serving the state and its communities as the nation’s only system with a woman-focused mission. Among the system’s strategic priorities is installing leadership at both campuses. A search is currently underway for a Houston campus president.

About TWU Dallas

Texas Woman’s first established a presence in Dallas in 1954, when the nursing program was launched at Parkland Hospital. Today, the T. Boone Pickens Institute of Health Sciences – Dallas Center is a 190,000-square-foot facility that sits in the heart of the Southwestern Medical District. Since then, Texas Woman’s has become a notable contributor to the healthcare workforce, graduating an average of 2,000 nursing and allied health professionals each year.

The Dallas campus also is home to the renowned Stroke Center, which provides more than 5,000 hours of clinical, neuro-rehabilitation services annually at no cost to members of the community. In addition to an MBA and graduate level Healthcare Administration programs, the Dallas campus offers upper-level undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs in nursing, occupational therapy and physical therapy.

About Monica Christopher

Christopher is the inaugural president of Texas Woman’s Dallas campus. A seasoned fundraiser and community relations professional, she has served in key positions in both areas for the last 25 years, forging numerous successful private-public sector partnerships and amassing extensive experience in cultivating and stewarding major donors, grant making, program management, and public speaking. During her 15-year tenure at Dallas-based Communities Foundation of Texas, she rose to the level of senior vice president and chief giving and community impact officer, leading several teams in fundraising efforts that set new benchmarks in gifts and funds created. While at The Dallas Morning News/WFAA, she also held several positions over nearly 10 years in community relations aimed at building community engagement, raising brand awareness and coordinating charity events. Additional leadership roles for Christopher include involvement in the Dallas Regional Chamber, Dallas Summit, Junior League of Dallas, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, and the Women’s Auxiliary at Children’s Medical Center, among other organizations.

Grant Halliburton Foundation held its 14th annual Hope Party on November 17 at the Statler Hotel in downtown Dallas. More than 500 supporters attended the organization’s fundraiser, which raised nearly $400,000 through sponsorships, tickets, live and silent auctions and a wine and spirits pull. Proceeds from the event support the Foundation’s work providing mental health education, resources and support to North Texas youth and their families.

Steve Noviello, Fox 4 News consumer reporter and news anchor, welcomed guests.

“Welcome to The Hope Party,” Noviello said. ”We like to say it’s the most fun you can have for a good cause, and I can promise you that’s true.”

Noviello introduced and thanked the 2023 Hope Party co-chairs, Karen Goetting and Camille Owens.

“Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Christopher Barkley Foundation and all the sponsors who contributed to this event’s success,” Goetting said. “We also need to recognize the co-founders of Grant Halliburton Foundation, Vanita Halliburton, Alan Halliburton and Amy Halliburton McCloskey. Through their loss, they have given back to North Texans in so many ways. They have given hope to those of us who have been touched by mental health struggles or suicide.”

The Hope Party co-chair Camille Owens reminded attendees why they were there: to raise funds for Grant Halliburton Foundation.

“We ask you to consider your blessings tonight as you also consider all the ways you can support the Foundation’s mission.” Owens said. “As you enjoy the delicious dinner, libations and dancing to the music of The Grooveline, remember to bid often and donate big!”

Rev. Matthew Ruffner of Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church gave the invocation, and guests enjoyed dinner.

After dinner service, Kevin Hall, Grant Halliburton Foundation president, added his thanks to all the sponsors and attendees. He highlighted some of the Foundation’s impact this year:

• “Our Hispanic outreach team kicked off our first Spanish-language Coffee Days group at Molina High School in South Dallas, and 20 grateful moms showed up.”

• “The team is also making school presentations in Spanish for the first time in our history. So far this year, we have made nearly 20 presentations in Spanish to more than 300 students. And we have attended more than 50 Hispanic outreach events to let the community know we are here to help.”

• “To date, we’ve trained more than 325,000 people on mental health and suicide prevention. We’ve grown our Thrive education strategy from 119 schools a year ago to over 170 today.”

• “We have also grown Hope Squads from 49 squads a year ago to 89 today. We have an incredible partnership with The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation. Between our two organizations, we lead more than 200 Hope Squads across North Texas. Along with the Grace Loncar Foundation, we co-hosted the second annual Texas Hope Squad Conference last month with more than 1,500 attendees.”

Whatever you give will help Grant Halliburton Foundation move forward as we work to keep young people happy, healthy, and here.”

After the live auction, attendees danced the night away to the music of The Grooveline.

A special thanks to the 2023 Hope Party sponsors:

Presenting Sponsor: Christopher Barkley Foundation

Emerald Sponsor: Shelley and Jeff Becker in memory of Alec Becker; Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima, Next Chapter Productions; Lyda Philanthropies; Natalie and Duwayne Miller; Camille and Patrick Owens, Kim and Scot Wylie; Phoenix American Hospitality; Amber and Dax Seale.

Sapphire Sponsor: Diane Blumin, Diane and Sanford Brown, Clark Hill, CohnReznick LLP, Jeanie and Bert Conly / Ann and Dewain Hill, Front Porch Marketing, Matt Gabay, The Gloria J. González Memorial Scholarship Fund, Karen Goetting, Greenhouse Treatment Center, Sharon and Kevin Hall, Haynes and Boone, Keith Hutson, The Integer Group, Julie and Kregg Jodie, David and Brigitte Kimichik Douglas Lang, Maxxsure / Mind VR, Steel Roots Ventures, Taylor Counseling Group, T-Fast Supply and Wisdom Media

Young Professional: Anonymous, Kendall and Luke Cagle, Emily Clark and Steven Lilley, Lux Skin Lab and Beauty Bar, Meredith and Andy Pendleton and Tucker’s Friends

Photobooth Sponsor: Sewell Automotive Companies

Media sponsor: PaperCity

Gift sponsor: Blow Salon

About Grant Halliburton Foundation:

Grant Halliburton Foundation was established in 2006 in memory of a Dallas teen who battled depression and bipolar disorder for several years before his suicide death at the age of 19. The Foundation that bears his name works to help families and young people recognize the signs of mental illness through a variety of avenues including education, conferences, collaboration and encouragement. Since 2006, the Foundation has provided mental health education, training and support to more than 325,000 students, educators, parents and professionals. The Foundation also offers Here For Texas, which includes HereForTexas.com and the Here For Texas Mental Health Navigation Line. These free community tools aim to offer easy access for North Texans seeking mental health and addiction information and resources. Learn more about the Foundation at GrantHalliburton.org.

The Hispanic 100 (H100) Latina Giving Circle at Texas Women’s Foundation awarded $166,000 in grants to 33 North Texas area nonprofits serving the needs of Latina women and girls in low and moderate income communities. Since its inception, H100 has given an astounding $672,500 across 136 grants.

The H100 Latina Giving Circle at Texas Women’s Foundation was established in 2019 by the Hispanic 100 Network to further engage Latinas in philanthropy, and to expand resources for local organizations whose mission is to empower, educate and support Latinas across North Texas.

Linda Valdez Thompson, the H100 Latina Giving Circle co-chair, said, “The Hispanic 100 Latina Giving Circle is honored to award grants to these 33 organizations whose mission aligns with ours to invest and empower Latinas to achieve success.”

Lucinda Rocha, H100 Latina Giving Circle co-chair, added, “There were many worthy organizations, and we researched and selected these knowing that they are making a positive impact in the communities that they serve.”

Grants were given to the following:

• Bachman Lake Together – Expansion of their parent leadership programming
• Buckner Children and Family Services, Inc. – College and career readiness program
• Catch Up & Read – Support for one of their campuses
• Children First – Hire part-time bilingual counselors
• Design Connect Create – STEM Camps for Girls
• Dwell with Dignity – Furniture for Hispanic women and girls escaping homelessness and poverty
• Family Compass – Growing As Parents Home Mentoring program
• First3Years – Free access to Spanish training on infant topics
• Friends of Solar Prep – Supplies for Project Based Learning program
• Genesis Women’s Shelter – Partial salary of bilingual counselor for counseling and advocacy services
• Girls Inc. of Tarrant County – Eureka! STEM magnet program
• HHM Health – Hispanic Women’s & Children’s Health Center at Vickery Meadow
• Hope Clinic of McKinney – Salary support of one or more bilingual staff positions
• Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, Inc. – Crime Victims program
• Irving Cares – Client emergency assistance and education opportunities
• LIFT dba Aspire – Family Literacy and Early Childhood Education program
• Lift Fund – Strengthen Latina owned small businesses in Collin, Dallas, and Tarrant counties through high impact training sessions
• Mommies in Need Inc. – Support for families at Annie’s Place at Parkland Hospital
• Mosaic Family Services Inc – Support for victims in Transitional Housing program
• Open Arms Inc. dba Bryan’s House – Family Support Service program
• Rainbow Days, Inc. – Community Connection, social-emotional and behavioral health program
• Readers 2 Leaders – Family Reading 2023-2024 Cohort
• Rosa es Rojo, Inc. – The Rojo Way wellness program
• Seasons of Change, Inc. – expand outreach services for homelessness
• SER Jobs for Progress National, Inc. – SER STEM Robotics program
• Tarrant County Academy of Medicine – Project Access Tarrant County program
• The Compelling Why – Two seminars and Leadership Series support
• The Concilio – General support for educational programming
• The Wilkinson Center – Integrated El Civics adult ESL course for job readiness
• United to Learn – Student and educator support across eight Dallas ISD elementary campuses
• Vickery Meadow Learning Center dba Literacy Achieves – ESL & Early Childhood Education classes
• Wesley-Rankin Community Center – Girls of Hope, Girls of Honor Program
• Young Women’s Preparatory Network – Support of To and Through College program

Donating to the H100 Latina Giving Circle is open to anyone who has a desire to join a legacy of philanthropy that creates positive change by investing in the lives of Latinas. To learn more about joining the H100 Latina Giving Circle, visit https://www.txwf.org/h100latinagivingcircle/ or email H100latinagc@txwf.org.

About Hispanic 100: Founded in 1996, the Hispanic 100 Network is an organization of trailblazing Latina leaders in North Texas whose contributions have shaped, influenced and transformed how Latinas are viewed in business, education, arts, health, public service and community leadership. The Hispanic 100 is a highly diverse network of Latinas with a 27-year history whose value proposition as a collective group is the strength of their experiences, their reach and their capacity to influence change.  For more information, visit www.dfwhispanic100.org. Visit on LinkedIn at DFW Hispanic 100, on Facebook at DFW Hispanic 100 or follow us on Twitter@DFWH100.

About Texas Women’s Foundation: As Texas Women’s Foundation (TXWF) nears its 40^th year, it is clear that now more than ever is the time to elevate Texas women. By working with women, families and communities, they are building a stronger, more equitable Texas. One of the world’s largest women’s foundations, TXWF raises funding from a broad base of donors, including individuals, foundations and corporations. These resources support more than $7.1 million in investments that advance economic security and leadership for Texas women and girls through timely research, advocacy, grants and strategic initiatives. Since inception in 1985, TXWF has invested $78.9 million in women and girls. Their statewide research on issues affecting women and girls provides decision-makers and lawmakers with critical data to inform policies, practices and programs in the state. Its advocacy, grantmaking and leadership initiatives support solutions that help Texas women and girls thrive. In addition, Texas Women’s Foundation is an acknowledged leader and advocate in the gender lens investing movement and has deployed 100 percent of its assets – endowments, operating investments and donor-advised funds – in a gendered impact portfolio that yields strong financial returns and social benefits to women and girls. For more information, visit www.txwf.org, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram or donate now.

Grant Halliburton Foundation will host the 14^th annual Hope Party on November 17 at the Statler Hotel in downtown Dallas. The 2023 Hope Party co-chairs are Karen Goetting and Camille Owens. Goetting said, “This annual fundraiser is the most fun you can have for a good cause—and this year promises to be the best yet!” On October 10, the committee and supporters attended a cocktail reception at the home of Jeanie and Bert Conly where they gathered silent auction items and wine and spirits for the upcoming event.

The Hope Party features dinner, dancing to music of The Grooveline, a fabulous auction, and wine and spirits pull. Christopher Barkley Foundation is this year’s Presenting Sponsor. Cheryl Accardi, auction chair, and Polly Campbell, auction display chair,are busy securing unique items for guests to bid on. Another fun way to support The Hope Party is through the wine and spirits pull, organized by Stephanie and Will Dumanski, wine and spirits pull chairs. Media sponsor is PaperCity.

Grant Halliburton Foundation was established in memory of Grant Halliburton, a Dallas teen who battled mental illness several years before his suicide death at the age of 19. The Foundation works to help families and young people recognize the signs of mental illness through a variety of avenues including mental health education, collaboration, encouragement, and information.

Owens added, “This event raises funds to support Grant Halliburton Foundation’s life-saving work providing mental health education, resources, and support to North Texas youth and their families.”

To become a Hope Party sponsor or purchase tickets, visit GrantHalliburton.org/hopeparty or contact hopeparty@granthalliburton.org.

Grant Halliburton Foundation was established in 2006 in memory of a Dallas teen who battled depression and bipolar disorder for several years before his suicide death at the age of 19. The Foundation that bears his name works to help families and young people recognize the signs of mental illness through a variety of avenues including education, conferences, collaboration and encouragement. Since 2006, the Foundation has provided mental health education, training and support to more than 300,000 students, educators, parents and professionals. The Foundation also offers Here For Texas, which includes HereForTexas.com and the Here For Texas Mental Health Navigation Line. These free community tools aim to offer easy access for North Texans seeking mental health and addiction information and resources. Learn more about the Foundation at GrantHalliburton.org.

Hope Cottage, a North Texas nonprofit with a 105-year history of transforming lives by uniting and strengthening families, announced plans today for a new maternal health clinic in partnership with HHM Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and nonprofit that provides cost-efficient medical services. The George and Fay Young Foundation is investing $2 million to fund the clinic that will bring prenatal care to underserved women. The facility, to be located at Hope Cottage in East Dallas near downtown, will be named in honor of George and Fay Young’s late daughter, Carol Young Marvin, whom they adopted through Hope Cottage.

Leadership from Hope Cottage and HHM Health shared the news at Hope Cottage’s 105^th Anniversary Celebration at its headquarters in East Dallas near downtown.

Stephanie Bohan, Chief Executive Officer for Hope Cottage, said, “Strong families begin with healthy births. Yet here in Dallas and across the state we are seeing a crisis in maternal health, with many mothers unable to access prenatal care, putting them and their children at risk. We are thrilled to partner with HHM Health, which shares our commitment to helping pregnant women get the services needed to deliver healthy babies.”

Texas ranks 49^th in the nation for access to quality prenatal and maternal care, according to a new study from the Commonwealth Fund analyzing publicly available data. The state has the lowest percentage of women ages 18-44 with healthcare coverage and the lowest percentage of women with a primary healthcare provider. The 2022 Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee report estimated that 90% of maternal deaths in Texas may have been preventable and named increasing access to health services during pregnancy as a top recommendation for improving outcomes for mothers and babies.

“HHM Health recognizes the need for better women’s healthcare in the great state of Texas. So many of our patients are part of vulnerable communities and often don’t know where to turn. We have made a commitment to continue to step up and be that resource for women in Dallas. Partnering with Hope Cottage allows us to reach more mothers and help them deliver safely,” said Brian Hawkins, Chief Executive Officer at HHM Health.

The clinic will be located at Hope Cottage’s location at 609 Texas Street in the Wilson District, adjacent to Deep Ellum and downtown Dallas. On-site, HHM Health will offer low-cost pregnancy testing, Medicaid enrollment and prenatal care. In coordination, Hope Cottage will provide mothers with parenting education, case management and access to community resources during and after their pregnancies, as well as adoption information and counseling for women who wish to explore that option. Women served at the clinic will be referred to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas for labor and delivery. After delivery, HHM Health will continue to care for mothers at its Women’s Health Center in Vickery Meadow and babies at its Pediatric Clinic off Walnut Hill Lane.

The $2 million gift from The George and Fay Young Foundation will fund renovations to create the clinic space on Hope Cottage’s first floor, plus five years of Hope Cottage’s pregnancy program costs. Construction on the clinic will begin in August, and an opening is planned for January 2024. It will initially open for two days a week, with plans to expand as community outreach increases demand for services.

Hope Cottage has engaged RGC Royal General Contractors to lead construction on the project, bringing back the same team that built their facility that opened in 2016.

The new clinic will be HHM Health’s fifth location, with other clinics in East Dallas on Greenville Avenue, in Vickery Meadow off Pineland Drive, a pediatric office off Walnut Hill Lane, and a clinic in Oak Cliff at Trinity Basin Preparatory’s Jefferson Campus. HHM Health’s nine service lines include women’s health, pediatrics, adult medicine, vision, dental, behavioral health, imaging and 340B pharmacy.

ABOUT HOPE COTTAGE

Hope Cottage transforms lives with the love of family through adoption, foster care, education and parenting support. The Dallas-based organization offers a full continuum of services to nurture the healthy relationships essential for families and communities to thrive. Founded in 1918 as a children’s home, Hope Cottage has connected thousands of children with loving forever families through adoption. The organization has grown over the decades to respond to community needs – from the pressing need for safe, caring foster homes, to education and support for families in crisis. For more information about Hope Cottage, visit www.hopecottage.org, or connect on Facebook @HopeCottage or Instagram @Hope_Cottage.

ABOUT HHM HEALTH

HHM Health is a nonprofit community health organization that provides quality healthcare to all its neighbors with love, compassion and respect. They accept patients with no insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, ACA plans and commercial insurance. They ensure everyone can be seen.