Some of the most powerful women in North Texas gathered on Monday, celebrating 35 years of their chapter of the International Women’s Forum. An organization they say changed their lives–and the face of the business community in Dallas.
Some of the most powerful women in North Texas gathered to mark 35 years of the International Women’s Forum (IWF) Dallas Chapter in a celebration that also rounded out Women’s History Month.
The room at the Dallas Country Club was filled with CEOs of businesses and nonprofits, all reflecting on how the organization shaped their careers and continues to influence the face of the Dallas business community.
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WATCH HERE“I call it a great sisterhood because you're around women who are interesting,” said former Dallas Chapter President Kim Askew.
When the organization was officially formed in 1990, few women held positions of power in professional or corporate spaces. The founders were determined to change that.
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SIGN UP “There was a paucity of women in the workplace, either in professions or corporations,” said founding member Linda Hart. “And so those of us who were there at the time were very concerned about bringing other women into the workplace and making room for them. We needed a place where you could be among peers.”
Askew says the group has always included trailblazers.
“These were the women who were the movers and shakers in Dallas,” she said. “They were moving into the C-suites, they were managing law firms, they were starting to do things that I certainly wanted to do as a young lawyer.”
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Among the chapter’s founders is former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.
“To see how this has mushroomed and stayed really important in the women’s lives, women who are learning more, doing more, meeting people who are in their same profession or another one, it’s wonderful, really a great thing for Dallas,” Hutchison said.
The women proudly say they leave the door open for the next woman to walk through, and they’re backing up that mission with action.
“This is an event where we’re actually underwriting two women from our community to attend the world-class fellows leadership Program,” said Cynthia Mickens-Ross, president of the IWF Dallas chapter. “And for that, I am so excited because that means we’re looking to the future.”
Stephanie Matthews O’Keefe, global CEO of the International Women’s Forum, explained the reach and impact of the program.
“We have women from all over the world in the program, from every sector, peers that become incredible leaders in the world,” she said. “Two alumna of the program are Vanessa Wyche, who runs the Johnson Space Center, and Leena Nair, who is the CEO of Chanel.”
Their stories are now serving as inspiration for the next generation.
The International Women’s Forum has 8,000 members worldwide, including 142 in Dallas.
