Fifty named to Houston’s Most Influential list
All were first nominated by readers of Houston Woman Magazine!
by Christine Bradley Several hundred readers of Houston Woman Magazine answered the call last winter for nominations for Houston's 50 Most Influential Women for 2008. As a result, nomination forms flowed in, and HWM staffers were kept busy for weeks and weeks going through the mail and reading about so many worthy candidates.
Ultimately, the staff of Houston Woman Magazine made the final selections from among those nominated. Each one of them was chosen because her sphere of influence was deemed "vast and powerful." (Complete list shown at left)
Beverly Denver, editor and publisher of Houston Woman Magazine, said, "When the call for nominations went out, we had a number of people call or email and ask what exactly did we mean by 'most influential.' Many thought we were looking for the most successful women in town or the most well known, for example. We explained that in some cases all might apply, but being 'most influential' (in our opinion) was truly about something else."
Denver continued, "Simply put, we were looking for women whose actions or thoughts can change the actions or thoughts of others."
Influential people are often charismatic individuals with a vast network of social and professional connections. Many times they also have earned an enviable reputation for an expertise in a particular area. Because of that, they are credible. This form of influence draws upon the notion of trust. The women selected this year fit all these descriptions," said Denver.
So, it should come as no surprise that Houston's 50 Most Influential Women for 2008 is a diverse group, representing women of all ages, backgrounds and ethnicities.
Some of the women have lived in Houston for many, many years. Some have not.
Some of the women are influential because of the volunteer work they do in our community. Some are not.
Many have distinguished themselves in their businesses or careers. And, as you’d expect, their fields of work are about as diverse as one can imagine: energy, law, medicine, non-profits, oil and gas, media, politics, real estate, theology, etc.
Houston's 50 Most Influential Women for 2008 are profiled on the following pages.
It is our pleasure to be able to introduce all of these amazing women to our readers," said Denver. "Each is unique and spends her time doing what she is most passionate about. As a result, she influences — in a most positive way — a wide circle of friends and associates."
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