Dr. Jennie M. Bennett has used her life-changing experience with breast cancer to reach out to women in the midst of the same storm. And, because of that, she is the recipient of the Houston Woman Magazine’s 2009 Broad Shoulders Award. She has exemplified sincere friendship and provided comfort and support in good times and bad.

In April 1996, Bennett was confidently continuing along a path of success. She had received her doctorate in mathematics from the University of Houston and was actively pursuing a mathematics career. She had taught mathematics from the elementary to graduate levels, co-authored math textbooks, written articles for academic and professional journals and spoken all over the United States and in Canada.

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Barbara Brister moved to Houston in 2002 to seek better medical care for her two sons who had been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. At the time, Brister and her husband, Daryl, agreed to chair the Tourette Syndrome Association’s annual golf tournament in hopes of revitalizing the event. Since Shea had helped with other charity tournaments, she quickly lent her skills to the event and, in so doing, formed a friendship with Brister.

Shea said, “Through the years I have watched as Barbara has taken care of her two sons and helped many families in Katy, the Houston area and throughout the state deal with Tourette syndrome. She has worked tirelessly to expand the golf tournament, increase outreach and education to the broader community about Tourette syndrome and raise money for TSA of Texas. The money she helped raise supports the annual camp for kids with Tourette syndrome — which is free to campers — and provides education and other support to families with Tourette syndrome.”

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Jacqueline Baly Chaumette formed BalyProjects, LLC in 1999 and still serves as its president and CEO.  In this capacity, she works with elected officials, independent school districts and corporations to develop public education programs. She has been featured on television and radio to discuss policy matters regarding transportation, air quality, water and education. In addition, she lectures on public policy at the University of Houston as an adjunct professor.

In May 2008, Chaumette won election to Sugar Land’s City Council with over 69 percent of the vote, the widest margin in the city’s 50-year history.

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Rebecca Greene Udden turned her love of the theater into the founding of Main Street Theater — now a nationally recognized playhouse. And, for her initiative, vision and leadership, she is the recipient of the 2009 Gutsy Gal Award, part of Houston Woman Magazine’s Nominate HER Awards program.

Started in 1975, Main Street Theater began as a collective of artists in the Autry House, the Episcopal Diocese’s community center on Main Street. Three years later, the organization became a more conventional non-profit theater.

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Jordan Folloder journey into motherhood began in October 2007 when she and her husband, Harry, shared the special news with friends and family that they were expecting twins, due on May 20, 2008. However, in spite of bed rest and medical attention, the twins were born almost four months premature. Noah (weighing in at 1 lb., 5 oz.) and Samantha (weighing in at 1 lb., 4 oz.), were delivered on January 27 of this year.

Hipp met Folloder when the proud mother of the severely premature twins, approached her in the Level III NICU at Texas Children’s Hospital to introduce the babies. Hipp, working with another family at the time, was so moved by Folloder’s strength and determination that the two quickly bonded. When Hipp found out that she and Folloder were the same age, her respect and admiration grew.

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Laurie M. Glaze began her social work career at Spaulding for Children, where she worked to support the adoption of special needs children in Harris County. At the time, Glaze says, the concept of “special needs” adoptions was brand new. Historically, if a child was of school age, a member of a sibling group, a minority child or one with special needs, the plan was for him to grow up in foster care.”

While at Spaulding, Glaze started the agency’s development department. It was here that she served on some of the first public/private committees at the state level for Children’s Protective Services (CPS).

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The Reverend Shay St. John began in 1978 as she pioneered a Unity group in Savannah, Georgia. After seven years of dedicated service, she left a financially healthy ministry there — complete with a debt-free building — to move on to San Francisco, California and serve at Unity Christ Church.

After six years with that congregation, she was offered the position of Vice President of Development for the Association of Unity Churches. Delighted by the new challenge, she took the job and served there for 12 years.

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