Fifty Women of Influence
Fifty women named to 2011
'Houston’s Most Influential' list

Nearly 200 readers of Houston Woman Magazine answered the call lfor nominations for Houston's 50 Most Influential Women for 2011. 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."
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. 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 2011 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: chemistry, energy, law, non-profits, oil and gas, media, medicine, politics, real estate, space exploration, etc.
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."
Houston's 50 Most Influential Women of 2011 were honored at an Afternoon Tea at the St. Regis Hotel on Sunday, January 8. At the event, the honorees and their guests were the first to see Houston Woman Magazine's special edition featuring each of them. That keepsake issue is mailed to all subscribers of Houston Woman Magazine and available for purchase to others. Requests for copies should be directed to 713-780-2098.
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2011 Honorees
Debbie Bates
Martha Blackwelder
Melanie Brown, Ph.D.
Katy Caldwell
Bonnie Campbell
Eileen Campbell
Katherine Cabaniss
Anne Chao
Patsy Chapman
Janette Lemmon Cosley
Lavonne Cox
Lisa Cregan
Cris Daskevich
Sarah Marie Davis
Chitra Divakaruni
Gwen Emmett
Mary Jane Fortin
Dena Gray
Winell Herron
Tammie Kahn
Mary Anne Jay
Jane D. Jones
Ann Kaufman
Dana Kervin
Mandy Kao
Melissa King
Cora Sue Mach
Sultana Mangalji
Linda K. May
Stacy Methvin
Annella Metoyer
Mamie Moy
Linda O'Black
Sara Ortwein
Kathleen Tinsley Ownby
Page Parkes-Eveleth
Patricia Prather
Charlene A. Ripley
Margaret Vaughan Robinson
Susan V. Sample
Jewel Smith
Cleverley Stone
Elaine Turner
Margaret Van Bree
Harriet Wasserstrum
Rebecca White
Peggy Whitson
Melissa Wilson
Carole A. Young
2010 Honorees
Carol Alvarado
Lisa Anderson
Nana Booker
Shannon Buggs
Deborah Cannon
Theresa Chang
Elizabeth Cheney
Janet Clark
Jane-Page Crump
Chloe Dao
June Deadrick
Ann Deaton
Ellen DeSanctis
Irma Diaz-Gonzalez
Jana Grauberger
Janet Gurwitch
Eva Guzman
Peggy Heeg
Diana Hudson
Jolanda Jones
Alecia Lawyer
Karen Love
Barbara Manousso
Cindy Marion
Catherine Mosbacher
MaryJane Mudd
Laura Murillo
Chris Noble
Frances S. Padgett
Annise Parker
Sue Payne
Monica Pope
Susan Repka
Mary Ann Reynolds
Rebecca Roberts
Nancy Rutledge
Dominique Sachse
Rita Santamaria
S. Shawn Stephens
Julie Struble
Y. Ping Sun
Anne Taylor
Pattie Dale Tye
Helen Vollmer
May Walker
Claudia Williamson
Dr. Laureen Wishom
Linda Wuest
Marcie Zlotnik
2009 Honorees
Nelda Luce Blair
Angela Blanchard
Susan Borches
Brene Brown
Suzanne Bruce, M.D.
Martha Carnes
Gracie Cavnar
Cindy Clifford
Donna Cole
Marian Davenport
Deborah Duncan
Dorothy Weston Gibbons
Christina Robinson Grochett
Susanne Glasscock
Paula McCann Harris
Carol Helliker
Teresita Hernandez
Leisa Holland-Nelson
Joan Huffman
Meredith Iler
Beverly Kaufman
Renu Khator
Kay King
Nancy Levicki
Lynne Liberato
Janiece Longoria
Kathy Lord
Karen Love
Sue Lovell
Kathleen Lucas
Patricia Lykos
Lynn Mathre
Anne Neeson
Susan Osterberg
Sonia Perez
Leila Perrin
Kathy Ploch
Susan Rafte
Kim Ruth
Roberta Schwartz
Evalyn Shea
Cindy Siegle
Mary Spangler
Diana Morales Taylor
Nancy Tucker
Dancie Perugini Ware
Francie Willis
Beth Wolff
Francene Young
2008 Honorees
Linda Addison
Sofia Adrogue
Joan Alexander
Anna Babin
Caroline Baker
Sue Burnett
Anita Carman
M. Helen Cavazos
Jacqueline Baly Chaumette
Alice Chen
Ellen Cohen
Francie Crane
Gayle Fallon
Carolyn Faulk
Ellie Francisco
Sylvia Garcia
Pam Gardner
Jeannette Clift George
Shelly Sekula Gibbs
Vanessa Gilmore
Patricia Gras
Melanie Gray
Elizabeth Gregory
Mary Margaret Hanson
Joanne Herring
Paula Hinton
Ann Hodge
Frankie Ann Holmes
Karyl Lawson
Melanie Lawson
Sheila Jackson Lee
Ann Lents
Tracye McDaniel
Mary McIntire
Vickie Milazzo
Peggy Montana
Beth Sanders Moore
Victoria Osteen
Sharon Michael Owens
Annise Parker
Linda Russell
Nancy Sims
Karen Taylor
Tammy Tran
Martha Turner
Mary Vitek
Andrea White
Martha Wong
Beverly Woolley
2012 Nomination Form
Cover Story Archives
Browse through our cover story archives below and learn more about the amazing women who have graced the covers of Houston Woman Magazine:
COVER GIRLS – 2011
Kjersti Aagaard, M.D.
Ariela Alpert
Sidney Faust
Veronica Caseras Lee
Cora Sue Mach
Sabrina Martinez
Dr. Cheryl Peters
Penny Ann Reed
Linda Bell Robinson
Madison Robinson
Tiffany D. Thomas
COVER GIRLS – 2010
Nelda Luce Blair
Dianah Dulany
Gwen Emmett
Hashmat Effendi
Claire Hart-Palumbo
Elaine Johnson, R.N.
Beverly Kaufman
Kay King
Renu Khator
Victoria Noble
Barbara Schlattman
Crystal Washington
COVER GIRLS – 2009
Jennie M. Bennett
Barbara Brister
Jacqueline Baly Chaumette
Wendy Daboval
Jordon Folloder
Laurie M. Glaze
Roberta Harris
Elsie Huang
Mandy Kao
Patty Loden
Melody Meyer
Rebecca Roberts
Shay St. John
Rebecca Greene Udden
Carole Young
COVER GIRLS – 2008
Donna Benefield
Tracy Carmen-Jones
Jo Casady
Tracy Case
Saakshi Chowdhary
Suzan Deison
Mimi Dinh
Nicolette Hardwicke
Chris Hook
Lois Konnos
Suzanne Kupiec
Georgianna Nichols
Nancy Rutledge
Donna Sollenberger
Karen Taylor
Lisa Wang
Pamela Wright
COVER GIRLS – 2007
Sofia Adrogue
Amy Bernstein
Anita Carman
Carol Desenberg
Lee Ann Elvig
Katie Jacobs
Margo P. Geddie
Brenda Harris
Sandy Harris
Alecia Lawyer
Saundra McNeese
Maria Emee Nisnisan
Chris Noble
Lisa Whitaker
Carole Wills
COVER GIRLS – 2006
Mary Bossier-Bearden, R.N.
Debbie Clemens
Kristi Cullum, R.N.
Helen Currier. R.N.
Lynn Elsenhans
Sylvia Garcia
Mary Grace Gray
Charleta Guillory, M.D.
Renae Schumann, R.N.
Y. Ping Sun
Tammy Tran
COVER GIRLS – 2005
Patti Barnett
Mary Case
Dr. Gail Gross
Amy Hay
Patricia Mercer
Janet Rarick
Priscilla Slade
Dayna Steele
Martha Wong
COVER GIRLS – 2004
Dorais Allais
Sarah Ferguson
Harriet Hart
Lisa Leal, M.D.
Libi Lebel
Vickie Milazzo
Marsha Murray
Annise Parker
D'Lisa Simmons


