TV anchors named "Top 30 Influential Women of Houston"

KHOU 11 noted that main anchor Mia Gradney was honored as one of the 2019 Top 30 Influential Women of Houston.

According to its website, "The Top 30 Women celebrate the accomplishments and giving spirit of hundreds of diverse, influential and powerful women in Houston and the surrounding areas. But what really makes these women influential is their journey to the top. They have all taken risks, embraced falls, believed in themselves, and remained courageous and resilient throughout their climb."

Here is a list of the other honorees, some of which you will recognize if you regularly read my blog:

Icon Honorees:
Brenda W. Bazan- President and CEO, Houston First Corporation
The Honorable Dr. Teta V. Banks – National Chair, United Nations Association of the USA
The Honorable Lizzie Fletcher – Congresswoman, Texas’ Seventh Congressional District
Judy Foston-Stanford – President, Foston International Communications Inc.
Joyce L. Jacquet – Licensed Therapist and Counselor
Myrtle L. Jones, CPA – Senior Vice President of Tax, Halliburton Company
Melanie Lawson – Anchor/Reporter, KTRK-TV ABC 13
Kim Padgett – President, The Padgett Group
Lisa Trapani Shumate – Associate Vice President and General Manager, Houston Public Media
Vanessa E. Wyche – Deputy Director, NASA Johnson Space Center

Honorees:
Leanne Dobard Alvarez – President & CEO, The UPS Store at Shadow Creek – Pearland
Tracey L. Anthony – Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer, Crane Worldwide Logistics
Colleen D. Banks – Financial Professional, Wealth Development Strategies, LLC
Juliet Breeze, MD – CEO and Founder Next Level Urgent Care
Michelle Bythewood – President, Salata Salad Kitchen
Dr. Courtney Jacocks Chance – Co-owner/ General Dentist, Oaks Point Pediatric Dentistry
Jane E. Cheeks, IPMA-SCP – Director, City of Houston
Connie L. Cochran – Assistant Vice President of Alumni Relations & Special Events, Texas Southern University
Audrey Marie Cosby – First Lady, Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church
Rachel Andress Davis, PharmD, RPh - Licensed Pharmacist, OptumRx, a division of United Health Group
Leona E. Filis – Founder/Managing Attorney, The Filis Law Firm, P.C.
Michelle Garrison – Chief Financial Officer, GetixHealth, LLC
Dr. Melissa N. Gonzalez – President, Houston Community College – Southeast
Mia Gradney – Emmy Award-Winning Journalist and Anchor, KHOU11
Addie Heyliger – Business Engagement Manager, CenterPoint Energy, Vice President, Fort Bend ISD Trustee
Tami Hunter – Advisor, ConocoPhillips
Kelly A. Irving – Associate Director Patient Care Services/Chief Nurse Executive, Michael E. DeBakey, VAMC
Olivera Jankovska – Global Citizenship Fellow, UNICEF
Dr. Grenita F. Lathan – Interim Superintendent, Houston Independent School District
Angela Lee – CEO, Evolution by Design
LaMonica Love – Attorney & Business Consultant, The Love Law Group & Consulting Services, PLLC
Christine Mack – Regional Head of Procurement, Americas, BP
Shawntell L. McWilliams – CEO, SM Global Consulting, LLC, Infinity Cleaning Solutions
Paula M. Mendoza – CEO, Possible Missions, Inc. & Pos Mis, Inc.
Jamila S. Mensah - Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright US, LLP
Chau Nguyen, LMSW – Chief Public Strategies Officer, Houston Area Women’s Center
Eureka Patton – Owner, Massage Envy – Aliana
Eileen Perillo – Vice President Finance, Shell Energy Resources Company
Marilyn A. Rose – Accounting Administrator, Harris County Sheriff’s Office
Gabriella Rowe – CEO, Station Houston
Sherrie Sams – Founder & Executive Director, AFC Youth
Mya Smith-Edmonds – Owner/Operator, McDonald’s
Bridgette Smith-Lawson – Managing Attorney - Regions 5&6, The Department of Family and Protective Service- Office of General Counsel
Carolyn Watson – Vice President of Corporate Responsibility, JPMorgan Chase
Dr. Tamara L. Williams – President, Chamberlain University – Houston Campus
Jennifer St. Julian Wooden – Director, Humble Civic Center/Charles Bender Performing Arts Center
Dr. Janet Wormack – Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration, Houston Community College

The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee Community Achievement Award
Yolanda Ford – Mayor, City of Missouri City

Moguls in the Media honored in Houston

David Loving, Univision 45; D'Artagnan Bebel, FOX 26 Houston

Friday night, the Univision Houston studios were all about glitz and glamour as the Texas Women’s Empowerment Foundation (TWEF) honored "Moguls in the Media."

Awards were handed out to Houston and national media personalities:

- David Loving, KXLN Univision 45 senior vice president and general manager
- Willard Jackson, EBONY Magazine
- D'Artagnan Bebel, FOX26 KRIV Vice President & General Manager D'Artagnan Bebel
- Judy Foston-Stanford, Foston International Communications
- Jacquelyn Aluotto, FUBU TV
- Pamela B. McKay, Radio One Houston

The event was hosted by FOX 26 Reporter Damali Keith and Dr. Bennie Lambert, vice president of student services for Lone Star College-North Harris.

Dorinda Walker, Purdential Financial Inc; First Daughter of Houston Ashley P. Turner; Jacquelyn Aluotto, FUBU TV; Kim Roxie, LAMIK Beauty

Who would have thought Univision Houston had a club located in its building?!

The company's Uforia Lounge is used for radio station concerts and live TV productions.

KXLN Univision 45 senior vice president and general manager David Loving says he is a big music fan and has adorned the walls with cool guitars.

Loving took me through a side door and also showed me Univision's national weather service center hub. It was a large studio with multiple chroma key green screens and SMART Boards. There was a very high tech look to the place.

Willard Jackson, EBONY Magazine; Deavra Daughtry, Founder of TWEF; and Mayor Sylvester Turner

Back at the party, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner gave a speech where he said the first responders and Houston media did a great job during Hurricane Harvey. He said our city does not give up to despair and Houston is clearly on the rise.

This gala event celebrated TWEF's 15 years of serving local and global communities.

According to its website TWEF is a 501©3 non-profit organization geared towards mentoring families from all walks of life. It helps them to reach their fullest potential in the areas of personal development, business, education, finances and socio-economic development.

The organization was founded in May 2002 by Dr. Deavra Daughtry.

The healthcare and management business owner wanted to create an organization that would be a resource to families by providing them with the tools needed to achieve and maintain a sense of empowerment, while being inspired to reach their personal and professional goals.

Michele Thorton Ghee, BET and Grammy Award Singer Estelle

Apparently I was standing right next to Houston radio's Ayana Mack, but neither of us realized it till the photos on Instagram the next day.

Not only was I honored to meet the mayor as I posted on social media over the weekend (see the nice message he posted there), but I also got to be interviewed by Wash Allen for his television show!

I hope I make the final cut!

I got interviewed at the #TWEF17 gala by @washallenconfessions! More about the event coming to my blog.

A post shared by mike mcguff (@mikemcguff) on Oct 17, 2017 at 8:55am PDT

Hopefully things didn't end too late because the next day, TWEF held a "Harvey Relief Festival."

Scholarships were handed out to young people. There were also performances by Grammy Award Winner Estelle, Gospel Singer Brian Courtney Wilson, Lil Nate and The Zydeco Big Timers.