Greater Houston Conference for Women

Now in its 12th year, The Greater Houston Conference for Women has become a life-changing experience for attendees. It is leaders like you that give the audience so much to walk away with. As we have shared with you the safety of our speakers and guests is of the upmost importance to us. Because of the current COVID numbers, we believe it is best for us to re-schedule to October 8. Even with this new date we will continue to have the conference live streamed for viewers wishing to participate remotely. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate through unusual circumstances.

Breakfast Keynote

Dr. Seun Adigun D.C.
First African Summer & Winter Olympian,
Chiropractor & Biomechanist
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Dr. M. Seun Adigun, D.C., a chiropractor and biomechanist, focuses on injury prevention and rehabilitation while bringing an extremely unique blend to sports medicine. After graduating from University of Houston with a B.S. in Exercise Science – Health Professions and a minor in Psychology, she knew that her academic journey was only beginning. Her passion to help individuals achieve optimal performance lead her to pursue a M.Ed from the University of Houston in Physical Education- Motor Behavior. During her fifth season as a men’s & women’s assistant track & field coach at the University of Houston, Dr. Seun sought out to acquire more knowledge as an anatomist. She resigned from coaching full time, and 3.5 years later completed an additional Exercise & Health Sciences M.S. with a concentration in Fitness & Human Performance from University of Houston- Clear Lake, an additional B.S in Human Biology, and a Doctorate of Chiropractic, both from Texas Chiropractic College.

Dr. Seun’s impressive academic achievements came alongside an equally impressive athletic career. Her ambitions to help revolutionize sports medicine were driven by many of her personal experiences as an athlete. As a first-generation Nigerian-American, Dr. Seun completed her NCAA career as an All-American hurdler and went on to become a three-time Nigerian national champion and two- time African champion in the 100m hurdles. She competed in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games and resurfaced three years later as a winter athlete in the sport of Bobsled. She competed as a brakeman for team USA during the 2015-2016 Winter season, and the following year became the driver of the first ever African bobsled team that she started for the country of Nigeria. This team became the first winter federation of any sport to represent the country and participate in the Olympics. In 2018, the International Olympic Committee recognized Dr. Seun as the first, and only, African to compete in both a Summer and Winter Olympic Games. 

Conference Keynotes

Jean Becker
Author, Pearls of Wisdom
Former Chief of Staff
for George H.W. Bush
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Jean Becker was chief of staff for George H.W. Bush from March 1, 1994 until his death on November 30, 2018. She supervised his office operations in both Houston, Texas and Kennebunkport, Maine, overseeing such events as the opening of the George Bush Presidential Library Center in 1997 and the commissioning of the USS George H.W.  Bush aircraft carrier in January 2009 and coordinating his special projects such as the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund. She took a leave of absence in 1999 to edit and research, “All the Best, George Bush; My Life in Letters and Other Writings.”

Previously, Ms. Becker served as deputy press secretary to First Lady Barbara Bush from 1989 to 1992.  After the 1992 election, she moved to Houston to help Mrs. Bush with the editing and research of her autobiography, “Barbara Bush, A Memoir.”  She later assisted Mrs. Bush with a follow-up book, “Reflections,” published in 2003.

Before joining the Bush White House staff in 1989, Ms. Becker was a newspaper reporter for 10 years, including a four-year stint at USA TODAY where her duties included covering the 1988 presidential election and a Page One editor. 

She is a member of the board of directors for Points of Light, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, and the George and Barbara Bush Foundation. She also is a member of the advisory board of The George Bush Presidential Library Center and The George Bush School of Government and Public Service.  She has written a book about all the advice Mrs. Bush dispensed in her lifetime; “Pearls of Wisdom,” which will be published in March. She currently working on a book about President Bush’s post presidency.

Rita R. Colwell, Ph.D.
Author, A Lab of One’s Own:
One Woman’s Personal Journey
Through Sexism in Science
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Rita Colwell is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland at College Park and at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, senior advisor and chairman emeritus at Canon US Life Sciences, Inc., and president and chairman of CosmosID, Inc.

Dr. Rita Colwell’s interests are focused on global infectious diseases, water, and health. Dr. Colwell developed an international network to address emerging infectious diseases and water issues, including safe drinking water for both the developed and developing world, in collaboration with Safe Water Network, headquartered in New York City.

She served as the eleventh director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) from 1998 to 2004. In her capacity as NSF director, she served as co-chair of the Committee on Science of the National Science and Technology Council. Before joining NSF, Dr. Colwell was president of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute and a professor of microbiology and biotechnology. She was also a member of the National Science Board from 1984 to 1990.

One of Colwell’s major interests is K-12 science and mathematics education, graduate science and engineering education, and the increased participation of women and minorities in science and engineering.

She has held many advisory positions in the U.S. government, nonprofit science policy organizations, and private foundations, as well as in the international scientific research community. Colwell is a nationally-respected scientist and educator, and has authored or co-authored 19 books and more than 800 scientific publications. She produced the award-winning film, “Invisible Seas,” and has served on editorial boards of numerous scientific journals, including GeoHealth, which she founded at AGU in 2015.

Dr. Colwell has previously served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the American Academy of Microbiology and also as President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Washington Academy of Sciences, the American Society for Microbiology, the Sigma Xi National Science Honorary Society, the International Union of Microbiological Societies, and the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS).

Dr. Colwell is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, the Royal Society of Canada, the Royal Irish Academy, the Bangladesh Academy of Science, the Indian Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. Colwell is an honorary member of the microbiological societies of the UK, Australia, France, Israel, Bangladesh, Czechoslovakia, Royal Irish Academy and the U.S. She has held several honorary professorships, including the University of Queensland, Australia.

Colwell has been awarded 62 honorary degrees from institutions of higher education, including her alma mater, Purdue University.

A geological site in Antarctica, called Colwell Massif, has been named in recognition of her work in the Polar Regions.

Carla Harris
Vice Chairman, Global Wealth
Management & Senior Client Advisor
Morgan Stanley
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Carla Harris is a Vice Chairman, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley.  She is responsible for increasing client connectivity and penetration to enhance revenue generation across the firm. She formerly headed the Emerging Manager Platform, the equity capital markets effort for the consumer and retail industries and was responsible for Equity Private Placements.  In her 30 year career, Ms. Harris has had extensive industry experiences in the technology, media, retail, telecommunications, transportation, industrial, and healthcare sectors. In August 2013, Carla Harris was appointed by President Barack Obama to chair the National Women’s Business Council.

For more than a decade, Ms. Harris was a senior member of the equity syndicate desk and executed such transactions as initial public offerings for UPS, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Ariba, Redback, the General Motors sub-IPO of Delphi Automotive, and the $3.2 Billion common stock transaction for Immunex Corporation, one of the largest biotechnology common stock transactions in U.S. history.  Ms. Harris was named to Fortune Magazine’s list of “The 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in Corporate America”, Fortune’s Most Influential List, U. S. Bankers Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance (2009, 2010, 2011), Black Enterprise’s Top 75 Most Powerful Women in Business (2017),  and “Top 75 African Americans on Wall Street”, and to Essence Magazine’s list of “The 50 Women Who are Shaping the World”, Ebony’s list of the Power 100 and “15 Corporate Women at the Top” and was named “Woman of the Year 2004” by the Harvard Black Men’s Forum  and  in 2011 by the Yale Black Men’s Forum.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Carla received an MBA, Second Year Honors from Harvard Business School and an AB in economics from Harvard University, Magna Cum Laude.  Carla has also received Honorary Doctorates of Laws, Humanities and Business from Marymount Manhattan College, Bloomfield College, Jacksonville University, Simmons College, the College of New Rochelle, St. Thomas Aquinas College and Fisk University, Wake Forest University and Felician University respectively. Carla Harris is actively involved in her community and heartily believes that “we are blessed so that we can be a blessing to someone else.”

She is the past Chair of the Board of the Morgan Stanley Foundation and of The Executive Leadership Council, and sits on the boards of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), A Better Chance, Inc, and St. Vincent’s Hospitals, and is an active member of the St. Charles Gospelites of the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and the Mark Howell Singers.  She is a member of the board of overseers of Harvard University and of the board of directors of the Walmart Corporation. Ms. Harris was co-chair of the National Social Action Commission of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She has been named to the New Jersey Hall of Fame (2015) and has received the Bert King Award from the Harvard Business School African American Alumni Association, the 2005 Women’s Professional Achievement Award from Harvard University, the Pierre Toussaint Medallion from the Office of Black Ministry of the Archdiocese of New York, the Women of Power Award given by the National Urban League, the Women of Influence Award from The Links, Incorporated and many other awards.  In her other life, Carla is a singer who has sold out concerts at the Apollo Theatre, and released her third gospel CD “Unceasing Praise” (2011) , her second CD, a gospel album titled, “Joy Is Waiting”, was featured on BET Nightly News while her first CD entitled, “Carla’s First Christmas”, was a bestseller on Amazon.com in New York and in record stores, and was featured on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather in his “American Dream” segment.  She has performed 5 sold out concerts at Carnegie Hall. Carla is also the author of the books, Strategize to Win (2014) and of Expect to Win (2009) (Hudson Press).

Lisa Helfman
Director of Public Affairs
H-E-B
Lisa Helfman WEB Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Lisa Helfman is the Director of Public Affairs Houston for H-E-B Grocery Company and served previously as the Director of Real Estate for them. Prior to joining H-E-B in 2014, Lisa served as Director of Real Estate Services at Texas Children’s Hospital where she created the Real Estate Services Department in order to centralize the hospital’s real estate operations. Lisa worked at Texas Children’s for seven years after leaving Vinson & Elkins law firm where she represented many urban redevelopment clients, non-profits, and government entities in financings, real estate, and other legal matters. Lisa received her JD Magna Cum Laude from the University of Houston Law Center and her BA Cum Laude from Tulane University.

When she isn’t representing H-E-B in the community, she is pushing kale smoothies to children all over underserved communities as the Founder and Board Chair of Brighter Bites. In the fall of 2011, Lisa and her family took part in a weekly fruit and vegetable co-op, and she watched her children’s eating habits transform—for the better. So much so that her little boy rejected a piece of cake at a birthday party, asking instead for the blueberries he’d grown fond of eating at home. Like most moms, Lisa realized this was a fairly significant decision for a six-year-old, and she wondered what kind of influence regular access to fresh produce might have on all children.

She was inspired to replicate this type of positive change in underserved communities identified as “food deserts,” or areas with limited access to grocery stores. Because nutrition education in these communities is often equally lacking, Lisa’s vision was to bring a produce co-op to schools in these neighborhoods that included an educational component while also making it fun. She created a collaborative partnership with Dr. Shreela Sharma at the University of Texas School of Public Health, and launched the program now known as Brighter Bites in 2012. Eight years later, Brighter Bites has delivered over 25,000,000 pounds of fresh produce and 100,000s of education materials to more than 300,000 individuals (including teachers!) across 125+ participating schools in Houston, Dallas, Austin, New York City, Washington D.C., and Southwest Florida. In 2019, the Houston-Galveston chapter of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship named Lisa its Humanitarian of the Year, Newcomb College at Tulane University also named Lisa its Community Service Alumni of the Year and Business Insider named her and Shreela to their list of top 100 Coolest People in Food and Drink.

Tiffany Masterson
Founder & CCO
Drunk Elephant
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Tiffany Masterson is a Houston, Texas native and a mother of four who always felt an intense need and desire to give her children the best of everything.

Growing up, there wasn’t a “miracle” product she hadn’t tried. Before developing Drunk Elephant, she had all sorts of skin issues: oily T-zone, sensitive (or so she thought), occasionally break-out prone, mild rosacea and visible pores. She was a frustrated, confused brand-hopper searching for a solution. Nothing ever really worked, and if it did, it wasn’t for long.

It wasn’t until she started selling an imported bar cleanser on the side of being a full-time mom that she began teaching herself about ingredients, how skin reacts to them and what roles each play in a formulation.

“One of my motivations in developing Drunk Elephant was to create a brand that was as effective as any clinical brand and as safe as any natural brand. I couldn’t find
anything out there that fit that description. I was also attracted to the concept of having healthy skin that ages gracefully and doesn’t always need to be covered by makeup.” She wanted people like her to understand that the answer to healthy skin was simple—keep it high quality and stay away from the ubiquitous marketing ingredients that are not at all necessary and seemingly at the root of dysfunctional skin. After years of listening, learning, researching, and self-teaching, Drunk Elephant Skin Care was born and along with it, a new category in the beauty space: clean compatible. With each ingredient of paramount importance, the focus is placed on internal health and the function and health of the skin itself.

By eliminating toxins, as well as those innocent sounding marketing ingredients (dubbed the Suspicious 6 by Masterson in reference to the irritants, disruptors and allergic sensitizers that are found in most products on the market today) Drunk Elephant sets out to change the way people experience skin care. The products will
never be categorized by skin types, as Masterson doesn’t believe in them. Her philosophy is “skin is skin. All skin functions the same if you let it.” Her goal is to deliver top of- the-line products that live up to their claims and are formulated with only biocompatible ingredients that can be recognized, accepted and used by the skin.

Lee Woodruff
Speaker, Author,
Those We Love Most,
Perfectly Imperfect, In An Instant
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As co-author of the New York Times best-selling In an Instant, Lee Woodruff garnered critical acclaim for the compelling and humorous chronicle of her family’s journey to recovery following her husband Bob’s roadside bomb injury in Iraq. Appearing on national television and as keynote speakers since the February 2007 publication of their book, the couple has helped put a face on the serious issue of traumatic brain injury among returning Iraq war veterans.

They have founded the Bob Woodruff Foundation to assist injured service members and their families heal from the wounds of war. To date, the non-profit foundation has raised more than $40 million and invested in grassroots organizations and programs around the country that are helping veterans reintegrate into their communities.

Woodruff has been a contributing reporter for ABC’s “Good Morning America” and “CBS This Morning.” Her best-selling book Perfectly Imperfect – A Life in Progress, was followed by her first novel “Those We Love Most,” which became a New York Times Best-Seller.

A freelance writer, Woodruff has penned numerous personal articles. She is the mother of four mostly fabulous children, an alumnus of Colgate University and an avid lover of the Adirondack region.

Conference Moderators

Janet Gurwitch
Operating Partner
Castanea Partners
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Linda Lorelle
Emmy Award-Winning Journalist & Podcaster
Lorelle Media
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Elizabeth Travis, Ph.D.
Assoc. VP, Women Faculty Programs
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
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2020 Breakthrough Woman ICON

Paula Harris
Global Director
Schlumberger (Ret.)
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Paula Harris has enjoyed a 30 year long-career in the energy industry working in various capacities
with oilfield service giant, Schlumberger. Harris began as a field Engineer managing operations on offshore rigs throughout the Gulf of Mexico. After years in operations and operation management, she then worked as a sales engineer and North American recruiting manager. Her global positions include global sales Training Manager, Global Project Manager and Director of Global Stewardship. Paula was elected to the Houston Independent School District Board of Education in 2007. She was an integral part of developing theories of action and enforcing policy. She was instrumental in the 2008 superintendent search and served on the finance committee to help develop and manage the districts $1.6 billion budget. Her emphasis was raising the academic achievement of the 215,000 children in the district and providing policy to increase the output of the 25,000 employees. Paula served as board president and the district was recognized twice by the White House under her leadership.

2020 Breakthrough Women 

Jeanna Bamburg
Chief Executive Officer
HCA Healthcare Southeast
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Jeanna Bamburg is the CEO of HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast, a full-service acute care hospital serving Southeast Harris County.  Board certified in healthcare management as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a Certified Healthcare Trustee by Texas Healthcare Trustees, Jeanna has led the hospital in tremendous growth in patient volumes, quality metrics, patient satisfaction scores, physician engagement scores and employee engagement.  Under her leadership, the hospital has significantly reduced employee turnover, has been named a Houston Business Journal Best Place to Work eight times and has won several quality awards for trauma care, cardiovascular care and overall quality improvement.  In 2019, Jeanna was named on the list of Houston Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs and Women Who Mean Business.

Along with her work in healthcare, Jeanna serves on the Advisory Board of Houston’s Alley Theatre, a Tony Award-winning theatre and one of America’s leading non-profit theatres.  She also has significant experience in leading local fundraising campaigns, leading committees and leading mentoring initiatives for several organizations. She is also an active member of the Pasadena Rotary Club.

Jeanna has a MBA from the University of Houston–Clear Lake.  She was elected in 2020 as Southeast Texas Regent for American College of Healthcare Executives and also serves as a member of the Texas Healthcare Trustees Board of Directors. She is a graduate of the Texas Hospital Association Leadership Fellows Program and an active Rotarian.

Jeanna and her husband, Wesley, are the parents of two teenagers.  In her leisure time, Jeanna and her family enjoy international travel, sporting events and the pursuit of growing the perfect vegetable garden.

Heather Betancourth
Community & Government Relations Representative
Chevron Phillips Chemical Company
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Heather Betancourth was born on March 5, 1980 in Houston, Texas. She was raised in Spring, Texas in a modern-day blended family, which includes her mother, stepfather, father, stepmother, two half-brothers, and two stepsisters.

Heather graduated from Chester W. Nimitz High School in Aldine ISD in 1998. In 2001, she obtained an Associate of Arts degree from Lone Star College (formerly North Harris Community College). In 2003, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Houston. And in 2015, Heather completed a Master of Science degree in Professional Writing and Technical Communication from the University of Houston-Downtown.

Heather’s early career as a journalist included time spent as a reporter at the Pasadena Citizen, Baytown Sun, and Katy Courier; and an editor at the Houston Chronicle. Additionally, Heather is a published freelance writer in 10 different U.S. newspapers and magazines.

Heather transitioned her communication skills to public relations, holding positions at NASA Johnson Space Center, McDermott International, and Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. 

In 2012, Heather was assigned to lead the community relations program for Chevron Phillips Chemical’s largest domestic manufacturing facility in Baytown, Texas as it underwent a $6 billion expansion project. In her current position, Heather is responsible for managing the company’s community affairs for the East Harris County region, including crisis response, charitable giving and volunteer events, government relations, media relations, and reputation and brand management.

In 2017, Heather was elected to Baytown City Council representing District 4. She is a member of the city’s Finance Committee and Intergovernmental Relations committee, overseas an annual $131 million budget, and represents over 15,000 Baytown citizens. She is currently serving the final year of her first term with intent to run for re-election in 2020.

Heather is married to Robert Betancourth and stepmother to Cecilia, Gabriela, Robert and Briana. They have two rescue dogs, Lucy and Lola. In her leisure time, Heather enjoys travelling, wine tasting, experimental cooking, and growing garden herbs.

 

Sheila Enriquez
Managing Shareholder
Briggs & Veselka Co.
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Sheila Enriquez is the Managing Partner & CEO of Briggs & Veselka Co., the largest independent CPA firm in Houston and the third largest in Texas.  In her first year as CEO, Sheila helped achieve a 29% growth rate and led the integration of six (6) acquisitions that expanded the firm’s Texas presence to include Austin and The Woodlands.  As a CPA-Attorney with over 22 years of experience, Sheila offers a powerful blend of financial expertise and legal perspective to her clients.

Sheila’s passion is education, which has been guided by her individual journey.  A native of the Philippines, Sheila received a full scholarship in 1990 and completed her A.S. in Business with High Honors at SUNY/SCCC’s Toyama, Japan and Loch Sheldrake, New York campuses.  Sheila later graduated summa cum laude from Mercy College with a B.S. Degree in Public Accounting, and received her M.B.A. with Distinction from Long Island University, and her J.D. from University of Houston Law Center.  

 As a first generation immigrant, Sheila understands the power of education and hard work.  She believes in servant leadership and is passionate in developing and mentoring professionals within the firm.  Sheila credits the firm’s leaders over the years for fostering a culture in which anyone who demonstrates the desire can rise, and for mentoring and providing her opportunities that ultimately prepared her to assume the Managing Partner/CEO role.

Sheila is inspired and supported by her husband, Jose, and two children, Anthony and Jacob.  She enjoys golf, tennis, and traveling.

Robin Fielder
President & COO
Noble Midstream Partners
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Robin Fielder has nearly 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry with a diverse background, including exploration and development engineering, upstream and midstream planning, conventional and unconventional asset management, and both operations and finance leadership roles. She was named President and Chief Operating Officer of Noble Midstream Partners LP (NASDAQ: NBLX) and concurrently Senior Vice President, Midstream, of Noble Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: NBL) in January 2020.  

 Before joining Noble Energy, Robin was served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of the general partner of Western Midstream Operating and Western Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: WES) and Senior Vice President, Midstream and Marketing at Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. Prior to these roles, Robin served in positions of increasing responsibility at Anadarko, including Vice President, Investor Relations, Midstream Corporate Planning Manager, General Manager of East Texas and North Louisiana Asset, and various engineering positions in both the U.S. onshore and Gulf of Mexico.

Robin holds a Bachelor of Science in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M University and is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Texas and a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. She currently serves on the March of Dimes Greater Houston Market Board and is an executive member of the Women’s Energy Network.

Carla Mashinski
Chief Financial & Administrative Officer
Cameron LNG
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Carla S. Mashinski currently serves as Chief Financial and Administrative Officer for Cameron LNG since 2015. She also serves as Independent Board Member of three public companies:  Unit Corporation, CARBO Ceramics; and Primoris Services Corporation.

She is known for her strategic and insightful financial leadership in oil & gas with 30+ years of experience in governance and compliance, risk management, project management, HR, IT, and cybersecurity. Carla has consistently served as a key senior management team member influencing business decisions. She sees the big picture and confronts issues in a collaborative, versatile, pragmatic, and transparent manner.

In her current role as Chief Financial and Administrative Officer for Cameron LNG, Carla is involved in strategic, financial, treasury, human resources, and IT matters.  Before joining Cameron LNG, Carla served as CFO and VP, Finance & Information Management, North American Operation for Sasol Limited and Vice President Finance and Administration for SBM Offshore Inc.  Carla also served as Vice President, Accounting and Chief Accounting Officer for GulfMark Offshore, Inc., leading all aspects of the accounting and reporting of a global, public company. Earlier in her career, Carla held various positions for Duke Energy and Shell Oil Company.

Carla earned an Executive MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas, a B.S. in Accounting with high honors from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and completed an M&A program at Wharton. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Texas, a Certified Management Accountant, a Project Management Professional (PMP), a National Association of Corporate Directors Governance Fellow – The Gold Standard Board Credential, and COSO Enterprise Risk Management Certification.  She was recognized by WomenInc.as one of the 2019 Most Influential Corporate Board Directors.

Bambi McCullough
Consultant, Coach, Co-Founder
Chrysalis Partners
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Bambi is a co-founder and owner of Chrysalis Partners. She works with leaders from entrepreneurial to Fortune 100 companies and not-for-profits who want breakthroughs in performance. Bambi and her team provide Executive Coaching, Leadership Programs, Retreats, Keynotes and Consulting to challenge executives to lead and inspire courageous action. She possesses more than two decades of expertise in working with CEO’s and their teams to achieve extraordinary new levels of performance.

 Bambi speaks from experience.  Prior to her founding Chrysalis Partners Bambi spent 24 years as an Executive of a Texas Bank where she learned first-hand what works, what doesn’t, and why; from being the Chief Human Resources Executive to a Bank Office CEO.

Bambi is a highly sought-after keynote speaker both at National Associations and Business Conferences. She has presented at the national conferences of the American Society of Training and Development and the Society of Human Resource Management, for Exxon, Dynegy and Amegy Bank, to name a few.  In addition, she has led Leadership programs for Rice University.

Bambi is an Insights Licensed Practitioner, a Licensed Partner to Mission Control Productivity, is certified in Values Based Organizations, and has studied transformational based coaching and consulting for more than 20 years.

 Bambi’s clients include organizations such as BGE, Toshiba, Direct Energy, Allegiance Bank, Kraton, HISD, Exxon, Baker Hughes, Bank of America, Amegy Bank, Yellowstone Schools, Houston First, Trafigura and TC Energy. 

 Bambi is on the Board of the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce, is a Member of the Greater Houston Partnership Executive Women’s Partnership and the former Chapter Chair for the Houston Women’s Presidents Organization.

She earned a BA in Mathematics from Sam Houston State University and is a graduate of Graduate Lending School at the University of Oklahoma.

Sandra Oliver
Partner
EY
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 Sandra Oliver is the Audit Leader for EY’s US-West Region. In this role she oversees the operations, markets, talent, and audit quality functions for the region’s Audit practice, which is comprised of 2,800 professionals and includes 280 partners working across 18 states.

 In addition to her current leadership role, Sandra is an audit partner with over 25 years of internal audit and public accounting experience serving clients primarily in the Energy and Services industries. Her clients have ranged from large, multinational public companies with extensive global footprints to smaller growth companies. In the rapidly-changing and digital business environment, Sandra works with clients to identify and capitalize on new opportunities, fulfill regulatory requirements, keep investors informed and meet stakeholder needs.

Sandra is passionate about equity and opportunity for future leaders. Both internally at EY and through her involvement in external organizations, she has mentored numerous women and diverse professionals and advocated for their career development. Sandra recently completed a three-year assignment as the Americas Assurance Talent Leader, a role in which she led EY’s strategy for all people functions in the Assurance practice, including attracting, developing, growing and retaining talent across the Americas region. She also previously led EY’s Houston Professional Women’s Network and Latino Professional Network, which focus on development and mentorship for female and Latino professionals and allies.

Sandra was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, and graduated from Texas A&M University before beginning her career with EY in Houston. She and her husband, Mark, have three sons: Ben, Ryan and Nick. Sandra is a CPA in Texas and a member of the Texas State Society of CPAs and the AICPA, and she serves as a Director for the Texas and National Parents of Blind Children and Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas.

Kathryn Pavlovsky
US Energy, Resources & Industrials Advisory Leader 
Deloitte
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Katie is a principal at Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP and currently serves as the US Energy, Resources & Industrials Advisory leader for services in the areas of strategic, financial, transactional, operational, and regulatory risks. Prior to this role, she led the oil and gas sector where she worked with oil and gas clients to assess risks to corporate and functional strategies, which has included implementing risk sensing and other digital and analytical tools and approaches to support clients in prioritizing and resourcing risks identified and undergoing transformation. Katie has also worked across power and utilities, mining and metals, chemicals, and industrial products where she has delivered in the areas of compliance, investigations, disputes, and transactions. Additionally, she has been focused on working with clients who evaluate compliance programs, undergo investigations, or undertake initiatives to enhance business continuity and crisis management. Prior to joining Deloitte, Katie worked in a special liability group for a commercial insurer.

Alexandra Pruner
Senior Advisor
Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.
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Alexandra Pruner serves as an independent director on the Boards of NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG); Plains All American (NYSE: PAA & PAGP) as well as CPPIB-backed Encino Acquisition Partners. A founding partner of the energy investment bank Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., Ms. Pruner also serves as a Senior Advisor to that investment bank and its parent, Perella Weinberg Partners following her retirement from the combined firm in 2018 where she served as CFO.

 Ms. Pruner’s extensive energy background also includes having served as Publisher of the industry technical journal World Oil, as well as 10 years at operating companies, including both an upstream firm (Houston Exploration) and midstream/gas utility (NUI Corporation), where she headed investor relations and related activities. Early in her career, Ms. Pruner also spent six years at Shearson Lehman Brothers in NYC.

 Active in community and industry affairs, Ms. Pruner was the founder of the Women’s Global Leadership Conference in Energy, now in its 15th year. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of inclusiveness. Ms. Pruner serves on the Executive Committee and Board of the United Way of Greater Houston, as well as the Houston Zoo. She currently serves as the President of the Brown University Advisory Council for the Economics Department (where she earned her BA).

 

Alexandra Pruner
Senior Advisor
Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.
2019 Subbiah Faculty Portrait Prof 400x400 1 Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Ishwaria Subbiah is a Palliative Care physician and medical oncologist at MD Anderson.  She is uniquely qualified for this role, having completed 3 fellowships at MD Anderson first in new drug development, then in Medical Oncology and most recently in Palliative Medicine.  Dr. Subbiah has received several peer-reviewed grants including from the American Cancer Society to improve the care of older adults with cancers. 

At MD Anderson, she chairs the Patient Survey Governance Committee which oversees the institution-wide implementation of patient-reported outcomes into clinical practice. She also serves on the national Technical Expert Panel developing oncology outcomes measures for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and on the Older Adult Oncology committee of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) which sets the national guidelines for care of seniors with cancer.

Her ardent patient-level and institutional efforts as well as national/international advocacy reflect her commitment to develop the model of cancer care that seamlessly (and synergistically) integrates both cutting edge anti-cancer treatments and comprehensive holistic supportive care to deliver a cancer treatment experience in line with the values of each patient and their family.