Greater Houston Women’s Hall of Fame

Margaret Alkek Williams Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Margaret Alkek Williams

Philanthropist

Margaret Alkek Williams is considered one of Houston’s most devoted fine and performing arts supporters. It is impossible to talk about the arts in Houston without thinking of Margaret and her influence across the city’s cultural community….which is indeed legendary!

Margaret Alkek Williams was born in Victoria, Texas. Her affection for the arts has been a lifelong journey and was largely influenced by her mother, Margaret Alkek. Throughout her childhood, she performed in musicals and operettas. Margaret studied acting at Stanford University and earned a music degree from the University of Texas. She performed with the Gilbert & Sullivan Society in Philadelphia in the 1950s and upon her return to Houston in 1960, Margaret sang with the Houston Grand Opera Chorus in productions such as Turandot, La Traviata and Romeo and Juliet.

As Chairman of her family’s foundation, she continues to honor the legacy of giving of her parents, Albert and Margaret Alkek. Several years ago, Margaret made the decision to provide transformational gifts to the arts organizations that she dearly loves. These generous gifts have provided a major impetus for new productions, buildings, endowments and programs for the Alley Theatre, the Center for Performing Arts Medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Margaret’s most recent gift in May of 2022, was an incredible $10 million legacy gift to Houston Ballet. Her gift to the Company’s endowment fund is the largest ever received. In recognition of her gift, Houston Ballet’s state-of-the-art training facility is now known as the Margaret Alkek Williams Center for Dance. Margaret’s generosity will enable Houston Ballet to flourish for generations to come, to maintain the building and continue the Ballet’s mission to inspire a lifelong love of dance in perpetuity.

Margaret’s previous gifts to Houston Ballet include endowing the Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation Principal Dancer, production support for Stanton Welch’s Swan Lake, a capital campaign gift naming the Margaret Alkek Williams Dance Lab, and the endowment of the Company’s annual one-night-only gala performance, the Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance.Other major arts organizations receiving milestone gifts include: Houston Grand Opera in 2011 to create the Margaret Alkek Williams General Director Chair Fund, a position currently held by Khori Dastoor; Houston Symphony in 2015 to create the Margaret Alkek Williams Executive Director/CEO Chair held by John Mangum; Alley Theatre in 2015 to support the capital campaign. In recognition of her generosity, the entire fourth floor of the newly renovated theatre was named the Margaret Alkek Williams Terrace Level; Houston Methodist in 2016 to establish the Margaret Alkek Williams Center for Performing Arts Medicine Endowment for Arts Integration. The endowment will allow the Center to continue in perpetuity the 100 plus live performances for Houston Methodist patients and guests throughout the year.

Finally, in 2019, Margaret directed a gift of several million dollars to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston to permanently endow the directorship of the Museum of Fine Arts, held by Gary Tinterow. An intimate dinner was held to honor Margaret for her generosity to the Museum at which heads of the major arts organizations each stood to express their appreciation. Dean Gladden, Executive Director of the Alley Theatre concluded with the following quote by George Bernard Shaw as he believed it summed up Margaret’s commitment to lifelong philanthropy.

“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to the future generations.”

 

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Susan Sarofim

Owner
Brooke Staffing Companies / New Orleans Auction Galleries

Susan D. Sarofim has long believed in creating opportunities instead of waiting for them to happen. This fact shows prominently in her efforts to make positive changes for the communities in which she calls home through both her professional and philanthropic endeavors.

Susan opened Brooke Staffing Companies Inc. in 1989, operating the award-wining offices in New Orleans and Houston for 33 years. Additionally, she owns New Orleans Auction Galleries – a prominent auction house, representing estates and private collections through unique offerings of antiques, art, estate jewelry and more.

After relocating from New Orleans to Houston in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Susan co-founded the independently operated nonprofit To Educate All Children (TEACH). TEACH provides educators in the Houston and Aldine Independent School Districts with the fundamental class management skills to teach at-risk students.

Susan currently serves on the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System Board and has previously served as the board chair of the Memorial Hermann Foundation, a member of the TEACH Board, a member of the Houston Community College Foundation Board and a member of the Labor, Education and Health Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

Included in the list of many worthy civic and charitable groups for which she has served as co-chair are the UNICEF Annual Audrey Hepburn Society Ball, Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce Gala, Memorial Hermann’s Circle of Life Gala, Hermann Park Conservancy Luncheon, Houston Humane Society No-Gala and the Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market Preview Party.

She has been honored by many organizations including UNICEF, Houston Ballet, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Easter Seals, Houston Community College, El Centro de Corazon Community Health Clinic, Women of Substance (benefiting The Mission of Yahweh), Zina Garrison Academy and the Citizens for the Protection of Animals.

In 2018, Susan was awarded the “Women Who Mean Business Lifetime Achievement Award.” In 2016, she was inducted into The Greater Houston Women’s Hall of Fame, the Houston Chronicle Best Dressed Hall of Fame and was also a Best Dressed Award winner in 2011 and 2013. She was listed as one of the 2017 Greater Houston – “Women to Watch in Business.”

Susan is the mother of three: Lori Krohn Sarofim who resides in Houston with husband Alp Gener and children Lili, Serenella and Evren; Kelly Krohn Buchanan who resides in Washington, DC with husband Benjamin Buchanan; and David Lee who resides in Houston. She also is the owner of Bella, a one-year-old golden retriever, who is loving and loyal (despite a widely purported reputation in and around River Oaks for being somewhat rambunctious and rowdy).

Susan and her beloved husband Fayez S. Sarofim, who passed away in 2022, shared a mutual commitment to philanthropy throughout their marriage. She continues to honor his legacy through meaningful and wide-ranging support of the Houston community.

Baly Jacquie Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Jacquie Baly

President
Baly Projects

About The Honorable Jacquie Baly

Jacquie Baly, President of BalyProjects, has been a leader in the state’s business community for decades. She began her career as a city planner, then served as Vice President of the Greater Houston Partnership before her public service as Governor Rick Perry’s appointee on infrastructure issues, then-Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Sugar Land. Twenty-four years ago, Jacquie founded BalyProjects to provide clients with public affairs services. She is currently an adviser to Governor Greg Abbott on Higher Education initiatives.

In 2022, Harris County Commissioners unanimously approved Jacquie Baly’s three-year term to serve on their newly created board dealing with economic development opportunities for women. “A Women’s Commission in Harris County gives us a chance to convene women across the county from different industries, backgrounds, and perspectives to address best the disparities women face,” Commissioner Rodney Ellis states.

Jacquie has won numerous awards, including Top Ten Business Owner in the Country by the National Association of Women Business Owners, One of the Most Influential Blacks by CORE media and USA Today, Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce Role Model Honoree, St. Jude’s Children Hospital Philanthropist of the Year, Crohn’s and Colitis Woman of Distinction, Woman of Excellence by the Federation of Business and Professional Women, Outstanding Young American by the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce, University of Houston Alumni Association’s “Rising Star” and Black Alumnus of the Year awards.

Jacquie has served on several boards, including the American Cancer Society as Board Director and Cattle Baron’s Ball Chair, Houston Contractors Association as Governmental Relations Chair and PAC Board member, Women in Commercial Real Estate Board member, Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo’s Corporate Development Committee, YMCA as President, The Women’s Home Board member and Gala Chair, Houston Area Women’s Center Board member and Gala Chair, Alley Theatre Advisory Board, The Museum of Fine Arts of Houston Board member, Asian Pacific American Heritage Association Advisory Board member, The Women’s Resource of Greater Houston Advisory Board member, Fort Bend Boys Choir as President, River Oaks Women’s Breakfast Club as President, and Fort Bend Professional Women’s Club as President. She is also an alumnus of American Leadership Forum, The Center for Houston’s Future Business Leadership Class, and Leadership Houston.

A native of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in City Planning. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate at the University of Southern California. Jacquie has taught public policy at the University of Houston for over 15 years and served as a Faculty-In-Residence at the University of Texas in Austin.

Jacquie is the proud mother of two amazing young men. Her eldest, Raphael, graduated from Trinity University with a double major in business and marketing and is currently pursuing his MBA at Boston College. Her youngest son Alexandre recently graduated from Harvard University with High Honors in Neuroscience and earned a language certification in Spanish. She newly married business executive James Craig and resides in Houston, Texas.

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Lisa Barksdale

Managing Director

Bank of America

Lisa Barksdale is Managing Director, head of Global Wealth & Investment Management Credit at Bank of America. In this role, Lisa oversees the organization responsible for the origination and underwriting of credit solutions for clients within the Private Bank and Merrill lines of business.

Prior to her current role, Lisa was Senior Vice President, Commercial Credit Executive within U.S. Regional Commercial Credit, leading the team responsible for origination and underwriting of commercial credit within the Global Commercial Banking and Business Banking lines of business for the Southwest Region.

Lisa has been with Bank of America for over 30 years, serving in a variety of commercial banking relationship management and credit leadership roles. Her experience includes serving as Executive Vice President, General Manager and Head of Sales for Bank of America Merchant Services’ Global Commercial Banking and Business Banking client segments and Market Executive, Global Commercial Banking for the Houston, South Texas, and Louisiana markets. Lisa began her career with Bank of America in 1984 while in college and entered the Commercial Management Training Program after earning her BS in Finance.

Lisa is a NASD Registered Principal with Series 7, 24, 63, and 79 securities licenses. She is a 2013 graduate of the Center for Houston’s Future Leadership Forum and is actively engaged with Bank of America internal D&I advocacy groups as executive sponsor of the Houston chapter of the Leadership, Education, Advocacy, and Development (LEAD) group for women and a founding member of a Power of 10 group. Lisa serves on the boards of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program, SEARCH Homeless Services and the Children’s Museum of Houston.

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Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi

Co-Director of the Center for Vaccine Development
Texas Children’s Hospital and Associate Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine

Maria Elena Bottazzi, is Sr. Associate Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, Professor of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Division Chief of Pediatric Tropical Medicine and Co-director of Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and Distinguished Professor in Biology at Baylor University in Waco.

She is an internationally recognized tropical and emerging disease vaccinologist, global health advocate and co-creator of a patent-free, open science COVID-19 vaccine technology that led to the development of CORBEVAX in
India and Halal-certified INDOVAC in Indonesia, both COVID-19 vaccines suitable for global access. She pioneers and leads the advancement of a robust infectious and tropical disease vaccine portfolio tackling diseases such as coronavirus, hookworm, schistosomiasis, and Chagas that affect disproportionally the world’s poorest populations. She also has established innovative partnerships in Latin America, Middle East and Southeast Asia, making significant contributions to innovative educational & research programs, catalyze policies and disseminate science information to reach a diverse set of audiences.

Dr. Bottazzi is Member of the National Academy of Science of Honduras and former Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine Scholar of the US National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Bottazzi is a Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM), the Leshner Leadership Institute for Public Engagement and Sr. Fellow of the American Leadership Forum (ALF).

As global thought-leader she has published more than 230 scientific papers and participated in more than 250 conferences worldwide. Throughout her career she has received national and international highly regarded awards, such as the Carlos Slim Foundation Health Award for Lifetime Achievement in Research, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC’s) 2022 National Service Award and named Fast Company’s 2022 Most Creative People in Business, 2020-22 Forbes Latin American’s “100 Most Powerful Women in Central America”, the 2022 Great Immigrant, Great American Honoree of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and 2023 Texan of the Year by the Dallas Morning News. In 2022, alongside Dr. Peter Hotez, she was nominated by Texas Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Dr. Bottazzi obtained her bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and Clinical Chemistry from the National Autonomous University of Honduras and a doctorate in Molecular Immunology and Experimental Pathology from the University of Florida. Her post-doctoral training in Cellular Biology was completed at University of Miami and Pennsylvania, where afterwards worked at the George Washington University prior to relocating to Texas.

Dent Sharon Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Sharon Y.R. Dent

Professor and Chair of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis and Dean of the Department of Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS)
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center and UT Health

Dr. Sharon Y.R. Dent holds the Ruth Leggett Jones Distinguished Chair at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she serves as Chair of the Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis. Dr. Dent is also Dean ad interim for the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center/UT Health Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and John P. McGovern Distinguished Professor, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center/UT Health Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Dr. Dent’s research has defined novel functions for histone modifying enzymes, which add or remove small chemical moieties to the histone proteins to impact chromatin folding and function. Her group played a key role in collaborative work with Dr. David Allis that identified the first histone acetyltransferase (Gcn5) important to gene regulation, heralding a new era in chromatin and epigenetics research. In addition, her early discovery that a yeast corepressor complex repositions nucleosomes and recruits histone deacetylases to gene promoters created a new paradigm for understanding mechanisms of transcriptional repression. Her more recent work probes connections between histone modifying enzymes and human diseases, including cancers and neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Dent has served on the Board of Scientific Counselors for Basic Science for the National Cancer Institute and the review boards for multiple university affiliated cancer centers and research organizations. Her research and leadership have been acknowledged by several awards including the R. Lee Clark Research Faculty Award and the John Mendelsohn Award for Leadership from the cancer center, the BioHouston Women in Science with Excellence (WISE) Award and the Paul E. Darlington Mentorship Award from the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Dent was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021, and is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Faschinbauer Marcia Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Marcia Faschinbauer

President & CEO
Excargo Services

Marcia Faschingbauer is the president and CEO of Excargo Services Inc., a transportation logistics company that provides expert intermodal, drayage, transloading and warehouse solutions for major importers and exporters to and from the Port of Houston and area rail terminals in Texas and the bordering states.

In 1979, Marcia started a business to provide reliable transport of export containers after seeing the need in her family’s food business. The young company did so well that it acquired Excargo Services Inc. from her family just four years later in 1983. As CEO, Marcia grew Excargo with a strong focus on safety, communication, and service excellence. Today, Excargo is known for all three: its outstanding customer service, its robust data systems and its stellar safety record among trucking companies in North America.

A native Houstonian, Marcia is committed to the community. She contributes her time and resources to the industry she loves, as well as to her passions: the arts, education and gardening. Marcia is a past chair of the Texas Trucking Association and currently serves on the boards of the American Trucking Associations, Greater Houston Port Bureau, Southwest Movers Foundation, University of Houston Supply Chain Advisory Board and Mercury Chamber Orchestra. In addition, she is a member of several business organizations including the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

Marcia graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and has completed executive programs at Rice University’s Jones School and Dartmouth’s Tuck Business School. She resides in Houston with her husband. They enjoy traveling, the outdoors and the arts.

 

Laura Gibson photo Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Laura Gibson

Office Managing Partner
Dentons

Laura Gibson is an attorney with the international law firm Dentons. She is the Managing Partner of the Houston office. She also is the head of the Employment and Labor practice team in Houston. Ms. Gibson has been Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2001. She has extensive trial and appellate experience handling complex commercial litigation and arbitrations in areas involving employment, banking, energy, securities, copyright and communications law. Texas attorneys have elected Laura to be president of the State Bar of Texas, and she currently serves in that role.

Recognition
Honors and Awards
• Best Lawyers in America
• Employment Law – Individuals, 2018–present
• Employment Law – Management, 2011–present
• Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2011–present
• Ranked, Texas, Chambers USA, Labor and Employment, 2022
• Recognized as a Super Lawyer, Law & Politics Magazine, 2004 and 2007–2021
• Houston Business Journal Women Who Mean Business Award, 2020
• University of Houston Law Center Pro bono/Community Service and Leadership Award, 2021
• Trailblazer Outside Counsel of the Year, State Bar of Texas – Texas Minority Counsel Program, 2013
• President’s Award, Houston Bar Association, 2011, 2013
• “Women on the Move,” Texas Executive Women, 2012

Memberships
• State Bar of Texas, Current President
• University of Houston Law Center Alumni Board, Board of Directors, 2011-Present
• Association of Women Attorneys, President, 2011-2012; Member, 2003-Present
• College of the State Bar of Texas, Member, 2003-Present
• Houston Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section, Past Chair, 2006-2007; Member, 2000-Present
• State Bar of Texas, Executive Committee, 2013-2015; 2017-2020
• State Bar of Texas, Chair of the Board, 2018-2019
• State Bar of Texas, Director, District 4, 2012-2015; 2016-2019
• Houston Bar Association, President, 2015-2016
• Greater Houston Partnership Executive Women’s Partnership Committee, Past Chair, 2011; Member, 2007-2015
• Greater Houston Partnership, Leadership Council, 2010-2011
• State Bar of Texas, Advertising Review Committee, Member & Past Chair, 2004-2010
• Houston Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
• Texas Bar Foundation, Sustaining Life Fellow

Prior and Present Employment
Ms. Gibson is a former adjunct professor of trial advocacy for the University of Houston Law Center. She also taught as an instructor at the NITA National Session, the Southern Regional Trial Advocacy Program at the SMU School of Law and the University of Houston Deposition NITA Program. Prior to joining Dentons, she was a founding partner at Ogden, Gibson, Broocks, Longoria & Hall, LLP.

Gildea Angie Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Angie Gildea

National Sector Leader at KPMG

Angie Gildea is the KPMG Energy, Natural Resources & Chemicals (ENRC) National Sector Leader. Gildea is responsible for the strategy, growth and revenue of the energy sector in the U.S. Her leadership and record of outstanding client service are founded in deep knowledge and experience in helping global energy companies succeed and grow over the past 20-plus years. Gildea and her teams focus on positioning KPMG clients at the forefront of the energy transformation. Gildea also serves as KPMG’s global account leader for a Fortune 20 company and is an active member of the KPMG Global Energy leadership team.

Deeply committed to serving the community, Gildea has devoted her time to multiple non-profits over the years—serving on the board of trustees for River Oaks Baptist School, board of directors for Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS), Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Trees of Hope, an organization serving Houston’s largest homeless shelter. She is also a former member of the Junior League of Houston.

Angie has been honored for her service to the profession, advancement of women, and the community, and has received multiple awards, including Hart Energy’s Oil and Gas Investor 2022 Influential Women in Energy, named a 2020 Women who Mean Business Honoree by the Houston Business Journal, and named a 2020 Honoree by the Junior League of Houston.

Gurwitch Janet Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Janet Gurwitch

Operating Partner at Advent International

Janet Gurwitch is a highly successful corporate executive with over 25 years of experience in the beauty industry. She is currently an operating partner with Advent International, a Boston-based private equity firm, where she focuses on the beauty & wellness consumer sector.

Gurwitch is the founder and former CEO of Laura Mercier Cosmetics & Skincare, a global brand of high-end niche cosmetics. Gurwitch managed and oversaw Laura Mercier’s day-to-day business operations, strategy development and retail negotiations.

Gurwitch joined forces with famed makeup artist Laura Mercier in 1996 after realizing the imminent paradigm shift in the beauty industry that was propelling niche lines to the forefront of the cosmetics business. The combination of Gurwitch’s business savvy and foresight coupled with Mercier’s talent provided a solid foundation for a strong, growing business based on technique and a high-quality product. She sold Laura Mercier in 2008. In September 2021, Advent acquired Laura Mercier, bareMinerals and Buxom from Shiseido and formed Orveon Global, where Gurwitch currently serves as Senior Advisor.

Prior to founding Laura Mercier, Janet Gurwitch was the Executive Vice President of Neiman Marcus, where she established the merchandising strategy from 1992-1995.

Today, Gurwitch is an investor in and on the Board of Directors of Olaplex (OLPX) and the Houston Astros baseball team. She formerly served on the boards of consumer brands Tatcha, Drybar, First Aid Beauty, Dollar Shave Club and Urban Decay Cosmetics as well as the public company La-Z-Boy.

Gurwitch’s personal community involvement includes the President’s Leadership Council for Houston Methodist Hospital; trustee for Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; chairing the Hermann Park Conservancy dinner event in 2018; and chairing the Community In Schools’ (CIS) annual event in 2015. She has also served as Underwriter for the Drawing Institute for the Menil Collection, and she’s an avid supporter of the Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera.

Leisa HNB Headshot 2023 Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Leisa Holland Nelson Bowman

Vice President & CMO at Astoundz

Leisa Holland-Nelson is a native Houstonian, an entrepreneur, a speaker, broadcaster and mentor to women in business, a proud mother of Laura Max Rose, mother-in-law of Ben Rose, and grandmother of their three daughters, Selma, Violet and Jolene Rose, and a fairly new wife to Bob Bowman, with a passion for serving her community. (She has always done well by doing good!)

After 25 years in the Fashion business, Leisa initiated her highly successful entrepreneurial career by launching RentTheSite.com in 2004. Today, she is vice president, and CMO of ASTOUNDZ, a digital marketing firm, specializing in Organic SEO, Pay per Click Advertising, Social Media, and responsive websites.

Leisa is also the author and voice of “Women Mean Business”, an online weekly segment focusing on “Extraordinary Women doing Extraordinary Things”, on YouTube and podcast. Over 100,000 have downloaded episodes of Women Mean Busine$$$ since the show’s inception.

In service to the community, Leisa serves on several Boards of Directors including the American Cancer Society, where she is Board Chair for 2023-24, as vice-chairman of the American Leadership Forum, as Chair Emeritus of the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Immediate Past Board Chair of AVDA (Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse), 2021-22. She also serves on the Advisory Boards of Baylor College of Medicine’s Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, the Holocaust Museum, Goodwill Houston, and Hermann Park Conservatory .

She has been honored as one of Houston’s Treasures, Houston’s Fifty Most Influential Women, a GHWCC Breakthrough Woman, an ABC, Channel 13/Crohn’s and Colitis’ Woman of Distinction, and a Houston Business Journal Woman Who Means Business, an Interfaith Ministries Animeal’s Champion, a Virtuosi of Houston’s Outstanding Mother, and The Assistance League of Houston’s final Mary Jo Peckham Award, among many others. Always aware of what is important in life, Leisa Holland-Nelson has used her entrepreneurial skills and instincts to help other women in business and her passion for being of service to better the lives of many.

Hollub Vicki Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Vicki Hollub

President & CEO

Occidental Petroleum

Vicki Hollub is President and Chief Executive Officer of Oxy. She has been a member of Oxy’s Board of Directors since 2015. During her 35-year career with Oxy, Vicki has held a variety of management and technical positions with responsibilities on three continents, including roles in the United States, Russia, Venezuela and Ecuador. Most recently, she served as Oxy’s President and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the company’s oil and gas, chemical and midstream operations.

Vicki previously was Senior Executive Vice President, Oxy, and President, Oxy Oil and Gas, where she was responsible for operations in the U.S., the Middle East region and Latin America. Prior to that, she held a variety of leadership positions, including Executive Vice President, Oxy, and President, Oxy Oil and Gas, Americas; Vice President, Occidental, and Executive Vice President, U.S. Operations, Oxy Oil and Gas; Executive Vice President, California Operations; and President and General Manager of the company’s Permian Basin operations. Vicki started her career at Cities Service, which was acquired by Oxy.

Vicki serves on the boards of Lockheed Martin and the American Petroleum Institute. She is chair of the World Economic Forum’s Oil and Gas Community and a member of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Vicki holds a Bachelor of Science in Mineral Engineering. She was inducted into the University of Alabama College of Engineering 2016 class of Distinguished Engineering Fellows.

She is the chair of the U.S. Secretary of Energy Advisory Board and the U.S. chair for the U.S.-Colombia Business Council. Ms. Hollub is also a member of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative and the World Economic.

Lubanko Kelly Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Kelley Lubanko

Philanthropist

Kelley Lubanko was born in Colorado Springs, CO but moved to Texas by the time she was two, growing up in Houston. She is a graduate of the University of Houston. She and her husband of forty years met in Houston and have two daughters and four grandchildren.

Kelley is active on the boards of the Children’s Assessment Center, where she is Secretary, the Houston Ballet, where she serves as VP of Trustee Development, and the Houston Zoo. Nationally, she is a board member of the American Brain Foundation.

Kelley is passionate about causes involving children, wild animals and the arts, and tries to live by Luke 12:48, “To whom much is given, much will be required.”

Murphy Sharon Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Sharon Murphy

Founding Partner
McConnell Jones Lanier & Murphy LLP

Sharon E. Murphy is a founding partner with McConnell Jones Lanier & Murphy LLP (MJLM), a Houston, Texas-based consulting firm. Established in 1999, the firm is ranked among the three largest African American owned consulting and business advisory firms in the country. She is also a partner at McConnell & Jones LLP (MJ), MJLM’s affiliate certified public accounting (CPA) firm that was established in 1987 and ranked as one of the largest CPA firms in Houston in 2017.

With more than 30 years of professional experience, Sharon heads the firm’s education practice and is responsible for a national clientele that has included 20 of the nation’s top 100 school districts in 13 states. She also oversees complex, large-scale engagements for federal agencies with nationwide scope. Sharon has been a panelist at national meetings for Council of Great City Schools and the National School Board Association addressing issues on public education.

Sharon serves on the Board of Directors of Unity Bank. She has also dedicated her time to serving on nonprofit boards in service to the community, including her current role as a board member for The Ensemble Theater and The Women’s Home, and former board chair of American Leadership Forum.

Sharon has been recognized as one of the “Top 30” Most Influential Women by D-Mars.com, and a “Woman of Distinction” by the Houston Chapter of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and Houston’s ABC affiliate, KTRK Channel 13. She has also been the recipient of the Building Block Award by Child Builders, Houston’s advocates for mental health in children.

Neeson Anne Photo Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Anne Neeson

Executive Vice President & CEO
Memorial Hermann Foundation

Anne E. Neeson serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the Memorial Hermann Foundation.  In her role as EVP and CEO of the Memorial Hermann Foundation, Anne is responsible for driving the strategic philanthropy growth plan for Memorial Hermann Health System, the largest not-for-profit health system in Southeast Texas.

Anne partners with hospital and service line leaders to provide philanthropy support for 17 hospitals, school based health clinics, the Red Duke Trauma Center and Memorial Hermann Life Flight and Trauma Services to guide Memorial Hermann Foundation’s work to advance the mission of Memorial Hermann Health System around key strategic priorities and legacy of world-renowned patient care, research and education.  Under Anne’s leadership the Susan and Fayez Sarofim Pavilion at Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center opened just in time to serve the community during the height of the pandemic.  The work within the walls of the tower is transformational in providing the region with extraordinary life-saving care for the most critically ill and injured patients.
Prior to joining Memorial Hermann in 2017, Anne served as the Vice President of Donor Relations at the United Way of Greater Houston, where she created fundraising and marketing programs and initiatives building the largest Alexis de Tocqueville Society, Women’s Initiative and Young Leader affinity groups in the nation. She championed key initiatives like the United Way HELPLINE/211 Texas responding to one million calls annually, United Way Bright Beginnings helping more than 15,000 kids with a great start as learners and United Way THRIVE helping more than 100,000 families get on the road to financial security, all supporting a stronger Greater Houston community. Most notably, raising more than $1.5 billion during her 30-year career there.
 
Anne’s distinguished work with both United Way and the Memorial Hermann Foundation taps into her passion for a community she has proudly served her entire career. Additionally, Anne extends her experience and skills by serving on the boards for the American Leadership Forum, Wesley Community Center, the Joella and Stewart Morris Foundation, the Advisory Board of the Children’s Museum of Houston, Theatre Under the Stars and is a devoted mentor for Memorial Hermann Women Leaders.
 
Anne holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University. Among her affiliations and awards, Anne is a member of the United Way’s Alexis de Tocqueville Society, United Way Women’s Initiative, American Heart Association Circle of Red, GHP Executive Women’s Partnership and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She has been cited as one of the city’s 50 Most Influential Women by Houston Women’s Magazine, selected as a Woman on the Move by Texas Executive Women and is a senior fellow in the American Leadership Forum, Class XXXVII. She is also a Eucharistic Minister at All Saints Catholic Church.
Schreiber Shavonnah 1 Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Shavonnah Schreiber

Founder & CEO
SNR Creative

Shavonnah brings two decades of B2B and B2C experience in the technology, energy, aviation, heavy manufacturing, and professional services sectors to her board portfolio. She has experience working with PE-backed firms, privately held organizations, start-ups, and Fortune 500 organizations in America, EMEA, and APAC.

Currently, Shavonnah serves as the Founder and CEO of SNR Creative, a boutique marketing and communication firm. At SNR Creative, Shavonnah and her team provide the full range of marketing and communication services to companies of all sizes and backgrounds.
Shavonnah is a skilled public speaker and workshop facilitator and is a highly sought-after instructor at the University of Houston Small Business Development Center (UH SBDC). At the UH SBDC, Shavonnah leads marketing classes, workshops, and 1:1 coaching sessions geared at helping small business owners streamline their marketing functions.

Shavonnah is passionate about community engagement and advocacy. She is currently serving with the Hermann Park Conservancy, Houston Clean City Commission, Houston Police Department’s Independent Oversight Board, UT Health IMM, and SEARCH Homelessness. Additionally, she has established endowments at UT Health and at the University of Arizona.

Shavonnah has a B.A. in Communications from the University of Arizona and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas-Houston. As a continuous learner, she also has certificates from the Center for Creative Leadership, Cornell University, and Harvard Business School. Shavonnah is an American Marketing Association (AMA) member and has achieved the Professional Certified Marketer distinction through that organization.

Steward Consuella Connie Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Consuella (Connie) Steward

Community Leader
Retired
ExxonMobil

Connie Roque Steward is an Exxon Mobil retiree with 32 years of service in Human Resources.  Following retirement Connie joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP), which is an international Catholic organization dedicated to serving those in need.  Since 2019 Connie has served as President of SVDP St. Monica Conference.  Under her leadership, the Conference was recently awarded a 6-month, $10,000 per month grant to provide rental and utility assistance to residents of the Acres Homes community.  The Conference also distributes food weekly to 150 families.  Connie serves as District 1 Spiritual Advisor and secretary on the SVDP Archdiocesan Council Board.  On the national level, she is currently serving as Co-Chairman of the African American Task Force.

Connie has been a dedicated member of St. Monica Catholic Church over 40 years.  She served on the Pastoral Council, co-chaired the church’s 50th anniversary committee and the church directory committee.  For thirteen years Connie has chaired the Hospitality Ministry’s bazaar fundraiser, generating ~$50,000 for the church.   Due to 40+ years of dedicated service to the parish, she was recognized as one of the Living Legends of St. Monica Catholic Church.  With over 30 years of membership in Knights of Peter Claver, Ladies Auxiliary, Connie served as Grand Lady, Treasurer, Secretary and member of the Board of Directors.  At the 2019 National Convention, she was awarded the Silver Medal, which is presented to the member from the state of Texas who provided outstanding service to the church, noble order and the community.  Recently Connie was  exemplified into the meritorious 4th Degree Ladies of Grace of the Knights of Peter Claver.

Connie is a 1968 business administration graduate of University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL), now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.  While at USL she was a charter member of Epsilon Beta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., where she served as the first President.   She is a 50-year, Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.  From 2015 to 2018 she was the Regional Treasurer for the International Region.  She served as President of the Ivy Educational and Charitable Foundation of Houston, Inc. (IEACF) which is the charitable arm of Alpha Kappa Omega Chapter. During COVID-19 pandemic, she led and sustained the organization through virtual platforms, volunteer efforts and virtual fundraising. Connie was also able to maintain and award traditional IEACF scholarships, establish three new scholarships and introduced the 40th Anniversary Inaugural cookbook.  The “Connie Steward” scholarship was established to recognize her contributions during these turbulent times.

In 2012 Connie was recognized as a University of Louisiana Foundation Endowed Professorship Donor.  Through her contributions and other matching contributions, she established a $100,000 endowed professorship.  Funds from this endowment are used annually to honor outstanding professors in the College of Business.

Connie and her husband Bruce are the proud parents of Reggie and his wife, Sonja and Chad, and his wife, Angelina.  They have four grandchildren, Sophia, Amber, Alexis and Reggie III (Trey).

Wardlaw Dr. Alvia Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Alvia Wardlaw

Artist & Professor

Texas Southern University

 

Dr. Alvia Wardlaw is a nationally-recognized historian, scholar, educator, curator, museum director and leading expert on African, African American, and Modern and Contemporary art and history. In addition to her many career accomplishments, she is a dedicated humanitarian, philanthropist and activist for the advancement of art and culture in Houston and beyond.

Born on November 5, 1947 to Virginia Cage and Alvin Holmes Wardlaw, Alvia grew up in Houston’s Third Ward and was a graduate and class salutatorian of Jack Yates High School (1965). She received a B.A. Degree in Art History from Wellesley College (1969); an M.A. degree in Art History from New York University Institute of Fine Arts (1986); and became the first African American to earn a PhD in Art History at The University of Texas at Austin (1996).

Dr. Wardlaw worked as a curatorial assistant at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1972) and as associate curator of Primitive Art and Education (1974). She subsequently served as an adjunct curator of African American Art at the Dallas Museum of Art and was named curator of Modern and Contemporary Art for the MFAH (1995), where she organized more than 75 exhibitions on African and African American art until 2009. Her many exhibitions include African Tribal Art (1973); Roy DeCarava: Photographs (1975); Ceremonies and Visions: The Art of John Biggers (1980); Homecoming: African American Family History in Georgia (1982); John Biggers: Bridges (1986); Black Art Ancestral Legacy: The African Impulse in African American Art (1989); The Art of John Biggers: View from the Upper Room (1995); The Quilts of Gee’s Bend (2002); Something All Our Own: The Grant Hill Collection of African American Art (2003); Notes from a Child’s Odyssey: The Art of Kermit Oliver (2005); Thornton Dial in the 21st Century (2006); and Houston Collects: African American Art (2008). Dr. Wardlaw’s groundbreaking exhibition The Quilts of Gee’s Bend (2002), a collection of abstract quilts by talented quilters from rural Alabama, broke attendance records at major museums across 11 cities and received the International Association of Art Critics Award (2003).

Dr. Wardlaw began teaching as a professor of Art History at Texas Southern University in 1972, playing a vital role in shaping a world-class art program and mentoring countless students for major careers in the arts. Recently, Dr. Wardlaw expanded the arts curriculum at TSU to include a minor degree in Museum Studies.

In 2000, Alvia became curator and Executive Director of the University Museum at Texas Southern University, an institution central to the conservation, preservation and exhibition of African and African American art and artifacts. During her tenure, Alvia has raised over a million dollars on behalf of the University Museum through donations, biennial fundraisers and grants. Alvia has single-handedly supervised generations of students interested in conservation, curatorial practice, museum preparatory training and provided a myriad of opportunities for their future careers in the arts.  In November 2022 Alvia served as the Honorary Chair for the United Negro College Fund “A Mind Is Black Tie Gala.”  Through her efforts they raised close to $600,000.

An outstanding scholar, Dr. Wardlaw has researched, written, and published notable essays, books, and exhibition catalogues. Honors and awards include a Fulbright Fellowship (1984), Fulbright Award (1997), American Leadership Forum (2001), Texas Women’s Hall of Fame (1994), Award of Merit from the University of Texas, and the Ethos Founders Award from Wellesley College. She was recognized as an African American Living Legend by African American News and Issues, and was named Texas Southern University’s Research Scholar of the Year (2009). In 2021, Dr. Alvia Wardlaw was honored by Art League Houston as the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award in Arts Leadership for a career spanning five decades. Alvia has made an indelible mark upon the modern art world, and is praised for her tireless, relevant and critical work in adding to the American art canon the art of so many under-celebrated African American artists such as John Biggers, Thornton Dial and Kermit Oliver.

As a member of the Port City Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, Alvia has been instrumental in advancing the organization’s commitment to increase and expand art activities and engagement throughout underserved communities. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Wellesley College, her alma mater.

Alvia is an active member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church. She is a proud mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and a dedicated daughter and caregiver to her ninety-five year old father. Alvia lives and works in the beloved historic Third Ward neighborhood that she grew up in.

Wilkins Dr. Mary Ann Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Mary Ann Wilkins

Vice President 
Stewart Title

In 2000, after a successful career in academia where Mary Ann ultimately led a school district of 50,000 students and 5,000 employees and served as an Adjunct Professor for HBU and the University of Houston, she entered the Title Industry with Stewart Title in 2000 as a Vice President and Senior Business Development Officer. She continues in that role and has been recognized as one of the Top Producers.

Mary Ann has previously served on 16 non-profit Boards including the Houston Symphony League, the Houston Chapter of CoreNet; the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce (Past Chair) and she was a member of the Real Estate Advisory Committee for the Greater Houston Partnership. In addition, she served on the Board of Directors for the Jones Partners at Rice University, the Houston Chapter of NAIOP, Preservation Houston, the American Red Cross, the Houston Symphony, the Houston Ballet, Leadership Houston, the American Heart Association, and she served as the first Chairman of the Board for the Methodist Hospital in Sugar Land. Currently, Mary Ann serves on the Board of the University of Houston School of the Arts and the Board of Directors for the Queensbury Theater.

Mary Ann has previously been recognized as one of the “50 Most Influential Women in Houston” as well as one of Houston’s “Ten Women of Distinction.” An accomplished pianist, Mary Ann has recorded three piano CDs.

Zaddock 1364r2r Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Helene Zadok

Owner 

Zadok Jewelers

Helene W. Zadok is co-founder, together with her husband, Dror, of Zadok Jewelers in Houston. They came to Houston from Jerusalem, Israel with a few suitcases and a one-year old son. Over the past 46 years she has been responsible for various aspects of the business, from buying and selling to leading the Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations Team. The original store on Post Oak Blvd. was 1,2000 sq. feet and grew to 12,000 ft. before Helene, Dror and their 3 sons built a multi-use development on the Blvd. in 2021, with the new Zadok Jewelers as the anchor store, occupying two floors and 28,000 sq. ft. In 2021 Zadok Jewelers received the Landmark Award in the Retail Category by The Houston Business Journal. In 2022 the store was named one of the 40 World’s Greatest Showrooms by Watch pro magazine. In 2018, Helene was inducted into the National Jeweler Retailer Hall of Fame.

Prior to establishing Zadok Jewelers, Helene’s work experience, spanning over 50 years, has been in the areas of social service and education. In Washington, D.C. she worked in the Office of Economic Opportunity, Job Corps division .. Her work with non-profit organizations began with the American Jewish Committee, researching the History of Bigotry in the United States.

In 1968 she began her association with The National Council of Jewish Women in their New York headquarters, serving as the National Director of Councilettes, their teenage girl volunteer division. Working together with the Children’s Television Workshop that created Sesame Street, she wrote the Volunteer Manual used nationally by NCJW and NCNW. Continuing her association with NCJW, Helene was their Israel Representative and staff member of the NCJW Research Institute for Education of the Disadvantaged, School of Education of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Turning her professional career into volunteerism and advocacy when she moved to Houston in 1976, Helene became active in NCJW. She spearheaded the successful effort to bring one of the Research lnstitute’s projects, HIPPY -Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters-to HISD. She served on the Advisory Board for many years. Helene received an Achievement Award from NCJW and a Volunteer in Public Schools (VIPS) award, together with NCJW Houston, from HISD.

Helene was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, the daughter of Polish and Czech immigrants She earned a BA from Hunter College, majoring in Political Science and a Master’s degree in Human Relations and Community Studies from New York University .. She was the first female to be awarded a New York State Legislative Internship. She refers to herself as “a child of the Holocaust,” because her mother’s entire family, and much of her father’s, died in that Genocide. Consequently, she has dedicated herself to advocacy, harnessing that passion. The American Jewish Committee seeks a secure Jewish future in a more just world by building bridges and promoting Human Rights for all people. Helene is a past President of AJC Houston Region and continues as an Executive Board member. She has participated in Diplomatic Missions to North Africa, the Persian Gulf, Germany and Poland, meeting with high-level.

Zaddock 1364r2r Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Helene Zadok

Owner 

Zadok Jewelers

Helene W. Zadok is co-founder, together with her husband, Dror, of Zadok Jewelers in Houston. They came to Houston from Jerusalem, Israel with a few suitcases and a one-year old son. Over the past 46 years she has been responsible for various aspects of the business, from buying and selling to leading the Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations Team. The original store on Post Oak Blvd. was 1,2000 sq. feet and grew to 12,000 ft. before Helene, Dror and their 3 sons built a multi-use development on the Blvd. in 2021, with the new Zadok Jewelers as the anchor store, occupying two floors and 28,000 sq. ft. In 2021 Zadok Jewelers received the Landmark Award in the Retail Category by The Houston Business Journal. In 2022 the store was named one of the 40 World’s Greatest Showrooms by Watch pro magazine. In 2018, Helene was inducted into the National Jeweler Retailer Hall of Fame.

Prior to establishing Zadok Jewelers, Helene’s work experience, spanning over 50 years, has been in the areas of social service and education. In Washington, D.C. she worked in the Office of Economic Opportunity, Job Corps division .. Her work with non-profit organizations began with the American Jewish Committee, researching the History of Bigotry in the United States.
In 1968 she began her association with The National Council of Jewish Women in their New York headquarters, serving as the National Director of Councilettes, their teenage girl volunteer division. Working together with the Children’s Television Workshop that created Sesame Street, she wrote the Volunteer Manual used nationally by NCJW and NCNW. Continuing her association with NCJW, Helene was their Israel Representative and staff member of the NCJW Research Institute for Education of the Disadvantaged, School of Education of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Turning her professional career into volunteerism and advocacy when she moved to Houston in 1976, Helene became active in NCJW. She spearheaded the successful effort to bring one of the Research lnstitute’s projects, HIPPY -Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters-to HISD. She served on the Advisory Board for many years. Helene received an Achievement Award from NCJW and a Volunteer in Public Schools (VIPS) award, together with NCJW Houston, from HISD.

Helene was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, the daughter of Polish and Czech immigrants She earned a BA from Hunter College, majoring in Political Science and a Master’s degree in Human Relations and Community Studies from New York University .. She was the first female to be awarded a New York State Legislative Internship. She refers to herself as “a child of the Holocaust,” because her mother’s entire family, and much of her father’s, died in that Genocide. Consequently, she has dedicated herself to advocacy, harnessing that passion. The American Jewish Committee seeks a secure Jewish future in a more just world by building bridges and promoting Human Rights for all people. Helene is a past President of AJC Houston Region and continues as an Executive Board member. She has participated in Diplomatic Missions to North Africa, the Persian Gulf, Germany and Poland, meeting with high-level government officials, political parties, and civil society. Additionally, she interacts with local Congress People and Consuls General in the Diplomatic Corps.
She is a past Board member of Holocaust Museum Houston and is a member of the Public Programs Committee. She is also a member of the Executive Board of the Jewish Federation Business & Professional Women’s Networking group.
Helene is married to Dror. March 2nd is their 51 st Anniversary. She has three sons, three daughters-in-law and a bunch of grandchildren.

Zoghbi Huda Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Huda Zoghbi, MD

Professor at Baylor College of Medicine

Huda Y. Zoghbi, M.D. is an internationally renowned neurogeneticist and the founding director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI) at Texas Children’s Hospital. She is also an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and a professor of Pediatrics, Neurology, Neuroscience and Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). In addition, Dr. Zoghbi is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is also a trustee of the American University of Beirut, Rice University, and The Rockefeller University.
Born and raised in Lebanon, Dr. Zoghbi received her undergraduate degree in biology from the American University of Beirut and began medical school there in 1975. The civil war in Lebanon broke out during her first year of studies. After she spent a semester living in the basement of the university to stay safe, Dr. Zoghbi moved to the United States, where she transferred to Nashville’s Meharry Medical College.
Dr. Zoghbi completed a pediatric residency and a residency in pediatric neurology at BCM in 1985. Seeing children with incurable, inherited neurological diseases and not being able to provide them with hope piqued her interest in research and led her to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular genetics under the mentorship of the preeminent geneticist Dr. Arthur Beaudet. She joined the Baylor’s faculty as an assistant professor in 1988. Dr. Zoghbi’s research spans neurodevelopment to neurodegeneration, and has led to key discoveries in Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 1, Rett syndrome, Bipolar disorder and Alzheimer’s disease. She has authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications in top-tier journals.
In 2010, Dr. Zoghbi founded the Duncan NRI at Texas Children’s Hospital to develop treatments for brain disorders, which impact one billion people, including 300 million children. Under her leadership, the NRI has grown to over 30 principal investigators and 300 research trainees with a track record of groundbreaking discoveries, including:
• 60+ genetic mutations that underlie neurological diseases—10% of all those known worldwide.
• A master gene that holds the key not only to a rare pediatric neurological disorder, but also to adult-onset diseases like Parkinson’s.
• The use of an established cancer drug to treat forms of severe childhood epilepsy.
• A neural circuit in the brain that controls addiction and eating disorders.
 
In addition to the Brain prize, Dr. Zoghbi has received several prestigious international awards and honors.