Before she carried the torch to make was a teacher and counselor in Fort Worth and a longtime civil rights activist.
is not only the first woman mayor of Fort Worth, but in 1997 she became the first Texas Republican woman elected to the U.S. House, where she remains a staunch supporter of the Panther Island Project.
While both women are still making their presence felt in Fort Worth and beyond, there also are plenty of other women who play vital roles 鈥� even if behind the scenes 鈥� in the city.
Lorena Marin is mentoring medical students. Tamara Albury is teaching young women to fight for a seat at the table. Jeanette Frank is building community around the Trinity River. Sara Herrera is teaching the next generation of artists. And the work of women helps shape city policy through the diversity and inclusion department.
For , which celebrates the achievements of women around the world while still raising awareness for gender inequity, the Fort Worth Report highlights some of the women making Fort Worth the city it is today 鈥� and brightening its future.
Fort Worth native returns home to mentor the next generation of artists
Sara Herrera started her job as the education director at in January 2020.
The Fort Worth native had been away for about 23 years, living in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., but felt called to come back to her hometown.
As the education director for Artes Academy, she works to make sure that kids today have the opportunity to see and learn from instructors they can relate to in a variety of disciplines.
Artes Academy is an after-school and summer arts program that serves third- through 12th-graders, giving them the opportunity to explore dance, theater, creative writing, animation and 3D printing.
But, she didn鈥檛 have very much time to settle into her new role before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and she would have to determine how to set up the program鈥檚 summer session in a way that kept both students and staff safe.
鈥淚t was a very stressful time. I earned a lot of beautiful gray hairs, I will tell you,鈥� she said.
Herrera remembers being the only brown girl in many of her dance classes growing up and wanted to make sure that other students like her know that they belong.
鈥淚 really wanted to work with Latinx youth 鈥� showing them that no matter the color of your skin you belong in these spaces and pursuing a career in the performing arts is attainable,鈥� she said.
When they walk out of her class, Herrera wants students to know that they are cared for, which is why she encourages students to believe in themselves and not fear failure.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to fail and that鈥檚 going to be OK because you鈥檙e going to learn from that failure,鈥� she said. 鈥淗old that chin up high.鈥�
鈥� Marcheta Fornoff, arts and culture editor
How one principal is uplifting the next generation of 鈥榮isters of the plaid鈥�
Tamara Albury studied sociology in college and didn鈥檛 anticipate going into education. She studied in Africa and Brazil, learning about women and oppression.
While abroad, she learned about the struggle some women have in accessing education, part of a journey that led her to take the reins at Young Women鈥檚 Leadership Academy in Fort Worth ISD.
鈥淓very day, I get to level the playing field for my students in my building,鈥� Albury said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to be marginalized in society. We give them the tools so that they鈥檙e able to take seats in the room that they traditionally have not been allowed to be a part of. But not only that, taking it a step further so they have seats at the table, but they鈥檙e also able to lead the table.鈥�
Her philosophy is not just to teach her students academics, which can get them an interview, but Albury said it鈥檚 the soft skills, such as critical thinking and problem solving, that get them jobs.
If students at Young Women鈥檚 Leadership Academy want to start a club the campus doesn鈥檛 already have, they can find 10 people and a sponsor and present a proposal to Albury. The club proposals are a practical way to teach leadership and other soft skills.
The next generation of women cheers each other on, and they see the light in their sisters next to them, Albury said of her students. Young women from across the city attend her school, but they鈥檙e all united by the plaid skirt they put on every morning.
鈥淭hey have fire and they鈥檙e ready to take on the world,鈥� Albury said.
鈥� Kristen Barton, education reporter
Running club founder connects residents to the river that runs through Fort Worth
Jeanette Frank grew up in Fort Worth, but her love for the outdoors didn鈥檛 blossom until she moved to California. When she returned to the city in 2013, Frank wanted to tap into that passion within her hometown.
鈥淎s soon as I landed, I tried to join other running clubs and get connected with people who are active along the Trinity Trails,鈥� Frank said. 鈥淚 wanted to talk and connect with people, but people were already done by the time I finished. They were just there to get their run in.鈥�
After signing up for a half-marathon, Frank invited friends to run with her. Before she knew it, dozens of people began showing up at the WestBend retail center on University Drive each week.
Frank鈥檚 efforts soon turned into , which welcomes people of all abilities to a free four-mile run or walk every Wednesday. The group will celebrate its April 12.
Organizing the runs brought Frank into contact with the nonprofit , which works to expand access to the Trinity River. In early 2022, she went from being a 鈥渟uper fan鈥� of the organization to launching its membership program.
鈥淭hey are wanting to grow a community behind them with a grassroots feel, like the way we did with Social Running,鈥� Frank said.
Membership has grown to just under 200, with donors enjoying recreational activities and a new educational series, T*RiverTalks.
As a Fort Worth native, Frank feels a sense of responsibility to the Trinity River 鈥� and to ensure newcomers and longtime residents feel the same.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very humbling to see that we still have a lot of work to do. People are still getting connected to the river,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 changed so much within the last 10 years, and I鈥檓 so excited about the growth of where we鈥檙e going to be.鈥�
鈥� Haley Samsel, environmental reporter
Women-led department focuses on diversity and inclusion, promotes female leadership
It takes intention and focus to ensure that women are represented as leaders in every industry, including government. Christina Brooks and Angela Rush, with Fort Worth鈥檚 diversity and inclusion department, are purposeful about developing women for leadership positions.
There are several women in the city manager鈥檚 office, but just a few who hold department head positions. Last week, the city named another female department head, Lauren Prieur, to lead the city鈥檚 .
Women make up 72% of staff working for the Diversity and Inclusion Department, and 33% of those employees are leaders in the department. Key to cultivating female leadership is allowing women to bring their whole selves to work, Rush said.
鈥淚 think if you want to have a happy, healthy, productive workforce, you have to embrace that,鈥� Rush said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 divorce one part of yourself when you get here.鈥�
The department is tasked with enforcing civil rights laws, cultivating awareness of Fort Worth鈥檚 diverse cultures and ensuring city policy is free from racial, ethnic and gender disparities.
鈥淚 feel a huge responsibility to our residents, in that I feel like this entire department touches the most basic needs, their housing, their employment, their access,鈥� Rush said.
Work dominated by women 鈥� such as nursing and teaching 鈥� has a history of being undervalued both in compensation and prestige.
Those biases affect diversity and inclusion efforts too, Brooks said.
Several Texas Universities recently in their hiring processes. Efforts to advance diversity and inclusion efforts in the workplace have also started to meet broad resistance, according to the
鈥淓ven though diversity, equity, inclusion may be undervalued, it鈥檚 typically because there鈥檚 a misunderstanding of what we do,鈥� Brooks said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 for the good of the whole community, there isn鈥檛 a person that exists that doesn鈥檛 have a complex identity.鈥�
Both Brooks and Rush are focused on ensuring that the next generation of passionate leaders will pick up where they left off.
鈥淢y hope is that every young woman within the sound of voice is never put in a position where they feel bullied into being less of who they are, to diminishing who they are because they think that is what people want them to do,鈥� Brooks said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 ever shrink to make someone else feel tall.鈥�
鈥� Rachel Behrndt, government accountability reporter
Med school admissions director is a 鈥榗heerleader for student doctors鈥�
Lorena Marin grasped her own fortitude in grad school, poring over studies about the barriers Latino candidates face when applying to medical school.
She鈥檇 never wanted to be a doctor, but she knew those barriers in her own way: A middle child of six, Marin was the first in her family to earn a college degree, then a master鈥檚.
鈥淚 was doing my homework in the office, and I just started crying,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t made me realize, yeah, I鈥檝e had so many barriers. But look at where I am now.鈥�
Marin is the assistant director of admissions at the University of North Texas Health Science Center鈥檚 Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. But her vision 鈥� to help medical students, especially those , become doctors 鈥� requires a multitude of hats.
For one, Marin mentors dozens of students. She writes them birthday cards, takes them to lunch, checks in on their studies and spirits. She鈥檚 also an interpreter and cultural liaison; later this week, she鈥檚 accompanying a group of medical students for a mission trip near the Rio Grande. She monitors students in the and those at-risk of dropping out.
And, she鈥檚 the architect of a series of kids camps and teen programs to help young people learn about medicine. Latinos en Medicina, a camp for children, .
Her philosophy, in part, is to always say yes 鈥� a consequence of the challenges she navigated growing up. They gave her grit, she said. They allowed her to 鈥渂e visionary.鈥�
鈥淚 think that makes me even a better mentor for students,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause I can say, I understand. I鈥檝e been there.鈥�
Her empathy gives way to reassurance. To the many children and young adults who鈥檝e crossed her path, her message is simple and weighty: 鈥淗ey, I care about you. I see you,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 know who you are.鈥�
鈥� Alexis Allison, health reporter
Community advocate strives to make life better for the 鈥榥ext person鈥檚 child鈥�
Elaine Klos refuses to slow down.
She鈥檚 long been involved in improving mental health, child homelessness and neglect, adolescent pregnancy, pay equity, HIV/AIDS and public education across Fort Worth.
鈥淵ou have to realize that if you want the community to be the place that you want your children and grandchildren to grow into and live, then it鈥檚 up to you to make the difference,鈥� Klos said. 鈥淣ot because of your children, but because of the next person鈥檚 child.鈥�
As the daughter of a clothing factory worker who led a local union chapter and an education advocate, the idea of giving back, serving and championing change came naturally to her.
The Philadelphia native has always been vocal while serving on boards and throughout the Fort Worth community. Since moving here in 1969, she has dedicated her years to advocating for issues that mattered to her 鈥� and the community as a whole.
鈥淲hen I ran for public office the first time, one of the questions that was asked was, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e just a mom, just a housewife.鈥� 鈥楴o, I鈥檓 not just a housewife. I make an impact,鈥欌�� she said.
From 1996 to 2004, she served on the Fort Worth ISD board of trustees where she led efforts to establish after-school meals for elementary schools and bring family resource centers to campuses. Klos led the City of Fort Worth鈥檚 pay equity study in the 1990s and successfully helped get legislation passed for the , known as CHIP, to include dental and vision coverage in Texas in 1999.
As the next generation of advocates prepares to take her place someday, Klos encourages women to support something they are passionate about, no matter how small they start.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important for women to be at the forefront. It鈥檚 always been important for women to be at the forefront,鈥� Klos said. 鈥淵ou need to get out there and you need to raise your voice.鈥�
鈥� Sandra Sadek, growth reporter
Alexis Allison is the health reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at alexis.allison@fortworthreport.org.
Kristen Barton is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at kristen.barton@fortworthreport.org.
Rachel Berhrndt is a local government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at rachel.berhrndt@fortworthreport.org.
Haley Samsel is an environmental reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at haley.samsel@fortworthreport.org.Marcheta Fornoff is the arts and culture editor at the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marcheta.fornoff@fortworthreport.org.
Sandra Sadek is a Report for America corps member, covering growth for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at sandra.sadek@fortworthreport.org.
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