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LaunchAbility and The Pointer Sisters Get Excited About Ebby

Dallas sweetheart Ebby Halliday’s (pictured) celebration of her 99th birthday was comparable to America’s bicentennial. With her internist Dr. Hugh McClung’s hosting an intimate supper at his Terrell farm on Saturday, a birthday lunch with T. Boone Pickens, and a non-stop slew of other activities, she was busier than a firecracker salesman on the third of July.

Perhaps the biggest hoop-la was the eve of her March 9th birthday when Special Care and Career Services held its annual gala,”A Special Evening with the Pointer Sisters.” at the Winspear. The Sisters may have been the headliners, but the spotlight was firmly on the Great Mother of Dallas Residential Real Estate.

But the gala evening was not just to salute the diminutive Ebby. SC&CS ring mistress Cathy Packard (pictured) had a full agenda for the evening and she neatly got each task done beautifully.

For instance, how about a name change? Yup, on the big screen of the Skokos stage, the new name for Special Care and Career Services was presented. . .

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Shakespeare Dallas Gets a SO for Successful Six-Year Debt Relief Campaign

Don’t you just love stories with happy endings? For instance, how does this scenario sound: “On the brink of financial disaster, a dedicated group of theatrical types and supporters tighten their belts and manage to save the day for the local theater group!”

Sounds like a Judy Garland/Andy Rooney story line? Think Shakespeare Dallas.

Years ago, Shakespeare Dallas was literally on the edge of financial ruin, when a six-year debt relief campaign was put into place to save the local theatrical company. It worked.

Celebrating the success of the campaign and to thank the SD patrons, supporters, and board members, “The Defining Moment” was held at Diane and Hal Brierley’s home.

The occasion also provided an opportunity to announced a new advisory board with Dolores Barzune, Carole Brandt, Don Stone, Diane Brierley, and Jim Moroney as founding members.

Photo provided by Shakespeare Dallas

“This is the dawn of a new day for this amazing organization,” said SD artistic/executive director Raphael Parry (pictured right with Roy Turner III, Connie Gold Parry, and Bonnie Strauss, from the left). “Few things are more important to a community than affordable access to the arts, and Shakespeare Dallas will provide that for years and years to come.”

Haynes and Boone Backs Museum of Nature & Science’s Corporate Council

More good news for the Museum of Nature & Science and it involves Haynes and Boone! No, the museum is not in need of any legal assistance. Think philanthropy.

Last Thursday it was announced at a reception that Haynes and Boone will be the museum’s first presenting sponsor of the museum’s Corporate Council, “an advisory board that helps connect local businesses and the community with the museum.”

Photo: Jason Janik

According to the museum’s VP of Development Hal Rose (pictured second from the left with, from the left, Emily Snooks, Sara Vale and Noel Shastid), “Our Corporate Council is comprised of a powerful set of professionals that apply their expertise and connections to further our cause. Haynes and Boone’s support allows us to bring these influential people together and ultimately deliver more STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education opportunities to kids.”

Photo credit: Jason Janik

Speaking of kids, there were a bunch of them at the event. A pre-teen group of Dallas-area kids, XS NRG (pictured), reprised their FIRST LEGO League Competition  robotic performance that won them first place. According to one mom-type who attended the event, “These are the most articulate, sweet, fun kids who just happen to be brilliant to boot. They used words like ‘ultra-capacitor’ and ‘zero-sum’ when describing ’strategies they considered’ for their various projects.”

The XS-ers had also researched sustainable solutions for reducing jet plane fuel inefficiencies at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and cited their estimated economic-, airline-ticket-price-, and environmental-impact nationwide.

Gee, maybe one of these kiddos could connect our TiVo for us.

How about some factoids about the future museum digs, which will open in late 2012/early 2013? Take a jump and learn some to impress your friends: (more…)

Susan G. Komen Tops Two Categories According to Harris Interactive

Not to brag, but Dallas-born and -bred Susan G. Komen for the Cure was named the most valuable non-profit brand and the charity people are most likely to donate to, according to global market research firm Harris Interactive.

But let’s not stop there!

Of the 1,151 organizations in the rankings, Komen placed second among the most trusted non-profit organizations in America just behind St. Jude Research Hospital.

“We are enormously humbled to be recognized in this way by the public that we serve,” said Komen founder and CEO, Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker. “This validation redoubles our resolve to our promise to end breast cancer through science, education, advocacy and relevant support programs all around the world.”

Harris Interactive Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Justin Greeves said of the top-performing non-profits: “They are working to solve many of society’s most complex and relevant problems in efficient, new, and innovative ways and have achieved personal relevance in many of our lives – that is why they are at the top.”

Congratulations to the thousands of volunteers and staff members who have made Komen a lifesaver.

GameStop and Park Place Motorcars Dallas Again Support Black Tie Dinner

2010 Black Tie Dinner organizers are “looking forward to an outstanding year” and with good reason. They just notified SweetCharity that for their 29th-year celebration (Saturday, November 6) at the Sheraton Dallas, they’ve already had GameStop Corporation return as the presenting sponsor.

Photo provided by Black Tie Dinner

And even more good news! Park Place Motorcars Dallas will once again underwrite the Black Tie Raffle vehicle. This year it will be a 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sports Sedan (pictured) equipped with a 3.0-liter, V-6 engine. BTW, the $100-raffle tickets are already available for purchase.

Executives in Action Are Celebrating Their First Anny Today

Executives in Action are celebrating their first anniversary today with a “virtual event.” Translation: You don’t have to dress up and get in your car. You just have to get on the Internet.

According to EIA Executive Director Jeremy Gregg,”We are asking all of our supporters, members, and more to Tweet, blog, update Facebook/LinkedIn and email their supporters about our anniversary.”

As an anniversary gift, they just received a $500,000 challenge grant from their board to expand their efforts in 2010. As you probably know, this group engages transitioning, senior executives in short-term, high-yield consulting projects with local nonprofit organizations. In its first year, EIA has placed nearly 130 such executives on high-impact projects throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth nonprofit community  – and is on pace to hit 300 later this year.

The organization’s executives have been placed at nearly 50 nonprofits over the past year including the American Red Cross, Central Dallas Ministries, and the Samaritan House of Fort Worth.

EIA is the brainchild of Ashlee and Chris Kleinert along with Jeremy, Pam Gerber, Cynthia Nunn, and Brent Christopher.

Happy anniversary to EIA and congratulations to the nonprofits that benefit from its efforts.

Special Care And Career Services Patrons Score With Walgreens And Doll Museum

Let’s admit it. When there’s a patron party, successful attendance often depends on the location. Special Care and Career Services knew just how to entice people from as far away as Chicago to catch their event last Wednesday. They held it at Gail and Dan Cook’s very cool home in the Park Cities.  More about the abode (pictured) later, but let’s cover the event first. (more…)

Jamie Dimon Gets A Key, Elaine Agather Receives Kudos And Bandages

OK, so let’s admit it. Having JPMorgan Chase & Co. VMIP (Very Most Important Person) Jamie Dimon front and center for the $3M donation announcement for The Park was like having Steve Jobs on hand to activate your iPhone. Locals were so thrilled with his in-person participation, they even presented him with a key to The Park. Why do we suspect that Jamie knew that The Park is still under construction and there’s no lock in need of a key? Hey, it’s the thought that counts.

But the hometown honey of the day was that rodeoing banking lady of Chase, Elaine Agather. Looking like a homecoming queen and having the marvelously good taste to walk into the overly-crowded room of media and city alpha dogs with publishing magnate Wick Allison, Elaine actually seemed to blush as accolades kept coming and coming and coming.

And rightly deserved. In this day and age when money is especially tough to come by and banks are under scrutiny, Elaine managed to be a driving force for the donation that will result in a marvelous promenade for The Park.

Yet did anyone notice her fingers? Yup, despite holding up a billboard-size check for the multi-million $$ amount, hardly a soul saw the bandages wrapped around her fingers. Had she cut them while cutting the check? Nope. She slammed them in a door. But no harm. As she said, “I can still write and ride.”

Elaine, honey, let’s take better care of those digits.

Mr. Stanley (Marcus) Is The Topic Sunday Afternoon

Just in case you haven’t been able to get a copy of Tom Alexander’s Stanley Marcus: The Relentless Reign of a Merchant Prince (pictured), you’re in luck. Not only can you get a copy signed by Sir Thomas, you can also listen in on a conversation between him and  fellow authoress Rena Pederson this Sunday at the Hall of State at Fair Park. If you know these two, you know it isn’t going to be a typical Q&A program.

Besides some excellent behind-the-scenes stories of NM marketing in Mr. Stanley’s days, the crowd promises to look like an NM reunion. No telling who just might show up thanks to the coordination of Dallas Historical Society Chair Diane “I Love Breakfast Meetings” Bumpas, Exec Director Jack Bunning, and a legion of Neiman’s grads. The reception following the program should be fraught with additional tales of life in the good old days.

Oh, and since the program starts at 4, you’ll be home in plenty of time for the Pro Bowl.

Terdema Ussery Revs Up The Real Estate Council “To See Greatness”

Commercial real estate folks thrive on getting up early in the morning with plenty of energy. So, Thursday’s breakfast at the Fairmont to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Real Estate Council felt like a joint gathering of Toastmasters and Zig Ziglar. And the caffeine kick only moved the zeal rate up a couple of notches for the 400+ attendees.

After TREC Vice Chairman Melissa Eastman handled “the housekeeping issues” like reminding guests of the May 6th “Fight Night” at the Anatole and that TREC’s new website was up and running, she introduced a well-done video showcasing the many community projects in which TREC has been involved.

Then Melissa got to the featured act — Terdema Ussery (pictured above). The guy’s credentials not only go on for a week, but each one is a showstopper. Ivy Leaguer, lawyer, president/CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Dallas Housing Authority. (more…)