North Texas Commission
The North Texas Commission this week announced recipients of the organization's 2022 Regional Leadership Awards.
The awards recognize North Texas organizations and individuals who have had a lasting impact shaping the region.
The North Texas Commission's Regional Awards Selection Committee convened in early August to determine selections out of more than 50 nominees.
Nine were selected.
They include business leaders, elected officials, civic leaders, and organizations. Honoring the memory of the organization's former president/CEO Dan Petty, the North Texas Commission also established the Dan Petty Regional Visionary Award, announced for the first time during the Commission's 51st Annual Members' Luncheon.
“These nine unique awards represent the significance of our region's public and private sector leaders and the importance of collaboration in North Texas. These past few years have reminded us that we are better together as we work as one, unified region to tackle our challenges and work on future growth opportunities,” said Chris Wallace, the NTC's President and CEO.
Established in 1971, the North Texas Commission is a unique public-private partnership that drives large impactful projects and legislative issues benefiting a robust 13-county region and tackles the region's greatest challenges with board and staff subject matter experts who provide resources to market the region and educate future leaders. The Commission also manages the region's unified advocacy voice at the state and federal levels.
2022 Regional Leadership Awards
Civic Leadership Award: Dr. Susan Bohn, Aledo ISD – In addition to serving as Superintendent of Aledo ISD, Dr. Bohn is an engaged and active member of her North Texas community. By forging meaningful relationships with leaders in the region, she has created strategies to help boost economic development and collaboration.
Corporate/Organization Leadership Award: DFW International Airport – DFW Airport serves as a major economic generator for the North Texas region. The organization supports over 200,000 full-time jobs, promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion through programs like their Capacity Building Program Series, and works to enhance infrastructure development through various sustainable design projects such as the Terminal D expansion, which incorporated sustainable approaches and products to reduce energy usage.
Diversity Leadership Award: Wendy Lopez, AECOM – As one of the most significant female leaders within AECOM, Wendy Lopez has had the power to influence positive change across the region. As a gay female in a male-dominated industry, Wendy has worked with her peers and colleagues to help grow AECOM's diversity, equity, and inclusion focus. As a top female executive in North Texas, Wendy has been able to encourage members of the LGBTQ community and young engineers to be themselves.
Education Leadership Award: Dr. James Hurley, Tarleton State University – Since becoming president of Tarleton State University in 2019, Dr. Hurley has shown his commitment to education. Through the creation of partnerships with regional school districts and two-year colleges, he has deepened the university's commitment to educational attainment and affordability for all North Texas students.
Elected Official Leadership Award: Councilmember Adam McGough, city of Dallas – Throughout time as a Dallas City Councilmember, Adam McGough has made significant contributions to the North Texas region. McGough has served on the City of Dallas's Public Safety committee, Regional Transportation Council, and TEX-21. During his time as an elected official, Councilmember McGough has championed the voice of the underrepresented and has been known to bridge gaps, provide solutions, and mitigate disagreement and dissension inside of his council.
Philanthropy Award: Anthony Mbroh, Mbroh Engineering – Anthony Mbroh, PE, is an advocate and a leader who has devoted his time to supporting various North Texas non-profit organizations over the past 25 years. Tony's philanthropic endeavors include mentoring disadvantaged students, donating his time to help small businesses grow, and supporting the ongoing education at the University of Dallas.
Social Impact Award: University Crossroads, The University of Texas at Arlington – For more than three decades, University Crossroads has been helping students navigate the road to higher education by providing services that focus on college awareness, readiness, and access; career exploration; and financial literacy. Through the help of community partners, the organization is able to offer these services free of charge to more than 40,000 students annually across North Texas.
Rising Star Award: Kyle Riley, HNTB – Kyle Riley has not only become a leader in the HNTB organization but as a rising leader in the Dallas-Fort Worth community. Kyle currently leads the HNTB Fort Worth office, has been appointed to the Downtown FTW Inc. board, is an Leadership North Texas Alumnus, and participates in several local chambers. As he continues to rise in his career, Kyle will continue to make a positive impact in the region.
Dan Petty Regional Visionary Award: Victor Vandergriff – Recognizes a visionary leader who has demonstrated a history of pioneering solutions across a wide spectrum of sectors and needs.
North Texas Commission