San Antonio is filled to the brim with countless amazing women who have — and continue to — leave their mark on the city, its businesses, its people, and its future. That's why San Antonio’s women business leaders deserve the recognition and support that comes with the annual Tribute to Women Business Leaders, presented by Ford.
On June 4, five incredible women from different walks of life will be honored as recipients of the annual Tribute awards for their outstanding leadership, charity, and work ethic. In front of hundreds of attendees , these women will dispense ideas and advice and share the story of how they came to this point in their lives.
The five women receiving the award are:
Receiving the Executive Award for Large Business is Senior Vice President of Pape-Dawson Engineers, Cara Tackett. Cara is tasked with overseeing all water operations in the state, across multiple regional offices and dozens of employees. Her leadership blazed a trail on nearly every major project from the firm in the last 20 years. As the first female SVP of the firm, she has served as a vision of the future, hiring more recent female graduates than ever before. For her dedication to her work, she has earned the Executive Award of Large Business, recognizing her as an exemplary leader in the corporate work environment.
Our Brenda Vickrey Johnson Award for Small Business honoree is Diana Barrios Trevino, Co-owner of Los Barrios LLC. As a restauranteur, Diana’s food speaks for itself. Running several Tex-Mex establishments in San Antonio is a competitive venture, but Diana still leaves her mark on the top. With numerous accolades for her work — including a visit to the White House to serve her famous puffy tacos — it feels only right to bestow the Brenda Vickrey Johnson Award to a small business owner with a lot of care and heart and the entrepreneurial spirit that keeps San Antonio’s economy flourishing.
The next category is the Promise Award, which is awarded to a woman whose mark on San Antonio suggests greater things are to come for the community because of this individual. For her work as assistant city manager of San Antonio, Lori Houston was selected as the year’s Promise Award honoree. Lori has worked tirelessly for the city for 17 years, when she started as an intern. Since then, she has played an essential role in the city’s public works and downtown restoration. Lori has received numerous awards and designation for her contributions to the downtown area, the Riverwalk, Alamo Plaza, and the Central Business District, truly signaling a promise to San Antonio.
The Hope Award recognizes a woman who has given themselves to public service and the greater good of the city. This year’s recipient is Casandra Matej, President and CEO of Visit San Antonio. As the head of the city’s tourism industry, Casandra has led San Antonio to a new level in hospitality, helping the city land a World Heritage Site designation and facilitating a massive renovation of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. San Antonio welcomes 37 million visitors a year, generating $15.2 billion for the local economy. It is fair to say this success is due in no small part to Casandra and her knack for sharing this amazing city with all who come to visit.
Last but not least is Dr. Dianna Burns-Banks — this year’s Legacy Award recipient. Dr. Burns-Banks is a sterling example of a servant leader, whose knowledge of medicine goes well beyond the walls of South Texas Center for Pediatric Care, of which she is a Co-owner. Selfless determination sparks everything she does, from chairing this year’s March of Dimes to her other countless appointments to medical (namely pediatrics) boards and her volunteer work for children of all walks of life. People who know her never exhaust their list of praises for her and for that, it seems only fitting she would be recognized during this year’s Tribute to Women Business Leaders.
These are the stories and qualifications of five incredible women, but it doesn’t stop there. We cordially invite our membership and guests to attend Tribute to Women Business Leaders on Tuesday, June 4 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Registration starts at 11 a.m. with a luncheon and fireside chat from the recipients to follow at 11:30 a.m.
Kudos are in order for committee chairs Harriet Dominque and Blakely Fernandez, the Selection Committee members, and presenting sponsor Ford for making this event possible. San Antonio is ready to give credit where credit is due and that rests in our talented, magnanimous, and inspirational female leaders.
