Nearly 500 business and civic leaders gathered Tuesday for the Greater San Antonio Chamber’s Mary Rose Brown Tribute to Women Business Leaders, presented by PNC, to honor six outstanding women whose leadership has shaped San Antonio’s business and civic landscape.
Chaired by Blakely Fernandez, Partner at Bracewell, and Jamie Kowalski, Vice President of Corporate Relations for The RK Group, the annual luncheon celebrates women who have made significant contributions through leadership, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and public service.
State Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins was honored with the Legacy Award in recognition of her lifetime of service to San Antonio as a legislator, educator and community builder.
In accepting the award, Rep. Gervin-Hawkins reflected on beginning her career in accounting in Detroit before a late-night phone call from her brother, Spurs legend George Gervin, brought her to San Antonio to help oversee his business interests.
“When I first arrived in San Antonio, I got drawn into the chamber’s web of getting things done,” she said. “I was so impressed by the leaders who could move mountains with a single phone call and who saw this great big city as exactly what it has always been – a small town with a big heart.
“Whatever the future holds for me in this city, I will lean in. I want to continue to be a contributor – not a bystander – to a better quality of life for all the citizens of San Antonio.”
In recognition of her significant career and community achievements, Roxanne Orsak, President and Chief Operating Officer of H-E-B, received the Executive Award for Large Business. Appointed the first women President of H-E-B, Orsak has helped shape the growth and innovation of one of the top retailers in the nation.
In her acceptance remarks, Orsak said she hopes to show her fellow H-E-B partners that they too can rise to top leadership positions. “It took me 37 years to get here, so I hope it doesn’t take others that long,” she said. “It’s about patience, perseverance, grit and determination. And it’s about never letting anyone tell you that you’re not good enough because you are.”
Receiving the Brenda Vickrey Johnson Award for Small Business, Katie Harvey, Founder and CEO, K Harvey Brand Partners, reflected on the women leaders who helped shape her career and her commitment to helping others pursue their dreams.
“That collaboration drives the work we do across the business community,” she said. “It makes our city a place where women and businesses of all sizes and all types can thrive. We’ve celebrated together, cheered each other on, mourned immeasurable losses, and helped each other. That is what makes San Antonio so special.”
The Hope Award was presented to Brandy Ralston-Lint, Executive Vice President of Community and Media Relations, Security Service Federal Credit Union, for her leadership of philanthropic and volunteer initiatives that have improved the community.
She talked about the importance of hope in the community work she leads. “In giving hope, our actions give someone the knowledge that things will get better. I am so grateful to have a career at Security Service that has allowed me to give hope in a city I am so grateful for. I pray each of us will continue to find a way to give hope and faith to someone to make their life better.”
Laura Cabanilla, Director of Corporate Impact, USAA, received the Freedom Award for her leadership of the company’s philanthropic initiatives and her efforts to expand equitable transportation options and improve mobility for underserved communities through her role as Board Chair of VIA Metropolitan Transit.
“At USAA, we say we are called to serve and take care of our own,” she said. “For me, ‘our own’ has always extended beyond the walls of the institution. It means military families who give so much. It means showing up for the people in the city who need someone in their corner.
“It means the riders who depend on VIA to get to work, to school, to opportunity. Transit is not just transportation. For many families in this city, it is freedom.”
In accepting the Promise Award, Julie Bedingfield, Vice President of Community Engagement, Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, acknowledged the significance of the word “promise” in the name of the award.
“This is not recognition of any promise I have kept. It is a promise I am making to this community, to the women coming up behind us, and to my daughter. I promise to keep showing up, keep pursuing impact, and keep getting things done.”
Since its founding in 2007, the Tribute to Women Business Leaders has recognized many of San Antonio’s most influential civic and business leaders, celebrating women whose leadership, mentorship and service continue to shape the future of the community.