Northside Education Foundation annual gala is Sept. 1
Six outstanding graduates will be recognized as Pillars of Character at the Northside Education Foundation's annual gala, to be held 5:30 p.m. Sept. 1 at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort.
Tables and individual seats are available for the black tie event by contacting the NISD Partnerships office at (210) 397-8599 or on the web.
Each year, Pillars are selected from the nearly 100,000 Northside alumni who have graduated from NISD high schools since 1951. The Pillars represent the six character traits taught to NISD students in grades kindergarten through 12th that are part of the Josephson Institute's Character Counts program. The Pillars of Character are: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness Caring, and Citizenship.
The NISD alumni selected as Pillars are the guests of honor at the NEF gala and are depicted on posters displayed in all 6,000 NISD classrooms throughout the 2009-2010 school year.
The 2009 Pillars of Character are:
- Dr. Laurie Sweet Richardson
Pillar of Caring
Marshall High School Class of 1974
Richardson is owner and veterinarian at Oaks North Animal Hospital and is dedicated to family pet services, which she says depends on "communication with pet owners." The Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine graduate has a long history of community service, volunteering as a missionary in Guatemala every year for the past five years at an orphanage for troubled girls. She is the daughter of Dorothy Sweet, former principal of NISD's Glenoaks Elementary, and Art Sweet (deceased), former vice principal at Marshall High School.
- Lt. Col. Scott Thomas
Pillar of Citizenship
Jay High School Class of 1982
Thomas earned an engineering degree from United States Air Force Academy where he was an All-American defensive back. He flew as a mission commander during Desert Storm and was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism. The story of his wartime ejection from his burning F-16 and the subsequent team rescue effort inspired his motivational speeches across the country for Mach 2 Seminars. In 2000, Col. Thomas left active duty to fly for American Airlines and joined the Air Force Reserve 97th Flying Training Squadron at Sheppard AFB, where he is incoming commander responsible for Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training.
- Crystal Brown-Tatum
Pillar of Fairness
Holmes High School Class of 1990
Brown-Tatum is CEO of Crystal Clear Communications in Houston, an award-winning public relations firm that specializes in media campaigns, niche marketing, and community outreach. Clients have included Calvin Klein, Intel, and Nike. Twice voted Miss Congeniality in the Miss Texas USA pageant, and named 2009 Texas Blazing Star by the Women's Chamber of Commerce of Texas, Brown-Tatum is a breast cancer survivor and author of the books, Saltwater Taffy and Red High Heels: My Journey through Breast Cancer and Caramel and Cream. The University of Houston graduate commutes to her office in Houston from her home in Shreveport, La.
- Col. Lisa Carrington Firmin
Pillar of Respect
Holmes High School Class of 1976
Firmin is an advocate for leadership by women in the military as the first colonel to command the expeditionary mission support group at Balad Air Base in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She was instrumental in building the air base despite austere conditions and more than 175 rocket and mortar attacks and earned the Bronze Star Medal. Known as a staunch advocate for minorities and women, she's received numerous honors such as the Governor of Texas' Yellow Rose Award; and a profile on UNIVISION's Lo Mejor de lo Nuestro and in LATINA Style Magazine. She's currently the commander of AFROTC Detachment 842 at the University of Texas at San Antonio. A descendent of Mexican immigrants, she is a 1979 graduate of Texas A&M Kingsville.
- Chuck Cureau
Pillar of Trustworthiness
Marshall High School Class of 1985
Cureau didn't learn to swim until he was college age and attending the University of Texas at San Antonio, but he has become an assistant curator of Animal Training for SeaWorld San Antonio after training and performing for years with whales and dolphins. A radio and television personality, Cureau has appeared on the Howie Mandel Show, The All New Captain Kangaroo Show, and hosted Discovery Kids network series "Trading Spaces: Boys versus Girls." He also appeared with Kevin Spacey in the film, "Life of David Gale" and is an announcer for the San Antonio Spurs. He volunteers at NISD as an independent study mentor and has hosted several character-building series for children.
- Dr. Kristin Story Held
Pillar of Responsibility
Marshall High School Class of 1977
Dr. Held earned her medical degree from UT Medical School in San Antonio where she is now a clinical professor of ophthalmology. Since 1994, she has specialized in cataract and refractive surgery. She was the first woman to perform PRK and LASIK eye surgery in San Antonio, is one of the original founders of Alamo Laser Vision, and is owner and physician at The Stone Oak Ophthalmology Center. Dr. Held is married to her Marshall High School sweetheart with whom she has four daughters, who she considers her greatest accomplishments. She recalls that the first significant award she received as a child was "the "R" award for Responsibility.
For more information and for tickets to the Pillar gala, contact Bonnie Ellison, NISD Partnerships Director, at (210) 397-8599 or via e-mail.
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