Happy New Year Brilliant Women of Tocqueville!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with your loved ones and that you had time to relax, reflect, and rejuvenate. It was such fun to celebrate the holiday season with many of you at WOT Joy! graciously hosted by Neiman Marcus in December. WOT Joy! is aptly named because the joy in the room absolutely radiated amongst us as we came together in fellowship to celebrate the season and to raise funds for our upcoming Virtual Baby Shower benefitting expectant mothers in need.

As I reflect on the past year, my heart is filled with gratitude for each of you, our mighty, mighty Women of Tocqueville, whose commitment, inspiration, and passion for driving positive change in North Texas is unwavering and unrivaled. Whether compiling “Cups of Cheer” teacher appreciation gifts, directing investments for our WOT Fund for Women and Children, coordinating Lunch with Legislators in support of UWMD’s advocacy work, or attending WOT Connections and DINE! events, your engagement is what drives our impact—and this impact is what will make North Texas the best place to live, work, and raise a family for all of us. Thank you for being such a bright light in our community in 2022!

As we look ahead to the New Year, I am excited for the many opportunities that we will have to shine our collective light on the issues facing North Texas. Many of our signature events are coming soon! Please plan to join us in support of our next generation of philanthropic leaders at Most Generous Next Generation presented by PwC and supported by Vistra in late January. Then in February, many of the mighty WOT Steering Committee, Advocacy Advisory Committee, and Tocqueville Society will travel to the State Capitol in Austin to advocate and support UWMD’s legislative priorities in the areas of education, income, and health to expand access to opportunity across North Texas. These education and advocacy events will be followed by even more ways to engage—United Way’s Reading Day presented by EY in March, the Virtual Baby Shower in April, and our Career/Mentorship Day in May. We will also continue to host our WOT2Eat/Drink Connections events to provide plenty of opportunities for relationship building amongst this wonderful group—because we know that when we bring this mighty group of change-makers together, big ideas happen, big plans come together, and big change is made!

As we reflect on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday earlier this week, I am inspired by Dr. King’s legacy of service, courage, and determination to build a society where all people enjoy the benefits of equality. The journey to achieve this vision is ongoing, and so it is an honor to serve alongside each of you in 2023 as we drive transformative change in our community so that all North Texans can thrive.

May the New Year bring you new hope, new opportunities, and much joy as together we LIVE UNITED!

Mandy J. Austin
2022-2023 Women of Tocqueville Chair
Dallas Market President, Bank of Texas