You’ve met her. A woman who blows you away. Who seems to have a mission and purpose combined with a determination few people possess. She’s genuine and she’s good — the kind of good felt mere minutes after meeting her.
The North Texas area is fortunate to have boundless women doing good deeds in its community, and for that Fort Worth Moms is thankful. Selfless people have a beautiful way of inspiring others, and because we know they’d never toot their own horn, we thought we’d do it for them. We asked local mamas to nominate outstanding local women. Here’s the list:
Mandy Coburn :: Coburn is school counselor at Cannon Elementary School in Grapevine. She was a fourth grade teacher at Gilbert Elementary in Irving before becoming a counselor. Coburn is is a member of the Crisis Intervention Team and the Academic Support Committee/At-Risk/RTI, and she coordinates the Bully Prevention Programs, among many other noble accolades.
DeAndrea Dare :: Dare founded A Memory Grows after the loss of her newborn son, Max. The nonprofit serves grieving parents and is a resource to hospitals, clinics, hospice groups, churches, and other nonprofit organizations.
Carrie Grace :: As the executive director at Freedom Shield, a foundation combatting human trafficking, Grace is an expert in the specialized field of trauma recovery and restoration for victims. In 2016, Grace founded Valiant Hearts.
Nichole Masters-Henry :: Masters-Henry is the chief services officer at SafeHaven, a domestic violence service provider in Tarrant County. In 2016, she started a philanthropic group for successful African American women called Women In Power Empowering. The group’s mission is to make a difference in the lives of women experiencing socioeconomic hardships. The group established the Empowerment Fund, providing women in Tarrant County with financial assistance to overcome barriers and crises.
Tracy Papa, DO, FACOOG :: For the past 10 years, Dr. Papa has been awarded one of the top docs in Fort Worth Magazine. In addition to working at Fort Worth Perinatal, she serves on the Tarrant County Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Board.
Erica Robinson :: Robinson works to assist underemployed and unemployed people in earning certifications and associate degrees. Specifically, she helps “first-generation” and historical marginalized college students find equitable and inclusive resources.
Meg Sanks :: Sanks and her husband founded Respite Ranch, a Christian-based support and getaways for adoptive and foster parents. After going through the adoption process with their son, they realized how stressful it can be not only for children, but also the parents.
Mary Whitworth, MD :: As an infectious disease doctor at Cook Children’s, Dr. Whitworth specializes in helping children with immune deficiencies, chronic, recurring, and life-threatening infections, and viral infections — to name a few. In 2017, she was awarded the Golden-Headed Cane award for exemplifying high standards of excellence and integrity. She’s been at the forefront of managing the care for pediatric patients with coronavirus.
Vanessa Barker & Taylor Willis :: This dynamic duo started The Welman Project, which connects schools with nonprofits. This free-to-schools service distributes surplus materials, such as arts materials, office supplies, furniture, decor — you name it, from local companies to classrooms to reuse.
