2018 Inaugural Houston Power 50 Award

The Texas Diversity Magazine is proud to announce our inaugural Houston Power 50 award. On the cusp of Women’s History Month, we want to honor women in the C-Suite from top companies such as H-E-B, Valic and Goldman Sachs, to name a few, who are making an effort to do great work within their companies, departments and communities in the city of Houston. Now we celebrate their hard work and progressive initiatives that are instrumental to making the gender gap in the C-Suite a little smaller.

Selection for this distinction was based on each individual’s contributions to business growth and strategic direction, proven record of innovation and accomplishments in their area of expertise, and their ability to serve as an active role model by mentoring the next generation of professionals in their industry. Each awardee stands atop their field in several industries such as technology, health care, oil & gas, financial services, government and retail. The wide range of industries represented in this group of distinguished executives speaks to the distinctive importance their role plays in the new corporate arena.

“The Inaugural 2018 Power 50 award honors a diverse range of executive leaders of the highest caliber,” said Dennis Kennedy, Founder and Chairman of the National Diversity Council. “Our team takes great pride in honoring this group of accomplished women that continue to push innovation in business and beyond.”

It is important that we champion for women in these positions so that they can be an example for other women who aspire to have roles in the C-Suite, and it be known that it is possible and sustainable. Please join us, as we celebrate the women below in all their past, present and future success.

Alaina Benford
Litigation Partner
NortnRoseFullbright US LLP

Alice Aanstoos
Regional Vice President
AT&T

Amanda Spielman
President Mischer Neurosciences Associates
Memorial Hermann

Andrea Coughlin Rowley
SVP Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer
Entergy

Anita Kerin
Partner
Strasburger and Price LLP

Beth Common
Vice President
Aon

Carol Hess
Vice President, Worldwide Workstation Product Managment and GTM
HP

Carole J. Hackett
SVP, Human Resources
Houston Methodist

Christine Thoms Knox
SVP and Chief Innovation Officer
CBI

Deborah Merril
Chief Executive Officer
Drysdale Insights LLC

Elizabeth Campbell
Partner and Chief Diversity Officer
Andrews Kurth Kenyon

Elizabeth Killinger
President
Reliant and NRG Retail

Emily Goertz
Vice President, Revenue Cycle
UTMB

Freda Lee
VP of Relationship Management
Valic

Jackie Ward
VP, Nursing
Texas Children’s Hospital

Jeanne Abundis
Partner, Audit
KPMG

Jennifer Dabkowski
VP Marketing and Communication
Houston Texans

Jennifer Stewart
Senior Vice President Government and Regulatory Affairs
Southwestern Energy

Katya Defossez
Partner
McKinsey and Company

Kim Adams
Vice President
AIG

LaKeisha Jones
Vice President, Human Resources
Airgas

Lauren Ivers Steinke
Partner, Global Mobility & Tax
Deloitte LLP

Lyn Beaty
Senior Vice President, Finance
Halliburton

Margaret Montemayor
VP and Chief Accounting Officer
Pioneer Natural Resources

Mayerland Harris
Group VP of Human Resources
HEB

Megan Bickel
Senior Vice President
Hancock Whitney Bank

Melinda Reeves
EVP of HR and Global Organizational Effectiveness
Direct Energy

Michelle Riley Brown
EVP
Texas Children’s Hospital

Monica C. Thurman
Chief Compliance Officer
XPO Logistics

Myrtle Jones
SVP of Tax
Halliburton

Nakeya Shelton
VP, Business Development
UPS

Pamela Brylski
VP Investment Management Division
Goldman Sachs

Pam Reiland
Senior Vice President
Gulfstar Group

Paula Hubbard
Vice President, Human Resources
BP

Paula Johnson
EVP Legal and Government Affairs, General Counsel
Phillips 66

Rebecca Dalton McGarr
VP, Human Resources
Shell

Rose-Menker McCarty
Vice President, Education & Awareness, Vice President, Marketing
alliantgroup

Sharon Birkman Fink
President and CEO
Birkman International

Sherri Sides
Chief HR Officer
TEAM Industrial Services

Steph Sherrodd
President & CEO
TDECU

Stephanie Stewart
Chief information Officer
Pioneer Natural Resources

Stephanie Swanson
Vice President
Transwestern Energy

Tana Pool
Vice President and General Counsel
TGS

Vicki Hollub
President and CEO
Occidental Petroleum

Yasmin Huebinger
Senior Vice President
Capital One

Yvonne Romero De Silva
Vice President, Enrollment
Rice University