Audrey H. Lawson Impact Awards honor local women
Nearly 1,000 turned out to celebrate 10 Houston women honored at the Audrey H. Lawson Impact Awards Luncheon and Fashion Show at the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown.
The awards honored women who have made significant professional and personal contributions to the community. Honorees were Carlotta Outley Brown, Paulette Frederick, Jalene Mack, CleRenda McGrady, Penelope Nobles, Carolyne Bradley Oliver, Jonita Wallace Reynolds, the Chronicle’s Joy Sewing, Jewel Smith and Dr. Anjanette Wyatt.
After the audience cheered the honorees on the runway, they were treated to a fashion show featuring looks from Dillard’s, Ultimate Diva’s Designing Hats and Woody’s Furs. Many of the models are members of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, who hammed it up. Local celebs like former Texan star Chester Pitts and Fox 26 anchor Jose Grinan also walked the runway, while ABC 13 anchor Melanie Lawson served as emcee. The awards are named for her late mother. The Rev. William A. Lawson offered the invocation.
The event was co-chaired by Sharon Cushingberry, Cy
donii Miles, Dr. Polly Turner and honorary chair Vernita
Harris, and presented by the Wheeler Avenue Inner City Visions Inc. Women’s Guild, which was started by Lawson in 1963. She died in December at age 83. Guests included: the Rev. Dr. Marcus D. and Audrey Cosby, Guild president Diedra Fontaine, Prairie View A&M University president Dr. George and Valerie Wright, former Rockets star Tracy McGrady, Dorothy Booker, Charlotte Bryant, Helen Cashew, Francis Richardson, Susan Bynam, Gayla Gardner, Merele Yarborough, Abbie Brothers, Irene Allen, Devi Brown and Dr. Kathy Flanagan.