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Family Pain GivesRise to Greater Good

SPECIAL SECTIONS:Alzheimer’s Association2016 Medical Directory

San Antonio Mayor

IVY R. TAYLOR

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MAY/JUNE 2016

UP FRONTThe last thing any parent wantsto hear is that there’s somethingwrong with their child. It’s heart-breaking and life changing. Thethree families profiled in thisstory have learned not only tolive with it, but have been in-spired by their family situationsto reach out and help others.

18 PROFILEMayor Ivy Taylor shares storieswith us about her youth, whatinspires her as a leader todayand how she did not plan to bethe first African-Americanmayor in San Antonio’s history.Inspired by urban revitalizationand connecting people to op-portunities, Taylor shares her vi-sion for the future andprosperity of the Alamo City.

26 WOMEN INBUSINESSLearn how four young entrepre-neurs have each delved into es-tablished industries inspired tobe change agents. All havefaced failure and rejection butalso success. They are deter-mined to carve a path for them-selves and for the greater SanAntonio community.

54 HILL COUNTRYGUIDEIt’s hot outside, and whattastes better than a cold beer?Today’s small-batch craft brew-eries throughout the city andthe Texas Hill Country dependon smart women working be-hind the scenes, keeping busi-ness flowing in brewpubs,breweries, tap rooms and beerhalls across town.

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12 Contributors14 Trending16 What’s New30 At Home36 Style38 Fashion Calendar41 Society Calendar42 Beauty44 Health48 According to Linda50 Business Woman Spotlight64 Boomers102 Role Model104 Guys to Know106 Mommy Matters108 Hill Country Guide111 Travel114 Artbeat116 CityScene 120 Sustainable Gardening135 Dream Homes138 Entertainment Calendar140 Dining144 Women on the Move145 Weddings

SPECIAL SECTIONS67 Alzheimer’s Association123 The 2016 San Antonio Woman

Medical Directory

San AntonioWOMAN

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PUBLISHER J. Michael Gaffney

EDITOR Nicole Greenberg

ASSOCIATE EDITORJasmina Wellinghoff

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERSJennifer Bartlett, Lauren Browning, Nicole Crawford, Keli Davidson, Linda Elliott, Pamela Lutrell, Kristin Mears, Josie Seeligson, Janis Turk

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Welcome to the May-June issue of

SAN ANTONIO WOMAN.

Themes of transformational work happening in and

around the city are featured throughout this issue.

Without a doubt, our city is experiencing a renais-

sance of sorts, and we spotlight women leading the

new thinking and spirit behind these efforts.

Mayor Ivy R. Taylor is at the forefront of transformation in this city. Our associate editor,

Jasmina Wellinghoff, caught up with the mayor to find out more about her years as a youth,

her emergence into urban planning and what inspires her pragmatic approach to guiding

our fair city’s progress. While Mayor Taylor never planned to be a politician, we come away

from our visit convinced of her abilities to navigate San Antonio’s political waters, coupled

with our downtown revitalization and the ramp-up to the Tricentennial, have made her a

woman to watch.

Our Upfront feature story gives examples of three families who endured the struggles and

eventual breakthroughs of having a child living with disease and using these experiences

for a greater good. Their resolve to help others who are similarly afflicted has become

transformational. Like the Hartman family who created the Morgan’s Wonderland theme

park concept, or the Azar and Edlund families who support some of San Antonio’s top med-

ical research facilities to forge new therapies, their efforts are having a positive impact on

a global scale.

Women in Business writer Jennifer Bartlett introduces us to four young entrepreneurs in

the businesses of residential construction, energy, catering and women’s apparel as they

relay their anecdotal stories of innovation to elevate the long-established arenas in which

they work.

Of course, our stories of transformation would not be complete if we didn’t head out to the

Texas Hill Country to visit with women who are paving new paths there. Our writer, Janis

Turk, came away with the fun story, Beauty and the Brew, where she uncovers successfulbeer establishments led by women.

Rounding out this issue is our in-depth special section on Alzheimer’s, done in collaboration

with Alzheimer’s Association San Antonio & South Texas. We encourage you to read about

some local women who have helped others with this disease, how women and families are

being impacted and the range of providers and support that exists right here in our own

backyard.

We finish out this issue with our regular columns, spotlight on city happenings and our din-

ing review for Myron’s Prime Steakhouse. We also provide you with our 2016 San Antonio

Woman Medical Directory with listings for doctors from various health care specialties.

We invite you to continue to send us your ideas for stories and your feedback about the

perspectives shared in this or any issue. And don’t forget to check out our Trending page.

And, as always, you can find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter posting daily.

Enjoy and transform,

FROM THE EDITORNicole Greenberg, EditorSan Antonio Woman

Photgraphy by Marie Langm

ore

MAY/JUNE 2016WSan Antonio WOMAN

12 | sawoman.com

CONTRIBUTORS

JENNIFER BARTLETTJennifer Bartlett moved to San Anto-nio in 2002 from Brooklyn, NY, whereshe worked as a book editor for W.WNorton and Company. Since movingto Texas, she has been a teacherboth in secondary schools and at theuniversity level at San Antonio Col-lege and Trinity University. Currently,she works as an independent educa-tional consultant, essay coach andfreelance writer. She lives in MonteVista with her husband and her twochildren.

KELI DAVIDSONKeli Davidson is a native New Yorker,who is happily married to a sixth-generation Texan. She has a degreein English literature from the Univer-sity of Texas at Austin, and alsoearned an MBA in finance there. Shehas worked as an investment bankerand venture capitalist, and recentlyserved as the treasurer for the SanAntonio Botanical Garden. She haspreviously published articles in TheHandboook of Texas and loves allthings Texas, particularly San Anto-nio. She lives in Olmos Park withher husband, three kids and an un-ruly dog.

WWW

ARTSSigning up our kids for

the Witte’s summer camps where they will meet Maya

archaeologists and work with engineers to understand the master builders of long ago! 

STAY CONNECTED

/SanAntonioWomanWe just reached nearly 30,000people and engage with nearly3,000 on our posts each week.And we are currently liked by

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@SanAntonioWomanWe just reached over

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W TRENDING

THIS ISSUEWe visit with San AntonioMayor Ivy R. Taylor as sheremembers her days as ayouth, her early days inurban development and

what she envisions for thepeople of the Alamo City.

SAWOMAN.COMCheck out the stories and the

extraordinary women making it all

happen in the current issue of

SAN ANTONIO WOMAN.

And if you miss an issue, our

website features profiles published

throughout our 13 year history —

that's more than 80 issues!

CATCH US ON THE WEB AND THROUGH OUR SOCIAL MEDIAFOR THESE AND OTHER TRENDING STORIES

ENTERTAININGFood writer Lauren Browning

kicks off Memorial Day weekend and summertime

with an upside down peach cake.

STYLEHighlighting our favorite local

finds across the city with Style Editor Camilla Basse. We love these gorgeous

jewels from Dennis Jewelry.

INTERIOR DESIGNLaunching our new interior design blog with gorgeous

contemporary, traditional andunique finds across the city.

UPCOMING EVENTSGearing up for Blue Star

Contemporary Art Institute’s 26th annual Red Dot event

on May 18th. This year’s fundraiser coincides with

Blue Star’s 30th anniversary.

WEDDING SEASONCelebrating the beautiful unions

of family and friends as theywalk down the aisle this season.

Check out our wedding announcements on page 145, and don’t forget to send us

your photos.

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please call 210-826-5375.

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W WHAT’S NEWMays Family Center Opens at the Witte MuseumCelebrate the opening of a new cultural landmark in San

Antonio, the Mays Family Center. Connecting the urban

landscape of Broadway with the historic, natural land-

scape of the San Antonio River, the Mays Family Center

is a place that reveals the beauty of the land, sky and

water along the banks of the San Antonio River. The $15

million building is a center for unprecedented exhibitions,

with a 19,000-square-foot museum-quality space for spe-

cial events, including outside space on the uppermost

bend of the San Antonio River, graced by giant cypress,

oak and pecan trees.

PROMPTU Immediate Now Serves Hill CountryCHRISTUS has rebranded its Urgent Care and Occupational Health Centers of Texas, P.A., as Promptu Immediate Care.

Promptu is a one-stop shop for all health care needs. Its knowledgeable physicians and providers are on-site to administer

care for numerous health problems, including serious issues like mild concussions, fractures and lacerations. Each clinic

is equipped with an on-site lab and X-ray services. Promtu Immediate Care treats people of all ages and offers a comfort-

able, safe environment with extended, convenient hours — weekdays 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. It is

in network with most insurances, including Medicare and Tricare. Appointments can be made by calling one of its clinics,

and all patient forms are available online at PromptuCare.com.

Saint Mary’s Hall Welcomes Actor and Activist RJ MitteIn early March, the Saint Mary’s Hall community welcomed actor and equality and

diversity activist RJ Mitte to campus as part of the 2016 Betty and Bob Kelso

Speaker Series. Mitte is best known for his breakout role as Walter White, Jr. on

the AMC series Breaking Bad. Much like his character, Mitte has a mild form of

cerebral palsy, which has given him the opportunity to raise awareness of equality

and diversity. During his presentation, he was very candid with Upper School stu-

dents about his childhood, how he overcame bullying and other challenges. He

spoke about how many people think a disability is weakness, but that it is actually

strength. The students found him to be honest, funny and refreshing, and many of

them waited in line to speak to him, ask questions and take photos. The Betty and

Bob Kelso Speaker Series, unique to Saint Mary’s Hall, creates tremendous learning

opportunities for students year after year.

Memory Care Community, Poet’s Walk San Antonio Opening SoonPoet’s Walk San Antonio, a Spring Hills Memory Care Community,

is dedicated to providing personalized and comprehensive

Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care. The organization has cre-

ated a proprietary memory care environment to provide an engag-

ing atmosphere that encourages a compassionate, person-centered

approach. Poet’s Walk San Antonio is committed to providing per-

son-centered care and programs that engage the mind, body and

spirit of the people under its care. Its Spring Cottage Memory Care Environment is distinctively designed to create a safe

and warm living place to call home.

Actor RJ Mitte (left) speaks to senior Sam Hawkinsafter his Betty and Bob Kelso Speaker Series pres-entation about equality, diversity and bullying.

| sawoman.com18

W UP FRONT

Family PainGives Rise To A

GREATERGOOD

The last thing any parent wants to hear is that there’s something wrong with their child.

And yet, it happens, and the “wrong” is sometimes very serious. It’s heartbreaking

and life changing. The three families profiled here have learned not only to live with it,

but have been inspired by their family situations to reach out and help others.

These are stories of insight, generosity and vision for a better future.

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELIZABETH WARBURTON

19may/june 2016 |

This Disease Does Not Run UsKim Azar greets me warmly as I arrive at her house in a quiet res-

idential mid-town neighborhood. She has just come back home herself

after picking up her kids from school and is preparing a snack for her

11-year-old daughter, Ava. I am introduced to both Ava and her older

brother, John Ben, who soon retreats into another room to focus on a

video game.

“We had quite an exciting week last week,” says the mom almost

light-heartedly; “we spent five days in the hospital.” Without telling

her, John Ben had stopped taking his medications and became very ill.

He hates the side effects, she explains. “The meds make him throw up,

and this one (she points to a bottle) has an odor that comes out

through the skin. It smells like rotten eggs.” Though the hospital expe-

rience was unsettling, Azar believes that it scared her son enough to

make him think twice before doing anything like that again.

Both children were born with a rare genetic condition called cysti-

nosis — so rare, in fact, that only about 400 people in the U.S. have it

and only about 2,000 worldwide. It’s caused by a small genetic mistake

that impairs the body’s ability to produce cystinosin, an important en-

zyme that helps cells expel the amino acid cystine, which we all have

in our bodies. Without this crucial enzyme, cystine crystallizes in the

cells and slowly strangles the functioning of kidneys, eyes, muscles

and other organs. It happens only when both parents are carriers of

the genetic defect that causes the disease.

Azar and her former husband, John Shepperd, first noticed that

something was wrong when their son was about 15 months old. He

would wake up at night crying and thirsty. The pediatrician shrugged

it off. Then the family took a skiing vacation together during which the

baby got much worse. He went silent, his head became wobbly and he

only wanted water that he would later vomit. “It was terrifying,” recalls

Azar. Back in San Antonio, they went straight to the hospital, where

the child was stabilized, but the doctors could not figure out what he

had. A nurse finally told the parents to take John Ben to Houston’s

Texas Children’s Hospital, where the diagnosis was finally made. “She

saved his life,” notes Azar gratefully.

To keep their kid alive, the parents had to administer the drug Cys-

tagon every six hours through a tube inserted in his abdomen, plus a

slew of other meds to help with nausea and prevent organ damage.

When Ava was born with the same condition a few years later, the

treatment was started when she was just eight weeks old.

“I don’t know how I did it all,” admits Azar. “That was our life. You

are a mom, you love them. You do what you have to do.” Though she

has struggled emotionally, she now believes that God gave her “these

children because I can do this. God doesn’t give us more than what we

can handle.”

Kim Azar (pictured in back, second from left) along with children Ava and John Ben on a visit at TexasBiomedical Research Institute where Kim's family has helped generate funding for research for cystinosis.They look on as Dr. Michael Proffitt, staff scientist shows an image from a project he and Dr. Katy Freedstaff scientist, (pictured second from right) are working for the cystinosis disease the children have.

W UP FRONT

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While the family was coping with the situation, Azar’s father,

Richard Azar, received a routine call one day from the Texas Biomedical

Research Institute thanking him for his financial contribution. His wife,

Dianne, had been a member of the institute’s support organization for

years, and the couple had made regular donations. He engaged the

caller in conversation, explained the health problems of his grandkids

and asked if the genetics department at the research institution could

help. Before long an unexpected partnership was born between the

Texas Biomed scientists and the Azar family. A gift of $2.5 million from

the elder Azars and their friends enabled geneticist John Blangero and

his team to undertake a study of other genes that may influence the

pathobiological pathway of the disease. The hope was to discover new

ways to halt the progress of cystinosis. Though Azar admits that she

doesn’t quite understand what the scientists have been doing, she ad-

miringly reports that the success of the project has since generated

$40 million in grants for studies all over the world. The Azar grandkids

may not benefit from the research in the near future, but the long-term

promise is far-reaching.

Today, both John Ben and Ava look healthy, yet the multiple-drug

regimens continue. Azar puts a handful of pills on the table to show

me what her children must take twice a day. Divorced and working as

a Realtor, the brave mom strives to make life as normal as possible

while teaching her kids to be independent. ”We run the cystinosis. This

disease does not run us,” she says firmly.

Profoundly GratefulStephanie Edlund was 4 years old in 2006 when she started com-

plaining of leg pain. One day her mother, Terri Edlund, got a call from

the Mother’s Day Out program that Stephanie was attending at the

time. You have to pick her up, they said, something is wrong with

Stephanie — she fell down out of the blue, without tripping or being

pushed by anyone. Worried, the Edlunds took their little girl to

Methodist Hospital for tests, including blood work and X-rays. That

was at 3 p.m. on March 10. At 4:30, the hospital called, instructing

Stephanie Edlund was 4 years oldwhen she was diagnosed with acutelymphoblastic leukemia. Now ateenager, she is pictured with her par-ents, Terri and Steve Edlund, andbrother, David. The Edlunds activelysupport the Leukemia and LymphomaSociety, the Children’s Hospital Oncol-ogy Unit and Greehey Children’s CancerCenter Research Institute and have es-tablished an endowment in theirdaughter’s name for research in pedi-atric cancers.

21may/june 2016 |

the family to take their daughter immediately to the Christus Santa

Rosa Children’s Hospital ER, where she immediately received a blood

transfusion.

This was the beginning of their painful two and a half-year ordeal

that saw Stephanie diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and

treated with repeated cycles of chemotherapy. Terri stayed with her

daughter through all the hospitalizations that followed. Eventually, the

little girl was put on maintenance therapy, which Terri describes as “a

walk in the park compared to the first 10 months of harsh chemo.” Her

daughter’s hair grew back, and she was well enough to go to school.

Still, the parents worried about infections that could lead to life-threat-

ening sepsis, given that the girl’s immune system had been weakened

by chemotherapy.

“It was very difficult,” says Terri now, her daughter sitting next to

her on the couch in the family’s home. “We had a busy life, the calen-

dar was packed, and then when this happened, you throw the calen-

dar out of the window, and everything stops. It’s a humbling

experience being in that hospital and watching all these kids with

leukemia and having no control over anything. You are at the mercy

of the medical personnel.”

That unsettling experience has instilled in both Terri and her hus-

band, Steve, a profound appreciation of the medical profession and the

desire to help all who work to improve the lives of patients. They ac-

tively support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Children’s Hos-

pital Oncology Unit and the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research

Institute (GCCRI) at UTHSC. It was the doctors from the medical school

who saved the life of their daughter at Christus Santa Rosa, now the

Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. (The hospital has a different care

arrangement at present.) Since 2008, the spouses have co-chaired

GCCRI’s Ambassadors’ Circle that raises funds for the institution, and

in 2014 they established an endowment named for their daughter to

support the appointment of a faculty member pursuing a career in pe-

diatric cancers. In addition, Steve is a member of the UTHSC Presi-

dent’s Development Board, and Terri joined the Family Advisory Board

at the Children’s Hospital.

“We feel obligated to them (the UTHSC doctors) and to the Chil-

dren’s Hospital,” notes Terri. “When they ask us to do something, we

always say ‘yes.’ We benefited from the knowledge and the established

protocols of treatment. Our child survived! We are so profoundly grate-

ful.” She leans forward for emphasis while saying this, her face lit up

with emotion.

For Stephanie, the years of her illness are a blurred memory of

spending time in the hospital. Despite dealing with some post-treat-

ment side effects — “There are still things I can’t do,” she admits —

she is today a pretty, active girl who plays soccer and basketball and

hopes to “do something in the medical field” when she grows up.

As for Terri, she is a changed person. “Your perspective on life

changes completely. Things that used to look big and important no

longer matter. You learn what’s really important. Going to sleep at the

end of the day knowing we are all here and all OK is awesome.”

What advice would she give a parent going through the agony that

she and Steve endured?

“The main advice: Handle things one day at the time. Be there for

your child today, then deal with tomorrow, tomorrow.”

A Theme Park for the Disabled and Everyone Else Located in Northeast San Antonio, Morgan’s Wonderland is a beau-

tiful theme park that invites children of all ages and abilities to enjoy

recreational activities, including rides, fishing, picnics and puppet

shows, and in the near future, a splash water park. But there’s some-

thing unique about it. All equipment is designed with wheelchair ac-

cessibility in mind, and the entire complex is user-friendly for kids —

and adults — with special needs. The first of its kind in the U.S., the

park is the result of Gordon and Maggie Hartman’s desire to help the

special needs community and facilitate interaction between that pop-

ulation and the general public.

The Hartmans’ only child, daughter Morgan, was born with both

physical and cognitive special needs. Mom Maggie says they first began

to worry when the little girl had not yet begun to speak by the age of

2. Tests, doctors’ visits and various therapies followed, and some of

them helped, but Morgan never received an actual diagnosis. After the

age of 10, the parents gave up seeking a definitive answer and ac-

cepted the general description of their child’s condition as a multi-sys-

tem disorder.

“It’s not a big deal,” says Gordon today, as we sit in a meeting room

on the park’s premises. “Morgan is Morgan. We know what her issues

are. A label is immaterial, in fact, may be a disadvantage.”

Nevertheless, Maggie confesses to having had a hard time dealing

with the situation while contemplating the challenges her daughter

would have to face. “It hit me the hardest when Morgan was 12,” she

says. “I had to grieve the loss of ‘my normal child’ before I could accept

Morgan as she was. I cried for two weeks. This turned things around for

me. I looked at Morgan and saw the amazing person that she really was.”

A successful homebuilder, Gordon Hartman sold his companies in

2005 to found the Gordon Hartman Family Foundation, whose mission

is to support agencies that provide services to the disabled and their

caregivers. Most families do not have the resources that he and Maggie

have, he points out, and that’s where the foundation comes in. But what

spurred the idea of an outdoor recreational facility was a specific inci-

Gordon and Maggie Hartman’s daughter, Morgan was the inspiration for Morgan’s Wonderland, a themepark accessible to children and adults with special needs. The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation sup-ports agencies providing services to the disabled and their caregivers.

| sawoman.com22

dent during a family vacation. The Hartmans were enjoying the hotel’s

pool when Morgan tried to join three other kids playing ball in the

water. She edged her way to where she could hit the ball, but the other

children just grabbed their ball and left. “It seemed to us that there

ought to be places for inclusive play where what we had experienced

would not happen,” says Gordon.

The Hartmans soon learned that few recreational places offered

any special-needs equipment, let alone areas for inclusive play. That’s

when their novel idea was born: a playground not only to serve the dis-

abled but to integrate the special needs kids with other youngsters

within the community. “We wanted to take down those barriers,” notes

Gordon. Being a man of action, he proceeded to create a separate non-

profit to raise funds for the project, donating $1 million himself. “There

was such a desire for something like this to happen,” he recalls. “Peo-

ple come from all over the world to enjoy the park, and entrance is al-

ways free for all disabled individuals.”

Today, at 22, Morgan lives semi-independently in a group home and

attends the Academy at Morgan’s Wonderland, which opened in 2011

for special needs students like herself. In the years since its opening,

the park has become the centerpiece of Wonderland, Texas, which, in

addition to the school, includes the Children’s Rehabilitation Institute

of TeletonUSA and STRAPS, a program for physically disabled athletes

of all ages.

Before leaving Wonderland, I linger around a little longer to watch

the Hartman family shoot a promotional video. Morgan is the star,

shown fishing with her dad, while Mom delivers a friendly promotional

pitch. There’s lot of happy laughter and easy affection between father

and daughter as they catch and release the fish. And I am reminded of

something Gordon said earlier during our conversation. “She is a bless-

ing to us. Morgan puts her arm around me all the time. How many 22-

year-olds would put their arms around their dad? Morgan still sees us

as cool.”

W UP FRONTShe is a blessing to us. Morgan putsher arm around me all the time. How many 22-year-olds would puttheir arms around their dad? Morgan still sees us as cool.

— Gordon Hartman

“

“

W PROFILE

We need to work as one, where all have the opportunity to prosper.

“ “

| sawoman.com26

27may/june 2016 |

n her second State-of-the-City ad-

dress on March 22, Mayor Ivy R.

Taylor started by firmly pronounc-

ing “that the state of our city is strong,”

Speaking before business and civic lead-

ers in the packed Stars at Night Ballroom at

the Convention Center, she then proceeded to

enumerate all the good things that have recently

happened in San Antonio and presented her goals for

the future.

“There’s still work to be done,” she said. With poise and clear deliv-

ery, Taylor then outlined her vision for San Antonio as “a globally

competitive city where each of us has the opportunity to prosper.”

To make this happen, she said, we must enhance our economic com-

petitiveness, build infrastructure that “supports industry and im-

proves quality of life,” and “work as one San Antonio where all have

the opportunity to prosper.”

Mayor Taylor addressed some of these issues in an interview we had

in her office at City Hall a week or so prior to her State-of-the-City

address. One issue that will influence both economic competitive-

ness and quality of life is, of course, the availability of water. Ap-

propriately, securing future water supplies for the city has been a

top priority for her, made more urgent by the projected growth in

population over the next 25 years. She worked hard to get City

Council to unanimously approve the Vista Ridge project that will

build a 142-mile pipeline to carry water

from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer in

Burleson County to San Antonio at the

cost of $3.4 billion. Things got a bit com-

plicated more recently when the Spanish-

based company, Abengoa, which was

supposed to build the pipeline, developed severe

financial problems, but the mayor did not appear

too worried. “I believe we’ll be able to develop an alter-

nate scenario with a different partner,” she noted. “I often say

that the biggest risk for our community is to not secure our water

future.” Sure enough, the new partner, Garney Corporation, has

since taken over from Abengoa, though the complex deals are not

expected to be finalized until June.

Among her other priorities are workforce development, transportation,

international business connections, measured growth, enhancement

of the urban environment and, again, ensuring that all residents have

a shot at prosperity. In her State-of-the-City speech, she listed a num-

ber of programs and initiatives that she has already set up to address

these goals, smartly enlisting businesses and a range of agencies to

collaborate with the city. And she’s excited about the 2017 bond pack-

age that will permit the realization of a lot more as outlined in the SA

Tomorrow plan.

Yet there is one problem that has proven a hard nut to crack, namely

the ongoing stalemate between the city and the police and firefighter

MayorIvy R. Taylor

— Making History

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA GIESEY

HERVISION

A PROSPEROUS SAN ANTONIO

| sawoman.com28

unions over new contracts. At issue are the overly generous benefits

union members enjoy that threaten to consume the lion’s share of

the municipal budget in the near future. “The rank and file (police

and firefighters) do a great job for the community, and we want them

to be well compensated, but I can’t allow that to break our commu-

nity,” explains Taylor. “I could argue that the average citizen will

probably never need police or fire services, but they want to have

parks, trash collection and other services, and they all cost money.

If we spend all the money on public safety, we have to drastically re-

duce services in all other areas.”

Does this seemingly intractable impasse keep her up at night?“No, this job is very demanding, and I am exhausted by the end of the

day. But it’s a big cloud over everything we try to do,” she admits.

Taylor won the hearts and minds of most San Antonians when, as a

newly appointed interim mayor, she successfully put a stop to the

ill-conceived VIA plan to build a streetcar system downtown. Like

most citizens, she’s not against rail transportation, but she under-

stood that the issue needed more consideration as to where these

tramways would be most useful. “It had become a distraction,” she

says now. “I felt we needed to take it off the table so we could con-

centrate on other things.”

In all her dealings, the mayor tries to stay away from taking party-

line positions, maintaining a stance of political neutrality. She

laughs at the Express-News report that Sen. Cornyn attempted to

recruit her for the Republican Party. “You shouldn’t believe every-

thing you read,” she quips. “The structure of our (municipal) gov-

I have always been interested in urban revitalization and connecting people with opportunities

“ “

W PROFILE

Mayor Ivy R. Taylor

ernment is nonpartisan. The City Council and the mayor

do not run on a ticket. We are supposed to focus on

local issues, not on political platforms.”

She didn’t plan to be a politician Taylor is the first African-American mayor in San

Antonio’s history and only the second woman to

hold that office. Yet she never set out to become a

politician.

Growing up in a strict Pentecostal home in New York

City’s Queens neighborhood, young Ivy attended public

schools, where she was quickly recognized as gifted and

given opportunities to develop her abilities. She later earned

a degree in American studies from Yale University. The college

years brought a sense of liberation, she says, from the church-cen-

tered life she had at home, but because she didn’t come from a priv-

ileged background like most of her classmates, she didn’t feel “100

percent comfortable” on campus. “I probably did not take as much

advantage of my time at Yale as I could have,” she observes in her

usual calm way. “I was focused on my studies.” But she did start wear-

ing pants and listening to secular music for the first time in her life.

Back in New York, the young woman “floundered for a while,” unsure

of what kind of career to pursue. After a couple of depressing jobs in

advertising, she realized she needed to find out what her passion was.

That eventually became clear when she discovered urban planning

and enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where

she earned a master’s in city and regional planning.

During our second interview in her home we spent some time talking

about her life before and beyond the mayoral office. She and her fam-

ily – husband Rodney and daughter Morgan – live on the East Side,

where the spouses met and where Rodney grew up. In 1997, Taylor

was in San Antonio to take part in an internship with the San Antonio

Affordable Housing Association when she met Rodney in church. He

and a friend invited her to lunch after the service, and he later called

her that same afternoon to see if she wanted to go to the movies. She

did, and they have now been married for 17 years.

Before she ever ran for office, Taylor spent years working on afford-

able housing and neighborhood development, both as a city employee

and at Merced Housing Texas, an agency with a similar focus. She

eventually ran for City Council and was first elected in 2009. “I had

always been interested in urban revitalization and connecting people

with opportunities,” she says, explaining why she ran. “So what was

the platform that would allow me to do even more? The answer was

politics.” Asked how she felt after she was elected mayor last year,

she says, “It felt like a relief. The election was tense. I do not relish

campaigning, and I first went through a period of uncertainty about

whether to run for mayor at all. Many people tried to persuade me to

do it, but I had to be comfortable with the decision.”

Her days are filled to the brim with meetings, speeches, visits to com-

panies, schools and community events and travel. In fact, following

our interview, she was planning to fly to Dallas to meet with mayors

of all the major Texas cities. This past year, she led local delegations

that visited Germany and Mexico City to facilitate the development of

business ties.”We signed an economic development agreement with

Mexico City, the first U.S. city to do that,” she says with just a tinge

of pride. And, of course, she is engaged with the plans for the cele-

bration of the city’s 300th anniversary. This month the mayor is going

to Spain to invite representatives of the Canary Islands and the king

and queen of Spain to honor us with their presence,

29may/june 2016 |

At right: Mayor Ivy R. Taylor with her husband, Rodney Taylor, and daughter, Morgan.

So if she had a magic wand and could make one wish for San Antonio come true, what would it be?

“I would increase educational attainment levels by asubstantial percentage,” she replies promptly. “Thatwould have a great impact on so many other issueslike jobs, family stability, crime reduction, the econ-omy and overall prosperity.”

| sawoman.com30

AT HOMEW

By KELI DAVIDSON

Photography byAL RENDON

Art-lover leaves New Yorkfor stress-free lifestyle

an Antonio’s art communities are helping fuel the city’s current decade of

downtown revitalization, a decade witnessing the emergence of The Pearl

and modern urban dwellings. These developments are attracting a wave of

young, single executives who are choosing to make their home here. Three years ago,

a 30-year-old San Antonio native did just that and relocated her cosmopolitan lifestyle

from New York to the Alamo City, this time at The Broadway San Antonio, a high-rise

condominium overlooking San Antonio Country Club’s golf course. “I enjoy the tranquil

way of life here, where I don’t wake up with anxiety five out of seven days a week,” she

says of her new home.

It is no surprise her home resembles an art gallery in some brilliant respects since

the homeowner is also involved in the Blue Star Art Center and the San Antonio Mu-

31may/june 2016 |

seum of Art. While growing up here, her love and

appreciation of art and collecting were inspired by

her Mexican-born mother. “For me, I chose art that

is familiar to me. It may remind me of a troublesome

point in my life, or it may simply make me laugh

through shared humor,” she says about her ap-

proach in appointing her stylish home.

In New York she had worked at her uncle’s high-end

mid-century furniture gallery, located across the

street from the world-famous Gagosian Gallery. It

was here that she became a serious art collector.

| sawoman.com32

AT HOMEW

Hanging above the sofa is a painting by Cuban artist Alexi Torres commissioned bythe homeowner. She says, “The piece is a self-portrait. It took months of sendingpersonal mementos to the artist before it was completed and reflects things, at thattime in my life, that had a deep personal meaning.”

On a wall nearby is a work by Rashaad Newsome of New York, a performance andcollage artist. Sol y Luna, a silver and gold sculpture by Mexican artist Pedro Friede-berg, decorates the end table. The rug is Moroccan. At left, the dining room is fur-nished with table and chairs by Jean Prouve, a French engineer, metalsmith andself-taught arthitect and designer.

AT HOMEW

| sawoman.com34

At top, a painting by Hope Gangloff, an American portrait artist, hangs above the

bed in the master bedroom. Adorning another wall is a drawing, V-Day, by San An-

tonio’s Vincent Valdez, one of the homeowners’ favorite portrait artists. On the

dresser is her collection of Spurs hats. Above, the powder room displays photographs

by Miles Aldridge the homeowner purchased at the Art Basel in Miami. “Each pho-

tograph reminds me of my life while living in New York City.” The painted frames

match the main color of each photograph. At right, a painting by California artist

James Wolanin hangs above the tub in the master bathroom.

W STYLE

Summer StylePoolside Cool

| sawoman.com36

With summer soon to be in full swing, many of us hope to log in an abundance of hours lounging poolside. And who doesn’t want

to look effortlessly chic while doing so? The key to playing it cool poolside is gathering the essentials. First up, is to choose the

right bathing suit to fit your personality and body type. Is it a chic one-piece or a fashion forward bikini? Choosing the right

bathing suit is often the most difficult task, so be sure to enlist a professional to assist in your search – many stores offer a

personal shopper who will give you their honest opinion, which is what we ladies want and need. Next up is the fun stuff! A

cover-up that can double as a dress when you head out for the evening, a straw hat, statement sunglasses, comfy sandals and a

tote with a little personality. Voila! Now all that is missing is a cozy lounge chair and fruity drink!

1. Tommy Bahama Palms Scarf — Tommy Bahama store at Shops at La Cantera 2. Ray Ban Eyewear — Sunglass Hut, Quarry Village

3. Eric Javits Floppy Sunhat — Julian Gold 4. Tommy Bahama Parrot Tote — Tommy Bahama store at Shops at La Cantera

5. Echo Paradise Poncho — Julian Gold 6. Supergoop Endless Summer Pump — Julian Gold 7. Free People Wrap Sandal — Nordstrom

1

2

3

4

5

6

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By CAMILLA BASSE, Style Editor

WFAB FINDS

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37may/june 2016 |

MUSTARD SEED JEWELRYA jewelry romance began based onthe simple and powerful story of themustard seed. This collection was created to inspire, ignite and encourage. Regardless of the size,faith is powerful, mountains willmove, and nothing will be impossible.Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to purchase our limitededition pieces. We post new lovely pieces daily.

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| sawoman.com38

FASHION CALENDARMay 5-7Julian GoldAlgo Trunk Show

May 5Neiman MarcusSisley Facial EventCle de Peau Synactif Facial EventGuerlain Facial EventJo Malone Pampering Event

May 6Neiman MarcusSisley Facial EventJo Malone Pampering EventLa Prairie Facial Event

May 7Camilla CrownMother’s Day Shopping Party

May 7Neiman MarcusKonstantino Trunk ShowKevyn Aucoin Summer Color EventChanel Color EventLe Metier de Beaute Lip Line Event

May 10Saks Fifth AvenueAkris Punto Trunk Show

May 10-11Julian GoldCarolina Herrera Trunk Show

May 11Neiman MarcusAkris Punto Clinic

May 11-12Saks Fifth AvenueJared Lehr Trunk Show

May 12-14Julian GoldLafayette 148 New York Trunk Show

May 13Neiman MarcusCucinelli Men’s Trunk Show

May 14La Cantera Hill Country ResortRawaj Fashion Extravaganza 2016

May 15 Camilla CrownSams Cover Charity Fashion Show

May 16Neiman MarcusDior Lash Event

May 18Neiman MarcusLa Mer Facial Event

May 18-19Julian GoldNaeem Khan Trunk Show

May 19Neiman MarcusDavid Webb Trunk Show

May 19-20Julian GoldClaudia Lobao Trunk Show and Designer Appearance

May 19-20Morris Kaye and SonsRestyle Clinic

May 21Neiman MarcusReVive Facial Event

May 24-25Julian GoldBasler Trunk Show

May 24-29Andie and BarbaraSharon Young and AlaCarte Show

May 25Neiman MarcusCle de Peau Facial Event

May 25-26Saks Fifth AvenuePiranesi Trunk Show

May 26Neiman MarcusSisley Facial Event

May 27Neiman MarcusArmani Color Event with Armani Regional Artist Jeff RooseChanel Summer Color Event

May 28Neiman MarcusChanel Summer Color Event

May 31Neiman MarcusGuerlain National Makeup Artist Event with Marcus Monson

June 2Saks Fifth AvenueJohn Hardy Trunk Show

June 2-3Julian GoldLian Carlo Trunk Show

June 4Neiman MarcusValentino Focus Day in Shoe Salon and Designer Handbags

June 9Neiman MarcusKate Somerville Master Class

June 11Camilla CrownSummer Kick-Off Shopping Party

June 13Morris Kaye and SonsUnclaimed Fur Sale

June 14-15Saks Fifth AvenueAkris Trunk Show

June 14-15 Julian GoldTalbot Runhof Trunk Show

June 15Neiman MarcusRalph Lauren Trunk Show

W

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41may/june 2016 |

May 10Sara’s Heart Annual Fundraiser Paloma Blanca

210-885-1162

May 11Splendor In the Garden GalaSan Antonio Botanical Garden

210-536-1405

May 12 Good Samaritan Award

Benefiting Good Samaritan Community ServicesSan Antonio Country Club

210-424-2066

May 1221st Annual Taste of the Dominion Benefiting San Antonio Food Bank

The Dominion Country Club210-431-8309

May 14Tour de Cure Benefiting American

Diabetes Association Texas A&M San Antonio Campus

210-829-1765 x 6124

May 17United Way 27th Annual

Volunteer of the Year Awards Santikos IMAX Palladium Theatre

210-352-7099

May 18Viva Red Dot Celebrating 25 YearsHonored Artist: Chuck RamirezHonored Patron: Rick Liberto

Blue Star Museum210-227-6960

May 24Motherhood: The Lifetime Achievement Award

Luncheon Honoring Judy CavenderBenefiting San Antonio Can High School

San Antonio Country Club210-607-9720

May 2715th Annual Honoring Mothers Luncheon

Benefiting San Antonio Women & Children’s ShelterSan Antonio Marriott River Center

210-733-8810

June 3Christus Santa Rosa Foundation 5th Annual Golf Tournament Hyatt Hill Country Golf Club

210-704-8808

June 38th Annual Spring Party: Coney Island at the McNay

McNay Art Museum 210-805-1761

June 4Gallery Affair at Brackenridge Benefiting JDRF-

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Alamo City Golf Trail - Borglum Studio &

Brackenridge Golf Course210-323-8727

June 18 Mexican American Unity Council Spirit of Education

Awards LuncheonOmni Colonnade210-978-0510

June 18Association for Women in Communication

Annual Headliner Awards GalaClub at Sonterra210-573-3922

SOCIETY CALENDARW

SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY

| sawoman.com42

BEAUTYW

Do you look down at your hands and wonder, “Whose hands are these”? You aren’t alone.

We want to look as young as we feel, and we are willing to try any and every procedure to regain that youthful

appearance — especially when it comes to our skin. We often keep our faces looking young with serums, peels,

and invasive to extreme procedures, but we tend to neglect one of the most telling signs of our age — our hands.

Before you know what TLC to start right away, our expert, Dr. John C. Browning, MBA, FAAD, FAAP,

of Texas Dermatology and Laser Specialists, shares his tips on ways to turn your “older” hands

younger with fairly minimal action.

Research shows that most people can accurately guess how old a woman is just by looking at her hands.

There are two main signs of aging: a lack of elasticity and skin spots. Skin spots are caused by sun damage or

too much sun exposure. As we age, we produce less collagen that is the key to keeping our skin young and plump.

Keeping our hands looking youthful is possible. It just takes commitment. During the summer, it is your hands

that bear the brunt of all summer activities and receiving constant exposure to sun rays. “It’s very important to

protect your hands from the sun,” says Dr. Browning, “Always wear gloves when working in the garden.”

Tips for Keeping Them Youthful Looking By KRISTIN MEARS

43may/june 2016 |

SunscreenIf you don’t already put sun-

screen on, start today. Apply

every day, several times, and

especially if you are in the car.

The sun’s UV rays can be just as

damaging during the winter

months as they are during hot-

ter weather, so it’s important to

minimize your skin’s sun expo-

sure. SPF 15 should be the

minimum amount of sun pro-

tection you apply daily.

Drink More WaterDrinking water helps keep hydration levels up. Without ad-

equate water intake, your skin can appear dull, and wrin-

kles will become more prominent. Water also plumps up

the skin and acts like collagen, which can cause wrinkles

to get filled in.

MassageMassaging your hands allows smooth circulation of blood

and muscle soothing. This makes your hands get all the nu-

trients that they need. Massaging the fingers will also alle-

viate any discomfort. Include coconut oil, honey, olive oil,

lemon juice or even cucumber, then massage gently for 10

minutes to protect and nourish your hands.

MoisturizeIf you don’t already moisturize your skin, it may be the per-

fect time to start this routine. “When considering soaps and

moisturizers, choose a gentle soap with a moisturizer in

it,” says Dr. Browning. “It’s important to avoid sanitizers,

and use a hand cream regularly, especially during colder

months.” Buying retinoid creams and antioxidant lotions

can help reduce brown spots and minor skin damage. Both

products can be purchased over the counter. The antioxi-

dants can aid in preserving the skin from further damage,

and products with fading

ingredients may help

lighten spots. “Consider

laser resurfacing or filler

to help with aging

hands,” advises Dr.

Browning. “Our Gentle-

Max laser can remove

sun spots.”

Kerstin Florian Sun ProtectionNordstrom, $44

Handy GuruguLUSH, $19.95

| sawoman.com44

HEALTHW

et while the disease remains a cause of death that cannot be pre-vented or cured, many professionals believe there are lifestylechoices people can make that will help. This is one of the reasons

for the growing popularity of the Brain Diet, in addition to efforts totreat learning disabilities and focus issues.

Helen Horton, a San Antonio nutrition and wellness coach since2008, completed her studies in the field of plant-based nutrition atT. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell University.Though her accent reflects her origins in Oxford, England, Hortonlives in Texas and is dedicated to holistic nutrition and fitness. “Ibecame a nutritionist simply because I wanted a way to give back,”she explains.

She goes on to say, “As a military spouse, I had dedicated my life tomy husband’s career, which meant that I often neglected to take careof myself. In 2005, after our son was born, I gained 70 pounds andnever lost the weight. One day, I woke up and decided enough wasenough, so I hired a personal trainer and nutritionist who helped meto shed 50 pounds over the course of the next 12 months.” Hortonbegan to notice that many other military wives were in a similar po-sition, so she dedicated herself to giving back to the military commu-nity by empowering women to take control over their lives and gainback their self-esteem.

“Body confidence is an important aspect of self-confidence and is anarea in which diet plays an important role,” she says. “Over the yearsI’ve coached many military families to eat for ultimate health andwellness, and in 2011 I was presented the Commanders Award forCivilian Service (comparable to the Army Commendation Medal) forhelping military families in the area of wellness and nutrition.”

EATING OUR WAY TO HEALTHYBRAIN FUNCTIONBY PAMELA LUTRELL

• Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.

• One in three seniors die of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.

• Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women. (2015 Alzheimer’s Association statistics)

Y

MOST RECENT STATISTICS FROM THE ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION REMAIN SOBERING:

45may/june 2016 |

| sawoman.com46

HEALTHW

Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose,

which is vital in order to supply the brain with

fuel. Studies show that drops in glucose avail-

ability can negatively impact cognitive function,

including attention, memory and learning. Too

little and an irregular intake of carbohydrate-

rich foods can leave people feeling tired and

lacking concentration. Consuming plenty of

unrefined carbohydrate foods — fruits, vegeta-

bles and whole grains — can help sustain brain

energy levels and focus longer.

Omega-3 fatty acids Omega-3 fatty acids have a direct effect on the

neurotransmitter pathways in the brain. Over

the last decade there have been studies that

suggest omega-3 fatty acids can help to prevent

low moods and depression and are important

for brain memory and performance. Horton

recommends at least one portion of oily fish a

week (no more than two while pregnant or

breastfeeding) such as sardines, salmon, mack-

erel and trout.

Foods rich in vitamin D Vitamin D is thought to increase levels of sero-

tonin in the brain. According to studies, sero-

tonin is a chemical messenger that is thought

to regulate mood, social behavior, libido,

sleep, memory and learning. Foods which

contain vitamin D include eggs, oily fish, yo-

gurt and fortified cereals.

Foods rich in vitamin B According to a study carried out by the Mayo

Clinic, vitamin B-12 and other B vitamins play

an important role in mood and other brain func-

tions. In addition, low levels of B-12 and other

B vitamins such as vitamin B-6 and folate may

be linked to depression. Foods such as spinach,

broccoli, meat, dairy products and eggs are all

excellent sources of B vitamins.

Foods rich in seleniumStudies have shown a link between low selenium

levels and poor mood, so include foods like lean

meat, whole grains, Brazil nuts, oats,

beans/legumes, seafood, nuts and seeds in a

brain-healthy diet.

Sugar Although sugar may work in the short term to

increase alertness, the spikes and falls in

blood sugar levels will disrupt mood and cause

lethargy in the long run. Replace sugary

snacks such as donuts or candy with a piece

of fruit, nuts or seeds.

Caffeine Overconsumption of beverages such as cof-

fee and caffeinated soft drinks such as colas

can cause mild dehydration and may lead to

withdrawal headaches. Too much caffeine

can disrupt energy levels, cause mood swings

and affect sleep patterns, especially if con-

sumed later in the day. Reduce the amount of

caffeine by replacing caffeinated drinks with

caffeine-free herbal teas and plain water.

AlcoholA couple of alcoholic beverages can trigger

energy and jubilation. However, behavioral

researchers have found that drinking too

much alcohol can alter neuropsychological

functioning, corresponding to a decrease in

vigor and an increase in fatigue, relaxation,

confusion and depression. Avoid drinking

over the recommended guidelines and have

at least two alcohol-free days a week.

Horton is anadvocate ofhealthy eatingas a way toproperly feedbrain function.Key points to remember:

There are other decisions that may hurt brain function,according to Horton. They are intakes of:

ResourcesOne recommended resource, by Alan Logan, is The Brain Diet: The

Connection between Nutrition, Mental Health, and Intelligence.

It includes a nutritional plan. Helen Horton can be found working

with Maurice Walton of Personalized Fitness Solutions.

“Our plan is to offer holistic nutrition and fitness coachingthat is personal for every client’s needs and lifestyle.”

| sawoman.com48

W ACCORDING TO LINDAWhat’s Relevant in San Antonio by LINDA ELLIOTT

Maria Magdalena Williams, Majestic Events by Maria, LLC —

Local event planner who translates an event vision into an

unforgettable experience.

After Maria Williams was laid off from her full-time job, she decided

to go back to school and began exploring different career possibilities.

She enrolled at a local community college and soon discovered her pas-

sion for event planning.

Maria ambitiously opened Majestic Events by Maria, LLC in 2010.

She began seeking help to grow her business and discovered LiftFund

on the Small Business Administration website. A loan officer referred

her to the LiftFund Women’s Business Center, where a business adviser

provided Maria the guidance she needed to create a financial business

strategy for expansion.

Majestic Events received its second LiftFund business loan for

$5,000 in July 2015 to open a “show room.” Maria has since success-

fully opened her new space and can now meet with clients in a profes-

sional setting to showcase her event services.

Majestic Events by Maria, LLC has become quite popular across

San Antonio over the last five years.

Janie Romo, Ms. Chocolatier

Local San Antonio chef creating gourmet chocolates to satisfy

your sweet tooth.

Chef Janie Romo began her chocolate-making career after retiring

from the City of San Antonio. She saved money to pay for her educa-

tion at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and start

her business.

As a single mother, she sacrificed and worked hard to make her pas-

sion a reality and eventually a successful gourmet chocolate business.

After finding LiftFund online, Janie received a loan for working capital

for her new business.

Today, you can find Janie working with her son at the local farmers

market at the Pearl. Janie was recently offered the opportunity to show-

case her delicious chocolates inside every room in the brand-new lux-

urious Hotel Emma located at the Pearl. She is currently working with

the Westside Development Corporation to locate potential retail loca-

tions in San Antonio’s vibrant West Side.

All products are made in-house by hand in small batches.

LiftFund relies on investments and donations to make these

loans. There are 30-plus women who have chosen to invest. For their

investment they receive a 2 percent return. They feel strongly about

helping women like Maria and Janie. I’ve selected three of the investors

on the list to share their reasons for wanting to be a part of LiftFund.

Adriana Biggs: Donor, investor and employee. Her parents had a

small business. Their little business paid for college and law school

for Adriana. She believes in the transformative power of education and

business ownership. Adriana has enjoyed a successful career as an at-

torney, but chose to follow her heart by joining LiftFund as its chief

strategy officer.

Aissatou Sidime-Blanton: It is important to support individuals

who want to empower families, especially micro-borrowers. During

her journalistic career, Aissatou talked to lots of small business owners

and learned it is not enough to have a great idea. You must also have

capital. She decided to put her money — and time as a former Accion

Texas Advisory Council member — into an entity that excels in what

she values. The training and support that LiftFund provides to fledgling

businesses rivals other micro-lenders.

Dr. Linda Foster: Linda recently retired as principal of Alamo

Heights High School. She had known Janie Barrera, head of Accion and

now Liftfund, for many years, but not until December 2015 did she re-

ally learn about LiftFund and its impact. Immediately, Linda was sold

and jumped on board as a donor and investor. As a high school princi-

pal she constantly mentored people. LiftFund presents a different way

to mentor people and help them achieve their dreams.

ost of you have likely heard about LiftFund, formerly known as Accion-Texas. I often wonder where my company

would be today had I known about this organization and utilized the resources it offers. Who knows — perhaps I’d

be rich and famous now!

I went about building my business the hard way — brick by brick, over a long and arduous period of time. Let’s focus on

women starting or building their businesses the smart way. It’s all about finding the right investor who believes in you and

your dream, who is willing to step up to the plate and risk investing money in you.

If you have no track record and no credit, you can forget about banks taking that risk. That’s what LiftFund does. It helps

entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. LiftFund coaches and empowers dreamers to go for it and will provide the resources

needed to turn dreams into reality. I’ll share two stories about women who will be forever grateful to LiftFund for believing

in them.

M

A Smart Way to Start a Business

49may/june 2016 |

Every year girls work tirelessly to earn the highest award in GirlScouting, the Girl Scout Gold Award. Their work helps lead them tocollege scholarships and higher military rankings and connects themto people throughout their community. But the impact of their hardwork doesn’t stop there. Girl Scouts say that the lessons they learnedin pursuing their Gold Award help them in their lives far beyond any-thing they could have imagined as teenagers.

Maria Ferris Greene Wallace, 28, is a doctoral candidate atLouisiana State University, but in 2004 she was a Girl Scout Am-bassador working on her Gold Award. As a PhD candidatestudying curriculum instruction with a minor in gender studiesshe credits her Girl Scout Gold Award for helping propel her toa career in education. Maria worked with different communityorganizations to collect money to provide school uniforms forstudents in SAISD. She also created a family resource bookletfor parents at the schools.

“It meant a lot to me to be engaged in the community Igrew up in and work with students in those schools,” Mariasaid. “The Gold Award set me up for the path I’m on and hada great impact on the work I’m doing today.”

Maria said that her project helped her hone many skills, everything from large scale projectmanagement to checking details on paperwork but also helped her to set big goals in life.

“The Gold Award definitely helps with the logistical side of helping girls make their dream hap-pen but also sets them up for future possibilities that they may not know about yet,” she said. “Idon’t think I realized it when I was working on my project. I saw it as a lot of work and struggle butI knew my work was having an impact on the community but also on my sense of self and my pur-pose. It helps position girls to be their own visionaries and to make their dreams come true.”

While the Gold Award has changed in name over the course of 100 years Maria notes that theimpact has always been the same. “Girls were changing the world even 100 years ago and girlstoday are still changing the world.”

Rachel Diggs, 33, said that her Girl Scout Gold Award proj-ect had an impact on her the minute she began work.

“Imagine being a senior in high school and having to sellyour idea to an adult who is in charge of an entire organiza-tion,” Rachel said. “From the moment I started my project Iwas learning how to be confident in my own abilities and howto speak as a leader. Those are things that have carried methroughout my career, those are life-long skills.”

Rachel’s project explored cultural diversity and awarenessthrough a program teaching children at the East Side Boys andGirls Club about Kwanza. Rachel worked with students to helpcreate goals centered around each day’s focus, such as self-determination.

“This allowed people to be comfortable learning about different cultures and different facetsof people’s lives,” she said. “And not just learning on a higher level but drawing comparisons totheir own life. It’s as relevant today as it was then.”

After completing her Gold Award Rachel went on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Ap-plied Sociology from Texas State University and a master’s degree from Our Lady of the LakeUniversity in Leadership Studies. She works as an analyst for USAA.

| sawoman.com50

What do you do? Oversee all aspects of the business.

Length of time at this job: Ten years owning and operating HarbourHospice, 15 years working as a hospice nurse.

What is it that you like best about your job? I have always wantedto be a nurse. I love the professional and caring attitudes of the peopleI work with. I am blessed with a wonderful staff.

Education/Major: Nurse-RN (graduated in 1974 from San Antonio Col-lege). Prior to hospice, I was an ICU/ER nurse.

What career path led you to where you are today? I have been innursing for over 40 years and began hospice work 15 years ago. It wasa natural evolution for me to open a hospice service and offer compas-sionate care and commitment from highly trained professionals.

Who were your mentors? My mentors were family members in themedical profession and family business owners.

What did you want to be when you were growing up? A nurse.

What person do you most admire? My husband, Col. (ret.) John J.Garcia, M.D. He is a wonderful physician and has served his countryand been awarded many service medals.

What do you enjoy doing on a day off? Gardening at home, cooking.

What is your favorite thing to do in San Antonio? Fiesta events andriver parades.

How would you describe your personal style? Compassionate, easy-going, with a sense of humor.

How would you describe your leadership style? Hands on – men-torship with staff – lead by example.

Favorite vacation: The Grand Hotel at Mackinac Island, Michigan.

What do you do in your spare time? Travel, spend time with family,swim, ride my tricycle with my dog Rascal.

What are your favorite books? Romance novels with history andmystery.

Favorite movie in the last year? The Woman in Gold.

Best all-time favorite movie? Remake of Sabrina with Harrison Ford.

What type of music do you like? Classic, rock, romance, jazz.

Favorite restaurant? Bohanan’s.

Best advice you ever received? The best advice I ever received wasfrom my father, who said, “if you want something, go after it – never,ever give up.”

Groups or associations: San Antonio Alzheimer Association, NationalInstitute Jewish Hospice.

How do you find balance? Keep a good sense of humor and rememberto laugh often.

What are your goals? Continue to offer quality, professional and com-passionate care to those we serve.

W BUSINESS WOMAN SPOTLIGHT Photography by JANET ROGERS

Anna Gorchow, RNCEO/Administrator

Harbour Hospice of Bexar County, LLC

51may/june 2016 |

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orking as a hospice chaplain for nearly 25 years, Edwin Sasek frequently met people nearing the end of life who faced dyingwithout an adequate home or available caregivers. He wanted to do something to help. And so, along with his wife Patsy,Sasek founded ABODE Contemplative Care for the Dying.

A student in the Elizabeth Kubler-Ross Hospice Institute in the early 1990s, he studied care for dying people in the middle ages pro-vided by monks and sisters in monasteries and convents in Europe. They provided the best beds, linens, food, and compassion out ofhearts to serve God. Sasek wanted to create an interfaith community to care for dying people. So, a vision was born.

In 2010, after discovering a model, he gathered a group to co-create a 501(c) 3 nonprofit, raise funds, design, and ultimately build a3 bedroom home in San Antonio near Northeast Baptist Hospital.

Carolyn, one of the first guests at the ABODE Home, which opened in December 2014, loved her time being wheeled on the pathways,or sitting in the warm sun with her husband and volunteers on the patio outside the French doors leading to her room. She found peacebeneath the massive live oaks and listening to the birds.

Patients who receive medical care from a hospice agency and don’t have adequate housing or caregiving, live at the ABODE Homewith staff and well-trained volunteers, they trust will provide compassionate attention,meals, and personal care around the clock at no cost to the guest.

One guest, Dan, a veteran who was a patient in Brooke Army Medical Center, did notrespond to treatment for cancer. He came from another part of the country, and couldn’treturn home. He lived at ABODE the last several weeks of his life. His daughters, Army of-ficers, visited frequently, where they saw his room was filled with mementos, photographsand records, including his own paintings.

Jose, a homeless man, came to ABODE from the hospital, living the last week of hislife with staff and volunteers sharing a compassionate love. ABODE extends care to thosewith family or no family.

It is important to know that the Medicare Hospice benefit doesn’t pay for room andboard in a nursing home or personal care home. ABODE, funded entirely through indi-viduals, businesses and grants, receives no government funding.

The ABODE Home is the only home of its kind in Central Texas. Homes similar toABODE are planned in other parts of Texas and throughout the country. There is growingrecognition of how important it is for the community to find a way to care for its dyingfriends and neighbors when resources are few.

During her time as President of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Jennifer Scrog-gins met Patsy and was touched deeply by the ABODE story. She has always possessed aheart for community service, and joining ABODE’s Board of Directors as the Treasurer in January 2016 is a natural fit. Scroggins is hon-ored to come alongside ABODE’S mission to serve the community, and ABODE is so proud to welcome her aboard.

8619 Post Oak LaneSan Antonio, Texas 78217

(210) 967-9891www.abodehome.org

You’re invited to come to tour the ABODE Home, so full of love and life…at end of life!

W

There is no placelike our home.

“I have gone my whole life to come to such a beautiful place."

Dan, a Vietnam and Korean veteran, with hisdaughters who both serve in the military.

53may/june 2016 |

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WOMEN IN BUSINESSW

The four extraordinary women featured in this article are forward-looking entre-preneurs who embrace risk and welcome new challenges. They have faced failuresand rejections and have used those experiences to create new opportunities. Theyrange from a high-tech startup mogul looking to change the residential landscapein San Antonio to a young retail entrepreneur redefining our concept of beauty, onewoman at a time. All of these women are change agents and powerful leaders. Allare determined to carve out a path for themselves and for the greater San Antoniocommunity. They dare to be different, to be pioneers and to traverse new ground.And they are more than willing to take all of us along with them.

WomenBY JENNIFER BARTLETT

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELIZABETH WARBURTON

55may/june 2016 |

Pegy BrimhallRising BarnUnlocking Land

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens

can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

— Margaret Mead

Frank Lloyd Wright, whose mid-century prairie style homes were

among the first to advocate for streamlined, uncluttered living, once

said, “The architect must be a prophet... a prophet in the true sense of

the term... if he can’t see at least 10 years ahead, don’t call him an ar-

chitect.” Pegy Brimhall of Rising Barn, a San Antonio-based startup

dedicated to creating DIY, prefabricated homes that are both functional

and beautiful, is just such a prophet. Her vision for living space ex-

tends beyond the physical structures themselves. She and her partners

aim to redefine how we construct space, live in it and connect space

within our communities. Their big idea is to re-imagine custom home

building as something that combines prefabricated homes and DIY cus-

tom home building with small space living and thus change the resi-

dential landscape in San Antonio.

Brimhall has an architecture degree from the University of Texas

and an MBA in finance from Cornell. After graduating from UT, she

and a friend moved to New York City with $3,000 from her father and

a list of UT alumni she thought might help her get a job. She found

a sofa she could stay on for free, courtesy of an engineering alumnus

who lived on the Lower East Side. Brimhall says, “We had S3,000

and five bags of dumplings from Chinatown to live on.” She spent

six weeks knocking on every door of every lead and came away with

a job. Soon she knew she would not be content to stay in her worka-

day job in New York and applied to Cornell, eager to get her MBA in

finance and to move on to bigger and better things. She recalls, “I

was thinking, I’ll work for a real estate developer who has global

projects.” The market was at a low point at the time, and so when

she graduated, she got what she called “courtesy job offers” from

Cornell alumni who offered her half pay to just sit and wait until the

market came back. Brimhall, who had never been one to sit around,

started thinking about what was next.

She knew early on that she was bound to do something bigger and

bolder. “Wanting to win is definitely in my DNA,” says Brimhall. Want-

ing to win, as she put it, led her to the startup culture taking root

across the country in the mid-2000s. Her first foray into startups was

in the fashion industry. She had learned that operations costs in fash-

ion were so high that lots of regional markets had trouble maintaining

office space. She proposed a digital trade platform that allowed mer-

chandisers to trade from their home offices and gain a fee off of trans-

actions. This freed designers and buyers from having to deal with rent,

gasoline and the costs of infrastructure.

Though she got seed money to pursue the idea, the deal fell

through. Brimhall was devastated. She recalls, “I thought everything

was going to be so fantastic, that the universe was aligning, and then

it all came crashing down. I was heartbroken.”

Brimhall moved to San Antonio to lick her wounds in the company

of family and friends. Her parents had retired here, and she had a sister

with whom she was very close. San Antonio seemed like a good place

to heal, but also a good place to start anew. “San Antonio was sup-

posed to be a temporary thing, a three-month thing. But even though

I thought it would be temporary, I was also well aware of the potential

here. I knew what a strong economy San Antonio had, and I also knew

that for a person with my skill set, there would be many opportunities

for reinvention in this city,” she says.

She started to learn about the market needs in San Antonio and re-

turned to her roots in architecture and finance. “I started working on

a construction method that focused on panel systems. You put it up a

wall at a time,” she says.

A year and a half after devising her original concept, Brimhall grad-

uated from Texas Venture Labs. She was convinced that small struc-

tures were what people here needed. In 2015, she found a creative

partnership with Bret Elmendorf and Peter French. “The three of us

had drastically different life trajectories. Bret came from the tech

world at Rackspace. Peter is a real estate developer and former pres-

ident of Café Commerce who knows about real estate policy and regu-

lation.” The creative triangle focused on developing a semi-industrial,

automated approach to housing: “to build thousands and ultimately

tens of thousands of houses at a price that people can afford.”

Rising Barn, at its core, is really a hybrid of tech and real estate in

the best sense. “The yield we can provide on investors’ money is com-

parable to what a tech company can provide. But because we are a

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WOMEN IN BUSINESSW

real estate company, with

products that are real

and physical, we mitigate

against risk,” explains

Brimhall. Their idea,

which focuses on prefab-

ricated homes, exquisite

materials and small, do-

it-yourself structures,

brings the cost of design

down to nothing. The

software that Rising Barn

has developed automates

the production of build-

ing materials and puts

the power of construct-

ing a home in the hands

of the homeowner.

“Our goal is to make

it easy for you to build

your house as you want

it,” says Brimhall. “You

can apply the precut

flooring and put up the

panels. We can reduce

construction time by

more than 50 percent.

In addition, we use mate-

rials that are semi-as-

sembled in a factory. It

is a clean environment,

protected from things

like rain and hailstorms.

Therefore our building

materials can be precise

and accurate.”

The larger goals of

Rising Barn are focused

on the social good. In addition to advocating for a simpler way of living,

Rising Barn also asks us to imagine how other people are living. From

that, the more important questions emerge about what we as a society

can do about making sure that all of us have a space in which to live.

“We are going to mobilize to create teams of builders in neighborhoods

that can bring the cost of building down so that people who have

heretofore been unable to afford homes can move in and become a part

of a neighborhood,” says Brimhall.

She is very clear about how Rising Barn will achieve its lofty goals.

As with traditional custom homebuilding models, buyers will secure a

site or tract of land, and then select the type of home they want to

build. That’s where the traditional piece of the puzzle ends. Rising

Barn’s floor plans range between 200 and 800 square feet. It offers

turnkey developments whose price point includes the cost of material

and labor and also an option for the DIY customer. Its homebuilding

kits significantly reduce building costs. In either case, the price points

are more manageable and the construction efforts much less compli-

cated and pricey than in tradi-

tional custom homebuilding.

Brimhall and her partners are

committed to San Antonio, to the

resurgence of downtown residen-

tial and to being real live change

agents who might help us see the

residential landscape a bit differ-

ently. We cannot wait to see

what’s on the horizon.

PAULA WAGGONER-AGUiLARThe Energy CFO Solution

“Do one thing every day that

scares you.”

—Eleanor Roosevelt

Paula Waggoner-Aguilar‘s bi-

ography is as impressive as they

come. A senior finance and ac-

counting executive with more than

15 years’ experience working for

Fortune 100 and 500 companies

in the energy industry, Waggoner-

Aguilar exudes the competence of

someone who has earned her

place atop the corporate ladder.

She confesses that before she left

the world of the big corporation to

venture out on her own, she asked

herself, “Am I happy? Am I thriv-

ing?” When the answers to those

questions were “no,” she was

more than willing to give up the

corner office to try something new. It is this formula of forging her

own path that has served her well her whole life.

Raised by a family of entrepreneurs, Waggoner-Aguilar was the old-

est girl in her family. During the summe, her mother sent her to work

on her grandfather’s ranch in the Panhandle. At the age of 14, she

worked for her uncle, who owned a commercial real estate business.

He had a female CFO who took Paula under her wing, and got her in-

terested in finance. This was the first of many mentors Waggoner-

Aguilar had who nurtured her talents. As an undergraduate at UT

Arlington, she thought she would major in music but eventually de-

cided on something she considered more pragmatic and switched her

major to accounting. She then pursued her master’s in accounting at

the University of North Texas.

Never content with the linear path, Waggoner-Aguilar was looking

to do something different after graduation. She wanted to work in Latin

America. Her mother had taught English in Mexico in the 1960s, and

Waggoner-Aguilar decided to enter an executive program in Mexico

57may/june 2016 |

City to help hone her business Spanish. This was in the early ‘90s, and

the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was still in

its infancy, seemed to offer many opportunities for a young accountant

who had fluency in Spanish. She returned from Mexico City to work at

Ernst and Young for a year in tax compliance, but working in Latin

America was still a dream of hers.

She started banging on doors and asking for positions that would

get her to Latin America. “I was rejected over 100 times,” she says.

The rejections were painful, Waggoner-Aguilar admits, as she reflects

on it. “Sometimes I still start crying.” But, she says, “Scars are a great

source of inspiration.” She used those scars and those rejections to

push herself forward: “Those scars taught me a lesson about believing

in myself and about not giving up.”

After a series of rejections, she finally got two bites. She was re-

trained as an auditor for Halliburton and traveled 11 months out of the

year to Latin American countries, including Mexico, Venezuela, Colom-

bia and Peru. She continued to climb the corporate ladder and worked

on mergers and acquisitions and in technical accounting for Duke En-

ergy in Latin America. In 2006, BHP Billiton recruited her to help build

an integrated gas business. When the company changed leadership,

they asked her to learn the offshore petroleum business. She had a

strong financial mind, but her bosses wanted to see how she would do

in the commercial side, working with a negotiating team. “I had mixed

emotions,” Waggoner-Aguilar says, but she did it. A year later, BHP

moved her into the planning group. She was the first planner ap-

pointed without an engineering degree. She attributes that role to ex-

posing her to a range of operational and resource planning aspects

and to new business models.

“Chaos is my friend,” Waggoner-Aguilar says with a smile. “When

a new opportunity arises, there is fear. There is the chance of fail-

ure, but there are also opportunities to change and to grow.” This

attitude is one she held onto as she decided, in 2010, to venture out

on her own.

Waggoner-Aguilar had gotten to a point where she says she was

fortunate to have a wonderful career, but she knew she wasn’t really

happy. She liked startups, liked helping them grow from their nascent

stages or interceding during a period of strife. “I like the early life cycle

of business and going in and cleaning up a business that is facing chal-

lenges.” Knowing that she wanted to do something different, she

started talking to private companies. “It didn’t go well,” she says. Fi-

nally she found a business owner in Houston with his own unique CFO

shop. She asked him to teach her how to be a consultant. She helped

him build his energy practice, and he helped her market her skills to

private companies and learn how to go out on her own. She worked

for him for a year before being recruited to San Antonio by a private

energy company. She worked for that company for 13 months before

she transitioned to running her own business.

She noticed there was a gap in financial leadership in private com-

panies. And she felt pulled to help private firms because of her own

family background. “Family-owned businesses and private businesses

are rare. I enjoy seeing how we can help them get the right type of fi-

nancial leadership,” she says.

In April of 2013, Waggoner-Aguilar started her own company. Her

goal was to establish a niche firm that provided consulting, interim

and fractional financial leadership to private energy and technology

companies. She spent the first six to eight months meeting people and

building institutional knowledge.

“When I first started making the transition, people kept asking me,

‘why are you doing this?’” They had a hard time understanding her will-

ingness to give up the comfort of the predictable for the challenge of

something new. Waggoner-Aguilar smiles as she notes, “My business

is celebrating its third-year anniversary!” Once again, she has forged

her own path successfully.

Waggoner-Aguilar is particularly interested in supporting female

entrepreneurs in the energy and technology sectors. Three years ago,

she helped found the South Texas chapter of the Women’s Energy Net-

work, which helps women get the support they need to pull them for-

ward and to help them recognize and seize opportunities.

She has this advice for women: “The one thing that holds women

back is confidence. It isn’t skills or education. It is confidence and the

fear of failure.” She advises those who might follow in her footsteps to

embrace the failure: “Failing is the easy part. The hard part is hanging

in there day after day, every day.”

That’s exactly what she is doing.

TIM MCDIARMIDTim the Girl — A Multi-Disciplinary Culinary Company

“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.”

— Katharine Hepburn

Tim McDiarmid’s culinary business is a multifaceted, expansive en-

terprise that takes on the audacious challenge of getting her clientele

to rethink everything they think they know about food and food culture.

This audacious concept of thinking about food as a relational, interac-

tive, performative and aesthetic experience is the brainchild of a

bright, introspective woman who has never, ever been content to lead

the cookie-cutter sort of life.

Born on the western coast of Canada in an alternative community

of draft dodgers and hippies, she knew she was never going be part of

the mainstream. “I grew up in a dome!” she confesses. “All of the culi-

nary trends that are happening now, including locally sourced food and

pulling from your own garden, were sort of normal to me,” says McDi-

armid, whose childhood on a farm, with parents who had chosen to

move away from a comfortable, suburban lifestyle, informed her ideas

about food and life. “My mom grew our food. We lived a good solid 45

minutes away from any sort of big grocery store. This was a lifestyle

choice, so much so that we even had no indoor plumbing for a while,”

she recalls.

To counter that “off the grid” home life, McDiarmid attended a

mainstream small town public school. There her counterculture up-

bringing came to the fore and began to inform her identity politics. Her

clothes were different, her ideas about the world were different, and

even her lunches were different. While the other kids had standard

Americana sandwiches made of processed lunch meats and cheeses,

she says, “I had bee pollen and lentils.” Though she embraced her

against-the-grain sort of life, she was restless by nature, and her goal

after high school was “to get away as quickly as possible.” She said

that although she was a typical antsy teenager, the seedlings of the

WOMEN IN BUSINESSW

startup magnate she has become were taking root in high school. “I

was one of the underground leaders. I wasn’t the prom queen. But I

was a leader,” she recalls.

She matriculated at the University of Victoria and earned a degree

in creative writing, Plagued by a restlessness that would be both her

burden and her engine for the remainder of her young life, she was

looking for adventure wherever she could find it: “I thought I might be

a journalist in a war-torn country. I thought that might keep my mind

occupied enough that I wouldn’t go crazy.”

In 1993 she moved to New York, which allowed her to experience

a world totally different from her small town childhood. She worked

in fancy restaurants, took a break to help a friend run an organic farm

and then came back to New York to find inspiration in and around the

artistic scene there. Her friends were all craftsmen, artists, artisans

and entrepreneurs. Everyone collaborated on expansive, dreamy proj-

ects that allowed her to grease her creative wheels and hone her lead-

ership abilities. She did some interior decorating work and saw the

value in deep, connected collaborations with others who shared

her creative spirit and innovative mind.

McDiarmid moved to San Antonio in 2010. By that time she

had a child and a marriage that was in the process of dissolu-

tion. The realities of life had forced her to be more pragmatic,

and she was looking for new challenges. “I hadn’t written a ré-

sumé in my life, and I was 39 years old. The first time I tried to

write one, I ended up writing a résumé for someone else, some-

one I didn’t know. It certainly wasn’t me,” she says.

Finally she started asking herself the kinds of difficult,

soul-searching questions that would lead her to invent a

unique culinary space in San Antonio, this new town she had

adopted. She started asking herself, “Who do I want to be?”

“Where do I want to eat here in San Antonio?” and “What do

I want to feed my kid?” It sounds cliché, she notes, but ne-

cessity truly is the mother of invention. “I had a young kid. I

was a single mother. I was working out of my house and trying

to start a business.”

The business started as a catering company that would defy

all of the tacit rules of catering. She wouldn’t have servers in

dark pants and white shirts. She wouldn’t have clients choose

between fish and fowl. Instead, she would create a unique artis-

tic culinary experience for her clients that focused on every de-

tail, from the eating space to the design of the plate on which

the food was served. Each plate would be handcrafted and made

to order. And here’s the clincher: It would all be a surprise. The

client wouldn’t necessarily have a huge hand in the menu. Mc-

Diarmid thought of her work the way a true visual artist does.

A great artist doesn’t produce a work of art to match your sofa,

and great food shouldn’t be churned out in a homogenous,

cookie-cutter way, either. This was not only a big concept, one

she’d have to teach to her clients and her community, but it was

a hard one to execute on her own. She remembers, “I was so

weak and vulnerable. It was a pivotal moment. You have to trust

yourself and look at your experiences. Hone your ideas a little

bit to where they make sense.”

McDiarmid focused on what she loved: family-style eating,

inclusivity, beautiful, unpretentious foods.. She created sur-

prise pop-up restaurants all around the city. She had conceptual par-

ties for groups of people where she’d teach her customers what it

meant to eat in a way that was big and bold and far from the main-

stream. It was a huge risk, but people started gravitating toward her

ideas, and, most importantly, toward her food. She would feature a

different artist for each party. She never told her guests what they

were eating or even where they were going. The whole thing was a

big, beautiful, unpredictable and slightly chaotic adventure. It was a

genius idea that took off immediately. Her tickets became the hottest

ones in town.

Finally she moved away from pop-ups. She had been doing them

every six weeks. They were expensive, and the pace was grueling. She

had to think of another innovative way to bring her culinary concepts

to a bigger audience. She had proven herself in San Antonio, but it was

time to take an even bigger risk.

Three years ago, in 2012, McDiarmid hired a sous chef. Next

came an assistant. She realized that if she was truly going to make

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TIM MCDIARMID

59may/june 2016 |

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WOMEN IN BUSINESSW

a go of her business, she needed help. Now she has ex-

panded from catering, to food delivery services, to cook-

ing classes, to event planning and to consulting. Her

business sees it as a mission to “help others realize their

food-related dreams.”

Her next concept is a brick-and-mortar “grab and go”

shop with prepackaged foods for food-conscientious con-

sumers. She is excited about the future. “I fully believe in

this new concept. The market is there,” she says. She rec-

ognizes that in moving ahead with a brick-and-mortar

shop, she throws off her own self-imposed shackles — ones

that have guided her through her whole life: “Stay restless,

don’t commit, go where the wind blows you.” But she knows

it is time to plant her flag. She says, “I really know what I

want, and I guess I am going to have to go get it.”

ELSA FERNANDEZEye Candy Boutique“Capturing Eyes at Every Size”

“Be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-

rate version of someone else.” — Judy Garland

Elsa Fernandez knows a couple of key things about San

Antonio women: “They are willing to take risks, and they

aren’t afraid of a little color.” Fernandez is thrilled with this

knowledge because taking risks and showing your true col-

ors is exactly what she has in mind for her clients at her new

plus-size fashion boutique for women. Fernandez’s Eye

Candy Boutique, located in the Houston Street Garage’s first

floor at 531 Navarro St., is an oasis for women looking to

add flair and style to their wardrobe, to find just the right

outfit for a special occasion or to consult with Elsa, who

knows that true beauty comes from the inside out. Her job

is help her customers find the beauty within themselves.

Fernandez herself is the best advertisement for her

business. She is a fashion-forward 32-year-old drop-dead-gorgeous

business pro with an infectious smile and a passion for her work. For

her, it is all about making her customers feel good about themselves.

She is a one-woman operation. She chooses all of the great fabrics,

innovative looks and fun accessories for the 700-square-foot shop she

now calls her own.

Born and raised in San Antonio, Fernandez spent her formative

years centered around her mother, whom she describes as “the

strongest woman I know. For a long time, it was just me and my mom,”

Elsa recalls. Her mom constantly told her, “Anything is possible if you

put your mind to it.”

Fernandez attended Incarnate Word High School and graduated

from Texas State University with a bachelor’s in fashion merchandising

and from the University of North Texas with a master’s in merchandis-

ing. She started at Forever 21 as a visual merchandiser and credits

the company with being a valuable training ground. “I learned so much

because I was able to put what I was learning in my courses about

consumer behavior into real life practice,” she says.

After almost 10 years of retail experience as a store manager and

a visual merchandising manager, she was ready to open her own busi-

ness. She saw a need for the kind of store she runs today—a place

where women who have trouble finding clothing in mainstream depart-

ment stores can come and find real fashion.

Fernandez is a risk taker as much as any other business leader

you’ll meet, but as a child she was always very risk averse. “I always

played by the rules and tried to be an easy, carefree child,” she recalls.

Now, as an entrepreneur, she knows that the recipe for success de-

pends upon a willingness to be brave.

The biggest risk Fernandez took was to leave her job at Forever 21

and go out on her own. But she thought about it this way: “If I am

going to be working so hard for someone else, I can be working twice

as hard for myself.” In 2014 she dedicated three months to writing

her business plan. She went to her adviser at Texas State, who said it

was one of the best business plans she had ever read. Fernandez re-

members, “ I walked out of that meeting with a feeling of such con-

tentment because I knew my business plan had legs.” Eager to get

61may/june 2016 |

going, she set up meetings in Austin and

in San Antonio, but nobody would give her

a loan. “I remember distinctly I had a

meeting on a Monday with a gentleman in

San Antonio, and he said he was dreading

the meeting all week. He said he knew I

could do well, but he just couldn’t give me

the money.”

Fernandez recalls, “I sat in my car for

an hour and realized that I had invested

six months of my life, and so much of my

savings. I was in too deep to go back to a

retail job. I had to keep going. I knew I ei-

ther had to really go after my dream of

opening my own plus-size boutique or give

up on it completely. I chose the former and

went all in!”

She opened an online store last April,

participated in the OPEN Downtown pop-

ups last May for nine days, did Current

Couture last June and set up at a couple

of First Fridays over the summer. There

she was able to hone her business acu-

men, test her business model in real time

and gain a following. After all that hard

work, she was finally ready to open up the

brick-and-mortar boutique that has be-

come Eye Candy.

Fernandez underscores her philoso-

phy this way: “Whether you are a size 20

or a size 4, size should not dictate fash-

ion or how you feel in your clothing.

Fashion rules are meant to be broken,

regardless of your size. You need to feel

comfortable. You need to be able to put

your outfit together with intention.”

Dressing with intention means loving

who you are on the inside and letting that

show in the clothes that you wear. Her

ability to help her clients see the beauty

within is her super power.

She emphasizes, “You need to dress for

who you are now. Not the past you, not the

future you, but who you are now. That

means that you don’t buy a pair of jeans

for what you aspire to look like after a diet

or an exercise regimen.” Not that Fernan-

dez has anything against healthy living.

She says. “Some people are never going to

be a size 0, and that should not necessar-

ily be your aspiration. People should be

the best version of themselves now. There

is no time to wait. “

Elsa Fernandez isn’t waiting.

She’s all in.

This sandwich generation is striving for more out of lifeBY PAMELA LUTRELL

“The baby boomers annoy me. They think they are so special. I just don’t get it,” said a millennial female to another while walking along at the Shops at La Cantera.

Basically, she is right. The generation born 1946-1964 does have a high opinion of itself, but it is that confidence in abilities and proper health practices that

have kept them current and living longer.

BOOMERSW

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BOOMERSW

Nancy Gilbert says, “The best part of being a boomer was being

the first baby born in 1957 in a small West Texas town. I loved watch-

ing shows like Andy Griffith, Leave it to Beaver, the Carol Burnett

Show, and Dick Van Dyke.” She also loved the freedom of playing soft-

ball until her parents called her to come in for supper.

“However, the worst part of this journey is now dealing with my

own mortality, saying goodbye to family and friends, and witnessing

what I believe is a deterioration of values and morals in American so-

ciety,” says Gilbert. She spoke with lament after sighing over the loss

of her original Barbie doll.

While baby boomers confront their own mortality, they are not

ready to sit idly and watch life march by. Perhaps some millennials

are annoyed boomers want to remain in the job market. In a 2015 sur-

vey of the boomer generation by Gallup, the results included: “From a

broader perspective, Americans have been retiring at an older age

than they did years or generations ago. And when asked in previous

research about their retirement intentions, large numbers of working

baby boomers have indicated that they are going to retire after age 65

or not retire at all.” (TIME magazine, May 11, 2015)

AARP understands many are leaving long-time positions to follow

their dreams. “Reinvention” is a big word for baby boomers, and the

new AARP program called Life Reimagined taps into the idea that suc-

cess is derived from good relationships and achieving personal goals

and not solely from financial freedom. The AARP program encourages

boomers to pursue their dream jobs and believe they will obtain the

goal. This program is based on the fact that boomers want to be de-

fined by who they are and their talents and not their ages.

Fellow baby boomer and author Valerie Albarda says, “I feel more

focused in my wants and desires; more confident in the decisions I

make.” She is pursuing her dreams and is among many women who de-

sire to be taken seriously at this stage of life. “I am at home with myself

now and able to embrace my own gifts and feeling much more confi-

dent, assertive and mindful,” said Judy Griffin, born in 1963. Commu-

nication consultant Judy Freedman said, “The best part of being a

boomer is feeling more confident and being open to risk taking.”

AARP was part of a Boomer Business Summit held in Washington,

D.C., this past March. Keynote speaker was Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of

AARP and author of the new book, Disrupt Aging: a Bold New Path to

Living Your Best Life at Every Age. The summit focused on networking

opportunities, deal making and the exploration of the multigenera-

tional effect that shapes boomer priorities for a generation that will

not quietly bow out or simply play golf.

While boomer women strive to make a differencethrough careers and service work, they also strugglewith residing in the sandwich generation and dealingwith care of family members on all sides. Accordingto Rena McDaniel, “The worst part is being caughtin the sandwich generation and trying to juggle lifein the middle.” McDaniel lives with a mother suffer-ing from Alzheimer’s disease. Boomer women alsogrieve over the empty nest and their aging bodies.

While gymnasiums are full of baby boomers working out to

lengthen their lives, the Gallup Poll also revealed “adults ages 55-64

are taking more drugs than ever before, with a 29 percent spike in the

use of anti-diabetic pills and a 54 percent increase in cholesterol-low-

ering drugs.” (TIME, May 11, 2015). The boomer generation has pre-

sented a whole new challenge to America’s health care system and

Social Security.

But they are optimistic … ready to embrace new opportunities

later in life and believing they are still relevant. They are tech-savvy,

full of experience, wise, still learning, fun-loving, yet realistic.

Lee Gaitan said, “Being a baby boomer has given me a balanced

perspective. I’m optimistic enough to see the glass as still half full,

yet realistic enough to know it won’t be long before my teeth are float-

ing in it.”

Yes, this is a complex generation.

800.272.3900 alz.org®

Letter from the Executive DirectorMARGARET J. BARRON

Dear Friends:In my capacity of Executive Director for the Alzheimer’s Association®, San

Antonio and South Texas Chapter, I am privileged to come into contact withcountless numbers of families struggling to care for a loved one who hasbeen diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-related ill-nesses. I am always amazed at how courageous they are and the level ofcommitment they show.

It is for this very purpose that the Alzheimer’s Association celebratesAlzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month in June each year. Across theglobe, the Alzheimer’s Association is asking citizens to participate in itsJune Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness activities. In San Antonio, the Towerof Americas will be lit purple throughout the month of June, along withmany other activities — all listed on page 24.

I would like you to know that nationally the number of Americans livingwith Alzheimer’s disease is growing — and growing fast. Today, over 5 mil-lion Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, including an estimated200,000 under the age of 65. By 2050, up to 16 million will have the dis-ease. Nearly two-thirds of those with Alzheimer’s disease — 3.2 million —are women. Someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s every 66seconds. In 2050, someone in the United States will develop the diseaseevery 33 seconds according to the 2016 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Fig-ures report. There are more than 350,000 people in Texas who haveAlzheimer’s disease.

To me these statistics are shocking. While meeting with members of ourcommunity, I often remind people that since all humans have brains, it is verylikely that each of us will eventually be touched by the disease. For that rea-son, we must all work together to END ALZHEIMER’S.

Sincerely,

3

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Women and Alzheimer’s Disease

Women are at the epicenter of the Alzheimer’s crisis. Almost two-thirds of Americanseniors living with Alzheimer’s disease are women.

• An estimated 3.2 million woman aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s.

• Among those aged 71 and older, 16 percent of women have Alzheimer’s and other dementias, compared with 11 percent of men.

• At age 65, women without Alzheimer’s have more than a one in six chance of developing Alzheimer’s during the remainder of their lives, compared with a one in 11 chance for men.

• Women in their 60s are about twice as likely to developAlzheimer’s disease over the rest of their lives as theyare to develop breast cancer.

Not only are women more likely to haveAlzheimer’s, they are more likely to be caregiversof those with Alzheimer’s.

• The most recent data show that of all unpaid Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers, 63 percent are women.Studies have consistently shown that women make up 60 percent to 70 percent of Alzheimer’s caregivers.This means that about 10 million women are currently providing unpaid care to someone with Alzheimer’sor another dementia.

Caregiving responsibilities take a toll on women’s health and well-being.

• Almost half of all women Alzheimer’s caregivers say that their caregiving responsibilities are physicallystressful. This is twice the rate as male Alzheimer’s caregivers.

• While about one-third of both men and women Alzheimer’s caregivers feel isolated as a result of theircaregiving duties, for women, this feeling is much more commonly linked to depression.

• Nearly three-quarters of women caregivers express concern about the ability to maintain their own healthsince becoming a caregiver.

Because of caregiving duties, women are likely to experience adverse consequences in the workplace.

• Nearly 19 percent of women Alzheimer’s caregivers had toquit work either to become a caregiver in the first place orbecause their caregiving duties became too burdensome.

• Among working women caregivers, 20 percent have gonefrom working full time to part time, compared with only 3percent of working male caregivers.

• Other effects include: 18 percent have taken a leave of ab-sence from work, 10 percent have lost job benefits, 17percent felt they had been penalized at work because oftheir caregiving duties.

3.2million

Percentage of working Alzheimer’scaregivers who have gone from

full-time to part-time work

Women Men

20%

3%

Two-thirds of the 5.1 million seniorswith Alzheimer’s disease are women.

alz.org® 800.272.39006

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HopeGardenof

Promise GardenAlzheimer’s not only affects the person with the dis-ease, but the lives of entire families are altered witha diagnosis. Each person connected to someonewith Alzheimer’s has his or her own personal story.

Through color, Promise Flowers represent the di-verse reasons we want to see an end to Alzheimer'sdisease. The Promise Flowers create a dynamic, col-orful and meaningful garden. The Alzheimer's Asso-ciation® is asking everyone to make a commitmentto fulfill their promise to remember, to honor, to careand to fight Alzheimer’s disease.

Below is the meaning of eachPromise Garden color:

BluEI have Alzheimer’s

YEllOWI am supporting or caring for someone with Alzheimer’s

PuRPlEI have lost someone

to Alzheimer’s

ORANGEI support the cause and a vision of a world without Alzheimer’s

alz.org® 800.272.39008

“I have two good girl friends who are goingthrough the same situation,” said Zapata. “Thoughyou don’t want to admit your loved one has thedisease, it’s less of a stigma when you realize thatso many families are in the same situation.”

Her mother, Beatriz Zapata, 75, was raised onthe border in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico,and attended schools in the U.S. She was valedic-torian of her high school class and studied in Parisduring her junior year in college, eventually learn-ing five languages. After marrying her husband,Renato Jr., she became an English and Frenchteacher in Laredo and spent 30 years as a courtinterpreter for the U.S. federal courts. She alsoearned her master’s degree while working full-time and raising four children. The couple have been married for 53 years.

“Mami, as we lovingly call her, was a great role model,” said Claudia. “She was equally as caring andloving and devoted to her family as she was brilliant and successful.”

Mrs. Zapata started showing the signs of Alzheimer’s four or five years ago. She began repeatingherself and confusing facts. The family first thought she was being overmedicated for arthritis. Testingrevealed her condition, and she began taking medications to slow the disease progression.

Since Claudia lives in San Antonio, her sister, Judge Monica Zapata Notzon, has worked with her tospearhead their mother’s care. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 60 percent ofAlzheimer’s and dementia caregivers are women. Claudia contacted the Alzheimer’s Association herefor help, and her dad is attending an Alzheimer’s support group in Laredo.

A columnist for the San Antonio Express-News for 12 years, Claudia is a registered dietitian whonow writes a health blog at claudiazapata.com. Last May, as Mother’s Day approached, she shared detailsof her mother’s disease with her readers. “The amount of feedback that I received was a huge help,”she said.

As she wrote in her blog—“I can never live up to the woman my mother was and still is, but I am sograteful that the most generous, selfless, hardest-working, affectionate and loving woman I have everknown is my Mami. I won’t let Alzheimer’s take that away.”

ClAuDIA ZAPATA EllIOTTAlzheimer’s disease can’t take away a mother’s love

Like many women of her generation, Claudia Zapata Elliott,45, is caring for a mother withAlzheimer’s disease.

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“After the children were grown, mother’swork in the business increased,” said daughterCaryn Hasslocher. “I always remember her of-fice being full of carpet, tile and paint swatches.She also was involved with menu developmentin all of our restaurants. We used her recipesfor the Roman Orgy and the pecan cheesecakeat The Magic Time Machine restaurant.”

The San Antonio Restaurant Association Women’s Auxiliary honored Mrs. Hasslocher with its first“Lifetime Achievement Award,” recognizing her impact on the industry.

In late 1999, the family began noticing changes. Mrs. Hasslocher stopped going to the office daily,and she was having trouble getting dressed. Her personality changed. She had bouts of anger and be-came very opinionated. She also was having trouble communicating and losing the cognitive abilitiesneeded for decision-making.

“As I look back, there were early signs that she was changing, but we were not educated enough torecognize them,” she said. “I wish we had been more knowledgeable about the Alzheimer’s journey.”As the disease progressed, the family turned to the Alzheimer’s Association for resources and Caryn’ssister, Susan, participated in a local support group.

Caryn believes that the increased prevalence of the disease is helping bring it out of the shadows,and she looks forward to a day when testing for Alzheimer’s disease will be included routinely in annualphysical exams.

Until then, families like the Hasslochers will accept the challenges of caregiving that come with thedisease. “My family was able to care for mother at home until just weeks before her death in 2009. Tomy dad’s credit, he was there for my mother throughout her Alzheimer’s journey, even though it wasdebilitating for him,” said Caryn. “When my father passed away earlier this year, my family was so touchedby the outpouring of support for the Alzheimer’s Association in my mother’s memory.”

CARYN HASSlOCHERAlzheimer’s disease — Coming out of the shadows

Veva Hasslocher had been leading a very full life. In addition to raising five children, she was helping her husband, Jim, build a legendary San Antonio restaurant business.

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“Alzheimer’s disease began to take my mother away from me just as I was becoming a mother myselfat age 26,” said Clarisa Flint, who now has sons ages 7 and 9.

Mrs. Flint met her husband on a blind date and married him just five days after graduating from highschool. Clarisa remembers her mom as a giving and thoughtful woman, who was active in her churchand had a passion for crocheting.

“As she reached age 50, we saw changes in her temperament and severe mood swings, from angryto apathetic,” said Clarisa. After almost a year of testing, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.Mrs. Flint began living in a memory care community one and a half years ago and is bed-bound.

Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, an uncommon form of dementia, attacks people in the prime oftheir lives. Some patients may still have children at home. Many patients are too young for Medicare orSocial Security, and if they have to quit work, loss of income is a serious concern.

Though Mrs. Flint worked as a special ed teaching assistant, she was told she had not worked enoughyears to receive Social Security benefits. When applying for government support, the Flints were toldthat they would need to divorce for her to qualify for assistance due to Mr. Flint’s military retirementbenefits. “The government requirements for support, especially for chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s,need to change,” said Clarisa.

Clarisa sees the need for education for medical professionals about how to communicate with pa-tients with cognitive impairment. When her mother had to go to the Emergency Room, the staff haddifficulty understanding her situation. “A wristband that identifies the patient’s cognitive impairment andtraining for health care professionals is essential,” she said.

Clarisa serves on the board of directors of the local Alzheimer’s Association, where she chairs RI-VALZ, a flag football game involving young professional women that brings awareness of the diseaseto a younger generation. Through her involvement she has highlighted early onset and its impact oncaregivers.

KAREN FlINTChanging the face of Alzheimer’s disease

Karen Flint is showing the public that Alzheimer’s disease is not just a disease of the elderly — she was diagnosed nine years ago at 50.

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Susan and her husband, Aubra, founded FranklinPark Senior Living and have found a calling as theywork to change the conversation about senior living,particularly for seniors with memory care needs.

“My husband’s grandmother had Alzheimer’s, so wehave experienced its effect on our family, and we see itevery day in our communities,” said Susan. “I have a vi-sion for a richer quality of life for our aging loved ones.An important part of this vision is developing more options for seniors with Alzheimer’s and their families.”

Susan is advocating for residents in ways that reflect her commitment to real solutions and true in-novation. The vision she has brought to the senior living industry already has been recognized. Susanand Aubra were awarded the 2014 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Central Texas,recognizing entrepreneurs who have a proven track record of innovation that has resulted in exceptionalsuccess in their industries. Franklin Park Senior Living includes two communities in the Stone Oak areawith a third to open in Alamo Heights early this summer.

Her approach to working with residents with Alzheimer’s disease includes meeting the needs of res-idents and their families in innovative ways. “Our mission is to establish an environment that empowersand validates residents as their life story continues,” said Susan. “We feel a true calling to serve residentswith Alzheimer’s in a way that celebrates and honors them as individuals. Integral to this is looking at theperson first, before the disease.”

The person-centered approach is seen in the Franklin Park trademarked program, “Refreshing Waters.”This individualized approach to Alzheimer’s and dementia care provides a comprehensive life enrichmentprogram with 21 daily activities for both residents and their families in a supportive environment.

“We don’t take a standardized, corporate approach to care,” said Susan. “I am an advocate of person-alized care that meets each resident and family at their point of need.”

Supporting Alzheimer’s research is an important aspect of advocacy, and research is the key to thenext chapter of innovation at Franklin Park. The Franklins recently established a relationship with Dr. Jef-frey Cummings, a world-renowned leader in clinical care and clinical trials for Alzheimer’s that will catapult

SuSAN FRANKlINBreaking new ground in memory care

For Susan Franklin, seniors are her passion.Through her company, Franklin Park SeniorLiving, she is reshaping the perception ofresidential options for older individuals, including acknowledging and responding to the needs of residents with dementia andAlzheimer’s disease and their families, as wellas advocating for programs to help them.

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Franklin Park’s memory care services into a new class of care. Dr. Cummings is the Director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in

Las Vegas. He specializes in the care of patients with neurocognitive deficits and in the de-velopment of new therapies of neurodegenerative disorders. “He has toured our communities

and has reviewed our current memory care programs to maximize the efficacy of our efforts,”said Susan. “He also has reviewed architectural drawings for our memory care areas so that we

ensure a safe but independent living environment. Our work with Dr. Cummings will break newground in residential memory care solutions, and we cannot wait to see what the future holds.”

A devoted patron of the arts, Susan is a member of the Building Committee for the Bexar CountyPerforming Arts Center Foundation, the nonprofit organization that supports the Tobin Center for thePerforming Arts, and as a co-chair for the Founders’ Network. In addition, she recently was inductedinto the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame for her achievements in the creative arts.

Importantly, she has combined her passion for the arts with her advocacy for Alzheimer’s. Susan andher staff have realized the power of music to shift moods and manage stress-induced agitation throughtheir Music and Memory program. Families provide staff with lists of their loved ones’ favorite songs,which are then downloaded onto an iPod. When residents become agitated or anxious, staff membersencourage them to sit down and listen to their personalized music. “Residents forget what has upsetthem, and anxiety and frustration disappear,” said Susan. “Our team has gotten a great deal of joy seeingthe positive effect this program has for our residents.

“Caring for seniors with Alzheimer’s demands a lot from all of us,” said Susan. “We are challenging in-dustry norms to ensure that life for these seniors during their golden years is a sweet and precious story.These years are not pages to be left blank, but rather full chapters of worth and joy, and I am proud thatFranklin Park is seeding changes that offer all of us so much hope for the future.”

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MEMORIES IN THE MAKING

Even after people with dementia have lost the ability to use words, they are often able to expressthoughts and emotions and to share memories through painting and drawing. Realizing the importance ofart in communicating with residents with dementia, Franklin Park Senior Living brought Memories in theMaking® to San Antonio in 2011.

In one-hour sessions twice a week, residents at Franklin Park TPC Parkway are led by a local artist in using wa-tercolors to create personal works of art. The community each year auctions off the artwork, donating funds raisedto the Alzheimer’s Association.

“This program provides residents with Alzheimer’s disease with a forum to express themselves when words havefailed them,” said Beth Nixon, chairman of Memories in the Making® for the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Asso-ciation and director of sales and marketing at Franklin Park Sonterra. “Often residents create beautiful and mean-ingful artwork that provides a unique glimpse into their past, recalling a memory on canvas that their family believedwas gone forever.”

Two residents at Franklin Park TPC Parkway who participate in the program have had their artwork featured onthe Christmas card for the local Alzheimer’s Association. A drawing by Micheline “Mickey” Ohlenforst was featuredin 2013, and artwork by resident Robert Toth was chosen for the 2014 card.

Memories in the Making was developed 25 years ago by two artists working with the Orange County, CaliforniaChapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Locally, the Alzheimer’s Association helps care staff bring the program totheir communities by offering periodic training workshops featuring national trainers.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:Micheline Ohlenforst “Mickey” was born and raised in Paris, France, growing up during the German occupation of World War II. She met and married her husbandin Paris, where he was part of the American forces that liberated the city. They lived in Louisiana, where her husband was from, and in El Paso before retiring in SanAntonio. They had four children, two boys and two girls. Mickey was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2009.

Robert (Bob) Toth was born and raised in New Milford, New Jersey. He served in the military in Vietnam. After retiring from the service, he graduated from TheUniversity of Texas at Austin with a master’s degree in education. He became an elementary school principal in Pflugerville, Texas. Bob has one daughter,Heather, and two grandchildren, Shawn and Hailey. Bob was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2010.

alz.org®20

SAVE THEDATE

Walk to End Alzheimer’sSaturday – September 17, 2016

AT&T Center

Register at Alz.org/walkContact: Michelle – mserna@alz.org

800.272.3900 21

In 2015, over 4,100p articipated in the

Walk to EndAlzheimer’s and

raised $375,783!

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alz.org® 800.272.390022

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Shortly after my mother's 61st birthday, she was diagnosed withAlzheimer's disease.

My mom was a great woman, mother, homemaker, cook, and artist. Ourfriends would come over just because they always knew that they werewelcome, there was always a place at our dinner table for them, and theyloved the fact that there were always homemade cookies.

As the disease started to take hold, she began to forget things, lose herplace, but she continued to try everyday to be the best she could be.Throughout the span of her disease she continued to go to church, biblestudy and her AA meetings. She continued to be kind, thoughtful and grate-ful everyday until the end of her life; and through this my mother taughtme to be the same way, no matter what life handed me.

The staff at the Alzheimer’s Association shared with me the resourcesthat were available to my family and what they were working for. I was blownaway and so grateful there was a group out there to help. A few days aftermy mother’s funeral, I found myself in the San Antonio office of theAlzheimer’s Association, crying my heart out — the staff made me feel un-derstood and cared for. I reached out for a hand, and there they were tohelp, thus leading me to be compelled to join this organization and giveback and inspiring me to help spread the word and help find a cure.

I am so excited to be a team captain this year for The Longest Day andam so blessed that Sam Ash Music is giving us such a great venue for ourevent. Music is now being recognized as a great help to people withAlzheimer's and dementia, and if we can bring people together, share somemusic and love, raise awareness about the disease as well as raise moneyfor a cure; let's do it!

Alzheimer's kills, but if we all work together to help those affected by thedisease and find a cure, we CAN make a difference in countless lives.

ANGELA PEREZ

WHY I AM PARTICIPATINGIN THE lONGEST DAY

alz.org® 800.272.390024

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GET INVOlVED!The Alzheimer’s Association works to address the global Alzheimer’s disease epidemic byproviding education and support to the millions who face dementia every day, while advancing critical research toward methods of treatment, prevention and, ultimately, a cure.

Here are a few events you may participate in to help fight Alzheimer’s disease in San Antonio.

alz.org® 800.272.390026

Special Section for San Antonio Woman

WAYS TO HElP A FAMIlY lIVINGWITH AlZHEIMER’S

1 Educate yourself about Alzheimer’s disease.Learn about its effects and how to respond.

2 Stay in touch. A card, a call or a visit means a lot and shows you care.

3 Be patient. Adjusting to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is an ongoing process, and each person reacts differently.

4 Offer a shoulder to lean on. The disease can create stress for the entire family. Simply offering your support and friendship is helpful.

5 Engage the person with dementia in conversation. It’s important to involve the person in conversation even when his or her ability to participate becomes more limited.

6 Offer to help the family with its to-do list. Prepare a meal, run an errand or provide a ride.

7 Engage family members in activities. Invite them to go on a walk or participate in other activities.

8 Offer family members a reprieve. Spend time with the person with dementia so family members can go out alone or visit with friends.

9 Be flexible. Don’t get frustrated if your offer for support is not accepted immediately. The family may need time to assess its needs.

Get involved with the Alzheimer’s Association. Show your support by becoming an advocate or participating in Walk to End Alzheimer’s® and The Longest Day®.

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uNDERSTANDING IS THE FIRST STEP TO HElPING.People with mild (early-stage) Alzheimer’s would like you to know:

• I’m still the same person I was before my diagnosis.• My independence is important to me; ask me what I’m still comfortable doing and what I may need help with.• It’s important that I stay engaged. Invite me to do activities that we both enjoy.• Don’t make assumptions about me because of my diagnosis. Alzheimer’s affects each person differently.• Take time to ask me how I’m doing. I’m living with a disease, just like cancer or heart disease.• I can still engage in meaningful conversation. Talk directly to me if you want to know how I am.• Don’t pull away. It’s OK if you don’t know what to do or say. Your friendship and support are important to me.

Family members would like you to know:• We need time to adjust to the diagnosis.• We want to remain connected with others.• We need time for ourselves.• We appreciate the small gestures.

alz.org® 800.272.390028

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ALZHEIMER’S STATISTICS

TEXAS

U.S. STATISTICSOver 5 millionAmericans are livingwith Alzheimer’s,and as many as16 million will havethe disease in 2050.The cost of caringfor those withAlzheimer’s andother dementias isestimated to total$236 billion in2016, increasing to$1.1 trillion (intoday’s dollars) bymid-century.Nearly one inevery three seniorswho dies each yearhas Alzheimer’s oranother dementia.

You are not aloneWe’re nearby – alz.org/findusIn communities nationwide, we offer programs and services, including information and referrals, support groups, care consultation, education andsafety services.

We’re available to talk 24/7 – 800.272.3900Care consultants are available via our 24/7 Helpline to provide reliable information, referrals and supportin more than 170 languages and dialects.

We’re online – alz.org/IHaveAlzOur website includes a section specifically for peopleliving with Alzheimer's disease that offers informationand access to tools like ALZConnected® (alzconnected.org), our online community.

Find volunteer opportunities near you –alz.org/findus

Sign up for our signature events:Walk To End Alzheimer's (alz.org/walk) andThe Longest Day (alz.org/thelongestday)

Advocate for more research funding –alz.org/advocate

Stay informed. Subscribe to our free e-newsletter –alz.org/enews

Participate in clinical studies – alz.org/trialmatch

You can makea difference

This is an official publication of the Alzheimer’s Association but may bedistributed by unaffiliated organizations and individuals. Such distributiondoes not constitute an endorsement of these parties or their activities bythe Alzheimer’s Association®.

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AROUND TOWNW

99may/june 2016 |

The National Association of Women Business Owners held their annual Entrepreneurial Spirit Awards on April 2 at the Eilan Hotel& Spa. NAWBO created the prestigious awards to publicly recognize the valuable contributions women business owners maketo the San Antonio economy.

Clockwise from top left: (1) Sam and Debra Mills with Heather and Kevin Tessmer; (2)Melanie Kirk, Giselle Rosique, Dina Petrutsas; (3) ChristinaMorales Heaney, Shirley Crandall and Diana Barrios Trevino; (4) Meghan Rowntree, Bill Cox, Elise Cox and Marlise Rodriguez.

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Victoria DamianPartner/CommunityRelations Director

Kind, Caring

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| sawoman.com102

ROLE MODELW

hile many San Antonians pour themselves a glass of cold

water on a blistering Texas day, engineering manager and

interim director of distribution and collection Alissa Lockett

is part of the hard-working team at San Antonio Water System who

keep the water flowing safely and clean for our fast-growing city. “I

love my profession because I can say every day that I was part of pro-

tecting the public health and making life better,” she says.

Lockett’s parents were San Antonio natives. “My mother, Rita Raye

Riley, and father, Charles Louis Lockett, met at Alamo Heights High

School and married right after college,” says Lockett. “My mother ob-

tained a degree in elementary education from Southwest Texas State,

and my father earned a degree in zoology from the University of Texas

at Austin. He went on to obtain his master’s in biochemistry while my

mother was already teaching.” Almost nine years after her parents

were married, Alissa came along, and her brother entered the family

three years later. “We grew up on the northeast side of town, and I at-

tended MacArthur High School, where I participated in debate and sci-

ence fair competitions,” she explains.

After high school, Lockett attended Cornell University in Ithaca,

N.Y., where she obtained a degree in civil engineering with a specialty

in water resources in 2002. “I chose Cornell without making any col-

lege visits outside of Texas,” says Lockett. “I learned the hard way what

W

Role ModelAlissa Lockett

Engineering Manager and Interim Director ofDistribution and Collection at SAWS

BY KRISTIN MEARSPHOTOGRAPHY BY ELIZABETH WARBURTON

103may/june 2016 |

winter felt like in the

Snow Belt. I was too

stubborn to transfer, de-

spite my misery!” After

graduating, she immedi-

ately kick-started her

career as a consulting

engineer on water/

wastewater projects,

back in her hometown.

Missing the classroom

and searching for oppor-

tunities to meet new

people, Lockett began

her master’s degree in

business administration

in 2003 and graduated in 2006.

She started the next phase in her career at the San

Antonio Water System in 2009, where she initially worked

in engineering and later moved to operations as soon as

the right position became available. “My father inspired

my interest in the water/wastewater industry, when I was

very young,” explains Lockett. “He would take me to visit

his workplace in the laboratory at San Antonio’s largest

water recycling center. I was in awe of the delicate mi-

croorganisms that he showed me through his microscope

that were essential in making the wastewater treatment

process effective.”

On a daily basis, Lockett is surrounded by the hard-

working men and women that help keep the water flowing

safely and clean in San Antonio. She is honored not only

to be a part of this team, but of a major foundation of

modern society, as well as trying to knock down any bar-

riers of being a female engineer in this field. “As a female

engineer working in utility operations, I think the fact that

I am an anomaly gives other women hope that there are

not insurmountable barriers in their career path after

all,” she says. “I also try to be honest, fair, and compas-

sionate in my actions, while maintaining a sense of humor

to keep it real. Working in operations has heightened my

passion for my job because it is fast-paced, and problems

often have to be resolved in hours, not years, like many

engineering projects.”

When Lockett isn’t busy with her engineering/distri-

bution and collection duties, most of her volunteer

hours are devoted to the professional association she

belongs to — the American Water Works Association

(AWWA). “I have served on the board at the local, state,

and national levels, and spent many years coordinating

activities for young professionals,” she says.. “Our local

chapter participates in Basura Bash to clean up the San

Antonio waterways and also raise money for ‘Water for

People’ — a charity that provides safe drinking water

in developing countries.” Lockett may have a busy

schedule helping shape and guide water policy and ed-

ucation efforts throughout Texas, but she also plans to

participate in her neighborhood association. “I am very

interested in the betterment of the historic Monticello

area that I live in,” she explains.

Alissa LockettAge: 36

Why she is a role model: Alissa Lockett faced many bumps and ad-

versities in her life, as well as her career path, but it was her en-

durance that led her to where she is today — making a difference by

protecting the public health as engineering manager and interim di-

rector of distribution and collection at San Antonio Water System

(SAWS).

Her role models: “When I was younger, I looked up to heroes like

Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela. While I still admire them

greatly, my role models now are closer to home — my mother, father,

grandmother, aunts and uncles. These are the people that made me

who I am and have always supported me.”

Words or phrases she lives by: “Never end your day without learning

anything.” Aminoto Kosin; “Success is not the key to happiness. Hap-

piness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will

be successful.” Albert Schweitzer; “Life is like riding a bicycle. To

keep your balance you must keep moving.“ Albert Einstein.

Last book read or favorite book: “I am in a book club with some of

my high school friends, but I do not always read the book because I

feel like email burns me out on reading. My favorite book that I read

because I wanted to was probably Isaac’s Storm: A Man, a Time, and

the Deadliest Hurricane in History. Historical fiction is one of my fa-

vorite genres.”

Favorite band: Duran Duran

Favorite movie: Gone with the Wind

Favorite pastime in San Antonio: “Walking along the River Walk or

eating tacos…tough choice!”

Where she grew up: “The northeast side of San Antonio.”

Most memorable moment as a youth: “Since my mother was a

teacher, and my father was an aquatic biology aficionado, there was

no shortage of learning experiences growing up — visiting the

McNay, the Witte, the San Antonio Museum of Art, the San Antonio

Zoo and SeaWorld. Riding the skyride at Aquarena Springs in San

Marcos with my brother is probably my most memorable experience.

That place was magical to me, due to my love for water and the fact

that my mom had worked there when she was attending Southwest

(Texas State). I still love riding the glass-bottom boats to this day.”

Describe a personal goal: “I hope to help my team win the national

championship for pipe tapping, which is a timed competition where

men’s and women’s teams from utilities across the nation drill into a

cement-lined ductile iron pipe and install a tap for water service. It’s

like CrossFit for utility workers. A good time for the women’s team

is around two minutes. My role on the team has changed from coach

to setter this year, so I have to improve my upper body strength so

that we can defeat 10 or more other teams.”

Describe a professional goal: “Looking toward the future, I hope to

earn a position in executive management at a water/wastewater util-

ity. Ideally, it would be in San Antonio because I love this city and

cannot handle the traffic in Austin, Dallas or Houston.”

What struggles, obstacles or triumphs have shaped you? “Between

the ages of 25 and 31, I lost both my parents and my brother. While

I have experienced immense loss for someone my age, I do not dwell

on the sadness of it, but rather focus on the many wonderful mem-

ories. Losing my immediate family has made living life fully even

more important to me because I am still here, and I feel an obligation

to appreciate, experience and enjoy life to the extreme.”

| sawoman.com104

GUYS TO KNOWW

So what appealed to you about San Antonio?

It’s just a beautiful place. I grew up on the

East Coast, and if you know anything about

the East Coast, you’ll know that there’s a cer-

tain hardness to the East Coast. There’s a soft-

ness here, a warmth. People are open and

friendly… San Antonio is also the land of op-

portunity. People are pouring into the city, and

it’s really a special thing to be a surgeon here

at this time. I was also very fortunate to be

able to join my dear friend Dr. Delio Ortegon

in this practice, and we’ve been off to the

races ever since.

Why did you choose to specialize in plastic surgery?

Plastic surgery was my first rotation as a

general surgery intern, and it’s the most won-

derful discipline. Plastic surgeons are gener-

ally regarded as surgeons’ surgeons. When

other disciplines need help, plastic surgeons

are called upon to provide it, and that ap-

pealed to me. It has the broadest field of ap-

plication, from burns to hand injuries to facial

or breast reconstruction, cosmetic proce-

dures, etc. It allows me to look after a wide

variety of patients, both children and adults.

Though you perform a wide range of cosmetic operations, which ones do you consider your sub-specialty?

There are four hallmark surgeries that I

perform for patients: rhinoplasty (nose job),

facelift, breast augmentation and tummy tuck,

or abdominoplasty. Rhinoplasty is a techni-

cally challenging operation because you have

to master both form and function. A nose that

looks good — but the person cannot breathe

well through it — is no good. A facelift is also

a technically complex operation — balancing

form, function, and the need to retain recog-

nizable features of the patient.

Are there newer, easier facelift procedures?

Patients have an overwhelming choice of

fountain-of-youth options and quick fixes. For

me, facial rejuvenation includes a couple of

different components. There’s the pre-opera-

tive preparation, which involves skin care or

skin healing; there is the surgery itself, and

then the after-care. For the surgery, the hon-

est answer is that the old techniques are often

the best techniques. There’s a push for newer,

faster, shorter, but at the end of the day, if you

want a durable result, there’s nothing that will

take the place of a standard facelift. Fat graft-

ing, which is a relatively new technique, is a

fantastic way to augment the facelift and re-

ally smooth out some of the finer details, but

the basic surgery is still the same.

I must admit that I find facelift scary.You are at more risk driving to come see

me than you are in having surgery in a modern

hospital. Getting back to the foundation of my

training, I trained for nine years in a variety

of different disciplines, all of which come to

bear on the operations that I do. In my recon-

structive days, a lot of time was spent recon-

structing faces after large facial cancers,

facial trauma or defects. All of those skills

come into play in a facelift surgery. All surger-

ies have some risk, but I do everything possi-

ble to mitigate that risk for my patients. If

something does come up, my patients know

I’m completely available to them.

How popular is facelift?Extremely popular! Many women — and

men — feel young and vigorous, but they don’t

like what they see in the mirror. The person

looking back at them is not the youthful per-

son that they see in their mind, so facelift is

becoming more popular. The stigma of plastic

surgery is fading away. People come in today

for things that 10 or 20 years ago would not

have even been discussed.

Michael Baumholtz is a board-

certified plastic surgeon whose practice

encompasses both reconstructive and

cosmetic surgery. Originally from Philadelphia,

where he earned his medical degree from

Jefferson Medical College, he chose a career

in surgery that required years of additional

training. Following a residency in general

surgery at York Hospital and a fellowship

in hand and microsurgery at the Baylor

College of Medicine in Houston,

Dr. Baumholtz completed a second

residency in his current specialty at

UTHSC in San Antonio.

Though he returned to Philadelphia for

a while, the doctor and his family ultimately

decided to return to San Antonio, where

he joined San Antonio Cosmetic Surgery, PA.

He’s currently affiliated with several local

hospitals, including Methodist, the

Children’s Hospital of San Antonio,

the Audie Murphy Veterans Hospital

and Christus Santa Rosa Westover Hills,

where he also serves as chief of staff-elect.

In addition, Dr. Baumholtz teaches

aspiring plastic surgeons at UTHSC.

MICHAEL BAUMHOLTZ, MDBY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANET ROGERS

105may/june 2016 |

Like what?For women — procedures such as vaginal

tightening and labiaplasty, for instance. For

men, all aspects of plastic surgery, including

liposuction, facelifts, rhinoplasty, and hair re-

moval procedures, continue to rise.

I understand that breast augmentation isalso in demand.

With most of my breast augmentation pa-

tients, the conversation begins with the desire

to have more confidence either in clothing or

in a bathing suit. We are fortunate to have

some very sophisticated tools here to show

the woman what she would look like after the

operation. With a machine called Vectra 3D

Imaging System we can take a 3D picture of

the woman and then show her how she will

look with the implants in place. The operation

itself takes a little less than an hour, and they

go home the same day.

What’s the difference between a tummytuck and abdominal liposuction?

Liposuction is a surgical procedure where

fat can be removed from the body through

small incisions. It can be applied to most

parts of the body and can be a marvelous tool

for body contouring as long as skin quality re-

mains good. If that’s not the case, removing fat

may cause the skin to sag. Though liposuction

is often part of a tummy tuck, this operation

involves two other main components — re-

moving excess skin and tightening the mus-

cles underneath. The result is a flat belly and

an improved waistline.

How about nonsurgical options for rejuvenation?

There are some very exciting nonsurgical

treatments, the latest of which is an injectable

medicine called Kybella. It’s a variation of a

naturally occurring substance in the body that

dissolves fat. It’s used to dissolve the stubborn

fat under some people’s chins. With two or

three five-minute sessions in the office I have

the ability to melt that fat away and tighten up

some of the skin. Another exciting procedure

is ThermiTight, which uses thermal energy

under the skin to cause the skin to shrink from

the inside.

Our practice also offers the full range of

other non-surgical options, from hair re-

moval and chemical peels to facial fillers and

Cool Sculpting, which is another way to melt

fat. In CoolSculpting we can freeze a stub-

born area of body fat, and over the next six

to 12 weeks your body will clear away the

dead fat cells.

What are your interests outside of work?We (his family) are involved in our syna-

gogue, Temple Beth-El, and I am also involved

with my children’s school. As an aside, I am

studying to be a mohel. Do you know what that

is? It’s the person who performs circumcision

of Jewish boys. Currently there are no mohels

in San Antonio, so circumcision is usually per-

formed by either the obstetrician or the pedi-

atrician. The mohel, however, provides the

ritualistic aspects of circumcision in a tradi-

tional way that spans back thousands of

years. (Being one) allows me to give back to

my religious community in a unique way.

You obviously have a very full schedule.How do you recharge your personal batteries?

I enjoy reading, writing, spending time

with my family and walking my German

shepherd.

Dr. Baumholtz’s comments have been edited for publication.

| sawoman.com106

MOMMY MATTERSW

hen I think back to my high school years, I’m pretty sure my

main source of insecurity was my skin. I remember being at a

choir concert and feeling absolutely certain that everyone in

the audience was surely staring at the giant pimple on my nose. And I

almost skipped prom altogether after an untimely breakout that

couldn’t even be concealed by stage makeup.

I don’t think I was (or am) alone in my teenage skin woes. As a

teen, nothing can wreak havoc on your life like a breakout. We reached

out to Brenda Hughes, patient consultant with Skin By Design Derma-

tology & Laser Center, P.A., and Joey Dixon-Julian, a physician assis-

tant in dermatology, to get their advice on helping teens cope with skin

issues. I wish I had had their advice when I was a teen!

“When it comes to acne, teens must not feel they are suffering alone

because they aren’t. As a matter of fact, about 80 percent of the

planet’s population will suffer from one stage of acne or another at

some point in their lives,” Brenda Hughes states. “Teens are going

through a lot with their body changes developmentally, and it is frus-

trating and can even be frightening for them. They tend to be very self-

conscious about acne issues. Acne can quickly advance to the next

stage if measures are not taken to get it under control,” she explains.

Although Dixon-Julian treats many skin issues in teenagers, includ-

ing keratosis pilaris, atopic dermatitis and folliculitis, acne is the most

common skin issue she sees in her practice. This is due to the hor-

monal changes that take place during the teenage years and cause an

increase in oil production. She explains, “This increase stimulates an

overgrowth of bacteria within the oil gland and triggers an inflamma-

tory response in genetically predisposed individuals. The resulting in-

flammatory response is what causes the pink bump on the skin, often

referred to as a pimple, and what we call inflammatory acne. Increased

oil production also contributes to follicular plugging, causing black-

heads and whiteheads to appear. This type of acne is referred to as

non-inflammatory acne, and is typically the earliest form of acne I see

in pre-teen patients.”

Lifestyle Strategies to Prevent Breakouts“I find it helpful to paint a picture for teens about what is happening

to their skin and what happens when they don’t take care of it. Estab-

lishing great habits starts young,” says Hughes.

Manage stressLooking back at my own teenage skin troubles, one trend is blind-

ingly obvious in hindsight — breakouts always happened during stress-

ful times. Dixon-Julian explained how mitigating stress can help pre-

vent acne: “When humans are under a great deal of chronic psycho-

logical or physical stress, the adrenal glands secrete adrenal

androgens. Adding these hormones to an already hormonal mediated

acne pattern can worsen the acne picture and make it much tougher

to treat.” She recommends helping your teen manage stress through

regular exercise, adequate sleep and open communication.

Eat wellAnd then there are the culprits your teen might be less likely to

identify – sweets. Dixon-Julian noted the role of diet in preventing

breakouts. “Help your teen minimize dietary sugar and high-glycemic

carbohydrates like cookies, cakes, bread, donuts, bagels and crackers.

Foods like these cause an immediate spike in blood sugar and set off

a cascade of hormonal events that lead to increased insulin production,

increased oil production and inflammation in general. Adopt a low-

glycemic diet along with them to show your support.” She also recom-

mends adding a fish oil supplement or eating fatty fish a few times a

week in order to reduce inflammation.

Establish good hygiene habits As with all good habits, the key to good hygiene is consistency.

Teens will be more likely to make hygiene a habit if they are given sim-

ple, effective tools to do so.

As Dixon-Julian recommends, “Encourage good hygiene and make

it practical. Teens are not always motivated to go to the sink and wash

their face with soap and water twice a day, but it is truly one of the

most important steps in their acne regimen. Make it easy by supplying

them with disposable cleansing cloths like ones made by Neutrogena

or Cetaphil. Not only are they super practical, but they can enhance

compliance. It’s not a perfect substitute for soap and water, but it’s

better than nothing.”

Hughes explains ways to approach face cleansing. “If short on time,

use cleansing pads or tissues. Ask a dermatologist for cleansing pads

that have glycolic and salicylic acid together or use a purifying toner.

With time, teens should wash their face, apply medications and sun-

screen. An effective sunscreen that addresses acne issues is UltaMD

UV Clear.” Hughes adds, “When applying medication, apply the rec-

ommended amount — too much can cause major irritation without

added benefits. Teens may need to use something to hydrate skin since

some acne medications can be really drying. There are products that

won’t add oils but provide the hydration that they need.”

Helping Your Teen Get Smart about

Skin CareBY NICOLE CRAWFORD

W

What about skin care products? As a teen, I probably tried a new product every week to help me

treat breakouts. When asked about product use, Hughes explains, “We

have a very large teenage patient base and find the biggest problem is

their compliance with product use. We also find many teens will take

skin advice from a doctor or consultant more easily than from their

parents.” Hughes goes on to state that parents can call to schedule a

complimentary consultation. “I can go through their makeup and skin

care products and address which products are good and which are not

good for them. We can also talk about new products and trends.”

Dixon-Julian talked about how teens can navigate the shopping

aisles and choose the best products. She emphasized the importance

of first identifying the problem and symptoms. If your teen is primarily

dealing with blackheads and whiteheads, she advises products that

contain an acid, such as Oxy wipes, and foaming cleansers such as

Aveeno Clear Complexion.

If your teen is dealing with pink pimples, Dixon-Julian recommends

starting with a benzoyl peroxide product. “Keep in mind the higher the

percentage of benzoyl peroxide, the more drying it is likely to be. So

make the selection based on the body area you desire to treat and

whether or not the skin is dry, oily or somewhere in between.” For ex-

ample, a 3 to 5 percent formula is best for acne on the face.

For teens who are dealing with both types of acne, she recommends

combining the two products: “You can do this by purchasing a benzoyl

peroxide-based cleanser and then following with a salicylic acid-con-

taining wipe or lotion. This combination offers coverage for black-

heads, whiteheads and inflammatory acne. Just know your teen may

experience a little more drying and irritation with the two ingredients

combined. It is best to go slowly and introduce one product for a few

weeks, then add the other and gradually work up to twice-a-day appli-

cations of both products.” Remember that although these products usu-

ally work, it might take a long time to see noticeable effects.

Dixon-Julian advises parents and teens to allow at least eight weeks

before they consider contacting a dermatologist.

She also stressed the importance of convenience. If products aren’t

easy to use, your teen will have a hard time being consistent, and con-

sistency is the key to a long-term resolution. “Teens are often not very

consistent. This is where the vehicle becomes vitally important. It has

to be easy to use and feel good on their skin. If not, chances are your

teen won’t be super compliant, no matter how much he or she wants

their acne gone,” she says.

When to seek helpIf your teen is struggling with acne, try this combination of lifestyle

changes and medical treatment. Help your teen establish consistent

stress management, diet, hygiene and skin care habits, and be patient.

If your teen’s symptoms have not improved, Dixon-Julian advises seek-

ing help from a dermatologist. “If you are not seeing a response within

eight to 12 weeks, it may be necessary to see a dermatologist for either

a more aggressive treatment or multimodal approach. As good as some

of the over-the-counter products may be, some patients still require a

more customized approach.”

And Hughes reminds us, “Teens must understand perfection can-

not be the goal. Almost everything they see in magazines and media

is enhanced or retouched in some way – an unrealistic standard to

try to reach.”

107may/june 2016 |

QUICK TIPSfor teens with acne:

1. Keep general skin cleaning regimen simple.

2. Wash face morning and night.

3. Apply medications.

4. Put on sunscreen in the morning.

5. Change pillowcases twice a week.

6. Pull and secure hair back when sleeping.

7. Don’t ever sleep in makeup, as it clogs pores.

8. Clean helmets and pads because they areteeming with bacteria. Many teenage boyshave acne on their forehead and back.

ACNE TREATMENTS1. The Acne Blu-U light treatment to destroy P

Acnes bacteria on the skin.

2. A series of medical chemical peels. There aremany options for chemical peels to addressthe many stages of acne, scarring and pigmen-tation issues.

3. SilkPeel MD Clarity, version for acne.

4. Acne facials and extractions.

5. Microneedling, laser skin resurfacing, subcisionfor scars.

Source: Brenda Hughes, patient consultant, Skin by Design Derma-tology and Laser Center, P.A,

| sawoman.com108

W HILL COUNTRY GUIDE

ine is for women, and beer is for the boys — that’s a stereotype that simply doesn’t hold true any-

more. Today, many men are serious oenophiles (connoisseurs of wine), and women, who hold their

hops well, are becoming beer lovers, too. With so many serious-minded brewers, both male and fe-

male, producing exceptional small-batch beers in microbreweries all across the state, San Antonio

women have cultivated a taste for the area’s best locally crafted suds. From bocks to Pilsners, pale ales to

barleywine, cold-filtered brown ales to caramel malt brews, craft beers are garnering a cult following across

South Texas.

Since so many women love beer, it’s not surprising that so many are now brewery owners. Today’s small-

batch craft breweries depend on smart women working behind the scenes, too, keeping business flowing in

brewpubs, breweries, tap rooms and beer halls across town.

So where to go in the San Antonio area for the best house-made beer? Here are five fine little local-area breweries and some of the special women

behind the best Texas brews.

Alamo Beer Company andAlamo Beer Hall

Sometimes when Alamo Beer Company co-owner Ner-

iza Simor drops by the Alamo Beer Hall to see her hus-

band, Eugene, and visit with manager Susanna Wilson and

assistant manager Emily Knife, she takes time to enjoy

one of her favorite brews, the ALAMO Amber Lager. Eu-

gene is the beer expert behind the family business, but

Neriza has learned a lot about beer, too, having developed

a discriminating palate for it while living for a year in Bel-

gium. “People think women like only wine and sweet

drinks, but that’s not always true,” says Simor. “Europe

has a lot of great beer, including stronger brews than the

lighter ones we drink where I’m from in Mexico, and European women like beer, too. So I tried different beers

there, and over time I developed ‘un gusto’ for them. I always encourage women to try different styles of beer

and find one they like best,” says Simor. “When I’m cooking, I like to sip an ALAMO Amber, but when it’s hot out-

side and we bring the kids to play in the beer garden on the weekends, I enjoy our ALAMO Golden Ale because

it’s so refreshing.”

BEAUT Yand

THE BR EWAlamo City and Hill Country Breweries

with Women Behind the Beer

BY JANIS TURK

W

109may/june 2016 |

The Alamo Beer Company just celebrated its first anniversary on the

180th anniversary of the battle of the Alamo, March 6. The $8 million

18,000-square-foot brewery and beer hall stand a few blocks east of

downtown under the Hays Street Bridge, just 15 minutes walking time

from the Alamo. For their grand opening, San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor

attended. When Eugene first got started making beer, he delivered it in

Neriza’s minivan. “He calls it his beer wagon because it sounds cooler,”

says Neriza. Eugene, who has been brewing beer since 2003, was the

first person Neriza met when she came to Texas 12 years ago. Today the

happy couple boast four young children and a popular family business.

“Bring your kids, your friends and your pets, and sit outside and enjoy a

pint at a picnic table at Alamo,” says Simor. You can pitch washers, hear

live music, nosh on food truck fare and sample their local brews “We are

even expanding our family-friendly beer garden this summer with more

games and picnic areas,” adds Eugene. Free tours are offered Saturdays

at noon-1pm, and the Beer Hall is open on Thursdays from 3-9 p.m., Fri-

days 3 p.m. until midnight, Saturdays noon to midnight, and Sundays from

noon to 9 p.m. 202 Lamar St. 210-872-5589.

Blue Star Brewing CompanyThis summer, Blue Star

Brewing Company will cele-

brate its 20th anniversary,

and owners Magdalena and

Joey Villarreal couldn’t be

happier about the big suc-

cess their little Southtown

brewery has become. Mag-

dalena (“Maggie” to

friends) and her husband,

Joey, have enjoyed watch-

ing the Southtown scene

change over the past two decades and are proud that Blue Star Brewing,

and the Blue Star Bike Shop they also opened in 2005, have become a

staple in Southtown, one of the city’s hottest art, food and entertainment

districts. Their popular microbrew makes only 100-percent organic beer

and currently offers 10 craft brews. With an atmosphere more like that

of a friendly Texas sports bar than a traditional taproom, fun is always

flowing at Blue Star, and that’s the way Magdalena likes it. “We’ve made

such good friends here of customers and employees, and it’s been won-

derful. Though my husband did, I didn’t know a lot about beer when we

started because back then I wasn’t a beer drinker, but I loved its smell

while it was brewing and when it was poured out,” says Villarreal, who

now is a loyal beer lover. “It’s been so interesting to learn all about how

beer is made and the different kinds of beer, and today I actually prefer

a beer over a cocktail or a glass of wine. Beer is not just for men any-

more: There is a beer for everyone and for every meal and every occa-

sion, and now that we’re moving into warmer weather, a cold beer is

just so refreshing. I enjoy it so much, and I’m not alone: We have lots of

female customers who love our beer at Blue Star, and we’ve even had

female brewers. Women are learning more and more about beer and en-

joying it just as much as the men these days,” she says. 1414 South

Alamo, Suite 105. 210-212-5506.

Granary ‘Cue & BrewGranary ‘Cue & Brew is the pride of Pearl, San Antonio’s hottest culi-

nary, mixology, retail compound set in the shadow of the old Pearl Brew-

ery brew house, which now houses Hotel Emma. Set in the early 1900s

house of the former brewery’s

chief cooper, the Granary is a

seven-barrel brewery, producing

about 200 barrels of beer each

year. It has an outdoor deck, as

well as a casual inside dining

area and a menu filled with

Texas barbecue, house-made

pickles, sandwiches and more.

Tiffany Ruiz, a beer-loving, loyal

Granary server, says, “Our

Brown Ale served along with

Brisket Ramen is one of my fa-

vorite pairings at The Granary.

We have a great dinner menu

that shows elements of smoke and live fire and boasts flavors of uniquely

combined farm-to-fork products.” Besides beer, The Granary also makes

its own house-brewed sodas. Brewer Alex Rattray also is proud of the

Granary’s classic English beer/hand-pull engines, where the beer is

pumped out of the cask. “I love sour brews and cask-conditioned beer,”

says Ruiz. “There are so many flavors and styles that are showcased

with both those styles of beer, like my favorite brew, Jester Kings Black

Metal, which has a roasted savory beginning and yet finishes slightly

sour. It’s awesome what great beer our brewers can produce! For in-

stance, Alex makes a fabulous coffee IPA that was our third-year an-

niversary brew, and the newest beer we will be tapping will be a Funky

Tangerine Saison, which will be a bit tart. It’s so exciting that women

like me, who drink craft beer, are just as curious and excited about new

aromas, flavors and brewing techniques as the guys are, and we’re def-

initely venturing out more, sampling, savoring and enjoying all kinds of

brews.” 602 Avenue A, at Pearl, San Antonio. 210-228-0124.

Real Ale Brewing CompanyGabriel Gregerman and her husband, Brad Farbstein, own and op-

erate Real Ale Brewing Co. in Blanco, just up Highway 281 from San

Antonio, a place that is possibly the best-loved brewery in the Texas

Hill Country. Gregerman, who works mainly behind the scenes in human

resources and customer service, loves it when she steps into the Real

Ale tap room and sees a group of women show up for a tour and a taste

of her company’s brews. “When we started in this business 20 years

ago, craft beers weren’t as popular with women, and not as many

women worked in brew-

eries, but that’s certainly

changed. Today, 20 to 25

percent of our employees

are women, which I think is

great.” Gregerman, who

first began doing some

home brewing with her

husband after college, re-

calls their early days in the

business: “We were both

early experimenters, and

back then there weren’t

many craft breweries in

Texas.” Now, after wearing

many hats in the brewery

business, Gabriel says

| sawoman.com110

W HILL COUNTRY GUIDEshe’s learned a lot over the past two decades at Real Ale. “All this

began with Brad’s home brewing, and initially I was just along for the

ride, but now I’m a real beer enthusiast. It was easy to get excited

about it.” The couple bought the Real Ale business from its founders

after they had been in business for a year and a half, brewing in a

basement in downtown Blanco. “We built our new facility just north

of town in 2007 and opened the tap room in 2015. One of the fun

things about the industry is that there are so many young people

starting breweries— and we’re one of the older breweries now,” she

says. What are some of Gregerman’s favorite beers? “Real Ale’s

‘Devil’s Backbone’ Belgian-style tripel is wildly popular, with its pale-

golden color, spicy hops and Belgian yeast. Other favorites include

the Firemans #4 blonde ale, Full Moon Rye IPA and our German-style

Pilsner, which we named Han’s Pils, after our dog.” Real Ale’s Tap

Room is open on Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.,

and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., with tours typically on Friday and

Saturday afternoons. 231 San Saba Court, Blanco, TX. 830-833-

2534. www.realalebrewing.com.

Southerleigh Fine Food & BreweryLast spring this 15-barrel microbrewery, featuring six serving

tanks and a Firkin barrel aging program, opened adjacent to the space

that is now the new Hotel Emma in the original brew house of San

Antonio’s iconic Pearl Brewery, first established in 1883 as the San

Antonio Brewing Company.

Now offering 15 house

beers on tap, head brewer

Les Locke has enjoyed a

fruitful first year together

with Southerleigh restau-

rant’s chef Jeff Balfour, who

brings to the table his mod-

ern take on Texas’ cross-

cultural coastal cuisine.

Even though Southerleigh

is owned and run by men

alone, the space it calls

home still stands largely

due to the perseverance of

one strong woman, Emma Koehler, widow of brewery owner Otto

Koehler. After Otto’s death, Emma vowed not to let the brewery fail.

She became CEO and modernized the original brew house, and by

1916, beer production capacity increased so much that the Pearl

had become Texas’ largest brewery. One might assume that the hand-

some new Hotel Emma is named for Emma Koehler, and it was, but

two other Emmas also hold an important place in the Pearl story, as

well. In fact, Otto Koehler had two mistresses and a wife, each named

Emma, until one of the Emmas shot and killed him. After his death,

all three Emmas lived happily ever, two of them living in houses that

Otto had given them. The Emma that killed him even married a juror

from the murder trial! 136 E. Grayson St., Suite 120. 210-455-5701.

Other local breweries worth checking out: Freetail Brewing CompanyBusted Sandal Brewing Company

111may/june 2016 |

TRAVELW

Today, speed limits on the tumbleweed-

lined highways of West Texas hover around

80-85 miles per hour, so even though some

of the region’s best-loved destinations are

a long drive from the Alamo City, it doesn’t

take long to get there. Besides, the land-

scape out west has its own wild, raw, stark

beauty that drivers will want to slow down

to see.

West Texas has much more to offer than

mere tumbleweed and cactus; in fact, there

are many delightful towns, parks and natural

attractions scattered throughout the area’s

remote and rugged landscape. For an au-

thentic West Texas getaway, travelers don’t

necessarily head to El Paso, the region’s

largest city, or make a beeline for the Mexi-

can border. Instead, they tend to turn to Big

Bend National Park, where the air is cool

and clear and mountains edge the Rio

Grande. They also enjoy visiting quaint towns

like Alpine, Marathon, Marfa and more.

Edged by the Rio Grande and the Franklin

and Davis Mountains, these pretty little cow-

boy-centric spots have a yesteryear sort of

charm, tipping a nostalgic hat to the era of

old-time saloons and wooden hotels with

wagon-wheel lamps.

Still, these little communities are not

locked in the past; they are also home to

new, modern-day attractions, along with

artists, craftsmen and merchants inviting in-

terest in the area on a national scale. With

some of Texas’ most spectacular natural at-

tractions ahead and some funky places to

find along the way, you’ll want to hop in the

car this weekend, set the cruise control on

80, put on Bob Wills’ music, and start your

West Texas road trip.

Plan a West Texas RoadTrip the Family Will Love BY JANIS TURK

| sawoman.com112

W

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK

Standing tall in the saddle along the “big bend” of

the Rio Grande River, this is one of the state’s largest

outdoor recreation areas and a wildly popular hiking,

camping, fishing, birding, rafting, mountain biking

destination. Home to diverse types of gorgeous

wildlife, including mountain lions, some black bears

and more, the 1,252-square-mile national park is

one of Texas’ most scenic areas. With hiking and

walking trails, campgrounds and hotels for guests

and five visitor centers, Big Bend is the perfect place

for a family vacation. At the edge of the park, don’t

forget to visit the ghost town of Terlingua, made fa-

mous by Texas singer Jerry Jeff Walker’s Viva Terlin-

gua album cover in the 1970s. Home to the Starlight

Theatre bar, a general store, a couple of restaurants

and more, Terlingua is the site of the Original Terlin-

gua International Championship Chili Cook-Off, held

annually in the fall.

THE GAGE HOTEL, MARATHON

Built in 1927 by acclaimed architect Henry Trost, the charming Gage Hotel, which stands

about 80 miles from Big Bend National Park, offers authentic laid-back luxury with premier

accommodations, top-notch service and a first-

class dining experience. With patios and fire pits

to sit around at night under starry black skies, the

Gage offers a full-service spa, a heated swimming

pool, a 27-acre landscaped garden of native plants

and even a fitness center. The alluring little hotel

has been named the #1 Small Hotel in Texas by

Texas Highways Magazine, has been included in

National Geographic Traveler‘s “Stay List,” and

was voted the #1 Hotel in Texas and #17 in the

United States by readers of Condé Nast Traveler,

and its White Buffalo Bar was selected by Texas

Monthly as “Best Hotel Bar” in Texas. The impec-

cably restored mission-style Gage also offers

larger suites, stand-alone houses and “casitas”

around the historic main building.

BALMORHEA STATE PARK

If the West Texas summer heat is too much to take, a real-life oasis awaits at Balmorhea,

where visitors can dive into the crystal-clear water of the world’s largest spring-fed

swimming pool. Swim, scuba dive, or just relax under the trees in this historic park,

where 15-million gallons of water flow through the pool each day fed by the San Solomon

Springs. The pool, which is up to 25 feet deep in some places, covers 1.75 acres and

holds 3.5 million gallons of cool (72-76 degrees F.) water year-round. Built by the Civil-

ian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, Balmorhea State Park has picnic sites, an outdoor

sports area and a playground. Guests can even stay at one of its 34 campsites or at the

classic San Solomon Springs Courts motel. The park is located 4 miles southwest of

Balmorhea on State Highway 17, in Toyahvale.

TRAVEL

ALPINE

Standing between the towering Davis Mountains and the beautiful Chihuahuan Desert, the

town of Alpine (population circa 5,000), is also home to almost 2,000 students enrolled at

Sul Ross University, known for its Museum of the Big Bend. Most of downtown Alpine has

been named a Designated Cultural Art District by the Texas Commission on the Arts, making

it a good place to visit boutique shops, bookstores, art galleries and cafes during your next

West Texas road trip.

113may/june 2016 |

MCDONALD OBSERVATORY

Part of the University of Texas’ astronomical research program,

the McDonald Observatory is located just outside of Fort Davis

on Mount Locke in the Davis Mountains, with additional facil-

ities on Mount Fowlkes. The Observatory’s Frank N. Bash Vis-

itors Center is open daily except on certain holidays. The

Observatory features several powerful telescopes, including

the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, which is one of the world’s largest

optical telescopes, and offers educational programs, a theater,

cafe, gift shop and more.

MARFA, TEXAS, AND

THE MARFA LIGHTS

Some say they don’t exist, but

many have seen some ghostly

lights in the dark night near the

town of Marfa. The legendary,

explanation-defying Marfa Lights

were first sighted in 1883 and

have appeared almost every

night since, attracting thousands

of visitors each year. Still, no one

is able to explain exactly what

they are. Driving toward Alpine,

stop by the Marfa Lights Viewing Area, located 9 miles east of Marfa on Highway

90, to look for the lights, and on Labor Day weekend, attend the annual “Marfa

Lights Festival.”

Set on the high plains of the Chihuahua Desert, Marfa boasts a population of

just 1,765, but during the past 20 years it has somehow become a popular des-

tination with Hollywood types, artisans, art lovers, millionaires, musicians and

more. With vegan restaurants, eclectic art galleries and artists’ studios, a book-

store and a 400-acre abandoned Army base-turned-art-center established in the

‘70s by the late New York artist Donald Judd (today run by the DIA Foundation),

Marfa is a small marvel. Where to stay? Somewhere funky, of course, like El Cos-

mico, an 18-acre trailer, tent and teepee hotel and campground created by West

Texas native and Austin hotelier Liz Lambert, or stay at her retro-style motor

court motel, The Thunderbird, which has been restored and completely re-imag-

ined for modern-day Marfa guests.

Teepee at El Cosm

ico, Emma B

acker/Shutterstock

| sawoman.com114

W ARTBEAT

t was like being in a dream, quite surreal,” recalls Langenberg,

who did six shows a day six days a week for three years.

Today, Langenberg is the founder and artistic director of Aerial

Horizon, a performing company that has dazzled audiences at the

Alamodome, the McNay Art Museum, the Luminaria annual fest, the

zoo, the convention center, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and

at many corporate events. The group has also presented a few shows

at its own former space in the Blue Star Arts Complex.

It can be said that Langenberg has singlehandedly introduced aer-

ial dance to San Antonio. Since there were hardly any other aerialists

in town, she started teaching aspiring high flyers while still with Sea-

World because she “wanted to have buddies.” Then, upon leaving the

marine park in 2012, the Austin native decided to stay here to build

an aerialist hub. “I felt there was a need. I felt obligated to my stu-

dents, and I wanted to contribute positively to the San Antonio arts

scene,” explains the slim brunette, who had studied both ballet and

modern dance prior to choosing aerial art. “Now we have this amazing

school, with 100 students a week.”

DancingAiron

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF

PHOTOGRAPHY BYJANET ROGERS

Visitors to SeaWorld San Antonio may

remember Julia Langenberg as the girl

who danced on and around a hoop

suspended above a whale pool.

Or maybe they saw her with parrots

flying around her while she engaged

in an aerial ballet, supported only by

silk panels hanging from a top rig.

“I

115may/june 2016 |

At first sight, aerial dancing may remind you of circus acts, but

it’s more akin to what the Cirque du Soleil does than the traditional

circus. The best known form of the art is done with the help of silk

panels attached to a ceiling rig that the artist uses to lift herself up,

wrap herself in, and then execute a graceful acrobatic performance,

punctuated by sudden body inversions and dramatic drops that in-

variably make the audience gasp. Langenberg choreographs her rou-

tines to express a theme, while basing her mind-boggling moves on

fabric theory (knowledge of how the fabric can sustain certain posi-

tions). She has also brought to town colleagues who specialize in

other disciplines of aerial art that use different apparatuses/devices,

such as a lyra (hoop), moon (a heavy metal crescent) and halo (a

double hoop.)

What she loves about dancing in the air is the sheer challenge of

it. “I am attracted to extremes, and this art is all about how far you

can push your body,” she notes. “You have to be extremely focused,

and that excites me.” She trains three to four hours a day to maintain

the strength needed to do what she does. Being high in the air also

gives her a sense of freedom that “feels completely natural.”

A couple of years ago, Langenberg received an Artist Foundation

of San Antonio grant to develop an original theatrical show, which

premiered in 2014 under the title of Echo. Featuring multiple artists

and devices, with original music by Jaime Ramirez, the work was de-

signed around the theme implied in the title. The most attentive view-

ers probably detected echoes of all kinds — in the music, in the

movements and in costuming. “The idea was to show how we echo

each other and how our actions reverberate through other people’s

lives,” explains the artistic director. The more casual audience mem-

bers, however, might have missed some of those reverberating bits,

but the show was engrossing nevertheless due to the artists’ astound-

ing physical prowess and intensity. One theme they “echoed” very

powerfully was the dedication to their difficult craft.

Collaboration with AtticRepIt so happened that Echo was seen by Roberto Prestigiacomo,

producing artistic director of AtticRep theater company, now one of

the resident groups at the Tobin Center of the Performing Arts. He

was impressed. “She has brought something new to San Antonio,”

said the director, who has long been interested in multidisciplinary

productions. “It’s unique here, though I see it in Europe all the time.

It’s really great that she is here.” Always on the lookout for potential

collaborators, Prestigiacomo approached Langenberg to suggest

working together. The piece he developed, 14, is premiering June 9-

19 at the Tobin’s Roger Alvarez Theater. Dedicated to young people

like his daughter, who were born in the uncertain post-9/11 world,

the work draws inspiration from classical myths of heroes who leave

home to explore the unknown, encounter obstacles and wise men,

and finally return home to share what they learned with their com-

munity. The hero in 14 is Maia, a 14-year-old, whose stage journey

will be told through a combination of spoken word, contemporary

dance and aerial art. From the description of scenes I was allowed

to see, it sounds like an adventure on which audiences will definitely

want to accompany Maia.

For Langenberg, who is choreographing the aerial parts, this is

the first collaboration with an established, real theater company.

Her aerialists will actually be portraying characters, mythological

and stylized as they may be. “I thrive on creating new material, and

to do it in a new context is really exciting,” she says.

Dancing on Buildings; Waving with WhalesGrowing up in Austin, young Julia took ballet lessons and eventu-

ally trained in several dance disciplines with Ballet Austin from 1989

to 2002 while also pursuing other training opportunities. She always

knew she wanted to live life as a freelance artist, but in college she

turned from dance to music by getting a degree in vocal performance

from St. Olaf College. Dance ultimately won the day, however. After

working as a modern dancer for a few years, in 2006, she auditioned

for Blue Lapis Light, a site-specific aerial troupe that, according to

its website, “seeks to transform urban environments into inspired

works of art.” Langenberg puts it this way: “I auditioned, got in and

started dancing on buildings.”

Just like that! Photos of the dancers hanging off the sides of var-

ious edifices, sometime 75 feet above ground, floating on or around

various architectural elements, take your breath away. Yes, they are

attached to and supported by harnesses, but still! It looks beautiful

but dangerous. “I didn’t even know that such a thing (aerial dance)

existed when I was in school. Then it became my passion,” says the

now seasoned aerialist. She had no fear of falling because she took

the time to learn all there was to know about the equipment that

made her work possible. Though now she and fellow company mem-

bers hover only 5 to 15 feet above the stage, the equipment remains

extremely important since keeping dancers and students safe is her

top priority.

The challenges at SeaWorld were of a different kind. Falling into

water may not be so bad, yet she was “terrified” of diving into it as

one routine required. Getting used to her “partners,” the whales and

dolphins, was also a new experience. “I became friends with the Bel-

uga whales,” she recalls, smiling. “They had their own personalities,

like dogs. At the end of the show we would wave together. You build

a relationship with these animals. It was sad to part with them.”

To further refine her airborne skills, the artist took classes at the

New England Center for Circus Arts, where she mastered additional

disciplines, such as trapeze, halo, acrobatics, Chinese pole and oth-

ers. Today, her confidence is at an all-time high as she is competing

in the U.S. Aerial Championship in New York City. She is one of the

finalists who will compete for the top title May 13-15 at the Rose

Nagelberg Theater. The competition shows will be live-streamed, so

you can watch them, too (usaerial.org).

The national and international exposure for the finalists, not to

mention the category winners, will be huge. But Langenberg promises

to stay in San Antonio no matter what happens: “The exposure will

help us bring more artists to San Antonio to show San Antonio and

America what contemporary circus can be.”

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF

Milestone Events at the Guadalupe

| sawoman.com116

W CITYSCENE

I greatly enjoy folkloric dances of many

countries. They tend to be ebullient, colorful

and happy, as most were traditionally danced

at festive occasions. Performed by profes-

sional dancers and tweaked a bit by a savvy

choreographer, they easily become great stage

entertainment. Thus it’s hardly surprising that,

living here in San Antonio, I’ve become a fan

of Mexican folklore, as well as the traditional

Andalusian Gypsy genre known as flamenco.

One company that consistently brings

both genres to audiences in San Antonio and

beyond is the Guadalupe Dance Company

(GDC) based at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts

Center (GCAC). Led by two capable women,

Belinda Menchaca and Jeannette Chavez, the

company will celebrate its 25th anniversary

this summer.

“I am incredibly proud that we are cele-

brating 25 years of existence,” said Men-

chaca, who’s been with GCAC for 24 of those years and who

founded the Guadalupe Dance Academy. “I feel proud of the impact

we have had on dancers, students, the dance community and the

city as a whole.”

From its inception, the company established a practice of bring-

ing to town both flamenco and Mexican folkloric experts to help the

dancers improve their skills and enrich their repertoire, and, as a

dance reviewer of many years, I have seen the results of those col-

laborations. The flamenco shows in particular became more varied,

more sophisticated and more polished. Though it stages only two

theatrical productions a year, the ensemble performs all the time

at various conventions and special events, as well as out in the

community as it recently did at the Pearl — under the auspices of

the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce — and at La Cantera. It also

has a standing date with the San Antonio Symphony for the annual

Fiesta Pops concert. In addition, through its Viva Mi Cultura pro-

gram, the group visits schools throughout the year.

If you’ve never seen the ensemble in action, the anniversary

shows are a great opportunity to treat yourself to a dance spectac-

ular, which, I promise, will have you walking out of the theater with

a smile. Flamenco selections from the GDC repertoire will be show-

cased in three Friday night shows — June 3, 10 and 17 — at the

Guadalupe Theater, while the big folklorico event is scheduled for

August 26 at the Lila Cockrell. Since flamenco is as much canto as

baile, Spanish-born guitarist Luisma Ramos and San Antonio

songstress Chayito Champion, both outstanding flamenco musi-

cians, will be part of all three shows. (For details go to

www.guadalupeculturalarts.org).

Another milestone celebration at GCAC is the 35th anniversary

of the Tejano Conjunto Festival founded by Juan Tejeda, former music

program director at the center and still the curator of the popular

fest. The first thing he mentioned when I asked about new things this

year was the San Antonio premiere of Conjunto Blues, a theatrical

musical/multimedia piece created by GCAC’s alumnus Nicolas Valdez

(May 12). Through music, poetry, video clips and character sketches,

the show tells the story of the rise of conjunto music, which first ap-

peared in South Texas in the late 19th century.

The music continues May 13-15, mostly in Rosedale Park.

Some 20 bands are scheduled to perform, including conjunto

Hall-of-Famers Eva Ybarra and Flaco Jimenez, and other beloved

artists such as Los Garcia Bros., Ricky Naranjo y Los Gamblers,

Los Monarcas de Pete y Mario Diaz, Roberto Pulido y Los Clasi-

cos and others.

If you are a jazz lover, you may want to check out the Summer

Art & Jazz Festival scheduled for June 3-5 at Crockett Park

(www.sanantoniosummerartjazzfestival.com). And don’t forget the

Texas Folklife Festival (June 10-12), the venerable get-together

where you may be lucky to see some fine amateur dancers as they

celebrate their Polish, Greek, Czech, Korean or Lebanese heritage

(www.texancultures.com/festival).

BY JASMINA WELLINGHOFF

The folks at the Witte Museum couldn’t

be more excited about their summer

blockbuster exhibition, Maya: Hidden

Worlds Revealed, which is the inaugural

show at the new 19,000-square-foot Mays

Family Center. “We are all about Maya this

summer,” said president and CEO Marise

McDermott. She explained that scholars

acquired a great deal of new information about the old Mesoamerican civilization in recent

years, thanks to breakthroughs in the decipherment of the Mayan script. The exhibition cov-

ers multiple aspects of the remarkable Maya culture by combining authentic artifacts —

some never seen in this country before — with multimedia and interactive hands-on activities.

You and your kids can be part of the excitement. Not surprisingly, all the educational pro-

grams offered this summer are related to the exhibit. The Maya built impressive cities, studied

the sky, the sun and the stars to devise a calendar and developed a system of mathematics,

as well as their own religion, crafts and way of life.

As VP of public programs Sarita Rodriguez pointed out, the exhibition offered an ideal

framework for designing STEM-based camp programs that encompass history, natural history

and several scientific disciplines. Altogether, there are six one-week sessions for ages 7 to

12 that will be taught by the Witte team and Maya scholars.

Each day will be a new adventure. On Mondays, kids get to play archaeologist by digging

and uncovering artifacts and puzzling over their meaning. On Tuesdays, they’ll learn to decode

the Maya glyphs and stories, and on Wednesdays they’ll explore astronomy. Then comes the

hands-on construction of pyramids, chambers and arches, using the type of tools the Maya

people used. And finally, on Fridays, they’ll look at daily life — at the food people ate, games

they played, clothes and crafts. And here’s the best part: no classroom work! Almost every-

thing happens in the exhibition space. “A lot of learning takes place but in a freer environment

than in school,” explained Rodriguez. “Our job is to make each session age appropriate and

make sure everyone has a good time.”

Don’t you wish you were a kid? But here’s good news: There’s an educational program for

adults, too, though I don’t think you get a chance to play in the dirt. The Mind of the Maya

Series, which started in April, is a series of presentations by world-renowned scholars who

will discuss various aspects of the Maya civilization. The May 18 speaker is Dr. David Stuart,

director of the Mesoamerica Institute at UT Austin and the man who made a groundbreaking

contribution to the deciphering of Maya symbols and glyphs. His work was the subject of the

2008 film, Breaking the Maya Code. Other illustrious speakers are Dr. Norman Hammond, pro-

fessor emeritus of archaeology at Boston University; Arlen Chase, Edward Burian and Leah

McCurdy, who will appear together July 20 to talk about the Maya master builders; and Dr.

Jennifer Mathews of Trinity University and Dr. Bryan Bayles, the Witte curator of anthropology

and health. (Check www.wittemuseum.org for more information. For camp registration, Mind

of Maya tickets and exhibition tickets call 210-357-1910.)

Summer with the Maya

WITTE MUSEUM CAMPS:

SUMMER WITH MAYAAges 7 and 8: June 13-17 and July 11-15Ages 9 and 10: June 20-24 and July 18-22

Ages 11 and 12: June 27-July 1 and July 25-29

Monday: Dig, Find and Uncover: Be an Archaeologist

Tuesday: Symbols, Glyphs, Words and StoriesWednesday: Sun, Moon, Stars and PlanetsThursday: Pyramids, Chambers and ArchesFriday: Live, Work and Play the Maya Way

Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Cost $230 for members and

$280 for nonmembers.

Call 210-357-1910 for registration.

AROU

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Symphony League proudly presented young ladies, the symphony belles, at a formal symphony ball on Febru-

ary 13 at The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort. The Belles are presented during their senior year of

high school. The ball, begun in 1972 by Margaret King Stanley, is one of the city’s most anticipated events, and

has brought prestige and a way to build long-lasting support for the orchestra. At the same time, it has served

to introduce the daughters of many San Antonio families.

(1) Elizabeth Long, Christian Olson, Patricia Long, McKenzie Schultz (2) Annabelle Spezia-Lindner and Jeremy Wilson (3) MollyStrange and Matt Strange (4) McKenzie Schultz and Hudson Basso (5) Sophie Aliece Hollis and Henry Shackelford (6) Fathersof Belles – Rob Bentley, Chris Schultz, Andrew Stell, Tylden Shaeffer, Dr. Michael Lindner, Triple Fuhrmann (7) Jordyn Caruso andDrew Iverson (8) Taylor Nugent and Lyndon Nugent (9) Arianna Davidson and Alejandra Serna (10) The 2018 Belles - Izzy Pre-ston, Analiese Wagner, Faith Flume, Elise Rubiola, Lilly O’Neill, Gates Register, Auburn Lucas, Peyton Hardy

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SUSTAINABLE GARDENINGW

ydroponics, Greek for “working water,” is

basically growing plants without tradi-

tional soil or sunlight and has seeped into

San Antonio commerce. Growers cultivate plants in-

doors, often in condensed vertical spaces, in con-

tainers of porous material such as peat, sand,

gravel or a synthetic. The material supports and

aerates the roots as it channels nutrient-rich water

solutions to them. Growers also control light waves

to steadily maximize plant growth.

One San Antonio hydroponics grower is Mitch Hag-

ney, a Trinity University environmental science and

communications graduate and owner of Local

Sprout hydroponics. Hagney houses his urban farm-

ing business in a 40-by-8-by-9-foot shipping con-

tainer lined with vertical sleeves of plants growing

by red and blue light waves (best for photosynthe-

sis), timed on 18-hour “day” cycles and six-hour

“night” cycles. Within this small space, Local Sprout

grows an average of 2,440 plants, including lettuce,

bok choy, Swiss chard, basil, epistoe, zataar and

prise, a French endive.

The shipping container sits inside a downtown

warehouse Hagney also manages, called the Local

Sprout Food Hub, which houses other food-re-

lated, symbiotic businesses that buy from or serv-

ice one another: a coffee roaster, a honey

HYDROPONICS FLOWINGINTO OUR RIVER CITY

BY JOSIE SEELIGSON

H

Mother Nature devised her growing patterns to utilize basic elements of sunlight, water,

soil and nutrients. However, with increasing human populations and decreasing fertile

farmlands, botanists look to synthesize these growing elements more efficiently.

The resulting urban farming, called hydroponics, is like in-vitro for veggies,

test-tube parenting for Mother Earth, whose ticking clock is long overtaxed.

121may/june 2016 |

company, a healthy snack vending company, a garlic slow-roaster,

a jelly maker, vegetable delivery trucks and food trucks. Local

Sprout hydroponics has a second location at the San Antonio Food

Bank, which is income-generating rather than food-supplying for

the Food Bank. Local Sprout sells its vegetables at the Pearl’s

farmer’s market and to several farm-to-table restaurants, such as

5 points local, PharmTable, Esquire and Rebelle.

Hydroponic gardening may not be the same spiritual journey nature

lovers gravitate to, but it does yield reliable results. Because of con-

trolled variables, the hydroponic growth rate can be 20 to 50 percent

faster than traditional plants’ growth rate, and plants grow larger.

Extra oxygen in hydroponic growing mediums stimulates root growth

and encourages nutrient absorption. These nutrient water solutions

deploy to root systems several times daily, so plants don’t have to

search soil for nutrients and break down food. Instead, plant energy

goes straight to growth and fruit production, like pizza being deliv-

ered to a couch potato, but with more productive results. Hydroponic

plants also experience fewer problems with bug infestations, fungi

and disease.

Sustainability is a top priority for Hagney, more so than remaining

purely organic or purely synthetic, which he doesn’t think is opti-

mally sustainable if strictly adhered to. For pest control, he uses a

combination of resources; Terminix treats the warehouse space so

there aren’t many insects even reaching the shipping container,

coated inside with a closed-cell spray foam insulation. But for pests

that do succeed, he uses beneficial insects and soaps that cover the

gills of insects like aphids. The Food Hub’s garlic roaster happens

to occupy warehouse space immediately next to Local Sprout, emit-

ting rich garlic fumes that Hagney surmises might also deter pests,

just as garlic can on garlic-eaters’ skin.

Hagney is a soil gardener also and acknowledges that not all dirt-

diggers gravitate to hydroponic’s clinical setting. Perhaps a hippie

at heart, Hagney keeps a clear vision of bottom-line resourcefulness,

“What I love about hydroponics is I don’twaste anything,” he says. Unused nutrientscycle back in closed circuits of water andwork again for the next crop of vegetables.

When water gets low, he incorporates what’s left into new mixes of

fertilizer and supplements of microrizal fungi. Local Sprout’s ship-

ping container is repurposed, and the vertical sleeves the vegetables

grow in are constructed from recycled plastic.

Nature can simply be inconsistent and unpredictable. Hagney notes,

“A landscape is not an intrinsically unique entity,” but all entities

can be harnessed in hydroponics. Hydroponic growers can replicate

flavors that occur in nature by controlling unpredictable variables,

like fertilizer’s macro and micro elements, structures plants hold

onto, permeability, air and water temperatures, light intensity and

wave lengths, spacing, water pH, microorganisms, even the angle

of land. Hagney mixes his own nutrients from an online hydroponics

supplier. “In a controlled environment, you can increase CO2 by two

to three times and increase the yield substantially,” he says.

Hagney adds, “The reason I do hydroponics isnot to make a quick buck. This version ofagriculture will be what cultures rely on inthe future.”

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SUSTAINABLE GARDENINGW

This much is true: Hydroponics definitely appeals to rocket

scientists. NASA has experimented with it for years and

now fully embraces hydroponic gardening for its space pro-

grams. In August 2015, International Space Station astro-

nauts finally sampled space roughage they’d been growing

hydroponically for years. Astronaut Scott Kelly might not

have gotten to famously muse, “One small step for

mankind…” but he did get to quip, “Tastes like arugula!”

For future long-duration missions, life support will prove

more efficient with plants grown on site rather than via re-

supply. And not only does space farming supplement a

healthy diet, but plants remove toxic carbon dioxide from

spacecraft air and produce oxygen.

And just in case this seems too out-of-this-world, remember

your elementary school science project, with the pinto bean

wedged in a wet paper towel growing roots and shoots? Or

that potato suspended on toothpicks in a glass of water on

the kitchen table?

Hydroponics.

RADIATION ONCOLOGY

Jui-Lien Chou, MD

Dr. Jui-Lien “Lillian” Chou is a board-certifiedradiation oncologist who is also a breast can-cer survivor. Her passion is in providing com-prehensive, compassionate and excellenthealth care.

She is a breast care specialist and has dedi-cated herself to the development of state-of-the-art breast care centers for the benefit ofher patients. She founded Aurora BreastCenter San Antonio in September of 2009.

Aurora Breast Center is the only comprehen-sive breast care center in San Antonio featur-ing a breast care clinic with cutting-edgebreast imaging, biopsy and cancer treatmenttechnology and a compassionate team.

Education:• Medical College: National Taiwan

University, in 1980 with honors

• Residency: Radiation Oncology,Cancer Therapy and ResearchCenter/University of Texas HealthScience Center at San Antonio

Years in San Antonio: 11

Contact:Aurora Breast CenterAurora Cancer Center9102 Floyd Curl Drive San Antonio, TX 78240(210) 247-0888www.aurorabreastcenter.com

• Breast Care Specialist• Radiation Oncologist• Breast Cancer Survivor

PLASTIC SURGERY

Jessica Belz, MD

Dr. Jessica Belz is a fellowship-trained plasticsurgeon in San Antonio and South Texas. Sheis committed to helping her patients achievetheir personal aesthetic goals and enhancetheir self-confidence, in the safest mannerpossible.  Her caring and compassionate ap-proach, along with her feminine perspectiveand attention to detail, provide her patientswith individualized care and a fresh outlookon life.

Education:Princeton University,University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Washington University in St. Louis

Languages: English, Spanish and German.

Contact:Jessica Belz, MD255 E. Sonterra BoulevardSuite 201San Antonio, TX 78258(210) 529-8994www.drjessicabelz.com

• Plastic Surgery• Nonsurgical Facial

Rejuvenation• Breast Reduction• Body Contouring• Mommy Makeover

INTERNAL MEDICINE AND ENDOCRINOLOGY

Dr. Laura Akright

• Board certified Internal Medicineand Endocrinology

• Member of American Association ofClinical Endocrinologist,

• Texas Medical Assoc. and BexarCounty Medical Society.

Dr. Laura Akright has been a practicing En-docrinologist in San Antonio since 1985, andwas fortunate to have been the first En-docrinology fellow at the UTHSCSA. She andher husband, Bruce Akright MD (OB/GYN),originally came to San Antonio after gradu-ating from medical school. Together theyhave raised three sons, acquired numerouspets, have been able to follow patients intheir respective practices for many years,and both truly enjoy their careers.

Dr. Akright feels fortunate to have incorpo-rated into her Endocrinology practice clinicalresearch trials with NE Clinical Research. Thisfurthers her medical knowledge, but also al-lows patients to get treatments they may notbe able to afford, and gives access to healthcare by another means. She also has a Well-ness Program, Ideal Protein, which can focusattention specifically on the importance ofdiet and weight loss on overall health.

Education:Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TXMedicine: Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MOInternship and Residency:UT Health Science Center

Years of practice: 32

Contact:Northeast Endocrinology Associates, P.A.5000 Schertz Parkway, Suite 200,Schertz, TX 78154

www.neendocrinology.com(210) 650-3360

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GASTROENTEROLOGY

Seema A. Dar, MD, FACG

• Colon Cancer Screenings• Inflammatory Bowel Diseases• Liver Disease/Hepatology• Virtual Capsule Endoscopy• Board Certified Gastroenterologist

Dr. Dar is a Board Certified Gastroenterolo-gist. She completed her fellowship trainingat UTHSC at San Antonio. Dr. Dar began herPrivate Practice in 1997. She is very passion-ate about her patients. She believes earlydetection of Colon Cancer is critical. Dr. Daronce participated in clinical trials for Crohn’sand Ulcerative Colitis, exposing her to manyIBD patients. With that exposure, she wasable to increase her knowledge on how totreat, control and manage these life debili-tating diseases, returning quality of life tothe patient.

Dr. Dar is married to Urfan Dar, MD and theyhave two daughters. When not working sheenjoys horseback riding, reading and gar-dening.

Education:Medical Degree: University of Kashmir,IndiaResidency: Texas Tech UniversityFellowship: University ofTexas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Years of practice: 19

Contact:Stone Oak Gastroenterology19284 Stone Oak Pkwy #102San Antonio, TX 78258(210) 268-0124 www.sagidoc.com

CLINICAL AUDIOLOGIST

Dr. Phallon DossClinical Audiologist

• Diagnostic Hearing Evaluations

• Hearing Aids• Tinnitus Assessment and

Treatment• Custom Hearing Protection

Dr. Phallon Doss is steadily becoming aleader in the field of audiology. She gradu-ated summa cum laude from Texas Woman’sUniversity, and received her doctorate in au-diology from the University of North Texas.She has extensive experience in a wide rangeof audiologic procedures, including diagnos-tic hearing examinations, hearing aid selec-tion and fitting, electrophysiology, andcochlear implant programming. In additionto owning a successful private practice, sheteaches distance learning diagnostic and pe-diatric audiology for the University ofGuyana in South America and is a guest lec-turer for the University of North Texas. Dr.Doss maintains her clinical certification fromthe American Speech-Language-Hearing As-sociation and is a Fellow of the AmericanAcademy of Audiology.

Education:Bachelor of ScienceSumma Cum LaudeTexas Woman’s University

Doctorate in AudiologyUniversity of North Texas

Contact:Doss Audiology & Hearing Center5000 Schertz Parkway,Suite 300Schertz, TX 78254Office: (210) 819-5002Fax: (210) 819-5003www.dossaudiology.com

ALLERGY, ASTHMA, IMMUNOLOGY

Patricia Gomez Dinger, DO

• Pediatric and Adult• Board Certified in Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology

* Oral Immunotherapy for Peanut

Dr. Patricia Gomez Dinger leads her field inthe areas of mountain cedar desensitizationwith sublingual immunotherapy, and, in Au-gust 2015, became the first Allergist in SanAntonio to conduct Oral Immunotherapy(OIT) to treat those with peanut allergy.

Dr. Gomez Dinger is passionate about in-forming the community about the latest ad-vancements in allergy, asthma, andimmunology and speaks locally and nation-ally to further education. She's a Super Doc-tors 2015 recipient, past President of the SanAntonio Allergy Society and continuouslyworks hard to grow awareness to allergy andasthma related campaigns.

"The is no greater reward than having a pa-tient return for a follow up visit to tell methey are feeling the best they have ever feltin their life!" ~ Dr. Dinger

Education:University of Texas, Austin, TXNew York College of OsteopathicMedicine, Long Island, NYResidency: University of Texas Health Sci-ence Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TXFellowship: Kaiser Permanente SouthernCalifornia Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

Years in Practice in Texas: 15

Contact:Advanced Allergy Asthma and Immunology540 Madison Oak, Suite 210San Antonio, TX 78258

5000 Schertz Parkway, Suite 400Schertz, TX 78154

www.mysaallergist.com(210) 499-ITCHemail: info@mysaallergist.com

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VASCULAR SURGERY

Lori L. Pounds, MD

Dr. Pounds grew up in Jeannette, Pennsylva-nia. She went to the University of Pittsburghfor undergraduate school and attended Tem-ple University School of Medicine. She didher general surgical residency at the Univer-sity of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston andthen went back to Temple for a Vascular Sur-gery Fellowship. Dr. Pounds returned toUTMB in Galveston and was an assistant pro-fessor for 6 years. She relocated to San An-tonio in 2007 and had a successful privatepractice, leaving for the opportunity to teachand work with the veterans in a dual appoint-ment in the School of Medicine Division ofVascular/Endovascular Surgery at the UTSchool of Medicine in San Antonio.

Dr. Pounds is committed to providing excel-lent care for vascular disorders and has a par-ticular interest in acute and chronic venousdisease.

Education:Medical School: Temple University School of MedicineResidency: University of Texas MedicalBranch, GalvestonFellowship: Temple University School of Medicine

Years of practice: 15

Contact:UT Medicine Vascular SurgeryMedical Arts & Research Center - MARC8300 Floyd Curl Drive, 3rd Floor - 3BSan Antonio, TX 78229(210) 450-9888www.UTMedicine.orgVascular.UTHSCSA.edu

SAME DAY APPOINTMENTS

• Treatment of varicose veins• Treatment of acute and chronic

Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT)• Therapies for venous ulcerations• Dialysis access creation

ENDOCRINOLOGY

Kathleen Hands, MDFACE, ECNU

Kathleen Hands, M.D., is board-certified inboth internal medicine and Endocrinologywith sub-specialty training in thyroid disor-ders. Dr. Hands is the first ultrasound certi-fied endocrinologist from AIUM and trainsother endocrinologists in thyroid ultrasoundguided biopsy techniques.

Recognized nationally for her expertise inlymph node assessment in patients with thy-roid nodules to determine risks for cancer,she is one of few physicians who performmolecular studies on thyroid nodule biopsies,increasing accuracy in assessing cancer risksand avoiding unnecessary surgery.

Dr. Hands has received “Compassionate Doc-tor Award” from independent patient reviewgroups.

Education:Fellowship: UTHSC, San Antonio• Diplomat of the American Board

of Internal Medicine• Diplomat of the American Board of

Endocrinology and Metabolism• Asst. Professor, Univ. of Texas

Health Science Center SA, Dept. of Medicine

Years in San Antonio: 12

Contact:Thyroid & Endocrine Center of South Texas540 Madison Oak Dr., Suite 270San Antonio, TX 78258 (210) 491-9494www.thyroid-center.comDrHands@thyroid-center.com

• Thyroid nodules & Thyroid cancer• Parathyroid disease• Pregnancy-related thyroid disease• Autoimmune thyroid diseases• Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism

GASTROENTEROLOGY

Donna McMyler, MD

• Board certified gastroenterologist

• Colon cancer screening• Inflammatory bowel disease• Celiac disease• Acid reflux/heartburn

Dr. Donna McMyler uses her background innutrition to treat patients with gastrointesti-nal issues such as acid reflux, celiac disease,IBS and gastroparesis. Her father-in-law wasdiagnosed with colon cancer at an early age,and she has made it her mission to ensureboth men and women are screened for thishighly preventable disease. Dr. McMyler at-tended the University of Texas Health Sci-ence Center at Houston for medical schooland the University of Texas Health ScienceCenter at San Antonio for residency and fel-lowship. Dr. McMyler grew up in a small townin Texas and when not helping her patients,she enjoys spending time with her husbandand two daughters.

A lot of women will take care of their familyfirst — their kids, their husband — womenneed to take care of themselves.

Education:B.S. Degree: Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TXM.D. Degree: University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TXInternal Medicine Residency: University ofTexas Health Science Center at San AntonioGastroenterology Fellowship: University ofTexas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Years in practice: 8

Contact:Gastroenterology Consultants of San Antonio855 Proton RoadSan Antonio, TX 78258(210) 614-1234www.gastroconsa.com

VASCULAR SURGERY

Maureen K. Sheehan, MD

Dr. Sheehan graduated from medical schoolin 1998, and completed her general surgeryresidency at Loyola University Medical Cen-ter in 2003. She then completed a two-yearfellowship in Vascular and EndovascularSurgery at University of Pittsburgh in 2005.She has also completed her Masters of Sci-ence in Clinical Investigation. She currentlyserves on several national committees invascular surgery.

Her current clinical and research interestsinclude endovascular treatment of perif-pheral arterial disease, critical limb is-chemia, carotid disease, and venousdisease. She also has expertise in immedi-ate, patient-centered care for venous andarterial disease.

Education:Medical School: Loyola University ChicagoStrich School of MedicineResidency: Loyola University Medical Center, MaywoodFellowship: Vascular Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical CenterOther: Masters in Health Administration(MHA), Trinity University

Contact:UT Medicine Vascular SurgeryMedical Arts & Research Center - MARC8300 Floyd Curl Drive, 3rd Floor - 3BSan Antonio, TX 78229(210) 450-9888www.UTMedicine.orgVascular.UTHSCSA.edu

SAME DAY APPOINTMENTS

• Treatment of varicose veins• Treatment of acute and chronic

Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT)• Sclerotherapy for spider veins

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GASTROENTEROLOGY

Zarema Singson, MD

• Board certified gastroenterologist

• Colon cancer screening• Inflammatory bowel disease• Women’s GI Health• Liver disease

Dr. Singson earned her medical degree fromthe UT Health Science Center in San Antonioand went on to complete her residency andfellowship training at the University of Cali-fornia Irvine, where she served as Chief Res-ident and received an award for her researchon innovative methods in polyp detectionand analysis. She is skilled in all areas of gas-troenterology with a special interest in in-flammatory bowel disease, colon cancerprevention, women’s GI health, hepatology,and obesity as it relates to GI disorders.When she is not practicing medicine, she en-joys traveling, cooking and spending timewith her family.

I believe in the patient/physician relationshipand enjoy building a relationship with my pa-tients and working together on their healthgoals.

Education:B.A. Degree: Biology: Rice University, Hous-ton, TXM.D. Degree: University of Texas Health Sci-ence Center at San AntonioInternal Medicine Residency: University ofCalifornia Irvine, Orange, CAGastroenterology Fellowship: University ofCalifornia Irvine, Orange, CA

Years of practice: 3

Contact:Gastroenterology Consultants of San Antonio8214 WurzbachSan Antonio, TX 78229(210) 614-1234www.gastroconsa.com

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Guide

Luxury homes available for purchase in San Antonio and the Surrounding Texas Hill Country Area

SanAntonioDreamHomes.com

DREAM HOME

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Calendar ART // MUSIC // FILM // THEATER // DANCE // CHARITY // OUTDOORS

( EDITOR’S PICK )

Exhibit opens May 14 MAYA - HIDDEN WORLDS REVEALEDPresented at the new Mays Family Center at the Witte

This is the largest traveling exhibition about the Maya ever to tour theUnited States, and this is the Texas premiere of the exhibition. The ex-hibit uses a combination of authentic artifacts along with multimediaand interactive, hands-on activities to reveal our deep ties to this aston-ishing civilization. Experience the way Mayans lived, learn their calen-dars, mathematics, and cosmology through interactive opportunities.Please note: The exhibit is massive, the largest ever at the Witte, so werecommend scheduling a longer than average time to enjoy the exhibi-tion, and its demonstrations and programs.www.wittemuseum.org

May 8THE SAN ANTONIO CHILDREN’S CHOIRMOTHERS DAYThe Tobin Center, 3pmMusic by, about and for mothers isthe centerpiece for our Spring con-cert, which will feature the debutof our new Prelude Choir com-posed of singers ages 5-7. Comesee our combined choruses per-forming to honor mothers every-where for Mother’s Day in theH-E-B Performance Hall in theTobin Center for Performing Arts. www.tobincenter.org

May 9GRAHAM NASHThe Majestic Theatre, 8pmLegendary singer-songwriter Gra-ham Nash has announced that hehas added additional United Statestour dates, due to the success of

May 3-8MOTOWN THE MUSICALThe Majestic Theatre

his new studio album, This PathTonight, which was released world-wide on April 15. As a formermember of Crosby, Stills Nash &Young, he is best known for hiscontribution to hits like MarrakeshExpress, Our House and Teach YourChildren.www.majesticempire.com

May 9THE GIPSY KINGSThe Majestic Theatre, 7:30pmThe Gipsy Kings meld flamenco,rumba, salsa and pop. They havesold over 20 million albums, Theyare the Grammy Award-winninghit-makers behind the song Bam-boléo. Celebrate with them as theytake audiences back to the southof France with flamenco guitarsand booming Spanish vocals.www.majesticempire.com

May 10JOHN FOGERTYThe Majestic Theatre, 8pmAmerican singer-songwriter JohnFogerty, lead singer and guitarist ofCreedance Clearwater Revival, vis-its San Antonio for one night only.Fogerty penned some of the mostmemorable songs in rock and roll,including Proud Mary, Bad MoonRising and Fortunate Son. www.majesticempire.com

May 10CELTIC WOMANDESTINY WORLD TOURThe Majestic Theatre, 7pmA multiplatinum Irish music sensa-tion, Celtic Woman presents Des-tiny, an enchanting new show andworld concert tour. www.majesticempire.com

May 11SPLENDOR IN THE GARDEN GALASan Antonio Botanical Garden,6:30pm Enjoy an evening of cocktails, din-ner and dancing under the stars.This annual fundraiser supportsfamily programming at the Garden.www.sabot.org

May 21ARMED FORCESRIVER PARADEThe River Walk, 6 - 7pm

May 31 - June 5THE WIZARD OF OZThe Majestic Theatre

This parade is dedicated to the menand women of the Armed Forces,past and present. Enjoy watchingpatriotically decorated floats carry-ing all 5 branches of military person-nel drift down the river. www.sanantonioriverwalk.com

May 21BREWS AND BLOOMSThe San Antonio Botanical Gar-den, 6:30-9:30pmEnjoy craft brew samples foodbooths, and music, all set in thegorgeous, flowering Botanical Gar-den. A casual evening for adults 21and older (no children allowed).Working closely with San AntonioCerveceros, Brews and Blooms pro-vides a venue for new and sea-soned local craft breweries toshowcase their beer selections,from Blonde Ales and Wits to PaleAles and IPA’s, including limited re-leases from local breweries. Due toconstruction, on-site parking is lim-ited Tickets: $25 (Members/$22).Designated driver tickets: $15. www.sabot.org.

May 23PETER FRAMPTONThe Tobin Center, 8pmSinger, songwriter and guitaristPeter Frampton was a musicalprodigy, teaching himself to playthe guitar at age 7. Within thenext few years, he mastered com-plex jazz, blues and rock riffs. Lis-ten as he performs favorites likeBaby I Love Your Way, Do YouFeel Like I Do? and Show Me theWay. www.tobincenter.org

May 27MEMORIAL DAYARTISAN RIVER WALKBOUTIQUEThe River Walk, 11am - 8pm Some of the most novel handmademerchandise available anywhere.Whether it’s jewelry, pottery or fineart you are interested in, you aresure to find what you’re lookingfor.www.sanantonioriverwalk.com

May 28CHICAGO The Majestic Theatre, 8pmHailed as one of the most impor-tant bands in music since thedawn of the rock and roll era.This legendary rock and roll band,known for their great horns, is thefirst American rock band to chartTop 40 albums in six consecutivedecades. Enjoy fan favorite hitslike Saturday in the Park, If YouLeave Me Now, Hard Habit ToBreak and more.www.majesticempire.com

May 11SPLENDOR IN THE GARDEN GALASan Antonio Botanical Garden

May 6A CHORUS LINEOPENING NIGHTThe San Pedro Playhouse, 8pmThe beloved musical with music byMarvin Hamlisch will be performed.www.theplayhousesa.org

May 3 - 8

MOTOWN THE MUSICALThe Majestic Theatre, Times varyMotown the Musical is the trueAmerican dream story of Motownfounder Berry Gordy’s journey fromfeatherweight boxer to the heavy-weight music mogul who launchedthe careers of Diana Ross, MichaelJackson, Smokey Robinson andmany more. Featuring classic songssuch as My Girl and Ain’t No Moun-tain High Enough,experience thestory behind the music in thisrecord-breaking smash hit. www.majesticempire.com

May 7SPRING PLANTSHOW AND SALESan Antonio Botanical Garden,10am - 2pmShop for San Antonio-friendly plantsgrown by volunteers at the BotanicalGarden at this annual spring plantsale. Make selections for your land-scape that save you time, moneyand water! One-gallon size plants.Garden admission required.www.sabot.org

May 21BREWS & BLOOMSThe San Antonio Botanical Garden

W

139may/june 2016 |

ART // MUSIC // FILM // THEATER // DANCE // CHARITY // OUTDOORS

May 29THE RIVER CITY ROCKFESTThe AT&T Center, 8pmGrammy Award-nominated rockband Disturbed and German rocklegend Scorpions will co-headlinethe fourth annual Bud Light RiverCity Rockfest. This year’s MemorialDay weekend outdoor rock festivalwill feature more than 20 bandslive on three stages. Lineup also in-cludes Megadeth, Bullet For MyValentine, Hellyeah, Sixx AM, PopEvil, Sevendust, P.O.D., The Sword,Texas Hippie Coalition, Hatebreed,Devil Driver, Red Sun Rising, Avatarand Wild Throne. Additional bandswill be announced at a later date. www.attcenter.com

May 31 - June 5THE WIZARD OF OZThe Majestic Theatre, times varyThis new production is an enchant-ing adaptation of the all-time clas-sic, totally reconceived for thestage. Developed from the everpopular MGM screenplay, this pro-duction contains the beloved songsfrom the Oscar®-winning moviescore, all the favorite charactersand iconic moments, plus a fewsurprises along the way, includingnew songs by Tim Rice and An-drew Lloyd Webber. Click yourheels together and join Scarecrow,Tin Man, Lion, Dorothy and her lit-tle dog Toto, as they journeythrough the magical land of Oz tomeet the Wizard and obtain theirhearts’ desires. www.majesticempire.com

June 3THE MCNAY SPRING PARTY: CONEYISLAND AT THE MCNAYThe McNay, 7pm - MidnightJoin us for the 8th Annual SpringParty as we head to Coney Island!Don your Boardwalk Best Attire asyou stroll the McNay’s grounds par-taking in games, fabuloussideshow acts, and amazing musi-cal entertainment. All your favoriteConey Island delicacies and cock-tails will be served. This is a “can’tmiss” evening. To make it more ex-citing, our fabulous silent auctionis back, with items from some of

selling father of five. He re-cently wrapped the first seasonof his semi-fictitious televisionshow, The Jim Gaffigan Show,which TV Land picked up for asecond season and premieresthis summer. Join him for his stand-up act forone night only at the MajesticTheatre.www.majesticempire.com

He is widely known for popular-izing the twist dance style, withhis 1960 hit cover of Hank Bal-lard's R&B hit The Twist. www.tobincenter.org

July 10JIM GAFFIGANFULLY DRESSED TOURThe Majestic Theatre, 7pmJim Gaffigan is a Grammy nomi-nated comedian, New York Timesbest-selling author, top touringperformer, and multi-platinum-

June 6WHITESNAKE

The Majestic Theatre

the city’s best restaurants, bou-tiques, sports, and entertainmentbusinesses.www.mcnayart.org

June 6WHITESNAKEGREATEST HITS TOURThe Majestic Theatre, 8pmThe band is blowing audiencesaway with this stunning, ener-getic live performance. The bandis on tour promoting their mostrecent studio offering,The PurpleAlbum. www.majesticempire.com

June 12JANE LYNCHSEE JANE SINGThe Majestic Theatre, 8pmFresh from her iconic portrayal ofSue Sylvester on Glee and herBroadway debut as Miss Hanni-gan in Annie, Jane will bring hercomic skills and musical prowessto the theater stage.Audiences should prepare for aside-splitting evening of musicalcomedy, with more than a dash of

June 3THE SPRING PARTY

AT THE MCNAYThe McNay

wit as Jane explores her love of thebeauty and absurdity of the Amer-ican standard and show tune.www.majesticempire.com

June 24WHOOPI GOLDBERGThe Tobin Center, 8pmReturning to the stage to share herunique observations on currentevents and anything else on hermind, Whoopi Goldberg performsat the Majestic Theatre. She is known throughout theworld for her accomplishments asa performer, best-selling author,producer and humanitarian. She isone of an elite group of artists whohave won a Grammy, Academy,Golden Globe, Emmy and Tony

awards. www.tobincenter.org

June 25CHUBBY CHECKERThe Tobin Center, 7:30pmLet's twist again! It's the one andonly, legendary, great ChubbyChecker — the limbo,the twist, theman of a thousand dances...

June 24WHOOPI GOLDBERGThe Tobin Center

July 10JIM GAFFIGAN

The Majestic Theater

June 25CHUBBY CHECKER

The Tobin CEnter

MAY/JUNE

2016

| sawoman.com140

W DINING

Myron “Bill” Been and his wife, Jo Anna, opened

the sleek and contemporary Myron’s Prime Steak-

house in the shiny Alon Town Centre. With many exciting features such

as an extensive bar (service begins at 3:30 p.m.), outside dining, wine-

pairing and spirit-pairing dinners — both created monthly by chef Jared

Heilman — it is a culinary treasure of elegance, comfort, and sublime

specialties. Having received many recent awards of distinction, it has

quickly become a savory destination on the San Antonio dining map.

Been knows steak and has for decades. Before opening the original

and very successful Myron’s Prime Steakhouse in New Braunfels in

2003, Been’s goal was always to build a long-standing family business

centered on warm hospitality and high-end beef. He realized early on

how critical a team approach with his wife would be. Thankfully, his

native San Antonio bride was willing, and together, they sought to gain

valuable experience in order to prepare themselves. Been explains, “I

first spent many years managing the renowned Old San Francisco

Steakhouse in Dallas and then opened and managed the one in San An-

tonio. Meanwhile, Jo Anna honed her skills, but on the finance side of

the restaurant.” Other restaurant management opportunities followed,

and eventually they realized their dreams.

Reflecting on how their journey began, Been says, “It all happened

when I dined at an upscale steakhouse in Dallas during my pre-med

studies at Texas Tech in the ‘70s. I was so transformed by the experi-

ence,” he exclaims, “I returned to Lubbock and promptly changed my

major to business and haven’t veered off the steak path since. Now,

daughter Jenny and her husband, Steve Franckowiak, work with us;

she is the administrator for the entire operation, and he is the general

manager of the New Braunfels location. Our success is in this family,”

attests Been.

After a bit of research, it is apparent how stringent Myron’s standards

are in serving the highest-quality beef available — Chicago USDA

Prime beef, inspected as the most tender and flavorful beef with the

finest texture. The higher fat marbling ratio combined with the lower

beef maturity constitute a Prime grading. The aging process follows,

and Myron’s ensures their beef is dry-aged for a minimum of 14 days

and then is wet-aged between 28 and 35 days. I ordered the 8-ounce

filet topped with their signature “Shrimp Myron” (plump shrimp with

white wine and garlic butter sauce) draped over the top. Each bliss-

ful, buttery bite melted into the next. The bone-in rib-eye landed on

the table next to us, and it was such a sight, I made a mental note to

come even hungrier next time in order to try this 22-ounce Prime rib-

eye, a carnivore’s delight.

While pork is not graded in the same way as beef in the United States,

Myron’s manages to source the best pork I have ever tasted at a steak-

house — I know this because I sawed off a juicy morsel from my hus-

band’s plate. Curious, I asked Been to elaborate on their perfectly

executed pork, and he boasted, “It doesn’t even come with a sauce, per

se, because we are confident it is so moist and delicious it just doesn’t

need it.” His pork theory reminds me of Texas barbecue enthusiasts

who feel it is blasphemous to slather sauce on their prized meat. I

have come around in my thinking since moving to the Lone Star State

and now can fully appreciate Been’s passion behind serving two 8-

ounce, 1-inch-thick single bone-in pork chops piled up high and sauce-

less. The glistening pork stands alone at Myron’s, but any of their

delicious house-made sauces are available — with no scorn.

Coming from a long line of steak connoisseurs, I also find genuine

pleasure in appreciating the sides — an art form for sure. There are

many noteworthy sides at Myron’s, but the most popular is probably the

jalapeño mac and cheese. I marveled at the creamy, cheesy sauce with

tangy notes from the sharp aged cheddar, but the delayed pulse of

jalapeño heat after every spoonful is why I suspect the fans are en-

deared. There are other cheesy delights at Myron’s like the au gratin

broccoli, au gratin potatoes, au gratin cauliflower and the au gratin

spinach, leading me to believe they take their “au gratin” formula very

seriously — pure decadence.

There is something special for everyone at Myron’s Prime Steakhouse,

including live Maine lobster, king crab legs, the daily “fresh catch,” rack

of lamb and other celebrated appetizer and entree fare from the earth,

sky and sea. But what’s a memorable steakhouse experience without

finishing with a lavish dessert — or two? The classic chocolate cake

was superior, arriving warm with rich chocolate ganache sauce drip-

ping every which way. The classic bread pudding was exquisite, usher-

ing me to happy nostalgia of the finest bread puddings while growing

up in Louisiana. Other desserts caught our eye as well, but we were

just too full.

In addition to a glorious menu and attentive service, Myron’s also offers

three private rooms ranging from an intimate gathering of 12 to a larger

meeting room for up to 60 seats, all outfitted with AV capabilities.

Overall, after this spectacular meal and personable conversation with

Bill Been, it is clear why Myron’s Prime Steakhouse in the Alon Town

Centre is a compelling restaurant for all occasions. Been summarizes

it best, saying, “Above all, it is the love of family that shines through

and sets us apart.” And so it is.

In 2011,

Myron’s PrimeSteakhouse

A Savory Destination of DistinctionShaped by a Family’s LoveBY LAUREN BROWNING

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANET ROGERS

141may/june 2016 |

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The elegant interior of Myron’s PrimeSteakhouse, Seared Tuna Appetizer, Creme Brulee with Fresh Berries, Scallops, Jalapeño Mac and Cheese, Rib-eye with Shrimp Myron Topping.

| sawoman.com142

TIME EATAMERICAN

BIGA ON THE BANKS 203 S. St. Mary’s 225-0722BIRD BAKERY 5912 Broadway 804-2473BLISS 926 S. Presa 225-2547BOUDRO’S 314 E. Commerce 224-1313CAPPY’S 5011 Broadway 828-9669CAPPYCCINO’S BISTRO 5003 Broadway 828-6860CYPRESS GRILL 170 S. Main St., #A, Boerne (830) 248-1353ANNE MARIES’S BISTRO 555 Funston Place 826-5800SAN ANTONIO CAFÉ 1150 S. Alamo 271-7791CHEESECAKE FACTORY 7400 San Pedro 798-0769FEAST 1024 S. Alamo 354-1024THE GRILL AT LEON SPRINGS 24116 IH-10 W. 698-8797GUENTHER HOUSE 205 E. Guenther 227-1061HOULIHAN'S 14601 IH-35 N. 651-4744

385 N. Loop 1604 W. 494-3371J. ALEXANDER’S 555 E. Basse 824-0275JOSEPHINE STREET 400 E. Josephine 224-6169KONA GRILL 15900 La Cantera Pkwy. 877-5355LIBERTY BAR 1111 S. Alamo 227-1187MADRID ROOM 300 E. Travis 227-4392MAGIC TIME MACHINE 902 N.E. Loop 410 828-1470MAMA'S CAFE 2442 Nacogdoches 826-8303

7929 Pat Booker Rd. 653-2002RAINFOREST CAFÉ 517 N. Presa 223-3297RESTAURANT GWENDOLYN 152 E. Pecan #100 222-1849SCENIC LOOP CAFE 25615 Boerne Stage Rd. 687-1818SILO ELEVATED CUISINE 1133 Austin Highway 824-8686

434 N. Loop 1604 483-8989STONE WERKS Broadway at Basse 823-3508VINEYARD 27315 FM 3009 (830) 980-8033ZEDRIC’S 5231 Broadway 824-6000

ASIAN

BIG KAHUNAS 741 W. Ashby Pl. 733-8473CHINA BISTRO 10103 Huebner Road 340-7944DING HOW 4531 N.W. Loop 410 340-7944FORMOSA GARDENS 1011 N. E. Loop 410 828-9988FUJIYA 9030 Wurzbach 615-7553GOLDEN WOK 8822 Wurzbach 615-8282

8230 Marbach 674-2577ILSONG GARDEN 6905 Blanco Rd. 366-4508INDIA OVEN 1031 Patricia 366-1033INDIA PALACE 8440 Fredericksburg 692-5262KOI KAWA 4051 Broadway 805-8111MANOLA’S THAI 7212 Blanco Rd. 348-9071MENCIUS’S GOURMET 7959 Fredericksburg 615-1288MON THAI BISTRO 4901 Broadway 822-3253P. F. CHANG’S 255 E. Basse 507-1000

15900 La Cantera Pkwy 507-6500SAWASDEE 6407 Blanco Road 979-9110SUSHIHANA 1810 N.W. Military 340-7808SUSHI ZUSHI IH-10 W. and Wurzbach 691-3332

SUSHI ZUSHI 203 S. St. Mary’s 472-2900999 E. Basse 826-850018720 Stone Oak 545-6100

TAIPEI 2211 N.W. Military 366-301218802 Stone Oak 403-3316

TASTE OF ASIA 300 W. Bitters 496-6266THAI LAO RESTAURANT 126 W. Rector 524-9908TOKYO STEAK HOUSE 9405 San Pedro 341-4461TONG’S THAI 1146 Austin Highway 829-7345

BARBECUEBUN ‘N’ BARREL 1150 Austin Hwy. 828-2829THE BARBEQUE STATION 610 N.E. Loop 410 691-3332CHIT CHAT BBQ 218 N. Cherry 271-2888THE COUNTY LINE 111 W. Crockett 229-1491

10101 I-10 W. 641-1998RUDY’S COUNTRY STORE 24152 IH-10 W. 698-2141

15560 I-35 N. 653-783910623 Westover Hills 520-5552

THE BIG BIB 104 Lanark Dr. 654-8400TWO BROTHERS BBQ 12656 West Ave. 496-0222

CAJUN/CREOLEACADIANA 1289 S.W. Loop 410 674-0019BIG EASY CAFE 4822 Walzem Road 653-5688BOURBON STREET SEAFOOD 2815 N. Loop 1604 545-0666THE COOKHOUSE 720 E. Mistletoe 320-8211PAT O’BRIEN’S 121 Alamo Plaza 212-8698

EUROPEANANAQUA GRILL 555 S. Alamo 229-1000CITRUS 150 E. Houston 227-9700CRUMPETS 3920 Harry Wurzbach 821-5454FIG TREE 515 Villita 224-1976FOLC 226 E. Olmos 822-0100FREDERICK’S 7701 Broadway 828-9050FREDERICK’S BISTRO 14439 N.W. Military #100 888-1500THE GAZEBO AT LOS PATIOS 2015 N.E. Loop 410 655-6171HOUSTON STREET BISTRO 204 E. Houston 476-8600LAS CANARIAS 112 College 518-1000LA FRITE BELGIAN BISTRO 728 S. Alamo 224-7555LION & ROSE ENGLISH PUB 5148 Broadway 822-7673

842 N.W. Loop 410 798-4154700 E. Sonterra Blvd. 798-5466

LÜKE 125 E. Houston 227-5853NOSH 1133 Austin Highway 824-8686SAVEURS 209 209 Broadway 639-3165WAXY O’CONNOR’S 234 River Walk 229-9299

HAMBURGERSBIG’Z BURGER JOINT 2303 N. Loop 1604 W. 408-2029BOBBY J’S 13247 Bandera Rd. 695-4941BUCKHORN SALOON 318 E. Houston St. 247-4000BURGER BOY 2323 N. St. Mary’s 735-1955CHRIS MADRID’S 1900 Blanco 735-3552CHEESY JANE’S 4200 Broadway 826-0800 CHESTER’S HAMBURGERS 1006 N.E. Loop 410 805-8600

9980 IH-10 W. 699-122216609 San Pedro 494-3333621 Pat Booker 658-3000

FATTY’S 1624 E.Commerce 299-8110FUDDRUCKERS 115 Alamo Plaza 223-9944

8602 Botts Ln. 824-6703

Hsiu Yu8338 Broadway StSan Antonio, TX 78209(210) 828-2273

toRESTAURANT GUIDE

Silo 1133 Austin Highway (210) 824-8686434 N. Loop 1604(210) 493-8989

143may/june 2016 |

GOURMET BURGER GRILL 18414 Hwy. 281 N. 545-3800LONGHORN CAFE 17625 Blanco Rd. 492-0301MO MAK’S 13838 Jones Maltsberger 481-3600SAM’S BURGER JOINT 330 E. Grayson St. 223-2830TEXAS HAMBURGER CO 9010 Huebner Rd. 699-1189TIMBO’S 1639 Broadway 223-1028

ITALIANALDINO AT THE VINEYARD 1203 N. Loop 1604 W. 340-0000ALDO'S RISTORANTE 8539 Fredericksburg 696-2536BRAVO CUCINA ITALIANA 15900 La Cantera Pkwy. 877-9300CAPPARELLI’S ON MAIN 2524 N. Main 735-5757CARRABBA’S ITALIAN GRILL 12507 IH-10 W. 694-4191CERRONI’S PURPLE GARLIC 1017 Austin Hwy. 822-2300DOUGH PIZZERIA 6989 Blanco 979-6363IL SOGNO OSTERIA 200 E. Grayson, #100 223-3900LORENZO’S 8032 Fredericksburg Rd. 692-9900LA FOCACCIA ITALIAN GRILL 800 S. Alamo 223-5353LITTLE ITALY 824 Afterglow 349-2060LUCE RISTORANTE E ENOTECA11255 Huebner 561-9700LUCIANO’S 849 E. Commerce 223-0500

401 South Alamo 888-7030MICHELINO’S 521 River Walk 223-2939MILANO RISTORANTE 11802 Wurzbach 493-3611PAESANOS 555 E. Basse 828-5191

111 W. Crockett 227-2782Loop 1604 at N.W. Military 493-1604

PIATTI 255 E. Basse 832-0300PIATTI EILAN 1701 La Cantera Pkwy., #7 251-3542PICCOLO’S 5703 Evers Rd. 647-5524POMPEII ITALIAN GRILL 16019 Nacogdoches 946-5518TRE TRATTORIA 4003 Broadway 805-0333

MEDITERRANEANDEMO’S 7115 Blanco 342-2772

2501 N. St. Mary’s 732-7777COPA WINE BAR 19141 Stone Oak Pkwy. 495-2672GREEK TO ME 5440 Babcock Rd. 699-6688JERUSALEM GRILL 3259 Wurzbach Rd. 680-8400JOHN THE GREEK 16602 San Pedro 403-0565MIMI & DIMI’S 7159 W US Hiwy 90 674-3464PAPOULI’S GRILL 8250 Agora Pkwy., #120 659-2244

255 E. Basse, #384 804-111811224 Huebner, #201 641-1313

MEXICAN/LATIN

ÁCENAR MODERN TEX-MEX 146 E. Houston 222-2362AJUÚA! CUISINE DE MEXICO 11703 Huebner 877-0600ALAMO CAFÉ 10060 IH-10 W. 691-8827

14250 San Pedro 495-2233ALDACO'S 100 Hoefgen 222-0561

20079 Stone Oak Pkwy. 494-0561AZUCA NUEVO LATINO 713 S. Alamo 225-5550CASA RIO 430 E. Commerce 225-6718BETO’S 8421 Broadway 930-9393CIELITO LINDO 19141 Stone Oak Pkwy. 545-6965EL CHAPARRAL 15103 Bandera 695-8302

2838 N. Loop 1604 490-8302EL MIRADOR 722 S. St. Mary’s 225-9444EL MIRASOL ALTA COCINA 13489 Blanco 479-8765IRON CACTUS MEXICAN GRILL200 River Walk 224-9835LA FOGATA 2427 Vance Jackson 340-1337LA FONDA ALAMO HEIGHTS 1633 Crownhill 824-4231LA FONDA ON MAIN 2415 N. Main 733-0621LA FONDA OAK HILLS 350 Northaven 342-8981LA HACIENDA DE LOS BARRIOS 18747 Redland Rd. 497-8000LA MARGARITA 120 Produce Row 227-7140LOS BARRIOS 4223 Blanco 732-6017MAMACITA’S 8030 IH-10 W. 341-5424MI TIERRA CAFE AND BAKERY 218 Produce Row 225-1262

ORIGINAL MEXICAN 528 River Walk 224-9951PALOMA BLANCA 5800 Broadway 822-6151PALOMA RIVER WALK 215 Losoya 212-0566PAPPASITO’S CANTINA 10501 IH-10 W. 691-8974PERICO’S BAR AND GRILL 10820 Bandera 684-5376

1439 E. Sonterra Blvd. 402-6006PICANTE GRILL 3810 Broadway 822-3797PICO DE GALLO 111 S. Leona 225-6060RIO RIO CANTINA 421 E. Commerce 226-8462ROSARIO’S 910 S. Alamo 223-1806ROSARIO’S NORTH 7915 San Pedro 481-4100SALSALITO’S 14535 Nacogdoches 646-8088

11523 Bandera 558-6788SAZO’S LATIN GRILL 101 Bowie 223-1000SOLUNA COCINA MEXICANA 7959 Broadway 930-8070TACO TACO 145 E. Hildebrand 822-9522TOMATILLOS CANTINA 3210 Broadway 824-3005URBAN TACO 290 E. Basse, #105 332-5149

PIZZABARBARO 2920 McCullough 320-2261BRAZA BRAVA PIZZERIA 7959 Broadway 320-2100CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN 11745 IH-10 W. 699-4275

255 E. Basse Rd. 424-2014FLORIO’S PIZZA 7701 Broadway 805-8646GRIMALDI’S PIZZA 330 E. Basse, #101 832-8288GUILLERMO’S 618 McCullough 223-5587MISS ELLIE’S 903 E. Bitters Rd 499-1258SORRENTO 5146 Broadway 824-0055TRILOGY PIZZA BISTRO 19141 Stone Oak Pkwy. 404-1818VOLARE GOURMET PIZZA 5054 Broadway 828-3354

SEAFOODFISH CITY GRILL 18130 Hwy. 281 N. 495-3474FUSION SEAFOOD, STEAK 11703 Huebner Road 694-4201LANDRY’S SEAFOOD 517 N. Presa 527-1845PAPPADEAUX SEAFOOD 76 N.E. Loop 410 340-7143OSTRA ON THE RIVER 212 W. Crockett 396-5817THE SANDBAR 200 E. Grayson 212-2221SILO TERRACE OYSTER BAR 22211 IH-10 West 698-2002STARFISH 709 S. Alamo 375-4423WILDFISH SEAFOOD GRILLE 1834 N.W. Loop 1604 493-1600

SOUTHWESTERNCALIZA GRILL 420 W. Market 224-6500CANYON CAFE 225 E. Basse 225-0722FRANCESCA’S AT SUNSET 16641 La Cantera Pkwy. 558-6500ORO RESTAURANT AND BAR 705 E. Houston 225-5100

STEAKS

ANTLERS LODGE 9800 Hyatt Resort Dr. 520-4001THE BARN DOOR 8400 N. New Braunfels 824-0116BOLO’S ROTISSERIE GRILLE 9821 Colonnade 691-8888FLEMING’S 255 E. Basse Rd. 824-9463GREY MOSS INN 10901 Scenic Loop 695-8301KIRBY’S STEAKHOUSE 123 N. Loop 1604 E. 404-2221LITTLE RHEIN STEAKHOUSE 231 S. Alamo 225-1212MORTON’S STEAKHOUSE 849 E. Commerce 228-0700MYRON’S STEAKHOUSE 10003 N.W. Military 493-3031J. PRIME STEAKHOUSE 1401 N. Loop 1604 W. 764-1604THE PALM 233 E. Houston 226-7256PERRY’S STEAKHOUSE 15900 La Cantera Pkwy. 558-6161RUTH'S CHRIS 7720 Jones Maltsberger 821-5051

600 E. Market Street 227-8847

El Jarro13421 San PedroSan Antonio, TX 78216(210) 494-5084

Chama Gaucha18318 Sonterra PlaceSan Antonio, TX 78258(210) 564-9400

ENHANCE YOUR LISTING! Call (210) 826-5375 for more information.

W WOMEN ON THE MOVE

Chrissy Bruggeman has been named marketingmanager at Saks Fifth Avenue, responsible forcreating and executing strategic marketingplans, maximizing exposure in the local market-place and developing top customer programs.She previously worked as the Fifth Avenue Clubdirector for four years and was in charge ofbuilding sales volume, maintaining customer re-lationships and building a team to drive companyand store initiatives. She directed the organiza-tion of special events and public relations from2003-2007.

Chrissy Bruggeman

Lynne Martensen/KUPER Realty has joinedKuper Sotheby’s International Realty as a Real-tor. Her strength lies in her dedication and talentfor managing the details, no matter how compli-cated a transaction may become. With a rich re-sume made up of years of real estate experience,she has successfully navigated Texas Hill Coun-try real estate, providing extraordinary serviceto her clients along the way.

Lynne Martensen

| sawoman.com144

Dolores Wheless, CPA/PFS, has earned the des-ignation of a BEI-certified exit planner (CExP™)— the standard for exit planning certification.She is senior vice president and wealth manage-ment strategist at Broadway Bank’s Family Busi-ness Resource Center. With more than 22 yearsof experience in the financial services arena, sheis also a member of the BEI Network of ExitPlanning Professionals™.

Dolores Wheless

The Army’s 44th Surgeon General, Lt. Gen. NadjaWest, was promoted to commander of the U.S.Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) at Ft. SamHouston in February. As the new Army SurgeonGeneral, she is also the commanding general ofMEDCOM, with more than 48 medical treatmentfacilities providing care to nearly 4 million ben-eficiaries worldwide. West is the Army’s firstblack female with the rank of lieutenant generaland the highest-ranking female of any race tograduate from West Point.

Lt. Gen. Nadja West

Angela White has become CEO of Alpha Home.She has been actively involved with various non-profits, always focusing on working with womenand children. She has experience as a life coachas well as corporate expertise covering finance,IT, training, program, operational and changemanagement, working with teams across theglobe.

Angela White

Elizabeth Zeno has been promoted to principal-vice president, architecture of RVK Architects.She graduated cum laude, receiving her bachelorof science in architecture from the University ofTexas at Arlington. Zeno originally joined RVKin 1996. In 2005, she became a registered archi-tect in the state of Texas.

Elizabeth Zeno

David Sixt P

hotography

Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Wright Vollmer(Sarah Louise Hoffman)

February 6, 2016

David Sixt P

hotography

Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Ashby Tew(Lauren Auray Guido)December 31, 2015

David Sixt P

hotography

Mr. and Mrs. Brandon James Behrens(Caroline Suzanne Gaines)

February 27, 2016

Jenna-Beth Lyde/Parish

Photography

Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Richard Lomax (Lindsey Kincaid Dutton)

February 27, 2016

David Sixt P

hotography

Mr. and Mrs. Craig Douglas Crow(Katherine Nicole Lochte)

January 30, 2016

Jenna-Beth Lyde/Parish

Photography

Mr. and Mrs. Luke Huffstutter (Natasha Strength)February 16, 2016

WeddingsWeddings W

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W LOOKING BACK

1931The elaborate Queen's float of 1931 riden by Miss Dorothy Thompson

in the Battle of Flowers Parade in downtown San Antonio.