On Aug. 15, the Prenatal Clinic of Bryan College Station will host their 26th annual You’re the Tops Luncheon as a virtual event, recognizing women who have made a contribution to the Brazos Valley community.
First opening their doors in December of 1985, the Prenatal Clinic has provided aid to the community by helping fund prenatal care for low income pregnant women. To date, the Prenatal Clinic has served more than 20,000 women and delivered more than 16,000 babies, transforming the prenatal and infant mortality rates in the local area from the worst to one of the best in the state of Texas.
Serving as the Prenatal Clinic’s primary form of fundraising, the You’re the Tops Luncheon has recognized more than 300 women over the event’s 25 years in existence. This year’s event will recognize 14 women who have contributed to the well-being of the community.
Being able to recognize the contributions women have made to the local community is an honor, says Angela Cowan, co-chair of the 2020 Luncheon event. “To see the variety of organizations these women are involved in and the things that they’ve done—it’s just kind of amazing to know that we have these people in our community,” she says.
This year’s group of honorees include women from a variety of fields, including members of community organizations, business executives, and people who have committed their time to community efforts, with each honoree providing a different resource to the community, says Cowan.
In addition to the 14 honorees, Jack Buckley will receive the Gardner Osborn “Friend of the Clinic” award for his contribution to the clinic. With more than 50 years of health care leadership, Buckley has worked with both students and Texas A&M faculty to help prepare future leaders in the health care industry and previously served on the clinic’s board of directors.
The Prenatal Clinic hopes to use the money raised by the luncheon, including the sale of raffle tickets for a diamond station necklace from David Gardner’s Jewelers, to continue providing community-centered prenatal care and health education to women in the Brazos Valley.
For many families in the community, there is a large gap in affordable health care, says Lynn Yeager, executive director of the Prenatal Clinic. The Prenatal Clinic provides a welcoming professional environment where moms can get quality health care for themselves during their pregnancy. Access to prenatal care is vital to the health and well-being of future generations. Early prenatal care significantly reduces newborn mortality and ensures moms have a healthy delivery. More information on the luncheon, as well as information on how to donate to the clinic itself, can be found online at www.BCSprenatal.org.
Amanda Buenger Amanda Buenger is on staff at Antioch Community Church where she first learned about the way the church was mobilizing communities to fight human trafficking through Unbound. Five years later, Amanda started Unbound B/CS, which has trained thousands of people on human trafficking and advocated for victims in Bryan College Station.
Rebecca Boenigk Rebecca Boenigk serves as the COB and CEO of Neutral Posture, Inc., and has more than thirty years of experience in research, development, design, and the manufacturing of ergonomic seating with expertise in the areas of finance, strategic planning, human resources, operations, growth, and diversity. Rebecca has grown Neutral Posture to an international company with numerous award-winning patented products.
Essie Childers
Essie Childers is known for her leadership and presentation skills. She is the immediate past president of the Texas Community College Teachers Association comprised of more than 6,000 teachers and administrators in the state of Texas, a 2018 outstanding alumnus of Longview High School, a 2017 Carol Dochen Developmental Educator of the year recipient, and many additional awards. Additionally, Essie serves on the Quality Enhancement Plan Team at Blinn College and is a senior fellow of the first Blinn College Future Works Academy.
Linda Harvell Linda Harvell’s community involvement is varied: College Station Noon Lions Club; College Station Police Department, president of the Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association; vice president of the Citizens Fire Academy Alumni Association; Community Action Response Team; sponsor of Junction 505; and much more.
Sue Ellen Davis
Sue Ellen Davis has served as past president of the Junior League and the Woman’s Club; a docent at the Bush Library and the Brazos Valley Museum; a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters, Crestview MRC, and the Dean’s Council for college of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M; and has volunteered for many others. She received the 2014 Girl Scouts Woman of Distinction Award. She teaches a faith-based class on parenting at the Federal Women’s Prison.
Linda Workman-Harris Linda Workman-Harris has been employed at Children Protective Services as administrative assistant for the past 40 plus years. Over the last several years, she has worked under eight different program directors, and she is known as the jack of all trades in the office. She also serves as the office manager, assists with many foster parents and the local Brazos County Child Welfare Board, and helps make Christmas merry for more 300 children involved with CPS.
Lou Ann McKinney
Lou Ann McKinney served in a partnership role with her husband Mike, promoting the Texas A&M System’s 11 universities and seven state agencies, hosting supporters while he was chancellor. She is a member of the Fun for All Playground Steering Committee and was a past member of the FASO Board and the Woman’s Club of Bryan. She further lends a helping hand and her support to several local charities and organizations.
Dr. Martha Leonora Owre Dr. Martha Leonora Owre has modeled positive behavior for at-risk children and adults through her volunteer efforts as a tutor, organizing an Angel Tree program sponsored by the Prison Ministry, serving the Navajo Nation through mission work, teaching respect for others by restoring a cemetery, honoring our veterans by placing flags on their graves, serving as a judge of student achievement in history fairs, sharing knowledge of history by writing patriotic editorials for the newspaper, and more.
Clotilde Pichon
Clotilde Pichon’s servant heart and faith motivate her to serve her community. She has been an active member of the Bryan College Station Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society for 20 years, conducting home visits to households requesting financial assistance to assess their needs, as well as serving in different capacities on the board.
Polli Doss Satterwhite Since Polli Doss Satterwhite’s retirement in 2013, she has dedicated her time and efforts to volunteering in the community. Groups she has worked with include: Pink Alliance, the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley, Area 6Special Olympics Spring Games, and Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Monica Smith
Over the years, Monica Smith has been involved in a variety of organizations and committees, both in school and outside of school. She has been an active member in the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic parish, and has served in several stewardships. Monica has served numerous years as a board and committee member of the Prenatal Clinic and as a team captain for March of Dimes.
Celina Vasquez Celina Vasquez is a member of the Hispanic Forum of Bryan College Station and the Mexican-American/Latino Museum of the Brazos Valley. She serves on the board of directors of the Brazos Valley African American Museum, Bryan ISD Foundation Board, Friends of the Bryan College Station Library, the Brazos Interfaith Immigration Board, and the Sam Rayburn Intermediate Scholl PTO. She has served on the PRIDE Community Center Board.
Greta Messarra Woodward Greta Messarra Woodward is starting her third year as chair for the Brazos Valley Walk to End Alzheimer’s disease, a cause dear to her family. She is thankful to be able to support and advocate for several other organizations, which encourage people to work together, give back to the community, and make the world a better place. These include her church family, Kiwanis, American Business Women’s Association, Hospice Brazos Valley, Hometown Heroes, North Belize Medical Missions, and more as God provides.
Penny Woodcock-Bane Penny Woodcock-Bane has been one of the coordinators for Brazos Valley Empty Bowls since its inception in 2005. At the event, participants purchase a bowl and receive a simple meal of soup and bread. The empty bowl is symbolic of the issue of food insecurity, particularly the “empty bowls” in our community. Over the years, Penny has also been involved with St. Thomas Early Learning Center, Habitat for Humanity—Circle of Women, KAMU-FM, the Children’s Museum of the Brazos Valley, and the Brazos Valley Symphony’s Premier Market, as well as the strategic neighborhood planning with the city of College Station.
Friend of the Clinic: Jack Buckley, FACHE
Jack Buckley, a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, serves as the executive-in-residence and the interim program director for the MHA program of the School of Public Health, Texas A&M University. In these roles, he provides student career guidance, recruitment, and works with both students and faculty for preparation for future health care administration leaders. He has more than 50 years of health care leadership, working with local and national healthcare providers. His consulting firm, Jack Buckley and Associates, provides services to health care leaders focusing on community economic development, advocacy, and the provision of integrated services.
Mr. Buckley is a recipient of several state and national awards, including, but not limited to the Lumen Gentium Award on behalf of the Diocese of Austin and St. Mary’s Catholic Center and the Bishops’ Award on behalf of the Diocese of Phoenix. He received an MBA from The George Washington University, Washington, DC, and an AB from Kenyon College, Gambier, OH.
