The magnificent Strait Lane home of Kathleen and J. Scott Kirby—he’s the president of United Airlines—was the setting for a Thursday, February 8, event kicking off the Juliette Fowler Communities‘ 6th Annual Visionary Women Luncheon.
The Friday, April 20, luncheon at the Omni Dallas Hotel, titled “Frame the Future,” will aim to raise at least $250,000 from at least 700 attendees for Juliette Fowler Communities. Juliette Fowler is a unique, 125-year-old facility in East Dallas that provides residential care and services for children, youth, and older adults. Last year, the annual luncheon raked in a total of $290,000.


Inside the Kirby home, Scott and Kathleen chatted amiably with many of the 150 guests, while the little Kirby boys were typical boys.Just seconds before the photo of Kathleen, Amy and Ashley was taken, the boys defined the expression “hand full.”
Not far away from the couple were Ann McKinley, the nonprofit’s executive director for development; Ashley Thames Brown, its donor development officer; and Amy Green, the 2018 luncheon chair.


When it came time for remarks, Ashley took the lead, since Juliette Fowler’s president and CEO Sabrina Porter had come down with laryngitis. Ashley thanked everyone for coming and called Juliette Peak Fowler, who was Dallas’ first philanthropist, “a true visionary.”

Then the group’s 2018 luncheon honorees were announced, to hearty applause. Educator and advocate Claire Cunningham, who helped peacefully desegregate the Dallas Independent School District, would be this year’s Visionary Woman. Natalie Morin would receive the 2018 Erika McKenzie Award. And the Faith and Service Award would go to Sarah Jones, a senior psychology major at Texas Christian University.

Among the evening’s attendees like Mary and Joe Parker, Deborah Morgan-Stokes, Don McKenzie, Don McKenzie Jr. and Laurie Tipton were Marca Lee Bircher and Patricia Hardman. Both had been honored by Juliette Fowler Communities as Visionary Women in 2015.