You can’t say President and CEO Jennifer Sampson doesn’t try her best to get folks fired up on behalf of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas — and on behalf of its Tocqueville Society of heavyweight donors who give the cause at least $10,000 annually.
At a luncheon back in 2015, Sampson urged guests to help Dallas’ Ruth Sharp Altshuler Tocqueville group recruit more members. The goal: becoming larger than the society’s rival counterpart in Houston.
She was at it again at another luncheon on Wednesday, September 27, at the Hilton Anatole, this time exhorting the 400 attendees to overtake Birmingham, Alabama — home of the country’s current biggest Tocqueville Society — by the end of 2025.
In a light-hearted video shown on oversized screens, Sampson and her opposite number in Central Alabama traded good-natured barbs about their respective regions, with Sampson likening the quest for new Dallas members to a “‘Bama-Texas challenge.”
When the video was over, Erin Nealy Cox, co-chair of the local Tocqueville group with her husband Trey Cox, instructed the luncheon guests to shout out, “Beat ‘Bama!,” on “the count of three.” Which, of course, they all did.
Hosted by the Dallas Tocqueville Society, the Campaign Impact Celebration & Kickoff Luncheon in the Anatole’s Trinity Complex feted CEOs Jean Savage of Trinity Industries, chair of the United Way’s just-completed 98th Annual fundraising campaign, and Comerica Bank’s Curt Farmer, who’s chairing the 99th Annual Campaign, which recently began.
The two-hour-long event also honored Karen and Tom Falk, recipients of the group’s 2023 J. Erik Jonsson Award, and featured a panel discussion about business and philanthropy moderated by Katrice Hardy, executive editor of The Dallas Morning News.
Karen and Tom — he’s the retired chairman and CEO of Kimberly-Clark Corp. — were presented with the Jonsson honor by Jennifer and Ed Galante, the award’s 2020 recipient. They noted that Tom had served as the local United Way’s 2013-2014 campaign chair, and that Tom and Karen together served as co-chairs of the 2019-2020 campaign.
The couple took the stage to accept the award as an introductory video played — more specifically, as it played and seemed to end, and then started up after a pause and played through again until the actual end.
Tom noted the “long videos” with a wry smile, shortly after Karen spoke. “This is a different position for me,” she said. “I’m much more comfortable giving things away.”
At that, Tom interjected, “I’m sure they’d take a contribution, Karen.”
Another video featured Jean, who was unable to attend the luncheon. In it, the Trinity president and chief executive said the United Way had changed the lives of 1.7 million North Texans last year in areas including education and health, and that $51.3 million had been raised on her watch.
The panel discussion included 2023-2024 campaign Chair Farmer, who is Comerica’s chairman, president and CEO; Tom Luce, the founder and chairman emeritus of Texas 2036; and Arcosa President and CEO Antonio Carrillo.
All three agreed that United Way can help create a “healthy, well-educated” workforce that will help the area continue to grow, with a special emphasis on growth in southern Dallas. “We focus a lot down there,” Curt said. Added Antonio: “Companies like ours need those people.”
Then Katrice asked Curt to name his goals for the 99th Annual Campaign, inquiring, “Can you outshine Jean?”
“The way to word that is, you want to build on her success,” Curt replied, to laughter.
“I was given a goal, which is a 10% increase,” he said. “It would take us to $55 million this year, and I’m confident we’ll achieve that goal. We’ve already got great momentum.
“As you look back a few years ago, we were in the middle of COVID, that goal was about half of what it is now,” Curt continued. “Jean got us to $51 million. We had been in the $30s, and this year we hope to be at $55 million. If you just look at what Jean did and what we’ll do this year, we’ll have over $100 million, which will be great momentum kind of heading into our centennial celebration.”
It was also announced at the luncheon that $3.5 million has already been raised for the 2023-2024 campaign from Comerica, Celanese and Vistra, and that Vistra President and CEO Jim Burke would helm the organization’s 2025-2026, or 101st, annual campaign. PepsiCo Foods North America CEO Steven Williams will preside over the 100th, in 2024-2025.
* Photo provided by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas