Elaine Agather isn’t just any blonde beauty with charm and a brain. Why, there are loads of those in North Texas. You see them in all whereabouts. But Elaine is different. She’s used that gray matter and diplomacy along with business savvy to bridge Dallas and Fort Worth with ease. There are those who actually wonder if she and her husband Neils Agather live in Dallas or Tarrant county. According to sources, her answer is that she lives in North Texas.
According to Fort Worth Magazine, one of her rules, is “You cannot survive — in business or in life — without a sense of humor. Lighten up, loosen up and laugh. It’s amazing how fast this will take you. And, you’ll sure feel a lot better!”
The gal is just as at home in Cowtown gear of boots and ten-gallon hats as in Big D’s seasonal couture. It has been a well-known signature of the Crystal Charity Ball’s Ten Best Dressed Cocktail Party that Elaine will be front and center at the doorway with a homecoming queen’s smile, making each newcomer and old-timer feel welcome. On the other hand, she’s also the first woman to serve as an officer of the historic Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo.
Over the years, she has shone a light on a variety of non-profits. Pity those in the audience who couldn’t resist raising a paddle when she took to the stage for the Texas Ballet Theater’s 2010 Tutu Chic Fashion Show live auction.
In the meantime, she’s had a day job as JPMorgan Chase’s Dallas Region chairperson as well as CEO of the Central Region and managing director of The Private Bank at J.P. Morgan.
For Elaine, it all started in junior high school. “I guess it was in the seventh grade, and all the boys got a choice. They could take a foreign language or something else. And the girls had to take homemaking. There was no choice. It made me mad. And I went home to my mother, and I said I’m not doing that. That’s just unfair. What if I want to take shop, which I didn’t. She was probably tired at this point with having so many girls. She called the principal who was an old friend and said, ‘Can you just let her take a foreign language?’ And they didn’t make me take homemaking.”
According to Fort Worth business exec John Goff, “She is one-of-a-kind businesswoman. She lights up a room with her enthusiasm, smarts and tenacity. She can be charming and tough as nails in the same meeting.”
As John added, “She is a legend within JPMorgan; [Chase CEO] Jamie Dimon lights up when he sees her. Beyond her many senior roles within JPMorgan, she gives back to the community in so many ways.
“She never says no to lending her expertise, contacts, and ingenuity to a worthy cause. I am so proud to have her as both my banker as well as good friend.”
All of this leads to the fact that Elaine will be in The Senior Source spotlight for the Spirit Of Generations Luncheon chaired by Dee Velvin with Underwriting Chair Katherine Wyker on Thursday, February 27, at the Hilton Anatole.
According to The Senior Source President/CEO Stacey Malcolmson, “This event has a long legacy of honoring iconic Dallas women including Ebby Halliday Acers, Caroline Rose Hunt, Ruth Altshuler and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. Elaine Agather is certainly a leader who fits with these icons’ can-do spirit, and we are honored to have her as our newest honoree.”
With tickets starting at $275, sponsorship opportunities ranging from $500 to $100,000 can be found here.
BTW, Elaine says she still “can’t boil water. I should have taken homemaking.”
No, she shouldn’t have.