The Power of Goodwill, the Women that make it happen.
Words Meher Qazilbash Photos Eric Morales
Leading From the Heart
Whether in housing, education, philanthropy, or art, these four inspiring women bring an original outlook to their industry and are propelled to do good by others. Through their invaluable leadership, they strengthen Austin as a whole and set a standard for the rest of the world to follow.
The Educator, Dr. Melva Wallace
Dr. Wallace has always found herself rising to positions of leadership, finding the challenge to be invigorating. Following her instincts, she now oversees the oldest and only historically Black university in Austin.
The recently throned President and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University is wonderfully amusing for the head of a 148-year-old college. Possessing a wealth of knowledge and a contagious smile, she brings an enlivening perspective to the institution.
Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Dr. Wallace was raised by two educators in what she affectionately refers to as “the schoolhouse.” She admired the work of her mother, a sixth-grade reading teacher, and her father, Chief Finance Officer at Southern University; however, she sought to find herself in a different line of work.
Pursuing both her undergraduate and master’s degrees at Grambling State University, that period in her life turned out to be total bliss. She fondly recalls the work ethic and playfulness of her college years, “I was captain of the dance team; I was in a sorority. I did everything fun, and I was very involved.” Post-graduation, she entered corporate America, working as a Human Resources Director. Her start in the corporate world came to a halt on a visit to the Grambling campus, when she bumped into the Dean of Students who offered her the position of Program Coordinator, planning events and activities for the institution.
“It was an opportunity to stay engaged with the culture of campus life,” she shares enthusiastically. “Higher education is an ever-evolving space. You see the trends come and go. You see culture being born. Getting the chance to be a part of that all the time was a no-brainer.”
Dr. Wallace’s career in higher education progressed, granting her a series of valuable experiences from various reputable institutions. After 20 plus years in the field, she received a call from Huston-Tillotson University (HT) and packed her bags for Austin.
It’s been just over a year since Dr. Wallace took the reigns at HT, and she’s still filled with vision. One of her plans is to infuse more resources into campus life that sharpen skills relevant to the Austin market, such as tech fluency. Outside of promising a quality education for students, Dr. Wallace wants HT to cultivate a breeding ground for everlasting memories of joy.
“I want students to have peace of mind in this world where diversity, equity, and inclusion are being attacked. Let us protect you and shelter you. Play your music loud. Run through the sprinklers. Knock yourself out,” she encourages. “Just soak up this precious time of being a college student because the world is out there waiting on you.”
htu.edu | IG: @mkwthe7th | FB: @MelvaKWilliams
The Creative Jane Hervery
As a young interdisciplinary artist, Jane is simply in pursuit of inspiration. In each area of her work, the self-starter has done her part to form an ecosystem that spreads ideas, sparks invention, and encourages collaboration.
The 30-year-old multi-hyphenate refers to each of her various creations as experiments: projects that arose from wondering things aloud to herself and answering with action. These projects include founding the nonprofit and creative community space Future Front, starting her own design house called Group Work, and also working as a recording artist.
At the age of 21, after graduating early from UT’s School of Journalism, Jane set out to form a gang of like-minded individuals to work with and be inspired by. In her case, this meant searching for artistic and multidisciplinary young women or people in the LGBTQ+ community. Her spirited initiative soon led her to the formation of Boss Babes ATX, a grassroots meet-up series that would eventually develop into the notable and flourishing venture: Future Front Texas.
“There was no grand vision or feminist agenda,” Jane explains. “It just came out of a creative experiment. I wanted to see more people like me in arts and culture.” Out of curiosity, she wondered how to meet, learn about, and support those like-minded people. From that, Jane organized meet-ups, then started doing workshops, and finally created markets. She expounds, “The entire organization has come from just asking natural questions about wanting to get to know other people and to be around other creatives.”
Future Front has three components: exhibitions, microgrants, and sharing resources. The team calls it a “third space,” meaning it’s not solely a museum nor is it a shop, but it’s an accessible third space that welcomes artists and creatives to share parts of themselves, connect with others, and learn.
“Part of what we’re here to say is this is actually really natural,” Jane asserts. “We need places where we can safely express ourselves so we can understand ourselves and find belonging,” insisting that is part of being human. “I want to make sure that the space exists outside of school,” she adds, knowing that as college years come to a close there can be a lack of purpose and connection in the years that follow. “Everyone deserves to be creative and to be connected. That’s the vision I have for this community.”
“As a creative director and producer, you see things from their very beginning origins. You’re setting the direction for a project and then bringing them to life. That’s the realm of my work.”
futurefronttexas.org | hello@futurefronttexas.org | @ futurefronttexas janeclairehervey.com | mgmt@groupworkcreative.com
The Preserver, Nefertitti Jackmon
Nefertitti approaches everything she does with unremitting energy. As a Community Displacement Prevention Officer for the City of Austin, Nefertitti is devoutly driven to honor her heritage and connect others with theirs.
efertitti grew up with an incredible support system. Raised in California by confident activist parents who wore afros and named their daughter after an African queen, Nefertitti was imbued with an unwavering sense of pride in her cultural identity. “I don’t think there has ever been a time in my life where I haven’t felt love and connection to Black culture,” she reflects fondly.
Over the years, Nefertitti’s career has taken many shapes, but her main mission is to follow her parents’ examples in celebrating and promoting African American culture. She describes this personal pursuit with the self-proclaimed title of Cultural Strategist.
“The common connection between many of my roles has been working in and around Black cultural preservation,” she shares. “I’m inspired by Nina Simone who said that she desires to help Black people become more curious about themselves. But I say I want to help Black people fall more deeply in love with themselves. In this world, Blackness is associated with so many negative terms. I desire to help humans understand the beauty of who they are and the cultural excellence that exists, and really expand that. That is my life’s goal.”
There was no singular moment of revelation for Nefertitti but rather a continuous path she’s followed since childhood that always involved a love for her people. Even in elementary school, she wrote a paper on the revolutionary boxer Jack Johnson. “I don’t even know how I knew who he was,” she muses in disbelief. Her passion eventually led her to pursue an undergraduate degree in English and a master’s in African American Studies.
In her career, she’s taken on leadership roles at a myriad of institutions, working for schools, nonprofits, and eventually the City of Austin’s Housing and Planning Department. Her current role as the Community Displacement Prevention Officer involves helping the financially vulnerable remain in their homes. “Communities and people who have historically lived in an area are now forced out,” she explains. “Our job is to compassionately design programs from that lens and seek to expand access.”
In a rapidly changing city, spaces significant to minority communities have been occupied and altered. Nefertitti’s mission is to ensure that Austin still tends to all of its citizens. “Those of us who are in positions of leadership have a responsibility to make sure that people are cared for,” she affirms. “There’s this fundamental question, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ To me, the answer should always be a resounding, ‘Yes!’”
linkedin: nefertitti-jackmon | Nefertitti.Jackmon@austintexas.gov
The Humanitarian, Rosemary Banda
Native Austinite Rosemary Banda has always done her part to look after her hometown. For the past five years, she’s expanded her efforts at Love, Tito’s, a nonprofit sector of Tito’s Handmade Vodka which supports causes all over the world.
A quick drive around East Austin covers the various landmarks of Rosemary Banda’s life: Cisco’s where her parents met, the house her grandparents bought in 1918 that currently belongs to her sister, her old walking route to elementary school, and her favorite green spaces. The neighborhood that colored her childhood memories is still the site of so much of her work and service.
The instinct to take care of her home and community is one she credits to her family. Rosemary describes her parents as the sort of people who are always ready to offer a bed, a clean set of clothes, and a warm meal to anyone who needed it. That helpful characteristic rubbed off on her, and for the past decade, it’s intensified. “I’ve seen the changes to the city and the difficulties that come along with it,” she affirms. “It’s my passion to support the community here.”
In 2009, Rosemary completed the Hispanic Austin Leadership program, leading her to then serve on the Board of Directors for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for six years. She was chosen as Board Member of the Year in 2015, her last year. “The Hispanic Chamber seemed like a great organization where I could be a voice for my community,” she shares. The experience exposed her to many challenges for people here in Austin, such as financial instability and the significant impacts of environmental changes.
In 2018, Rosemary became the Giving Coordinator for Love, Tito’s, the philanthropic sector of Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Her primary responsibility involves selecting charities to support, both in Austin and around the world. She ensures that a well-rounded variety of missions are supported, including animal welfare, food supply, healthcare, military and veterans support, and more.
Philanthropy extends beyond supporting charitable organizations; it’s an ongoing practice in one’s life and daily interactions. Rosemary honors that practice by being a caring neighbor at a time when her community needs it most. “Sometimes I don’t like certain things about Austin, but I never could leave. This is where my family and friends are.” Rosemary explains, “[Within] Austin’s culture and my family’s culture, it’s very instilled in us to help each other out.”
lovetitos.com | linkedin: rosemary-h-banda
