Dallas honors LGBTQ+ trailblazers at 2025 Pride in Excellence Awards, celebrating leaders in business, arts, public service, and community impact.

The City of Dallas celebrated its LGBTQ+ leaders and changemakers at the 2025 Pride in Excellence Awards Reception this June, showcasing remarkable achievements across business, civic engagement, public service, arts, and philanthropy. The event, hosted by Council Members Omar Narvaez and Chad West, highlighted individuals who have made significant contributions to the city’s diverse community.

Honoring excellence and impact in Dallas

Leading the honorees was Odessa ‘OJ’ Jenkins, recipient of the Kirk Myers-Hill Pioneer in PRIDE Award. As CEO of the Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) and the most successful head coach in women’s tackle football history, Jenkins has transformed opportunities for women in sports while breaking barriers in business and technology. Her impressive 91-5 career record and seven national championships underscore her exceptional leadership.

Ahmad Goree received the Adam Medrano Excellence in Leadership Award for his dedicated public service and social justice advocacy. His work has generated over $6.7 billion for small businesses and created 50,000 jobs in Dallas. Notably, Goree played a crucial role in seeking justice for Muhlaysia Booker’s murder and establishing the Police Chief’s Anti-Hate Advisory Council.

Community impact and cultural leadership

Kelly Drake earned recognition for Outstanding Leadership in Community Impact, drawing from 32 years in education and extensive advocacy work for LGBTQ+ individuals and those living with HIV/AIDS. Ruth Thunderhawk was honored for Outstanding Leadership in Arts and Culture, particularly for their work with MMIW Texas Rematriate and creating spaces for IndigiQueer community members.

Excellence in business and service

Chef Michelle Carpenter received the Outstanding Leadership in Business award for pioneering efforts in Dallas’s culinary scene, including opening Oak Cliff’s first sushi bar and launching the state’s first B Corp Certified restaurant. The Senior Source was recognized for its comprehensive support of older adults, including specific programs for LGBTQ+ seniors.

Other distinguished honorees included public health professional Marisa Gonzales for Outstanding Leadership in Public Service, LGBTQ+ activist Paul Von Wupperfeld for Outstanding Leadership in Philanthropy, and David Taffet, who received the Lifetime Mensch Legacy Award for his decades of advocacy and journalism in the LGBTQ+ community. To catch up on the rest of the Pride in Excellence Awards, you can watch the ceremony here.

This article may have been created with the assistance of AI.

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Dallas recognizes LGBTQ+ leaders at Pride in Excellence Awards

by Good Info News Wire, Good Info News Wire
June 11, 2025

<h1>Dallas recognizes LGBTQ+ leaders at Pride in Excellence Awards</h1> <p class="byline">by Good Info News Wire, Good Info News Wire <br />June 11, 2025</p> <h2 class="whitespace-normal break-words"><strong>Dallas honors LGBTQ+ trailblazers at 2025 Pride in Excellence Awards, celebrating leaders in business, arts, public service, and community impact.</strong></h2> <p>The <a href="https://www.dallascitynews.net/2025-pride-in-excellence-awards-recipients">City of Dallas</a> celebrated its LGBTQ+ leaders and changemakers at the 2025 Pride in Excellence Awards Reception this June, showcasing remarkable achievements across business, civic engagement, public service, arts, and philanthropy. The event, hosted by Council Members Omar Narvaez and Chad West, highlighted individuals who have made significant contributions to the city's diverse community.</p> <h2><strong>Honoring excellence and impact in Dallas</strong></h2> <p>Leading the honorees was Odessa 'OJ' Jenkins, recipient of the Kirk Myers-Hill Pioneer in PRIDE Award. As CEO of the Women's National Football Conference (WNFC) and the most successful head coach in women's tackle football history, Jenkins has transformed opportunities for women in sports while breaking barriers in business and technology. Her impressive 91-5 career record and seven national championships underscore her exceptional leadership.</p> <p>Ahmad Goree received the Adam Medrano Excellence in Leadership Award for his dedicated public service and social justice advocacy. His work has generated over $6.7 billion for small businesses and created 50,000 jobs in Dallas. Notably, Goree played a crucial role in seeking justice for Muhlaysia Booker's murder and establishing the Police Chief's Anti-Hate Advisory Council.</p> <h2><strong>Community impact and cultural leadership</strong></h2> <p>Kelly Drake earned recognition for Outstanding Leadership in Community Impact, drawing from 32 years in education and extensive advocacy work for LGBTQ+ individuals and those living with HIV/AIDS. Ruth Thunderhawk was honored for Outstanding Leadership in Arts and Culture, particularly for their work with MMIW Texas Rematriate and creating spaces for IndigiQueer community members.</p> <h2><strong>Excellence in business and service</strong></h2> <p>Chef Michelle Carpenter received the Outstanding Leadership in Business award for pioneering efforts in Dallas's culinary scene, including opening Oak Cliff's first sushi bar and launching the state's first B Corp Certified restaurant. The Senior Source was recognized for its comprehensive support of older adults, including specific programs for LGBTQ+ seniors.</p> <p>Other distinguished honorees included public health professional Marisa Gonzales for Outstanding Leadership in Public Service, LGBTQ+ activist Paul Von Wupperfeld for Outstanding Leadership in Philanthropy, and David Taffet, who received the Lifetime Mensch Legacy Award for his decades of advocacy and journalism in the LGBTQ+ community. To catch up on the rest of the Pride in Excellence Awards, you can watch the ceremony <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwwUOCtLTPs">here</a>.</p> <p><i>This article may have been created with the assistance of AI.</i></p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://goodinfo.news/dallas-recognizes-lgbtq-leaders-at-pride-in-excellence-awards/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://goodinfo.news&quot;&gt;Good Info News Wire&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://goodinfo.news/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/6-150x150.png&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p> &lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://goodinfo.news/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=43787&amp;amp;ga4=G-N1W0LBHRL2&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;

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