Dallas Difference Maker Opens Up On Fierce Texas Women, Healing Basketball and Bucking the Trends

This article is part of a promoted series and not produced by the editorial staff.

They are entrepreneurs and art patrons, executives and serious philanthropists. And they all effect change in Dallas in a personal way. PaperCity is zooming in on NorthPark Center’s 2018 Luxury Ambassadors as they embark on a year of supporting charities close to their hearts. This is the third article in the series. To read the rest of the series, click here.

Lisa C. Cooley

Chair, Family Gateway Luncheon 2018

Cause: Family Gateway, a downtown Dallas shelter for children and families affected by homelessness.

Family Gateway memories. The boys from my son’s high school did a basketball clinic with some of the children at Family Gateway. The children loved every minute, and watching these big strapping high-school boys work with children in an instructive and yet very compassionate way was heartwarming.

Define style. My personal style is to be very comfortable and to be me.

Fashion advice. Don’t wear something just because it’s beautiful or trendy. Rather, wear something that looks flattering on you and what you feel the most confident in.

Finding strength as a woman. Confidence comes from being comfortable with one’s self. We can sometimes be too self-critical. If we are doing the best we can in any aspect of our lives, we need to choose to be happy with that. I try to teach my daughter by example and by being her support system and her champion.

Texas women. There are so many things that make Texas women unique. We could all write a book on this topic! But if I can only say one thing, it would be our attitude. We are strong, independent, and if I may use the word of the moment, fierce. If we set our minds to something, then you better look out and get out of our way!

The importance of giving back. Sometimes the main thing someone needs, is to know someone cares and is on their side. You never know how an act or deed you do for someone else will impact the course of their life. Everyone can do something — and serving others is the greatest gift we can give of ourselves. We can all give back in some way, whether time or resources. It is our responsibility, not obligation, to serve others.

More about this series: Dallas is a city famed for giving back. Each year, NorthPark Center recognizes our city’s most influential philanthropists who are making differences in our community to garner further exposure for their favorite charities. 

NorthPark Center Luxury Ambassadors are hand-selected for their contributions and efforts in the areas of visual and performing arts, children’s causes, and research in health and sciences. Each year-long ambassadorship offers the opportunity to partner with NorthPark Center for various initiatives and events benefiting their favorite North Texas non-profit institutions. 

The program was formed in 2016 as an extension of the shopping center’s “Fifty Years of Giving” anniversary celebration in 2015.