The EMERGE Awards celebrate and honor female pioneers who’ve made significant contributions to the work of helping women and girls overcome and evolve into the highest and best version of themselves.
Meet our 2019 Honorees!
Pastor becky Hennesy
Becky is a gifted teacher and minister. She communicates from her heart clearly and effectively and is presently serving as Co-Pastor of Trinity Church with her husband, Jim Hennesy. Becky’s message is one of hope and reaches across generations and cultures. Under her leadership, meetings called “Girlfriends” grew from approximately 250 to over 1200 women in attendance. Various Women’s Bible Studies meet regularly and ministry for single mothers and widows, foster/adopt families and families in financial crisis has grown. Her present focus is centered upon local schools. Her vision is to raise up teams of trained, volunteer Chaplains to minister to the teachers in local schools. Becky is also the Chaplain for the WNBA Dallas Wings. She has a tremendous burden for world missions, building teams and traveling internationally often, to spread the gospel and strengthen the local churches and works.
Latara Thompkins
LaTara Thompkins founded N.I.A. Kids in 2005 to address the concern and need to provide productive activities for youth and teens in the community to help transform their free time from a threat to their safety and security into opportunities to participate in enriching, life-changing programs. LaTara is the product of a family of singers, musicians, and performers. As the Founder of N.I.A. Kids, LaTara continues to use her creativity to implement programs and opportunities for youth to get formal training in artistic disciplines. Under her leadership, the organization has been featured on Channel 8 news, local radio stations, and featured in Dallas’ largest newspaper, The Dallas Morning News. She is a recipient of Ebony Magazine’s “Unsung Hero” Award in 2010 and ha received numerous awards for her work throughout the years.
megan cain smith
Megan Smith is the founder and Executive Director of The Parker Lee Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of children with a variety of medical complexities and diagnosis. After losing her daughter, Parker, to a rare brain malformation, Megan decided to dedicate her life to making changes in a system she found broken while fighting for her own child’s future. Her passion radiates in every relationship she gains while supporting these families, especially other bereaved parents. Since the inception of The Parker Lee Project, Megan has been able to help thousands of children and their families obtain over $2 million in needed medical supplies and equipment around the world.
FELICIA FRAZIER
Felicia Frazier founded The Chocolate MINT Foundation in 2009 to address the lack of affordable enrichment programs for children whose parents had little to no economic resources. She currently serves as President and Executive Director. Since its inception, The MINT has filled a necessary gap in the community, by continuing to support children and families in the North Texas Area through youth mentoring and career training programs, a food pantry dedicated to alleviate hunger and provide supplemental food assistance for families and senior adults. Felicia has received countless awards highlighting the MINT’s work throughout the community and beyond.
Tonya Stafford
Tonya Stafford is a human trafficking survivor, advocate and speaker on issues of Human Trafficking and providing support of victims of abuse in Dallas Texas. She is the founder of It’s Going To Be Ok Inc., a nonprofit organization whose mission is to not only educate people about the horrors of human trafficking but to help in one day ending it completely. She is a native of Dallas, Texas, with over 10 years of experience working with women, young girls and children. She also speaks on leadership and founding non-profits. Tonya is dedicated to advocate as a voice for women and children as she has done so by testifying on the Texas State Senate Hearings on a House Bill 2290 recognizing January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month (HB 2290) passed on September 1, 2015 after her testimony. She also serves as a voice for those silenced by death and the innocent victims who cannot otherwise speak for themselves.