Page 28 - The Scepter - Fall 2016_Winter 2017

Lady Jackie Pope Lynwood Resident Works To
“Black Woman in Power” Improve Community As Head Of A

National Women’s Group

By Francine Knowles - Daily Southtown

Lady Jackie Pope, 11th Na- Lynwood resident Drema Woldman has a laudable
tional President of Top Ladies mission - investing in values that support, enhance and
of Distinction, Inc. was recog- sustain people in communities.
nized as a “Black Women in
Power - Houston Professionals She is positioned to do just that as national president of
Lead”. Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc. The nonprofit has

roughly 7,000 women and teen members at 111 active
It’s no secret that Black women chapters across the country, including two in the south
are at an immediate disad- suburbs that are among 10 in the Chicago area.
vantage in the workplace.
When it comes to minority Top Ladies has a broad array of programs and activities
women in executive positions, ranging from anti-bullying initiatives to mentoring and a
the numbers are dismal. According to a study by the focus on health that includes participation in a “Take a
America Association of University Women, nationally, Loved One to the Doctor” campaign and an effort to
Black women represent just 8 percent of the private encourage more African-Americans to participate in
sector workforce and 1.5 percent of senior leadership. clinical drug trials.

But in Houston, several Black women are working to The group recently received a $100,000 donation to
change those bleak numbers, climbing the ranks to help fund its teen programs. All chapters are required
some of the top spots in the city. While the list of to have a Top Teens of America program. They’re also
Black women in power in Houston is extensive, Lady required to adopt a senior citizen facility, where Top
Jackie is one of the few more power players and influ- Ladies and Top Teens are paired with seniors, said
Woldman, a manager at a law firm.
encers in the Bayou City.

Lady Jackie is the Executive Assistant to the City of Throughout the year, the following impressive guide-
Houston Controller. She received a Bachelor of Arts in lines established by the organization, Top Teens across
Social Work from Grambling University and a Masters the country participate in workshops and seminars with
of Social Work from the University of Houston. Her presentations designed to build strong character, pro-
ultimate career goal is to continue to serve the Houston mote mental toughness and teach them to be effective
community by remaining involved with numerous civic leaders. They’re also taught how to network and the
and not-for-profit organizations that are dedicated to importance of teamwork, unity and community service.
the betterment of her hometown. Her life philosophy
and motto is “To whom much is given, much is re- The organization focuses on teaching teens life lessons
quired”. such as conflict resolution, personal finance, the im-

portance of first impressions, competition vs. coopera-
tion, and interpersonal and coping skills. There also are

sessions on careers and entrepreneurship, appropriate
public behavior and dealing with peer pressure.

Many of the lessons Top Ladies teaches aren’t taught in
school, so they are playing a major rile in working with
parents to help fill that void.

“(Teens) come in as early as seventh grade and stay with
us until they graduate from high school,” said Stephanie