Breakthrough women
Shauna Clark
As the Partner-in-Charge in Houston, Ms. Clark is the youngest and first woman to hold the top position in Houston's Fulbright & Jaworski office. Ms. Clark represents management in all aspects of employment law matters including jury and non-jury trials, collective bargaining, mediation and arbitration. She is considered one of the most formidable labor and employment trial lawyers in the State of Texas. She is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Ms. Clark is committed to leading volunteer efforts that are responsive to academic, cultural, health, social awareness, career development and mentoring of youth.
Samina Farid
Samina Farid is Co-founder of Merrick Systems, with her nephew, Kemal. Merrick has grown since 1989 into a global provider of industrial IT to the upstream oil and gas industry. It has been recognized numerous times by leading business and industry organizations for growth and innovative technologies
Samina's extensive experience in the energy and IT industry spans over four decades, including managerial and executive positions with ESSO Eastern, Inc., Pakistan, HNG/Enron, Cabot Transmission and two natural gas marketing company. She holds a degree in business from the University of Houston.
Samina is active in the community through the Houston Technology Center, serving on the Board of the Houston Achievement Place, the Advisory Council of Houston Independent School District's Young Women's College Prep Academy, and as an Executive Member and mentor for the Women's Energy Network. She is also involved with the United Way of Greater Houston's Alexis de Tocqueville Society and its Women's Initiative.
Gina Luna
Gina is Chairman of JPMorgan Chase in the Houston Region and Chief Executive Officer of Middle Market Banking. She is active in recruiting, mentoring and leadership development programs within the organization.
Prior to her current role, Gina was Chief Marketing Officer for Chase Commercial Banking, directing marketing and communications for the national commercial banking business. She has held a variety of other positions in private banking and commercial banking. Gina has spent her entire career with JPMorgan Chase.
She is a summa cum laude graduate of Texas A&M University with a BBA in Finance and Management.
As an active community member, she serves on the executive committee of the Greater Houston Partnership. She is on the board of directors for The Children's Museum of Houston, serving on the executive committee as the vice president of contributed income.
She loves spending time with her family, is an avid runner and enjoys reading.
Brandi McDonald
Brandi McDonald joined Newmark Knight Frank's Houston office in 2011 as a managing principal. Over the course of 15 years, Ms. McDonald has completed more than eight million square feet of office leasing transactions, representing a total value exceeding $1.8 billion.
Ms. McDonald moved from Trammell Crow headquarters in Dallas in 2000 to open the tenant rep division of Trammell Crow in Houston. There she provide tenant advisory services in addition to executing corporate space requirements and portfolio strategies on behalf of her clients.
Brandi elevated the tenant advisory platform at Transwestern between 2007 to 2010.
A strong advocate for educational endeavors within her community, Ms. McDonald serves as a mentor for the University of Houston Bauer College NAWMBA program and is very passionate about expanding the real estate program at Bauer College. She was a Pershing Middle School Mentor from 2007 to 2008.
Ms. McDonald graduated early with magna cum laude recognition from Sam Houston State University to begin her career with Trammell Crow Company.
Charlene Ripley
Charlene A. Ripley is LINN Energy's Senior Vice President and General Counsel. She oversees the company's legal, information technology, corporate governance, compliance, government affairs, insurance and risk-management activities. Ms. Ripley brings extensive domestic and international experience in legal-department management and energy transactions to her role at LINN Energy, where she also leads cultural-development initiatives and serves on the company's charitable contributions committee.
She serves on the board of the Texas General Counsel Forum and is the past President of The Woodlands Bar Association, which she helped found.
Ms. Ripley is a passionate philanthropist, who spends numerous volunteer hours serving on the non-profit boards of several charitable organizations including the Impact Youth Development Center, American Heart Association of Houston and Girls Inc. In addition, she serves on the advisory board of the Women's Energy Network. She is also a member of the United Way of Greater Houston Women's Initiative and the American Heart Association's Circle of Red.
Lisa Trapani Shumate
Lisa Trapani Shumate is an Emmy Award-winning television veteran. She is currently the Executive Director and General Manager of Houston Public Media, leading the combined operations of HoustonPBS, the nation's first educational television station, as well as Houston Public Radio, KUHF News 88.7 and Classical 91.7. Houston Public Media has an annual budget of $25 million, a staff of 165 and 65,000 individual supporters.
Previously, Shumate served in management positions with both KHOU 11 (Belo/CBS) and KTRK/ABC 13 (Disney). She was director of programming and marketing for KHOU and executive director of Belo Marketing Solutions in Dallas. During her 11 years with KTRK, she moved from being an anchor, host and producer to manager of marketing and special projects. Shumate is an active member of the Greater Houston Partnership, and involved in an education initiative with the Center for Houston's Future. Lisa is also the recipient of national and regional awards for community service.
Shauna Clark
Partner-in-Charge
Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP
As the Partner-in-Charge in Houston, Ms. Clark is the youngest and first woman to hold the top position in Houston's Fulbright & Jaworski office. Ms. Clark represents management in all aspects of employment law matters including jury and non-jury trials, collective bargaining, mediation and arbitration. She is considered one of the most formidable labor and employment trial lawyers in the State of Texas. She is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Ms. Clark is committed to leading volunteer efforts that are responsive to academic, cultural, health, social awareness, career development and mentoring of youth.Samina Farid
Co-Founder
Merrick Systems
Samina Farid is Co-founder of Merrick Systems, with her nephew, Kemal. Merrick has grown since 1989 into a global provider of industrial IT to the upstream oil and gas industry. It has been recognized numerous times by leading business and industry organizations for growth and innovative technologies Samina's extensive experience in the energy and IT industry spans over four decades, including managerial and executive positions with ESSO Eastern, Inc., Pakistan, HNG/Enron, Cabot Transmission and two natural gas marketing company. She holds a degree in business from the University of Houston.
Samina is active in the community through the Houston Technology Center, serving on the Board of the Houston Achievement Place, the Advisory Council of Houston Independent School District's Young Women's College Prep Academy, and as an Executive Member and mentor for the Women's Energy Network. She is also involved with the United Way of Greater Houston's Alexis de Tocqueville Society and its Women's Initiative.
Gina Luna
Chairman, Houston Region, CEO of Middle Market Banking
JP Morgan Chase
Gina is Chairman of JPMorgan Chase in the Houston Region and Chief Executive Officer of Middle Market Banking. She is active in recruiting, mentoring and leadership development programs within the organization. Prior to her current role, Gina was Chief Marketing Officer for Chase Commercial Banking, directing marketing and communications for the national commercial banking business. She has held a variety of other positions in private banking and commercial banking. Gina has spent her entire career with JPMorgan Chase.
She is a summa cum laude graduate of Texas A&M University with a BBA in Finance and Management.
As an active community member, she serves on the executive committee of the Greater Houston Partnership. She is on the board of directors for The Children's Museum of Houston, serving on the executive committee as the vice president of contributed income.
She loves spending time with her family, is an avid runner and enjoys reading.
Brandi McDonald
Managing Principal
Newmark Knight Frank
Brandi McDonald joined Newmark Knight Frank's Houston office in 2011 as a managing principal. Over the course of 15 years, Ms. McDonald has completed more than eight million square feet of office leasing transactions, representing a total value exceeding $1.8 billion.Ms. McDonald moved from Trammell Crow headquarters in Dallas in 2000 to open the tenant rep division of Trammell Crow in Houston. There she provide tenant advisory services in addition to executing corporate space requirements and portfolio strategies on behalf of her clients.
Brandi elevated the tenant advisory platform at Transwestern between 2007 to 2010.
A strong advocate for educational endeavors within her community, Ms. McDonald serves as a mentor for the University of Houston Bauer College NAWMBA program and is very passionate about expanding the real estate program at Bauer College. She was a Pershing Middle School Mentor from 2007 to 2008.
Ms. McDonald graduated early with magna cum laude recognition from Sam Houston State University to begin her career with Trammell Crow Company.
Charlene Ripley
Senior Vice President
LINN Energy
Charlene A. Ripley is LINN Energy's Senior Vice President and General Counsel. She oversees the company's legal, information technology, corporate governance, compliance, government affairs, insurance and risk-management activities. Ms. Ripley brings extensive domestic and international experience in legal-department management and energy transactions to her role at LINN Energy, where she also leads cultural-development initiatives and serves on the company's charitable contributions committee.She serves on the board of the Texas General Counsel Forum and is the past President of The Woodlands Bar Association, which she helped found.
Ms. Ripley is a passionate philanthropist, who spends numerous volunteer hours serving on the non-profit boards of several charitable organizations including the Impact Youth Development Center, American Heart Association of Houston and Girls Inc. In addition, she serves on the advisory board of the Women's Energy Network. She is also a member of the United Way of Greater Houston Women's Initiative and the American Heart Association's Circle of Red.
Lisa Trapani Shumate
Executive Director/General Manager
Houston Public Media
Lisa Trapani Shumate is an Emmy Award-winning television veteran. She is currently the Executive Director and General Manager of Houston Public Media, leading the combined operations of HoustonPBS, the nation's first educational television station, as well as Houston Public Radio, KUHF News 88.7 and Classical 91.7. Houston Public Media has an annual budget of $25 million, a staff of 165 and 65,000 individual supporters. Previously, Shumate served in management positions with both KHOU 11 (Belo/CBS) and KTRK/ABC 13 (Disney). She was director of programming and marketing for KHOU and executive director of Belo Marketing Solutions in Dallas. During her 11 years with KTRK, she moved from being an anchor, host and producer to manager of marketing and special projects. Shumate is an active member of the Greater Houston Partnership, and involved in an education initiative with the Center for Houston's Future. Lisa is also the recipient of national and regional awards for community service.
2010 Breakthrough Women
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Diamond & Platinum Members
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Board of directors companies
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Presenting Sponsors
