The Humble Artesian Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association awarded its top honors to three local business women at the March business meeting.
The Humble Artesian Chapter of ABWA is part of a national network of business women founded in 1949 and currently has over 45,000 members. Locally, the Humble Chapter is one of the largest in the country with over 100 members from Humble, Atascocita, Kingwood and surrounding areas. Each year the Chapter awards over $5,000 in scholarships to local women attending or entering college.
One of the ABWA member benefits is recognition for personal and professional excellence.
Each year ABWA recognizes the Top Ten Business Women of ABWA. Each chapter submits a nominee for the honor. Diane Cantrell of Golf Plus Gifts was named the Top Ten nominee for the Humble Artesian chapter for 2006.
Diane Cantrell was born and raised in the Midwest, attended the School of Business at Indiana University. She transferred from Chicago with PHH Homequity to Dallas, Texas, where she was a part of the Regional Executive Management Team that was responsible for the start up and management of the company’s southern region. From there she was promoted to Regional Vice President and relocated to Houston, Texas to open Showhomes of America’s regional office.
Several years later she accepted the opportunity of entering into the golf industry as a Golf Tournament Sales Director and also assisted her husband, Bill Cantrell, with his business Golf Plus Gifts & Events. This has resulted in awards from various charitable organizations for her generous support, such as: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Kent Walthrop National Paralysis Foundation, The Miracle Children Foundation, and NFL Alumni Caring for Kids.
Cantrell joined her husband full time and is currently VP of Sales and Marketing and owner of Golf Plus Gifts & Events. She has served on the Board of Directors for American Business Women’s Association for the Humble Artesian Chapter. She is a current member of Kingwood Chamber of Commerce, Humble Area Chamber of Commerce, and North Houston Greenspoint Chamber of Commerce and attends Christ the King Lutheran Church. Her purpose in life goes beyond her own needs. She gains satisfaction by providing whatever she can to people in need.
Kathryn Hill with Life Celebrating Health has been named as the chapter Woman of the Year for 2006. She was chosen for her contribution to the chapter, as well as to the community.
Hill was born in Houston and raised in Humble, Texas. Kathryn began working for Life Celebrating Health in 1992 and is currently the Special Projects Coordinator.
She is a member of God’s Word In Action International Faith Center in Dayton, Texas. Hill has volunteered in various capacities in the church with the children, youth, women’s ministry, singles ministry and bible study leader. She is currently the praise and worship leader and secretary for the church. The church is also involved in Circuit Riders Motorcycle Ministry, and Daughters of Destiny, which is the women’s outreach of CRMM. Hill serves as an officer for their chapter and participates in various outreach ministry events throughout the year.
Hill joined the Humble Artesian chapter of American Business Women’s Association in 2003. Currently, she is serving as Corresponding Secretary and has been the newsletter editor for the chapter since 2003.
As a member of the Federation of Houston Professional Women, each year the Humble Artesian chapter also bestows a Woman of Excellence award. The criteria for the award are community involvement and personal and professional achievement. This year’s winner is Jill Vidal, owner of Elegant Beginnings, Inc., one of Houston's fine linen and chair cover rental companies.
Vidal is a proud wife and mother of one and has enjoyed operating a successful home-based business for five years while being able to fulfill her dream of being a stay-at-home mom.
Jill graduated from Texas A&M University in 1998 with a degree in marketing and moved to Humble in 2000. After creating Elegant Beginnings in 2001, Jill joined ABWA with the hopes to network and expand the business. Little did she know, she would be establishing life-long friendships and contacts she is always proud to refer to others.
BACKGROUND
Founded in 1949 by Hilary A. Bufton Jr., a Kansas City, Mo., businessman, ABWA is a 45,000 member strong association that provides business training and networking opportunities for women of diverse occupations and backgrounds. ABWA has dedicated more than half a century to women’s education and provided workplace skills and career development training for more than 545,000 members. ABWA has also awarded more than $43 million in women’s scholarships.
For membership information and meeting schedule for the Humble Artesian chapter, visit www.abwahumble.org.
