Jacquie Baly

Jacquie Baly, President of BalyProjects, has been a leader in the Texas business and policy communities for decades. She began her career as a city, and regional planner, then served as Vice President of the Greater Houston Partnership before her public service as Governor Rick Perry’s appointee on water and wastewater issues, then-Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Sugar Land. Twenty-three years ago, Jacquie founded BalyProjects to provide clients with government affairs and media relations services. Additionally, she advises Governor Greg Abbott on Higher Education initiatives; serves as Vice Chair of Harris County Commissioner Court Women’s Commission, dealing with economic development and business opportunities for women. Jacquie is a 2023 Texas Women’s Hall of Fame Inductee and will be honored for her efforts and hard work in early March.

Jacquie has won numerous awards, including Top Ten Business Owner in the Country by the National Association of Women Business Owners, One of the Most Influential Blacks by CORE media and USA Today, Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce Role Model Honoree, St. Jude’s Children Hospital Philanthropist of the Year, Crohn’s and Colitis Woman of Distinction, Woman of Excellence by the Federation of Business and Professional Women, University of Houston Alumni Association’s “Rising Star” and Black Alumnus of the Year awards.

A native of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Public Administration. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate at the University of Southern California. She has taught public policy at the University of Houston for over 15 years and served as a Faculty-In-Residence at the University of Texas in Austin.

Jacquie is the proud mother of two amazing young men. Her eldest, Raphael, graduated from Trinity University with a double major in business and marketing and is currently pursuing his MBA at Boston College. Her youngest son Alexandre recently graduated from Harvard University with High Honors in Neuroscience and earned a language certification in Spanish. She newly married business executive James Craig and resides in Houston, Texas.

Lara Bell

Having worked on-air in television for twenty years, Lara understands production, promotion, product placement, marketing, and sales. Her ability to tell stories to Houston audiences of relevance makes viewers feel a true friend in her. Whether Lara is interviewing a former President of the United States, cooking with a local chef, or speaking to a room full of school-aged children, her passion comes across.

After 14 years at KTBU-TV as host of Wild about Houston, Lara decided to make a move in 2011 to become publisher of Absolutely! Memorial Magazine, a magazine devoted to covering the Memorial Area in which she lives. It was a tough decision to change jobs, but at the time with an eight-year-old daughter, Dylan and five-year-old son, Brooks, she needed something to better fit with her busy schedule. Lara had always wanted to own a business so, in April 2017, she founded Swoon Media LLC and purchased Absolutely! Memorial Magazine. Five months after buying the magazine, she changed the name and look to SWOON Memorial then six months later in March 2018 launched SWOON Katy/Fulshear. More titles are in the works, but no date is set on the launch for other communities.

Her charitable work is something she takes seriously as she has helped raise millions of dollars for Houston charities. Her very first gala to chair was in 1997, the 100^th Anniversary of the Houston Fire Museum. Lara co-chaired that event with a new TV reporter in town named Roseann Rogers. That was the start of a friendship and team that has co-chaired many events over twenty years including Absolutely Fabulous gala AIDS Foundation Houston, Avondale House Under the Big Top gala, World AIDS Day luncheon, Houston Ballet Ball auction, and Nutcracker Market Preview Party, to name just a few. Lara is a board member for KidsMeals which feeds hungry pre-school children daily. She is a member of the National Charity League, The Children’s Museum, The Houston Ballet Guild, Houston Symphony League, The Houston Polo Club, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s Trailblazer Committee, and the Junior League of Houston. Just this year, Lara is passionate about cancer related causes after losing her mom to the disease seven years ago.   In 2020 Lara was names a Crohn’s and Colitis ABC 13 Women of Distinction and in 2021 was honored by the Houston Social Book as a “Houston Treasure”. Lara is also involved in her son’s school, Memorial High School along with her daughter who is a Freshman University of Texas.

In Lara’s spare time she can be seen around the Memorial neighborhood she loves so much with her husband Brent Milam, nineteen-year-old daughter Dylan and sixteen-year-old son, Brooks – as well as  her fun and crazy Sheepadoodles- Dallas and Tucker!

Corporate Honoree

• American Cancer Society’s CEOs Against Cancer
  Greater Houston Chapter