XL Fortunate 500

The all-stars

People who move in multiple circles

By Michael Barnes
Wednesday, May 10, 2006

In Asia, this is the Year of the Dog. In Austin, it's the Year of the Foxes.

Nick Fox, securities lawyer for Vinson & Elkins, headed up last week's triumphant World Congress on Information Technology, which drew 2,100 delegates from 80 countries.

Meanwhile, Sara Fox beat the fundraising bushes for Austin Museum of Art, Ballet Austin, Austin Theatre Alliance, Austin Film Society, Arthouse and other organizations.

At times, it seemed the Foxes cloned themselves, sending out replicants to board meetings, parties and openings.

Ten years ago, they knew almost nobody in Austin. Now they sit atop the All-Stars list for the XL Fortunate 500.

The natives of Pennsylvania and Oklahoma embraced the city instantly, but they missed the cultural flavors they had savored living in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Hong Kong and elsewhere.

"We both wanted to help Austin become a more international city," Sara, 42, says.

After giving birth to three babies in five years, Sara emerged from domesticity to help with a school cause, then reconnected with her business and arts backgrounds when recruited onto numerous nonprofit boards. Now working on a high-tech startup, she continues to play keyboards for churches and schools, while heading up fundraising campaigns.

By consensus on the philanthropy circuit, Sara lights up almost any party with her fearless friendliness and vivacious conversation. The slightly more retiring Nick, 46, defers to the social superstar in the family, but is able to make connections that stick.

"Sara had no roots in Texas," says Nick, who attended the University of Texas School of Law. "She established her own roots by going out and planting a lot of (social) seeds."

If the Foxes were planting seeds, they've already reaped a bounty of admiration from the social networkers in Austin.

Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong Foundation

Linda Ball and Forrest Preece
Ballet Austin, Austin Cabaret Theatre, AIDS Services of Austin, Project Transitions, Austin Lyric Opera, The Heritage Society of Austin, Zachary Scott Theatre, Paramount/State theatres

Melanie and Ben Barnes
Ben Barnes Group, Boys & Girls Clubs, University United Methodist Church, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Ballet Austin, National Charity League and St. Francis and St. Michael's schools

Ray Benson
Asleep at the Wheel, Bismeaux Studio, Ballet Austin, St. David's Foundation

Sally and Mack Brown
UT Longhorns football, The Rise School of Austin

Ann and Roy Butler
Capitol Beverage Co., Austin Community Foundation, Greater Austin Crime Commission

Mary Margaret Farabee
Texas Book Festival, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, People's Community Clinic, Charles W. Moore Foundation

Kinky Friedman
Texas Jewboys, Kinky for Governor

Deborah Green
Austin Museum of Art, Arthouse, Choice Project, Austin Film Society

Lowell Lebermann Jr.
Centex Beverage, University of Texas, Seton Healthcare

Anne S. Lewis and Louis Black
Austin Chronicle, 'Be Here to Love Me,' South by Southwest

Mike Levy
Texas Monthly, Austin Film Society

Teresa and Joe Long
Long Center for the Performing Arts, University of Texas, Austin Symphony Orchestra

Chris Mattson and John McHale
Austin Museum of Art, Arthouse

Sherry Matthews and Dick Clark
Sherry Matthews Advocacy Marketing, Dick Clark Architecture

Carla Stanmyre McDonald and John T. 'Jack' McDonald
Perficient, Dynabrand PR, American Youthworks, Arthouse, Austin Film Society, Ballet Austin

Lynn and Tom Meredith
MFI Foundation, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin Film Society, Austin Museum of Art, Austin Children's Museum, Children's Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas, the Long Center for the Performing Arts, Meritage Capital, L.P.

Stephen Moser
Austin Chronicle

Willie Nelson
Farm Aid, Willie Nelson's Biodiesel, Willie Nelson/NORML Benefit Golf Tournament, UNICEF

Christy and Turk Pipkin
The Nobelity Project

Sara and Dick Rathgeber
People's Community Clinic, Salvation Army, McCombs School of Business, The Seton Fund, Austin History Center Association, Austin Parks Foundation

Ann Richards and Bud Shrake
Austin Film Society, Public Strategies Inc.

Eddie Safady
Prosperity Bank, Austin Film Society

Eugene Sepulveda and Steven Tomlinson
McCombs School of Business, Acton MBA in Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurs Foundation & Idea Network, PeopleFund, Austin Community Foundation, St. James' Episcopal Church, Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, Ballet Austin

Julie and John Thornton
Austin Ventures, Ballet Austin, American Youthworks, Arthouse, Austin Film Society

Bobbi and Mort Topfer
Topfer Family Foundation, Castletop Capital, The Seton Fund, Austin Museum of Art, Breakthrough, University of Texas School of Nursing Children's Wellness Center

Eddie Wilson
Threadgill's

Anne Elizabeth Wynn
First Night Austin

Will Wynn
Austin mayor, Civitas Investments, Urban Land Institute, Envision Central Texas

Vince Young
UT Longhorns, Tennessee Titans