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2009 Fortunate 500: All-Stars
2009 FORTUNATE 500
ALL-STARS
Anyone can be nominated by readers. We take each nomination seriously, looking carefully for social investment and general accessibility. Then we track the nominees at social events all year long.
It’s that simple. No mysterious midnight elections. No shoulder-tapping ceremonies.
As in years past, the 2009 Fortunate 500 come from a multitude of backgrounds and represent the defining social activities of Central Texas. Also, the list changes significantly each year. At least 20 percent of the 500 available slots — many occupied by couples — alter each year.
The big surprise this time: The rapid rise of fashion as a common social denominator. As the inaugural Austin Fashion Week demonstrated during the summer, style has joined Austin’s old power centers — law, education, business, charity — and its established cultural expressions — music, movies, media, arts — as a definitional part of our social environment. Combined with the city’s ever more sophisticated food and nightlife scenes, fashion also helps illustrate the emergence of a uniquely local brand of recognizable glamour
.Top Picks: Eloise and John Paul DeJoria
Carol and Chris Adams. Austin Film Society, Austin Music Foundation, St. Edward’s University, Animal Trustees of Austin, Zach Theatre, AIDS Services of Austin, Arthouse, Blue Lapis Light/Sally Jacques
James Armstrong and Larry Connelly. Austin Museum of Art, Austin Lyric Opera, Long Center, Zach Theatre, UT College of Fine Arts
Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong Foundation, Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop, Team Radio Shack
Suzanne and David Booth. Dimensional Fund Advisors, Booth Heritage Foundation, Friends of Heritage Preservation, the Centre Pompidou Foundation, Chicago Booth School of Business
Linda Ball and Forrest Preece. Ballet Austin, Badgerdog Literary Publishing, Austin Cabaret Theatre, Austin Film Festival, Zach Theatre
Becky Beaver and John Duncan. Law Office of Becky Beaver, Ballet Austin, Texas Family Law Foundation, Austin Children’s Museum, Planned Parenthood of Austin, People’s Community Clinic, Austin Museum of Art, University of Texas, Annie’s List, Long Center
Sally and Mack Brown. University of Texas, Helping Hand Society, Rise School of Austin, Austin Partners in Education
Tana and Joe Christie. AIDS Services of Austin, Austin Lyric Opera, Armstrong Community Music School, Out Youth, Ransom Center
Linda and Bob Cole. KVET, Boy Scouts, Dell Children’s Medical Center, Frisco Shop, the Tavern, Hill’s Cafe
Susan and Michael Dell. Dell Inc., Dell Family Foundation, Dell Children’s Medical Center, Long Center, Austin Children’s Shelter, Arthouse
Oliver Everette and Craig Rancourt. L Style G Style, Human Rights Campaign, Arthouse, Equality Texas, Aids Services of Austin, Zach Scott, Octopus Club
Mary Margaret and Ray Farabee. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, People’s Community Clinic, Southwestern Writers Collection, Molly National Journalism Prize
Marcy Hoen and Bijoy Goswami. Bootstrap Austin, ‘The Human Fabric,’ Leadership Austin, Salon Sovay, Austin Art Start, Liminicity Consulting
Maria Luisa ‘Lulu’ Flores and Scott Hendler. National Women’s Political Caucus, Hendler Law, Mexic-Arte Museum, Save Town Lake Association, Hispanic Bar Association of Austin
Karen Frost and Charles Levy. Frost Media Relations, Nobelity, Texas Cultural Trust, Leadership Austin, I Live Here I Give Here, Impact Austin
Patty and James Huffines. University of Texas System, TXU Energy, PlainsCapital Bank, Austin Community Foundation, Center for Child Protection, Austin Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Fund for Central Texas
Teresa and Joe Long. Long Center, University of Texas, Austin Museum of Art, Austin Symphony Orchestra, UT College of Fine Arts
Carla and Jack McDonald. Perficient, Dynabrand PR, American Youthworks, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, Austech Alliance, PeopleFund, People’s Community Clinic
Lynn and Tom Meredith. MFI Foundation, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin Children’s Museum, University of Texas, Long Center
Stephen Moser. Austin Chronicle, Made in Heaven
Willie Nelson. ‘Two Men with the Blues,’ Club Luck, Farm Aid, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Nobelity Project, Carl’s Corner
Deborah and Larry Peel. KLRU, Larry Peel Co., Wine & Food Foundation of Texas, Thoughtful House Center for Autism, Electronic Privacy Information Center
Anita and Rick Perry. Governor of Texas, Texas Conference for Women, National Governors Association, March of Dimes, Main Street Program, Center for Child Protection
Christy and Turk Pipkin. Nobelity Project, Miracle Foundation, A Glimmer of Hope Foundation
Sara and Dick Rathgeber. Rathgeber Village, Austin Children’s Shelter, People’s Community Clinic, Salvation Army
Amy and Kirk Rudy. Endeavor Real Estate Group, Anti-Defamation League, Equality Texas, AIDS Services of Austin, Ballet Austin, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
Eugene Sepulveda and Steven Tomlinson. ABPorter.org, Entrepreneurs Foundation, Acton School of Business, FuseBox Festival, Wheatsville Coop, DNC NFC/LGBT Leadership Council, KDK Harman Foundation, PeopleFund
Julia and Evan Smith. Texas Tribune, Blanton Museum of Art, Trinity Episcopal School, Austin Film Society, People’s Community Clinic, Planned Parenthood
Julie and John Thornton. Austin Ventures, Texas Tribune, Ballet Austin, Blanton Museum of Art, testperformancetest, Arthouse
Michelle Valles and Ray Benson. KEYE, Asleep at the Wheel, Bismeaux Studio, Muscular Dystrophy Association, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, Aguila Awards, Human Rights Campaign, HAAM, St. Davids Foundation, SIMS
Liz McDaniel Watson and Kirk Watson. Texas Senate, Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, Lance Armstrong Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Alexa and Blaine Wesner. Austin Ventures, Blue Texas, Austin Film Society, Lifeworks, Downtown Austin Alliance, Artworks, Austin Museum of Art
Suzanne and Marc Winkelman. Calendar Club, Jewish Community Association of Austin, Democratic Party, Long Center, Elie Weisel Foundation for Humanity
Anne Elizabeth Wynn and Joaquin Avellán. Atticus Circle, ‘Deeper and Deeper,’ ‘Entre Líneas,’ Austin Poetry Slam, Arthouse, Austin Public Library Foundation, CASA
Will Wynn. Civitas Investments, LPB Energy Management, City of Austin
For selected images of the 2009 All-Stars, go here.
COMPLETE 2009 FORTUNATE 500 LISTS:
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment Categories: The 500
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By Ray benson
September 22, 2009 8:45 AM | Link to this
Mike! Thanx for the mention as an all star! omitted was my charitable work.Board member of HAAM. St Davids Foundation,SIMS,and many others. Just wanted you to know!RB
By JSS
September 9, 2009 1:23 PM | Link to this
That is DeJoria's "thing". He is always doing the peace sign for the cameras.
By Chris Saad
September 9, 2009 1:16 AM | Link to this
Is John Paul DeJoria giving a peace sign or is he implying that we should get a haircut?
By Mike
September 8, 2009 8:14 PM | Link to this
So many couples? Are single people at a disadvantage?