For more than three decades, Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest has honored more than 300 women who have distinguished themselves through their leadership, extraordinary contributions to their community and, most importantly, by exemplifying the Girl Scout mission as women of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
The proceeds from these events allow Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest to provide scholarships, the Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE), enhance our four priority program areas: Financial Literacy, Healthy Living, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), and Outdoor Leadership, and support various Girl Scout activities and programs for Girl Scouts throughout Southern New Mexico and West Texas.
Meet the Current Honorees
Host For The Midland-Reporter Telegram Readers Choice awards in August of 2023. In 2010 she was recognized for fair and balanced reporting by the Midland Independent School District and honored by the state of Texas as a member of the Media Honor Roll. Krista is also an Associated Press award winning journalist for her spot coverage of two major West Texas news stories, the search for Little Destiny and The Alon Refinery Explosion. Krista and her co-host Greg Morgan had the number one morning show in West Texas from 2006 - 2016. Her greatest joy is being wife and mom of Austin, Aspen, Alexandrea and Alex.
Krista Escamilla is a wife, mom of four, business owner and encourager. Krista owns Rig-ID Workwear with her husband Al, she is also the award-winning Host of The Krista Escamilla Show Podcast with almost 30 years of experience as a journalist. The Krista Escamilla show is a weekly dose of motivation as her guests share their inspirational stories. Krista also highlights our community, pays it forward and (her favorite goal) makes you smile. Krista was voted the Gold Winner as the Best Talk Show.
In 1994, Cathy expanded the office to include a worldwide Executive Recruiting division. C. G. & Company opened an office in Dallas in 1997 followed by an Austin office in June 2000. She was nominated to the board and soon elected President of the Texas Association of Personnel Consultants. Cathy has also served on the board as District IX Director (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Louisiana) for the National Association of Personnel Services. Cathy makes time available to speak to businesses, social and school groups to present the importance of proactive career planning, talent acquisition, and the human resource issues that affect the organization in today’s business climate. Cathy currently sits on the University of Texas Permian Basin Presidents Advisory Board, Southwest Heritage Credit Union Board as the Secretary and is a member of the Loan Committee. Cathy has been on the Board of Odessa Links Homeless Coalition for over 15 years as well as volunteers her time to different non-profit organizations in her community. Cathy loves to travel internationally. She loves to learn about the cultures of the different countries she travels to, and to make friends all over the world.
Cathy George has worked in the staffing industry for over 30 years. She launched her own business in 1988, C.G. & Company in Odessa, Texas. In the early 1990’s Cathy expanded her business to include a temporary division and started brokering for Professional Employer Organization (PEO)/employee leasing. During this time, she also became active in the Permian Basin Association of Personnel Consultants (PBAPC), serving as the President for two terms. She earned her Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) credentials in 1993, which enabled Cathy to become Education Chair of the PBAPC.
Valerie Sparks (Johannsen) was born and raised in Harlan, Iowa. Growing up she participated in Girl Scouts, her church youth group, band, cheerleading, tennis, and Rainbow Girls. During high school, Val was a member of the medical explorers always wanting to be a nurse. Graduating from Harlan Community High School, Val attended the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, College of Nursing. She earned her associate degree and became a registered nurse in 1981. She then graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. Looking for a new adventure, Val was recruited by Midland Memorial Hospital (MMH) in 1983. Val has been a registered nurse for 42 years and is currently the Infection Preventionist at MMH, a position she has held for 33 years. She received her Master of Nursing in Surveillance and Epidemiology (2014) from American Sentinel University and has been certified in Infection Control for 32 years.
During the Covid pandemic, Val was instrumental in organizing community mass vaccination clinics and assisting the steering committee for Midland Memorial to be able to care for our community and the region in the safest possible manner. Val was recognized in 2021 as a Permian Basin Great 25 Nurse, the MMH Nightingale Award, and a Daisy Team Award. In 2022, Val was awarded with a Daisy Lifetime Award for her dedication and service to the nursing profession. Val’s community service includes PTA boards, band, and football boosters, currently serving as board member of Children Community Clinic, Manor Park, and Live on Stage. Val and her husband Jeff have been supportive of High Sky Children’s Ranch, March of Dimes, Gladney Adoption Center, University of Texas College of Engineering, University of Nebraska College of Nursing, First Baptist Church, Midland Memorial Hospital, and many more nonprofits within the community. Val has been the bride of Jeff Sparks for 39 years. She and Jeff have 4 adult children and loves being “Gigi” to eight grandkids.
Reagan is an Obstetrician Gynecologist with Midland Women’s Clinic. She became interested in healthcare at a very young age. Many after-school hours were spent at her father’s general surgery office which her mother managed. Between doing homework and after-school activities, she learned how to do many of the behind-the-scenes jobs. It was no surprise to her family when she decided to go into medicine. Reagan graduated from Lee High School and went on to attend Texas A&M University. She returned to West Texas for medical school attending Texas Tech Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, where during her third year she discovered her love for women’s health and surgery. After graduation Reagan moved to Richmond, Virginia where she completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical College of Virginia. There she met and married her husband, Aaron, a Urologist.
Community service has always been an integral part of Reagan’s life. Growing up in Midland she was very involved in her church and service organizations, but Girl Scouts was her primary focus. Reagan’s troop was very active in the Girl Scout Council enabling her to earn both her Silver and Gold Awards. During her senior year of high school, she led 2 troops for underserved girls and mentored parents to assume leadership when she moved on to college. While at A&M Reagan was active in the Aggie community including the Aggie Girl Scouts. During medical school, she participated in mission trips to border communities in Mexico and volunteered with Girl Scout programs in Lubbock.
Returning to Midland in 2011, Reagan and her husband, Aaron, set to work building their practices and starting their family. They have three children: Hayden, Ainsley, and Leyton. Initially struggling to find balance in being present for her family as well as taking care of her patients, Reagan made the decision to focus on Gynecology, giving her more time with her family. As a physician, Reagan enjoys caring for women throughout all stages of their life and using her skills as a surgeon to improve her patient’s quality of life.
As a mom of three children, Reagan has been very active in their education and supportive of their outside interests. She volunteers at chess club with Hillander School, teaches first grade religious education at St. Anns Catholic Church, leads the Wolf Den for Cub Scout Pack 3, and helps in many roles with her children’s sports teams. Reagan’s biggest volunteer commitment is with Girl Scouts. She leads a Junior Troop of sixteen 4th graders who keep her very busy with all their plans and goals. They are currently working on their Bronze Award projects, planning their end of the year campout, and determining which badges they would like to earn next! Reagan recently has taken on a new role as the co-manager of the Emerald Service Unit in Midland. Between her work as a physician, her volunteer activities, and her family, Reagan stays very busy and fulfilled.
Past Honorees
2021
Libby Campbell
Sharla Hotchkiss
Shelby Landgraf
Susan Spratlen
2022
Cathy Eastham
Kathleen Kirwan-Haynie
Elaine Magruder
Judy Rankin
2023
Ellen Boyd
Kathy Harrison
Becky McCraney
Andrea Quiroz
Dr. Sandra Woodley
Alice Friedline
Cookie Wetendorf
Darlene Mays
Julie Cree
Katherine Curry
Laura Roman
Margaret Jones
Paula Henry
Paula Loftin-Hill
Vicki Rice
Davina Hosick
Dianne Williams
Jami Turner
Katy Morrow
Patricia Stanley
Victoria Printz
Anita Gamertsfelder
Christa Ray Callicoate
Debbie Donaldson
Emily Baker
Gene Johnson
Laura Sales
Lori Nelson
Mary Baker
Mary Moore Barham
Susan Palmer
Alice Duerksen
Brooke Hendricks
Christine Foreman
Kristi Edwards
Lynda James
Sara Kate Billingsley
Tammy Stalcup
Teresa Burnett
Travis Woodward
D’Ann Foster Green
Feliz Abalos
Gene Kayser Jones
Jacqui Gore
Laurie Johnson
Maridell Fryar
Marj Carpenter
Rosalind Redfern Grover
Sandra Staley
Brenda Kay Clark
Courtney Wardlaw
Gloria May
J’Nevelyn Melton
Patty Smith
Rev. Cheryl Homsher
Tatum Hubbard
Wanda Campbell
Betty Nobles Starnes
Elizabeth Rogers
Faye Rodriguez
Kathy Swindler
Martha Kallus
Stacey Gerig
Sue Solari
Susie Evans
Cathy McKelvain
Cindy Shelton
Elizabeth “Liz” Jackson
Kathy Hassell
Marilyn Harrison
Nickie Opperman
Robin Self
Sarah Lauritzen
Sue Roseberry
Beth Francell
Beverly Alstrin
Elizabeth Leonard
Julie Marshall
Karmen Bryant
Kathryn Shelley
Lisa Sutton-Housman
Lynn Van Amburgh
Toni Lindley
Amy Hendrick
Bunny Petrosky
Debbie McReynolds
Joann Foster
Josefina Hooker
Pat Long Weaver
Teresa Floyd
Beverly Pevehouse
Brenda Denton
Carole Lucas
Denise Perkins
Donette Marble
Karen Johnson
Mary Clare Spear
Nonita Brown
Virginia Garza
Anabel Spencer
Chachi Hawkins
Debra Westmoreland
Edna Hibbitts Wright
Grace King
Jane Brite White
Karen Fullen
Linda Terrell
Rebecca Bell
Diana Browning
Kay Bivens
Kristi Hyatt
Sharon Heidelberg
Sondra Eoff
Teresa Clingman
Terri Spence
Vicky Hailey
Ann Parish
Barbara Creager
Frances Casstevens
Lori White
Mary E. Thompson
Mary Jane Morgan
Robin Darr
Sharon Hatten
Stephanie Rivas
Ava Jane Fuller
Connie Nichols
Elise Kail
Marcia Cleaver
Mary Lou Thompson
Peggy Dean
Phoebe Campbell
Rachel Dobbs
Susan Fulfer
Cora McFadden
Delma Abalos
Denise Burns
Dr. Margaret Price
Lois Folger
Lynn Buxkemper
Martha Cooper
Mary Beth Anton
Pamela Hamm
Susie Hitchcock-Hall
Suzie Boyd
Virginia Chisum
Alma Thompson
Alynda Best
Dr. Margaret Wade
Dr. Sherrie Lang
Jane Hext
Juanita Silva
Leslie Harman
LuAnn Morgan
Marilyn Bassinger
Nancy Poage
Phyllis Stine
Susan Rogers
Audrey Curry
Becky Baskin Ferguson
Debra Solari
Dephane Tabor
Ellen House
Gay Fields
Janet’ Sloan
Kathryn Graybill
Nelda Guerra
Sherry Phillips
Susan Rutherford
Vicki Jay
Cendy Antley
Dr. Debbie Reese
Frances Walker
Gayle Dodson
Paula Ahders
Trina Moralez
Winifred Walker-Wagner
Carla Smith
Eileen Piwetz
June Guess
Karen Nicholson
Lisa Crenshaw- Estes
Lucinda Hurlbut
Tana DeGraffenreid
D’Ette Fowlkes
Dr. Donna Williams
Elizabeth Stottlemyre
Jan Donnelly O’Neill
Jane Wiant
Janis Hall Buxton
Jayne Krawietz
Laurie Stevens
LuAnn Elliott
Martha Ramos
Maxine Hannifin
Pam Hicks
Patricia Alexander Maurer
Ruth Wyche
Sharon Agnew
Sue Mahood
Thelma Cummins
Anne Mackey
Avis Faulk
Barbara Clack
Bernadine Spears
Bettye Jo Daniel Stricklin
Camille Doss
Carol Dunagan Husbands
Carolyn Tripp
Cherie Hensley
Cheryl Gomez
Cindy Tochterman
Dr. Fane Downs
Gayle Hill
Jane Meredith Wolf
Janette Bowers
Joan Webb
Joyce Zapp
Karen McCord
Linda Goddard
Lu Anna Stephens
Margaret Rhea
Marjanna Russell
Patti Groce
Sally Kvasnicka
Shari Shackelford
Shurah Elizabeth Smith
Susan Hammons
Barbara Davis
Carla Bryant
Charlotte Hunter
Dana Carole
Edna Brown Hibbitts
Kathy Ard
Lee Lentz
Lucy Mullen Davis
Margaret Cowden
Margaret Wyn
Marilyn Hanson
Mary de Compiegne
Melissa Hendrix
Nancy Anguish
Petra Tucker
Sandra Clack
Sandy Tisdale
Shelley Barker
Tammy Hawkins
Tana Roberson
Alice Park
Alma Guerrero
Brooke Wiseman
Carolyn Fears
Debra Osborne Thomas
Donna Adams
Dr. Deana Savage
Elsie Hugly
Iris Correa
Iris Foster
Janet Frizell Kopec
Joan Baron Lamkin
Joan Baskin
Laura W. Bush
Linda Foster
Margaret Kerley
Mary Kaye Moore
Mary Lucille LaQuey
Mary Jane Young
Carol Siddall
Charlene Romero Wurtz
Charlotte Allen
Fredi Franki
Golda McGuire
Jo Miller
Margaret Purvis
Mary O’Hearne
Nancy Dye
Stefanie Goebel
Anne Carroll
Betsy Triplett-Hurt
Carol Hall
Carole Causey
Cindi Wiehle
Dr. Carolyn Rhode
Dr. Sue Blair
Jo Ann Davenport
Joyce Wilson
Julia Doris
Mary Lou Cassidy
Nellie Torres
Ray Ann Zant
Barbara Greene
Bernice Wells
Beverly Muire
Bonita Baker
Cathy Herzog
Doris Schiller
Gloria Grissom
Jan Havens
Jane Park
Joanne Langston
Jody Tayrien
Lael Cordes-Pitts
Lee Harris
Mari Willis
Peggy Kelton
Sarah Lew Grimes
Sue Craig
1992
Allison Garvin
Alma Bird
Ann Bradford
Anne Josefy
Astrid Nunez
Barbara Bingham
Barbara Clarke
Barbara Ransbottom
Barbara Richerson
Beth Carr
Beth Larned
Betty Ann Prentice
Betty Jo Morgan
Bridget Jarrett
Carol Ann Hunt
Carol Gregg
Carol Orem
Carolyn Hooper
Cathy Womack McKelvain
Charlotte Slack
Christy Reed
Clara King
Doris Howbert
Dorothy Smith
Dr. Anne Acreman
Dr. Sue Bradley
Geriann Green
Gloria Holder
Holly Ann Siddall
Irene Rivera-White
Jackie Hamlton
Jane Carrens Samples
Jane Cosby
Janie Howell
Janna Fulfer
Joan Johnson
JoAnn Viney
Joy Scott
Joyce Thompson
Judy Hayes
Julie Kupper
Kathlyn Dunagan
Kathy Hendrick
Kathy McIntyre
Katie Heck
Kitty Bristow
Kristin Sayre
Lauretta Adams
Lily Tercero
Lois Nell Carpenter
Lorraine Perryman
Lydia Torres
Lynn Leever Bromley
Margie Titus
Maria Mata
Marian Jones
Mary Alice Ramos
Mary Beck
Mary Katherine Friskics-Warren
Mary Wynn Hinkle
Merita Hart
Michelle Hayes
Myra Harvey
Narita Holmes
Natalie Rothstein
Pat Hunter
Patrice Allen
Peggy Caddell
Penny Angelo
Renee’ Earls
Ruth Allbright
Sally Steward
Schatzie Tighe
Shelly Unger
Sherry Bell
Sonya Haynie
Sue Roberts
Sue Wood
Sunnye Dinger
Susan Tighe Litherland
Suzanne Bobo
Virginia Conner
2024 Women of Distinction Sponsors
OPEN FOR SPONSORSHIP