TEXAS CITY – The Texas City ISD Foundation for the Future has selected eight inductees for the 2019 Hall of Honor and Legacy Hall, the prestigious programs recognizing outstanding Texas City and La Marque graduates.
“The Foundation is pleased to announce the 2019 inductees into Texas City’s Hall of Honor and La Marque’s Legacy Hall,” said Christina Hall-Payne, executive director for the foundation. “These alumni are truly exceptional and it is our hope that the community and their classmates will want to come to the induction ceremony to hear about how they got to where they are today.”
Texas City’s Hall of Honor began in 2005 and La Marque’s Legacy Hall began in 2008. Both programs are designed to recognize Texas City and La Marque graduates who have excelled in their field of expertise and made significant contributions to their respective communities.
The 2019 Hall of Honor inductees from Texas City High School are Chris Ballard, Class of 1988; Cynthia D’Ascenzo Bendure, Class of 1972; Dorthea Jones Pointer, Class of 1975; and Dr. Shalondria Simpson, Class of 1997.
Chris Ballard turned his love of football into a successful career. After playing four years of collegiate football at the University of Wisconsin, he spent seven years coaching at Texas A&M-Kingsville. He has been the general manager for the Indianapolis Colts since January 2017. He is entering his 19th NFL season and his third in his current role with the Colts. Ballard’s experienced background includes 16 previous seasons with the Chicago Bears (2001-2012) and Kansas City Chiefs (2013-16) in a variety of roles. His meticulous approach to free agency in the last three years has yielded productive results. The team’s success in 2018, due in part to Ballard’s construction of the roster, earned him the Pro Football Writers of America Executive of the Year award.
Cynthia D’Ascenzo Bendure taught Spanish, English and English as a second language in Texas City ISD before pursuing a law degree. She established her own firm in Mississippi in 1985 and has aided the legal community as a municipal prosecutor and attorney, a youth defense attorney and prosecutor, school board attorney, trained mediator, former judge and in private practice. Bendure has served on several advisory boards and commissions, including the National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts and earned multiple awards for her legal efforts, including the President’s Award of the Mississippi Bar. She is currently the regional director of the southeastern region of the National Association of State Judicial Educators. She co-authored the book, Legal Terminology for Non-Lawyers.
Dorthea Jones Pointer has been an advocate for the citizens of Texas City through her profession, civic duty, volunteerism and spiritual leadership. A current Texas City
commissioner, she is also a former Texas City ISD board member. Pointer is involved in
multiple ministries through Greater Barbour’s Chapel Baptist Church and volunteers in many capacities through the Rotary Club, United Way, Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce and more. She began her career in the funeral industry in 1973 at Mainland Funeral Home. While the road wasn’t always easy to complete her schooling, she never gave up. She has been a funeral director for Carnes Funeral Home for the past 16 years. Having lost a child of her own, Pointer takes great pride in assisting families and providing comfort to them when they are experiencing their greatest loss.
As a child, Dr. Shalondria Simpson dreamed of working alongside her twin sister in the medical field. She was drawn to helping the vulnerable populations while completing her pharmacy practice residency in Dallas at Parkland Health & Hospital System. Her passion for education quickly led her to a dual position as both a pharmacist and professor at her alma mater, Texas Southern University. Dr. Simpson’s spirit of entrepreneurship led her to opening and operating two successful pharmacies where she tailors medications to individualized patient needs. With the opening of Tru Essence Cosmetic and Medical Spa in Houston, her aspiration of working alongside her twin came true. They have combined their medical professions to restoring overall health and wellness to their clients while renewing self-confidence.
The 2019 Legacy Hall inductees from La Marque High School are Thelma Bowie, Class of 1968; Donita Rygaard Brannon, Class of 1975; Chris Cotter, Class of 1985; and Jeffery Rose, Class of 1974.
Thelma Bowie, a former Texas City Commissioner, exemplifies the true nature of volunteerism through her tireless devotion to a variety of local organizations and causes. A strong advocate for education, she spends countless hours working on positive opportunities for youth. She has promoted successful bond elections for Texas City ISD and College of the Mainland and she helps raise money for non-profit groups to award scholarships to outstanding students in both La Marque and Texas City. A retired team leader and training coordinator at BP, Bowie also dedicates herself to programs that help the elderly and people with special needs. She currently serves on boards for the Rotary Club of Texas City, The Nick Gary Foundation, TC-Mainland Lions Club & Mainland Optimist Club and the Front Door Social and Charity Club.
Donita Rygaard Brannon was among one of first women to achieve the classification of Master Certified Nursery Professional from the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association. A 30-year employee of Moody Gardens, she helped create the Rainforest Pyramid horticultural exhibits from the design, procurement and installation phases to biologically controlling pests while the horticulture exhibits flourish. Brannon continues to cultivate her knowledge by studying plants and wildlife in rainforests around the world from the Amazon River to Peru. She also shares her knowledge by teaching Boy Scout merit badge workshops and has worked with Texas City ISD and Galveston ISD students in growing vegetables and herbs while educating them on the importance of plants in the medical and pharmaceutical fields.
From a very young age, Chris Cotter was obsessed with mechanics. This led him to a successful high school career in auto mechanics where he qualified for two national contests. In 1993, Cotter started Land and Sea Services in his home’s garage repairing automotive and marine engines. It quickly outgrew his garage so he and a partner opened up a shop in La Marque where they now only service marine engines. Cotter is well-known for his expertise in his field and is often called on to present on his salvage knowledge. His emergency response team was active after Hurricanes Ike and Harvey to help stack damaged boats for easy inspection by insurance companies to expedite claims for owners. He frequently donates equipment to charitable organizations such as the El Mina Shriners, Galveston County Fair and Rodeo and La Marque Bayou Fest.
Jeffery Rose excelled on and off the football field at Rice University as an honor student and recipient of the Jess Neely Defensive Award. After playing with the San Francisco 49ers in 1977, he pursued a career in banking. In 1984, Rose became Texas’ first African-American president of a major holding company bank. He has built a career as a prominent banker and has lead credit risk advisory and due diligence assignments for banks and private equity firms throughout the United States. Rose was nominated by the Association of Rice Alumni (ARA) to serve a 4-year term on the Rice Board of Trustees. Besides active membership in multiple collegiate alumni programs, his community volunteerism includes the Humane Society, Aids Foundation, Star of Hope, the Houston Area Urban League and local chambers of commerce.
The Hall of Honor and Legacy Hall inductees’ photos and biographies will be displayed at their respective high schools in honor of their accomplishments and to serve as role models for Texas City ISD students. In addition, there will be an induction ceremony and banquet on Thursday, Oct. 17 at the Charles T. Doyle Convention Center. The community is invited to purchase tickets to attend the dinner and silent auction. Individual tickets are $75 and tables of eight can be purchased for $750. Early reservations are encouraged as seating is limited.
Three others will be recognized during the recognition dinner. The Foundation for the Future will present the Visionary Award to Harvey Cappel for his ongoing support and volunteerism with the robotics program at Blocker Middle School. La Marque High School health science technology teacher Jacinta Urps will be honored with the Distinguished Service Award for her dedication to students at La Marque High School through Health Occupations Students of America, as senior class sponsor and Peer Assistance Leadership Society sponsor. The Spirit of Education Award will be presented to Joe Hoover, a former board director of the TCISD Foundation for the Future who gave both his time and talent for countless hours of service to programs that benefit the students and staff in Texas City ISD.
For more information about the dinner or about the Community Recognition Celebration, call 409-916-0108 or e-mail cjhall@tcisd.org
