A HALF DOZEN GREAT REASONS TO CALL SOUTHLAKE HOME
Southlake has a style all its own. Beyond great restaurants, excellent clothiers and fine shops, people are what set our city apart. They give it a heartbeat, a feeling of community, and a sense of shared dedication to being the very best. The six people featured on the following pages come from all backgrounds and walks of life— yet they share a common commitment to helping make Southlake a city of great taste today and in the years ahead. We proudly present our 2015 Tastemakers.
By Jim Dale
Photos by BluDoor Studios
Makeup styling by Victoria Bradshaw, Corinthian Wellness Spa
Select clothing courtesy of Brooks Brothers
Traci Bernard
People come to Southlake for many reasons— the schools, work, the neighborhoods—but they very quickly find out there’s so much more to living here,” Traci says. “We have a tremendous community spirit, a feeling of shared giving and an exceptionally high sense of values. I feel surrounded by people who believe in doing good things for their neighbors and all the people who live here. It’s a common thread.
Bernard believes people tend to support the things they believe in, be that in the home, the workplace, church or community. That belief drives her involvement with GRACE, a not-forprofit that provides a platform to enable people to reach for higher goals. “Most people don’t want hand-outs. They’re really looking for tools they can use to build a better life.”
Under her leadership, Texas Health Southlake has received a healthy share of awards, including Texas Monthly’s Best Companies to Work For, America’s 100 Best Hospitals by WomenCertified, and the Dallas Business Journal’s Best Place to Work award. The City of Southlake has also recognized the hospital.
A better world is all about balance, Traci believes. “That’s one of the things I like most about Southlake—its sense of balance. Family and faith are strong, which means that commitment to the community and its future, are also strong. The community as a whole is very supportive of everything.”
That’s something we can all take to heart.
On Traci: Wool Color-Block Cap Sleeve Dress, $298 Silk Scarf, $148 Satchel, $148
Terrance Henderson
Terrance Henderson moved to Southlake just as Hurricane Katrina devastated his hometown of New Orleans. “I was immediately struck by the generosity of my neighbors,” he says. “They showed a tremendous feeling of compassion, and that has always been my overall impression of what it means to live here.”brTerrance, an attorney with Comerica Bank, serves on the boards of the AT&T Cotton Bowl, the
DFW Minority Development Council and the Southern Dallas Development Corp. He also has received the Dallas Business Journal’s Minority Black Leadership Award.
Southlake initially gave Henderson a hefty jolt of culture shock. Its sprawling layout and modern aesthetic seemed altogether different from the Crescent City’s old-world charm. But the “awesomeness of the people” in Southlake quickly gave him the very same feeling of home. Terrance says he and his wife (a doctor) chose Southlake as a place to live in 2005 primarily because of its reputation for outstanding schools. But the family quickly discovered the community’s other attributes.
“We met all the people around us who were into the same things—kids playing soccer, people working hard, everyone enjoying life and helping out around town—and we had an instant feeling that this is where we belonged,” he shares.
Henderson believes Southlake’s greatest attributes are its values and dedication to excellence, which apply to everything from managing growth today to building for the future. Service on the Southlake Small Business Council gave Terrance a solid sense of the forward thinking that guides the community. “I know that Southlake will continue to build on the wonderful spirit that lives here today and be an even better place to work and play a decade from now.
“Now if we could just get a few of my favorite restaurants from New Orleans to move here…”
Keary Turner
“People come in to the bank, and people come in to the business, and that’s marvelous,” he says. “That’s given me a chance to meet a broad range of folks around me, and gives many people a better way to know who they’re working with.”
Turner supports the community through Kiwanis International, where he’s served as president of the Southlake chapter. The organization’s focus on making the world a better place mirrors Keary’s own, and gives his family a great way to be involved. He is currently chairing the group’s 8th annual Run 4 Kids scheduled in May and says, “You work arm-in-arm with professionals, business owners, and others who share the same kind of heart and beliefs that you do. Together, you find that you really can make a difference.”
Just a handful of communities in the United States “have done it right” the way Southlake has, according to Keary. “You’d be hard pressed to find a place with so much focus on the schools, businesses, quality of life and simple values. Very few places indeed.”br
And Keary knows what it takes to do things right. Grayson Allen is designed to “feel like you’re visiting us in our living room,” he says. “Everyone feels right at home, like a close family friend.” Grayson Allen has received numerous “Best of” business awards in recent years.
Turner feels humbled to be named as a 2015 Tastemaker. He adds, “But I think I like being associated with others who believe in giving back.”