For Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting women who make Fort Worth a diverse, dynamic place to live, work and visit. Their organizations provide visitors with authentic, unique experiences that make Fort Worth a top destination in the state and the nation. Though their backgrounds and accomplishments vary, across the board these women are dedicated, industrious and incredibly kind.
Here are just a few of the women in the hospitality industry who make our city a vibrant hub for culture, history, diversity and heritage.
Kathleen Culebro
Born and raised in Mexico City, Kathleen Culebro is the Founding Artistic Director of Amphibian Stage, where she has produced plays in Fort Worth and New York – most of them world, US, or regional premieres. Under her leadership, the company was honored with a National Company Award from the American Theatre Wing (the organization behind the Tony awards).
Throughout its 25 seasons, Amphibian has prioritized playwrights and new work, creating an annual festival of scripts in development that has welcomed such notable playwrights as Yussef el Guindi, Steven Dietz, Caridad Svich, Brenda Withers and David Davalos, to name just a few. She has taught Screenwriting and Stage Makeup at Texas Christian University and Practical Considerations in Producing Theatre at Western Washington University.
Also a playwright, Kathleen is the author of A LEOPARD COMPLAINS OF ITS SPOTS, which premiered at the Pantheon Theatre in New York in 2001 with an extended run. LA LLORONA premiered off-Broadway in a production by Stageplays Theatre Company in 2007 (“clearly a writer of promise” -NYTimes) and has received productions around the country at professional companies and university stages. Her play SMART PRETTY FUNNY premiered at Amphibian Stage in 2016 and has since been produced in Australia and at other venues in the US.
She is honored to have received a commission from Bishop Arts Theatre Center for their 2023 Banned Books Festival. Her newest play, THE AMAZING, FABULOUS, AND SPECTACULAR UNTRUTHS OF JUAN GARCIA, will premiere at Amphibian Stage in October of 2024. She has proudly served on the boards of The Women’s Policy Forum, Near Southside Inc, Trinity Shakespeare Festival, DNA Works, Theatre Hue, and The Becton.
Michelle Green-Ford
Michelle Green-Ford is the first female president and CEO of the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce in the organization’s 45 year history. She was appointed president in January 2022 and has since added more than 250 members and seen a 50% increase in corporate sponsors. Under her leadership, the FWMBCC was awarded Chamber of the Year in 2023 by the Texas Association of African American Chamber of Commerce.
Green-Ford serves in several community boards including DRC Housing solutions for the homeless, Visit Fort Worth, CDFI Friendly Fort Worth, William Mann Community Development, Fort Worth Sister Cities, Mayor's Council on Education and Workforce Development and Southeast Fort Worth. Inc.
She is a Fort Worth native and graduate of Dunbar High School. She graduated from the University of North Texas and received her MBA from Amberton University.
Lexi Hoagland
Lexi Hoagland is the owner of the DFW networking organization Cowgirls & Cocktails, which aims to build a longer table for women in western culture and agriculture. She was recognized as one of COWGIRL Magazine’s 30 Under 30 Class of 2024 which honors their contributions that drive the industry to new levels for generations to come.
Through monthly events around DFW, members of Cowgirls & Cocktails meet up to network, engage and share ideas. The group has learned from companies like Justin Boots and The Meat Board, hosted happy hours at the Kimpton Harper, and shopped at Kimes Ranch in the Stockyards. The group’s focus is to engage new members and educate women about the culture, heritage and morals of the western industry.
If you are interested in being a part of Cowgirls & Cocktails you can join their Facebook page to stay up to date on their events or follow @cowgirlsandcocktails.
Andrea Karnes
Andrea Karnes was promoted to Chief Curator of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in November 2021. She has been part of the Museum’s team since the early 1990s and built a record of critically acclaimed exhibitions and acquisitions. She led the project Women Painting Women, an exploration of women painters who chose women as their primary subject matter. On view in 2022, the show was a five-decade look at some of the most intriguing painted images of women in the world.
In 2018, Karnes organized a forty-year survey of the works of the artist Laurie Simmons, Laurie Simmons: Big Camera/Little Camera, which traveled to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. In 2016, Karnes curated KAWS: WHERE THE END STARTS, which broke the Modern’s attendance record to date before traveling to the Yuz Museum in Shanghai.
As curator of the Modern’s FOCUS series from 2005-2015, Karnes organized thirty solo exhibitions of international artists working in a range of media. Karnes has been instrumental in the Modern’s program of acquisitions for the permanent collection, and is an invaluable part of the renowned museum’s team as they continue to bring groundbreaking art to Fort Worth visitors and residents.
Kendall Smith Lake
Kendal Smith Lake has held the position of Director/Manager of Communication for the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth for the past 20 years.
She has a BFA in Design Communications from Texas Tech University and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Texas at Arlington. Before her current position at the Modern, she was part of the Marketing/Development team at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. She is married to a Fort Worth firefighter and has a 16-year-old son at Paschal High School. She is involved as a Board Member of the Women's Policy Forum of Tarrant County and a Texas Association of Museums Council Member.
"I love that my position at the Modern allows me to be a part of the Fort Worth arts community. I am delighted to see this city grow into such a welcoming and vibrant place."
Anette Landeros
As President and CEO of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (FWHCC), Anette Landeros provides valuable programming to businesses, champions the importance of workforce development and creates opportunities for economic mobility for all chamber members. Through strategic partnerships and new programming, the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce makes tremendous strides to support the economic trajectory of our city while highlighting the diverse talent within our business community. Anette also serves on various local boards including the North Texas Community Foundation, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Visit Fort Worth, Carter Bloodcare, and the Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas.
She was recognized by Telemundo as a “Heroe Hispana” and selected as one of HWNT’s Estrellas de Tejas in 2014. She was featured as one of 2015 Women to Watch and 2016 Forty Under Forty by the Fort Worth Business Press, and as a 2017 Woman of Distinction by the Girls Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains. Most recently, Anette received the 2021 Bold Woman Award by Girls Inc. of Tarrant County and the 2022 regional “Rising Star” by the North Texas Commission.
Katherine Morris
Katherine Morris is the owner and CFO of Cherry Coffee Company, which includes Cherry Coffee Shop and Novel Coffee Roasters. A Fort Worth native, she’s a champion for small businesses and consistently fosters genuine relationships in her community.
After graduating from TCU, Katherine brought her finance skills to a renowned non-profit where she built and maintained relationships that spanned every cultural difference and income divide in the area.
When opportunity arose to take ownership of a former Craftwork Coffee shop, Katherine accepted and opened Cherry Coffee Shop. She understood the heart of the shop, its team and its connection to the neighborhood and envisioned a business that could build genuine relationships by brewing great coffee.
Katherine balances entrepreneurship and altruism in the hospitality industry and has over 14 years of experience. When she’s not creating masterful spreadsheets, you can find her supporting her favorite, local shops.
Taylor Morton
Taylor Morton is the Public Relations Manager at Justin Boots and epitomizes the spirit of Fort Worth through her unwavering dedication and achievements. With eight years of invaluable experience at Justin, Taylor has seamlessly transitioned through various roles within the marketing department, showcasing her expertise and passion for the brand. Taylor's journey at Justin has been marked by diverse experiences, from community relations and media outreach to corporate communications and managing high-profile relationships and projects with collaborators like Reba McEntire and George Strait.
Hailing from Fort Worth, her deep-rooted connection to her hometown is evident in her passion for community involvement, notably her active participation in events such as the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. Taylor's commitment to her city, coupled with her exceptional skills in public relations, exemplifies the vital role women play in shaping Fort Worth's vibrant cultural landscape. Her outstanding contributions earned her recognition as a COWGIRL Magazine’s 30 Under 30, further solidifying her status as a trailblazer in her field.
Taylor advocates for the power of building a strong network of supportive mentors and peers. She believes that surrounding yourself with individuals who uplift and empower each other can significantly impact personal and professional growth. Taylor encourages young women to seek out mentorship relationships, both formal and informal, and to actively engage with peers who share similar goals and aspirations. She believes that together, women can break barriers, overcome challenges and achieve extraordinary success.
Sammi Rodriguez
Sammie Rodriguez joined the Fort Worth Chamber in December of 2018 and was promoted to Senior Director of Marketing and Communications in 2023. In her role, Sammie leads FWC’s marketing and communications initiatives including media relations and brand management.
Sammie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and a Master of Science degree in Digital Communication Analytics from the University of North Texas. She is an active member of the Greater Fort Worth Chapter of Public Relations Society of America and the American Advertising Federation - Fort Worth.
Sammie and her husband share a son, Luka, and two dogs, Lucy and Bandit. Outside of work, Sammie enjoys reading and listening to true crime and thriller books and podcasts.
Dr. Diana Vela
Dr. Vela researches and interprets the National Cowgirl Museum exhibitions and permanent installations and develops its collection with a focus on women in the west. Vela has been with the Museum since 2007 and her work includes the permanent exhibition, Hitting the Mark: Cowgirls and Wild West Shows. It is the only museum gallery in the nation that focuses exclusively on the women in these shows. She has created several special exhibitions, one of which was The Cowgirl Who Became a Justice, which was conceived in conjunction and cooperation with retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of her court appointment.
Dr. Vela’s interests are in recovering female voices, traditions, and experiences in the American West that go unnoticed and unrecorded. She was involved in the creation of a historic marker in Santa Fe, New Mexico honoring a nun who traveled the Santa Fe Trail with Archbishop Lamy to establish one of the first educational institutions for women in that territory.
Recently, Vela has served as principal investigator, researcher, and curator for the Museum’s newest exhibition, Soldaderas to Amazonas: Escaramuzas Charras. This project has been a labor of love for Vela, as her ties to the subject date back centuries. Vela’s family has been in Texas since the late 1700’s, when her ancestors received a Spanish land grant, Laguna Seca, located in the Rio Grande Valley.
