Veteran Journalist Soledad O’Brien Inspires Young North Texas Women

At&T Performing Arts Center Hosts Third Annual Young Women’s Leadership Conference

Debbie Storey Keynote Address established to honor retiring CEO

The nonprofit AT&T Performing Arts Center presented its third annual Young Women’s Leadership Conference (YWLC) on Thursday, June 16. The conference took place in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House with approximately 150 young women in attendance from a range of public and private North Texas high schools and organizations. Speakers at the conference teach leadership skills through the arts. The conference provides unparalleled access to a diverse group of highly successful, local female leaders – all at no cost to the students. The conference features panel discussions and breakout sessions with local artists on topics such as Leadership Lessons Learned Through Improvisation, The Art of Storytelling, and Effective Communication Through the Voice and Body. This year’s keynote speaker for the conference was award-winning documentarian, journalist, entrepreneur, speaker, author, and philanthropist, Soledad O’Brien.

The Center also announced, at the conference, that it has established a special fund to honor its retiring president & CEO Debbie Storey. The money raised for the fund will help offset the costs of bringing in top creative women speakers, and branded The Debbie Storey Keynote Address. Storey has been the Center’s leader since 2018, and helped guide the Center through the financially devastating COVID pandemic. Storey helped reach a groundbreaking partnership between the Center and Broadway Dallas (formerly known as Dallas Summer Musicals) and has overseen the expansion of the Center’s education and community programming and has had a long history of supporting and mentoring young women leaders. In addition, the Center will place a permanent plaque in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House near the Diane and Hal Brierley Encore Suite, commemorating Storey’s service and accomplishments, including her work to inspire the young leaders of tomorrow. For more information on contributing to the fund, email our Vice President of Development, Kendall Purpura at kendall.purpura@attpac.org.