THE GERTRUDE SHELBURNE
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

This award recognizes the volunteer whose work contributed most to Planned Parenthood of North Texas and who gave his/her time and dedication selflessly to the mission.

Megan Randolph, 2006 Award Recipient

Megan Randolph is a senior at the Hockaday School and has been a member of Planned Parenthood of North Texas' (PPNT) TeenAge Communication Theater (TACT) for two years. TACT is PPNT's high school theater troupe that provides peer education to diverse community groups regarding social issues. In her second year as a troupe member she took the leadership role of Project Assistant (PA). As a PA, she represents the group at performances by serving as the emcee. She introduces the group, takes questions and ensures TACT's positive messages are communicated to the audience.

Miss. Randolph has demonstrated her commitment to the agency by being dependable. She gives beyond the requirements of the program by volunteering for multiple performances, casting performances and coordinating communication with troupe members to ensure successful outcomes. TACT is her number one priority outside of school. She works to involve all members of the troupe in the rehearsal and training process. She is a trusted member of the troupe always exhibiting maturity through her readiness to work.

She is seen as a resource to her peers and the community. Her peers know the information she shares is factual and true. Her dependability illustrates not only dedication to this PPNT program, but also shows great responsibility for her personal commitments.

Miss. Randolph will be attending the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado in the fall of 2007.

Margot and Katherine Perot, 2005 Award Recipients

Margot Perot is a dedicated member of the Dallas philanthropic community. She is a founding member of the Dallas County Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary, member emeritus of the National Advisory Board of the Salvation Army as well as board member and former Chairman of the Salvation Army Advisory Board of Dallas County.

Ms. Perot is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Dallas, board member of the Dallas Museum of Art and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees, The Hockaday School. She is also a former elementary school teacher.

She has been a supporter of Planned Parenthood of North Texas for more than 20 years.

Ms. Perot was born in Pittsburgh and earned her bachelor of art degree from Goucher College in Maryland. Ms. Perot and her husband, Ross, have five children, one son and four daughters, and fifteen grandchildren. The Perots are members of Highland Park Presbyterian Church.

Katherine Perot graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) where she volunteered for the Orange County Rape Crisis Center and the UNC-CH Hospital Program on Childhood Trauma and Maltreatment. Her non-profit experience continued after graduation when she moved to Atlanta to work as an event planner for the Centennial Olympic Games. This was followed by a position working to open the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum.

Upon returning to Dallas, she worked in the marketing department for Hillwood Development until her daughter, Kate Flanagan, was born. Currently she stays home with Kate while volunteering her time for PPNT, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Junior League of Dallas, the Katy Trail and Turtle Creek Manor.

Margot and Katherine Perot are being recognized for their work Chairing PPNT's first annual fund drive, Secure Our Mission, which raised more than $95,000.

Cecilia Guthrie Boone, 2004 Award Recipient

This year we recognize Cecilia Guthrie Boone as the Volunteer of the Year for her efforts in the March for Women’s Lives. In April of 2004, nearly 500 North Texans, including 174 supporters who traveled with PPNT, joined more than 800,000 others from across the nation to participate in the March for Women's Lives in Washington, DC. Supporters filled the National Mall to show their support for accessible reproductive health care, freedom and privacy.

In Dallas, Cecilia lead the charge to Washington, DC by helping to underwrite and raise funds to enable PPNT to offer a low-cost travel package to supporters who wished to participate in this historic event. She also worked on the committee to coordinate travel arrangements for those traveling with PPNT.

In addition to helping recruit volunteers in Dallas, Cecilia spent three days before the march in Washington helping Feminist Majority volunteers prepare to count and organize the hundreds of thousands of participants who were expected.  On the day of the march, she arrived at the National Mall at 7:30am and started counting. According to her daughter Aimee, “Her idea was to only work for a few hours because she wanted to march with the Texas delegation, since she'd been such an integral part of putting that together…she decided not to march, but to stay and make sure she counted as many people as possible.”

Gigi Lancaster, 2003 Award Recipient
Gigi Lancaster is a bright, young and energetic community volunteer who has put vision into action. Many of us in the reproductive rights and Planned Parenthood movement realize we must do more to reach the younger donor population to create an awareness about threats to our mainstream value that people deserve the right to make private decisions about when and whether to have children.

Ms. Lancaster has taken this charge and produced two exceptional fundraisers that attracted donors under 40 to support the mission of Planned Parenthood. She reached out to friends and asked them to join her to create powerful committees. These events have raised over $20,000.

Ms. Lancaster has been willing to stand up for her belief that all women and men should have access to basic health care. She has been willing to confront uncomfortable social situations to make sure that her peer group knows the "real" services that Planned Parenthood provides to the community. She has also demonstrated her willingness to listen to both sides of the issue.

Dawn Taylor, 2002 Award Recipient
Dawn Taylor is the Chair of the Responsible Choices Action Network (RCAN) volunteer advocates in Dallas. She first volunteered for PPNT in February 2001 when the agency was looking for volunteers to come to Lobby Day in Austin. In May 2001, Dawn agreed to take on the chairmanship of the newly formed RCAN of Dallas. Her leadership has been instrumental in the success of this group.

As Chair, Dawn provides direction and focus to RCAN of Dallas. Currently, she is spearheading the group's project to promote the use of emergency contraception in Texas for survivors of sexual assault. Dawn works with PPNT public affairs staff to ensure that RCAN activities are fun for the volunteers while they further PPNT’s mission. RCAN of Dallas is a viable group due to the hard work of all its volunteers, but it is Dawn’s willingness to take the lead that has enabled the group to take on a meaningful project successfully.

Mary Nagler, 2001 Award Recipient
Mary Nagler is recognized and honored for her long years of dedication and service to PPNT with the Gertrude Shelburne Volunteer of the Year award. Her involvement with PPNT dates back to the 1940's as an early Board member and a volunteer doctor's assistant at the Maple Avenue clinic. Ms. Nagler taught chemistry and biochemistry at both Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, and served as a research associate in Pharmacology at Southwestern.

Ms. Nagler served as an active member of PPNT's Board of Directors, and her history with the agency spans over fifty years. When asked why she has remained so dedicated to PPNT, Ms. Nagler replied that her dedication to PPNT is a direct result of her belief that the mission and goals of the agency are basic to the resolution of most problems of the community. Mary Nagler's support of, and belief in, Planned Parenthood of North Texas is recognized and appreciated and the agency is honored to have had her with us in our past, in our present and as we move into the future.

The Gertrude Shelburne Volunteer of the Year is recognized each year at the Dallas Annual Awards Luncheon.