Dallas Leadership Luncheon

Texas Woman’s University’s Dallas Leadership Luncheon and presentation of the 2024 Virginia Chandler Dykes Leadership Award was held on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at The Arts District Mansion. Abby and Todd Williams were recognized as the 2024 awardees.

The Dallas Leadership Luncheon, founded by Virginia Chandler Dykes, is a Texas Woman’s University signature event honoring one of Dallas’ most accomplished citizens, heightening the visibility of the university, and raising funds for graduate student scholarships. Scholarship funding is key to helping TWU attract the best and brightest graduate students from across the nation.

Philanthropists Abigail “Abby” and Todd Williams have spent their careers as public education advocates. Founder and CEO of Dallas-based education nonprofit United to Learn (U2L), Abby Williams and the U2L team are changing lives. U2L is focused on accelerating student achievement across 75 Dallas ISD elementary schools, and growing purposeful leaders through business partnerships, high schools, faith-based organizations, individuals and groups. Todd Williams is the founding Chairman and CEO of The Commit Partnership, the nation’s largest educational collective impact organization with over 200 institutions and educating more than 790,000 students with a focus on improving post-secondary completion and economic mobility levels across the North Texas region and the state overall.

In 2007, Abby and Todd helped found a K-12 free tuition public charter school operated by Uplift Education that educates 1,500 primarily low-income children in northwest Dallas. Together, the couple also served as the founding chairs of Teach for America DFW’s Regional Advisory Board. Abby and Todd have successfully advocated locally and in the Texas Legislature for investments in education and have sponsored hundreds of scholarships to increase college accessibility for local students.

Page last updated 12:19 PM, March 27, 2024