The mission of South Dallas Business and Professional Women’s Club Inc. is to promote and protect the interests of African American business and professional women; to serve as a bridge for young people seeking to enter business and the professions; to improve the quality of life in the local and global communities; and to foster good fellowship.
Its aim is to attract women of high caliber to:
- Implement seminars and workshops on various subjects, which will help other community-based organizations of a not-for-profit nature become aware of open resources.
- Provide an open resource to the community in general as to those services and skills which will help individuals increase their self-image and self-awareness.
- Implement and provide such other charitable activities as the program committee shall see as being consistent with the organization’s charitable purpose.
- Implement and carry forth a program of scholarships whereby aspiring young students will be encouraged to pursue higher education through grants and donations made as result of this organization’s efforts.
Our History
In the early Fall of 1954…
Mrs. Holbert-Sears was an elementary school teacher who had high ideals about things in general and many worthy ideas about what the purpose of a business and professional women’s club should be. Mrs. Holbert-Sears felt that a club in the southern section of Dallas would be appropriate because Black people were migrating from the northern section of Dallas to the southern section in large numbers, joining a large concentration of Blacks who already lived in the area. Mrs. Marie L. Harrison, National President, gave the South Dallas group permission to organize. Charter members of the South Dallas Club included:
Alberta Blair
Sue W. Boyd
Johnny Buchanan
Gwendolyn Simon
V. Alyce Foster
Sarah J. Holbert
Frankie C. Hurdle
Leola V. White
Mary Faye Jones
Juanita Lay
Gladys Richardson
Christine Simmons
Maxine Shelton
A.Ruth Smith
Claudia Slaughter
Mabel White
The first club officers were…
Sarah J. Holbert-Sears
President
Alberta Blair
1st Vice President
V. Alyce Foster
2nd Vice President
Ruth Smith
3rd Vice President
Frankie C. Hurdle
Recording Secretary
Gladys Richardson
Corresponding Secretary
Sue Boyd
Financial Secretary
Claudia Slaughter
Treasurer
Minnie Metoyer
Parliamentarian
The South Dallas Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc. was formally introduced to Dallas January 1, 1956 at their first Yuletide Reception, which received 300 guests in the home of Dr. & Mrs. L. L. Smith (club sister). The Club’s first Constitution and Bylaws were written and printed in 1956.
Ollie Gilstrap
SDBPWC President and CEO
Our President
On September 1, 2021, Ollie Gilstrap became the 34th President and CEO of the South Dallas Business and Professional Women ’s Club, Incorporated. (SDBPWC). She and the Executive Board work together to ensure that the Club is consistent and timely in achieving its: mission imperatives; programmatic targets and impact; strategic and financial planning, and the codification and execution of policies authorized by the Club.
Ollie’s professional career started with AT&T (formerly Southwestern Bell Telephone Company). She held several Human Resource positions including, but not limited to, Regional Tuition Administrator, Consultant-Survivor Benefits, and Manager-Disability Services. After a successful and rewarding 24-year career, she retired from AT&T in November 2000. One month later, her second career was launched at Dallas Baptist University’s (DBU) College of Adult Education as an Academic Counselor, Recruiter, and Professor.
Today, she is the Academic Advisor in the DBU Graduate School of Business where she also teaches a graduate internship course, instructing and coaching students in activities that provide them with opportunities to make the connection between theory and practical application in a professional work environment. In her roles at DBU, she has worked with metro-plex corporations encouraging and promoting the value of adults completing their education. She has dealt with both management and employee personnel to provide options and classes for degree completion. Ollie says “advising is servant leadership at its best, providing fulfilling emotional, psychological, and spiritual rewards. My service to others begins on the inside with my own commitment to inspire the best in others.” She was named the 2006 DBU Academic Advisor of the Year.
She received her Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree with a major in Business Administration, a Master of Arts in Organizational Management, and a Master of Business Administration; all from Dallas Baptist University. In addition, she is a Certified Court Mediator. Ollie was awarded the Educational Excellence Award from the Dallas County Peace Officers Association. This award was presented to an individual who has promoted the educational development of students through continued efforts to increase educational standards and opportunities. Currently, she serves as a Board Member of the Dallas Regional Chamber.
Ollie is married to Preston, a retired police officer. They are members of the Potter’s House, Dallas. She is the mother of Shannon and Katrinia and step -mom to Keith and Galen. In addition, she is ‘Nana’ to her four granddaughters, Brittany, Alexis, KaRon, Derria and two great grandsons Mark and Melo. When she is not working, teaching, or grading papers, she enjoys spending time with Preston, reading, traveling, movies, theatre, and living life to the fullest.
Executive Board
Dr. Lavern Holyfield
1st Vice President
Jacqueline Harrison
Director of Education
Kijyana Smith
Corresponding Secretary
Gloria Taylor
Ass’t Financial Secretary
Dr. Terri O’Neal Ford
Ass’t Chaplain
Katrinia Roberson
2nd Vice President
Brittany Montgomery
Recording Secretary
Sylvia Patterson
Ass’t Corresponding Secretary
Jocelyn Medlock -Price
Treasurer
Carla Dennis
Director of Membership
Mary Boyd
Ass’t Recording Secretary
Shannon R. Curlin
Financial Secretary
Pat Parrish
Chaplain
Judge Audra Riley
Parliamentarian
Youth Division
The members of The National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Incorporated (NANBPWC) believe strongly in developing youth leaders in today’s world and has been committed to this effort since its inception in 1935. The organizational imperative is to prepare our youth to compete and succeed globally in this ever-changing technology-driven world.
C.L.I.M.A.T.E.
Inspiring youth to: “Change the C.L.I.M.A.T.E. Within Our Communities ”, the youth club achieves their goals through:
- Community Service
- Leadership training
- Involvement with our districts and local clubs
- Mentorship activities
- Activism
- Technology
- Education
Youth members gain the opportunity to further develop their skills through the following membership benefits:
B.E.T.A. – P.S.I.
Beta Psi is an acronym for a “Bold, Energetic, Trustworthy, Aware, Positive, Sincere, and Ingenious” college student. Students who are an example of these characteristics and desires to serve her/his community can seek membership in a SDBPWC College Beta Psi Club.
Beta Psi Campus Clubs shall be located on a fully accredited college campus and are comprised of male and female college students 18 -24 years of age who are enrolled as full-time students.
A Beta Psi College Student Member-at-large shall be a college student who attends a college where there is no Beta Psi Club. They shall join themselves to an identified Beta Psi Club, pay the Beta Psi membership fee prescribed by the District under which the Beta Psi club resides, and have all the rights and privileges of a Beta Psi club member.
Beta Psi Campus Clubs shall be located on a fully accredited college campus and is comprised of male and female college students 18 -24 years of age enrolled as full-time students.
Beta Psi College Student Member-at-large shall be a college student who attends a college where there is no Beta Psi Club. They shall join themselves to an identified Beta Psi Club, pay the Beta Psi membership fee prescribed by the District under which the Beta Psi club resides, and have all the rights and privileges of a Beta Psi club member.
A Beta Psi College Club Member-at-large is a college student who attends a college in a city where there is no Beta Psi on that college campus, but there is a Beta Psi Club on another college campus which the student desires to join. They shall have the right to join themselves to that identified Beta Psi Club, pay the Beta Psi membership fee prescribed by the District under which the Beta Psi club resides, and have all the rights and privileges of a Beta Psi club member.
A Beta Psi Cluster Club shall be comprised of college students aged 18 – 24 enrolled in various colleges as full-time in an undergraduate program at an accredited college/university or technical school who come together to form a Beta Psi Cluster Club under the authority of an Adult Club/Adult Club leader.
