Longtime Civic Leader Venise Stuart
Receives a 2019 Distinguished
Alumni Award from The University of Texas at Dallas
(Highland
Park/Dallas, TX) Longtime civic leader Venise
Stuart received a Distinguished Alumni Award
from The University of Texas at Dallas at a gala
dinner held in honor of all award recipients at
UTD’s Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center. Nearly 300
alumni and friends attended the sold-out gala, which
was presented by Axxess. The City of Richardson was
also a sponsor.
After her introduction and as she
took the stage, Venise joked with the crowd that at
only five feet tall, she sometimes feels she needs a
platform to stand on to reach a microphone . Mike
Brodie, Executive Board Chair, who was
presenting her the award, said, “You don’t need a
platform to stand tall,” which was met with
supportive chuckles and applause from the audience.
“When I graduated from UTD with a
Bachelor of Science in Business and Public
Administration in 1979, I had no idea where I was
going or what I'd be doing,” Venise said. “Being
such a new school, with small classes, maybe 1,200
students - having only two buildings - with classes
mostly held in the evening, I was able to serve as
Vice President of Student Government, and after
taking leadership/training courses, I even helped
enroll new incoming students to the upper division
classes being offered then. Being a new and at that
time, a small university, students were able to help
in a lot of various ways.”
She continued, “Communications was
important when I began doing volunteer work, from
the day my sisters and I began knocking on doors
selling Girl Scout cookies, to fundraising for the
Junior League of Dallas, serving as a board member
for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League, incoming
president of the Women's Council of the Dallas
Arboretum & Botanical Garden, leading the AWARE
Dallas Board as president for two years and in
various other roles for nonprofits in Dallas and
Toronto - communications was and still is the key.”
Chairing her first charity ball in
the 1980s, Venise has since dedicated her efforts
and energy to a number of worthy causes and
organizations, including the University’s Center for
Vital Longevity and the Center for BrainHealth.
Venise gave a heartfelt thank you
to her husband, Larry, her son and stepchildren, and
her sisters. She also thanked her many, many
friends who also believe in the importance of giving
back to the community for their continued support.
“Giving back to the community is
something I feel passionate about,” she said. “It is
how I've become known as a civic leader, which
surprises me because I didn't try to become a civic
leader, it was natural for me. I love to inspire
people - to bring out their best. I love to guide
people to the right conclusion and not be afraid to
grow and think outside the box, to come to a
conclusion that is best for all. I am enthusiastic
and passionate about what I do. I want to do well
and at the same time, inspire the people who support
what I'm doing.”
Crediting UT Dallas for helping her
in many ways to achieve her personal goals in
communications, to develop a hard work ethic, to
create time management skills and the ability to
help others achieve their goals, she thanked her
many mentors along the way saying, “UT Dallas was
definitely one of the most important influencers in
my life.”