HOUSTON, TX [October 12, 2019] – Dawana Gholar Taylor’s parents modeled volunteerism in their Gulfport, Mississippi home. After decades of following in their footsteps, Taylor is sharing the knowledge she’s gained in a new role as part of the Junior League of Houston’s Outside Board Representative program. She will serve on the board of The Rose, a breast healthcare nonprofit covering southeast Texas.
Taylor’s father, whose influence on Taylor’s giving spirit began when he assumed her troop’s “Girl Scout Dad” title, died three years ago from pancreatic cancer.
“My father was a happy go lucky dad and I am a Daddy’s girl. He went to a doctor’s appointment one day and never came back,” she explained of the Stage 4 cancer diagnosis that took her father in a matter of months.
Passing along the family tradition of volunteering, she regularly works alongside her teens at the Houston Food Bank and Common Threads.
Along with having held numerous Junior League positions, Taylor is a graduate of United Way’s Project Blueprint Class XXX. Additionally, as a telephone reassurance volunteer with Sheltering Arms Senior Services, she continued a commitment that began when she volunteered as a teen in nursing homes and claimed numerous residents in their 80s and 90s as some of her best friends.
She has served as a board member for the Fort Bend County of The Links, Incorporated and Local Infant Formula for Emergencies (LIFE) Houston. She is the Charter President for the Sugar Land Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated. She has volunteered with the Linda Lorelle Scholarship Foundation and continues to serve as the Scholarship Chair for the Tougaloo College Houston Area Alumni Chapter.
“I would consider myself an eternal volunteer,” said Taylor, who as a member of Fort Bend Church in Sugar Land says she doesn’t believe in coincidences and can see how her professional and volunteer background along with her family’s experience navigating health care for her father can inform her work for The Rose.
In response to what her placement with the board can mean, she responded, “I bring some of the obvious – diversity in age, gender and race – as well as a wealth of knowledge in legal, finance, accounting and economics, and the go-get-it spirit that I have to serve.
She hopes to be a voice of reason, understanding and compassion at The Rose as they provide resources that families need going through similar situations.
“God has placed me here for a reason. I don’t believe in coincidences,” she added.
The Junior League of Houston provides trained volunteers and funding to 35 community projects including designating members to serve as non-voting representatives on the board of directors to offer expertise in nonprofit operations.
“The Rose has a longstanding relationship with the Junior League of Houston, and we are particularly grateful to gain from the experience and expertise of such leaders as Dawana Taylor whose proven commitment to the community is inspiring,” said Dorothy Gibbons, CEO and cofounder of The Rose. “I’m looking forward to having her at the Board table and hearing the insights she will bring.”
As for Taylor’s hopes for the organization that has already earned recognition as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, she says she would like to see The Rose recognized nationally as a pioneer.
“I would love to see more of those beautiful pink mobile units and for everyone to be educated in knowing the resources The Rose has to offer,” she noted. “I support The Rose’s mission and I’m so happy to be a part of the Board, even as an outside board representative…I’m honored to be a part of such an extraordinary group of community leaders who are meeting the needs of the insured and uninsured.
“I certainly wish we had something like The Rose during our time of need,” she concluded.
Dawana holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Accounting from Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Mississippi in addition to a Master of Professional Accountancy from Mississippi’s Jackson State University and a Juris Doctorate from The University of Mississippi in Oxford. Dawana is currently employed with the federal government, a position that brought her to her current home in Sugar Land that she shares with husband Victor Taylor, and their three children Victor “VJ”, Surrell and Victoria.
To schedule a media interview with any member of our board, please contact Lis Harper at 281-846-5976 or email [email protected]. For more information, or to donate or volunteer, please visit www.therose.org.
About The Rose
Since 1986, The Rose has provided high quality breast healthcare to all women, regardless of their ability to pay. Its mission is to save lives through quality breast health services, advocacy and access to care for all. As a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, The Rose is led by Fellowship trained physicians and offers advanced digital technology including 3-D tomosynthesis mammography, diagnostic workups, biopsies and its nationally recognized Patient Navigation Program ensures access to treatment and a continuum of care for all women. As a major part of Southeast Texas’ Healthcare Safety Net, The Rose is a strong advocate for quality breast healthcare and access to care. The Rose provides direct medical services to 40,000 insured and uninsured patients annually. Two Houston-based comprehensive Diagnostic Centers and Mobile Mammography Coaches provide services to women throughout 43 counties in Southeast Texas.
