KXAN wants to recognize the great contributions women have made to our nation and local communities. Remarkable Women is part of a nationwide Nexstar Media initiative to honor the influence that women have had on public policy, social progress and quality of life.
Throughout Women’s History Month, KXAN will highlight four local women who inspire, lead and forge the way for other women. It’s not just about one day or one month — it’s about what they do, day-in and day-out.
One woman will be named our area’s Woman of the Year and win a $1,000 donation to her charity of choice. From the more than 100 local winners, one woman will be selected and named Nexstar Media Group’s Woman of the Year.
WINNER: Paula Mays
Marble Falls
For 13 years, Paula Mays has housed more than 250 women for up to a year, at no charge, to help them on their journey to recovery and sobriety. Read More…
Ofelia Zapata
Austin
Ofelia Zapata grew up in southeast Austin and has given back to her community for 30 years, as an advocate, community organizer and now an Austin ISD school board trustee. Read More…
Nina Mosier
Austin
Dr. Nina Mosier saw firsthand how challenging a Parkinson’s diagnosis can be for a family, so she created a nonprofit that helps others in Central Texas and the world through free exercise and physical therapy classes. Read More…
Anne Drane
Dripping Springs
Anne Drane co-founded Sawa Sawa, which empowers artisan women in her native Kenya to make a sustainable living by harnessing ancient craftmanship in weaving, beading and art. Read More…
Meet 2022’s winner and finalists
WINNER: Rebecca Contreras
Round Rock
Contreras is an entrepreneur who owns and operates a consulting firm. Working for herself was one of her dreams. There are some who might say it’s tough to dream big when life makes you feel so small, but Contreras believes otherwise. Read More…
Marie Felan
Austin
If being remarkable means raising more than $35 million for local and state non-profits, then Marie Felan hit the mark long ago. Raising money for low-income families, bringing dignity to struggling moms and helping children thrive simply comes naturally to her. Read More…
Emma Lea Mayton
Austin
Former art teacher and fifth generation Austinite Emma Lea Mayton has dedicated her life to faith, family, her students and the less fortunate. Read More…
Mickie Powers
Austin
Powers is a retired middle school science teacher, cancer survivor and now the volunteer director at a 170-bed facility in south Austin that houses people off the streets, out of jail or out of luck. Read More…
Meet 2021’s winner and finalists
WINNER: Stacy Johnson
Austin
“I opened the shelter because I grew up in foster care so I was going to help kids like me,” Stacy Johnson said. She’s also created a program to help teens who age out of the system get their own home and transition into adulthood. Read More…
Melissa Keller
Austin
Inspired by her daughter’s health issues, Melissa Keller works to help other families through Dell Children’s Children’s Comprehensive Care Clinic. Read More…
Angela Shelf Medearis
Austin
“Kitchen Diva” Angela Shelf Medearis saw a need when it came to children’s books and cookbooks, and didn’t let thousands of rejections stop her from successfully publishing more than 100. Read More…
Heather Bellino
Austin
She planned to be a stay-at-home mom — but her superstar work on the PTA led to a volunteer position with an organization providing free legal services to victims of domestic abuse. Within 10 years, she became the CEO. Read More…
Meet 2020’s winner and finalists
WINNER: Micki Eubanks
Hutto
Of all she’s achieved, the current Hutto teacher and former Marine who used to work at the Pentagon seems most proud of the work that doesn’t come with a paycheck: being a mom and serving others. Read More…
Shudde Fath
Austin
When asked what she is most proud of, the 104-year-old says it’s her lawsuit against the Texas Employment Commission for equal-pay. She was the first woman in the state of Texas to win a lawsuit for sex discrimination. Read More…
Megan Pinchback
Henley
The language therapist faced the struggle so many parents do: balancing professional fulfillment and quality family time. She took some time off but missed the sense of fulfillment her work provided. That’s when she started her own private practice and groups to support other entrepreneurial moms. Read More…
Jacki James
Georgetown
After her son’s death, this teacher started an organization to spread kidness in schools. The project is not an “anti-bullying” campaign, she says. Instead, it’s a Pro-Kindness message she shares with students all over Texas, even as she creates a safe space in her own classroom. Read More…
2020 Remarkable Women Winners Across the Country
Sports Illustrated
