In this issue, we are shining a light on three strong, independent, unflappable women that are major pieces of the fabric of The Woodlands and keep it moving in a direction of growth, service, and beauty.
Philanthropist and force of nature, Missy Herndon, leads Interfaith to care for a community while continuing to fight for her family and their future through the Will Herndon Foundation and the research she has made possible not only for her own son but in areas of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, among others.
Art lover and mind-opener, Nickole Kerner Bobley, who continues to push people to question what they see and how they feel when they experience art through Artfeels. She shines a bright light on the art in the Woodlands and helps to grow the collection and introduce more to the beauty of art.
Entrepreneur, Educator, and door-opening diva, Rita Santamaria, who, after teaching middle-school, was drawn into Real Estate and then merged the two into a business that sits in all the major cities of Texas. She has educated and open doors for some of the area’s most esteemed realtors and brokers.
Missy Herndon, a Pillar of The Woodlands Community.
Making a difference in people’s lives through care and compassion.
“Believe in hope and preserve whatever comes your way.” The words of Missy Herndon, named “One of Houston’s Most Influential Women of 2017” by Houston Magazine, rings truer today than ever before. Missy, a Spring native, has become a pillar of The Woodlands community with her passion and commitment to care for her family and others.
Having graduated from Texas A&M University, Missy went on to thrive as a PR consultant. It wasn’t until tragedy struck her family which took her down a different path, “our son Will was diagnosed with juvenile Batten disease, a terminal condition with no treatment or cure, at 6 years old, which was a turning point in our lives.” In true Missy spirit, she wouldn’t let such news defeat her family.
HOPE: The Will Herndon Research Fund, co-founded with her husband of 22 years, was born. Overwhelmed with continuous support from close friends and the community HOPE has gone on to raise an astonishing $8 million and is one step closer to receiving FDA approval for the treatment that will save Will!
Missy’s hard work and dedication continue to shine in her latest role as CEO and President of Interfaith of The Woodlands, an organization based out of community need. “The sole purpose is to love and care for the community, to help people when they are in need,” says Missy. She exudes care and compassion, making it easy to see why she was named “Hometown Hero” in 2012 and received a Congressional Accommodation by U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Kevin Brady. Learn more about how Interfaith serves the community and how you can donate or volunteer on their website: www.woodlandsinterfaith.org.
When Missy isn’t serving her beloved Woodlands community, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three boys. She enjoys writing and kicking off her days with her morning workout sessions.
Missy’s prowess as a leader in the community is truly unmatched, and with her hope and perseverance, she truly takes on whatever comes her way – because where there’s a will, there’s a way!
Donate and make a difference today: www.willherndon.org/will-herndon-fund/get-involved/
Nickole Kerner Bobley
Public Art Maven
Artfeel show creator Nickole Kerner Bobley is obsessed with neuroaesthetics, a relatively new field where scientists are investigating the relationship between art and the brain.
“I’m fascinated with how the brain on art can not only conceive, create and contemplate it, but also time travel a person down memory lane and sometimes inspire imagination so fierce it pierces a hole in reality,” explains Kerner Bobley. “We see this at Artfeel as we ponder art together and it never fails to pack a powerful punch.”
In its 3rd year, Artfeel, is the wildly successful quarterly public art appreciation show on Market Street’s outdoor stage where guests picnic under the stars and watch their neighbors and friends perform. It is produced by The Woodlands Arts Council and Market Street with partners Sweekman Artists and The Sarah Kelly Music School. Host Kerner Bobley selects a public art piece from The Woodlands’ robust collection and offers it up as the creative prompt to the community. Then, during the show, she is joined by co-hosts, dancer David Deveau and musician Gideon Bustamante, who help her encourage area residents to brave the stage and share how the public art in spotlight makes them feel – their artfeel. Some people sing, some dance, some play instruments, some story-tell or perform spoken-word poetry and some say one word – the emotion the artwork has evoked in them (mic drop!).
Previously, Kerner Bobley worked as an animated film producer and television executive in Manhattan. Now, a local arts and culture writer/editor, her weekly art column, Artfeel, which ran in The Houston Chronicle and The Woodlands Villager during The Woodlands’ art boom, recently reappeared “to provide art as a mental diversion” during the first months of Covid-19. As a child who grew up in The Woodlands, she watched many installations of the public artworks she now honors as an adult and feels extremely lucky to live in her hometown again with her own family in tow.
“Public art breaks down social and economic barriers,” says Kerner Bobley. “At Artfeel, we think about art and share our emotions through our performances—and by doing so we share part of our own story—proving again and again we have a lot more in common with each other than we do not.”
Artfeel, like the public art it celebrates, is free and open to the public and part of The Woodlands Arts Council’s “Because Art Matters” programming. The next show takes place in June (date TBD). To learn more visit https://www.thewoodlandsartscouncil.org/p/programs/artfeel1.
Rita Santamaria
Real Estate Icon
Renown Champions School of Real Estate founder shares about her successful enterprise
When Rita Santamaria taught her first real estate students, she literally rewrote the book on real estate. Rita, an experienced schoolteacher, meticulously checked over her student’s textbooks, rewrote the details and then re-printed each text before handing it off in a binder to her students. She wanted only the most accurate, up-to-date information to help her students succeed.
That same student-focused mindset soon inspired her to create something of her own. A real estate school that would grow to become one of the most regarded schools in Texas.
In 1983, Rita founded the Champions School of Real Estate, a sprawling education enterprise that encompasses eight campuses as well as virtual classrooms. The most recent campus is a newly constructed, 18,000-square-foot building located off North Grand Parkway in Spring. Realtors looking to earn or renew a license can attend as well as loan originators, appraisers, and home inspectors. Champions School of Real Estate also offers continuing education and business classes along with crucial career counselors to help students achieve their best.
“I know success when my students come back and share with me their stories,” Rita says. “We deliver what we promise. My name is my business, and we define success by our good reputation.”
In many ways, Rita’s school name embodies all that she is ‒ a real-estate educator with a reputation for excellence. Rita has twice been inducted into the National Association of Realtors hall of fame and won several awards recognizing the school’s high performance. With a calm and graceful presence, she tells why she chose to give the school its name.
“Most people assume that it was because we lived in Champions that I named the school after the area,” she says. “Champions represents being at the top of your game and a real winner. This was my vision for my students.”
And while it was Rita’s vision to create the school, it was her family’s support that helped make it successful. Her children—who helped her put together those first student binders—helped her business grow. Her daughter, Kimberly Dydalewicz, is now president of the Champions School of Business and has worked with Rita for more than 21 years. Kimberly has opened each new campus as the school expanded, including the North Houston Spring location.
These days, Rita, a grandmother of nine, is settled in the Woodlands. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time traveling with her husband, family, and friends. Her grandchildren lovingly call Rita and her husband “Nanny and Paco” and the two keep a special tradition of taking a one-on-one trip with each grandchild on their ninth birthday.