Greater Houston Women’s Chamber honors former council members, announces international chapters and summits

Susan Dyson, chief executive officer, president and founder of the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce, opened the chamber’s luncheon with announcements that the organization had launched international chapters and would host a series of events next year.

“We just started chapters in France, Mexico, and The United Kingdom,” Dyson said. “And we're just getting started there. … we're hosting a summit on September 26,” she said, referring to an international summit in Mexico City; the chamber also announced a January 2026 international conference in London and a 2026 luncheon and style show in Paris.

The announcements and the event’s recognition of former and current elected officials drew remarks from Mayor John Whitmire and a panel of former city leaders who reflected on public service and offered advice to prospective candidates. “Experience, service, relationships matter,” Whitmire said, adding that lessons learned from women in public life shaped his approach to city leadership.

The chamber identified several corporate and civic sponsors for the luncheon. Dyson named the City of Houston, Murphy Oil and United Airlines among the platinum sponsors and listed Courtyard by Marriott West University, Port Houston, Verizon and demarche.com among gold-level supporters.

Former and current Houston officials used the program to highlight a range of outcomes they said were produced through local public service. Former Mayor and council member Anise Parker summarized her elected-service résumé and encouraged civic participation. Other speakers cited specific programs and accomplishments they helped advance:

- Safe-haven baby boxes: A former official said the region has installed baby boxes inside fire stations in The Woodlands, Tomball and Magnolia to provide an option for parents who cannot care for a newborn; the same speaker said six babies were abandoned in Harris County last year and two of those infants died.

- Sexual-assault funding and testing: A former member cited a locally applied fee on adult-entertainment venues that she said generated millions for establishing sexual-assault nurse examiner (SANE) programs and education; another speaker said the city largely cleared a backlog of about 6,000 untested rape kits that had been sitting on shelves.

- Public-health access: Speakers noted the expansion from two to 11 federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in the region as a notable public-health development.

- Parks and neighborhood projects: Several former council members described park creation and neighborhood improvements they led, including land acquisitions for new parks and conversion of surplus school land into park space.

- City operations and savings: One former official said competitive bidding on municipal trash pickup saved the city about $24 million and described tax-increment reinvestment zones and tax abatements she helped secure.

- Airport and signage: A former council member described pushing for bilingual signage at the Houston airport to better serve international travelers, saying the change was implemented after she presented usage data.

Speakers also gave advice to women considering elective office: get involved in community organizations, build a volunteer base, hire skilled campaign staff and be prepared to persist through fundraising and tough primaries. Several recounted running as underfunded candidates and said grassroots organizing made the difference.

The chamber said the Mexico City summit will include remarks from local officials and members of Houston’s city government; Dyson thanked Mayor Whitmire, mayor pro tem and current council members who agreed to speak at the summit. The chamber did not provide additional logistical details in the program.

The luncheon was primarily ceremonial and celebratory; no formal government action or votes were taken during the event. Speakers traced legacies across decades of local and state public service and emphasized mentorship, community-building and steps the chamber says it will take to expand internationally next year.