Outstanding Alumnus 1997:
Ann Sutherland Chappell

Ann Sutherland Chappell is the Coordinator of the Habitat for Humanity Council of North Central Texas. The Council fosters collaboration between and among the 13 local affiliates in North Central Texas and hosts an annual blitz build with the Texas Rangers at the Ballpark in Arlington. The purpose of the annual November build is to bring the need for affordable housing to the attention of the public and draw media attention to the role that Habitat for Humanity plays in meeting the need for affordable housing in the region.

Mrs. Chappell formerly founded and was a partner in Training Unlimited, a communication, human resources and management consulting group that she founded in 1990 with three partners. Training Unlimited contracts with businesses and non-profit organizations to assist with team building, strategic planning, orientations and other training needs.

A well-known civic volunteer in Fort Worth, Mrs. Chappell is a former President of the Habitat for Humanity Council of North Central Texas and the Fort Worth Area Habitat for Humanity affiliate. In 1995 Chappell coordinated the latter group's first effort to erect a home built solely by women. she is an active member and leader in numerous organizations, including being an elder of the First Presbyterian Church, a member of the Junior League, and a former director of the Tarrant County Housing Partnership and the Fort Worth Theatre.

Mrs. Chappell has been a strong advocate for women’s issues and has been honored with such awards as the Outstanding Female Volunteer, by the Fort Worth Commission on the Status of Women in 1996, and the woman of Distinction Award, by the Altrusa International Club of Fort Worth in 1993. While at The University, Mrs. Chappell served as a teaching assistant during her graduate studies and has worked as an Instructor at Tarrant County Junior College and a Research Associate at the Institute of Urban Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Mrs. Chappell graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Speech and M.A. in Communication. In 1998, she was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award by the College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin.