For more than 80 years, the Junior League of Corpus Christi has brought women together around a shared purpose of developing them into effective leaders while putting their skills to work in service of the community.
Today, that twofold mission continues under the leadership of the organization’s president, Dr. Taylor Feldmann Kenne. Leadership development and community service are closely connected within the organization, with each helping drive the other.
“At its core, the Junior League is a women’s training organization,” Kenne said. “All of the things that we do are geared toward training women to be future collaborators and contributors within their community.”
Members build those skills through a combination of in-house training and field experience. Workshops cover areas such as budgeting, fundraising and marketing, while community programs give members the opportunity to put what they have learned into practice.
Those opportunities take various forms, many of which culminate in cherished annual community events. The League’s major initiatives include STEM programming, the Christmas Tree Forest in partnership with the Art Museum of South Texas and Touch-A-Truck at Whataburger Field.
“There are so many different aspects that go into putting an event together,” Kenne said. “There are different leadership components that you can learn at different times throughout the League and different placements for them to learn those specific skills.”
Behind each event, members handle everything from promotion and fundraising to volunteer coordination and day-of logistics. Roles vary based on a member’s experience and availability, creating opportunities to develop different skills throughout her time with the League.
The experience often carries beyond the organization. Junior League members are consistently represented among Leadership Corpus Christi participants and Corpus Christi’s 40 Under 40 honorees, while others have gone on to establish and lead local nonprofits. The experience members gain through the League can prepare them to take on other roles across the community. That connection between leadership and service has been part of the organization for generations.
“We have so many projects that we have done in town that, whether people are aware of it or not, the Junior League has had a part in,” Kenne said.
Over the years, the Junior League has contributed to projects across Corpus Christi, including early support for the Texas State Aquarium, building the skate park at Cole Park, restoration work at Heritage Park and co-founding and sponsoring Bayfest in 1976.
Women aged 21 and older are eligible for membership, with opportunities for continued involvement well past their active service years. The organization boasts roughly 130 sustaining members who maintain their connection to the League. Further proof that with a mission to advance women’s leadership, meaningful and lasting community changes are made.
Caption: Participate in Junior League’s #GivingTuesday fundraising initiative on Nov. 30. Find more information online.
Contact: corpuschristi.jl.org | @junior_league_of_cc
