The Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce hosted its Fourth Annual Women’s Brunch and Bubbly on Friday, May 22, at Austin Memorial Library, bringing together women from across the Cleveland community to celebrate leadership, perseverance and service.
Roughly three dozen women attended the event, which featured brunch, networking and recognition of two local women selected as this year’s Women of Honor: Maggie Estrada, CEO of Health Center of Southeast Texas, and Wendy McNair, children’s librarian at Austin Memorial Library.
Tasha Childress, chairman of the Chamber’s board of directors, welcomed attendees and spoke about the importance of women encouraging one another.
“This is one of our favorite events. I love celebrating women. It’s a joy to see everyone supporting each other,” Childress said. “Today is about more than just mimosas, a fancy charcuterie and a photo booth. It’s about celebrating women in this room who lead with courage, create with passion and serve our communities with a purpose.”
Childress told attendees that every woman in the room deserved recognition for the impact they make through their careers, businesses, families and community involvement.
“When women support women, incredible, beautiful things happen,” she said. “Ideas grow, confidence rises, doors open, and communities just like ours grow stronger.”
She also thanked event sponsors Good Promotions and Keller Williams for supporting the brunch.
Childress reminded the audience that success is rarely achieved alone and encouraged the women in attendance to continue building one another up.
“When women support women, incredible, beautiful things happen,” she said. “Ideas grow, confidence rises, doors open, and communities just like ours grow stronger.”
She also thanked event sponsors Good Promotions and Keller Williams for helping make the brunch possible.
Estrada shared a heartfelt message about perseverance, personal growth and the women who helped shape her life and career.
She spoke about being terminated from a job nearly 20 years ago and stopping at Austin Memorial Library to print resumes before eventually applying at what was then a very small medical office that would later become Health Center of Southeast Texas.
Estrada started there as a medical assistant before eventually working her way up to CEO. Along the way, she said, she learned valuable lessons from strong women around her, including her mother, former supervisor Dr. Jasmine Sulaiman, family members and coworkers.
While preparing for her speech earlier in the week, Estrada said she began thinking about butterflies and what they represent.
After researching their symbolism, she found butterflies are often associated with transformation, growth and new beginnings. That idea became the foundation of her message.
She compared the things butterflies need to survive — host plants, nectar-rich flowers, water sources and sheltered resting places — to the people and support systems women need in life.
For Estrada, her mother represented the “host plant,” the person who laid the foundation for her life by teaching her values, work ethic and confidence. Other women in her life became the flowers, shelter and support that helped her continue growing through difficult seasons.
“The key takeaways here that I would like for you to take with this idea or thought I had on Wednesday night is that we as women are wonderfully created,” Estrada said. “We need to embrace those natural abilities. We need to be courageous. We need to be confident in ourselves.”
She encouraged the women in attendance not to give up during seasons when life feels uncertain or overwhelming.
“Some of you may be feeling like you’re in a cocoon or just not yet blooming, but you are going to get there,” she said. “Be your own beauty. Our stories are going to be different.”
Estrada closed by encouraging attendees to “fly high” while staying true to their personal values and distributed butterfly-themed magnets as reminders of the message she shared.
McNair, who has worked at Austin Memorial Library for the past decade, delivered a speech that mixed humor, vulnerability and heartfelt gratitude.
“This feels unreal because when I hear Woman of Honor, I picture someone with everything perfectly put together,” McNair said. “And then there’s me, Miss Wendy. I usually have glitter somewhere on my clothes or rainbows and a stack of children’s books.”
McNair spoke candidly about growing up in difficult circumstances and how books became both an escape and a source of hope during her childhood.
“Books were where things made sense again,” she said. “It’s where I could feel safe finally. It’s where I could imagine a different life for myself.”
She credited several women in her life for helping guide and strengthen her along the way, including her grandmother, who became the first female bank manager in Jacinto City after stepping into the workforce to help support her family during a steel industry strike.
McNair also spoke emotionally about her sister Danielle, who took on a parental role for her at a young age, as well as close friends who taught her lessons about resilience, kindness and purpose.
Throughout her speech, McNair returned to the idea of belonging and the role libraries can play in helping children discover confidence and self-worth.
She shared the story of a shy child who once sat quietly at the edge of story time before gradually becoming more engaged over the years. That child eventually became a teen volunteer and later a teacher.
“Sometimes a library is the first place a child feels brave enough to use their voice,” McNair said. “And once they find their voice, they don’t lose it.”
McNair encouraged attendees not to put pressure on themselves to be perfect, but instead to focus on consistently showing kindness and showing up for others.
“You don’t have to be perfect to make an impact,” she said. “You just have to show up with your whole heart.”
Look closely at the faces of these women a few of them (you know who you are) hide behind the Greater Cleveland Chamber while still participating in devious deeds. Devious, someone who uses sneaky, manipulative, or underhanded methods to achieve a goal. They support and elevate people (their friends) who have left a path of destruction in their wake and fractured the very institutions that serve the children of our community. So, we say NO to Mrs. McNair, her meager role as the city’s assistant librarian does not cover the enormous harm she has caused to this community. Wasn’t it several years ago the Chamber gave Wendy’s niece a scholarship? The Greater Cleveland Chamber does great work, but it is tarnished by those who continue their cronyistic behaviors. Greater Cleveland Chamber do better. You represent a city not a toxic inner circle with embedded favoritism.
The Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce should hold its awards and recognitions to the highest standards of integrity, character, and ethical conduct. Individuals who spread misinformation, engage in slander, use intimidation to influence others, or practice retaliation against those around them should not be elevated as representatives of community excellence.
So the question many in the community are asking is this: Is this truly the type of leadership and behavior the Chamber wishes to honor?
There is no doubt Mrs. McNair is capable of reading books to children and participating in community activities. However, while educators across our district work tirelessly every single day to teach, mentor, and support students often under difficult conditions the Chamber chose to spotlight an individual whose conduct has raised serious concerns within the community.
What message does that send to the teachers, staff, parents, and citizens who value integrity, professionalism, and accountability? Does the Chamber genuinely prioritize the well-being of Cleveland’s children and schools, or is it more concerned with maintaining the appearance of community involvement while ignoring deeper issues affecting the education of children.
The Chamber of Commerce has an opportunity to restore trust and credibility by carefully evaluating the values it chooses to promote and celebrate. The community is PAYING ATTENTION, and many are waiting to see whether integrity and accountability will truly matter moving forward.
Chamber of Commerce hold your people accountable.
🤣🤣🤣Is this a joke? And here we go again. You can’t make this up!!
Well Deserved!!
Leadership titles should mean something. Community honors should reflect integrity, transparency, perseverance, and genuine service to *everyone*, not influence, favoritism, alliances, or insider politics.
That is why I, along with many others, have serious questions regarding the Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce and the decision to honor Wendy McNair as a woman of leadership, perseverance, and service.
Community organizations have a responsibility to ensure the individuals they elevate truly represent the values they claim to stand for. When many people within the community have had vastly different experiences than the public image being presented, accountability and transparency become even more important.
How were nominations handled?
Who made the final decision?
Was this truly a board-supported choice?
Were community concerns considered at all?
Was Victoria the person that told the Chamber board who should be named?
The Chamber should be willing to answer those questions openly instead of expecting the public to simply accept highly polished narratives at face value. Cleveland deserves authentic leadership and honest representation — not carefully managed reputations, insider politics, or recognition driven by influence and personal alliances. Something Wendy and Victoria are very much involved with.
There are countless individuals in this community quietly doing meaningful work with integrity, compassion, and consistency every single day. Those are the people who deserve to be recognized and celebrated.
I encourage people to ask questions, pay attention, and look deeper. Accountability matters. Transparency matters. And the character of the people representing this community matters.
I’ve lived in Cleveland my whole life, and folks can feel it. There’s a dark cloud hanging over that Chamber of Commerce because of the same toxic women stirring up mess and division. At some point you have to ask yourself what in the world is wrong with people who act like this, and what’s wrong with the ones standing around letting it happen. Good people in this town are tired of the gossip, the games, and the fake smiles. Cleveland deserves better than a handful of people dragging the community down while everybody else shakes their head and watches it happen.
💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩
Well something stinks!!
Does not apply to Estrada.
You will know them by their fruits. They speak out of both sides of their mouths. They claim to be Christian, but they lie, mislead, deceive, slander, stalk, intimidate, seek revenge. Birds of a feather flock together. Where you see one, you see the others. This is the leadership in the Chamber? Bullies continue because people allow it to happen. Even Christ, became angry. Some people think remaining silent is taking the high road. I don’t think so. I believe truth and honesty are taking the high road.
Sitting around the coffee table and complaining about them is no solution. When you allow a corrosive group to continue, it slowly eats away at the integrity of a community, and the community becomes complacent excepting nothing will ever change. The group increases in power and their destruction increases as well. There are too many good people in Cleveland Texas to let this happen. When people stand together with God at their backs, they can move mountains.
This is an insult to this community. Chamber you should be ashamed of yourself. YOU are responsible for allowing this kind of behavior to continue. You put your blinders on while the these individuals represent their own inner circle not the community, not the city.
Misconduct, poor behavior, or unethical actions by these individuals are overlooked.
How many of you women have children attending Cleveland schools? So basically you have no vested interest in this district. You may say this is a chamber event and not connected to the district. This district is part of our community. YOU are well aware of the controversy surrounding McNair’s role in the school district and you still chose to recognize her as a leader in the community. No doubt McNair is good as an assistant librarian and has daily contact with children, but this miniscule role does not begin to compare with the vast amount of children in Cleveland’s school district. Face it! You care more about your friend than you do our Cleveland’s children.
The community spoke in the May election. They made it clear McNair was out. Was this your way of bringing a positive light to McNair’s loss. You put a spotlight on her that’s for sure, but the result was not positive. Her photo was a stark reminder of the pain she has brought to so many.
“Bad company corrupts good character.” … Do not be led astray: “Bad companionships corrupt good morals.”
When we moved to Cleveland and I started my business, I was warned about several people, V. G. was one of them. I was told about a group of vengeful women who would destroy you, if you crossed them in any way. I’ve sat back and watched for several years. It’s real! I have to ask the question, Why does this community allow this to happen? I really like Cleveland and I have big dreams for my business and the businesses around me to grow, but we are concerned about this group of women. Is there anything we can do to move them out of their positions?
Of course I will not use my own name in this post. Businesses shouldn’t be afraid of the Cleveland Chamber.
From the heart of a dedicated teacher.
“It was absolutely wonderful, the time I have had with my kids and their families. I always tell my families “thank-you for giving me the opportunity to be your child’s teacher” because I truly believe that they choose us. I feel so blessed for the kids I have been able to teach in Cleveland and oh have they taught me so much!”
“I just wish they knew how much so many of us pour everything we have into our kids, and have for years. We truly love these children and I mean it when I say that it was a very tough decision for me to leave them. This year has been…so disheartening. I think that experienced teachers are leaving and they are left with no choice but to hire inexperienced and/or uncertified teachers for those vacancies.”
I ask why the Greater Cleveland Chamber chose to celebrate McNair who has been the force behind teachers leaving the district?
Cleveland Community Watch:
Favoritism and Nepotism
Opportunities, awards, promotions, or influence consistently go to the same inner circle, friends, relatives, or allies.
Lack of Fresh Perspectives
New ideas, outside voices, and constructive criticism are resisted or shut down.
Groupthink
Members reinforce each other’s beliefs and decisions without healthy questioning or debate.
Protection of Insiders
Misconduct, poor behavior, or unethical actions by insiders are overlooked or excused.
Retaliation Against Dissent
Individuals who question leadership or challenge decisions may face exclusion, intimidation, gossip, or punishment.
Concentrated Power
A small group informally controls decisions, influence, and narratives within the organization.
Loyalty Over Competence
Personal relationships matter more than qualifications, integrity, or performance.
Lack of Transparency
Decisions are made behind closed doors with little accountability or explanation.
Social Exclusion
People outside the dominant circle often feel ignored, marginalized, or unwelcome.
Recycling the Same People
The same individuals repeatedly receive recognition, leadership positions, contracts, or opportunities.
Resistance to Accountability
Criticism is treated as a threat rather than an opportunity for improvement.
Culture of Fear or Silence
People avoid speaking up because they fear backlash, isolation, or damage to relationships.
In response to the Brokenhearted comment.
Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce. You have gone too far! Are you not listening to the people of this community! Is your practice to support friends above all else?
Speaking from direct experience—this is not just about teachers leaving.
It is about experienced, highly qualified professionals across the system being pushed out—roles that directly support student success and cannot simply be reassigned to others without the proper training.
What there apparently isn’t time for is valuing professionals who don’t align with a select circle—where agreement is expected, dissent is unwelcome, and decisions begin to resemble loyalty to each other rather than responsibility to the students.
What is being described in these comments—fear of speaking up, people leaving quietly, concerns going unaddressed—is not coincidence. It is a reflection of an environment where voices are not truly valued unless they align.
Every time an experienced teacher leaves, we lose instructional strength. Every time a specialized professional is removed, we lose expertise and support systems that directly impact students, even if those systems are not always visible.
Y’all done lost y’all minds? Y’all got y’all heads so far up y’all own a__ y’all can’t even see what really matter to this community no more?
Sounds like these women need to be benched for a while until they get a true grasp of what’s important to families living in this community. They have lost touch. They don’t care about the education of our children. They ONLY care about themselves. Doesn’t Victoria’s children go to the charter school? What about the children of the others where do they go? They could careless that good teachers are leaving the district because their children have teachers.
We need true representation in the Chamber!! People who genuinely care about the community and city. These woman are selfish, out of touch, and certainly don’t represent Christian values. You’ve been in the spotlight to long your brains are fried.
Lawd, Lawd, we been waitin’ on this fo’ a long time now. These women be so messy and nasty.
I sure hope them city leaders payin’ attention. Y’all gon’ stand up and represent the people… or keep backin’ them?
Well now, ain’t y’all lookin’ all purdy and dressed up. But how come y’all always be puttin’ on the fancy clothes for the chamber and city events, yet when it come to the school district stuff, it’s jeans and T-shirts? The schools don’t deserve the same kinda respect or what?
When your inner circle becomes more important than the whole community, your judgment gets cloudy and you stop seeing what’s really going on. When you listen only to your friends point of view, you fail to get the TRUTH and your decision making becomes biased. This is high school mentality. It is immaturity. You fail to grow as an individual. You fail to grow as a leader.
How can you truly support and represent the people when loyalty to your group matters more than fairness and truth? At some point, it stops being about the community and starts being about protecting and supporting each other.
This has become crystal clear and the decision to flaunt Wendy to the community when so many have been terminated, forced out of the district, and many are leaving because they can’t take it anymore. Oh and let’s not forget the ones that are frantically seeking other employment. You go ahead and revel in your friends minor accomplishments. It says a whole lot about you and you character.
Grow up!
Unbelievable
Clueless
Cruel
Delusional
Vengeful
You know what they say about Karma?
They should feel what they have done to others especially BIG W, the brains behind the big plan!
I wonder how they would feel if they were harassed, slandered, and terminated. So many good people suffered!
Y’all be proud now. Let your true character shine before all men!
Yep this community sees you!
Accountability ain’t optional. If people all over the community are saying the same thing, it’s time to listen.
The Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce should be above favoritism, cliques, and taking care of the same small circle of people. If that’s what folks are seeing, then fix it.
New businesses see it. Long-time residents see it. The community sees it.
Move out the stale leadership, bring in fresh voices, and restore trust. A community organization should serve everybody—not just an inner circle.