Phyllis Tindel, 2015 Women in Tyler honoree. (Victor Texcucano/Staff)

1. Women in Tyler nominees have passion to serve

The 2015 Women in Tyler honorees are:

Debbie Broughton — Founder and director of Young Girls With Purpose, which teaches the importance of health, intellect, purpose and beauty. She is a music teacher and gospel aerobics instructor, who herself, has lost more than 100 pounds.

Ruth Flynn — Retired director of the Tyler Junior College Apache Belles, who emphasized perfecting not only the precision dance team’s routines, but also the character and integrity of each Apache Belle. She started the Apache Belle Gold alumni group and Belle Babes, a dance workshop for girls.

Peaches Owen — For more than 20 years, Mrs. Owen and her husband, Louis, have conducted pre-marital counseling at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. The couple gave $18 million to Trinity Mother Frances for the heart hospital. Mrs. Owen is also supports the Girl Scouts and other charities.

Carmen Sosa — Founder of the East Texas Community Food Coalition, which aspires to connect farmers with restaurants for the farm-to-fork movement. She is the garden coordinator at St. Paul’s Children’s Foundation and the St. Louis Early Childhood Center.

Phyllis Tindel — Former program manager for Tyler ISD’s Teenage Parents’ Program. She has also served on the Women’s Symphony League, the Junior League of Tyler, and is past president and member of the Mildred Floyd Garden Club. She continues a life-long passion of educating our youth with her involvement in Delta Kappa Gamma and the International Society for Key Women Educators.

Alesha Williams — An attorney with a passion for helping others, she has served on the PATH board, is a member of Tyler Executive Women’s Network and a Leadership Tyler graduate. She also is involved in the SFA Alumni Association, as a Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas volunteer, with the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and has served with the Smith County Bar Association and the Bar Foundation.