Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Texas Emerald Ball Kick Off Reception 2022

Texas Emerald Ball Kick Off Reception 2022

The Ireland Funds has announced Sean Donohue, Chief Executive Officer of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), as the recipient of its 2023 Distinguished Leadership Business Leader Award. He will be honored on Saturday, March 18, 2023, at the Texas Emerald Ball, which will be held at The Adolphus Hotel in Dallas. The Ireland Funds made the announcement on November 17 at the Dallas Arboretum in front of key members and supporters.

The Ireland Funds’ Texas Vice President of Development, Meg Finley, welcomed everyone. Ireland Consul General Robert Hull, based in Austin, talked about the long-standing connections between Ireland and Texas with their cultures, businesses, and sports.

The Ireland Funds National Board Member, Thomas W. Codd, recounted the organization’s history and introduced Donohue. “We look forward to honoring Sean with the Distinguished Business Leader Award. A great leader, he has shown his ability in running one of the most successful airports in the world. He’s also a great family man and friend.”

Donohue said, “I am honored to be selected by The Ireland Funds for this prestigious award and look forward to March 18th.”

Donohue spoke about his role leading DFW International Airport, particularly the magnitude of the 17,000+ acre location. “We grow as the region grows. We’re the second largest airport in the world [in terms of passengers] and serve nearly 80 million customers. We have 2,000 DFW Airport employees, but if you add the airlines and other businesses to our employees, there are 65,000 total.” He also talked about taking care of the minority and women-owned small businesses at the airport during and after the pandemic—a priority of his.

The Texas Emerald Ball’s honorary co-chairs are Mary Lee and Fritz Duda, community leaders and supporters of The Ireland Funds. The event’s proceeds support many charitable causes across the island of Ireland. For a complete list, visit Focus Areas – The Ireland Funds, Progress through Philanthropy

Entertainment includes Chloë Agnew, Irish singer and songwriter, the youngest original member of Celtic Woman.

Sponsorships

Sponsorships are available now for the March 18th Texas Emerald Ball. Visit https://irelandfunds.org/event/texas-emerald-ball-2023/

or contact Judy Curtis, Dallas Event Coordinator, at jcurtis@irelandfunds.org or 214-505-8613.

Mailing address is The Ireland Funds, 5720 LBJ Freeway, Suite 455, Dallas, TX 75240


About Sean Donohue

Sean Donohue serves as Chief Executive Officer of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). DFW Airport is the 2nd largest airport globally for passengers and is ranked 3rd for operations. In his role as CEO, Mr. Donohue is responsible for the management, operation and strategic planning of the Airport.

Centered between owner cities Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW Airport connects the North Texas region with nonstop service to over 200 destinations on five continents and is consistently ranked among the best large airports for customer service.

DFW Airport is also the largest carbon neutral airport in the world and is globally recognized as a sustainability leader. The airport has committed to achieving carbon net zero status by 2030.

DFW plays an instrumental role in the region, historically producing more than $37 billion in annual economic impact and generating an average of 60,000 jobs on the airport each year.

Mr. Donohue joined DFW International Airport in 2013, following a 28-year career in the airline industry in various executive roles with Virgin Australia Airlines and United Airlines. Mr. Donohue serves on the executive committee of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). In addition, he serves on the board of Atmos Energy and several boards for community organizations in the Dallas Fort Worth region.

Mr. Donohue graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Economics.

Contact

Judy Curtis

Office and Event Coordinator

5720 LBJ Freeway, Suite 455 Dallas TX 75240 US

T - 214-505-8613

E - jcurtis@irelandfunds.org

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