In June 1986 the Dove Creek Community Group was formed under the leadership of LaVonne P. Mason. Achieving Interest Group status with The Links, Incorporated in November 1986, and members worked diligently through the chapter establishment process of The Links, Incorporated.

Their efforts came to fruition when the Round Rock Chapter was chartered and twenty-nine new Links were inducted on April 30, 1988 with LaVonne P. Mason as our first President.

The Chapter continued to cement the bonds of friendship as it worked on service projects at Sweet Home Baptist Church and other venues in Round Rock, Texas.

The Chapter’s first fund raising effort, a Tea Dance, was held to benefit the African Water Wells Project through Africare. The variety of service projects increased and our service area expanded once The Links, Incorporated made Austin a multiple-chapter city.

In 1990 our second President, Marjorie E. Lee, took the helm of leadership. During her tenure the Chapter began to grow with the intake of new members. The Round Rock Chapter became part of the South Central Texas Cluster which hosted the 1993 Western Area Conference in Austin. Our annual Kwanzaa celebration was expanded to include a live auction to benefit the United Negro College Fund.

Our third President, Andrea Pair Bryant, began her tenure in 1994. The Chapter’s ranks continued to grow. In 1996, The Links, Incorporated granted the Chapter’s request to change its name to Town Lake. Our signature fundraiser became Mardi Gras Madness. Proceeds supported scholarship grants and other educational projects.

Over the years our Chapter members have also served The Links, Incorporated at the National and Area levels. Irma P. Jones was the National Director of Services to Youth; Andrea Pair Bryant was the Western Area Director of International Trends and Services, and Mary Lou Adams was the Western Area Health and Wellness Linkage Chair.

Our fourth President, Betty N. James, began her tenure in 1998. She was with us briefly until a new job opportunity took her to another city.

Upon her departure, Ruby Handcox was elected in 1999 and became the fifth President of the Town Lake (TX) Chapter. Under her capable leadership, we completed fifteen years of friendship and service.

Mary Lou Adams became our sixth president in May 2002, and her legacy was the chapter’s involvement with the Nordstrom Gala Opening, which allowed us to invest in the Capital Area Kids Café and the Carver Museum Genealogy Center.

Roxann Chargois became our seventh president in May 2004. Under her capable leadership, the chapter developed and implemented the IKIC Program, which enhanced the self-esteem of 4th—and 5th-grade African American girls.

Bea Benson became our eighth president on April 9, 2006. Our chapter strengthened its legacy as deeper bonds of friendship grew, and our signature fundraiser, Mardi Gras Madness, achieved new heights.

Chiquita Watt Eugene became the ninth president in April 2008. Under her leadership, she strengthened the use of parliamentary procedures and aligned chapter activities with the Western Area Region and National scope.

Geraldine J. Tucker served as the tenth president, beginning her second term in May 2012. Her goal was to expand the chapter’s outreach, develop programs to meet community needs, increase visibility, and meet fundraising targets. The focus was on health-related programs, including women’s health, obesity in children, and STEM.

Wendolyn Washington served as our eleventh president in May 2014. Her theme was “Serving through Friendship – Taking it to 2.0”. After serving for a year and demonstrating leadership in excellence, as exemplified by the Town Lake chapter being awarded 1st place Services To Youth (STY) Western Area winner for our STEM initiative with Norman Elementary, Wendolyn was selected to serve as the Western Area Services to Youth Chair.

Dominque Williams served as our interim President beginning in October 2015 and was elected as our 12th President in April 2016. She sought to continue building on the chapter’s success by “being intentional about sisterhood and service.”

Veronica Jordan-Matlock served as our thirteenth President, beginning her term in May 2020. Her vision was to celebrate the third tenant of our Core Values—Legacy—while embracing our Core Values.  

Joyce Turner served as our fourteenth President, beginning her term in May 2022. Focusing on “Building Our Bonds of Friendship While Serving the Needs of Our Community”

Town Lake (TX) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated March 23, 2024

Classy & a Little Bit Jazzy: A Mardi Gras Jazz Brunch Affair at Austin PBS, KLRU-TV – Media Center: Austin, TX