May 15,
2002
Head of a company, DART trustee, mom and
'Grammy'
Faye Wilkins likes
to watch Westerns on the Western channel, mostly because they remind
her of her childhood. Not the shoot 'em up part, of course, but
everything else. "I can relate to a lot of that, because we had horses
when I was growing up," she says. "It was an old-fashioned childhood,
so you can call me old-fashioned.
"Plus, they are so easy to watch because there's
no cursing, no violence, and no sex. Just good old-fashioned wholesome
TV."
It's a childhood she hasn't entirely abandoned because she goes back
to her hometown of New Waverly every two or three months to visit her
parents. The population is still under 1,000, and everyone knows
everyone. She would go back more often except that like many others
there's work.
Work means being president of The Wilkins Group, a company founded by
her husband, Tom. And there's work that she doesn't classify as work
as a member of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit district board of
directors, something she's been involved in for the past four years.
Former mayor of Dallas Ron
Kirk got her into it, or at least he was the one who first approached
her to join the board. She says he convinced her by telling her the
board "needed some fresh ideas." Then, she says, lawyer David McCall
was the second person to approach her about serving on the board. "He
said I would be the spark they needed," Wilkins says from her
Richardson office.
Turns out he was right, and now Wilkins not only serves the residents
of Collin County, she also represents some areas of Dallas as well as
Cockrell Hill and Glenn Heights.
Staying on top of projects as chairwoman of the project management
committee takes up much of her time, almost 50 hours a month. But she
says it has to be done and that the buck stops with the board because
projects require board approval every step of the way.
Right now, it's all about DART's build-out of light rail, with DART
going into the final phase of the North Central line extending to
Spring Creek Parkway. It's due for completion Dec. 19.
As committee chairwoman, she says her role is to summarize, something
she's entirely comfortable doing as long as she can. And no, she says,
this isn't a step to something else, such as a run for office,
although she does admit that someday in the distant future she might
be interested in serving on an airport board. "I like boards that
benefit the community," says the longtime Plano resident. "I think the
Dallas Metroplex has a lot of room for growth.
"We're not half of where we could be."
Wilkins brings a business-minded approach
to her participation on the DART board.
It's that way now and has been seemingly forever. "In high school,"
she says, "I was an over-achiever. I was out of high school at age
16."
"She's a tough cookie,"
says friend and golf partner Madelyn Hendricks. "She's tenacious. She
can say what has to be said and when it has to be said at just the
right time. And she can do it all with a smile."
Indeed, when Wilkins smiles, her eyes light up so that you know
there's a hint of a soft demeanor behind that businesslike exterior.
She admits that at one time all she wanted to do was take care of
people. "As a kid," she says, "I wanted to be a nurse. My mother had
had a severe car accident when I was 11, and from then on, I made my
mind up that was what I was going to do."
For a time, she worked in the orthopedics unit at Baylor Medical
Center. Her patients included former Dallas Cowboys players Roger
Staubach and Charlie Waters. It was exciting, she says, but the hours
were brutal. So she left nursing to enter the field of real estate,
but even now she says she realizes that "even in real estate you take
care of people."
Now that she's working at The Wilkins Group, a private
telecommunications and systems integration firm, she still sees her
role as a kind of human caretaker. Several times a year, she insists
that the company conduct events for the employees, including a fish
fry in the spring, a dinner party during the holidays, a brunch at
Thanksgiving time, and a picnic in the fall. Then, in a further show
of support, employees regularly attend each other's churches.
At work she says everyone has their role,
including her daughter Tomeka and son Ronald, who also work in the
business. "My husband is the visionary," she says. "I'm not a
visionary. I'm the one who has to figure out how it's going to happen.
I'm the implementer."
It's evident she cares about the employees. Her other soft spot is
reserved for family members, particularly granddaughter Ivy. "I love
being Grammy," she says. "I cut my travel schedule in half after she
was born.
"She's taught me a lot: patience for one thing."
When she's not caring for
Ivy, she's on the golf course with friends or she's reading one of her
favorite mysteries. She used to write poetry and says it was fun, but
it's not something she's ever shared with anyone else.
Travel is limited to such places as New Orleans and never any farther
than Puerto Rico because she has no desire to go too far from the
continental shores of the United States.
She also likes to go to concerts and once went to three Tina Turner
concerts. "It was her world tour, and I went to see her in Dallas,
Reno, and Vegas, and it was well worth it," says Wilkins. "Tina, to
me, is ideal when it comes to women of that age group. She's true
motivation."
Wilkins says others who have paved the way for her are her mother and
grandmother. And while they're women who may not be in the limelight,
they are people who have played a major role in her life. "They taught
me to be honest," she says. "And to work hard.
"That's what they've done and what I do and what I'm passing on to my
kids."
Apparently it's worked because her son says, "She's just an excellent
role model. Even my friends look up to my mother.
"To be able to balance board work and
career and then have time for family and a personal life, I mean,
that's a lot. She's phenomenal."
PROFILE: Faye Wilkins
Age: 50
Occupation: President of The Wilkins Group
Family: Husband, Tom; daughter Tomeka, son Ronald, and
granddaughter Ivy
Hometown: New Waverly
Favorite type of music:
Easy listening
Favorite foods: Meat and potatoes
Favorite movie: "Harlem Nights"
I was most influenced by: When my mother was recovering from
her accident and in and out of hospitals, we, my brothers and sisters,
could have easily been badly influenced. But she told us to look after
each other, and we did. We were given assignments. I took care of the
bills and was given responsibility at an early age.
If I had a large sum of money, I would: Give most of it away
My greatest achievement: Raising up two wonderful kids
I'm motivated by: It doesn't take much. I feel good about
myself. There is nothing I can't do.
My best asset: I'm focused. I'm dedicated to my profession and
to my children. I've never faltered even once.
Hobbies: Golf and reading
