Good Apple Dinner

On Thursday, November 7, 2024, Texas Appleseed hosted its annual Good Apple Dinner at the beautiful Four Seasons Hotel in Austin. This year's event celebrated Lael and Peter Brodsky, who were honored with the 2024 J. Chrys Dougherty Good Apple Award for their remarkable philanthropic work, dedication to their community, and commitment to justice for vulnerable Texans.

The evening also recognized Latham & Watkins LLP and Sidley Austin LLP with the 2024 Pro Bono Leadership Awards. Sidley was honored for its invaluable contributions to Texas Appleseed’s Coerced Debt Relief pilot program, while Latham & Watkins was celebrated for its work on the School Integration report and various research projects across our program areas.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who attended, sponsored, and supported the event. Your generosity allows us to continue advancing justice and opportunity for children, families, and communities across Texas. Thank you for being part of this important work.

Good Apple Honorees

Lael and Peter Brodsky

Lael and Peter Brodsky

Lael and Peter are respected civic and philanthropic leaders whose contributions have extended educational opportunities, spurred economic development, and strengthened neighborhoods and communities for countless families in Dallas and beyond.

Lael is a dedicated community activist who focuses on issues of justice and empowerment. She is the immediate past Board Chair of the Innocence Project of Texas and a Board Member of North Texas Public Broadcasting. She has also supported numerous organizations serving women and girls, including as a past Board Member of the North Texas Association for the Reduction of Pregnancy in Teens, of which she was also Board Chair; Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas; Friends of Planned Parenthood, of which she was also a Board Chair; and the Texas Women’s Foundation, for which she also co-chaired the 2018 luncheon and raised $1.6 million. Lael also previously served on the Board of Greenhill School. A prolific fundraiser, Lael has raised more than $5 million for philanthropic causes in Dallas and throughout Texas. In memory of Jacob, Lael and Peter’s son, Lael is currently focused on the issue of fentanyl’s proliferation in our community.

Peter is an investor and business executive dedicated to systemic change. For the last two decades, he has worked to expand economic opportunity and improve community safety for everyone living in the North Texas region. He currently serves as the Board Chair of Housing Forward and serves on the Boards of KIPP Texas, the Trinity Park Conservancy, Forest Forward, and the UT Southwestern President’s Advisory Board. Previously, Peter served as the Board Chair of the City of Dallas’ Animal Advisory Commission and KIPP Dallas-Fort Worth, and on the boards of North Texas Public Broadcasting, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Vogel Alcove, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Greenhill School. He also is a member of the Dallas Assembly, an organization of leaders from Dallas’ business, civic, and nonprofit sectors who are committed to the betterment of the city. In 2023, Peter was awarded the J. Erik Jonsson Ethics Award by Southern Methodist University’s Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility. 

In 2015, Lael and Peter purchased the former Red Bird Mall in Dallas, now called the Shops at RedBird, with the goal of creating a new mixed-use development to spur economic growth in Southern Dallas. The project has resulted in more than 1,500 new jobs and has brought a resurgence of new investment to the area, including health care, retail, and housing.

Pro Bono Leadership Award Recipients

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Latham & Watkins logo

Latham & Watkins LLP has conducted research projects in every one of Texas Appleseed’s project areas, as well as for cross-programmatic efforts, including a project focused on the impact of school and housing segregation on families in our state. Since 2023, Latham & Watkins has contributed an astounding 1,700 pro bono hours to Texas Appleseed projects. The volume, range, and proactive nature of their support enables Texas Appleseed to approach systemic racial, economic, and social justice issues from multiple angles in a way that effects significant and enduring change.

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Sidley logo

Sidley Austin LLP is a critical partner in Texas Appleseed’s newest effort to support survivors of domestic abuse, the Coerced Debt Relief pilot program, which matches attorneys with victims of coerced debt to help them attain financial relief. At the training, Sidley represented more than twice the number of attorneys anticipated from a single firm and currently represents 3/4 of the project’s active volunteer pool. Not only are they supporting survivors in their time of need, but their participation, trust, and enthusiasm have also enabled Texas Appleseed to grow and expand in new ways. 

Host Committee

Honorary Chairs
Matrice and Ron Kirk

Margaret Allen
Jennifer and Peter Altabef
Becky Bruder
Patrick Cantilo
Kim Elting and Stewart Cohen
Scott Fletcher
Craig Florence
Carol and Don Glendenning
Regen Horchow and Ken Hersh
Jennifer and Tom Karol
Charles Kelley
Lisa and Peter Kraus
Candace and Jim Krause
Layne Kruse
Carol and John Levy
Jill Louis and Randy Bowman
Elizabeth Mack
Leslie MacLean
Patsy Martin
Megan and Casey McManemin
Gina DeBottis Metts
Tricia Miller
Catherine Ozdogan
Ann Marie Painter
Lizzie and Dan Routman
David Sharp
Laranda Walker
Sharon Young

Sponsors

CHAMPIONS

Locke Lord LLP, Don and Carol Glendenning, and Elizabeth Mack and David Allen
Perkins Coie LLP
Sidley Austin LLP

ADVOCATES

Akin
Baker Botts LLP
H-E-B
Vinson & Elkins LLP

BENEFACTORS

Cantilo & Bennett, L.L.P.
Davis, Cedillo & Mendoza, Inc.
DLA Piper LLP (US)
Dykema
Foley & Lardner LLP and Craig B. Florence
Haynes Boone
Susan Karamanian
Latham & Watkins LLP and Catherine Ozdogan
Mayer Brown LLP
Susman Godfrey L.L.P. and Laranda M. Walker
Vistra Corp

PATRONS

Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP
Jennifer and Peter Altabef
Arnold & Porter
Baker McKenzie
Lael and Peter Brodsky
Chamblee Ryan
Judith A. Doran
Estes Thorne Ewing & Payne PLLC
Frost
FTI Consulting
Cheryl and Jim George
Gibbs Bruns LLP
Holland & Knight
JAMS
Jennifer and Tom Karol
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Lisa and Peter Kraus
Douglas Laycock and Teresa A. Sullivan
Luther King Capital Management
Jack & Patsy Woods Martin
Christina and Jadd Masso / Amy and Stephan Prueger
Megan and Casey McManemin
Sherry and Gerald Merfish
Norton Rose Fulbright and Layne Kruse
Carolyn and Karl Rathjen
Scott, Douglass & McConnico, L.L.P.
Yetter Coleman LLP

Past Good Apple Dinners

Since 2002, Texas Appleseed has honored leaders for their contributions to the community at our annual Good Apple Dinner. We are grateful to the major institutions, law firms, and countless individuals who have supported this event and furthered our justice work.