Premenko’s influence can be seen across industries, including healthcare, hospitality, and municipalities in DFW. She leverages experience accumulated over a lifetime to help Turner deliver projects in the state. Her fingerprints are also on her kitchen table, and other furniture in a way you might not expect. She and her husband just built a lake house in Possum Kingdom …

“I was looking at all these pictures of rustic furniture in catalogues and I said, ‘I could do that.’”

So, she did. Tables. Beds. Chairs.

“I just put on my goggles and my earbuds and go out to the garage for a couple hours at a time,” said Premenko.

It’s a hobby that gets her closer to the always-elusive work-life balance, which is something that she counsels younger employees not to ignore.

“Find something that allows you to explore your interests outside of your regular responsibilities” she advises.

She also has some life advice for everyone, but especially young women as many traditional gender roles still exist. If you choose to have a life partner, pick that person knowing that mutual support is key to both of you living a full life.

“If, as a female, you’re still expected be the diaper changer and the caretaker and the taxi driver, plus the chef at home, it’s going to be very challenging to also build your career. That’s where it helps to have partnership – but you also need to be clear on what you want and where you can compromise. The one sure thing about life – things change. They’re not static, so it’s crucial each of you knows how to hang back and refocus as much as you press on the accelerator.”

Nowadays Brenda, her husband Dave, and their three boys love to visit Klyde Warren Park and the surrounding museums. And, as budding history buffs Luca, Sebastian, and Dylan, at 13, 11, and 8 – have been to the Sixth Floor museum at Dealey Plaza several times. Plus, with the aquarium, the zoo, and seasonal events like the Texas State Fair – there’s never a shortage of things to do.

That initial thought of moving back to California was replaced years ago, with the realization that they had found the right city for their passions and priorities — that saying yes to Dallas was the first step to building the life they imagined.

MUST SEE EXHIBITS 

Check out some of the region’s most visited museums and hidden gems.

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LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

Tune in to performances from small artists to some of the biggest names touring in the Dallas Region.

Cantu came to Dallas for college with the intention of returning to California where she grew up, but life had other plans.

“I met my husband in college and decided to stay,” she said. After earning her undergraduate degree at UNT, she got her MBA at Dallas Baptist University. She then joined defense and CPG companies in the private sector, where she stayed for more than 20 years.

“Never in a million years would I have thought I would end up with a career in travel and transportation. The airlines were always interesting to me, but with the volatility of the industry, I ran hard the other way.”

But when she got the call about a role at DFW, she didn’t turn it down flat, thinking instead it was worthy of further investigation, at the very least. Sean Donohue, now CEO, sold her on the opportunity.

“Sean coming from private sector really helped me understand the journey of aviation and airport administration in particular… who wouldn’t want to work for him? He’s an incredible leader.”

Her team says the same of Cantu, calling her a servant-leader, someone who leads by example, and who truly listens.

She says when leading a group of people, you have to be sensitive to individuals’ needs and differences.

“You don’t give up on people – help bring everybody along. Those who are struggling the most are the ones you need to spend more time with. We cannot lead people as a collective – we lead them as individuals to get a collective experience.”

Her advice to people just starting out in their careers or those contemplating a pivot: “You have to explore everything – there are jobs today that didn’t exist before. And there will be jobs in five years with all this AI and gen-AI that don’t exist now. You can’t necessarily plan for these roles, but you can explore when they start to emerge.”

Exploring and innovating is key to the DFW mindset, which held its first Boost competition in August, 2023. It was two days of internal competition between 11 teams, with the mission of eliminating waste. (Think: plastic, glass, and cardboard)

There’s also consistent thought on how to clear passengers faster and get them from the land side to the secured side – something that will become more critical as the airport, which turned 50 this year, prepares for two big construction projects: reconstructing terminal C, and building a sixth terminal, Terminal F.

“We are a uniquely positioned airport to service the entire United States. You can fly anywhere in the U.S. in no more than a four-hour window. DFW International is the only major airport in the United States where you can do that.”

It’s that convenience that has led to consistent growth; 80 million passengers came through last year, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Projections show that the Dallas-Fort Worth Region is on track to surpass Chicago in terms of population by 2030.

In her non-working hours she and her husband enjoy traveling and exploring small Texas towns. The highlight of her week is the Friday date nights with her husband where they enjoy trying new area restaurants and catching up on their week. However, she and her husband find incredible joy spending time with family, especially their two adult boys.

Each March social media floods with posts celebrating the achievements of women through the years. Women who have succeeded in male-dominated fields; women who have contributed to research and innovation across industries; women for whom recognition is long overdue.

Many agree that while there’s been progress, we still have further to go.

“I see more women in financial services compared to when I began my career – but there’s still a lot of opportunity,” said Sallie Behnke, certified public accountant and executive director of Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley.

Behnke has lived in Dallas since 2011 when she moved here with her husband. You may recall that was the year Dallas hosted the Super Bowl, and it being the middle of winter, there was a snowstorm.

“It was a disaster.”

Her initial thought was, what did I do?

“The biggest concern was that everybody was going to be from Texas and I was going to be an outsider.”

Though the winter weather returns year after year, the feeling of being on the outside looking in never materialized.

“Dallas is so welcoming; it’s a very open culture, and with the amount of growth that North Texas has seen, there are so many others like me that found a warm reception here. With so many original Texans plus those that have found their home here; it’s a great mix.”

Behnke was raised in St. Louis, and while attending the University of Missouri secured an internship in a large public accounting firm that had exposed her to investing/investments.

“What I like about the industry is the ability to realize the benefits of your work over months and years.  It is the manifestation of your vision of the future after thinking through your priorities and passions that can be so rewarding. At its core, working in investments is about helping people get the most out of those visons for the future.”

Soon after graduation, she moved to New York City to begin her career in finance. Since those early days, she sees more female peers, but agrees that gender equity continues to be an opportunity.

“Morgan Stanley is very committed to diversity and increasing the number of women in the workforce as well as other areas.”

The company is a sponsor of “MAKERS” – a national platform that showcases women’s achievements and personal stories. Since 2014, Morgan Stanley has also been a partner of the program, through which it names in-house leaders as MAKERS.

“Every year they pick the ten most influential women at the firm, who are either advocates or trail blazers.”

Behnke received the honor several years ago.

“It been such a unique and exciting experience, to be recognized for your efforts and to join this legacy of women, but also to see how Morgan Stanley is putting real actions behind words to and be real participants in the progress that is made.”

Morgan Stanley also has a program for women who have left the workforce for a period of time – perhaps to have children – and want to reenter the workforce.

Working towards greater gender equality is a motivator for Behnke who also sits on the board of Texas Wall Street Women, and is a founding member of the Dallas Women’s Advisory Council at Morgan Stanley. The council aims to support women who work at the firm, as well as its clients and prospects as well. For women who are just starting out in their careers, Behnke advises to stay curious – be a life-long learner and seek out mentors that can share their experiences and help guide those who are following in their footsteps. Behnke sees a natural fit between wealth management and women’s natural skillset.

“It is critical that you are a really good listener.  Only by truly listening to clients can you understand not just what a client is saying, but what they really mean – these are not always the same thing. What is keeping them up at night? What financial obligations do they have now and how could those change as their lives evolve? Knowing this is crucial.

While her days are devoted to thinking through strategic financial decisions, time away from the office is spent outside as the fourth teammate in family pickleball tournaments, or playing tennis. They also love to travel – and between DFW International and Love Field, there’s plenty of opportunity to return to tried and true destinations like Bald Head Island in North Carolina, or strike out in a new direction.

Like many, Ripka’s path here wasn’t straightforward. She earned her degree in public relations, despite family pressure to “study something with a title,” like lawyer, nurse, doctor, or teacher. Out of college she went to work for an oil and gas company, where she stayed for seven years, but after the birth of her son, she decided it was time to make a change.  

She would work in the maritime industry for a few years, where her primary job was to translate complex solicitation requirements into digestible narrative that could be easily understood. The end goal was to win new business.  

“But my most important job is ‘mom.’ My life lacked balance and I was certainly asking myself lots of questions about what the future could look like.” 

Post-pandemic, and part of the great resignation, she launched an LLC by women for women, called “Let’s Vibe” – which primarily champions fundraising for special causes. Shortly thereafter, she joined a general contracting firm that is headquartered in DFW, which is how she became a frequent traveler to the region. 

“My primary motivation to depart Louisiana was my son’s education,” she said.  

His school told her in February of 2023 that they wanted to hold him back, and repeat first grade, as he was struggling with reading and writing. 

“The conversation caught me off guard, especially so far into the school year. He excelled in all other academic areas and I had no idea there was such a struggle until that day. As his mother, I wasn’t satisfied with the solutions presented to me. I couldn’t allow this one thirty-minute meeting to alter the trajectory of his entire life. There had to be another path.” 

It wasn’t long before she found another path – that led straight to North Texas. Shortly after that parent-teacher conference Ripka was offered a career opportunity at B&H Engineers. 

“I really connected with our CEO, Todd Abernathy, both his personal philosophy and long-term vision for the organization, plus the timing was near perfect with the school year coming to a close. It was one of those magical situations in life when all the stars align, and you know you are being called in a new direction.” 

In June 2023, they packed up and headed for Dallas. Her former spouse and coparent – very involved in their son’s life – also relocated. And then when her mom first visited, they discovered family living just two blocks away.  

“We’ve grown close and it’s so nice to have natural support built in from the jump — someone much bigger than you or I had been looking out for my little family” said Ripka.  

There have been other signs along the way that reaffirm her decision to relocate here – like when she received a random invitation to a Ranger’s game.  

“… and they go on to win the whole series! I’m sitting here scratching my head, is that what happens here, people just win?! I know with certainty, we are in the right place,” she said, laughing. 

At her son’s new school, an IB World School in the Dallas Independent School District, it was determined that he has ADHD and dyslexia, for which they were provided immediate resources, followed by an action plan to ensure his continued progress. 

“I can tell from all of our interactions that the teachers, administrators and support staff at the school really care about him as a person, and how he’s doing academically.”  

Ripka also joined the development committee at Readers2Leaders – a literacy nonprofit, servicing Dallas Kindergarten and elementary students. The idea is to prepare students for success through reading.   

Now, just one short year after being told he’d have to repeat first grade he’s in the 99th percentile for improvement in his 2nd grade class and learning Spanish. 

In their free time, Ripka is an avid runner and frequents White Rock Lake. Her second grader, meanwhile, is a dinosaur connoisseur, as well as a newly minted bowling enthusiast and loves going to the bowling alley in Lakewood Shopping Center, where they can have a mother-son date. 

“It’s dinner and entertainment for about $30 bucks,” said Ripka. “He really loves all the dinosaur things too. So far, the Perot Museum of Art, Billings Productions, and Traveling Jurassic shows are a few favorites” 

She knows that his love of bowling and T Rex won’t last forever but she isn’t worried. She feels good about being in a place that puts a premium on diversity, equity, and inclusion — especially given what she calls, “the booming economic landscape and future opportunities” that will be available to him as he grows up. 

“I see women being invited into the executive circle and working in high-ranking positions within big business — women whose voices are respected, valued and listened to by everyone. We are given decision making seats at the table in predominantly male fields. It’s progress we have been working towards for generations and I know there’s still a lot of work to do – we just have to keep paying it forward for the next generation.” 

She appreciates being close to two major airports that can get her to most of the country within three to four hours but says that future travel will be limited to family and friend adventures. Her days of living out of a suitcase are over, now that life in Dallas has begun.