Pin Oak President Lynn Walsh
Jana Arnoldy and Susan Arnoldy Hansen are chairing The Winter Ball. ABC 13, a major sponsor of The Winter Ball, has also been a loyal media partner to The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show for many years.
Although Walsh did not seek this award, those who know her well say it is perfectly suited for recognizing and celebrating the monumental volunteer role that she has filled for close to 15 consecutive years. Walsh is a resident of the Magnolia suburb of Houston. She is an accomplished equestrian, wife, mother, business owner, former advertising agency executive, long-time community volunteer, and lover of children and animals. She has a proven knack for getting others to align with her and to stick with her to support her causes!
Walsh began serving on The Woodlands Advisory Council of Texas Children's Hospital in 2014. She also has served as a past president of the Texas Hunter Jumper Association (THJA) from 2006 through 2008. She has served as the chair of the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Competition Standards Committee and as a member of the USHJA Owners Committee and the USHJA Amateur Committee. She also served on the board of the Washington International Horse Show in 2004 and 2005
“I am proud to have been associated with Pin Oak for more than 30 years. I am honored and, at the same time, humbled to have been named one of the 2016 ABC 13 Women of Distinction. I am accepting this award on behalf of thousands of people who support The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show in our mission to help heal sick children. I consider myself as a lifelong volunteer and ambassador for The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show – and the passion I feel for this horse show and its mission is shared with our board members, volunteers, staff, sponsors, riders, trainers, judges, media partners like ABC 13 and many others who make The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show one of the most prestigious charity horse shows in the nation,” Walsh commented.
Walsh was completely surprised to learn she had been nominated for and selected as one of the 2016 Women of Distinction. Mary Jones, Pin Oak’s charity liaison, marketing director, and board member, secretly nominated Walsh for the award. Chris Tresten, past president and current chair of the Pin Oak board of directors, fortified the nomination with a letter of recommendation. Jones and Tresten partnered in keeping Walsh from knowing about the nomination and the real reason for the recent “reveal” event.
“A quiet lunch at Masraff’s served as the backdrop for the surprise announcement. Jana Arnoldy entered with an armful of flowers and a beaming smile to share the news with Lynn. It was pure joy filling the air thereafter,” Jones said.
“I can’t imagine anyone who deserves this award more than Lynn Walsh. It is truly miraculous to witness Lynn’s leadership and unwavering focus in action. She is completely dedicated to The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show and our mission to heal sick children. My fellow board members and I watch in awe as Lynn masterfully extends the resources of Pin Oak’s one full-time paid staff member to accomplish so much. She has a gift for rallying a virtual team in various cities and from all walks of life to follow her, and she does it with grace, kindness, clarity and commitment,” explained Tresten, a Pin Oak board member and competitor since 1995. She served as Pin Oak’s president for three consecutive years – from 1997 through 1999. Tresten has been the board chair and a member of Pin Oak’s executive committee since 2012.
Tresten added: “Lynn provides the solid foundation and framework from which all of us associated with The Pin Oak Charity Horse are able to produce one of the top 25 horse shows in the United States. We are proud to be in a position to deliver an annual contribution of more than $225,000 to our three children’s charities. I can’t say enough about her. I am truly honored to know and work with her.”
Walsh’s past experience as a vice president working with multi-billion-dollar companies at a global advertising agency and owning a family business with her husband and sons have been instrumental in guiding her to make decisions and take actions that have elevated the profile and impact of The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show in a meaningful way.
Jones weighed in: “I am thrilled that Lynn Walsh is in the spotlight as one of the 2016 Women of Distinction, especially because she is not one who seeks center stage.She is extremely inclusive and collaborative. Lynn has made The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show a huge priority of her life as a way to make a difference in the community and to grow this historic event that has shaped Houston’s landscape. As the mother of a teen who is a patient at Texas Children’s Hospital and of two girls who compete in Pin Oak show rings every March, I know that Lynn is engaging thousands of people to make a positive difference for sick children and those who love and care for them. I am grateful for the seed planted by the hoof print of The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show that has become the Texas Children’s Hospital that we know today. “
Jones added: “Lynn has truly raised the bar for Pin Oak and has enhanced its prestige in the equestrian world. We sell out each year in terms of capacity to accommodate horse and riders, who come from all over the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to compete. And, under Lynn’s leadership, Pin Oak has garnered a long list of awards and honors in equestrian, medical and charitable circles.”
The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show has raised more than $6 million for children’s charities since its inception and contributes approximately $7 million annually to the greater Houston area economy. In 1947, The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show provided the first donation toward the building of what is now the world renowned Texas Children’s Hospital. The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show benefits Texas Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald Family Rooms at Texas Children’s Hospital, and Candlelighters’ Childhood Family Cancer Alliance. Please see www.pinoak.org for more information on The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show.
All proceeds from The 2016 Winter Ball will go toward research and Patient and Professional Services throughout the South Texas CCFA Chapter. Learn more at www.ccfa.org/chapters/southtexas/.