The 2014 Charles J. Cook Award in Servant Leadership
Judith A. Rhedin
Activist, artist, actress, attorney, and advocate for the underserved children of Austin. Your dedication to service spans the life cycle of those in the Austin community.
Your work to bring the arts into classrooms has made a profound difference in the lives of hundreds of underserved children as they are energized and engaged in creative and fresh ways. You deeply believe that art can change people’s lives. This has been demonstrated in your work at the Performing Arts Center and through your involvement with the larger art community of Austin.
For 18 years you have volunteered with Family Eldercare to serve the elderly in the last stages of life, providing them with companionship, empathy, and attention to their physical and spiritual needs.
You have served tirelessly on the board of St. James Episcopal School and St. Stephens Episcopal School, in addition to serving on the vestry of St. James Episcopal Church. Those who have served alongside you in those ministries describe your leadership style as ‘incarnational’. You bring your entire being to every endeavor, you keep your word, you lead with grace and have high expectations for others without being overbearing.
Your energy is boundless and infectious. Your devotion and passion to the causes you engage lift the spirits of those who work alongside you.
As your friend Bernadette said, “Judith is the quiet noble one who is not looking for the neon.” Because of your leadership, your hands-on care for children in public schools and for elderly in nursing homes, and your commitment to a community of compassion, creativity, and collaboration, Seminary of the Southwest is honored to present you with the Charles J. Cook award in Servant Leadership.
Cynthia Briggs Kittredge Steven Bishop
Dean and President Faculty Host
