Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]  

CANYON, Texas — A former WNBA star will share her journey from the basketball court to becoming a leader at one of the country’s most prestigious financial planning companies at West Texas A&M University’s upcoming Women in Pearls Empowerment Dinner. 

Genai Walker-Macklin will headline the dinner, which is set for 6 p.m. March 28 at Hodgetown, 715 S. Buchanan St. in downtown Amarillo. 

Tickets are $50 each or $325 for a table of seven. Reservations are due March 24. 

The Women in Pearls dinner is a fundraiser for women’s scholarships and diversity initiatives through WT’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion. It is cosponsored by the Dinga/Hollingsworth Group at Morgan Stanley. 

“Our goal is to empower women, to provide an opportunity for women to come together to celebrate each other, to network and to give support. It’s important to recognize and appreciate the work we do,” said Angela Allen, WT’s chief officer for diversity and inclusion. “It’s also a time for us to raise money to benefit women’s scholarship and provide diversity initiatives.”  

Walker-Macklin was raised in rural Arkansas and was a standout scholar-athlete in high school. After college, she played professionally on international squads as well as with the Tulsa Shock and Atlanta Dream in the WNBA before retiring in 2012. 

Walker-Macklin has worked for Morgan Stanley since 2014 and is a specialist in wealth management, presenting customized wealth-planning solutions to clients. She and husband Demitrius live in Garland. 

“When a woman who breaks barriers, shatters glass ceilings and climbs the corporate ladder makes an effort to reach back to help others, that speaks to her character,” Allen said. “We want our students and our community to know that when you can see it, you can achieve it.” 

Opportunity-to-win tickets will be available for purchase during the event. 

Each dinner ticket also includes an entry into a drawing for a strand of genuine pearls. 

For tickets, call the WTAMU Foundation at 806-651-2070 or the Diversity and Inclusion office at 806-651-8482. To pay online, click “Women in Pearls” atwtamu.edu/diversity. 

Being reflective of and responsive to a diverse student body, faculty and staff is a key principle of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World. 

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign.  

About West Texas A&M University 

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs, 39 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.