2014 Alumna of Distinction for Service in Mission Jennifer Staubach Gates ’88 BSN.
The 2014 Alumna of Distinction for Service in Mission was Jennifer Staubach Gates ’88 BSN. A lifelong Dallasite, Gates was elected to her first term as a Dallas City Council Member in 2013. She currently serves as the vice chair of the Budget, Finance and Audit Committee and sits on the Public Safety Committee as well as the Arts, Culture and Libraries Committee. Gates has extensive nonprofit experience managing the $125 million annual budget for the Catholic Foundation, and serving on the Diocesan Education Endowment that awards more than $600,000 per year in education scholarships. She also serves as the chair for the Domestic Violence Taskforce, and holds regular meetings that help to bridge communication between the Dallas Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office, judges, and community partners; this collaboration aims to strengthen the forces fighting to end domestic violence in Dallas.
In 1988, Gates earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Incarnate Word College, where she received the Dr. Amy Freeman Lee Scholastic and Service Recognition Award. Upon graduation, Gates worked as a school nurse and is still a licensed Registered Nurse today.
From serving as a Girl Scout troop leader to serving on boards for leading education and religious institutions, Gates has been an active leader in the Dallas community for decades. She continues to serve the UIW community as an alumna by hosting Dallas Alumni Network events in her home and speaking on behalf of UIW at Dallas area events. She assists with Incarnate Word recruitment efforts in the Dallas area and continues to be a strong supporter of the UIW nursing program.
Gates has been married to John Gates for more than 30 years. Their youngest daughter, Jordan, attends the University of Texas at Austin, and their oldest daughter, Jessica, and her husband, Will, live in Dallas. The Gates family attends St. Rita Catholic Church, where Jennifer also serves as a Eucharistic minister. In her spare time, Gates enjoys running, reading, traveling and spending time with her grandson, Gambill.
