Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley

Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley received the 2011 Northeast Leadership Forum’s Distinguished Leadership Award Friday at organization’s 20th annual meeting at Hilton Dallas/Southlake Town Square.

State Rep. Vicki Truitt, the 2010 winner of the same honor, presented Whitley with the award during the luncheon.

Keynote speaker at the meeting was  Tom Schieffer, former U.S. ambassador to Australia and Japan. Schieffer, a graduate of the University of Texas law school, also served as president of the Texas Rangers baseball team from 1991 to 1994.

Whitley was graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a B.B.A. in accounting. A certified public accountant, he co-founded in 1983 the accounting firm Whitley Penn in Fort Worth. He has served on the Hurst-Euless-Bedford school board, and he is the former chair of the Texas Conference of Urban Counties. Whitley was elected to the Tarrant County Commissioners Court in 1996 and then to the post of Tarrant County Judge in 2006.

Glen and his wife, Brenda, live in Hurst and have three grown children and one three grandchildren.

Past winners of the Distinguished Leadership Award include Larry Darlage, president of the northeast campus of Tarrant County College; Kelly Bradley, founder of Metroport Meals on Wheels; Euless Mayor Mary Lib Saleh; and former Hurst Mayor Bill Souder.

Dr. Larry Darlage

Dr. Larry Darlage, president of Tarrant County College Northeast Campus, Saturday received night the the highest honor the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Chamber of Commerce (www.heb.org)  bestows.

The award, named the Clyde Mooney Award and given for “exceptional leadership and service in the community,” was announced at the chamber’s annual awards banquet. This year’s event, themed “Night of a Thousand Stars,” was held at the Hilton Fort Worth.

Also honored was Stan Paschal, HEB Chamber Community Spirit Award; Duane Wieland, Gertrude Tarpley Memorial Spirit Award; Jay Stephens, member of the year; Linda Huggins, ambassador of the year, Micah Lane, director of the year; and Linda Caram, officer of the year. Outstanding business awards went to Minuteman Press, Delgado Orthodontics and Oncor.

David Medina is serving as this year’s chamber chairman, and Jamie Tongate chaired the black-tie optional awards dinner. Garry Hamilton volunteered as the evening’s auctioneer.