THE AMBER WEITZER PODCAST | SILHOUETTES OF SUCCESS | LAURA DOWNEY HILL | EPISODE 86

Our V.I.P. Featured Guest author, Laura Downey Hill has a wealth of leadership experience, is a recipient of numerous business and philanthropic awards. She is a two-time recipient of the Southlake Chamber Citizen of the Year Award.  Laura was a 4-term city councilwoman and the first female mayor of Southlake, Texas.

While mayor, Laura was a stalwart supporter of the police, fire departments, and a champion for school safety initiatives that positioned school resource officers on every campus.

Laura is an accomplished businesswoman who knows what is required to not only create jobs but also sustain and grow jobs. Laura is the co-owner of three successful companies, Downey Publishing, Glen Coe Enterprises and Texas Ice Cream. Downey Publishing, established by her father in 1986; is an independent directory company serving over 10,000 small businesses throughout rural Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Texas Ice Cream is a mobile fleet of ice cream trucks, founded by Laura’s husband, Joe, in 2008.  Her newest venture, Glen Coe is developing retail commercial property in Justin, Texas.

Laura’s passion for youth and their education motivated her to become the founder and co-founder of several youth-focused organizations. S.P.A.R.K. (Students and Parents Against Risks to our Kids), SASO (Scholars and Athletes Serving Others), and S.K.I.L. (Southlake Kids Interested in Leadership) all of which are geared towards empowering students to reach their full potential as they mature into next generation leaders.

Laura is married to Joe McSweeny and is the proud mother of three grown children, Maggie, Preston, and Trent, all of whom live in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. With a philanthropic heart, Laura founded the Downey Art for Education program, which has donated more than $1.5 million to rural school art programs. She has served on several boards, including the Recovery Resource Council of Tarrant County, Frost Bank Advisory Board, the Association of Directory Publishers and is a mentor at the University of Texas at Austin, LBJ Woman’s Campaign School.