VIVIAN ANDERSON CASTLEBERRY

Mrs. Castleberry is the founder of Peacemakers, Incorporated.  In 1988, she served as Chairwoman of Peacemakers’ First International Women’s Peace Conference. Devoted to peaceful resolution of conflicts, Ms. Castleberry has made trips to the Soviet Union as a "grassroots Citizen Diplomat", and has co-led women’s leadership and intergenerational conferences in Leningrad and Moscow.

Ms. Castleberry is a native Texan, a graduate of Southern Methodist University (SMU), and an SMU Distinguished Alumnae. From 1956 to 1984, Ms. Castleberry served as the women's editor of the Dallas Times Herald. She headed the Living section of the paper and was the first woman named to the paper's editorial board. During her 28-year tenure at the Herald, Ms. Castleberry won numerous journalism awards including three "Katie" awards given by the Press Club of Dallas, two United Press International (“UPI”) awards, a state Headliners award, two University of Missouri awards for overall excellence of women's pages, a Southwestern Journalism Forum award and the Buck Marryat Award given by the Press Club of Dallas for "outstanding contributions to communications."

In 1984, Ms. Castleberry was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame. She has been honored with the Laurel Award given by the American Association of University Women; a Women Helping Women Award given by the Women's Center of Dallas; a Women Helping Women Award given by the Soroptimist Club, and the Extra Mile Award given by the Business and Professional Women's Club.

Since taking early retirement in May of 1984, Ms. Castleberry has written four books: Daughters of Dallas, The Texas Tornado, Sarah the Bridge Builder, and Seeds of Success. She serves as a consultant to other writers, has taught at local community colleges, and makes numerous speeches, most recently speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Castleberry is married to Curtis W. Castleberry, a retired high school teacher. Together they raised five daughters. They have 14 grandchildren.

More About Our Leaders

DR. LETICIA SHAHANI

Dr. Shahani has served as Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs (1981-1986) and as Secretary General for the Third United Nations Conference on Women in Nairobi (1985).   She currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Global Peace Initiative of Women.

Dr. Shahani was born in the Philippines. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature at Wellesley College in Massachusetts and her Masters in Comparative Literature at Columbia University in New York. She earned her Doctorate of Philosophy in Comparative Literature with highest honors from the University of Paris.

From 1987 to 1998, Dr. Shahani served as a member of the Philippine Senate, for which she served as Vice-President from 1995-1997. From 1975 to 1980, she served as a career ambassador of the Philippines to Romania and Australia. From 2001 to 2004, Dr. Shahani served as the Presidential Advisor on Culture to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines.

Dr. Shahani is the founding chairperson of the Budhi Foundation, which gives agricultural and ethical training to rural people, and the initiator and advocate for the Moral Recovery Program, a movement that integrates moral values into the development process. She has taught at the college level and makes numerous speeches. During a recent visit to Dallas, Texas, Dr. Shahani delivered the keynote address at the conference, "Breaking Down Barriers and Building Bridges of Peace", co-sponsored by Peacemakers Incorporated, the Dallas Peace Center and U.S. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson.

Dr. Shahani lives in the Philippines. she is the widow of Ranjee Shahani and she has three children.

CAROL CRABTREE DONOVAN

Mrs. Donovan is the President of Peacemakers Incorporated. She has practiced law in Dallas for 25 years and currently serves as an Attorney-Mediator for the Dallas courts. In both her profession and in her community work, Ms. Donovan works to resolve disputes and to facilitate communication.

Ms. Donovan is a native of Dallas. At the University of Texas at Austin, she was the first woman elected to serve as President of the Student Body. During college, she worked in the Austin, Texas and Washington, D.C. offices of U.S. Congressman J.J. (“Jake”) Pickle. After earning her law degree at Texas Tech School of Law, Ms. Donovan served as a briefing attorney for U.S. District Judge Robert M. Parker before practicing law in Dallas, Texas.

In 2002 and 2003, Ms. Donovan and Vivian Castleberry, the founder of Peacemakers Incorporated, organized training seminars sponsored by the Center for Citizen Initiatives, Inc, for Russian delegations visiting Dallas, Texas, who were interested in nonprofit associations and law. Ms. Donovan is the founder of the Annual Susan B. Anthony Award Luncheon held in Dallas, and she reactivated the Dallas Women’s Coalition, which she chaired for two years. Ms. Donovan is active in numerous church and community activities.