2023 August Mag

Helen Giddings is president and CEO of Multiplex, Inc., a specialty concessions company, which she founded in 1989. Giddings also serves as honorary consul of South Africa for Texas. She is the founder and chair of the Women’s Leadership Summit, an organization created to empower, strengthen, and transform women leaders. 

Previously, Giddings was an executive in retail responsible for human resources and community affairs in an 11-state area, and she was the vice president of leadership development at the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce. 

House of Representatives

Giddings also served in the Texas House of Representatives for 26 years. She is a former chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and a previous Dallas Area Legislative Delegation co-chair. 

During her tenure in the Texas Legislature, Giddings chaired the Business and Industry Committee for three terms, having served on the committee for 10 terms. She was the vice chair of the State Affairs Committee for her last three terms prior to retiring from the Texas House of Representatives. Giddings served on the Appropriations Committee for seven terms (including her last five terms before retirement) and held leadership roles as chair and vice chair of select Appropriations subcommittees. Giddings also served on the Higher Education and Calendars Committees. In addition to the aforementioned committees, the speakers of the House appointed her to special commissions and other committees, including the Texas Legislative Council Governing Board, Financial Institutions, Public School Finance, Redistricting, House Administration, Joint Interim Committee to Study Alzheimer’s Disease, and the Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families. 

Public Service

Strongly committed to public service, Giddings served as president of the bipartisan, 1,600-member National Foundation of Women Legislators. She was the first woman of color and the first Texan in the organization’s history to be elected to this prestigious position. Additionally, she was a member of the executive committees of the Women’s Legislative Network of the National Conference of State Legislators and the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women. 

Giddings also served as the board chair of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, vice chair of the Dallas Transit Board, and a member of the following: Dallas Planning Commission, Visit Dallas Board of Directors, State Bar Grievance Committee, and the Dallas County Grand Jury. 

As an avid and loyal supporter of the arts, Giddings’ board service includes leadership roles in the African American Museum, Dallas Symphony, Dallas Summer Musicals, Dallas Historical Society, and the Dallas Theater Center. Her contributions to the African American Museum led the museum to name a room in her honor. 

Currently, Giddings is a member of the International Women’s Forum, The Dallas Assembly, The Dallas Summit, Trinity Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, Methodist Health System Board of Directors, and the Caruth Police Institute Executive Advisory Board.

Influential

Giddings has been recognized by Ebony Magazine as one of the Top 100+ Most Influential African Americans and featured in Black Enterprise, American Way (American Express), and Jet magazines. She has also been featured in the Dallas Morning News and D Magazine. 

Giddings has received additional recognition and numerous awards for her civic service and business acumen, including the City of Lancaster, Texas naming its amphitheater, the Helen Giddings Amphitheater, in her honor; the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce Quest for Success Award; the DFW International Airport SOAR Award; the National Forum for Black Public Administrators Award; the Texas House Democratic Caucus Legend Award; the Association of Community Schools Most Valuable Legislator Award; the Outstanding Legislator Award from Mothers Against Teen Violence; the TexProtects Children’s Champion Award; the NAACP Juanita Craft Freedom President’s Award; the Eddie Bernice Johnson Trailblazer Award from Who’s Who; the James Belt Lifetime Achievement Award; the Latino Center Leadership Development Adelante Award for Lifetime Leadership; the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce Excellence, Innovation and Education Award; the Gifford K. Johnson Community Leadership Award from The University of Texas at Dallas; the African American Museum Heritage Award; the Texas Women’s Foundation Maura Women Helping Women Award; the Dallas Can Academy Woman of the Year Award; an honorary doctorate from Paul Quinn College; the United Negro College Fund Masked Award; the National Association of Historically Black Colleges Alumni Award; The University of Texas at Dallas Science and Engineering Advancement Award; the Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) Humanitarian Award; the Texas Southern University (TSU) President’s Medal; presidential scholarships at PVAMU and TSU and a scholarship from the Concerned DeSoto Citizens named in her honor; the Texas PTA Life Membership Award; the Texas Library Association 100 Library Champions of the Century Award; the AFRIMMA Transformational Leadership Award; the Texas Medical Association Patient Protectorate Award; and the American Heart Association Heart of Honor Award. 

Women in Leadership

In 2018, Giddings founded the Women’s Leadership Summit. WLS brings together women who have risen to leadership positions with younger leaders, forming stronger networks, sharing knowledge and skills, celebrating achievements, and addressing challenges for Black women. 

These extraordinary women, limited to 300, leave inspired, motivated, and determined to become full participants in our world, helping to create a better society for all. Please go to www.wlsummit.org to learn more about this unique conference which will be held September 8th and 9th at the Statler Hotel in Dallas. Cerese will be there! You should be too.