Carolyn Farb: First Lady of Philanthropy.

From cancer and medical research, children's and women's issues, to arts, education, and culture, Carolyn Farb's skill as a volunteer fund raiser has been fine-tuned to equal that of the best professional fund raisers in the country. She has made chairing successful charitable events an art form and unselfish life's occupation.

To be first at anything takes unbridled enthusiasm, unstoppable determination, bulldog tenacity, enormous amounts of hard work and shameless good luck. If you take all those admirable characteristics, mix them together with vivacious charm, classic beauty and a profound zest for life, you will have a pretty good picture of Carolyn Farb.

Descriptions and characteristics are one thing, but facts speak louder than words. In the past 20 years Carolyn has:

1. Helped raise more than $25 million for 100 different charitable organizations;

2. Authored the fund-raising book, How to Raise Millions Helping Others, Having A Ball! (1993 Eakin Press, Austin, Texas);

3. Developed Carolyn Farb's Guide v1.0, a fund-raising software designed to assist both the novice as well as the professional fund raiser in creating successful special events (www.carolynfarb.com);

4. Received numerous awards, including: The Diana Award for Outstanding Community Service, The Illustrious Modern Award from the Wedgewood Society, The National Foundation for Ileitis and Colitis' "Woman of Distinction Award," The YWCA Woman of the Year Award, and the UNICEF Children's Medallion of Honor;

5. Has never been paid a penny for her charitable activities and efforts.

In short, Carolyn Farb is a dynamic, passionately driven individual who personifies all that is good about volunteers who devote their lives to helping others.

For someone who has never hired a publicist, her face is one of the best-known in Houston, Texas, and her name is nationally recognized because of her stellar reputation as a mover and shaker of formidable proportions. She has made chairing successful charitable events an art form and unselfish life's occupation. From cancer and medical research, children's and women's issues, to arts, education, and culture, Carolyn's skill as a volunteer fund raiser has been fine-tuned to equal that of the best professional fund raisers in the country. In Houston, Carolyn has raised funds for Texas Neurofibromatosis Foundation, Society for the Performing Arts, Challenger Center for Space Science Education, United Cerebral Palsy, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, I Have A Dream-Houston, San Jacinto Girl Scout Council, Houston Ballet Foundation, High School for Performing and Visual Arts, and the University of Houston, just to mention a few. Her most recent stellar achievement was chairing the recording-breaking Houston Grand Ope ra Ball 2001 which netted more than $1.3 million.