Jackson Walker congratulates Dan Berce, President and Chief Executive Officer of GM Financial, on his recognition as the winner of the 2023 Susan Halsey Executive Leadership Award. Dan will be recognized at the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s 141st Annual Meeting on March 30, 2023, at the Texas Motor Speedway.

Before her passing in 2014, Susan Halsey earned a reputation as one of the best real estate attorneys in the business and a beacon in the Fort Worth community. In addition to helping establish the Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth, Susan took an active part in the community as Chair of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, President of Greater Fort Worth Commercial Real Estate Women, Director for The Fort Worth Business Assistance Center, and the advisory councils for Texas C-Bar (Community Building With Attorney Resources) and The Women’s Business Center.

In honor of her memory, Jackson Walker established the Susan Halsey Executive Leadership Award, which is presented each year at the Fort Worth Chamber’s Annual Meeting to a member of the community who demonstrates leadership excellence in business in the Fort Worth metropolitan area.

Upon the establishment of the award in 2016, Firmwide Managing Partner Wade Cooper said, “Susan was undaunted by the stereotypes and she overcame all of those historical challenges in a very positive way.”

“Susan was undaunted by the stereotypes and she overcame all of those historical challenges in a very positive way.”

In the announcement of Dan Berce as this year’s winner, Jay K. Rutherford, managing partner of Jackson Walker’s Fort Worth office, stated: “I could think of no better recipient of the Susan Halsey Executive Leadership Award than Dan Berce. Susan was a trailblazer in the legal profession. Having known and worked with Dan for more than 25 years, I have witnessed firsthand how he exemplifies the leadership qualities that Susan Halsey demonstrated within our firm and the greater Fort Worth community.”

Previous honorees include John Avila, Chairman of the Board for Byrne Construction Services; Barclay Berdan, CEO of Texas Health Resources; Paul Andrews, founder and CEO of TTI, Inc.; Dr. Michael R. Williams, President of the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC); Rusty Reid, president and CEO of Higginbotham; Rick Merrill, president and CEO of Cook Children’s Health Care System; and Lillie Biggins, president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital.

Visit the Fort Worth Chamber’s website to learn more about the Susan Halsey Executive Leadership Award.