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The Dallas Symphony Orchestra League will introduce the 2023-2024 debutantes during Announcement Weekend festivities held May 18 – May 20, 2023. The weekend marks the official start of a season of events culminating with the 38th Presentation Ball, which will be held February 10, 2024. 

The weekend begins with the announcement party at The Dallas Country Club on Thursday evening, May 18. Stanley Korshak will host a couture gown show at the Bridal Salon on Saturday morning, May 20, and Patti Flowers Design Studio will present custom gowns during the afternoon.

The Presentation Ball Chair is Kristin Cordiak and the DSOL President is Nancy Labadie. Kristin and Nancy know well what to expect during the debutante season. Kristin’s daughter Bronwyn made her debut in 2018 and her son Newt was an Honor Guard this year. Nancy’s son Will was an Honor Guard and daughter-in-law Lizzy was a Debutante in 2013. 

The Presentation Ball, which was first held in 1987, is the largest fundraiser for the DSOL. Over $13 million has been raised for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra through the annual event, which was created with the vision of long-time League member Tincy Miller, who chaired the first ball.  

Founded in 1946, the DSOL’s mission is to support the Dallas Symphony Orchestra through service, education and fundraising activities. Since 1998 the League has contributed over $22 million in support of the Dallas Symphony Association’s Community Outreach and Education programs, which help bring the wonder of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra to thousands of youths and adults in the Dallas Metroplex.

Baylor grads Richard and Jennifer Dix met through a mutual friend during college. Richard had already graduated but moved back to Waco while Jennifer finished school. They dated for three years before marrying. The couple have two children, Nate and Gracie, as well as four fur-members of the family – a 14-year-old maltipoo, Snowball; a goldendoodle, Sandy; a goldendoodle puppy, Lily; and a rescue cat, Ruthie.

Richard, with a degree in International Business and Entrepreneurship, has founded and sold numerous companies. He currently builds home for rent or sale under the Ameritex Homes brand. “He should really write a book for people wanting to start their own business,” said Jennifer. “Richard is an inspiration. He is such a hard worker, he’s very talented, and he has great vision.”

At Baylor, Jennifer earned her bachelor’s degree in education with an emphasis in special education. She then obtained a dual master’s degree in special education and gifted and talented education, before moving on to receive her PhD in special education from the University of Texas. “Both of our children learn differently, and I feel that God gave me a lot of great tools for their needs,” she shared. Nate is a graduate of St. Marks School of Texas, and Gracie graduated from Shelton, a world-renowned school for children who learn differently. Giving back, Jennifer is a long-time volunteer and fundraiser for Shelton, and currently serves on their Board.

Both Dix children have achieved amazing accomplishments already in their lives. Gracie, age 20, currently attends Austin College. She is a published author with two books under her belt and another book in progress. She wrote her first book, Welcome to Superhero School, when she was still in high school and later completed the prequel, Journey to Superhero School, which have achieved Amazon #1 New Release in Children’s Superhero Action & Adventure and Amazon #1 Best Seller in Teen & Young Adult Action & Adventure, respectively. Nate, age 23, has always had a mind for complex math. After graduating with a dual major in Computer Science and Finance from the University of Richmond, he pursued a career at ISN where he works as a Data Analyst.

Recently, both Gracie and Nate participated in the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League Presentation Ball with Gracie as a Debutante and Nate as an Honor Guard. “This was a great experience,” shared Jennifer. “It was an impressive event, and also so beautiful with all the girls in their gowns. Richard and I were blown away by their poise.” As a debutante, Gracie could think of no one else she would rather have escort her than her brother. “It was really special for me as a mom,” said Jennifer. “They participated in events together all year long. The DSOL does an exceptional job. Everything was so organized and impactful. It brought Gracie so much joy to do this with her brother Nate. She admires him so much.”

The Dix family stays involved in the Park Cities community and both Jennifer and Richard are community focused. Jennifer is involved with the Salvation Army of North Texas, where she is President of the Women’s Auxiliary, and is also an active member of the Crystal Charity Ball. In addition to participating in events with Jennifer, Richard is a member of the Baylor Foundation Board. When they are not serving the community, they both enjoy traveling and reading. Jennifer also enjoys tennis but admits she’s not the best at it. “I really love tennis, but I’m just so bad at it,” she laughed. “It really is my favorite thing to do just for me. I’m a multitasker and like to have a lot of things going on, but there is nothing else I do that requires me to be singularly focused on just one thing. I know that if I don’t focus on that little yellow ball, I’m not going to hit it. I’m going to miss it if I’m thinking about an email or how I need to go to the grocery store.” For Richard, golf is a favorite pastime, but Jennifer says, “Because he’s a great husband, he also plays tennis with me!”

Not many people can say that they have been to the Arctic Circle, but for the Dix family, this boat adventure is one of their most memorable travel destinations to date. On board with National Geographic scientists and photographers, the family had the opportunity to experience nature in one of the most remote parts of the world. “It was an amazing experience,” shared Jennifer. “We saw polar bears, glaciers, and stunning icebergs with so many beautiful shades of blue. The boat pulled up through the ice until we were embedded in the polar ice cap. Then it backed up 100 yards, and our entire family put on our swimsuits to participate in the polar plunge. The water was 28 degrees, which was crazy!” This was also a fun opportunity for Nate, an amateur photographer, to learn from the photographers on board and capture some exceptional images from their trip.

With no major upcoming vacation plans, Jennifer and Richard say they will continue to enjoy all that the Park Cities has to offer. “We love to go to Highland Park Village and the beautiful parks in the area,” they shared. “It’s pretty idyllic here, and we love our neighbors and community. It was a very easy decision to raise our family here!”

There are a lot of Rhodes in & around the Park Cities, and if you count the extended family, the number grows to well over 30 (at last count). “My grandfather went to Armstrong [elementary], and since none of us ever wanted to leave, we’ve had a lot of time to multiply!” says Burton.  Burton & Lesley Rhodes both grew up in the Park Cities attending Armstrong & UP elementaries, respectively, and are graduates of Highland Park’s class of 1995. With a graduating class size of under 240, you would think they would have been close friends, but their paths never really crossed until college.

Both attended UT in Austin, and it wasn’t until their junior year when Lesley asked Burton to a Kappa mixer that their relationship really began. “I always thought Lesley was a total catch, but I didn’t have the guts to ask her out,” jokes Burton. “I was actually going to ask another guy out of obligation, but one my friends, Allyson Greenfield (a lifelong friend & Park Cities resident), said to ask the guy I wanted to go with… so I did,” adds Lesley. It’s no accident that Allyson Greenfield was one of Lesley’s bridesmaids.

Lesley was a Communications & Advertising major in college and wanted to move out to San Francisco after graduating. “My parents lived in San Francisco in the early 70’s, and they have the best memories of that city,” says Lesley. Graduating with an MIS degree from the School of Business and hoping to stay near Lesley, Burton was able to land a job with Anderson Consulting in their San Francisco office. They both headed out to the West Coast, each with a group of friends, where they lived for the next three years. “It was an amazing time… getting to spend part of our lives in one of the most beautiful cities in the world,” says Lesley.

However, in 2001, the dot com bubble burst. “There was a mass exodus, and it was as if the entire city was laid off at the same time,” says Burton.  Needing to find a new job and always really wanting to end up in the Park Cities, Burton moved home to work for his dad in residential real estate. “I told my dad that I would only be able to work for him for 6 months until I found a ‘real job’ in technology. Needless to say, I’m still at it after 21 years and have never been happier.” Getting Lesley back to Dallas, though, wasn’t as easy. “I knew the only way to get her back to Dallas was to propose,” says Burton.

Knowing what he had to do, Burton bought a ring, flew out to San Francisco, and went to ask the love his life to spend the rest of their days in Dallas. “When we were apart, we wrote letters to each other – and I’m not sure how it started, but we would end each one with a question for the other to answer. So before I proposed, I had one last letter to deliver with one very important question.”

After marrying in 2003, Burton and Lesley have since grown their family to five with 3 beautiful girls – Emory, Ellis, and Clary. Emory is 16 and currently a junior at HP where she runs track. Ellis, 15, is a freshman and is a member of the Highland Belles. The youngest, Clary, is 11 and in 5th grade, and she enjoys dance, gymnastics, and track.

In talking with Burton & Lesley, it’s apparent that they love the Park Cities community. Whether it’s volunteering at one of the kids’ schools, attending one of their daughters’ many sporting events, playing tennis at the club, organizing a game of Mah Jongg with friends, or going out to Mi Cocina for a family dinner in Highland Park Village, the Rhodes are always happiest when community is involved.

And when Burton isn’t selling homes, he donates much of his time to Preservation Park Cities. PPC is a local organization whose mission is to celebrate and promote the preservation of Park Cities architecture, history, and cultural traditions.  “Both of our parents instilled in us the importance of giving back,” says Lesley. Her mother, Joan Clark, encouraged Burton to get involved several years ago, and he is currently serving as this year’s President. “As President, there is an enormous responsibility to make sure the momentum of the organization continues. It’s painful to see some people destroying the very thing that made them want to live here in the first place.” Lesley continued, “Burton and I don’t want the Park Cities to lose its character. You don’t have to save every old home, but the rate at which many are being torn down is alarming. Some homes are simply worth saving.”

Locked into Highland Park with no plans to leave, they say this community is different. “It’s hard to leave something like this,” they shared. “When we were in California, we rarely met locals. They were all transplants of some kind, and there was no real sense of community. The Park Cities is different. It’s a special place, and our family is here. It’s nearly impossible to reproduce something like this anywhere else.”