Last week, a female CEO from Dallas made a pretty shocking argument that women, thanks to our totally unruly lady hormones, shouldn't be president. Apparently, "the hormones we have" would prevent us from starting wars and lowering gas prices and fixing the stock market and stuff, which means that Go Ape Marketing CEO Cheryl Rios will probably move to Canada if Hillary Clinton is elected president.
But let's get hypothetical for a minute -- if it weren't Hillary Clinton, easily one of the most polarizing candidates in modern politics -- would Rios feel differently? What if it were one of these five kickass local women who could totally, absolutely be president if they wanted to? Most of the women on this list haven't worked in politics, but they're easily as qualified as any of the dimwits, has-beens and political puppets that have already thrown their hats into the ring. (Looking at you, Ted Cruz.)
Matrice Ellis-Kirk No stranger to politics -- her husband Ron Kirk was mayor of Dallas for years and has served in President Obama's cabinet -- Matrice Ellis-Kirk has kicked ass in the boardroom for years, but fully understands the value of philanthropy. Ellis-Kirk also holds a number of high-level positions on everything from the President's Commission on White House Fellowships, to the North Texas Tollway Authority to the Dallas Foundation for the Performing Arts. She's also on the World Economic Council's Global Council, which is probably just code for the Illuminati, which would probably make getting her elected even easier.
Cece Cox As the chief executive officer of the Resource Center, Dallas' largest charitable organization for the LGBT community, Cece Cox fights for the rights of marginalized people. She has helped agencies like the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission develop more inclusive anti-discrimination policies, work that started long before she ever became CEO of the Resource Center. Cox is also a practicing attorney, mom and former professional photographer, so she clearly understands how to multitask and make it work without all those pesky hormones getting in the way.
Catherine Cuellar If there's anything politics could use a little more of, it's art -- oh, and Catherine Cuellar-style class. In her extremely varied career as a journalist, corporate communications manager, and now as CEO of the Dallas Arts District, Cuellar is a local powerhouse for good. As the Dallas Arts District, the country's largest arts district, has continued to impress, Cuellar has worked to make the District's programming more inclusive and accessible to communities that have lacked fine art in the past. If she can make people in Dallas care deeply about art of all kinds, Catherine Cuellar can do anything.
Charlotte Jones-Anderson Sure, being born into one of the state's wealthiest and most powerful families doesn't hurt your chances at being president, but as executive vice president and chief brand officer for the Dallas Cowboys, Charlotte Jones-Anderson probably knows too much about dealing with bull-headed men. Jones-Anderson also serves as chair(wo)man of the NFL Foundation, where she's focused on player safety and youth football, and is the first woman to ever represent a professional sports organization on the national or club level. Politics is a boys club no doubt, but there's no glass ceiling more difficult for women to break than sports. If Charlotte Jones-Anderson can reason with her father, she can bend Congress to her whim at any time.
Angela Hunt As the only former elected official on this list, Angela Hunt is a certified baller. She managed to be a force of change in our incredibly impotent local government, and is not afraid to call out the good ol' boys on their bullshit. Hunt frequently pens editorials and engages in community discussions about important issues, and she's currently working as a high-powered corporate lawyer. Anyone who can make some (any) kind of positive difference in Dallas city government should immediately be shipped to Washington to tackle the country's problems. First up, let's send Angela Hunt.
