DONNA McVEIGH

CHAIRMAN 1996

Mrs. McVeigh was the owner of Friendly Travel and Tours, Inc. in Conroe. She was a native of Syracuse, NY. She and husband Ray and their two daughters, Debbie (now Mrs. Chuck Bergfeld) and Donna (now Mrs. Robert Whitley) moved to Conroe in 1973. In 1976, she became the owner of Friendly Travel and Tours. She was a devoted grandmother of four granddaughters and two grandsons.

Donna was involved in Chamber activities for many years, beginning with the Conroe Tourist Council. She served as Tourist Council Chairwoman from 1984 to 1994. As Chairman, she formed a Convention Center Task Force and updated the Convention Center Study done in earlier years. As Chamber Chairwoman, she implemented the first Board Retreat, an important and ongoing planning retreat for the coming year. She was an avid supporter of her community who contributed her time and effort to many causes, among them:

CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS

  • Chairman, Montgomery County Performing Arts Society
  • Chairman, Crighton Theatre Foundation
  • Member, Conroe Rotary Club ( first woman Rotarian in Montgomery County)
  • Board of Directors, Conroe YMCA
  • Board of Trustees, North Harris/Montgomery College District
  • President, Montgomery County American Cancer Society
  • Member, Montgomery County Civic Center and Multi-Purpose Building Committee
  • CO-Founder, Montgomery County Cattle Baron’s Ball
  • Chairman, Montgomery County Cattle Baron’s Ball (1991)
  • Lifetime Member, Montgomery County Fair Association (1994)
  • Board Member , Greater Conroe Economic Development Council

BUSINESS

  • Certified Travel Counselor Degree – Her thesis for this degree was published by the Harvard Business School

HONORS AND AWARDS

  • Named Woman of the Year for North Harris County/Montgomery County (1996)
  • Honored posthumously by Texas Legislature H.B. 287 for civic and community contributions
  • Scholarship Fund in her name at Montgomery College for women who cannot afford college