President Bush
Laura Bush
First Lady of the United States (2001-2009)
Laura W. Bush, former First Lady of the United States, is a leading advocate for literacy, education, women’s rights, and global health. After leaving the White House, she and President George W. Bush founded the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, where she serves as Chair of the Bush Institute’s Women’s Initiative, promoting access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity for women and girls
worldwide. As First Lady, she brought international attention to human rights abuses, particularly the oppression of women in Afghanistan and Burma, and championed education and literacy through initiatives such as the National Book Festival. A former teacher and librarian, Mrs. Bush has also led major public health campaigns addressing heart disease, breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, and malaria, is the author of two bestselling books, and continues to serve on numerous national and cultural boards.
Luncheon Co-Chairs
April and John Willingham
April and John Willingham are lifelong Texans whose lives have been shaped by small town roots and a commitment for helping others. They have been involved with Jonathan’s Place for 16 years and love supporting their mission of providing safety and hope to children in need.
April, a former educator, now channels her passion for children and young adults into raising her own and supporting those around her.
John, co-owner of Clayton-Waggoner Properties, Diversion Capital Partners, Land ID and other entities has been an active leader in the Dallas business community for 26 years.
At the center of everything they do is family. April and John are proud parents to Abigail (Hockaday ’22, SMU ’26) and Johnny (ESD ’25 and TCU’29). Together with their families they have built a life rooted in love, empathy and service. Their love of service was instilled in them from their parents from a young age. They are honored to be the co-chairmen of this year’s A Chance to Soar Luncheon.
Paula and Bay Miltenberger
Bay and Paula Miltenberger are deeply committed to the values of faith, family, and community service. They are honored to serve as Co-Chairs for this year’s A Chance to Soar Luncheon, championing the vital mission of Jonathan’s Place to provide safety, healing, and hope to children in need.
Paula is a psychologist and the founder of Women’s Mental Wellness, where she is dedicated to walking alongside women and families through life’s most challenging seasons. Bay serves as Chairman of JLB Partners and is an active leader in the Dallas business community. Both are proud graduates of Baylor University.
At the heart of everything they do is family; Bay and Paula are the proud parents of four children: Bryce, Bo, Brady, and Brooks. The Miltenbergers are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Jonathan’s Place and help provide a foundation of opportunity for children across North Texas.
2026 Humanitarian Award Recipients
Ashlee and Chris Kleinert
Ashlee is the founder and operator of Ruthie’s for Good food trucks partnering with Unlocking Doors for hiring those individuals in need of a second chance after justice system involvement. The Dallas Mavericks recently collaborated with Ruthie’s for Good to provide delicious meals to the community, including Snacks of Kindness, which supports non-profits and other various groups, while spotlighting their services across North Texas.
Ashlee currently serves as the board chair for Genesis Women’s Shelter and serves on the board of directors for SMU Dedman College, SMU Maguire Center for Ethics, Methodist Health System Foundation of Dallas, St. Philip’s School and Community Center, New Friends New Life Advisory Board, and the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Foundation Board.
Chris oversees the real estate (Hunt Realty Investments), investment (Hunt Investment Group) and ranching operations (Hoodoo Land Holdings) for Hunt Consolidated, Inc. Chris currently serves on the Board of Directors of Austin Street Center, the Executive Board of Directors of the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University, and the Board of Trustees of the Southwestern Medical Foundation. Chris served as the inaugural chairman of the Men’s Advocacy Group (MAG) of New Friends New Life, an organization dedicated to supporting and empowering victims of sex trafficking.
Ashlee and Chris co-founded the Good Foundation (f/k/a the Kleinert Foundation) in 2017 to research gaps in services to vulnerable populations, and to convene community partners in the work of providing means of recovery and resources to generate a fresh start. The Good Foundation, a 501(c)(3), acquired Dallas Doing Good, a digital media platform focused on creating and sharing stories that support good news and good work in North Texas. This provides another form of employment and growth for those needing a fresh start.
The Kleinerts believe that their family is strongest when they work together to help others. Creating the foundation has provided them with structure and purpose to increase their collective impact. As their parents did before them, they seek to become change-makers doing their part to make a difference.
Ashlee and Chris also believe that foundations have a responsibility to do their own research and due diligence, assuming this role with both intelligence and integrity. They take this responsibility seriously and strive to better understand the challenges facing North Texas as they partner with others to identify and support solutions.
The Good Foundation portfolio of grant recipients includes those with a long history of Kleinert support that have a consistent record of addressing specific needs. But will also strive to work with new and emerging organizations that show promise for addressing issues and challenges more effectively than existing organizations.