Cynthia Nunes Colbert to receive IAOTP Empowered Woman Award

By AI, Created 6:15 PM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – IAOTP will honor Cynthia Nunes Colbert, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, at its annual gala in New York City in December. The award recognizes her decades of nonprofit leadership, disaster response work and community service in Southeast Texas.

Why it matters: - The award spotlights a longtime nonprofit leader whose work has shaped disaster response, social services and anti-poverty efforts across Southeast Texas. - IAOTP said the recognition is based on experience, leadership, academic achievement and community contributions. - Colbert will be honored alongside a planned Top President and CEO of the Year recognition at IAOTP’s 2026 gala.

What happened: - The International Association of Top Professionals selected Cynthia Nunes Colbert, MSW, for its Empowered Woman Award for 2026. - IAOTP will honor Colbert at its Annual Awards Gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York City in December. - IAOTP also plans to consider Colbert for a feature in TIP (Top Industry Professionals) Magazine.

The details: - Colbert has more than three decades of experience in social services and nonprofit leadership. - She has served as president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston since 2013. - In that role, she oversees programs that provide food, clothing, shelter and other support services to individuals and families in Southeast Texas. - Catholic Charities says Colbert strengthened partnerships with local parishes and Archdiocesan offices to help alleviate poverty and support families. - Before joining Catholic Charities of Galveston-Houston, she was executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, from 2010 to 2012. - She led Catholic Charities of Central Texas in the Diocese of Austin from 2005 to 2010. - Earlier in her career, she spent six years as vice president of community resources at United Way Capital Area in Austin. - Colbert earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from California State University, Sacramento, and an MSW in planning and administration from the University of California, Berkeley. - She serves on several boards, including the Houston Branch of the Dallas Federal Reserve, the Emergency Food and Shelter Grant Program, the Better Business Bureau Education Foundation and the Network of Behavioral Health. - Colbert is an adjunct faculty member in the Master’s Program in Nonprofit Management at the University of Houston–Downtown and a senior fellow with the American Leadership Forum. - More information is available in Colbert’s profile and Catholic Charities Central Texas.

Between the lines: - The award reflects how disaster response and nonprofit administration are increasingly intertwined in Houston, where major storms and public health crises have stretched community support systems. - Colbert’s profile combines executive leadership, academic credentials and civic board service, the kind of resume that often drives recognition in professional award programs. - Her work during Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Beryl and COVID-19 has become a central part of the award narrative because it links leadership to measurable community impact. - Catholic Charities facilitated more than $200 million in aid to area residents during the COVID-19 response, underscoring the scale of the organization’s emergency role.

What’s next: - IAOTP will formally honor Colbert at its December gala in New York. - Colbert said she hopes to keep mentoring newcomers to the nonprofit field and support professionals already in the sector. - IAOTP’s gala will also serve as a broader showcase for honorees the group identifies as top professionals across industries.

The bottom line: - Colbert’s award recognizes a career built on nonprofit leadership, crisis response and community service, with Houston-area disaster recovery at the center of her public impact.