Smithville native Alta Yevett Moten has been selected to join an elite network of more than 2,500 women as a member of the Leadership Texas Class of 2010.

“Alta is one of 120 outstanding women leaders competitively selected from across the state to participate in the longest-running women’s leadership development program in the US,” said Candace O’Keefe-Mathis, CEO of the Foundation for Women’s Resources. “Throughout the year-long program, she will have the opportunity to broaden her perspective on our state by exploring five Texas cities and receiving cutting-edge information from renowned experts, government officials and other leaders to positively inform her work and community for years to come.”

Leadership Texas, now in its 28th consecutive year, is the flagship program of the Texas-based foundation headquartered in Dallas.

Launched in 1983 as the first statewide program for women’s leadership development, Leadership Texas is patterned after, though not affiliated with, the co-educational civic programs that have found success in a number of cities throughout the state and nation.

“Our founders decided to create Leadership Texas to help women become better, more informed leaders in our state’s communities, organizations and corporations,” O’Keefe-Mathis added.

The theme for the 2010 program year is ‘Leading with Strength into the Future.’ “Participants will visit Dallas, Laredo, Lubbock, Waco and Austin where each city’s opportunities and challenges will help to illuminate the participants’ knowledge of our rapidly evolving state across three common themes – the economy, education and the environment,” O’Keefe-Mathis said.”We consider it a privilege to offer these influential women leaders from a broad diversity of professional and personal backgrounds some new perspectives, opinions and validation on some of the issues, people and places they might not otherwise encounter outside of the program. We recognize that it is necessary for today’s successful leaders to understand the cultural, social and economic shift before us and the programming of Leadership Texas provides opportunities and access to help the women impact the future of our evolving state.”