Ford and Cece
Ford and Cece are in the house when you see a yellow Corvette. For decades they have driven a new model yellow Corvette. In Highland Park Village at Cafe Pacific you see so many Bentleys, Rolls-Royces and Maybachs lined up it is hard to know which car belongs to whom and yet when you see a yellow Corvette, you know the owner. Ford and Cece are the only couple in Dallas where either one of them can be referenced by first name only – Ford or Cece – and people will know to whom you are referring. Cece Smith founded the largest retail specialty venture capital fund. Cece has been on many corporate boards, is a past chair of the Dallas Federal Reserve, and current chair of the Dallas Symphony Board. Ford Lacy is the Highland Park resident intellectual, a Highland Park and Harvard graduate, he was a successful Akin Gump attorney and continues to dazzle others with his vast source of knowledge and insights on myriad subjects. Maybe the greatest contribution of Ford and Cece is their founding of the President’s Research Council (PRC) at UT Southwestern over 35 years ago. PRC grants annual distinguished research seed grants to promising young researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center. These funds are generated by community members of PRC who convene quarterly to hear about exciting research taking place at UT Southwestern. Lectures by the immensely talented clinicians, doctors and faculty at UT Southwestern provide the most exciting lecture series in Dallas. Often emerging technology and medical breakthroughs are heard here years ahead of the TED Conference presenting them. Recently, Ford and Cece were honored at iconic Cafe Pacific for a fun PRC Appreciation Dinner for their founding PRC and underwriting the PRC annual dinner announcing research grants with PRC members seated with Nobel laureates, past PRC speakers and distinguished members of UT Southwestern. Among many honors Ford and Cece have received is being selected as academicians in the Academy of Raffination. *Ford and Cece
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