Description

Join us for our September Monthly Luncheon on Thursday, September 25th from 11:30 - 1 pm at Eastfield College, Building B.

The topic for the September luncheon will be "Y'all Street". 

“Y’all Street” is Texas’s answer to Wall Street—Texas, particularly Dallas–Fort Worth, is emerging as a powerful financial hub. Major firms like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Charles Schwab are expanding in the area, and Texas now outpaces New York in finance and insurance employment. This isn't just relocation—it's expansion. Texas’s favorable business climate, infrastructure, and economic diversity are fueling this shift.

On the market front, the Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE) aims to launch in 2026 as a homegrown, well-capitalized alternative to NYSE and Nasdaq. Meanwhile, NYSE Texas has already opened, symbolically solidifying the state's growing clout in finance. Though some criticize these moves as largely symbolic, “Y’all Street” represents more than a nickname—it signifies a fundamental recalibration in America's financial geography.

Speaker Bio

Vicki D. Blanton is the Assistant Vice President and Senior Legal Counsel of Tax and Benefits for AT&T. In this role, Vicki provides legal advice and counsel for the traditional pension plans, 401(k) savings plans, ERISA litigation SME, and the AT&T PAC. Vicki is responsible for all the qualified retirement programs with total assets of approximately $90 billion. Throughout her career, she has held in-house counsel positions with the City of Dallas, JCPenney, American Airlines, General Motors, and Walmart. Vicki’s expertise includes working with legacy programs and systems to monetize and modernize these organizations during significant and complex times of transition. All told, over the span of her career, Vicki has impacted approximately $150B in plan assets and 5M employees, retirees and beneficiaries worldwide.  Vicki is on the Executive Boards of the Dallas Bar Association (currently President of the DBA) and SMU School of Law; as well as a Board member of Broadway Dallas and the Texas Center for Legal Ethics; and a member of the Dallas Assembly.

Additionally, Vicki engages in civic and philanthropic efforts. She is a member of St. Luke “Community” UMC.  She is a Silver Star member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., which she pledged the Delta Xi Chapter at UT and is now a member of the Omicron Mu Omega Graduate Chapter. She currently serves on the boards of Broadway Dallas, the SMU Dedman School of Law Executive Board, and the Texas Center for Legal Ethics.  She is a Village Giving Circle Founding Member.  Vicki earned a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, where she is currently an Adjunct Professor, Faculty Supervisor and Advisory Board Member for the Corporate Counsel Externship Program.

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