Kathryn Childers was one of the first five women hired by the United States Secret Service in 1970. Her assignments included protection of the Queen of Spain, Indira Gandhi, Imelda Marcos, and the Kennedy Protective Detail of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Caroline Kennedy. Childers worked several Presidential campaign details, was assigned to a special counterfeit task force in New York, and worked numerous undercover assignments in New York, Washington, and Miami. She often says the experience gave her the distinct privilege of being “a mouse in the pocket of history.”
In 1973, Kathryn left the Secret Service to marry Dr. Cecil A. Childers, a psychiatrist, and move to Corpus Christi, Texas. Shortly before the birth of her son, Clark, in 1978, Kathryn began 18 years in broadcasting as a television producer, local morning talk show host, and host of ABC’s “Take Two,” celebrity interviews broadcast nationwide via satellite. They included conversations with Lucille Ball, Dolly Parton, and James Earl Jones. Kathryn estimates she has conducted 18,000 interviews. In 1991, Kathryn was elected to the ABC Network Marketing Board and served multiple terms.
Throughout her career, Kathryn has remained dedicated to public service. She hosted the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon for Driscoll Children’s Hospital for 10 years and is a founding member of “Clowns Who Care,” a charitable clown troupe. On any given week, you can find her alter ego, “Sassy the Sheriff,” bringing smiles to the faces of young patients at Driscoll. In 1998, Kathryn and Cecil were honored as Volunteers of the Year by the Volunteer Center of the Coastal Bend. Also in 1998, Kathryn was awarded the coveted American Institute for Public Service’s Jefferson Award for founding a breast cancer screening program. Corpus Christi’s “First Friday” organization has provided free mammograms to more than 10,000 women in need.
Most recently, Kathryn founded RedCab Productions, a public relations and media production firm. RedCab’s publishing division produced and sold a series of popular coffee table book@123s and a children’s book@123, chronicling the first significant snowfall in South Texas in 100 years, an event that occurred on Christmas Eve 2004.
As film, disposable cameras and digital camera batteries flew off the shelves, it quickly became clear this would be one of the most-documented events in the area’s recent memory. Childers partnered with H-E-B, organized a photo contest, and was promptly flooded with entries and personal stories from people throughout the Coastal Bend.
The overwhelming success of the first volume of “Snow” in 2005 led to a companion book@123, “More Snow” in 2006 as well as “More Snow for Kids,” written by Childers’ son, Clark Childers, and illustrated by renowned ceramic artist William Wilhelmi.
To date, more than 140,000 book@123s are in print, and RedCab has additional titles in development.
Childers serves on the state board of the Texas book@123 Festival and is active on the speaking circuit, empowering audiences to embrace challenges and opportunities in order to achieve their dreams.
