Husband: C.A. Howlett, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for U.S. Airways
Heart Ball Chair: 2008
Money raised: $2.4 million
Her gown: “A red Kevan Hall gown, which he made for the 2008 Heart Ball."

Nan Howlett returned home to Scottsdale in 2001, after living in Paris for about 18 years where she worked for Lancôme, a division of the L’Oréal Corporation. Her luxurious lifestyle afforded her family many leisurely strolls through Paris visiting their favorite corners of the city, including the Eiffel Tower and Luxembourg Garden.

Since returning to the Valley, Howlett’s perspective on life has changed, focusing 100 percent of her time on community volunteer work. “My big motivator was my husband, who had very serious blood clots in his lower leg after knee surgery. Those blood clots wound up passing through his heart (which could have easily caused a heart attack) and lodging in his lungs, known as a pulmonary embolism,” Howlett says. Her desire to make a difference elevated her to the position of 2008 Phoenix Heart Ball chairwoman where, for one year, she gave it everything she had. “I actually had a sign on my door [at home] that said, ‘In case you’re asking, the answer is no, I have Heart Ball,’” Howlett chuckles. Although Howlett approached the position with a full-time mentality, the women on her committee went to great lengths to help make the event a success. “I stood on the shoulders of giants,” she says.