Volume 8 Number 4 April 2016 - Greater Heights Area Chamber Of

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Volume 8 Number 4 April 2016 APRIL 2016 Volume 8 Number 4 A Publication of the Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce Chairperson Craig atkinson Houston Highway Credit Union immediate past Chairperson Brian Gilbert Members Trust of the SW Federal Credit Union ViCe Chair Cindy reibenstein Reibenstein & Associates treasurer Bill Ballew CPA seCretary dee Farino Third Coast Impressions Board oF direCtors tony allman PrimeWay Federal Credit Union Jeff Bielik St. Joseph Medical Center Heights hector Castellanos Chase Bank Jerry Gann CenterPoint Energy tom harwell Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel susan Jadlowski Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital neil mcGlone LegalShield amy ritter Allegiance Bank alan rosen Harris County Constable, Precinct One nadia troutenko Troutenko Insurance Services Linda Whittington Cariloha Bamboo Houston taylor Woodard Raymond James & Associates 4 6 Spotlight on Non-Profit Friends For Life is the fastest growing No Kill animal adoption and rescue organization in Houston President’s l et t er Government Relations Committee Ch amber Government Affairs Accelerates Planning 7 9 Familiar Faces Alli Jarrett of Alli’s Pizzaria, located in the former clothing store, “Harold’s in the Heights” GOVERNMENT R E L ATIONS Education Luncheon May 17 at the Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel Dear Chamber Members, 10 Crawfish Festival There was crawfish in abundance and the guests enthusiastically chowed down on the orange mudbugs. Houston is the most multicultural city in the nation. This is not hyperbole but statistical fact. That diversity is a product of Houston’s enormous trade presence through the Houston ship channel, the Port of Houston, and Bush Intercontinental Airport. Many things flow into the nation through Houston one way or another. Because of this, there are over 86 countries that have consulates in the Greater Houston Area. There are thriving communities of people from Vietnam, the Philippines, India, Pakistan, Ethiopia; Ghana…the list goes on. Another reason that multiculturalism thrives here is because Houston is a place of integration. I lived in Los Angeles for five years. LA claims to be a multicultural city, but let me tell you it is not. This is what I saw there: all of the Japanese lived in Little Tokyo. The Armenians stayed in one part of town, the Hispanics in another, the African Americans in another. It would have been shocking to see a Japanese man walking the streets in the Armenian part of town, or a Guatemalan in little Tokyo. It was a place of segregation; not a segregation that was imposed externally, but internally. A refusal to interact and mingle outside of their established group. In Houston on the other hand, it is not shocking or even registered when people of various nationalities wander through cultural neighborhoods. We should all take pride in the sense of acceptance, openness, and communication here. That multiculturalism started with business, and continues with business. In Houston we worry about money and manners before tribes and flags. And to be a Chamber of Commerce in this great city, we need to provide business opportunities that take advantage of all that Houston has to offer. Our main focus is inward, on the Greater Heights, and that is as it should be. But our focus is also on bringing in new members and growing our existing members’ business. Look for future information and opportunities at your Chamber to take your business to international heights! Sincerely, Jacob Millwee Your Chamber President staFF Jacob millwee President Jill Johnston Director of Events & Operations Larry plasek Director of Communications Joni simpson-Gomez Office Administrator adVisory direCtors norman adams scott Lester City Council Member, ellen Cohen, District C Greater heiGhts area ChamBer oF CommerCe 545 West 19th Street • Houston, TX 77008 Phone: 713.861.6735 • Fax: 713.861.9310 www.HeightsChamber.com 2 L INKED April 2016 heiGhts aChieVement Corner manning pool service Congratulations to Manning Pool Service for being recognized as one of 2016’s top 5 finalists for Best Company Culture/ Best Company to Work For in Action COACH Western Hemisphere. Entries were taken from North and Central America, including Canada, Jamaica and the Caribbean. The company was cited for its focus on trust, security and customer safety. At this year’s Business Excellence Forum, Susan Manning lead a roundtable addressing “The Team You Need So You Don’t Do the Work.” It appears that this Chamber member is effectively working to be deserving of this honor. Watch the Chamber calendar for information about the upcoming Congressman Ted Poe luncheon on October 14, the annual Gateway to Government luncheon and the fall Gala. April 2016 L INKED 3 spotlight on non-profit There is an unparalleled animal friendly organization in the Chamber and it is the Friends for Life Animal Shelter. Salise Shuttlesworth founded it in 2002 and it is the only No Kill, LEED-certified animal shelter in Houston. What does that mean? It means that they save all the lives of animals. No animal is ever killed due to age, breed or a treatable illness and it spares animals that would be lost in traditional shelters. Their first physical Heights facility was on 19th Street and it opened in 2009. In 2012 they moved to the current facility located at 22nd and Yale Street, which was named The Don Sanders Adoption Center. In terms of the feline population, Friends for Life maintains an offsite cat adoption center inside the PetSmart on South Shepherd Drive. How successful are they? Since 2008 they have seen their adoption numbers increase by 580%! In fact, 3 out of 4 dogs or cats are placed in loving homes unlike other organizations that may consider some animals unadoptable. Additional programs they offer include an animal food bank, behavior consultations and micro grants for veterinary services. Fix Houston, Friends for Life initiative, helps their mission by providing free spay-neuter surgeries. Their total of 1,391 spay/neuter surgeries have prevented the birth of more than 27,000 cats. Future planning is underway for adding a medical clinic to the shelter. It will provide affordably-priced veterinary medical care options to the public plus supporting the Fix Houston spay-neuter program. Learn more by attending their Mega-Adoption event to be held at the shelter on Saturday, May 21, and local sponsorships are available. We applaud the passion of the organization, its staff and volunteers, and encourage Chamber members to see their successes at www.friends4life.org/success-stories/recent-adoptions. eduCation Corner april Committee Leadership education Becoming Chair for this committee was easy because: “Education is a universal aspect of our society and should not be taken for granted. Our country has fought for this freedom; the capacity that all have the right to receive an education is foundational for our country to continue to prosper.” That concept resonates with me for citizenship equates with democracy which in turn develops one’s community. In fact, community building strengthens our business viability. The Education Committee is a forum that meets to exchange ideas and create events that will benefit area schools and businesses. Enhancing this partnership benefits all entities involved and will empower our students to become the best they can be. Our committee is building bridges at each meeting between schools, businesses, and the community, and it continues to grow in numbers. Through the Chamber the education of many students has been uplifted with not only our donations for computers, computer tags and over $350,000 in scholarships, but also our time with reading programs, mentoring programs, financial reality programs and assistance at the various school’s career fairs, wellness fairs and overall support of the community. Working through the Education committee it touches the private, parochial, and public schools from elementary through high school and the businesses that actively participate are engaged on many levels such as attending graduations, banquets and hiring of students! The Crawfish Festival is over and our students did a super job at providing the festival with volunteers! They came and set up, worked during the day and cleaned up! Thank You! We continue to work in the committee for avenues to address student needs and business partnerships! There are many opportunities for your business to get involved. We have Intern Cindy reibenstein Day coming and need businesses to help sponsor a senior for a day or half a day! Email me and we can get you connected! Our Education Luncheon is May 17 at the Sheraton Brookhollow and you will want to be there! We will recognize educators from the area campuses and give out our Chamber Scholarships! Do you want to have a scholarship that is all about your type of business? Let me know soon as we will be finalizing the winners! This year we are also recognizing the graduating students who are entering the military! Would you like to be the Military sponsor for this event? Give me a call. We have many levels to contribute to the education in our area. All monies are tax-deductible… So give! The levels we have for this event: Honor Roll, $100, helps to pay for student entertainment lunches and scholarship winner’s parent lunch. Salutatorian level, $500 table. Valedictorian Level $1000 table, Cum Laude Sponsor $1500, Magna Cum Laude $2000, Sum Laude $2500 (total contributions); the Military Sponsor Level is also $2500. All monies are tax-deductible as all monies go to the Chamber Community Fund! When you purchase a table at the Cum Laude level on up you can choose the school that you would like to sit with you, first come, first serve. Many of the tables will have veterans and military students seated with you. This year our MC and host for our Education Luncheon will be Bill Balleza, KPRC Channel 2 Anchor; as you know he served in the Marines in Vietnam, and he is very eager to come to our event. So get your tickets early! Last year this event sold out…We will again! Be there! – Cindy Reibenstein, Education Chair passport to the heights makes First award The $1,000 initial “Passport to the Heights” prize winner for the first six months of the program was John Frels of John Frels Mortgage Guru “I’m so excited to be the first winner of the first Passport to the Heights program” said John. He went on to say, “Many of my stamps and a larger waistline are due to participating merchants including Kindly Haus and Hugs & Donuts. I must also thank W Meat, Black Sheep Parlor, Beck’s Prime, Darlene’s Flowers & Gifts, EQ Heights, Harold’s, JVP Jewelry, MAM’s House of Ice, Rita’s Ice Custard of Happiness and Vietnam Restaurant.” “Buy Local First” and rewarding member patronage is the goal of this program. I continue to see ways to enhance our partnerships with high school internships with businesses, job fairs, and mentoring programs from elementary level on up! There are many ways to become involved…contact me if you would enjoy becoming a member of the committee. Mark your calendars for our annual Education Luncheon to be held on May 17 and see firsthand the fruits of labor in terms of much needed student scholarships and recognition. Our community and society’s future is again secure as we continue to grow scholastically and protected in our freedom to learn! Can you tell: I love working with the Education Committee! You can too…. Our meetings are on the second Thursday of the month at 10 am. See you there! Cindy Reibenstein Chair 4 L INKED April 2016 April 2016 L INKED 5 gold patron profile familiar f a c es CenterPoint Energy, Inc., our featured Gold Patron Member this month, is a domestic energy delivery company that includes electric transmission & distribution, natural gas distribution and energy services operations. This month we recognize a very prominent member of the community, Alli Jarrett. Alli renovated the former clothing store, “Harold’s in the Heights” on 19th street which now serves the community with a Southern Creole restaurant known as Harold’s Restaurant, Bar & Terrace and Alli’s Pizzaria. The original Harold’s store was an institution in the Heights. Jerry Gann The company serves more than five million metered customers primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. The company also owns a 55.4 percent limited partner interest in Enable Midstream Partners, a publicly traded master limited partnership it jointly controls with OGE Energy Corp., which owns, operates and develops natural gas and crude oil infrastructure assets. With approximately 7,500 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 140 years. For more information, visit the website at www.centerpointenergy.com. CenterPoint Energy's vision is to lead the nation in delivering energy, service and value. They know that reliable energy is not a luxury. It's up to them to keep the lights on and to provide clean natural gas for homes, factories and businesses. Their long tradition of dedica- tion and hard work adds up to a company of people who are always there for their customers and neighbors, for their employees and their families, and for shareholders Chamber Board Member Jerry Gann represents CenterPoint Energy and this outstanding corporation has been a steadfast supporter and benefactor to the Chamber since it joined the organization. CenterPoint Energy believes that strong business performance is driven by sound strategy, strong execution, and solid values. They remain committed to core values that include safety, integrity, accountability, initiative and respect for their customers, investors, employees and communities. The Chamber is proud to acknowledge the many benefits made possible by CenterPoint Energy, and salutes them as an outstanding Gold Patron Member. alli Jarrett A native South Carolinian, Alli grew up in Kingstree, SC which was 60 miles north of Charleston. She is a graduate of Williamsburg Academy, attended the University of South Carolina on a golf scholarship and received her degree in Physical Education, Sports Medicine. base from which she managed 7 states and Mexico. Houston’s airport system also allowed her to return to her roots in Kingstree in only 2 hours. Joining the Chamber was a natural because her family had long embraced its value and benefits for small businesses. Beginning her business career in the family business, Alli remembers sweeping the floors, stamping playing cards and running the cash register in Jarrett’s Specialty Company showroom. Later she would become sales manager for an orthopedic manufacturer and spend 15 years with the United States Golf Association (USGA). Remember that golf scholarship? Actively involved in many organizations including church, golf and restaurants, Alli also enjoys scuba diving, cooking, and things that bring people together. This successful business woman is passionate about her restaurants and takes pride in the fact that in its two years, the restaurant was named on Alison Cook’s “Houston Chronicle Top 100 list” in 2014 and 2015. Thank you Alli for your support and for your promise to keep the Harold’s name alive for many years. Accepting a position as Director of Regional Affairs for the USGA, Alli chose Houston and the Heights as her The person profiled every month is selected from those attending the Breakfast Connection GOVERNMENT REL ATIONS Over the past three months, the Greater Heights Chamber Government Affairs Committee has been busy prioritizing annual goals and conceptualizing events designed to assist members with strategic engagement and networking opportunities at local, state and national government levels. 6 L INKED April 2016 The first such occasion is the annual Gateway to Local Government Luncheon, which sold out in 2014 and 2015, reflecting strong business interest in the various operations and functions at City Hall. Recently elected Mayor Sylvester Turner has been invited as our keynote speaker for 2016 and the committee will confirm a summer date based on his availability. Broadly speaking, the GHACC Government Affairs Committee serves as an advocate for our members on issues and policies of potential impact on our neighborhood, as well as a resource for your regulatory questions. If you’re interested in participating on the committee, or have a concern that you believe should be elevated, please contact a Committee member. Planning is underway for another Chamber-wide luncheon on October 14 featuring U.S. Congressman Ted Poe, who represents the 2nd Congressional District of Texas including parts of the Greater Heights area. His office staffers are active members of our Chamber who can be seen regularly at ribboncuttings and other networking events. Look for Congressman Poe’s address to highlight current issues and legislation that he considers important to his constituency. The Government Affairs Committee is chaired by Sara DeJay Willis of Aon Risk Solutions. Members include Jerry Gann, CenterPoint Energy; Kathryn van der Pol, Adolph Hoepfl Garage; Ashlea Quinonez, Memorial Hermann Health System; Neil McGlone, LegalShield; and Chamber President Jacob Milwee and Jill Johnston, Director of Events and Operations. April 2016 L INKED 7 events “Freedom to Learn” Education Luncheon Set for May 17 4.05 4.22 ribbon Cutting express employments professionals 2220 Bevis 4:00 p.m. ribbon Cutting re-ink at Boil house 606 East 11th Street 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. 4.14 4.27 Breakfast Connection Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel 3000 North Loop West 6:45 – 8:30 a.m. speaker: michael Kubosh City Council Member sponsor: reibenstein & associates Chamber orientation Chamber offices 545 West 19th Street 2nd Floor 11:45 – 1:15 p.m. 4.27 4.20 ribbon Cutting First republic title 832 Yale Street, #201A 11:00 a.m. hyp Karbach Brewing 2032 Karbach Street 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. may 5.03 noontime networking 4.20 ribbon Cutting paradise smoke shop 1307 Yale Street 4:20 p.m. 5.04 ribbon Cutting 5.12 Breakfast Connection 5.17 education Luncheon 5.19 Business after hours 5.25 Chamber orientation 5.25 ribbon Cutting 5.25 hyp 5.25 holiday 4.21 ribbon Cutting uniFirst 9019 Railwood Drive 11:00 a.m. NOTE: Changes may occur in this calendar after publishing, see www.heightschamber.com for confirmations. John F. Kennedy – 35th President of the United States The Chamber proudly recognizes the 2016 Scholarship Program sponsors to date and thanks them for their generosity: Adams Insurance Service, Inc., Houston Highway Credit Union, Members Trust of the Southwest Federal Credit Union, Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital, Reibenstein & Associates, Sign-Ups and Banners Corporation and Catherine Boyce and Peggy Monday. Have you always dreamed of being a media mogul? If you like promoting the ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT AND TRAVEL AND PROMOTE BUSINESSES this is a great 0pportunity! INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOUSTON & HEIGHTS TRIBUNE: Publishing since 1986 now 28+ years in business! Two papers and online to promote our Advertisers Opportunity to attend and review the ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Houston & Heights Tribune is the oldest Monthly Newspaper in the City of Houston! This publication can be developed into a weekly or daily with the new forecast for the exploding population in Houston! 6. Owner wants to retire and pass on the torch to someone who enjoys the Publishing Business 7. Several websites to point to the Tribune are in place and included in price along with racks & outdoor boxes. $95,000 or Best Offer Based on “Good Will” Includes websites, Business Phone Number, and Several Racks and Outdoor News Boxes www.houstontribune.com Reason for Selling : Owner wants to retire. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Business after hours mam’s house of ice 1040 West Cavalcade Street 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Please contact Sharon Lauder email: [email protected] or call 713-206-0953 L INKED April 2016 “Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource.” RUN YOUR OWN MEDIA EMPIRE!! 4.21 8 schools: Davis, Reagan, Scarborough, St. Pius X, St. Thomas, Waltrip, Washington, Lutheran High North, KIPP, Harmony and YES academies. A variety of sponsorship packages are available. Summa cum Laude sponsorships are $2,500; Magna cum Laude are $2,000; Cum Laude are $1,500; Valedictorian are $1,000 and Salutatorian are $500. Seating is limited...sponsorships at the Cum Laude level and above can choose which school's representatives will sit with them but it is first come, first served. Honor Roll sponsorships are available for $100 but do not include a seat at the luncheon - rather, they help sponsor lunch for the parents of honoree students and for the student entertainers. Final deadline for inclusion in the luncheon program is May 9. The Chamber education luncheon and awarding of scholarship awards to deserving area high school students will be held May 17 at 11:00 at the Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel. Students, teachers, and staffers will be the recipients of scholarships and financial rewards. The Chamber annually awards scholarships to deserving area high school students who use them to pursue their goals and dreams. “Without these scholarships, they might not be able to attend colleges or universities where they use higher learning to become successful citizens and enjoy rewarding careers,” said Cindy Reibenstein, Education Committee Chair. This year we are honoring veterans and also recognizing the graduating students who are entering the military! Bill Balleza, News Anchor for KPRC-TV, Channel 2 will be hosting the event and Bill is a Marine veteran of the Viet Nam conflict. Since the inception of the scholarship program, the Chamber has awarded over 160 scholarships representing over $350,000. The scholarships are made possible through the generosity of luncheon sponsors, donors and attendees. All sponsorship levels are Tax-Deductible and are the only annual Chamber event to provide this opportunity. The Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce Community Fund is a 501c3. The eligible students in this year’s scholarship program are from the following high April 2016 L INKED 9 Crawfish Festival in the Heights Attracted Record Crowds W OW! The sensational Chamber Crawfish Festival was staged on Saturday, March 5! It began with an inaugural parade down 19th street, with art cars, bands, show cars, dancers, celebrities and much more. Following the parade, literally thousands of guests descended on the 411 West 20th Street location to eat crawfish with all the trimmings plus Papa Murphy’s Pizza and Happy Fatz gourmet hot dogs and desserts. Thirsty festival attendees consumed beverages of all types, including 62 kegs of brew. Crawfish lines reached out and rewarded guests with tasty mudbugs ready for the eating. In short, the Crawfish Festival attendees took care of 8,200 pounds of crawfish, 840 hot dogs and 1,126 slices of pizza. The weather was fantastic and it seemed like all of the entire greater Heights area residents were on hand to eat, shop the vendors, take the children to kid’s world and then stay over for the finals of the Idol of the Heights singing contest. There was entertainment deluxe as bands, choral groups, choirs, cheerleaders and others performed. Special music, appropriate to the occasion was provided by the Zydeco Dots. teresa nicholasBriggs 10 What a committee that put on this great event. Under the leadership of the Chair, teresa nicholas-Briggs, this group mobilized to plan, secure committee members, conduct, and stage a terrific Saturday festival. Our appreciation goes to these hard-working Crawfish Festival committee members: Josh alberto, dee Farino, michelle hulse, neil mcGlone, danielle mulvihill, mary ellen perkinson, april petronella, Cindy reibenstein, Jacky tamez, nadia troutenko, ivee sauls and Linda Whittington. L INKED April 2016 What a parade! 19th street was filled. Serving as Grand Marshal was Miss Texas Latina, alma alvarez. Parade participants represented a diverse and entertaining combination of people representing: schools, member companies, businesses, car dealers, roller derby representatives, art cars, elected officials, bicycle groups, food trucks, dance studios, and many others. The crowd favorites in the parade were: The Davis High School Mariachis, Hogg Middle School and Houston Roller Derby. Parade watchers were numerous and even a Houston Chronicle photographer shot photos that were published in the newspaper. Chamber Director of Events and Operations, Jill Johnston deserves merit for her organization, administrative work and all the detailed planning to make this festival a huge success. Thanks to Joni simpson-Gomez for all her pre-festival payment work. Jill Johnston Joni simpson-Gomez And kudos to Bonnie Purvis of Central Bank and Patrick Page of World Pay US and their many helpers for selling tickets and taking money. Our admiration also goes out to Dee Farino of Third Coast Impressions for getting an amazing amount of sponsorships. Last, but certainly not least, is Cindy Reibenstein of Reibenstein & Associates for her success in recruiting all the many volunteers and Chamber interns. We appreciate IntegraNet/Physicians Specialty Center’s sponsorship providing the volunteers for Kid’s World. Many thanks to Silver Eagle Distributors, for their beverage assistance and for providing the entertainment stage. Also, we appreciate the untiring efforts of Way Better Sound for the staging and equipment that made all performances even better. Contributing to a terrific festival was aided by the efforts of Ivee Sauls of Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital, which sponsored the First Aid Tent, and supplied numerous volunteers. A BIG THANK YOU to the many sponsors who helped to make this successful event possible. Special appreciation is also due to our parade Chair, april petronella of Kumon Houston Heights for her outstanding work in putting together the inaugural Crawfish Festival parade and for outfitting her family in crawfish costumes. Vendor booth solicitation and registration were in the bailiwick of Board Members Linda Whittington of Cariloha Bamboo Houston and nadia troutenko of Troutenko Insurance Service plus Glenda Clerc of the Chamber. The festival featured a vast array of vendors to help make the shoppers paradise area a good place to visit. Attendees were presented with a total of 88 vendor tables and the products and services ranged from credit unions, to jewelry, to art, to candles, to dog walking, to fitness to storage. April 2016 L INKED 11 idol of the heights recognized and rewarded three outstanding talents Another highlight of the Crawfish Festival was the final competition in the Idol of the Heights singing contest. The nine finalists, who made it through the three preliminaries and the semi-final, took the stage for some great vocal performances. All finalists brought their best renditions to the festival and a large crowd was on hand to show their appreciation to the singers. The day’s entertainment was exceptional, with drill teams, cheerleaders, choral groups, bands, Garden Oaks Elementary, NRC Mini, Reagan High School, Waltrip High School, Sinclair Elementary, Clifton Middle School, Black Middle School, Jefferson Davis High School and the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Thanks to our volunteer judges and Hector Castellanos, Chase Bank and Chair of the Idol of the Heights, and his committee members: Kim Hanley of St. Joseph Medical Center in the Heights, Jill Johnston of the Chamber, Paige Williams of Hampton Inn & Suites, Jan Stephenson of Jan Stephenson Graphic Design, and Taylor Woodard of Raymond James. Parents brought their youngsters in abundance and kiddos enjoyed the food, the bounce houses, a trackless train, face painting, climbing wall and much more. All-in-all, the day was a huge success and the Chamber is proud to recognize the hard work and dedication of members, the contributions from the community, our tireless volunteers from the Reagan High and Waltrip High School Honor Societies, Garden Oaks Montessori and others who participated. Thanks to these outstanding companies for their participation and support: 21st Century Memorabilia, Advocare, Allstate Powered by Udster, Antoinette's Creative Designs, Arabic Immersion Magnet School, Caricatures and Face Painting, Cariloha Bamboo, Carisma Wash, Centerpoint Energy, Chikalily Boutique, Chloe & Isabel, Colorful Houston, Comerica Bank, Costco, Debbies Delectibles, Delali Artworks, Dignity Memorial, Dottie’s, ESPN/Yahoo Sports/GOW Media, Foresters Financial, Friends for Life, Give us Paws, Green Mountain Energy, H&R Block, H2Oasis Pools, LLC, HACS, Hartz Chicken on Pinemont, Haute Dimensions, Houston Community College, Houston Winery, It Works!, Jason Cantrelle State Farm Insurance, John Barber Studios, Joonam Boutique, Laura’s Zipper Purses & Soaps, Le Posh-Independent Consultant Perfectly Posh, LegalShield, Limestone Art & Glass, Little J's Bar, Live Oak Friends Meeting, Maidpro, Manning Pool Services, Maria Leibas, Mary Kay, MaxHome LLC, MBellish Organic Skincare, Members Trust of the SW Fed. Credit Union, Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital, Natural Paws, One Love Unity Fashions, Operation Pet Sit/Project Rescue Ready, P & M AC & Heating, Pampered Princess, Paparazzi Divas, Patsy G Mustard, Pearl Dentistry, Pearlz & Girlz, Rosemary's Soaps, Power Home Remodeling Group, Pretty Ladies Creations, PrimeWay Federal Credit Union, Sam Sartorius, Scentsy, SignatureCare Emergency Center, Silpada, Silver Leaf Resort, Smiles on Greatwood Dentistry/Greatwood Dental Assisting Program, Solonut Jewelry, Spindle Group, SPJST Lodge #88, St. Joseph's Med. Center in the Heights, Stained Glass, Stateline Designs, Storage West, Supercuts, Tantrums, LLC, The Physicians Specialty Center, TDECU, Texas Beer Bus,, The Jewel Box, T-shirt Works, Tupperware, Turnerville, Usborne Books and More, Vergi, Village Heights, World Pay, Ying Silver Special thanks to the many volunteers who helped make this event a success. We appreciate the hard work and time put in by people that contributed their participation and especially Board Member Cindy Reibenstein because she was instrumental in obtaining all these helping hands. Thanks to these volunteers: Adan Perez, Albert Lezano, Amy Ngoyen, Andre Davila, Anna Klub, Annita Jafferals, Ashley Martinez, Bryan Garcia, Caitlyn Carpenter, Charles Thornburg, Christian Castardo, Christy Thomas, Claudia Hdz, Cynde Johnston, Dante Tarzona, Darrick Mata, David Reynolds, Davin Silvas, Dem Evia Jackson, Desmond Brunfield, Dianna Fairchild, Dillian McDonald, Don Clerc, Dulce Gutierrez, Elizabeth Klein, Emily Flores, Eva Escoto, Frank Pachew, Haley Torres, Heidi Lozano, Jacob Hernandez, Jacob Morg, Jennifer Hathaway, Jessica Benefiel, Jessica Moreno, Joshua Shearer, Kelly Rangel, Kim Nguyen, Kristin Villagran, Lauren Davila, Leslie Talo, Linda Sanchez, Lori Foster, Mark Takayama, Marco Palada, Maria Davila, Mary Ellen Hensley, Maurice Smith, Morgan Mathis, Norma Lee Garcia, Osvaldo E. Vaquez, Pam Swensan, Rachel Goodman, Randall Neighbour, Rose Mary Delgado, Roxann Rodriguez, Shaina Gaman, Susan Battlestein, Titus Randle, Tyler Powell, Yesi Acosta, Yunira Aran and these volunteers from Memorial Hermann Greater Heights: Kate Shields, Yolanda Ternate, Brenda Stewart, Linda Blaise, Remunda Smith, Amy Nguyen, Lana Dalston, Joel Guthrie, Keonna Robers, Dulce Gutierrez, Demond Brumfield, Tyler Powell, Rose Mary Delgado, Morgan Mathis, Demetria Jackson, Kimberli Morris, Bernice Ware, Anna Kluth, Virginia Hernandez, Irma George, Rosemary Silva, John Champagne, Monica Hearne, Ivee Sauls, Marina Saenz and Jason Glover. (If we have overlooked anyone, please accept our apology.) The Crawfish Festival was an enjoyable event for all, and we appreciate the security and safety provisions provided by Chamber Board Member Alan Rosen, Harris County Constable for Precinct 1. He and his staff worked diligently to ensure a pleasant and safe day. 12 L INKED April 2016 The first place winner, Jordan Bradshaw received $1,500, second place was Veoria Moore with $700 and third place, Stephanie Strickman received $300. Many thanks to these Idols of the Heights sponsors: Jan Stephenson Graphic Design, The Corkscrew, Tony’s Mexican Restaurant, Houston Highway Credit Union, Members Trust of the SW Federal Credit Union, St. Joseph Medical Center in the Heights, Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital, Hampton Inn & Suites, Pinks Pizza, Little J’s Bar and Karbach Brewery. April 2016 L INKED 13 1 11 2 12 10 height l igh t s 3 14 15 13 4 5 6 8 9 16 17 7 14 18 1. susan Battelstein of Ambit Energy and Glenda Clerc of the Chamber 4. scott Lester of Allegiance Bank and patrick Crespo of Heights Funeral Home 2. michelle Gessner of Gessner Wealth Strategies and Ambassador anne Bell of Insurance & Benefits Advisors 5. marietta hetmaniak of Marek Family of Companies and John meade with Houston Community College NE 3. mike olivares, COO for O’Connor & Associates was the March Breakfast Connection speaker and spoke about “How to Lower Your Property Taxes.” 6. Luis ortiz of Ortiz Enterprises, Cameron penney of Penney Financial and richard Fisher of the Crowne Plaza Brookhollow Hotel L INKED April 2016 7. Ambassador natalie Coyle of Shooting Star Promotions and Board Member nadia troutenko of Troutenko Insurance Services 8. don Clerc of Clerc Computer Consulting and richard Fisher of the Crown Plaza Hotel 9. Cesar martinez of Blue Roof Realtors, reinel solano of Floor Coverings International of Houston Heights and Kevin davidson of Empire Industries, Inc. 10. Larry Bell of Insurance & Benefits Advisors and Jack Van pelt of JVP Jewelers 13. Kathy saccone of Saccone Bean and Board Member hector Castellanos of Chase Bank 16. Beth Liebling of Darling Way and parrish Warren of Salon in the Heights 11. Caesar martinez of Blue Roof Realtors and naro mak of Hartz Chicken on Pinemont 14. Jacob millwee, President of the Chamber and new member prospect iris salmins 17. Board Member neil mcGlone of LegalShield, Blair shipper and robert shumway of UniFirst Corporation 12. Ken stallman and aldo parodi of H & R Block, the March Breakfast Connection sponsors 15. Board Member hector and Julia Castellanos brought baby mcKenzie to her first Chamber Business After Hours 18. Glenda Clerc, former Director of Member Services delivering her last new member announcement April 2016 L INKED 15 plaque presentations new members CroWne pLaza houston BrooKhoLLoW Richard Fisher 2020 North Loop W, Ste. 135 77018 281-816-7891 12801 Northwest Frwy. 77040 713-462-9977 [email protected] www.crowneplaza.com.houstonnw We are a full-service hotel in the northwest Brookhollow area. We have 294 sleeping rooms and 18,000 square feet of meeting space. eLan heiGhts siLVer patron Kristin Krohn 825 Usener St. 77009 713-861-2700 [email protected] www.elanheights.com Apartment community with retail space. eLan memoriaL parK siLVer patron Jaymi Blood Jaymi Blood 920 Westcott St. 77007 713-861-6900 [email protected] www.elanmemorialpark.com Apartment community with retail space. experimaC-the heiGhts Mike & Patricia Maddux 301 North Loop West 77008 832-582-7355 [email protected] [email protected] www.experimac.com/the-heights-tx We buy, sell, trade and repair Apple products. We offer pre-owned computers. We also do repairs on phones, ipads, and computers. Fit armadiLLo Catherine Basu 1255 N. Post Oak Rd. #1204 77055 713-730-9870 [email protected] www.FitArmadillo.com Referred by: Julia McNeil (Julia Cooks Organic) Our specialty is 1-on-1 ONLINE personal training & private yoga sessions. Our team of certified fitness professionals makes it possible to work out 30 minutes after booking. Nutrition plans allow for food swaps. 16 L INKED April 2016 n2 puBLishinG Danielle Stewart 1505 Blair St. 77008 713-628-5477 [email protected] Referred by: Ali Jarrett & Jesse Soto sinGh metaLs LLC Sameer Singh 2115 McDuffie St., # B 77019 281-725-2812 [email protected] www.singhmetals.com We are a metals trading company exporting metal scrap to overseas mills. anna pi of Cowork Lab received her new member plaque from Ambassador natalie Coyle of Shooting Star Promotions Ambassador tiffany salinas of Welcome Wagon International presented a new member plaque to shaina pechel of Texas Pet Concierge, LLC. siGnatureCare emerGenCy Center Megan Bebee 1925 E. T.C. Jester 77008 832-742-0072 (Work) 281-415-8032 (Cell) [email protected] www.ercare24.com SignatureCare Emergency Center is a free standing emergency room. Our wait time is less than ten minutes and we guarantee patient satisfaction. uniFirst Corporation Andrew Althaus 9019 Railwood Dr. 77078 713-635-1100 [email protected] www.unifirst.com UniFirst is a leading supplier of uniforms, workwear, and facility service products to businesses of all sizes since 1936. Referred by: Margaret Vandever Ambassador neil mcGlone of LegalShield delivered a new member plaque to NuSmile Pediatric Crowns which was accepted by mark Binford, diane Krueger, nikki rucker and alex martinez Ambassador Willie difenbach-Jones of Send Out Cards posed with the new member plaque awarded to Lori Foster of Corporate Incentives reinel solano of Floor Coverings International Houston Heights and his sister-in-law sandra mosquera show off their new member plaque and traveling showroom VuLCan materiaLs Company Tommy Adams 12603 Southwest Frwy., Ste. 300; Stafford 77477 281-276-4940 [email protected] www.vulcanmaterials.com We produce construction aggregatesprimarily crushed stone, sand, and gravel-and-aggregates-based construction materials including asphalt and ready-mixed concrete. April 2016 L INKED 17 ribbon cuttings happy anniversary more than 20 years Harmony Electric Company TECL#17609 Marshall Construction Co., Inc. Northwest General Insurance Village of the Heights residents and Chamber members celebrated a ribbon cutting at their facility located at 1407 Studewood. This new facility features high quality senior living and memory care services. Resident mary alice mcClelland did the honors. Find out about all their services at www.villageoftheheights.com. Memorial Hermann Urgent Care celebrated its Chamber ribbon cutting at its facility at 4500 Washington Ave. A large crowd, including Clutch the mascot for the Houston Rockets, were on hand. Assisting with the ribbon was dr. marc melincoff, dr. david James, CEO for MHMG and susan Jadlowski, CEO for Memorial Hermann Greater Heights. more than 10 years Adolf Hoepfl & Son Garage Houston Heights Learning Academy Moss Landscaping, Inc. Office Systems of Texas Reynolds & Associates, PLLC Texas Center of Dental Excellence Texas Loan Star, Inc. more than 5 years Houston Piano Company Manning Pool Service, Inc. Revival Market T-Shirts Etcetera 9Round 30 minute kickboxing fitness held a ribbon cutting to celebrate their membership. pete ekstrom hosted the event at his facility located at 1249 North Loop West. Their services include a trainer, daily workout changes and no class times. Review all their capabilities by calling 281-888-3790 or by viewing them at www.9round.com/fitness/houston-txx3749. Black Sheep Parlor at 1901 North Shepherd, Suite 2 opened up their salon for a wonderful ribbon cutting. The co-owners greeted members and guests and treated all to tasty tidbits and bountiful beverages. Doing the honors with the scissors were Kassidy motal and shay Corley. more than 1 year Chick-fil-A Edward Jones Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Hayes & Wilson, PLLC Jester Plaza Veterinary Clinic Molly's Mutt House Salon in the Heights Western Inn Westside Lexus* 1 year A 2nd Cup Collabera* Right at Home John Frels Mortgage Guru Johnson, Johnson & Baer, P.C. Urgent Doc Clinic is located at 1900 West Loop West, Suite 110 and offers quick and competent care for a variety of medical services including X-Ray, broken bones, illnesses and infections. dr. michael iversen did the honors and briefed attendees on the many attributes for this medical alternative. See www.urgentdoc.com for more. 18 L INKED April 2016 shaina pechal, owner of Texas Pet Concierge welcomed Chamber members and guests to her ribbon cutting inside Thrive Affordable Vet Care on Ella Boulevard. Offering a myriad of services, look at www.texaspetconcierge.com to see all her capabilities for pet owners. * Gold Patron April 2016 L INKED 19 PRSRT STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID HOUSTON TX. PERMIT 542 545 W. 19th Street Houston, Texas 77008 Leadership LeVeLs The Leadership Levels, which includes, Gem, Platinum, Gold and Silver represent the most prestigious designation for member firms. Without their financial support we would not be able to offer the wide variety of benefits to all of our members and our community. Gem LeVeL partnerships diamond patrons GoLd patrons Adams Insurance Service, Inc. Allison Jones and Associates C & D Scrap Metal Recyclers, Co., Inc. CenterPoint Energy Cokinos, Bosien & Young Collabera Comerica Bank - Heights Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen Fiesta Mart Heights Medical Tower, Ltd. IntegraNet Integrity Bank Mach Industrial Group Marek Family of Companies Merchandise Pickup Services, Inc. PrimeWay Federal Credit Union Shipley Do-Nuts Spirit of Texas Bank St. Joseph Medical Center in the Heights Tommie Vaughn Ford Westside Lexus siLVer patrons Allegiance Bank Grifols Biomat Elan Heights Elan Memorial Park Pearl Dentistry Reynolds & Associates, PLLC Thai Spice Asian Cuisine