Fort Bend Lifestyles & Homes Magazine Dec 2009: Business News in Fort Bend County Texas 1

Doug Brinkley has been named Police Chief for the Sugar Land Police Department. Assistant City Manager Steve Griffith promoted Brinkley, who was the assistant police chief, to the position of Police Chief, effective Oct. 19.

“Doug has been serving as the Interim Chief for the past six months, and during that time he has done an excellent job of providing leadership in the Police Department, ” said Griffith.

As an assistant police chief since 2005, Brinkley has been responsible for the oversight of the training unit, personnel, crime analyst, budget analyst, accreditation, records, dispatch, property and evidence, jail and secondary employment oversight.

Brinkley is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and the Texas Police Chief ’s Association.

David Chaumette, Sugar Land resident and lawyer, has been selected as one of the 25 leading lawyers of color, selected by the editors of Texas Lawyer for their impact on Texas firms, government, nonprofits, academia and/or the corporate world within the past five years. Chaumette is a name partner in the litigation boutique firm De la Rosa & Chaumette where he practices commercial litigation.

“It’s a great honor to be considered with such an accomplished group of individuals,” Chaumette said. Chaumette was recognized for his work in e-discovery, which deals with the retrieval of data in the context of litigation. Chaumette is a recognized thought leader in this area across the state and the country.

Chaumette and the other candidates were honored at a luncheon on Oct. 23 at the Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas.

Heather Gould, Sugar Land native and marketing director for Newland Communities in Houston, has won the 2009 Star Award for “Marketing Professional of the Year” from the Texas Association of Builders.

Held Oct. 30 in Dallas, the Star Awards included contestants from Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Gould directs marketing for the 7,600-acre Cinco Ranch community in Katy and the 2,018-acre Telfair community in Sugar Land. Both Cinco Ranch and Telfair were ranked among the top 10 communities in the nation for 2008 new-home sales in a study by RCLCO, a national real estate consulting firm.

“In a market where new-home sales are generally down, Cinco Ranch and Telfair have posted sales increases under Heather ’s marketing direction, and we are very pleased that the Texas Association of Builders has recognized her achievements, ” said Jennifer Taylor, vice president of marketing for Newland Communities.

Gould also worked with the Houston Museum of Natural Science on the grand opening of its new Sugar Land branch, located in a historic Telfair building donated by Newland Communities.

Steve Griffith, former police chief of Sugar Land, has been named Assistant City Manager for Public Safety by City Manager Allen Bogard. Griffith assumed the newly created position on Oct. 19. In his new position, Griffith will oversee Police, Fire, Emergency Management, Public Safety Communication (Dispatch) and the Sugar Land Regional Airport.

Griffith is a Houston-area native and has more than 32 years of public sector experience. He served as Sugar Land ’s police chief for more than four years before his promotion.

Griffith earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Houston and a master’s degree in criminal justice management from Sam Houston State University.

Dwight Marshall, Fort Bend County’s veteran services officer, was awarded the Annual Veterans County Service Officer Appreciation Award by the Texas Veterans Commission on behalf of the entire 92-county Houston Region. Delilah Washburn, regional director of the Texas Veterans Commission, stated, “Dwight Marshall is an outstanding Veterans Services Officer for the work that he has done on behalf of Veterans and their families. He goes the extra mile to ensure that Veterans receive the benefits that they have earned. ” Overall, he was recommended by numerous counselors of the Texas Veterans Service and ultimately the regional director.

Anja Drewes of Touchstone Fine Properties has earned the prestigious Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation and will join a worldwide referral network of elite global real estate practitioners with expertise in working with international clients as well as immigrants. The CIPS Designation is awarded by the National Association of REALTORS ®, which represents over 1.2 million REALTORS® in the United States. Drewes was formally recognized at NAR’s 2009 REALTORS® Conference & Trade Expo in San Diego in November.

The CIPS designation recognizes members who have achieved the necessary training and experience to work successfully with international clients and properties. Drewes joins a distinguished society of over 1,600 real estate professionals throughout the world who have earned the CIPS designation.

Drewes is multi-lingual, fluent in English, German, French and Dutch, as well as a certified Interior Designer and Marketing Specialist.

Telfair community’s new home sales are up 12 percent for the first nine months of 2009. A total of 347 new homes were sold in Telfair during the first three quarters of 2009. That compares to 313 new homes sold during the same time last year in the 2,018-acre master-planned community in Sugar Land.

Increased sales to existing Sugar Land residents helped Telfair achieve its sales increase in an overall market where sales are generally down, according to Heather Gould, marketing director for Newland Communities.

“Local Sugar Land move-up sales have increased to fully 50 percent of our overall new-home sales in Telfair, ” Gould said. “Sugar Land residents love the area and want to stay there, but much of the existing local housing stock is nearly 20-30 years old. Local buyers recognize that Telfair offers the opportunity to move up to a new home with today ’s open floor plans and Energy Star efficiency technologies, inside the city of Sugar Land. ”

Fort Bend County, Texas, stakeholders have launched a national marketing and branding campaign aimed at attracting new business in order to further its vibrant economy. The five-year campaign, which is funded by a variety of public and private entities, will educate its target market about the facts of Fort Bend that make it a premier place to work, live and play.

“There are many quantifiable facts about Fort Bend County that are impressive and demonstrate what a great place it is for businesses and families to thrive and grow, ” said Tom Wilcox, chairman of the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council’s program oversight board, who oversees the campaign. “Our county’s low crime rate, low tax burden, educated workforce and overall low cost of doing business foster a very favorable business climate for those looking to relocate or start a new business. ”

In addition, Fort Bend County companies benefit from being in Texas—one of only seven states in the nation that do not have a state income tax.

The campaign will consist of a variety of advertising, marketing and public relations efforts including television, radio and print advertisements, billboards and direct mail, as well as media relations and social media activities.

Public entities contributing to the campaign include Fort Bend County and the cities of Missouri City, Rosenberg, Stafford and Sugar Land. Numerous private firms also contribute to the campaign.

Methodist Family Medicine Group, an affiliate of The Methodist Physician Organization, has added five local physicians to expand its outreach to the Fort Bend community.

Drs. Tayma Shaya, Jennifer Diamond, Seva Papageorge, Mona Sheth and Lisa Holloway have joined the fast-growing practice, bringing the number of Methodist Family Medicine Group physicians to eight.

The five doctors—each board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine—join Drs. Ana Corteguera, Julie Hung and Yana Finkelshteyn at Methodist Family Medicine Group, which was formally established on the Methodist Sugar Land Hospital campus earlier this year.

“We are proud to welcome these outstanding physicians to the Methodist Family Medicine Group, ” said Ayse McCracken, chief operating officer for The Methodist Hospital Physician Organization and senior vice president at The Methodist Hospital System. “Their expertise in family medicine and their hands-on, personal approach to diagnosis and care fits perfectly with the practice ’s culture and approach. And their efforts are supported by the technology and leading-edge services offered by Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. ”