Fort Bend Lifestyles and Homes Magazine Jan 2010: Business News in Fort Bend County Texas

Capt. Scott Schultz was promoted to assistant police chief of Sugar Land Police Department and Lt. Michelle Allen was named captain. The vacancies were created by the recent promotion of Doug Brinkley, selected to replace Steve Griffith after he was promoted to assistant city manager for public safety.

Schultz was previously responsible for the Staff Services Division, which includes the training division, recruiting division, budget analyst, crime analyst and departmental accreditation. In his most recent role, Schultz was instrumental in several new programs, including implementation of patrol rifles, a new fitness program for SLPD police officers, implementation of Tasers and standardization of weapons for police officers.

Schultz began his career with SLPD as a patrol officer in 1992. He was promoted to detective in 1994 and assigned to the Fort Bend County Narcotics Task Force until he promoted to patrol sergeant in 1998. In 2003, he was promoted to lieutenant and served as the evening shift watch commander. Later that year, he was promoted to captain and placed in command of the patrol division.

In Allen’s new role, she will command the patrol division, which includes traffic, crime prevention, the special enforcement district, patrol officers and beat accountability. Allen previously served as a patrol lieutenant over crime prevention, a program that partners with residents to increase safety within the community. She has also commanded the crime scene unit and internal affairs.

Other promotions include Lt. James Davis, Lt. John Bauer, Sgt. John Torres and Sgt. Eric Pino, all of whom will be assigned to the patrol division.

Clara Russell has been appointed as Library Director of the Fort Bend County library system by the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court.

“I am looking forward very much to working with library staff to keep moving our system forward in filling our community ’s library needs,” says Russell. “The people in Fort Bend County take a lot of pride in their libraries,” she adds. “And with two new libraries opening in our system within the next couple of years, we ’re going to be very busy.”

Russell came to the Fort Bend County library system after working nearly 17 years at Houston Public Library, where she served as children ’s librarian, branch manager, regional branch manager, and region manager. Russell received her master ’s degree in library science from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.

Lufkin Automation will construct a 40,000- square-foot company headquarters building in the new Lakeview Business Park. This new $4 million project will relocate an estimated 45 jobs to Missouri City when completed.

Lufkin Automation is a leader in the development, manufacturing, sales and service of technically advanced, electronic well automation equipment and the premier supplier of artificial lift optimization and training with emphasis on increasing profits for oil and gas producers through minimized operating costs and optimum production. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2010.

Edge Energy, LLC has relocated its offices to Sugar Land Town Square from Houston. A portfolio company of OTC Global Holdings, Edge Energy specializes in natural gas fixed price swaps and options, with plans to expand into the crude oil options space.

“Edge Energy made Sugar Land Town Square its corporate home because it was a strategic, fitting and convenient move for us, ” said Todd Gross, managing partner, Edge Energy. “The development offers the facilities and resources we need, close proximity to energy industry talent and quick access to our home lives and families —something we value highly as a company.”

Town Square is currently home to eight businesses that work in or are related to the energy industry including: Burke-Daniels, Co., Inc.; CVR Energy; Edoxx; G.A.S. Unlimited, Inc.; IIR; Sulzer TCS; and Upstream Energy.

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. ”

One of the hallmarks of Methodist Family Medicine Group is their ability to communicate with patients from many different backgrounds. Dr. Corteguera is fluent in Spanish while Dr. Finkelshteyn speaks Spanish and Russian. Dr. Papageorge is fluent in Greek, Dr. Sheth speaks Gujarati and Dr. Shaya speaks some Arabic.

Deadline for Nominations for Extraordinary Volunteers in Fort Bend County. The deadline to nominate an extraordinary volunteer to be named one of Fort Bend County ’s top volunteers is Monday, Feb. 1, at midnight. The top five nominees will be recognized by Fort Bend County Judge Robert Hebert at Volunteer Fort Bend ’s 2010 Volunteer Fort Bend Awards ceremony during Volunteer Appreciation Month in April.

If you know a volunteer who has made a significant difference to an organization or a group of individuals, you may nominate them to become part of a select group of very special individuals –those who have been deemed the most outstanding volunteers of Fort Bend County. Volunteer categories include, but are not limited to, Youth, Civic, Health, Education, Social Service, Community Development, Groups, and Cultural & Performing Arts.

To be nominated, all volunteer work must be done in Fort Bend County and the individual must not have received monetary compensation for the work. Volunteer service cannot be restricted to a specific religious denomination or be part of partisan political work.

Nominations may be submitted online by completing the nomination form found on the Volunteer Fort Bend Web site www.Volunteer-FortBend.org. Those who prefer a paper version of the nomination form may call Volunteer Fort Bend at 281-499-9102, and a nomination form will be mailed.

A panel of judges will review the nominations to select the top five volunteers who have demonstrated acts of extraordinary volunteer service in the community, and who —by their commitment and example—have inspired others to engage in volunteer service.

The winning volunteers and their accomplishments will be honored at a celebratory breakfast on Thursday, April 29. Judge Hebert will present each winning volunteer with an award.

Sponsorships for the awards ceremony are still available. For more information, call Kathy Renfrow, director of Volunteer Fort Bend at 281-499-9102 or send an e-mail to kathyr@volunteerhouston.org.

Proceeds from the breakfast will benefit Volunteer Fort Bend, an organization devoted to matching volunteers with non-profit organizations that need assistance.

Texana Center marked a milestone with the groundbreaking of its new $8.5 million West Campus. George Patterson, CEO, welcomed everyone, and Dianne Wilson, Texana Board of Trustees chair, thanked The George Foundation for its foresight in granting a $1.5 million challenge grant, which was followed by several other large foundation donations including Gulf Coast medical Foundation, Houston Endowment, The Mabee Foundation and the Meadows Foundation.

The Texana West Campus Project will be comprised of a modern one-story Learning Center for people with developmental disabilities and a new two-story Service Center. The new campus will be located on a 3-acre site, close to the existing location in Rosenberg and is designed by Ray + Hollington Architects and to be built by Tellepsen Construction. These will be the first LEED registered buildings in Rosenberg and will be designed to meet guidelines established by the US Green Building Council.