Chris B. Kelley has been named chief financial officer at Founders Bank, with responsibility for all finance, accounting and operations activities.
Kelley joins Founders Bank from Fiserv Inc., a premier data processing and
information management system provider to banks, credit unions and lending
institutions worldwide. Prior to joining Fiserv, Kelley served as a CFO and
executive at a number of Houston- and Fort Bend-area banks.
Kelley is a graduate of the University of Houston with a degree in finance. He
is a Sugar Land resident and a former member of the Sugar Land Rotary Club and
Fort Bend Leadership Forum, as well as a past director and treasurer of the
Gulf Coast chapter of the Bank Administration Institute. He currently serves on
the board of directors of the Sugar Land Little League.
Deana Cantu has been named assistant principal at Lamar CISD’s Ray Elementary and Tonya Garza will be assistant principal at Smith Elementary.
Cantu is currently the lead bilingual/English as a second language teacher at
Ray Elementary. Cantu is a 2001 graduate from University of Houston-Downtown
with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in Management
Information Systems. She received her Master of Education degree in 2006 from
the University of St. Thomas. She has six years of teaching experience Lamar
CISD and one in Alief ISD.
Garza is a 2004 graduate from University of Houston Victoria with a Bachelor of
Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She received her Masters of
Education degree in 2008, also from the University of Houston at Victoria. She
has four years of teaching experience, all in Lamar CISD. She is currently
teaching second grade at Ray Elementary.
Nelson Morgan has been appointed the discipline supervisor in Transportation. He retired from
the Houston County Juvenile Probation Department after 35 years, where he
served as a supervisor and probation officer. Morgan received his bachelor
’s in criminology from Sam Houston State University.
Morgan will work with parents and campuses on discipline issues that originate
on the district
’s busses.
Kent Landry has been named the new minister at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Missouri City. Ordained only four years ago, Landry is a former trial attorney who practiced law for eight years before
responding to a call to enter the seminary.
He attended Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and began his ministry in a
small, rural church in Leland, Miss.
Landry is married to Lisa, who is a CPA by profession. The couple have been
married nearly 19 years and have three children.
Helen Jackson will become the new Head of School at Southminster School in Missouri City. Jackson is very familiar with Southminster and has long been
associated with both the school and church. She has been on the school
’s governing board since its inception and has been closely involved in the long
range/future planning for Southminster. Her appointment becomes effective July
1, 2009.
A lifelong educator focusing on elementary childhood development, Jackson has
been in the FBISD system for over 25 years and has received numerous awards for
her expertise. Her main focus has been supporting young children while
challenging them to meet high expectations. She has also trained many teachers
in the areas of
science, math, reading and especially gifted and talented.
Earlier this year, Dr. Correll, who has been Southminster’s Head of School for nine years, let the school know she and her family made the
difficult decision to transfer to California. A search committee was appointed
and was dedicated to finding the appropriate candidate.
The University of Houston System at Sugar Land opened its new $37 million academic building with a grand opening ceremony. In
attendance were UH System Chancellor
Renu Khator and WCJC President Betty McCrohan, who joined other area dignitaries on the speaker’s podium.
The 145,000-square-foot facility will be shared by both UHSSL and Wharton County
Junior College. It includes 44 classrooms, including five computer labs, along
with nine science labs, 73 faculty offices, an exercise facility, bookstore and
the WCJC enrollment services office. A School of Nursing suite will be shared
by both institutions. The new construction also features a two-level, 150-seat
auditorium and large multi-purpose room.
The Richmond Texas Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opened its newest chapel in Fort Bend County on Mason Road south of Hwy. 99 in
the Pecan Grove and Waterside Estates area.
The new building is the result of three years of planning and construction. In
order to get maximum benefit from this multi-million dollar project, the new
church will be shared by two or three congregations or
“wards” as the church calls them.
Lt. Joel F. Fitzgerald Sr., a 17-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, has been named the
new chief of police for the city of Missouri City.
As commanding officer for Philadelphia’s Intensive Drug Investigation Division, Fitzgerald led 69 officers assigned
from local, state and federal task
forces that targeted and prosecuted narcotics distributors. Prior to that, as a
commander in Philadelphia
’s Narcotics Field Unit and Narcotics Strike Force, Fitzgerald led units with
city-wide jurisdiction to serve Philadelphia
’s 1.4 million residents.
The new police chief began his law enforcement career as an officer with the
city of brotherly love
’s police in 1992. He was named Officer of the Year for his district in 1993 and
was promoted to sergeant in 1998. Fitzgerald spent eight years on the street,
during which he was assigned to Philadelphia
’s first Mobile Mini Station and earned a certification from the FBI in Community
Policing.
Vineyard on the Square’s new Bistro is now open for business. Owners Marc Hachach and Kelly Harris announced plans last year to expand their current location on the plaza of Town
Square to include the space next door.
In addition to the light dishes previously offered by The Vineyard, the Bistro
boasts full brunch, lunch and dinner menus featuring European bistro-style
foods and a selection of artisanal cheeses.
