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

Daniel B. Williams, M.D., reproductive endocrinologist, has joined Houston Fertility Institute’s team of specialists at the newly opened practice office in Sugar Land.

Houston Fertility Institute is dedicated to “turning couples into families” by providing nationally-recognized treatment for infertility in a wide range of assisted reproductive technologies with state-of-the-art equipment offering the latest in technological advances to treat infertile couples. Dr. Williams practices from the new Sugar Land office located at 16545 Southwest Freeway as well as in Houston at 2500 Fondren.

Dr. Williams received both his undergraduate degree in biology and his medical degree from The University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Medicine. He completed residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at King-Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles and completed his fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at UCLA/Cedars Sinai Medical Centers.

Dr. Williams is the recipient of numerous teaching awards and has also been repeatedly named one of the Best Doctors in America.

George Gaston, CEO of Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital and Sugar Land resident, has been named a 2009 Up and Comer by Modern Healthcare Magazine. This honor recognizes rising young stars in the health care management field for their accomplishments and exceptional leadership qualities. He is among 12 recipients nationwide, and the only Texan to be recognized this year.

Gaston began his career with Memorial Hermann as an administrative fellow in 1996. In July 1998, he was named administrative director at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital. He moved up through the ranks at Memorial Hermann Northwest, where he eventually served as assistant vice president of campus expansion and special projects.

In 2003, Gaston was named assistant vice president of hospital operations at Memorial Hermann Southwest and he fulfilled the role for two years. He began his career at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital in June 2005. Just two years later, Gaston was named CEO of the hospital. Under his leadership, Memorial Hermann Southeast has received numerous safety and quality awards and is recognized as one of Memorial Hermann ’s leading facilities.

Aetna representatives Don Jones and Scott Yokley presented a check to Lamar CISD Superintendent Dr. Thomas Randle and L.E.A.F. Executive Director Janice Knight to be used towards physical education programs.

Aetna has partnered again with the Lamar Educational Awards Foundation to help support its goals and mission with a donation of $10,000 that will be used to fund grants that promote an active healthy lifestyle for students.

L.E.A.F. was created to encourage teachers to develop creative instructional strategies in the classroom. District teachers are given the opportunity to make their creative ideas a reality, while positively impacting student learning. L.E.A.F. awarded more than $171,000 during the 2008 funding period and has awarded more than $903,000 in eight years.

Literacy Council of Fort Bend County was awarded accredited status by ProLiteracy. LCFBC has served Fort Bend County for 22 years helping adults improve their reading, mathematics, listening, writing, speaking and technology skills.

Peter Waite, vice-president of programs and services, says, “We are proud to add Literacy Council of Fort Bend County to our growing list of accredited organizations. They have demonstrated that their program meets the highest national standards for volunteer literacy programs and that their services to the community are effective. We applaud the many volunteers, staff, and students who have devoted their time and effort to achieve this goal. ”

RediClinic LLC opened its first clinic in Missouri City. The clinic is located inside the Sienna Market H-E-B. RediClinics are in-store health care facilities that offer consumers easy access to high-quality, routine medical care.

RediClinics are staffed by certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants who work with local, Memorial-Hermann affiliated physicians to diagnose, treat and prescribe medications for common medical conditions. They also administer a wide range of preventive services, including health screenings, medical tests, vaccinations and basic physical exams.

(L-R) Marc Hamlin, past president of Texas Association of Counties; County Judge Bob Hebert; County Clerk Dianne Wilson; and Connie Heinecke, information technology; accept the award for the county.

Fort Bend County is one of 13 counties around the state being honored this year by the Texas Association of Counties Leadership Foundation for Best Practices involving innovative

programs that deliver quality services and protect taxpayer dollars.

The programs were selected to receive high honors for innovation, achievement and delivery of service in the 2009 County Best Practice Awards, which recognizes county initiatives that serve as a model to others and save taxpayer monies.

“People in counties across Texas are coming up with such creative solutions,” said Marc Hamlin, past TAC president and current Brazos County district clerk. “Counties have so few streams of revenue, and every good idea that can be shared is terribly important. ”

Fort Bend County received a prestigious Best Practices award for innovation in financial and general management for its team-model structure approach to Information Technology project management.

The selection committee felt following a similar project management structure may help other counties be more successful in their efforts to implement new software programs in multiple county departments.

Telfair receives Houston’s Best award for landscaping.

Telfair received a “Houston’s Best” award for landscaping from the Greater Houston Builders Association. In selecting Telfair for this award, a panel of independent Houston ’s Best judges selected by the GHBA considered the Telfair master plan, which devotes over 300 acres to landscaped amenities and open spaces.

Since Telfair opened in 2006, Newland Communities, the developer, has planted thousands of oaks, crepe myrtles and other trees on the site. Newland Communities also made an early decision to make seasonal color a focus of the Telfair landscape plan, planting thousands of azaleas, rose bushes and lilies along major roadways and in parks.

Sustainability was another factor considered by the Houston’s Best judges. Lined with greenbelt trails and wildflowers, the 70-acre lake system is also the focal point of an innovative water conservation agreement implemented by the city of Sugar Land and Newland Communities. The first project of its kind in Sugar Land, the Telfair arrangement uses ground water from Oyster Creek to fill Telfair lakes and to irrigate landscaping. This use of surface water eliminates the need to extract groundwater, which leads to subsidence, or sinking.

The Telfair landscape design also balances trees, shrubs and flowers with man-made objects such as many brick walls, columns and sculptures.

Finally, judges also considered Telfair’s efforts to promote beautification and environmental awareness within the Fort Bend community. TelfairLife, a community service organization for Telfair, sponsors an annual Arbor Day celebration at the community ’s on-site Cornerstone Elementary School.

Patrick Berrios Designs Inc. and CKI Design Studios opened in Sugar Land Town Square. Patrick Berrios Designs Inc., a residential design firm, relocated its business to Town Square from Houston.

CKI Design Studios is a graphics and Web design specialty firm with the philosophy that anyone who seeks a professional look for their business or projects should have design services that are both affordable and high in quality.

RE/MAX Southwest announced that Diane Hopgood, Barbara Sinkovec, Patricia Hazeldine, Betty Townes, Joy Roussell, Melynda O’Reilly, Kelli Parker, Ma Maldonado, Irma Klenk, Robert Wilson, Denise Hulse, Michelle Sergie, Geneva Yell and Sheree Changthe have completed training and are Certified in the International Real Estate Specialist designation.

Riverstone has opened a new custom home sales office in its Hartford Landing neighborhood. Located at 59 Sunset Park Lane, the office is open seven days a week, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. on Sunday.

“Because we are now located in a custom home neighborhood, the move has allowed us to be more available to prospective custom home buyers, ” said Paula Moss, a member of The Johnson Development Corp.’s custom home sales team.

Councilmember Thomas Abraham of the city of Sugar Land has been elected and installed as President of the Texas Municipal League's Region 14 at its annual meeting. He was elected to one of the region ’s top leadership position. This new assignment is in addition to his service as one of Sugar Land ’s representative on the elected-official board of directors of the Houston-Galveston Area Council, the regional service and planning association of local governments, which serves most of the same counties covered by the TML region.

Terry Henley, H-GAC board member and city of Meadows Place alderman, has been elected president of the Texas Association of Regional Councils, the statewide organization of regional councils of government.

His one-year term will end in September 2010. Henley previously served as second vice president and first vice president of TARC and has served as H-GAC ’s representative to the TARC board since 2002.

Henley has served on the H-GAC board of directors for more than 16 years, with terms in every leadership position, including board chair in 2002. He currently serves as chair of H-GAC ’s Legislative Committee and as chair of the H-GAC Energy Purchasing Corporation.

Henley has served on the Meadows Place City Council for 22 years, serving as mayor pro tem since 1993. He has been a member of the Texas Municipal League board of directors since 2000, serving as president in 2004.

Paula Moss was named Sales Professional of the Year/Developer during The Greater Houston Builders Association ’s 2009 Houston’s Best

Formerly known as PRISM, the awards honor the real estate industry’s finest sales and marketing professionals in the Houston area.

Moss, who is part of Johnson Development’s custom home sales team serving the Fort Bend communities of Riverstone and Sienna Plantation, has been nominated twice before.

A long-time Fort Bend resident, Moss has 15 years of experience in new-home sales. She has been awarded a Graduate Realtors Institute designation by the National Association of Realtors and has won several awards for her performance, including being listed as one of Houston ’s top five new-home sales associates in 2003 by the GHBA. The previous year, Moss won a prestigious Star award from the Texas Association of Builders. In February, she was recognized as the GHBA ’s top salesperson by its Sales and Marketing Council an is nominated for Salesperson of the Year by the Texas Association of Builders ’ Star Awards.

Moss also has been active in the community. She serves on the board of Fort Bend Lawyers Care, which provides free legal aid, and works to raise money each year for Fort Bend Women ’s Center. She is the incoming president of the Women’s Council of Realtors, Fort Bend Chapter.

Founders Bank has created a new interest-bearing checking account specifically for not-for-profit organizations. The Not-For-Profit Interest Checking Account is free to all organizations with 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4 ) status. The account has no monthly service charges or other fees and earns above market-rate interest on the available balance.

“Founders Bank is deeply involved in the Fort Bend community and we recognize the important role that nonprofit organizations play in improving the quality of life here, ” said Jim Sturgeon, CEO. “The recent economic climate has been difficult for nonprofits and this new checking account offer is one way that we can help. ”

World Express Cargo Inc., a small family-owned business based in Stafford, beat out significantly larger freight companies to win a shipping contract for a massive 279,000 pounds of steel drill pipe from Houston to Singapore. Founder and President of World Express Cargo Fouad Alameddin credits winning this job to superior customer service, creativity and persistence.

Typically, an order of this magnitude is shipped by ocean freight. But due to the urgency of the shipment, Alameddin suggested moving the 349 joints of 32-foot-long steel drill pipe in five shipments by air. Several internationally-known freight companies bid on the job, but the dramatic savings Alameddin was able to offer by dividing up the order and shipping it by air won his company the job.

World Express Cargo arranged for the logistics from the supplier’s warehouse, packed it for export and delivered it to Singapore Airlines, where it was loaded into a “nose-loader” 747 freight aircraft to Singapore.