Dr. Merlyn Sayers, president and CEO of Carter BloodCare since its formation in 1996, will receive the 2015 Distinguished Health Service Award from the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council during the organization’s 67th Annual Awards Luncheon Oct. 29 at Arlington Convention Center.
Under Sayers’ tenure, Carter BloodCare has become the largest blood bank in Texas. It supplies 90 percent of the blood products used in the 58-county area around North, Central and East Texas. With a staff of more than 1,000, the organization collects almost 400,000 blood donations a year and is recognized nationally as a center of excellence.
“Dr. Sayers has worked throughout the years to support the health and wellness of our community,” said W. Stephen Love, president/CEO of the hospital council. “Through Carter BloodCare, he daily supports the activities of treating the sick and helping restore them to healthy and productive lives. He is a deserving recipient of this award and we are looking forward to honoring his career.”
A physician with 35 years of experience in transfusion science medicine, Sayers has a long history of volunteer work. He previously served as chairman of the Food and Drug Administration Blood Products Committee. He also served on the Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Blood Safety, the American Association of Blood Banks Scientific Section Committee, the Scientific Medical and Technical Committee of America’s Blood Centers and the Texas Medical Association Committee on Blood and Tissue Usage.
Born in Reading, Berkshire, England, Sayers received his medical degree and doctorate from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. After immigrating to the United States, he completed fellowships in hematology, oncology and blood banking and transfusion medicine at the University of Washington. Sayers is on the faculty of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where his research involves community and public health.
Also at the luncheon, the hospital council will honor James Mendez, CEO of Kindred Hospital Dallas, as the Young Healthcare Executive of the Year and David Biegler, chairman of Children’s Health System of Texas board of directors, as the Kerney Laday Sr. Trustee of the Year.
Banking & Finance
Aspen Wealth Management’s newest financial planner is Candace Scholz. Before joining the firm, Scholz held leadership roles in the health care industry, from director of services to physician development. Scholz offers financial planning designed for practicing physicians, medical students, residents and fellows.
Boards & Organizations
Texas Center for Arts + Academics elected officers for two-year terms and added directors for three-year terms to lead its board. Directors are President Michael W. Wellbaum, President-elect Melissa Goodroe, Secretary Ann E. Dunkin and Chairman Bill Lamkin. Joining the board are Kathryn M. “Katie” Copeland, Naman Howell Smith & Lee and court-appointed mediator for Tarrant County Justice Court 1; Elizabeth “Beth” Lamb, Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth; and Linda Metcalf, PlainsCapital Bank. Returning directors are Edward Brown, Anne Cox, Sylvia Dodson, Willa Gill Dunleavy, Matthew D. Geske, Dr. Steven E. Johnson, Judith M. Kelly and Kristy Mouser.
The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation named Tim Nelligan, central division executive for The Hartford, as chairman of its Texas/Southeast Division board.
The Texas Travel Industry Association elected new officers and members for 2015-2016. Officers are: Chairman Davis Phillips, CEO, Phillips Entertainment Inc.; Chairman-elect Jim Brothers, director of marketing, Six Flags Over Texas; Treasurer Casandra Matej, executive director, San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Secretary Brandon Steinmann, managing director, government relations, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Immediate Past Chairman Kim Phillips, vice president of the Denton Convention & Visitors Bureau, will continue on the board’s executive committee. David Teel, president and CEO of TTIA, also sits on the executive committee.
Five new members join to serve three-year terms: Nelson Gumm, CEO, AJR Media Group; George Mery, owner, Elegant Limousine & Charter; Tim Morrow, executive director, San Antonio Zoo; Margo Richards, manager of community service, Lower Colorado River Authority; and Tom Schmid, president/CEO, Texas State Aquarium.
Board members re-elected for an additional three years include: Dean Conwell, executive director, Beaumont Convention & Visitors Bureau; Brenda Kissko, tourism and public relations manager, Midland Convention & Visitors Bureau; Edward Leos, publisher, Texas Edition, The Hotel Guide; Mark Thompson, director, Visit Plano; and Ryan Thompson, growth director, The Atkins Group.
Energy
Holland Services hired Brian Poe as Houston’s regional manager. Poe has more than 10 years of energy industry experience and is a registered petroleum landman.
Health Care
Daireds Salon & Spa Pangéa hired Tatiana Cronen as a medical esthetician, adding to its medical spa team. Cronen is a registered nurse with 10 years of experience. She is studying at the University of Texas at Arlington to become a nurse practitioner. She is certified to perform Botox and other cosmetic injections through the National Laser Institute. Additionally, she trained in cosmetology and esthetics in Moscow. Cronen has worked as a nurse in surgery and in cardiology at local hospitals including Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth and USMD Hospital at Arlington.
Honors & Awards
Ed McGuire, president of Bob Moore Construction, received the 2015 Murray Parker Memorial Award from the Tilt-Up Concrete Association. McGuire has provided executive-level oversight for all construction and field operations for the firm since 1992. He played a major role in the company being accepted into the OSHA Local Partnership Program and the company became the first general contractor in the United States to receive formal accreditation as a certified tilt-up company by the TCA. McGuire has served on numerous national industry committees and boards, including as former president and vice president for the TCA.
Senior Citizens Services of Greater Tarrant County Inc. has named the recipients of the 2015 Senior Spirit Awards. They are Tarrant County Commissioner Gary Fickes, Carlton Lancaster Legacy Award; J. Howard Davis, community volunteer, Evelyn Siegel Vision Award; Haltom City, Mae Cora Peterson Healthy Aging Award; and Hedy Collins, Jewish Family Services, President’s Award.
Christopher S. Roberts, a financial professional with AXA Advisors LLC in Fort Worth, earned a certificate in retirement planning from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Roberts has been with AXA Advisors since 2005 and also has been the director of the Fort Worth Retirement Benefits Group, a specialized division of AXA Advisors.
Cantey Hanger LLP has been ranked among the top 150 law firms in the United States with fewer than 150 attorneys by Vault, an online ranking service for several professional industries.
Nonprofit Organizations
Karanae Spradlin has been named to the new position of chief financial officer of Child Care Associates. Spradlin brings more than 13 years of experience in the nonprofit industry. Most recently, she was chief financial officer for three years at James L. West Alzheimer’s Special Care Center.
VolunteerNow added Stefan Ateek in a consulting role as director of community engagement to expand the nonprofit’s presence in Fort Worth and Tarrant County. Ateek is a professor of social work at Collin College and has previously worked with the Amon G. Carter Foundation and The Simmons Family Foundation. He has also worked in the Tarrant County justice system.
Send newsmakers to Betty Dillard at bdillard@bizpress.net