Newsmakers – June 9, 2014

Banking & Finance Rodney Bryant, Reynolds Ellston and Kasey Morrisey have joined the Northwestern Mutual office in Fort Worth as financial representatives. Bryant is a 26-year U.S. Navy veteran. He previously worked with Insperity. Morrisey previously worked in oilfield reclamation in Canada and three years at Saint Gobain Abrasives as a credit analyst.

Boards & Organizations The YWCA Fort Worth & Tarrant County has three new board members who will serve three-year terms: Sara Dameron, Wesley Snyder and Aubrey Gideon, who also will serve as chairman of the social enterprise committee. Newly elected and reinstated officers include Linda Hurt, president; Lisa Grady, president-elect; Raquel Qualls-Hampton, first vice president, programs; Dana Compton, second vice president, development; Paula Hunter-Perkins, third vice president, human resources; Erin Carlson, secretary; Beth Miller, treasurer; LeAnn Behrens, governance committee chairman; and Beth Reintjes, member-at-large. The remaining board members are Nommo Combs, Lettie Haynes, Mary Ann Kleuser, Tracey Plumleigh, Mary Stelter and Paulette Tutor. Kirk Godby – photo – is the newly elected president of The Customized Logistics and Delivery Association. Godby has served eight years on the CLDA board, chairing many committees, including the convention committee for the last three years. Godby is a member of Texas Courier and Logistics Association and a former partner at Corporate Couriers, a full-service same-day delivery company he founded in 1993. The North Texas Commission board appointed new members: Chuck Allen, — photo –American Airlines; Barkat Ali, Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce; Paul Ballard, — photo — Fort Worth Transportation Authority; Michele Chulick, Children’s Medical Center; Marlon Cortez, Slalom Consulting; Joseph DeLeon, — photo — Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; A.C. Gonzalez, city of Dallas; Tom Kula, North Texas Municipal Water District; Stephen Mansfield, Dallas Regional Chamber; Joe May, Dallas County Community College District; Jeremy Miller, Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce; Michelle Riddell, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas; Dan Schafer, Coca-Cola; Neal Smatresk, University of North Texas; and Peter Wilson, EFO Holdings. Todd Ritterbusch of JPMorgan Chase is president of the newly-formed Fort Worth Independent School District Education Foundation. Other founding members are: Christene C. Moss, president, Fort Worth ISD Board of Education; Walter Dansby, Fort Worth ISD superintendent; Jamal Williams, Tarrant County College District; Cynthia Fisher-Miller, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce; Marilyn Jones, United Way of Tarrant County; Nancy Jones, Community Foundation of North Texas; Olga Naranjo, Keller Williams; Bob Pence, Freese and Nichols; Jacinto Ramos, FWISD board trustee; and Jeremy Smith, Rainwater Charitable Foundation. Methodist Mansfield Medical Center’s Director of Respiratory Therapy Marcus Jackson – photo – is now a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Jackson began his career at Methodist Dallas as a neonatal transport therapist 19 years ago. Under his leadership, Methodist Mansfield’s respiratory therapy department was named one of the best in the country by RT Magazine for the second year in a row. Jackson serves on the advisory boards of Tarrant County College and Midwestern State University. He also serves on the board of Methodist Health System’s Employee Credit Union.

Defense Michael L. Oates is the new vice president-strategy and business development for the air and missile defense line of business at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Grand Prairie. Oates moved from Lockheed’s Washington operations, where he served as vice president for Army and Special Operations Programs. Oates served in the U.S. Army for 32 years. His leadership positions included lieutenant general and director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization and commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division. Oates replaces Orville Prins, who will retire in August after a 24-year career with Lockheed Martin.

Honors & Awards Texas Christian University educator Ralph Carter – photo – is a 2014 recipient of the Piper Professor Award. Carter has taught in the political science department at TCU since 1982. In 2006, he was awarded the Quincy Wright Distinguished Scholar Award from the International Studies Association, and in 2012 he was named as one of “The Best 300 Professors” in the United States by The Princeton Review. Shauna J. Wright, — photo – a partner at Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP, is the recipient of the 2014 Pro Bono Coordinator Award from the State Bar of Texas. Wright, a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, is the firm’s pro bono coordinator. She collaborates with the Tarrant County Bar Association and co-chairs Tarrant Volunteer Attorney Services. The YWCA Fort Worth & Tarrant County recognized several individuals and corporations for their contributions to eliminating poverty among women and children in Tarrant County during its annual meeting in May. Those honored include: JPMorgan Chase Foundation, The Winner’s Circle; XTO Energy, Partner Award; Susan Motheral, Humanitarian Award; Ginny Markley, Advocacy Award; May Ann Kleuser, Leadership Award; and Linda Lovell, outstanding Resale & reDesign Shop volunteer. SEDALCO Construction Services received the Distinguished Building Award from TEXO for its Marney Dunman Perry Jr. Technology Center project in Mineral Wells for PECOFacet. Methodist Mansfield Medical Center has been certified as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, recognizing the hospital’s efforts to foster better outcomes in stroke care.

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Law Anthony R. Cuesta – photo – joined the law firm of Brackett & Ellis. His practice consists primarily of litigation and school law, and other business and commercial transactions.

Real Estate Trademark Property Co. appointed Steven W. Toppel as executive vice president. With more than 28 years of experience in commercial real estate, Toppel will oversee leasing for Trademark’s portfolio of lifestyle centers, malls and mixed-use developments. He joins Trademark after 13 years with General Growth Properties, serving as senior director of leasing since 2006. Prior experience includes director of leasing for The MGHerring Group/Trammell Crow Faison, senior leasing representative for Clarion Realty Services and as vice president for Davidson Conine Realty Advisors and Dunhill Partners. Toppel also serves as Commander, United States Navy (Reserve), Naval Intelligence, since 1989, with several tours of duty including Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and Operation Enduring Freedom/Noble Eagle-Philippines and Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf.

Send newsmakers to Betty Dillard at bdillard@bizpress.net

Carol Klocek celebrated as a community leader Carol Hunter Klocek, — photo – executive director for YWCA Fort Worth & Tarrant County, has been named by the Lockheed Martin Leadership Association as the Community Leader of the Year for her work as a champion of the underserved and impoverished in the community. Klocek’s dedication to the homeless and underserved spans more than 20 years and includes time serving other social service agencies in the area, including The Salvation Army, Presbyterian Night Shelter and Catholic Charities of Fort Worth. She was appointed by the Fort Worth City Council to serve on the Fort Worth Advisory Commission on Homelessness, the organization that oversees the Directions Home Plan to make homelessness short-term and non-recurring in Fort Worth. Klocek earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Texas at Arlington and an EMBA from Texas Christian University. “My objective is to improve the quality of life for people living in poverty by creating real and lasting change,” Klocek said. Each year the more than 2,300 members of LMLA, the local NMA chapter, can nominate a leader in the Fort Worth community for Leader of the Year recognition. The honoree is announced in conjunction with Management Week in America, which is the week of June 1 this year. In addition to celebrating community leaders, Management Week in America recognizes management as a profession and encourages those with leadership responsibility to continue to improve the quality of their performance. “Management Week in America fosters respect and understanding of the profession and its essential role in increasing productivity,” said Kiran Dambala, NMA’s chairman of the board and a Lockheed Martin software engineer. “In today’s collaborative environments, the abilities to lead teams and drive change are critical skills up and down the business ladder.”

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