GOVERNMENT
Gov. Greg Abbott has reappointed Eric Hogue and Angela “Angie” Ortiz Wolf to the governing board of the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) for terms set to expire on Jan. 31, 2021. The governor also appointed Dr. Christopher Moreland and reappointed Shalia “Sha” Cowan and Shawn Patrick Saladin for terms set to expire on Jan. 31, 2023 and appointed Keith Sibley and reappointed David Saunders and Heather Withrow for terms set to expire on Jan. 31, 2025. The board oversees the provision of all TSD services and is responsible for budget preparation, policy adoption and the appointment of the superintendent.
Sibley of Bedford is an adjunct professor of foreign languages at Brookhaven College, where he teaches American Sign Language to hearing students. Saunders of Waxahachie is president of Workforce QA, a national drug testing and background provider with a focus on the trucking industry.
The Texas Economic Development Corp.’s new board of directors appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott includes two from North Texas and others with North Texas connections. New to the board are J. Pat Hickman, Vicki Hollub, Woody Hunt, Jim Lentz, Drayton McLane Jr., Abid Neemuchwala, Scott Prochazka and Bryan Sheffield, for terms to expire at the pleasure of the governor. The governor named McLane chairman and Hollub vice chairman.
Lentz of Westlake is the CEO of Toyota Motor North America. He oversees all business for Toyota’s North America region, including manufacturing, research and development, sales, marketing, product support and corporate resources. He is a member and former chairman of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, secretary of The Association of Global Automakers, and a member of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Advisory Board. He is a member of the University of Denver executive advisory board and the Dallas Stars advisory board.
Neemuchwala of Coppell is CEO and board director of Wipro Limited. He is a board member of the DFW World Affairs Council.
HONORS & AWARDS
Fort Worth Independent School District trustee Jacinto “Cinto” Ramos Jr. has been chosen to lead two national education organizations. He is the new chairman of the 2019-2020 Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) as well as the next president of the Mexican American School Boards Association. Ramos was elected to the leadership position at CUBE during the National School Boards Association annual conference, March 30-April 1.
HOSPITALITY
The Worthington Renaissance Hotel has added executive chef Greg Pawlowski to its culinary team. He worked most recently at The Westin Stonebriar and Sheraton Stonebriar Hotel in Frisco. Pawlowski started as a butcher at Whole Foods before pursuing his culinary education at Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He then was a sous chef in Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant in Atlantic City and helped in the opening of several additional Wolfgang Puck restaurants. Pawlowski eventually came to Texas, where he was executive sous chef at The Westin Galleria in Dallas.
LAW
Jim Loveless has joined Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson LLP opening the firm’s Fort Worth office. A fourth-generation Texan from Fort Worth, Loveless has been board-certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for 39 years. Loveless is the former president of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, a Fellow with the International Academy of Family Lawyers, and an emeritus member in the invitation-only group of 100 attorneys with the American College of Family Trial Lawyers. He is a graduate of South Texas College of Law and Texas Tech University.
Alicia D. Meinzer has joined Bourland, Wall & Wenzel as associate attorney. Meinzer’s practice focuses primarily on wealth planning, asset protection, probate, estate and trust administration, and tax law.
NONPROFIT
United Way of Tarrant County has named James Powell as the new chairman of its board. He replaces Riz Chand, who stepped down to pursue new business opportunities out of state. Powell, who is assistant general counsel at the North Central Texas Council of Governments, joined United Way’s board of directors in 2009. He has served on numerous committees including the Executive, Strategic Planning and Governance Committees and was co-chairman of the organization’s annual campaign in 2013 with his father, Charlie Powell. The board voted on Powell’s nomination March 29.
“I have been deeply involved with United Way of Tarrant County for many years and I am excited to continue supporting the organization as chairman of the board,” Powell said. “As Tarrant County continues to experience tremendous growth, so to do our communities’ needs. With the implementation of its strategic plan adopted last year and the results of the recent community assessment, the organization is well-positioned to continue its longstanding leadership, advocacy and resourcing role in the community.”
As chairman, Powell will oversee actions by the board of directors and executive committee. He also will work with the executive team to execute its strategic plan and fulfill its mission to provide leadership and harness resources to solve Tarrant County’s toughest issues.
“As we continue our focus on public philanthropy and invest in the needs of our community, it is important we have a strong leader and board,” said TD Smyers, president and CEO of United Way of Tarrant County.
Send newsmakers to Robert Francis at rfrancis@bizpress.net