Newsmakers – Aug. 25, 2014

SafeHaven announces 2014 Legacy of Women honorees Fifteen women will be honored by SafeHaven of Tarrant County during the 22nd Legacy of Women luncheon on Sept. 26 at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel. Nominations are solicited in arts, business, education, health and human services, and volunteerism and an honoree is selected in each category from Arlington, Fort Worth and Northeast Tarrant County by an independent selection committee. The 2014 Legacy of Women honorees in arts are Martha Fredrick, Mainstage Classic Theatre; Amy Adkins, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Association; and Connie Nichols, Arts Council Northeast Tarrant County. In the business category, the honorees are Linda Dipert, Women Inspiring Philanthropy and Dan Dipert Travel; Bobbie Edmonds, Law Offices of Bobbie Edmonds; and Cyndi Miller, Miller Public Relations. Those honored in education are Beth Anderson, Berry Elementary and Anderson Elementary, Arlington; Rebecca Brumley, Red Oak Foundation; and Sharon Mayes, Penrose Foundation. Health and human services honorees are Joan Bergstrom, Women’s Health Services; Barbara Board, Community Storehouse; and Christine Quatro, Varsity Orthopedics. Rounding out the list in the volunteerism category are Kay King, Lauri Lawrence and Laura Hill.

Banking & Finance Rick Callihan has been appointed vice president for Bank of Texas’ The Private Bank. He is based in the firm’s Grapevine location and will focus on high net worth clients in Fort Worth and northeast Tarrant County. A 17-year financial industry veteran, Callihan most recently served as assistant vice president and financial adviser at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Southlake. Prior to that, he served as vice president and financial adviser at Bernstein Wealth Management and at Bayview Asset Management as vice president of capital markets, vice president of residential loan originations, and vice president of sales and market manager of the Southwest. Kevin Judkins joined Texas Bank Mortgage as a mortgage loan officer in the Willow Park office of Texas Bank Financial. Judkins has more than 22 years of banking expertise, focusing on customer service. Prior to moving to Parker County in 2011, he managed multiple branches for Compass Bank and was instrumental in merging Compass with Texas Bank in Denton County. Dan Lengyel, who has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, has been named market leader for MetLife Premier Client Group-Red River Valley (formerly TruStone Financial Group.) Lengyel will oversee multiple MetLife firms across North Texas, Oklahoma and Shreveport.

Honors & Awards The Fort Worth chapter of the Texas Chefs Association recently awarded Chef Heather Kurima, director of the Culinary School of Fort Worth, Pastry Chef of the Year for Fort Worth and Chef Kendyll Norris, a cook at Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa, Student Culinarian of the Year. Eric Silver, owner of Fish Window Cleaning in Fort Worth received the company’s Top Producer and Star Performer awards for producing one of the highest revenue totals during 2013. He was also recognized for top sales with more than 500 new accounts in 2013, and he received the Navigator Award for his work with prospective franchisees. He is also part of the Pinnacle Club, recognizing owners who reach $100,000 or more in production over and above the previous year. In addition, Silver received the Soaring Eagle award for his success in taking over an existing franchise and increasing the sales, profitability and operational excellence. The National Association of Clean Water Agencies recognized four Trinity River Authority of Texas wastewater treatment systems with Peak Performance Awards. Platinum awards were presented to the facilities for complete and consistent National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit compliance. Central Regional Wastewater System was recognized for 20 years; Red Oak Creek Regional Wastewater System, 14 years; Ten Mile Creek Regional Wastewater System, 12 years; and Denton Creek Regional Wastewater System, nine years. Acme Brick Co. earned the 2014 “Partners of Choice Award” from David Weekley Homes for the third consecutive year. Acme is one of only 21 companies nationwide to receive the award with an “A” ranking. Acme achieved the “A” rating for Quality.

Hospitality Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center appointed Jim Quinn as general manager. During his 27 years with Marriott, Quinn has served in a variety of positions, brands and locations. He worked his way up from a sales intern at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in 1987 to vice president of sales and marketing for Marriott International in 2000. Quinn’s first general manager assignment was at Hilton Head Marriott Beach and Golf Resort in South Carolina. Prior to joining the Gaylord Texan team, Quinn most recently served as general manager of the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter & Riverwalk Hotels.

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Lawn & Garden Alicia Hicks is the new vice president of marketing at Calloway’s Nursery Inc., having formerly served as director of retail marketing. Hicks will oversee marketing for all 17 Calloway’s Nursery locations in Dallas-Fort Worth and two Cornelius Nursery locations in Houston. Hicks has more than 20 years of advertising and marketing experience in radio broadcasting, including sales and management positions at ABC Radio, a division of the Walt Disney Corp., and CBS Radio.

Nonprofit Organizations The Arlington Independent School District Education Foundation hired Brian A. White – – as its new executive director. White most recently served as senior major gifts officer with the American Red Cross North Texas Region. He has had management roles with World Vision, University of North Texas, Uplift Education, The Salvation Army, Gladney Center for Adoption, and Cumberland Presbyterian Children’s Home. White began his career as a TV reporter and anchor with television stations in Jackson and Hattiesburg, Miss. Anjali Desai joined Susan G. Komen Greater Fort Worth as the Affiliate’s mission manager, overseeing mission programming, grant making, community outreach, education programs and public policy initiatives. Desai most recently served Los Barrios Unidos Community Clinic as the breast health program coordinator. The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) named Sarah Conway executive director of its Texas/Southeast Division. Conway will be responsible for leading philanthropic initiatives in the region, which include the local nonprofit grant programs as well as the running of the fundraising, volunteer and networking events. Most recently, Conway served as a development officer with the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. In addition, Conway is the founding board chairman of The One Society, a nonprofit that engages local young professionals in community involvement. Founded in 2012, the IICF’s Texas/Southeast Division is based in Dallas and serves Texas and the Southeast region of the U.S.

Real Estate Henry S. Miller Brokerage promoted Lane Kommer to vice president of the Dallas-Fort Worth Investments-Land Division. Kommer has been with the Miller brokerage company for five years and has consistently placed within the Top Ten Monthly Producers and has been a Top Ten Yearly Producer in 2013 and 2014. He is a member of the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors.

Tourism, Entertainment & Leisure Thomas Cupples and Allan Steele joined the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra as principal trumpet and principal cello, respectively. Cupples comes to the FWSO from Washington, D.C., where he has served as second trumpet of the National Symphony Orchestra since 2005. Since 2011, he has been performing as assistant principal trumpet. His previous positions include principal trumpet of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and principal of the Haifa Symphony Orchestra in Haifa, Israel. Steele comes to the FWSO after completing his bachelor’s degree in music at the Colburn Conservatory. He was a long-time member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, soloing with them twice at a young age. He is a founding member of the classical music group MC2 and regularly performs in the Chicago and Los Angeles areas. Southern Oaks Golf Club in Burleson named Brian Matt general manager of the course. Prior to joining Southern Oaks, Matt served in various GM roles within the golf community, including multiple locations of ClubCorps Clubs and at several country clubs, such as Queen’s Harbor Yacht & Country Club in Jacksonville, Fla; Lakeside Country Club in Houston; Tuscawilla Country Club in Winter Park, Fla; Mission Valley Country Club in Laurel, Fla; and Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach, Calif.

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Send newsmakers to Betty Dillard at bdillard@bizpress.net