American Aero FTW announced on April 16 that its customer service manager, Angela Thurmond, has been named one of the highest-rated customer service representatives in the industry in the 2018 Aviation International News FBO Survey.
American Aero FTW customers repeatedly recognized Thurmond as someone who routinely goes “above and beyond” to deliver customer service.
Thurmond was among 25 customer service representatives in the world recognized in this year’s survey, released on April 2. She leads 10 customer service employees at American Aero FTW and works directly with fixed-base operator customers.
“Angela is a wonderful leader and a prime example of the commitment each one of our employees makes to customers every day,” General Manager Riggs Brown said.
Additionally, American Aero FTW at Meacham International Airport was ranked the No. 1 FBO in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and ranked 10th in the Americas, earning it a spot in the top 5 percent of FBOs.
The annual survey rates FBOs based on pilot amenities, passenger amenities, line service, facilities and customer service representatives. The 2018 survey included a comprehensive list of 4,500 FBOs worldwide.
BANKING & FINANCE
Matt Opitz has joined Trinity Bank NA as executive vice president. A Fort Worth native and graduate of Texas Christian University, Opitz joins Trinity after 10 years with another financial institution.
ENGINEERING
Alfredo Valadez, a leader in industrial automation, has joined Burns & McDonnell as a project manager. With more than 20 years of experience in warehouse and manufacturing automation, Valadez will design and implement innovative industrial automation solutions for clients across the United States. Throughout his career, he has developed state-of-the-art technology to advance industrial automation, including a robotic truck loading and unloading system and a robotic palletizing system for confined spaces.
HONORS & AWARDS
Bradley Bruce, a Merrill Lynch financial adviser, has been recognized on Barron’s 2018 Top 1,200 Financial Advisors list that was published on March 12. Bruce lives in Fort Worth and has been a part of Merrill Lynch’s Fort Worth office for 29 years.
Apex Capital Corp. has been recognized as one of the Healthiest Companies in America by Interactive Health, a national provider known for its preventive health programs that encourage employees to adopt new health habits. Apex Capital is one of 184 companies across the country recognized this year for empowering employees to make significant life-saving changes to improve their health. This is the first year Apex has won the award.
NONPROFITS
New board members at The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation include Becky Renfro Borbolla, vice president of Renfro Foods; Lezlie Culver, program development director with Mental Health America; Anne Holland, wealth strategist and owner of Plan+Tactics, and Brad Nowlin, licensed marriage and family therapist. The foundation provides suicide prevention training and education to children and adults and seeks to remove the stigma of mental illness by funding research into depression.
REAL ESTATE
The Divorce Real Estate Institute has recognized John and Raquel Patterson as certified divorce real estate experts. The Pattersons, Realtors with Keller Williams Realty in Fort Worth, recently graduated from the inaugural master course at the institute at Pomona College in Claremont, California.
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