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Presented By
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FACES & PLACES 
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The 85th Texas Legislative Session convened yesterday! During our Leaders In Government Preview luncheon in December at
Cendera Center, State
Rep. Chris Turner told attendees the No. 1 priority to be addressed immediately in the Texas legislative is the "crisis in our CPS (Child Protective Services) system and foster care." Turner and
Senator Konni Burton spoke to
Chamber members about key business issues. Read more below.
View pics from a variety of Chamber events, click
here.
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Justin time for the rodeo: It would be easy to start the B2B Insider year just sayin' that the GREAT Justin Boot Co. folks are giving away a pair of non-exotic boots in time for the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo and leave it at that. But Mr. B would be booted from this job before you even read giveaway No. 2. So he did some research. Did you know that founder H.J. (Joe) Justin used decorative stitching across the boot tops to stiffen the leather and prevent it from folding around the ankles? Or that in the early 1890s, his wife, Louanna, developed a self-measuring kit and customers could order by mail. N o shipping charges, but you had to pony up for delivery. Justin is a HUGE rodeo supporter with its Justin Sportsmedicine Team and the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. Wear your new pair of Justin boots to the rodeo and check out all the Justin boots and its No. 1-ranked team.
Building Bridges: The Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau promotes the greatness of Fort Worth to the world. And each year, it celebrates its work with an Annual Breakfast; this year, the CVB pays homage to "Things to Do," the growing number of attractions and features that draw visitors to one of the nation's fastest-growing cities. It will highlight tourism's growing impact on the local economy and jobs, and recent initiatives such as the Fort Worth Sports Marketing and the Fort Worth Film commissions. And it will highlight Leon Bridges, the soulful singer from Fort Worth who rocketed to heights unforeseen, representing and spreading the Fort Worth name. Two readers can CVB the excitement Feb. 1 at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel.
Lay of the land: Real estate forecasters have ripped up and re-written their research and speeches, and await the Presidency of Donald Trump, a fellow developer and real estate mogul. Kreskin did not see that coming during last year's Tarrant County Real Estate Forecast. This year's largest annual real estate event is 7:30-10:30 a.m. Jan. 19 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. While you nosh, industry experts will forecast what will happen during 2017. The Chamber's own Brandom Gengelbach will be part of the morning's lineup. The Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth has a seat for two readers.
Home is where the heart is: Fort Worth Housing Solutions is looking for a few good ... landlords. If you lord over land that houses a house, Fort Worth Housing Solutions is having a landlord recruiting event Friday, January 27 to expand its "Take One" housing efforts. Landlords with vacant properties will learn how to team with Fort Worth Housing Solutions on its Housing Choice Voucher or Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing and lease to qualified prospects. Joe Czabajszki, easier spelled than pronounced, is the manager of marketing and communications for Fort Worth Housing Solutions. He is our kind of neighbor, sending B2B Insider a "welcome to the neighborhood" note and a $50 gift card to Reata Restaurant.
Congratulations to December 21st Prize Winners:
- Sonya Cisneros, Modern Art Museum
- Greg Kubes, Edward Jones
- Stephanie McBride, Workforce Solutions of Tarrant County
- David Atkins, Texhoma Land Consultants
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HE SAID, SHE SAID, THEY SAID
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Peter (not) panned: The indoor skydiving adventures of new Chamber member iFly are for people of all ages. Just ask Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty agent Michael Crain. He took his "almost" 75-year-old mom, Wanda, and 8-year-old twins Mackaylee and Mackenzie. "(Mom) is not the most adventurous person so getting her to do it took some coaxing. It does take a big leap of faith as you just jump out there, but they ratchet up the air pressure to cover different weights. Mackaylee wants to have her birthday party there."
 Holy cow! This item is courtesy of Susan Wright at the Lockheed Martin AERO Club -- Jack Arrendale started working at Lockheed Martin on Nov. 4, 1951 (!!!!) and will retire during 2017. His starting salary was $1.98 an hour. He attributes four things to surviving 65 years in the workplace. 1) Keep your mouth shut; 2) Mind your own business; 3) Do your job; 4) Keep your nose clean.
Which will last longer? Your New Year's resolutions or the still flickering lights at the two-Christmas-tree, three-Menorah Mr. B Mansion...
So mean to tease me: If your BIG New Year's resolution already is running on fumes, Mr. B wants to tell you about a member-to-member discount he saw on the
Chamber website.
Nestle Toll House Cafe/Red Mango in
Sundance Square is offering 25% off cookie cakes. There isn't anything much better than the smell of baked Nestle cookie dough. What will your cake say?
And they're off...: Back in December, State
Rep. Chris Turner and
Senator Konni Burton spoke to
Chamber members about some key issues present in current Texas legislature:
- School funding: Both agree public education is underfunded. Turner said 1/2 your property tax is from schools and that won't be cut, so there has to be a commitment to find money. Burton said she thought the lege could find money AND do a vouchers for choice program. Turner said vouchers have come up for vote in the House during three sessions and failed.
- They agreed the affordability of college education will be a major issue. Burton says that rate-making may have to be taken out of the hands of Regents.
- Burton wants to get rid of the franchise tax and Texas Enterprise Fund. Turner said past funds had been mismanaged, but reforms had been made and that done right, they help to close deals and bring new businesses and jobs to Texas.
- For the Chamber positions on legislative affairs, click here.
Across the Spectrum: Evan Eastman has been working at
Spectrum Business cable company 11+ years, his longest at any one job, surpassing a previous 11-year stint as a paperboy (ages 8-18). During his time cabling, the company has been Charter Communications, Charter Business Networks, Charter Business and Spectrum Business.
Are you sitting for this? The entity that owns
MMG Building & Construction Services port-a-potties has entered the Oklahoma City market and Cally Smoke wrote to say, "I hope the Oklahoma City Chamber is as fun as the
Fort Worth Chamber!" Nice compliment; the FW Chamber is flush with gratitude, Cally.
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"What we (government) do is very public ... but I wouldn't have this job if I couldn't keep a secret."
--
Robert Sturns, Economic Development Director
City of Fort Worth
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No poaching allowed: OK, it might be a tad early to really know, but the
Fort Worth Business Press recognized 20 in their 20s and many were from
Chamber member companies. Congrats to Nicole Antonini,
Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Arielle Austin,
JTaylor, Ashley Carter,
Pacheco Koch, Ryan P. Edgmon,
Higginbotham, Andrew Feghali,
Aeroblaze Laboratory, Stephanie Hays,
Principal Financial Group, Lucy Ledue Ives,
Hahnfeld Hoffer Stanford, Sarah LanCarte,
Transwestern, Allison G. McMahon,
Burns & McDonnell, John A. Moncrief,
Clear Fork Royalty, Alexis Nguyen,
TECH Fort Worth, Elizabeth Northern,
Buxton, Keely Lake Peden,
Cowtown Cycle Party, Carolyn Phillips,
Alchemy Pops, Christopher J. Powers, Jr.,
Fort Capital and Breck Ray, Jr.,
Bank of Texas.
 Smart docs: Tarrant County hospital JPS and the
TCU Neeley School of Business are starting a Physician Leadership Program this month. The goal is for more docs to know the business side of shots and scalpels. They will earn continuing medical education credit and college credit toward a Master of Business Administration.
Kudos: Workforce Soulutions for Tarrant County is proud of BOTH the 2016 large (
Lockheed Martin) and small (
Klein Tool) employers of the year as selected by the Texas Workforce Commission. They were selected from among nominations from 28 local workforce boards in the state
More kudos: The
Chamber honored its top Am-Bass-Adorables for fourth quarter of 2016 and for the year. Pepper Sims of
Pepper-L Specialties was tops for the fourth quarter. Marnie Stites, the Bill Belichick of Am-Bass-Adorables, was Super-est for the entire year. It is the fourth consecutive annual title for the
Guardianship Services great. The Charles Cox Service Award, formerly the Ambassador's Choice Award, went to LaShelle Knox of
QCS Unlimited. Cox "epitomized the meaning of what it means to be an Ambassador."
Stars come out at night: Next Thursday is a
Chamber Business After Hours at
Cendera Center that is must attend. Largest crowd. Great food. Never better networking. The night is also an introduction to the Chamber's Small Business of the Year Awards finalists. The winner in each category will be announced at the
Mayor's State of the City luncheon Feb. 22. The finalists -- Emerging businesses:
Alchemy Pops,
Alpha Industries and
Skin Deep Laser MD; 1-10 Employees:
Cornerstone Diversified Consultants,
M-Pak and
Z's Café; 11-50 Employees:
Arlington Heights Animal Hospital,
Sutton Frost Cary and
The Fulcrum Group; 51-150 Employees:
DOCUmation of North Texas,
Sellmark Corporation and
Southwest Office Systems.
Speaking of...: The
Chamber Business After Hours are great opportunities to show off your place to as many as 175 Chamber members. Membership maven Teresa Pearson is looking for two businesses as hosts for a Business After Hours during 2017 and three to host Network Mania (65 attendees). If you want business folks to traipse through your show-able business, contact
Teresa Pearson.
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS
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Date Event Name
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1-12
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Membership 101: Orientation & Networking, Presented by Cantey Hanger LLP
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1-17
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North Area Council Membership Luncheon with Paul Ballard, President, Fort Worth Transportation, Presented by Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth
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1-19
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Tarrant County Commercial Real Estate Forecast
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1-19
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Business After Hours at Cendera Center
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Vision FW Events (Chamber's 40 and under programming)
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1-13
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"Table of 10" Mentoring Lunch - SOLD OUT
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1-26
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YP Night at the Rodeo
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Ribbon Cuttings
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1-19
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January 19th, 2017, (Southwest AC)
IM=X Pilates Fort Worth
3805 Southwest Blvd.
11:00 a.m.
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1-26
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January 26, 2017, 2016, (Central AC)
Barnett Howard & Williams, PLLC
209 W. 8th Street
3:00 p.m.
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1-31
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January 31, 2017, (Southwest AC)
Ensemble Coworking
1617 Park Place Avenue, Ste. 110
4:30 p.m.
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DIRECT MAIL STILL WORKS!
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 Use for direct mail to Chamber businesses. (Avery 5160)
Available formats:
- Geographic area set (North, South, Central, West, East; see map here. Contact Christine directly to order.)- $75 for Chamber members
- Full membership set (approx. 2,000 addresses)- $300 for Chamber members
Sorted by zip code. Visit our
eCommerce store to purchase (you must be logged in as a member to view "Members Only" products) or contact
Christine Gores.
*Member price. Price excludes tax.
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