January 2026 News & Notes

The Power of Momentum

Happy New Year!

It’s hard to believe 2025 is are already in the rearview mirror and 2026 has begun. In the background, your Northeast Leadership Forum Board has been hard at work since December, preparing for an exciting year ahead.

This year, our focus is on The Power of Momentum. As Nick Vujicic reminds us: “Keep moving ahead because action creates momentum, which in turn creates unanticipated opportunities.”

Last year, we celebrated important milestones:

• Welcomed new members into our organization
• Expanded and improved our website (visit here)
• Hosted two successful events: the Annual Awards Luncheon and Heart of North Texas

Now, we’re ready to build on that momentum. In 2026, our goals include:

• Adding advertising opportunities to the NLF website
• Expanding event pages to highlight more community activities
• Driving more traffic to our website
• Growing membership by 10%

But we can’t do it alone. Your support is essential! The Northeast Leadership Forum is one of the best-kept secrets in Northeast Tarrant County—and it’s time to share that secret. Together, we can expand our reach, strengthen our impact, and create new opportunities for all.

Remember: when you act, you create momentum. Let’s keep moving forward—together!

Sincerely,

Kathryn Vowels

2026 NLF Chair

Let’s Kick Off the Year at Our First NLF Membership Meeting!

Tuesday, February 10 • Program Begins at 8 a.m. • Hurst Conference Center

Thank you to our sponsor!

We’re kicking off the year with an inspiring session you won’t want to miss. Our guest speaker will be Lisa Harrington of Abiding Strategy, presenting “Plan on Purpose.”

Lisa is known for her thoughtful, practical approach to intentional planning, and this session will set a strong tone for the year ahead.

Distinguished Leadership Award - We Need Your Nominations!

This award was created to honor a person who has given many years of service to the Northeast Tarrant County area. This service may be in civic, educational, non-profit organizations, chambers of commerce, elected office or general contributions to the quality of life and well-being of the citizens of the Northeast Tarrant County area. Preferably, this person will have had positive involvement in multiple areas of our community with innovative activities and leadership qualities. The ideal candidate will have held various volunteer responsibilities and longevity in one or more organizations.

Last year our honoree was Mayor Henry Wilson. If you would like to nominate someone, click on this link, download and complete the form and make your nomination today! 

If you have any questions, call Mary Frazior at the HEB Chamber @ 817-283-1521 or email maryfrazior@heb.org.

Nomination form must be postmarked by Friday, March 6, 2026.

Recognizing NLF Board Members

As we continue building momentum in 2026, we want to take a moment to recognize and thank those who have helped move our organization forward.

First, a heartfelt thank you to Craig Hulse, our 2025 Chair, for his outstanding leadership and vision. His guidance has been instrumental in advancing the Northeast Leadership Forum.

We also extend our deep appreciation to four dedicated Board members who have completed their terms and their service and contributions have strengthened our organization and left a lasting impact.

• Amanda Calongne
• Andrie Krahl
• Armin Mizani, City of Keller
• Craig Norton, Beyond the Known International

Looking ahead, we are excited to introduce our newest Board members:

• Scott Baumbach, ONCOR Electric Delivery
• Bev Dixon, Keller Chamber of Commerce
• Dr. Joe Harrington, HEB ISD
• Tito Rodriguez

We are thrilled to welcome them and look forward to the fresh ideas, energy, and leadership they will bring.

Chair:

Chair-Elect:

Treasurer:

Vice Chair of Events:

Secretary:

Immediate Past Chair:

Kathryn Vowels, Tarrant County

Randy McCauley, Great Plains Bank

Janice Spooner, NBT Financial Bank

Trasa Cobern, 6 Stones Mission Network

Mary Frazior, HEB Chamber of Commerce

Craig Hulse, City of North Richland Hills

BOARD MEMBERS

Scott Baumbach

Jerry Cantu

Bev Dixon

Garin Giacomarro

Dr. Joe Harrington

Karen Parsinen

Tito Rodriguez

Chelsea Rose

Mike Taylor

DIRECTORS EMERITUS

Faye Beaulieu

Shelby Bruhn

Vanessa Copeland

Larry Darlage

Bob Golden

Jim Griffin

Garry Hamilton

RaDonna Hessel

Craig Hulse

Eli Mercer

Charlie Powell

Nick Sanders

Wendy Shabay Bonneau

Howard Shotwell

Carolyn Sims

Ginny Tigue

Glen Whitley

2026 COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Mayor’s Roundtable

Mayor Art Miner

Superintendent’s Roundtable

Dr. Joe Harrington

Chamber President’s Roundtable

Bev Dixon

Membership

Jerry Cantu

Facebook & LinkedIn Communications

Chelsea Rose

Website Communication

Trasa Cobern

Now’s The Time – Mark Your Calendar – Save the Dates

Date:

Tuesday, February 10

8 a.m. - 9 a.m.

Wednesday, April 1

11:30 a.m. - 1:15 p.m

Tuesday, June 9

8 a.m. - 9 a.m.

Tuesday, August 11

8 a.m. - 9 a.m.

Wednesday, October 28

8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Tuesday, December 8

8 a.m. - 9 a.m.

Meeting:

Membership Breakfast Meeting -

Plan On Purpose

Sponsored by: Linebarger Attorneys at Law

Speaker: Lisa Harrington, Abiding Strategy

NLF Awards Luncheon -

Distinguished Leadership Award

Membership Breakfast Meeting -

NLF Scholarship Award Ceremony

Sponsored by: NBT Financial Bank

Membership Breakfast Meeting

Sponsored by: Metroport Meals on Wheels



29th Annual Heart of North Texas Conference

Membership Breakfast Meeting

Sponsored by: Atmos Energy

All Events and Meetings are held at the Hurst Conference Center.

Breakfast meetings open at 7:45 a.m. and the program will begin at 8 a.m.

*CORRECTED LIST*

Welcome to our New Members of the Northeast Leadership Forum

At the next NLF event, please reach out to our newest members!

New Member, Position/Company

Denise Nordling, Bank of the West

Rick Barnes, Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector

Jannae Castanon, RBFCU

Bill Finstad

Phil Beckman, Birdville ISD

Steve Behringer, Holiday Lane Properties

Ronnie Gutierrez, Grapevine Police Department

Brad Parker, Parker Law Firm Injury Lawyers

Recommended By

RaDonna Hessel

Trasa Cobern

Jerry Cantu

Craig Hulse

Dr. Joe Harrington

Craig Hulse

RaDonna Hessel

Garry Hamilton

We ask each of you to consider inviting someone you know who would benefit from the networking and information provided by the NLF to the next meeting you attend and ask them to become a part of this longstanding regional group of business and community leaders.