May 2026 News & Notes

Creating Momentum Together

Welcome to our May Newsletter!

May brings blooming trees and flowers, along with many celebrations - May Day, the Kentucky Derby, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, graduations, Memorial Day, and various religious and notable observances. It’s a month full of activity, renewal, and gratitude.

Spring naturally reminds us of growth, rejuvenation, and fresh beginnings. In that spirit, I’m reminded of how much we have to be thankful for—this organization and the outstanding leaders who make it strong. Nearly halfway through my term as Chair, we’ve already enjoyed excellent speakers at our breakfast meeting and a wonderful keynote at our Annual Awards Luncheon, where we honored Mayor William D. Tate as our 2025 Distinguished Leader. I truly appreciate your support and the hard work of our committee members.

Looking ahead, June will bring another meaningful moment as we celebrate our graduating seniors with our annual scholarship awards breakfast. May always feels like a season of renewal, and as we take in the colors and sounds of spring, I encourage you to pause and thank someone today.

The April Newsletter recognized all our sponsors for the Annual Awards Luncheon, and we are grateful for their support. Proceeds from this event, along with the Heart of North Texas Conference, directly benefit our scholarship fund. We also extend our sincere thanks to the Nancy and Alan Hamm Foundation for their generous contribution to the NLF Education Foundation for the scholarships.

At our June 9th membership meeting, we will award more than $40,000 in scholarships to high school seniors from Northeast Tarrant County. The Foundation will award 21 college scholarships and six technical/trade school scholarships to students from Birdville ISD, Carroll ISD, Grapevine‑Colleyville ISD, Hurst‑Euless‑Bedford ISD, Keller ISD, and Northwest ISD.

You won’t want to miss this membership breakfast, where you’ll also hear from current scholarship recipients about how these awards have shaped their education and future.

Sincerely,

Kathryn Vowels

2026 NLF Chair

NLF Round Table Update

The NLF Chamber Roundtable hosted a joint chamber mixer April 7 at Malibu Jack’s in North Richland Hills. Attendance was over 500 and a good time was enjoyed by all! Malibu Jack’s provided refreshments and access to their games. Go visit, you’ll enjoy! 

Photo: Chamber presidents Southlake’s Mark Gilbert, Colleyville’s Hannah Mack, Grapevine’s RaDonna Hessel, Keller’s Bev Dixon, HEB’s Mary Frazior and North Tarrant’s Jack Bradshaw, chair of the Chamber Presidents’ Roundtable.

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

Date:

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 -

NLF Scholarship Award Ceremony

Sponsored by: NBT Financial Bank

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

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.

June Membership Breakfast

NLF Membership Meeting - NLF Scholarship Award Ceremony

Be sure to attend this important meeting as we will be recognizing and awarding our local high school seniors with Foundation scholarships. Let’s show up and support these outstanding seniors!

Since this is our Scholarship Award Breakfast, please RSVP so we can ensure we have enough food and seating for all attendees.  Click here to register

We will also have a lapel pin for each NLF member so be sure to check in when you arrive

Welcome to our New Members of the Northeast Leadership Forum

New Member, Position/Company

Mike Witt, The Witt Holding Group

Leigh Wambsganss for Texas State Senate

Recommended By

Curtis Bergthold

Jack McCarty

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.