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A MOMENT WITH THE PRESIDENT
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From the desk of John Hernandez, President of FWHCC
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The first installment of our new lecture series this month brings me to the topic of civic engagement. David Cooke, Fort Worth City Manager, will be speaking to us about the benefits of civic engagement in our community and how we as a Chamber can assist in the growth and development of Fort Worth.
Civic engagement refers to the ways in which citizens can make a difference in the civic life of a community through a combination of values, skills, knowledge and the sheer motivation to make a difference. There are four main types of civic engagement that are commonly found in a community: organizational involvement, individual volunteerism, electoral participation and creative representation. In essence, civic engagement means the promotion of a quality form of life in one's community through both political and non-political affiliated processes The key to making civic engagement thrive -- be it as a volunteer running the Cowtown Marathon benefiting the City of Fort Worth, as a dedicated employee in a local non-profit or an elected city official -- it all begins with a commitment to improve the lives of others.
As we look at how civic engagement pertains to our businesses,
I would like to share some insight that Mr. Al Saenz bestowed on us at The Evolution. "I encourage you to serve. Give back to the community. Our community needs you. The rewards are immense. Plus, the relationships that are established or expanded are undoubtedly beneficial to your company and to you personally."
Since this is an election year, I would like to encourage the civic engagement of our entire community. We live in a very special country that allows us to elect our leaders. Your vote is a right and an opportunity to be heard and to make a difference.
In conclusion, as we look to the future of this organization, it is important to ask yourself these questions: What is my part for a better Fort Worth? What is my responsibility to the future? Finally, are we creating a community where everyone's voices are heard?
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EVENTS CALENDAR
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Mujeres Poderosas Exhibit Reception
Please join us on
March 3rd as we celebrate the opening of Mujeres Poderosas: The Legacy of Strong Latinas in Fort Worth. The exhibit will be open from
March 4th thru March 31st at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. The exhibit is part of Latino Americans: 500 Years of History, which supports the American public's exploration of the rich and varied history and experiences of Latinos, who have helped shape the United States over the last five centuries and who have become, with more than 50 million people, the country's largest minority group. The cornerstone of the project is the six-part documentary film Latino Americans, created for PBS in 2013. The award-winning series chronicles Latinos in the United States from the 16th century to present day. Please visit our events page for more information.
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Five Pillar Lecture Series:
Civics
The Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's annual Five Pillar Lecture Series addresses each of the areas that we believe are the cornerstones of a productive thriving business environment:
civic
engagement, economic activity, a thriving education system, quality business leadership, and diversity in leadership. On
March 24th, join us as David Cooke, Fort Worth's City Manager, shares what he has learned since assuming the role of City Manager. Additionally, Mr. Cooke will discuss the municipal challenges associated with our city's rapid growth and offer participants an opportunity to learn how we can most effectively help our city become the home of choice for businesses and employees. Register
online
or call (817) 625-5411. Limited seating available.
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Women in Leadership
The Texas Diversity Council is proud to announce the 2016 Dallas Women in Leadership Symposium coming up on March 23rd at the Hyatt Regency North Dallas. Now in its 12th year, the Symposium brings together some of the most influential women in Dallas for a panel discussion to share the struggles, successes, and strategies they've experienced and used to reach executive leadership positions within their organizations. Please visit Texas Diversity Council's website for more information on panelists and registration.
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Forty Under Forty
On
March 24th, join Fort Worth Business as we celebrate 40 honorees, all under the age of 40, destined for striking accomplishments in their chosen fields. They are leaders today and a part of the next generation that will continue to make Tarrant County a great place to live and work. Please visit the Fort Worth Business
website to purchase tickets.
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America's Future Series
On
April 8th, please join Tom Greco, the CEOs of five leading companies and national security leaders as we honor our military, discuss national security issues, and raise money and awareness for an organization serving the needs of veterans and their families. The AFS Five Star Award honors leaders and corporations for their extraordinary support of our military. Please visit the America's Future Series
website for a list of award winners, CEO representatives, and panelists. Registration is free but required.
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CHAMBER
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The Evolution of the Hispanic Chamber
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February was a big month for the Chamber. We revealed our new mission statement, vision, logo, branding, and 2016 programs. We are excited for what is to come, but want to take a moment to thank all those who helped us get to where we are today. Thank you to our two Presenting Sponsors at the Evolution, Basecom, Inc. and Empire Roofing, Inc. Thank you to our Supporting, Table, and Media Sponsors. Thank you to our speakers, JoAnn Jensen, Father Jasso, Cinto Ramos, and Al Saenz. Thank you to Ryan Akins,
Regional President for Dale Carnegie Training, for the time and expert help he gave to FWHCC President, John Hernandez, to prepare for this event. Thank you to our community for their support and for making this a sold-out event. Thank you to all those, past and present, who have served and devoted their time, energy, and resources to bring the Chamber to where it is today. We know where we are going, but we will not forget where we have been. If you would like to view the fill-length video of The Evolution, it is posted
here.
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We had the pleasure of welcoming a new member into our community during the month of February: Siempre Tax+. We are excited to have Siempre Tax+ as part of our community and Chamber. To learn more about the services that Siempre Tax+ offers, please visit their
website. If you are interested in scheduling your own ribbon cutting, please contact Nicole Antonini at
nicole.antonini@fwhcc.org.
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Young Professionals of Fort Worth
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 Young Professionals of Fort Worth is a program designed to sharpen the skills of individuals seeking to grow professionally and to assist them in getting involved in the Fort Worth community, ultimately developing and mentoring the executives of tomorrow. YPFW is a group of individuals ages 21-25. These individuals have been selected to be a part of our program based on their desire to develop their careers, build relationships, and become involved in the community. Our curriculum is designed to create top business executives from scratch. During a total of nine meetings, we will teach young professionals how to walk and talk like an executive. We will be conducting interviews from March 1st to March 15th. If you are interested in applying to be a member of YPFW, please visit our
website. There is a $50 membership fee for applicants accepted into the program. Meetings will be held during the lunch hour on weekdays (except for the concluding meeting in November).
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The FWHCC works to give back to our community through the FWHCC Scholarship Fund. Created in 1998, the FWHCC has provided over $1 million in scholarships. Every June, we award Tarrant County high school seniors with scholarships that are generously donated from sponsors in our community. We are still accepting sponsorships for our 2016 Scholarship Fund. Please click here or call (817) 625-5411 to make a donation.
If you are or know a graduating senior from a Tarrant County high school, the FWHCC is accepting applications until March 31st. Our applications are posted here.
Please call or email Nicole Antonini with any questions at (817) 625-5411 or nicole.antonini@fwhcc.org. |
COMMUNITY
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FWISD San Valentin Dinner
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| The FWHCC, Tarrant County Restaurant Association, Blue Zones, and North Side High School partnered together on February 16th to host a San Valentin Dinner. The dinner highlighted the very talented students of the Pro Start culinary program at North Side. Thirty-five attendees celebrated Valentines' Day with a dinner prepared by the young chefs. Among the attendees were Suzanne Duda, Kent Scribner, Cinto Ramos, and Barclay Berdan. The menu included a grilled sirloin steak with pomegranate sauce, mashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts, and a mixed berry crisp with coconut vanilla bean ice cream for dessert. |
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BNSF's Technology Awareness Day and College Fair
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 The FWHCC was invited to partake in BNSF's Technology Awareness Day and College Fair on February 20th. The event brought almost 400 students from the DFW Metroplex together to encourage, empower, and fully equip the youth in our community with the resources needed to become actively involved with technology. In order to promote the development of technology through higher education, the FWHCC participated by informing participants of the FWHCC Scholarship Fund and encouraging graduating seniors to apply online.
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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The City Manager's Office has appointed Robert Sturns, EDFP, as economic development director for the City of Fort Worth. He recently held the title of interim director of economic development after previous director Jay Chapa became an assistant city manager in July 2015.
With more than 20 years' experience holding leadership roles in municipal government, commercial real estate and banking operations, Sturns has been with the City of Fort Worth for more than 12 years collectively. In addition to his work in economic development for the City of Fort Worth, Sturns was also previously the economic development manager for the City of Arlington and held leadership roles with Bank One and Fort Worth Tower Center. He is also a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) through the National Development Council.
Sturns' experience in public service extends to military service as a U.S. Army Reserve Field Artillery Captain with an honorable discharge in 2011.
Sturns holds a Bachelor of Arts in applied arts from Stephen F. Austin State University, and a Master of Business Administration from Texas Christian University.
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MEMBERS
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A
s the FWHCC evolves, we are working to integrate our systems. These changes are aimed at creating a much more fluid and simplified method of communication between our members as well as the community.
To allow all our new members maximum visibility, New Members and Member Spotlights will be moved from our newsletter to our website. All new members will have the opportunity to be featured on our website for the next full month after their join date.
We would like to encourage all of our current members to log in to their member account and explore the changes. Once logged in, please visit the online business center where you will find bids and can post current open positions. The new bids section enables direct submissions to your business according to your specific industry.
We are in the process of completing the online bilingual version of our membership application. In the near future, we will be implementing a "member to member" discount section, resume database and member news page. Please call (817) 625-5411 or email
daniela.correa@fwhcc.org
if you do not have your login information.
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Thanks to Our Corporate Partners
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GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
PARTNER
ASSOCIATES
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