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FACES & PLACES POW                                                                                  
Chamber President Bill Thornton, left, and Connie Blake, Generational Designs, are all smiles after having heard Paxton Motherall,  Cassco Development Co., update and project the future of the Clearfork development along the Trinity Trails. Phase One of office, retail and multi-family is a $500 million-plus impact. Motherall was the speaker during the Chamber's Southwest Area Council luncheon at Lena Pope Home.
 
View additional pics from the Southwest Area Council Luncheon  here. 


PRESS YOUR LUCKPrizes
Click on the links below to enter for prizes

Best wishes ... always: Greg & Tina Kalina are chairing A Wish with Wings' Butterfly Wishes fundraiser March 31. Theme is "Who is Your Hero?" It is a celebration of everyday heroes honoring the Fort Worth Fire Department. Greg & Tina are event chairs and, well, that might look bad to celebrate your own self. But every day, they are heroes. Greg is the proprietor of Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House and Tina supports him every plate of every day. The food and drink -- from steaks to spinach sides to the decadent desserts and Del's Delights -- are heroic. The service is heroic. But most important is the couple's heroic community spirit, from the Stock Show Syndicate to nonprofits such as A Wish with Wings. When you enjoy this dinner for two, make sure to thank the Kalinas for all they do. 

No lies here: Liz Confiliano has come home, sort of...She once handled public relations for Goodwill Industries via the agency, J.O. Goodwill itsownself has hired Liz. And it didn't take her long to send along PR touts for her position and the bump up of the very community-oriented and engaging Shay Dial Johnson to veep of community engagement. Liz is spilling secrets, too. Seems for breaking the ice, "Shay likes to do the two lies and a truth game. Her truth is always that she's a contortionist ... no one ever believes her." Liz isn't so flexible, but she's managed to meander into Goodwill's gift certificate closet and walk out with $50 to shop at any Goodwill store.

Screen serious: Magnolia at the Modern has become quite the art house for quality under- or before-the radar films. The Modern Art Museum begins its spring screenings April 7 with the Japanese family drama After the Storm, the first of six films in the series. In Personal Shopper, Kristen Stewart is ghostly in and about the fashion underground in Paris. Richard Gere stars in Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer. Also presented is a powerful drama, I Am Not Your Negro. Thoroughly Modern Kendal (Jump in the) Lake has passes for two for the entire series.  

No grapes were hurt in this event: Some folks are going to get up early this Sunday to run in pairs or quads an 18ish-mile Wine Down Relay presented by Waterside. The race loops the Trinity River, showing off its recent extension, and ends near the Grove. Most folks at Waterside will be near the Grove, at the finish, around 11 a.m., which is when Wine Down the Hatch begins. Five hours of wine tastings at the Wine Garden. B2B Insider whined reds and whites to Waterside GM Angela Hall and she wine-ded her way over with four passes that include a wine glass and five drink coupons per person. If you're quad is too sore to relay, you still can win-e.

Congratulations to March 15th Prize Winners:

  • Bob Luce, American National Services
  • Michelle Jones, Oncor
  • Lei Testa, Averett Financial
  • Karl Duncan, SOS
     
GOLD SPONSORS



HE SAID, SHE SAID, THEY SAIDSoundBytes
Zoo-landers in first place? The Fort Worth Zoo is one of the Top 10 animal houses in the country, which you already know if you sat in University traffic lines last week. But USA Today is confirming the ranking and has an ongoing vote for the 10 Best Zoos in the country. You can vote daily until March 29 here.

Fit to a T: Across 18 years of promotional product work, logo t-shirts, hats and pens have been the staples of (Brian) Jolin Promo's business. "The humble t-shirt has kept me well fed and happy," he said. One of Brian's favorite t-shirts was three fish holding signs saying, "Hunt Mor Deer." Last fall, he did a signed mini cheese grater: "Make America Grate Again".

Coats of many colors: One college rating service says the University of Texas at Arlington is the fifth most-diverse (62 percent) college in the country. As of the fall 2016 semester, the breakdown was 24.6 percent Hispanic, 15.1 percent African American, 10.2 percent Asian and 12.3 percent International.

Topdriver at Topgolf: New Chamber member Topgolf, which is expected to open east of downtown May 5, is in the process of hiring 500 people. Fab networker and 2017 Business Press 40-under-40er Crystal Cardwell, well known in Fort Worth previously for her ad agency and nonprofit work, is the sales manager and probably has her (nine) iron in the fire heating up to call on you corporate leaders.  

Welcome, mates: Members of Australia's TrackSAFE Foundation and a rep from the American Association of Railroads are in Fort Worth this week for CTC, Inc. to conductor an infomercial about highway-rail grade crossing safety. CTC is recognized as a leading expert on everything grade crossings and signal systems in the U.S.

New two-in-one: A weekly Chamber Update starts Monday, combining the timely Monday calendar source for events and the monthly Chamberletter, which was not the weekly Wednesday B2B Insider. Got it? Anyways, the Update is newsy and eventful and it's every Monday except Memorial and Labor and Monday holidays. It will come via Constant Contact from CGores, so adjust your settings.

"Insurance agents can be boring. But get 300 of them in a room at the same time and we had a great time." 

                                                --  Susan Shaw
Shaw Insurance

One cool operator: Rob Matwick, the E-veep of Business Operations for the Texas Rangers (June 2008 start) previously had long stints with the Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers. In 2001, he won baseball's Robert Fishel PR Award and in 2005, he was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame. He spoke earlier this month at a Chamber luncheon and said, "Because it's the Chamber, I feel like I have to sell something ...the box office is open until 5 today ... and there's no service fee for tickets at the box office." On more serious matters, he enlightened with:
  • Autonomous vehicles will be used beginning early this season in and about parking lots around the stadium 
  • More land has been acquired for more parking spots as the new stadium and TexasLive absorb parking spots the next three seasons.
  • September is the expected start of construction on the new stadium by the HKS team. The schedule is for 31 months -- in time for the 2020 season. "That is an aggressive timeline, but they always are."
  • The new stadium will be asymmetrical and can accommodate football, soccer, basketball, hockey, lacrosse and concerts. "Cricket is not going to happen," Matwick said.
  • The Ballpark in Arlington opened in April 1994.
When they speak, you listen: The four category winners of the Chamber's Small Business of the Year (SBOY) competition -- Alpha Industries, Z's Café, The Fulcrum Group, Southwest Office Systems -- will speak about Best Practices March 28 at Joe T. Garcia's. Each will discuss one facet of their greatness. Steve Meek of Fulcrum said the company has made a lot of changes the past few years and "this (SBOY) process was good for us. It has really made us look at everything we do."

The domino effect: The Prospective Ms. B became the Prospective when she said she loved 42. Mr. B thought anyone a fan of the great Jackie Robinson was good in his sporting world. What B has since learned is 42 is a table game ... and players can be fanatical. We're including Colonial Country Club's Dennis Roberson, a state champion player.

She said it: "I was feeling lousy," said Raegan Bell of Bell Brothers Moving. "I went to an urgent care and tested positive for the flu and strep. I hate being an overachiever!"

Myles of smiles: There is a reason that Euless High grad Myles Turner and the NBA Indiana Pacers have a few fans at the Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel. While he was in high school and The University of Texas, Myles' mother, Mary Turner, was the hotel's Director of Housekeeping. According to senior sales success Dave O'Lenick, "her room scores show why he (Myles) is so competitive and focused." Doreen Cuellar recently was promoted to fill Mary's sneakers.

Whodunits: Harry White is an Assistant Criminal District Attorney for Tarrant County and Chief of the White Collar Crimes / Public Integrity Unit. He described the work as "we brand someone a thief without actually seeing it done." He robustly recommends companies do a regular self audit; "a CPA," he says, "is your best insurance" against white collar crime.

Kudos: U.S. News rated Texas A&M University's law school 92nd, its first time in the Top 100 since A&M took over the school from Texas Wesleyan University in 2013. The University of Texas at Austin's law school is the highest-ranked in the state at No. 14. 
MARK YOUR CALENDARSResources
Presented By

            Date          Event NameCalendar
3-23


3-28


3-30


4-5









Vision FW Events (Chamber's 40 and under programming)
3-22


3-31









Ribbon Cuttings
3-23


G. L. Foundation Repair
4021 Benbrook Hwy.
4:00 p.m.
3-24

Chisholm Trail Transportation
2204 Peter Smith Street
1:00 p.m.
3-28


5th & Carroll Events (Inside Blue Mesa - upstairs)
2713 West 5th Street
4:00 p.m.
3-29


DFW Alliance Business Park
12801 Harmon Road
12:00 p.m.







View a  complete list of Chamber and Member events

NEW 2017 RELOCATION GUIDES AVAILABLE NOW!Resources
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