What an incredible half-day we had with the Heart of North Texas on Friday, November 6. Eli Mercer and his committee once again outperformed expectations with a well-planned agenda that was filled with star power.
Just as last year, the entire event was sold out with every sponsorship filled and a full house with sponsors filling tables. We are deeply grateful for everyone who contributed to this amazing event and to all our sponsors. Eli projects that we will net close to $12,000, which will then benefit our scholarship program once again.
JPS Health Network CEO Robert Earley opened with comments about how the pandemic actually helped JPS improve systems and logistics, and he was followed by an insightful panel addressing “Surviving and Thriving Together in a Season of Change."
TCU Entrepreneur-in-Residence Michael Sherrod’s comments astounded many in the audience with how COVID has already begun to shape institutions and industries in ways that will have profound implications for decades to come.
Our luncheon keynote speaker, Ross Perot, Jr., impressed us all with how Alliance, Texas and Hillwood have a goal of becoming the “gravity for transportation” for the next generation as he projected that drone delivery of products to our homes is closer than we could imagine.
Cristina’s Mexican Restaurant from North Richland Hills catered a light breakfast and hot lunch, and both meals were delicious. We also thank the NRH Centre’s Grand Hall for having the venue prepared for social distancing.
Your NLF Board of Directors held our annual planning meeting on Friday, November 13, at the Hurst Conference Center and we all enjoyed hearing chair-elect Howard Shotwell’s plans for 2021.
One of the highlights was the announcement of eight (8) new members, and I understand that one more new member application is on the way.
Thanksgiving is this Thursday, and I ask you to be cautious with the number of people you invite to your home, or where you may be traveling for this holiday. Tarrant County Public Health is emphasizing that family gatherings should be kept as small as possible and that as much time as possible during these events should be spent outdoors or in open ventilation areas.
From my family to yours, I wish you Happy Thanksgiving. And please remember our local businesses for your Christmas shopping – particularly on Small Business Saturday, November 28, two days after Thanksgiving.
-Nick
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Small Business Saturday: Strengthen our Communities
Saturday, November 28, will help our small local businesses determine how well they have survived and overcome the pandemic that has impacted them so severely since March. This day is Small Business Saturday.
As you are starting your Christmas shopping – and many may even be completing their shopping – please remember that our local businesses in Northeast Tarrant County need your business during this challenging year, particularly our small retailers.
If you prefer to shop online during this holiday season and a retailer you like does not offer online ordering, give them a call anyway to ask how they can provide a touchless or low-touch experience.
Also, when you are buying any gifts from larger stores, please do your best to order from our local retailers in malls and shopping centers. After all, 2% of sales tax revenue stays right here at home!
Thank you for supporting our local businesses this holiday season.
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Tarrant County Alerts for Thanksgiving Gatherings
As your family is gathering for the Thanksgiving holiday, Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja is recommending that your time together be reduced to a limit of two hours.
COVID-19 spreads more easily when people are in contact with each other for an extended period of time when one of the parties involved is infected.
Taneja warns that a lot of people mingle during the holiday season and we don’t want to have COVID-19 outbreaks.
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley – one of our long-standing NLF members and former chairman - cautions that companies should have more team members work from home, that restaurants invest in more outdoor seating and heaters while also promoting takeout to reduce the number of people dining inside.
He warned that civic organizations and other groups should seriously consider curtailing their meetings until the pandemic subsides significantly.
According to the Star-Telegram, Governor Abbott has stated that business re-openings would roll back if COVID hospitalizations in our region reach 15% or higher for seven consecutive days.
Keep safe and enjoy your Thanksgiving with those you love –
in a social distancing manner.
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Heart of North Texas a Resounding Success – Again!
A sold-out crowd of business and community leaders heard Hillwood and Perot Companies CEO, Ross Perot, Jr., keynote our annual Heart of North Texas Conference at the NRH Centre in North Richland Hills on Friday, November 6, where the overall theme was “Surviving & Thriving Together.”
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JPS CEO Robert Earley opened the conference by sharing how the pandemic has helped some businesses fine tune their operations, saying that his team realized their supply chain had been adequate for normal times but not for major challenges. As a result, JPS reconfigured its supply chain.
Robert said that attendees have two choices: sit and complain, or take action by wearing masks, washing hands and employ social distancing. Since he could not practice his favorite custom of hugging employees during COVID, he bakes pies and invites five randomly chosen employees to join him for pie and ice cream… LOTS of ice cream in case the pie is not that tasty each Wednesday.
The private session features two rules: no talking about the hospital and no talking about the pandemic, and the result has been pleasant conversation, lots of laughter, and second servings of pie and ice cream.
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TCU Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Michael Sherrod, appeared via Zoom because he had been in contact with someone compromised by the coronavirus late the day prior. He opened by stating that the pandemic will reshape institutions and industries even though the crisis was not caused by any fault in economic structure.
Among his most compelling points were that 64% of employees hate their job, 10% actually work against the goals of the company, 76% would refuse a raise if the action would help get their boss fired. He projected that the best of 2021’s top 100 companies will survive for only 14 more years before they are acquired or fail.
He added that the virus accelerated a trend and that, nationwide, close to 60% of all company employees are now 1099 workers rather than full-time employees with benefits. Also included was that COVID will quicken the pace at which industries will be transformed in the future.
Prior to Sherrod was a panel, “Surviving and Thriving Together in a Season of Change,” that featured:
- Bob Zifferman – SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives)
- Kristen Jefferson – Benchmark Hospitality
- Heidi Soltis-Berner – Deloitte University
- Derek Hall – Joe Hall Roofing
- Justin Malone – Accelerate DFW Foundation
Each shared insights on how they have responded to the pandemic and revealed how their companies are creating their own “new normal.”
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The highlight of the conference was luncheon keynote speaker Ross Perot, Jr., Chairman of Perot Companies and Hillwood.
He detailed how the development of Alliance, Texas was an example of the private sector working hand-in-hand with the public sector to create a success.
Mr. Perot shared how companies are moving from California and New York because of over-regulation and, in the case of California, massive wildfires that have shut down manufacturing plants. He added that these companies’ employees are finding living expenses costing approximately 35% the cost of living on the coasts, so they can afford significantly larger and nicer homes.
He pointed to the fact that Charles Schwab is moving its 7,000 employees to the Circle T Ranch with a 1,000,000 square foot campus due largely to the relative affordability of land and enhanced quality of life.
Perot shared the vision of Alliance Airport and how it has grown over recent decades. He also shared how we are now envisioning the future of NE Tarrant County in a similar fashion. Mr. Perot’s goal is to become the center of gravity for transportation for the next generation, citing how companies such as Amazon are closer to receiving approval for widespread drone technology than the public thinks.
His final challenges to the audience were to stay optimistic, to realize that the virus will still be around for a while, to move forward with life and to help Texas lead the way.
We give special appreciation to Eli Mercer and his committee for planning and executing such an impressive event – and selling it out completely - in the midst of a pandemic.
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Chair-elect Howard Shotwell addresses the audience during the 2020 NLF Heart of North Texas Event. |
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2020 NLF Chairman Nick Sanders thanks the Heart of North Texas committee. |
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NLF Board Elects Officers,
Sets 2021 Calendar at Board Planning Meeting
The annual Board of Directors retreat on November 13 – yes, Friday the 13th! We did not observe any black cats or walk underneath any ladders, so everyone returned to work or home safely.
The Board elected the 2021 officers::
Chairman: Howard Shotwell
Chair-Elect: Shelby Bruhn
Secretary: Eli Mercer
Treasurer: Shannon Watt
Past Chair: Nick Sanders
The Board proposed a slate of Randy Clinton, Mary Frazior, RaDonna Hessel, Randy McCauley and Karen Parsinen to additional terms. Since this year’s chairman, Nick Sanders, remains on the board as past chairman, the board recommended Kathryn Rotter to fill his remaining one-year term. The NLF membership will be asked to approve these members of the Board of Directors.
Our 2021 event schedule is:
Breakfast Meetings: 7:30 a.m. Arrive at 7:15 to mix and mingle
Tuesday, February 9
Tuesday, May 11
Tuesday, August 10
Tuesday, October 12
Awards Luncheon: Friday, March 26 (tentative)
Heart of North Texas: Friday, November 5 (tentative)
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NLF Member Selected to Chair Small Business Council of U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council appointed Ian MacLean, President/CEO of Highland Landscaping in Southlake, as Chair of its Small Business Council.
Ian chaired the Southlake Chamber of Commerce for two terms, 2014-16, and has chaired the giant Southlake Oktoberfest event seven times. He serves on the Men’s Ministry Advisory Board of White’s Chapel United Methodist Church and also founded the Mission in the Marketplace ministry to serve the Southlake area.
He has served on the U.S. Chamber’s Small Business Council for over five years and was appointed Vice Chairman of the Council in 2018.
We look forward to Ian representing small businesses across the nation with the experience and values he has developed here in Northeast Tarrant County.
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Hamm Foundation to Match 2021 Scholarships for Third Time
For each of the past two years, the Nancy and Alan Hamm Foundation contributed $22,000 to the NLF scholarship program through the NLF Education Foundation. At $1,000 each, this gift led to us matching our projected $22,000 for a total of $44,000 in scholarships.
In 2020, 23 students each received a $2,000 scholarship. With 22 public high schools in Northeast Tarrant County, this produces an average of two students per high school campus. In this COVID year, our scholarship committee chose to award $2,000 scholarships to 23 students.
Because the Hamm Foundation has agreed to repeat their grant in 2021, we will award $44,000 in scholarships to graduating high school seniors from Northeast Tarrant County. Students are eligible if they will attend a two-year college, four-year university or a trade school.
The NLF Foundation members will be reaching out to area superintendents and high school counselors so we can award our annual scholarships. We will send out the scholarship nomination forms by January 15. Nominations must be turned in to high school counselors by the end of the school day on Friday, March 26, 2021. We will announce and introduce our recipients at our May 11 breakfast meeting.
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Nominations Due for NLF Distinguished Leadership Award
Please devote some time to think about nominating the most deserving recipient for the Distinguished Leadership Award, our highest honor. The award recognizes that person who has given many years of service to the Northeast Tarrant County area.
The selection criteria are as follows:
- Service in civic or educational roles, non-profit organizations, chambers of commerce, elected office or other areas that allowed the individual to make general contributions to the quality of life and well-being of the residents of the Northeast Tarrant County area.
- Preferably, positive involvement in multiple areas of our community with innovative activities and leadership qualities.
- Various volunteer responsibilities and longevity in one or more organizations.
We require two nominators for each candidate. Each nomination may also include up to three letters of support. For a list of previous honorees as well as the nomination information and form, please click here.
We were pleased to recognize Randy Clinton, CEO of The CEC (Community Enrichment Center), with the 2020 Distinguished Leadership Award.
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Keep NLF Dynamic and Growing
Here are the eight new members approved by your NLF Board of Directors on November 13. You will be reading about each of these in coming editions of the newsletter.
- Kay Allen – Allen Wealth Advisors
- Tim Allen – The CEC
- Kenya Ayers- Palmore – Tarrant County College, NE Campus
- Mac Belmontes – Tarrant County College, NE Campus
- Darlisa Dihz – North Texas Entrepreneur Training & Education Center
- Sue Schulz -What’s Poppin’ Texas
- Chelsea Rose – Colleyville Chamber of Commerce
- Bob Sifferman - SCORE
As you interact with business and community leaders who impress you, please invite them to our next membership breakfast meeting on Tuesday, February 9. These influencers are making a difference in our area, so let's invite them to participate in NLF. Membership is the lifeblood of our organization.
For any prospective NLF members you may know, click here to download the membership application. We want both established and emerging leaders to continue joining our organization to further the dynamic growth of Northeast Tarrant County.
We ask you to welcome visitors and new members to our breakfast meetings because growing the power of networks is one of the main benefits of NLF.
New Member Profiles
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Kay Allen owns and operates Allen Wealth Advisors in Colleyville and has served as a Certified Financial Planner for almost ten years and in financial services throughout her entire career.
Our members will know her from her involvement in the community, having chaired the Colleyville Chamber of Commerce in 2018 and 2019 as she completed a partial year term when the then-chairman moved away, and then served her own elected term.
Kay enjoys playing leadership roles as she will be chair of Colleyville Executive Forum in 2021. She has chaired the Rotary Club of Colleyville and also chaired its must-see-event, Dancing for the Stars, where she and her husband Joe showcased their dancing skills. In addition to previously serving as Treasurer of the Grapevine-Colleyville Education Foundation, Kay also recently joined the board of GRACE in Grapevine.
Kay is a graduate of Kansas State University and of Leadership Colleyville, and lives in Colleyville with her husband Joe, who owns Boulevard Animal Hospital. They have three adult children who all live in Texas.
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Sue Schulz grew up in Wisconsin and is a die-hard Packers fan. She has earned our forgiveness by opening one of the area’s most popular treat stores.
If you attended our October breakfast, you will recall that Sue appeared on our Entrepreneurs Panel as the owner of a Bedford business, What’s Poppin’ Texas. Her path to popcorn began as a professional hairdresser as she packed up her children and moved from Wisconsin to Plano.
She transitioned into cosmetics with Beauty Brands in Plano and moved to Phoenix as district manager. Since her children refused to leave Texas, she returned to Texas as she managed an Ulta cosmetic store.
She retired for about a week and then opened her wildly popular popcorn and custom candy store, which has over 40 flavors of popcorn, out-of-this world fudge and all kinds of chocolate candies and snacks.
Attendees at our October breakfast, you walked out with a tasty sample bag of Sue’s popcorn.
Sue is a Bedford resident and has two grown children. Of these, her daughter lives in Euless with Sue's two grandchildren.
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For sponsorship opportunities, please contact John Fletcher at 817-205-2334.
2021 Membership Meetings:
(Please arrive by 7:15 to mix and mingle!)
Annual Events:
(Event Dates are Tenative)
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Annual Award Luncheon
Friday, March 26, 2021
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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Heart of North Texas
Friday, November 5, 2021
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