November 2022

Today Today

The Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce has teamed with Arlington Today to create the inaugural roster of outstanding young local leaders

Thanksgiving with the Youngbloods

I’ve been pretty bummed lately that, because of those proverbial supply chain issues, one of the restaurants my lovely bride and I frequent hasn't been able to serve me turkey. There, I admitted it: I like to eat turkey even on dates located nowhere near the fourth Thursday of November.

In fact ...

I like it in May. I like it all day. I eat it with yams. I prefer it to hams. If pressed to explain my affection for this culinary option, I would confess that my fondness is rooted more in personal history than in its palatepleasing prowess.

I particularly recall that the few times all my family gobbled the gobbler coincided with the few times all my family got together. The immediate clan – Bill, D.Anne, Yale and Leta – would get a knock on the door (several knocks, actually), and suddenly we were in the presence of Grace and Don and Rose and Stella. Those names represented grandparents and greatgrandparents. And each was, indeed, grand in his or her own way.

Grace was my dad's mom, and God might have created a better woman, but I haven't met her yet. Don was my dad's stepfather, a WWII veteran who cussed before cussing became fashionable, but I've never met a better teller of tales.

Rose was mom's mom and the finest chef never to wear a big hat. Stella, Rose's mother, was the family matriarch, and given that I once saw her shoo a coyote from the hen house with a broom, I don't have to wonder if I'll still have some spunk left during my Golden Years. Not if spunk is genetically transferred, anyway.

Every Thanksgiving, the same routine would transpire. We would play catch-up at first, then Rose, Grace, Mom and Leta would excuse themselves to go to the kitchen to prepare "the bird." Don, Dad and I would move into the living room to turn on the Lions game. Detroit always played on Thanksgiving, and, in those days, it featured a future Hall of Famer for whom I had a particular fondness, a fellow by the name of Yale Lary.

Stella would take one look at the television set and ask, "Are the Green Packers playing?" (No, I didn't leave out the "Bay"; it didn't matter what game was on, she was convinced one of the teams must be the Green Packers.) Then she would join the other females in the already crowded kitchen and show them the error of their ways with regard to the preparation of Thanksgiving "fixings."

Eventually we would dine. And the turkey was fine. It still is.

WILL OPEN ON THANKSGIVING

Prairie Lights, the premier holiday light park located at Lynn Creek Park on Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie, will present Prairie Lights 2022 from Nov. 24-Dec. 31. This stunning holiday extravaganza features millions of lights and hundreds of displays. It opens at 6 p.m. each evening. In addition to the drive-thru event, Prairie Lights also features the Holiday Village, the magical walk-thru forest, carnival rides, photos with Santa, holiday shopping and more. prairielights.org

COWBOYS FOOTBALL

Thanksgiving ... Giants ... enough said

Because the Dallas Cowboys' bye week comes this month – and because the team has a pair of road games immediately thereafter – local fans will have just one chance to see the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in November. But it's a biggie. Dallas will host the New York Giants at 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 24 in the annual Thanksgiving game in an NFC East battle with prospective playoff implications.

dallascowboys.com

A KNIGHT'S TALE

AMA is hosting an historic exhibit

Photo: dallascowboys.com

SYMPHONY

Symphony Arlington will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 17 at Arlington Music Hall. The featured performer at this concert will be violinist Christopher Collins Lee.

Next

Arlington Museum of Art is hosting "A Knight's Tale" through Feb. 12, 2023. Direct from the renowned Museo Stibbert in Florence, Italy, the exhibit features 130 rare objects, including full suits of armor, mounted equestrian figures, helmets, swords, shields, and more. The exhibit explores historical and functional contexts of the arms and armor while also highlighting their undeniable beauty and the time. arlingtonmuseum.org

TIMELESS CONCERTS

Photo: Arlington Museum of Art

musical fare will include Smetana's "From Bohemia’s Forests and Meadows," Wagner's "Waldweben," Still's "Wood Notes," and Bruch's "Scottish Fantasy.” symphonyarlington.org

Timeless Concerts will present a pair of performances this month. The ensemble will present "European Vacation" at 8 p.m. on Nov. 12 at the Rose Garden Tea Room and again at 8 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the Show Me the Monet Gallery at Gracie Lane. Patrons can enjoy an eclectic range of classical music from the continent, as well as food and drink treats, at both performances.

Photo:

SPEAKER SERIES

University of Texas at Arlington's Maverick Speaker Series will present "An Evening with Annie Leibovitz" at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 29 at Texas Hall.

The famed photographer began her career as a photojournalist for Rolling Stone magazine in 1970 while still a student at the San Francisco Art Institute. She became one of the more prominent photographers of her generation.

uta.edu/maverickspeakers

HIRING

The 11th Annual Hiring Red, White & You! Statewide Job Fair, is set for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10 at Globe Life Field. This event is sponsored by Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, The Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Veterans Commission. This statewide job fair connects transitioning service members, military spouses, National Guard, Reserve, veterans, their family members and the general public to employers looking to hire in our area. Participants may interact and interview with employers who are hiring now at event. The job fair will feature 150-plus employers, including the City of Arlington, with more than 5,000 job openings. Parking will be free. Globe Life Field is located at 734 Stadium Drive.

Some of the companies scheduled to attend include: Airbus, Alcon, Amazon, Arlington ISD, AspireMRO, Bell Helicopter, Ben E. Keith, BNSF, Cintas, City of Arlington, City of Fort Worth, City of North Richland Hills, Cook Children’s, Dickies Arena, FedEx, Flex-N-Gate, Fort Worth ISD, Gaylord Texan, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, JPS, Keller ISD, Klein Tools, Lear, Live! by Loews, Lockheed Martin, LyondellBasell, Mansfield ISD, Martin Sprocket & Gear, Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee, Recaro, Six Flags, Texas Health Resources, Texas Live!, Texas Rangers, Trinity Metro, TTI, UTA, UPS, Wabtec and many more.

Hiring Red, White and You! has been working to connect Texas veterans with employers since 2012. In that time, statewide the event has:

• Worked with more than 20,131 employers.

• Connected more than 114,778 job seekers to meaningful job opportunities

• Helped facilitate over 3,198 same-day hires Job seekers can pre-register to avoid lines on the day of the event at workforcesolutions.net/ event/11th-annual-hiring-red-white-you-jobfair.

MANSFIELD CARES TO HOST A WINE TASTING EVENT

Mansfield Cares' final fundraising event of 2022, the annual Wine Tasting & Dinner Evening, will be held at 6 p.m. on Nov. 27 at The Vault (2300 Matlock Road). That is the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. This event will feature wines from around the world paired with an exquisite 5-course meal, all presented by The Vault culinary team.

Tickets are limited, so event organizers are encouraging prospective attendees to order them as soon as possible. Proceeds from the event will go to those in need within the Mansfield community. Because Mansfield Cares is 100% supported by volunteers, proceeds are disbursed at a 94% rate of return.

For more, visit mansfieldcares.org.

RAISE YOUR HAND if you did your grocery shopping at Buddies back in the day (and the day was in the 1960s and 1970s). Keep that hand up if you recall that a loaf of bread there would put you out by about a quarter.

ARLINGTON BY THE NUMBERS

The height in feet of the iconic Oil Derrick at Six Flags Over Texas, from which you can see both "D" and "FW."

Source: sixflags.com/overtexas

The amount the population grew between the 2010 census and the 2020 census. The city now has some 400,000 residents.

Source: paylesspower.com

The lowest temperature on record for the city. That occurred before you were born (in 1899).

Source: paylesspower.com

The number in yards of a field goal made by Cowboys kicker Brett Maher in October 2019, making it the longest kick in team history.

Source: nfl.com

THE NEXT Arlington Foodies Farmers Artisan Market, in Pantego and now Downtown Arlington, is set for Nov. 4 and will feature 40-plus vendors in the two locations. Arlington Foodies is a community-driven grass-roots community that supports local businesses. arlingtonfoodies.com

#atpetofthemonth

MISSION ARLINGTON, ARLINGTON CHARITIES OFFER HOLIDAY HELP

This is She rescued me 11 years ago. She is approximately 13 years old. She has been a joy since the moment I saw her.

– Rhonda Schrock

Two local organizations – Mission Arlington® and Arlington Charities – will be working to ensure special Thanksgiving experiences for their neighbors on Nov. 24. Here's what they will be doing:

Mission Arlington®

On Thanksgiving morning, beginning at 8:00 a.m., the Mission Arlington® family will deliver turkeys, hams, food baskets, and cooked meals to the homes of more than 6,000 families.

TEXAS HEALTH VP IS HONORED FOR HER WORK

The American Health Information Management Association recently honored Diann Smith with the Distinguished Member Award, the Association’s highest honor.

Smith, the vice president of Health Information Management Services and Clinical Documentation Integrity at Texas Health Resources in Arlington, is known for undertaking largescale challenges and developing effective strategies and action plans that achieve results. She formerly served as president and chair of the AHIMA Board of Directors.

If you would like to be part of this altruistic endeavor, you donate meals to the mission

that include turkeys, hams, stuffing mix, canned fruit, canned sweet potatoes, canned pie filling, cranberry sauce, box/mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, beans/rice, tuna, peanut butter, rolls, pie crust – or anything else that goes with a Thanksgiving turkey.

Volunteers are also welcome to participate before Thanksgiving day by packing and preparing Thanksgiving baskets, as well as receiving, sorting, organizing, and distributing incoming food.

Volunteers on Thanksgiving day are asked to arrive at the Mission office by 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning to deliver food to families in need.

For more: missionarlington.org/thanksgiving-2

Arlington Charities

Each year, Arlington Charities collects donations of Thanksgiving favorites and distributes them to families in need. Thanksgiving Distribution will take place on Nov. 17-18, when organization staff and volunteers distribute meals to neighbors in need who have signed up to be part of the holiday program.

Meals include a wide range of Thanksgiving staples, from turkeys to everything that goes with them on the holiday.

Volunteers are welcome on Thanksgiving in distribution shifts that take place from 9 a.m.-noon and from 12:30-3:15 p.m. They also may participate before Thanksgiving day, from 9 a.m.-noon on Nov. 8-12, by pre-packing the meals that will be shared with their neighbors.

For more: Call 817-275-1511 ore email georgia@arlingtoncharities.org

OUTSTANDING BUSINESSES EARN CHAMBER AWARDS

Several entities received special recognition during last month's State of the City Address, presented by the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce. The event, lauded afterward as one of the best of its kind, was held at eSports Arlington.

The honorees (by category) included: Inaugural Mayor's American Dream Award

Carolyn Mentesana, Executive Director, Arlington Tomorrow Foundation

Overall Small Business of the Year Chick-fil-A, North Collins Street

For profit Business of the Year Curnutt & Hafer Nonprofit Theatre Arlington Minority-owned Urentology Care Woman-owned

The Sanford House Veteran-owned –Lone Star Drone

Photos courtesy of the: Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce

Scoops

1. Reliant and the Dallas Cowboys recognized two Arlington ISD teachers through Cowboys Class Acts powered by Reliant. Carly Glass, a special education teacher at Miller Elementary, and Sammy Epps, a health teacher and football and track and field coach at James Bowie High School, were honored at their respective schools.

2. Arlington-based Kleiman Evangelista Eye Centers of Texas has added three new physicians. Kevin Bubel, M.D., Roxanne Lee, M.D. and Yusra Siddiqui, M.D. have joined the ophthalmology practice as cataract and refractive surgeons.

3. To ensure that all Mavericks can invite friends and family to celebrate and enjoy a first-class graduation experience, University of Texas at Arlington commencement ceremonies will move to Globe Life Field for fall 2022, spring 2023 and fall 2023.

TEXAS RANGERS FOUNDATION GRANTS

The Texas

Foundation

Recipients of the Legacy Grants included C5 Texas, Artes de la Rosa, the Arlington Independent School District Education Foundation, Traffick911, and the Adaptive Training Foundation.

VETERANS DAY EVENT IS SET FOR NOV. 11 AND WILL COMMEMORATE U.S. AND ALLIED VETS

The Arlington Great Southwest Rotary Club and the Arlington Veterans Park Foundation will host the 15th annual Veterans Day Commemoration Ceremony at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 at the Arlington Veterans Park Memorial (Spanish Trail at 3600 W. Arkansas Lane).

This event will honor members of United States and Allied Armed Forces who served in the Vietnam War. The featured speaker will be SSGT Gene Pugh, who served in the United States Army from 1966-1969. SSGT Pugh was a member of one of the U.S. Army's most elite and secretive units during the war in Vietnam: the Studies and Observation Group. It consisted of personnel from U.S. Army Special Forces, SEALs, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance, and the CIA. Special operations were conducted in North Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and South Vietnam. Missions evolved over time, and included strategic reconnaissance, direct action, sabotage, personnel recovery, PSYOPS, counter-intelligence, and bomb damage. These American-led reconnaissance teams were a 'thorn in the side' of North Vietnamese operations along the Ho Chi Minh trail. These teams diverted 50,000 to 70,000 NVA troops who were assigned to capture the teams. These SOG Recon Teams had a 158 to 1 kill ratio against the NVA.

In addition to Pugh's speech, the event will feature music by Hon. Brent Carr, Judge, Tarrant County Criminal Court No. 9, and Cowtown Music Club.

The Heroes Of South Vietnam Memorial Foundation is a co-sponsor of this event.

For more, email runzlaw2@swbell.net.

THE BRIDGE BUILDER

For his Eagle Scout project Anderson Atkins constructed a 15-foot bridge in Pappy Elkins Park in Dalworthington Gardens, as well as an adjoining 12 foot

Anderson was assisted by a crew consisting of Doug Miles, Coleman Atkins, Hank Kirkland (scoutmaster), Baron Atkins, Melissa Mulhearn and Elmer Jewel.

There's nothing like a 'Feud' to bring a family together

Chase Russell is one of those reality and game show aficionados who doesn’t tune in merely for their entertainingly diverse nature but is woefully fixated on one day finding himself deep in a jungle, perhaps not “Naked and Afraid” as much as a victorious lone “Survivor,” with television cameras catching his every move.

You name the show, and Chase would love to be a part of it, and that’s not just a solo act. He wouldn’t mind taking others down this cinematic rabbit hole with him.

His brother, Jansen, and sister, Tori, were well aware of this fanatical preoccupation, which helped when Chase messaged the two one day, suggesting they pack their bags for a trip to suburban Atlanta.

The producers of the long-running game show “Family Feud,” where a pair of families try to outpoint one another by answering questions like “name a bad job for someone who’s afraid of heights” or “name a reason why your parent would ground you,” thought they might be an engagingly nice fit.

Unbeknown to the other Russell clan, who had to be on board with this game show thing, Chase had applied as one of the competing families.

“We were surprised but not surprised,” is how Jansen put it when his younger brother informed him that show producers had at least made contact.

The thing is, Chase had sent out countless applications to countless other shows, hearing nothing but crickets.

Thankfully, the Russells, Arlington born and bred, are a spirited bunch; Dad is said to be super competitive and had heat blowing out of his ears almost immediately, while mom was excited but a bit nervous.

Dad (John), Mom (Janna), Jansen, Chase, and Tori formed the team – there’s another Russell, Brett, a triplet, along with Jansen and Tori.

Show producers set up a mock game run-through via Zoom; the family got most of the answers correct and seemed charming enough to fly them out for the real thing.

“Family Feud” tapes four to five shows a day. You win, you keep playing, and that’s what the Russells did twice before falling short in the third game.

They did incredibly well even in that episode – Chase kickstarted the game by blurting out “Spray your hose” to the question, “If there was a dance called 'The Fireman,' name something you might do while you perform it.”

His answer was first on the board and netted a whopping 62 points.

They steamrolled from there with John (“Climbing the ladder”), Tori (“Ax to break down the door”), and Chase, again (“sliding down the pole”), piling on the points.

But in the end, it was like watching a Cowboys team dominate most of the game only to slip in the end and fall in overtime, which the Russells did.

No matter.

“I remember being much younger, sitting with my mom while she was getting ready for work watching Family Feud,” Jansen says. “Some of us would sit around answering questions and saying, man, we’re kind of good at this.”

The trip was a fun-filled bonding experience for the Russells, who hadn’t been together in a competitive way since going at one another in a backyard volleyball death match. With Tori in New York now, it was like an unexpected family reunion, with comedian and do-it-all host Steve Harvey as emcee.

Harvey, you might remember, grew up in Cleveland, but, during his early career, he dug in roots in DFW – opening a comedy club here, in fact. He greeted the Russells on air with a shout-out, saying they were “off Highway 360 in Arlington.”

“It was a 10 out of 10 experience,” says Chase. “And the fact I got a chance to do this with my family. . .”

I don’t think Chase is done, by the way. He still has eyes on “Survivor” or even “Amazing Race.”

The latter might be an excellent fit for him and his new bride since he got engaged the same week as the Russell reality TV episodes aired.

“Yeah," says Jansen, “I guess it was a big week for the Russell family.”

Indeed.

Kenneth Perkins has been a contributing writer for Arlington Today for nearly a decade. He is a freelance writer, editor and photographer.

Kenneth Perkins

The Arlingtonbased Russell family won two games on "The Family Feud" during their recent foray into the land of television game shows.

Photo: The Family Feud

Mayor Jim Ross presented Dr. Joan Bergstrom, owner of The Sanford House, with the Woman-Owned Business award.

Dr. Aaron Reich and Melody Fowler

Laura DiStefano and Dr. Alfred DiStefano became mad scientists for an evening.

Daphne Barlow, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County, and the Youth of the Year Yohana V.

Chaplain Rich Stoglin and Paul Fulks at the State

the City event

Photos courtesy of The Greater Arlington Chamber

Commerce

Emmy Award-winning journalist John Quinones was the keynote speaker at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County Youth of the Year event

Photos courtesy of Bianca Burgdoerfer

Photo: Cowtow Paparazzi

Solomon Adair

Lead Pastor Inspired To Live Church

Jamil Ahmed, CFP®,

T

he founding pastor of Inspired To Live Church, Solomon Adair is actively influencing and guiding the Arlington community through a broad range of projects, including leading free summer camps, men’s retreats, back-toschool drives, and other initiatives.

Adair also has teaching roots, which began at Arlington Hutcheson Junior High. He was honored by his alma mater, Wichita State University, with the “Building Bridges Award” for his professional accomplishments and contributions in his field.

Although officially ‘retired’ from the teaching profession, he continues to prioritize service to the educational community through support for several Metroplex schools.

In addition to Pastor Adair’s pastoral duties, he broadened his contributions to Arlington and the nonprofit sector through his service on the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation Citizens Advisory Committee and its work to Contribute to a Thriving Arlington. When Adair isn’t leading his congregation or the community, he enjoys playing basketball, spending time with his wife of 17 years, Elisabeth, and his beautiful baby daughter, Eden.

Lisa Britt, MSN, RN, CEN

Director of Emergency & Critical Care Services Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital

L isa Britt, MSN, RN, CEN, is the Director of Emergency and Critical Care Services at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital. She began her nursing career in 2006 as an emergency department nurse at Texas Health Fort Worth and moved to her current hospital in 2018. She oversees the day-to-day operations, finances, outcomes, and patient experience of the critical care service line.

In her role at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, helped facilitate a Teddy Bear Clinic for 100 kindergarten students from Speer Elementary. She also has worked with city officials to supply clinical resources and supplies first-aid stations at events, such as Fourth of July Parades, Light Up Arlington, and the Veritex Bank Golf Championship held at the Texas Ranger’s Golf Club. In addition, she volunteers at Mission Arlington and as a shepherd in the children’s ministry at her church, Crossroad Arlington of Pantego.

Outside of work, she loves spending time with her husband Jeremy and their children, Henry (11), William (8) and Grace (6). She enjoys baking, fishing, thrift shopping, reading, and unwinding at the family cabin in Mount Vernon.

J

amil Ahmed is a family focused, community minded financial advisor with Edward Jones, which is celebrating its 100th year of helping people realize their financial objectives. He believes education is the key to helping people continue to grow their impact and continues to educate himself. Jamil is a CFP® professional and has also earned the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® designation. Jamil believes that our legacy is leaving the world better than it was found, and his mission is that for his two children Asiya, Yaseen and his niece Aleena. He strives to make the business community better as a board member of the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the community a better place by being an Arlington Sunrise Rotarian and helping to develop future community leaders through his work with Leadership Arlington.

He believes experiences shape us and enjoys sharing new and unique experiences with people. He loves to travel with his wife Nargis and has visited over 30 states and five countries so far. Jamil also enjoys cooking, fishing, football and soccer.

S tephanie Buduhan has a passion for helping nonprofit organizations. With over 18 years of experience in accounting under her belt, she started her own CPA practice in 2022, providing auditing, accounting, and consulting services exclusively to nonprofit organizations. She finds her work to be extremely fulfilling, noting “If can help a nonprofit, even just a tiny bit, to be better and do better, then know my work is worthwhile.”

In addition to working with nonprofits, Stephanie enjoys giving back and volunteering with nonprofits. She currently serves on the Boards for Dental Health for Arlington, Higher Education Servicing Corporation, and the Texas Society of CPAs.

Another group Stephanie is proud to support is the Women’s Alliance of the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce. She is thrilled to be serving as the Chair for the Women’s Alliance for 2022-2023. Outside of work and volunteering, Stephanie loves traveling to tropical locations, trying new restaurants, going to the theatre to see Broadway musicals, and binge watching TV shows on Netflix with her husband and best friend Patrick.

The Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, in a partnership with Arlington Today, has selected the inaugural class of outstanding young leaders in the area. Here is a chance to get to know them or know them better ...

Financial Advisor

Edward Jones

Stephanie Buduhan

Owner

Stephanie Buduhan CPA

Cole Carter, Vice President of Property Management and Property Tax at Peyco Southwest Realty, has been with the company since 2019 and is involved in many divisions of the business. His focus is on property management, brokerage and property tax consulting, but his role also includes IT, marketing and maintenance.

He was born and raised in Arlington and got an early start in Arlington businesses working for The Man's Shop during high school and Horizon Plumbing in early college years. Following his graduation from the University of Alabama, he began his career with Martin Sprocket & Gear, where he held several positions ending with branch manager of the Kansas City plant.

Each company provided him with a unique skill set, lessons and mentors that enable him to be a dynamic leader. Cole has become deeply integrated in the Arlington community through his work at Peyco but also as a director for the Arlington Margarita Society. He resides in Arlington with his wife Lauren and two little ones, Beckett and Adeline. They enjoy spending time with their extended families outdoors at Possum Kingdom Lake or in the Colorado Rockies.

Douglas Cooper, AICP, has over 15 years of planning experience. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas State University and master’s degree in Urban Planning from The University of Texas at Arlington. A certified planner, Cooper is a member of the American Planning Association and American Planning Association – Texas Chapter.

Douglas is a principal at mma, Inc., and leads multi-disciplinary teams on complex zoning and land development projects that involve engaging community leaders, stakeholders, and citizen groups. He also leads the business development efforts at mma and works closely with fellow principals to develop both short- and long-term strategies for how to lead mma in the right direction.

He serves on the City of Fort Worth’s Urban Design Commission and on the Board of Directors for the Ryan Place Improvement Association. He served on the Board of Directors for the Levitt Pavilion from January 2013 to May 2019.

When he isn’t working, you’ll find Cooper, his wife Katie, and daughter Daisy working in the yard, tinkering in the garage, fishing at the ranch, or exploring great cities and parks all over the world.

A L K

D avid E. Curtis, Jr., joined 4over International, LLC, in July 2021 as Senior Manager, Human Resources to lead the HR function at the company's plants. Currently, he is Director of Human Resources for the communication products and services company, with nine direct reports. He focuses on developing the People Strategy, developing the HR team, and working to have a highly engaged workforce at 4over.

In his community, David says his key highlight is being the chair for the Arlington Field of Honor. "Being able to help our community honor the heroes in their lives is a tremendous honor," he says.

He is also on the Board of Directors for a longtime Arlington Non-profit, Dental Health for Arlington.

Outside the office, David and his wife love hanging out with their 4-year-daughter and playing outside, playing games, or hanging out with extended family. When they get a chance, the Curtises try to take their daughter to new cities to help her experience different cultures and attractions.

Community Engagement Coordinator

The Oakridge School

Nadia DiStefano has been with Oakridge just shy of five years as the Community Engagement Coordinator. This position develops an annual community awareness and outreach plan. Serving people in some 76 zip codes, Nadia's job is to extend Oakridge's presence, making sure anyone interested in an independent school education knows about the school, and feels welcome to learn more about the application process.

Previously, she was with Boys & Girls Clubs, The Women's Center, American Red Cross, and numerous other non-profits. She has volunteered with Junior League, Arlington Museum of Art, Theatre Arlington, Women's Alliance with the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Arlington, and TCU School of Social Work. She just completed four years on the advisory board of the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation, and she is a member of Women Inspiring Philanthropy.

Nadia has twin 7-year-old girls, Harper and Emerson. She is also close to sisters Sarah and Hanna, and nephew Grayson, and she credits her mother, Janet, as "the one who keeps us going."

R

O H N S O N

on his recognition of

Cole Carter

VP, Property Management and Property Tax Peyco Southwest Realty, Inc.

Douglas Cooper

Principal mma, Inc.

David E. Curtis, Jr.

Director of Human Resources

4over International, LLC

Nadia DiStefano

Elena N. Fernandez joined Perdue Brandon in 2015 and became a Partner in 2020. Elena specializes in delinquent property tax collection and delinquent fines and fees collection. She is a member of the Firm’s National Marketing, Website Development and Social Media Committees.

Elena received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Law and Public Policy from the University of Southern California. She earned her law degree from Texas Southern University. She also has a certificate in nonprofit management with an emphasis in fundraising and philanthropy from Texas A&M University.

Elena is licensed to practice law in Texas, Illinois, and Arizona.

Elena is very active in the community, serving on several nonprofit boards that speak to education, homelessness, and empowering young women.

She is Chair of the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce's Black Business Alliance.

She enjoys playing softball in an adult coed league, and she loves to spend quality time with her family and to travel.

Brittany Garcia-Dumas

Director, Communications & Business Development Urban Tree Merchants

K elly Geer and her husband Caleb launched Urban Tree Merchants in January of 2019. Kelly is primarily responsible for "the business side," including Social Media Management, Marketing, PR, Advertising, Networking, Inventory Management, Client Relations, Workflow & Job Tracking, Office Manager, HR, and Finances.

For the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Kelly serves as the Chair of the Young Professionals, the Communications Chair for the Women’s Alliance, and as the Silent Auction Chair for the Inspired Women Luncheon. Kelly is the Marketing Committee Chair for the North Texas Woodworkers Association. Kelly also volunteers with Dental Health Arlington and the River Legacy Foundation. She is on the Women’s Ministry team at North Davis Church of Christ, and she volunteers her time to several church endeavors. Kelly enjoys traveling around the world, going to events, taking photographs, and trying new food and drinks. She has been to over 15 countries. She and Caleb have known each other for over 15 years, and she is the "Fancy Aunt" to over 15 nieces and nephews.

Brittney Garcia-Dumas is a Business Branding Strategist from Arlington with a degree in Anthropology and five years experience in Strategic Marketing. As owner of BGD Digital Marketing, a comprehensive Corporate Branding company focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, she has helped businesses large and small profit from their unique strengths. BGD Digital Marketing utilizes state-of-the-art processes and one-on-one customer care to launch, modernize, and grow businesses through Comprehensive Branding, Social Media Management, Graphic Design, Website Design, and Consulting.

Brittney is a proud Latina business owner, speaker, and advocate for women. Her personal touch approach has opened doors for her to lead talks on modern Marketing practices, women’s empowerment, business strategies, and rallying others through her perspective of #HustleHappy business ownership. Brittney participates on multiple boards and advisory councils, including Arlington Mayor Jim Ross’ Latino and Women’s Advisory Board, Downtown Arlington Management Corporation Board, and Chairing the Latino Business Group for the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce.

Katie Gosa Vice President

Downtown Arlington Management Corp.

K atie Gosa is the Vice President of Downtown Arlington Management Corporation. She is passionate about bringing together our community to build a creative, collaborative, and connected city.

She currently serves as a member of the University of Texas System Chancellor’s Centurions, as the vice chair for the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, and as cochair for the Mayor’s Young Adult Advisory Council.

She also sits on the University of Texas at Arlington "Football Team": A Creative Collective Board of Directors, supporting the professional development of UTA students and other young adults interested in the arts as a career in Arlington. She was previously a member of the Leadership North Texas University (Class of 2020), the UT System Student Advisory Council Executive Committee Historian (2018-2019), the UT System Student Advisory Council UTA Student Representative (2017-2019), the UTA Student Body President (20172018) and the Vice President of Administration for the Beta Epsilon chapter of her sorority, Delta Delta Delta. She is the proud pet mom of two, and loves traveling and spending time with her six nieces and nephews.

Elena N. Fernandez

Partner

Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott, LLP

Owner BGD Digital Marketing

Kelly Geer

Austin Grissett was 2 years old when his parents, Anthony and Arminda, bought their first McDonald's Restaurant 30 years ago, and he has been immersed in the McDonald's experience since. At 16, he started as a crew member and is now an Area Supervisor overseeing stores in the Arlington market, while working to become an approved McDonald's owner/operator to continue his family's legacy. He routinely donates restaurant food to charitable causes, including the Martin High School Bahama Bash, the Diabetes Squad-Up, Irving's Back to School Luncheon for Teachers, Unity Unlimited's Juneteenth Celebration, the First Responders and Teachers event, the YMCA's annual Polar Plunge, Elliott Elementary School's Literacy Night partnership with Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., AISD's Father Festival, Girls Inc.'s Spring Break, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Fun Day. He also read to children at New Life Fellowship's African American Read-In. Austin says best gift God has given him is his wife and their two children, Aayla and Vakenzo. He also enjoys attending and watching sports, collecting sneakers, watching his daughter play sports, and traveling with his wife.

Washima Huq

Executive Director Texas Trust Gives Foundation

Washima Huq is the Executive Director of the Texas Trust Gives Foundation, the charitable arm of Texas Trust Credit Union, where she oversees grants, scholarships and volunteerism. She has an MBA in Marketing from The University of North Texas and a BBA in Management from The University of Texas at Arlington.

In 2022, she received the Women’s Alliance Rising Star Award, and in 2021, she was named Cornerstone Credit Union League’s Young Professional of the Year and received the Shining Star in Banking Award by UTA SSRE. Washima has graduated from Leadership Mansfield, and currently serves on nine boards and committees in North Texas, including City of Arlington’s Unity Council and Mayor’s Young Adult Advisory Council, Arlington-Mansfield Area YMCA, WIP, Greater Arlington Chamber Women’s Alliance and Asian Business Council, Texas Trust’s Community Unity Team, and Mansfield ISD Superintendent’s Advisory Council. Her work exemplifies empowering youth and diversity, and she has used many public speaking platforms to address this cause. In her spare time, she loves to travel, drink fancy lattes and spend time with her family and friends.

Walker Johnson Energy Sales Leader

EightTwenty

J onathan Januta joined Frost Bank in May 2013 and is a Vice President Commercial Banking Officer. His responsibilities include selling all bank products and servicing the customers' needs; calling on prospects; growing existing relationships; maintaining the best interest of the bank and customers in all matters; identifying customers' financial needs and delivering the appropriate Frost products and services.

Jonathan is a graduate of the 2014 class of Leadership Arlington and a subsequent board member. He has been or is a board member of the Arlington Sunrise Rotary Club and the AISD Education Foundation. He is a past parade director for the Arlington Holiday Lights Parade organization for eight plus years and has co-chaired the planning and steering committee of the Arlington Silver Eagle (Boy Scouts) annual fundraising event for the past five years. He's a frequent volunteer at local Habitat for Humanity builds and is actively involved at Rush Creek Church and Arlington Classics Academy. Jonathan enjoys spending quality time with his family, volunteering, fishing, camping, traveling, and listening to and occasionally playing music.

F or the past decade, Walker Johnson, EightTwenty's Energy Sales Leader for DFW/Texas, has served the community, both occupationally and through volunteering. Walker says the solar-energy company puts people at the center of everything it does, which makes it a great fit for him, given his altruistic nature.

He has served as area director for Young Life and in the ministry for 10 years and was co-founder of 100 Men that Give a Damn Arlington along side his friend Spencer Cearnal. He has been on the board of Bikes for Mission Arlington, as well as an annual Salvation Army Bell Ringer. He was committee chair of the Young Life Arlington Golf Tournament, in addition to serving on the Re-Ministry board, as a member of the Camp Eagle Men's Retreat board, and as a member of the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce. 100 Men has raised over $100,000 to date for local non profits, the Young Life golf tournament has raised $200,000 the past four years, and Bikes for Mission Arlington has donated over 15,000 bikes to Mission Arlington for the Christmas Store. Walker's other interests include golf, rooting for DFW sports teams and the Tennessee Vols, along with spending time with his friends and family.

Austin C. Grissett

Area Supervisor/Next Gen Candidate Grissett Enterprises McDonald's

Jonathan Januta

Vice President

Frost Bank

F or the past six years, Shannon Kidd has served constituents of House District 94 as District Director for State Representative Tony Tinderholt. She manages all operations and communications in the Arlington office, coordinating three email accounts and a state calendar, while attending events, and presenting recognition. She also currently serves as President of the Tarrant County Delegation Round Table. She says the highlight of her role is bringing certificates to new businesses, writing letters of recognition, creating resolutions for milestones, and uplifting people as much as she can. She is especially proud of the victories while assisting constituents with casework involving state agencies and bringing much-needed relief to their current hardships. She also serves on councils in the Greater Arlington Chamber, such as the VBC and PPAC.

Shannon enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, highlighted by outdoor movie night, the children's soccer/dance endeavors, and swimming. She also volunteers her time as a room parent at her children's school and teaches in the Kid's Ministry at her church.

Aziz Kobty

V alerie (McDonald) Landry is an Arlington native. She attended Hofstra University, on an academic scholarship, and captained the Division 1 Tennis Team during her undergraduate tenure. Graduating with honors, Valerie returned to Texas, to join the family business, The Sanford House Inn & Spa in 2008.

She has led the company through several iterations, helping to diversify the scope of the business, including the development of Arlington’s top fine-dining restaurant, Restaurant506.

She is on the Boards of numerous organizations, including the Rotary Club of Arlington, Downtown Arlington Management Corporation, Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, and the Arlington Convention & Visitor’s Bureau. Valerie earned her MBA from the University of Texas at Arlington College of Business and was awarded the 2017-2018 Alumni Award for Outstanding Early Career Achievement. In 2018, Valerie received the Rising Star Award on behalf of the Women’s Alliance.

Valerie is married to Christopher Landry, and they have two daughters, Vivian and Arya. In her free time, Valerie enjoys playing tennis, cooking, and traveling.

Aziz Kobty is Chef and Owner of Prince Lebanese Grill. The restaurant was founded by his father, Francis "Prince" Kobty in 1989, the same day Aziz was born. Legend has it he learned to cook before he could walk.

Professionally, Aziz has appeared multiple times on Food Network’s "Diners, Drive-ins & Dives" and "DDD Nation. " Aziz also has been featured as a celebrity chef for the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers.

Aziz loves his work but puts a large emphasis on serving his community. He is frequently called on by other city leaders to serve.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Arlington Police Foundation, Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce. Prince is also a sponsor of the AISD Chef Practicum Program that mentors and prepares high school students for the work force. Aziz also serves on the Arlington Charities Help & Hope Committee raising money for their food bank by being a featured chef at their showcase dinner. Aziz believes in always giving back more than he receives and leaving everything he comes in contact with better than when he found it.

Chris T. Lee, M.D.

Partner and Physician Central Park ENT, LLP

D r. Chris T. Lee joined Central Park ENT in 2015 after completing his residency, and he was made Partner there shortly thereafter. He treats patients with many different problems of the ears, nose, throat, and head and neck, offering both surgical and medical options depending on the problem.

He says he is in a unique position in that he gets to practice medicine in the community in which he grew and that helped raise him to become who he is today. Nearly every day he gets to see a patient from the Arlington community that knew him from his time growing up in Arlington. Some of his patients include his Kindergarten teacher from Pope Elementary, his Physics teacher from Lamar High School, and many family and church friends that knew him as a child.

Dr. Lee helps coach my boys’ baseball teams at North Arlington Little League and volunteers at Little Elementary where his two older children currently attend. He is an active member at North Davis Church of Christ.

He says he loves spending time with his beautiful wife Amanda and their three children. He also enjoys exercising, skiing, and golfing.

Shannon Kidd

District Director for State Representative Tony Tinderholt

Owner & Chef Prince Lebanese Grill

Valerie Landry

General Manager

The Sanford House Inn & Spa and Restaurant506

Alexandra MacMartin is a licensed CPA and senior auditor at Sutton Frost Cary LLP, with a focus on nonprofit audits. She approaches community involvement with the mindset that if she can’t give enough money to create real change, then she can give her time and professional knowledge to help. She is Co-Chair of the United Way of Tarrant County City of Arlington’s grant committee, as well as serving on the steering committee.

Alexandra is also involved with the North Texas Community Foundation’s youth philanthropist group, WORTH; she chairs the group’s grant committee and is a member of its steering committee. Alexandra is actively involved with the Texas Society of Certified Professional Accountants’ Fort Worth Chapter. She is often invited to speak to students at the University of Texas at Arlington and Tarrant Community College. Additionally, she is active in the Young Professionals steering committee, leadership development, and financial literacy programming.

On the hyper local level, Alexandra joined her neighbors in a fledgling community litter clean-up group, the Fairmount Trash Pirates.

Ja’Nae McGee

Lieutenant Arlington Police Department

L ieutenant Ja’Nae McGee has over a decade of experience with the Arlington Police Department. She is currently assigned to the South Patrol district and is responsible for directing and administering the management functions of a patrol division. She directs subordinates, administers programs, and develops goals for assigned departments. She also serves on the SWAT team as an Executive Officer and a Negotiator.

Ja’Nae is as an executive member on the APD's Education and Awareness within Technology board. She created and chaired a Women's Leadership Symposium, implemented a Parental Guidance Required program in The Parks Mall, introduced a Women's Mentoring program to effectively increase female officer representation at all ranks. She also created and led "Bridge Kids," a comprehensive problem-oriented policing project to address crime and disorder at Lynn Hale Elementary School. Bridge Kids won the Texas municipal police award in 2019 and Ja’Nae earned the State of Texas achievement award for enforcement officers committed to exceeding the normal expectations of job performance through acts of professional achievement in public service.

Jose Manjarrez Program Manager

CAE USA

Jose Manjarrez is Program Manager at CAE USA, which is a high-technology company that brings together the digital and physical realms in civil aviation, defense and security, and healthcare to create a safer world.

Jose started his career as an aircraft maintenance instructor teaching the Royal Australian Air Force. He transitioned to test director in engineering, focusing on military aircraft maintenance programs, and was promoted to program manager. He is responsible for the overall performance of all assigned programs and the company's primary contact with military customers.

As a veteran, he focuses much of his civic involvement on the military community. He volunteers and supports Flags for Fallen Veterans and Wreaths Across America. He says he has enjoyed seeing how participation has increased throughout the years with coworkers bringing their friends and family to support such events.

Jose has three children, who keep him pretty busy. He also enjoys fishing with his family, traveling to new places, and finding a new coffee shop with his wife for their "mini coffee dates!"

Christopher D. McMurrough

Associate Professor of Instruction

The University of Texas at Arlington

Christopher D. McMurrough is a computer engineer specializing in automation & robotics in Arlington. He works as an Associate Professor of Instruction in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he earned the 2022 UTA Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

His community involvement includes working with the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation Citizens’ Advisory Board, The Arlington Rotary Foundation Executive Board, The Arlington Rotary Club Leadership Board, and The Arlington Sculpture Garden Board. He previously served as the President of Young Men for Arlington, as well as an elder at his church.

Chris credits his engineering achievements to his computer science teacher at Arlington High School, and thus recognizes the importance of cultivating interest in technology careers as early as possible. He serves as a mentor for the Martin High School RoboBoat team.

Chris spends most of his free time with his two sons and his wife, and tries to volunteer in the community as much as possible.

Alexandra MacMartin, CPA

Senior Auditor

Sutton Frost Cary LLP

Strategic Initiatives Officer

L

yndsay Mitchell serves as the Strategic Initiatives Officer for the City of Arlington. Lyndsay and her team focus on special projects for the City Manager’s Office, economic development assistance, research & analytics, and neighborhood engagement.

Lyndsay has been with the City for over 14 years and has managed numerous key projects, including the Downtown Master Plan, multiple Citizen’s Bond Committees, the Arlington Urban Design Center, autonomous vehicle deployments, and assisted with the development of Globe Life Field, Texas Live!, Live! by Loews, and the Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center. She is a graduate of both Rice University and the University of Texas at Arlington.

Lyndsay is a member of the Junior League of Arlington and has served on the several AISD capital committees. Each year, she speaks on careers in local government to hundreds of students in grades K-12. When she’s not working, you can find Lyndsay doing laps, either at the pool or at Arlington Skatium. Lyndsay and her husband Ryan reside in the Enchanted Lakes Estates neighborhood with their son Owen and daughter Evelyn.

Katie Morgan began with the Texas Rangers in 2008 and is currently Vice President of Business Analytics & Ticket Strategy, where she oversees the Ticket Operations department and leads the Texas Rangers’ efforts in the Ticket Strategy space. Katie is a member of the Texas Rangers Inclusion & Community Impact Council. In 2018, she was selected to represent the Rangers at the second annual Katy Feeney Leadership Symposium hosted by Major League Baseball to continue advancing support for female leaders within baseball.

Outside of work, she has been a participant and mentor with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training, participated in the Walk to Cure ALS, and was a participant and president of the board of directors for BvB Dallas. More recently, Katie has been involved in philanthropic endeavors directly related to the Texas Rangers Foundation.

Katie has participated in volunteer efforts at Mission Arlington, Safe Haven, USO packing events, food pantries, and the Texas Rangers Youth Academy. She enjoys spending time with her husband Tanner and two-year-old daughter Lucy, traveling, attending sporting events, and seeing friends and family.

Alberto Parra, M.D.

Physician

The Center For Cancer And Blood Disorders

Ashley Purgason, Ph.D.

Associate Vice Provost for Student Success

The University of Texas at Arlington

D r. Alberto Parra practices at The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders as a bilingual, dual-certified Hematologist and Oncologist with clinics in both Fort Worth and Arlington. He serves as treasurer of the practice, and he sits on the Baylor Scott and White Quality Alliance Executive Board.

Dr. Parra offers advanced cancer treatment to patients in Fort Worth. He spends time with each patient and works closely with a team of surgeons, radiation oncologists, nurses, dietitians, patient navigators, and other support staff to ensure that each individual receives a customized treatment plan. This approach provides the best opportunity for a cure while focusing on maintaining the patient’s quality of life.

Dr. Parra has been happily married to his childhood sweetheart, Catherine Parra, since 2008, and they have three children: their twin girls, Alexa and Avery, and their son, AJ. The Parras enjoy supporting their children in their various sporting, cultural and academic endeavors. Dr. Parra enjoys exercising and reading. The family is also avid travelers and are always looking forward to their next adventure.

D r. Ashley Purgason has worked at the University of Texas at Arlington, one of her alma maters, for nine years in varying roles, most recently in the Division of Student Success. She works on student success efforts daily, including student academic support, advising, and more.

She says she is fortunate to be surrounded by “an incredibly talented group of staff that devote extra time and heart to our Maverick students every day.”

Ashley has coached youth sports teams, participated in philanthropic work through the Michael Gilles Purgason Foundation, volunteered with the Fourth of July Parade, tutored students in science, donated annually to UTA, and donated school supplies to local schools and teachers. She lives in Arlington, as well, and was born here. Her children are cared for daily in Arlington, and her family attends a local house of worship here.

She enjoys spending time with her husband, daughters, and extended family. She loves sports, especially basketball and volleyball, and sci fi films and shows. She likes to follow all things space exploration after working at NASA for five years.

City of Arlington

Lyndsay Mitchell

Katie Morgan VP, Business Analytics & Ticket Strategy Texas Rangers Baseball Club

Skyler Reed

Chief Operating Officer

Medical City Arlington

Skyler Reed serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Medical City Arlington (MCA). As a member of the hospital’s Executive Team, he is responsible for the day to day operations of the facility with direct oversight over several hospital departments, strategic planning, facility construction, and programmatic development.

He serves on the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors to positively affect the future of the community as a whole. He’s passionate about mentorship and makes an active effort to be involved with the development of leaders both within and outside of his organization. He serves as an HCA Executive Development Program

Mentor, a Senior Advisor for Trinity University’s Master’s program, and also as St. David’s Neal Kocurek Scholarship mentor to undergraduate students pursuing a career in healthcare. He’s actively engaged with the American Heart Association and also the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through work-place campaigns, volunteering, and donations. Skyler and his wife, April, have three beautiful kids and could not be happier to be in the North Texas area.

Carri Rutkowski , Director of Sales at Texas Live!, has 15 years of hospitality experience, 12 with Cordish Company, where she ensures that small and large-scale events not only meet but exceed clients' expectations.

Over the past four years at Texas Live! she has worked with prominent organizations serving in Arlington, including the Texas Rangers Foundation, the Faith Fight Finish Foundation, the Arlington Chapter of NAACP, the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the Asian Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Arlington Black Chamber of Commerce, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County, the Travel & Sport Legacy Foundation, and the National Medal of Honor Museum. She assists organizations with moderately priced events, supporting them through in-kind donations, and collaborating on career exploration opportunities. She contributed to the district by donating over $91,000 last year to support the community with in-kind donations.

She maintains a healthy lifestyle and enjoys going to concerts and spending time with family and her cat, Hobson.

Catherine Samson Audit Manager PSK LLP

Alex Serman

Managing Director of Wealth First Rate, Inc.

C

atherine “Cat” Samson began working at PSK LLP as an audit associate in 2018. She became a licensed CPA in 2019 and was recognized as having one of the top 10 scores in Texas on the CPA exams that year. Today, Cat continues to work at PSK as an Audit Manager supporting and training audit team members and providing auditing and consulting services for various industries with a focus on not-for-profit organizations. Outside of work, Cat enjoys bringing the gift of music to others by playing the flute as a member of the Arlington Community Band. Cat routinely volunteers and supports organizations in the Greater Arlington area, including her sister’s business, Stagedoor Dance Centre in Mansfield, and at the annual Hart Street Pottery ChristmasFest event, located in east Fort Worth. Cat’s work at PSK has provided additional volunteer opportunities such as PSK’s annual support of the Mission Arlington Christmas Store.

When Cat is not working or volunteering, she can be found crafting with her CPAs Craft Group or relaxing at home with her cat, Buck.

A lex Serman has been with First Rate for over six years, starting out as an intern in college and moving up to become an analyst, service manager, and now managing director. His focus is to maintain and grow relationships with firms in the bank/trust market of $10 billion AUM and above. This includes overseeing the strategic operations of First Rate's support team and growing new relationships with clients and partners.

His main involvement in his community has been with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Tarrant County where he serves on the Club Council. This includes supporting and attending several events throughout the year, interacting with club members, and he serves on the Par for the Kids golf tournament committee. He also helped select the organization to receive a grant from First Rate to support its Feeding the Future and Culinary Connection programs.

When he is not working, he spends a lot of time with his fiancé and heeler puppy. They enjoy going to Stars games, watching football, visiting whiskey distilleries and breweries across Texas, and spending time with family.

Carri Rutkowski

Director of Sales Texas Live!

Charletra Sharp

Director for Economic Mobility

Center for Transforming Lives

Charletra Sharp joined the Center for Transforming Lives family in 2019 to assist with developing a concept that will increase economic mobility opportunities in Tarrant County neighborhoods that have concentrated poverty and experience the greatest disparities. As Director for Economic Mobility, she oversees a team that provides financial health tools, career readiness services, and business support resources designed to support income-constrained women with young children.

Charletra's community involvement in Arlington has included serving on the original City of Arlington Unity Council, participating in Leadership Arlington, serving on the United Way of Tarrant County-Arlington Steering Committee, supporting her neighborhood community association, assisting her church with its community-based nonprofit, and participating in several nonprofit, City, and AISD focus groups. She and her husband own Cup o’ Vibes, a specialty craft coffee bar in south Arlington where their mantra is “Brewing Community. Serving Culture.” They have a four year old who, she says, "is committed to crossing all boundaries and exploring all that we teach him to avoid!"

Girish Suresh Shelke says he is honored to work with Helping Restore Ability as Chief Research Officer. As a Disability Health Inequities Scientist, he is passionate about healthcare equality among those with disabilities, especially those served through Medicaid services. Through this work, he has partnered with the University of Notre Dame, Amerigroup, CIGNA, Superior, and AETNA to save healthcare costs by improving patient's overall healthcare outcomes.

In the last three years, these projects have significantly reduced the number of Emergency Room visits and inpatient days and saved taxpayers over $11.5million. While managing these projects, Girish received his post-doctoral study in Public Oral Health so that he could expand his work to also cover oral health care, a top-five concern for those with disabilities.

He is applying for grants to assist in developing oral health equipment that will help patients with special needs brush their teeth and maintain regular oral health hygiene.

Outside of his work passion, Girish loves to spend time with family and in studying the history of King Chhatrapati Shivajiraje Bhosale.

Colton C. Strawser, Ph.D. President Colton Strawser Consulting

D

rew Smith is the founder and owner of Lone Star Drone, a company that uses cutting-edge drones, professional software, and highly experienced pilots to help clients meet their photography, surveying, and filming needs. During an Army deployment, Drew set out to create a company that would give veterans jobs. Lone Star Drone has realized that mission. When Drew founded the company, the idea was to utilize the skills fellow veterans possessed to build an advanced drone company that put the mission of the client first.

The company now provides the most advanced survey and mapping, inspection, and aerial engineering services possible. It also develops cutting-edge drones for use by the law enforcement community. Under Drew’s direction, the company was awarded the 2022 Veteran Owned Business of the Year by the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce.

Drew takes no greater pride in life than he does in his family. With wife Angie, he has three children, Vincent, Dominic, and Sophia. Through his faith, community service, and charity, and as a Rotarian, Drew continues to live in service of others.

Dr. Colton Strawser is a nonprofit and philanthropic consultant and the President of Colton Strawser Consulting — a consulting firm that works with mission-driven organizations to develop the data, funding, and leadership skills necessary to create change.

Dr. Strawser’s personal and professional mission is empowering organizations to create change®, and he has received numerous awards in recognition of his academic, professional, and personal contributions to the nonprofit sector.

As a nonprofit scholar and community champion, Dr. Strawser studies community philanthropy and works to engage with the local nonprofit sector to increase capacity and efficiency.

Locally, Dr. Strawser serves on the leadership team of the DFW Nonprofit Resource Group – an organization of mission-friendly business professionals that support the nonprofit sector.

In addition, he is currently leading a volunteer effort to produce a report on the state of nonprofits and philanthropy in the mid-cities that will be released in Summer 2023.

Girish Suresh Shelke

Director of Research Helping Restore Ability

Drew T. Smith

Owner

Lone Star Drone

Yaman Subei

Chief Executive Officer

Urgentology Care

Yaman Subei is the founder and CEO of a multi-specialty healthcare group.

In 2018, he established Urgentology Care, a walk-in urgent care offering acute medical services and occupational medicine. In 2020, he co-founded Cure Allergy Clinic, an Allergy, Asthma, and Weight Loss clinic. In 2021, he founded Glo & Glam – MedSpa & Skincare, an aesthetics practice offering non-surgical cosmetic procedures from injectables (dermal fillers and neurotoxins) to facials, PRP, and hormone therapy.

Yaman’s famous words to his team are “we must provide a patient ‘EXPERIENCE, not a service”. His principle is to focus on the little things that elevate patients’ experience. Yaman holds three CLC memberships at the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce and serves as the Vice Chair of the Asian Business Council. He has contributed tremendously to efforts in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. Urgentology Care was among the first practices to offer drive-through testing, serving over 20 thousand patients. Yaman also volunteers time and donations to HEB ISD, AISD, SAMS, and 6Stones. When not working, Yaman loves traveling with his family and experiencing world cultures.

Suzanne W. Taylor serves as Chief of Staff and External Relations at Graham Associates, Inc., a civil engineering and consulting firm in Arlington and Fort Worth. In that role she has coordinated many company projects, including the National Medal of Honor Museum, WJ Boaz Road in Fort Worth, Downtown Mansfield Redevelopment projects, and more. She also assists on the business side of the firm through marketing, recruiting/hiring, and client/employee relations.

She has served on the Levitt Pavilion Board, Leadership Arlington Class of 2017, the AISD Education Foundation, PTA in AISD, initiatives to bring the National Medal of Honor Museum to Arlington, and on numerous campaigns in the community for Mayoral, City Council and AISD Board candidates. She has served as the Co-Chair of the Dreammakers (Grant Recipient) Event for the AISD Education Foundation and was on the search committee for the director.

She and her husband love spending time with their children Kate and Wade and are excited to welcome their third child this month. They are invested in First Baptist Church Arlington and love sharing the name of Jesus.

Erica L. Thompson, Esq.

Manager, Office of Business Diversity City of Arllington

A life-long Arlington resident, attorney Erica L. Thompson has worked for the City of Arlington as the Manager of the Office of Business Diversity since 2021. The department was established to promote the inclusion and growth of Minority and Women-Owned Businesses in all phases of the City's procurement process.

Erica is currently enrolled at Loyola UniversityChicago, seeking an LLM (Master of Law) in Enterprise Risk Management, Contracts & Compliance. As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., she serves her community through volunteerism, mentorship and legal advocacy.

She also teaches and mentors students in the art of dance at Step By Step Dance Studio. As a member of the United Way Steering Committee, she served on the grant review committee. She was in Leadership Arlington's Class of 2018, and she volunteers with the Arlington-Mansfield Area YMCA, Arlington Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, and various city campaigns and community celebration events. In her spare time, Erica enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with close family and friends.

Lisa Ward, MBA

Financial Advisor

Timberlake Financial Group

L isa Ward, MBA, brought a new service to Timberlake Financial Group. As an advisor she meets with clients on a monthly basis to review financial concerns, including debt management, major purchase planning, life transition planning, cash-flow management, employee benefit review, investment management, retirement savings plans, college savings plans, risk management, and estate planning.

"I essentially do really complicated word problems for a living and love it!" she says.

She is on the Dance Theatre of Arlington board and is Co-Chair for the Maverick Women Behind the Wheel for the Maverick Region Porsche Club of America. She recently completed her fifth and final year on the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Advisory Council, where, as Chair, she helped create the chamber's first ever mentorship program, IMPACT. She is also involved with the Girl Scouts, facilitating financial literacy badges for Tarrant County troops during cookie season.

Outside the office she loves to hone her baking and gardening skills, sharing the victories of both endeavors with family and friends around the dinner table.

Suzanne W. Taylor

Chief of Staff/External Relations Graham Associates, Inc.

You’re stuck in traffic. You’ve spilled coffee on yourself. You’ve forgotten your phone at home.

These may seem like small annoyances by themselves. But the stress they can cause on the body has the potential to accumulate.

A team of University of Texas at Arlington researchers is exploring how those day-to-day stresses of life may impact one’s health.

Ashley Darling, doctoral student and graduate research assistant at UTA’s Neurovascular Physiology Laboratory, under the supervision of Jody Greaney, assistant professor of kinesiology and lab director, is studying how daily stress can play a role in one’s risk of cardiovascular disease.

mood as a result of these daily stressors,” Darling says. “What we’ve seen is that a greater increase in negative mood is correlated with biological outcomes that may lead to an increased risk of future cardiovascular disease.”

Darling’s project is “The moderating influence of physical activity on the link between daily stress vulnerability and blood pressure reactivity.” It received grant funding from the American College of Sports Medicine Foundation.

Darling says stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, which drives the body’s fight or flight response. With that activation comes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. The blood pressure spike from that acute stress previously has been linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

time. It is such an accessible and very powerful intervention,”

Darling says. “Trying to understand how public health initiatives could be created to promote exercise went into the decision to pursue this study.”

Participants will wear a small accelerometer on their hip for a week that will record their physical activity and sedentary time. They will also document their exposure to daily stress and their emotional response to that stress. On the study’s final day, participants will visit the lab and undergo exposure to acute laboratory-applied stressful tasks, like submerging their hand in a bucket of ice water, to see how their blood pressure levels react.

Darling says she is grateful for research experience at UTA and the mentorship of Greaney.

“I moved here from Virginia specifically for UTA and to work with Jody, just because I think the University really does offer a great amount of resources,” Darling says.

“Daily stress is universally experienced. It’s part of life and elicits an emotional response.

Typically, people get into a worse

But Darling says there is a way to fight back: by being active. She and her team are investigating whether physical activity can help lower the body’s reaction to acute stress, thereby decreasing the body’s disease risk.

“We are always interested in physical activity and sedentary

“The department and the people whom I am able to work with give me a unique set of skills that I can’t really get from other places.”

Greaney says that Darling’s research approach is unique.

“Very few investigators are working at merging psychology and psychological-related outcomes with physiology,” Greaney says. “Ashley has done a really nice job of building a team of investigators that is going to help her be successful in completing this study.”

UTA explores link between daily pressures and future disease risk • By Neph Rivera Stress test

Car enthusiasts universally recognize the 1957 Chevrolet as an iconic collector’s model that appears in car shows everywhere. It was produced as an upscale Bel Air, a mid-range Two-Ten, and the One-Fifty. They are often restored to their original condition and, according to Wikipedia’s coverage, frequently used in toys, graphics, music, movies, and television.

As the third in the “Tri-Five” series that debuted with the first V-8 smallblock engine since the 1918 Chevy,

A surprising bit of automotive history

When this 1959 Ford Fairlane, called "The Galaxie," became available, Adlai Pennington decided quickly that he had to have it.

it was a watershed time for General Motors.

But here’s the surprise that only those deep in automotive history are fully aware of – the introduction of Ford’s second generation (19571959) Fairlane outsold the Chevrolet competition for the first time since 1935.

For many it’s hard to believe that after 22 straight years of dominance, Chevrolet didn’t produce the bestselling car in America. Ford did by delivering more that 28,000 of the Fairlanes than the Chevy line up.

By 1959 the new top-of-the line Fairlane, like the one featured here, was called the Galaxie that boasted both the Fairlane 500 and Galaxie badges.

It came with the 352-cubic-inch Police Interceptor V8 engine and the three-speed Cruise-O-Matic transmission. Its fashionable quad headlights were introduced in the 1958 model along with a grill that closely matched the Thunderbird.

While, as mentioned previously, the Chevys of the period show up in lots of movies, the Fairlane 500 is not

Story and photos by Richard Greene

"I’VE HAD IT PAINTED to bring back the original appearance and now am working on the engine to get it back up to top condition so I can drive it around when I want.”

without its own Hollywood Movie Cars Database resume that records its appearance in a couple hundred films.

The most recognizable of them all is certainly Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 Psycho thriller when it first shows up as the car Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) trades for when making her getaway en route to the Bates Motel.

Then, again, when Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) shoves it into that swampy lake with Marion’s corpse and her possessions in its trunk.

With all that pedigree, when this one came available, Adlai Pennington, our often-visited collector of classic vehicles, most of which he preserves in the condition that he finds them, had to have it.

“I was looking around on Craigslist and found what I expected to be one of those popular ’57 Chevys. When I got with the owner it turned out he didn’t have that car, but the Fairlane that had belonged to his mother. She apparently is the one responsible for putting just 26,000

miles on it – 400 miles a year.

“It was literally trapped inside his garage where it had been stored for something like 15-20 years. It had to be dragged out with a winch so we could open the doors and take a look inside.

“We installed a new battery

and, to my total surprise, it started right up. My mechanic explained the ‘old leaded gas’ didn’t have all the additives of today’s fuels, and all that was required was for it to respond to the spark.

“The factory air conditioner came alive, and it blows away. The tires are the originals and have Detroit air in them.

“I’ve had it painted to bring back the original appearance and now am working on the engine to get it back up to top condition so, unlike most of my collection, I can drive it around when I want.”

As part of its authenticity, it has the 1960 registration stickers on the windshield and a few 60-yearold cigarette butts in the ash tray – further evidence that one day a long time ago, it was driven into that garage where it remained until Adlai became its second owner.

In conclusion, what he has is a car like the one that beat Chevrolet for the sales record and that Marion parked at the Bates Motel.

Here are photos of the 1960 registration stickers and 60-year-old cigarettes that were in the ashtray when Adlai purchased the car.

Bob Pruitt and Christy Underkofler were enthusiastic celebrants at the recent Heart of Arlington Neighborhood Association’s National Night Out event.

Bill Abrahamson, Kathy Abrahamson, Elizabeth Hartman and Richard Hartman at the Timeless Concerts event

Newlyweds Shawn and Lucy McFerrin attended the Timeless Concerts performance.

Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Michael Jacobson joins Dr. Kenyon Godwin on the latter's initial day as the first African-American Chair of the organization.

State Rep. Marc Veasey visits

Lebanese Grill

Rep. Marc Veasey visits

Lebanese Grill

State Representative Marc Veasey (center) paid a recent visit to Prince Lebanese Grill, where he posed for photos with restaurant principals (and siblings) Elizabeth and Aziz Kobty.

Kenyon Godwin

Managing Partner Penny Pennington, Lisa Webb and Jack Webb were

than

at the celebration marking Edward Jones'

year

Arlington.

Classy never goes out of style, and this house is a great example of just that. This home has some unique features not seen before, but also has some tried and true elements taken to the next level.

Elegant kitchens continue to be a focal point in home design, and the addition of wine refrigerators and wine cellars have been on the increase. This home has a beautiful wine room and allows for a peak

inside from the stairway window. The tiled groin ceiling transports you to an Italian getaway and the color of choice says royalty resides here. We continue to see wallpaper maintaining its position as a design must for savvy homeowners and stepping out with paint colors is back in style.

The olympic-size pool is not something you see everyday in a residential neighborhood, and neither is the "catio" attached to the exterior of the house. The "catio" also has an

entry into the home so that the felines can explore and exercise at will.

Popular shows, such as The Home Edit, lend to the increased focus on closet design, and I am a fan. Pick all the things you love, and you can enjoy the home of your dreams.

For more information on making your dream your address contact The Julie Short Team and Mansfield Custom Homes at 682-552-4384 or email julie@mchtexas.com – Julie Short

Throughout early voting and

on Tuesday, Nov. 8, Tarrant County voters can catch a free ride to the polls on Arlington’s Via, Trinity Metro and other transit services.

Riders can show their voter registration card or current Texas ID and ride for free during early voting from Oct. 24-Nov. 4 and on Election Day, Nov. 8.

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court approved a partnership with transportation services in Tarrant County to pay for customer trips to voting locations, with an amount not to exceed $20,000. This program is a continuation of the Election Transportation Program that was offered in November 2019, March 2020, November 2020, November 2021 and March 2022.

“It is important that everyone get out and vote this November,” says Tarrant County Precinct 1 Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks.

“Once again, Tarrant County is offering free rides to the polls, including access to services for the elderly and mobility-impaired through this partnership. Anyone who needs a ride to the polls should take advantage of this service.”

The transit services included in the program are Trinity Metro’s bus routes, ZIPZONE on-demand rideshare services, ACCESS paratransit, plus Tarrant County Transportation Services (TCTS), Northeast Transportation Services (NETS), and Handitran.

To use Via’s on-demand service in Arlington, riders simply download Via’s app and enter the address of a Vote Center within Via’s service area or call 817-459-6777 to schedule a ride by phone. USE the promo code ARNVOTE22F.

To use Trinity Metro ZIPZONE, download the ZIPZONE app and book your ride. Free ZIPZONE rides will be offered to or from any identified voter center location

within a zone. For questions about bus routes, ZIPZONE or ACCESS paratransit rides to your polling place, call Trinity Metro at 817-2158600.

Those who qualify and want to ride to vote on ACCESS, TCTS, NETS or Handitran should call the provider at least 48 hours ahead of the trip to schedule their free ride to any of the voting locations.

“We always appreciate the opportunity to partner with the Tarrant County Commissioners Court to provide rides for voters,” says Wayne Gensler, Trinity Metro vice president and chief operating officer for bus and paratransit. “The County’s support helps voters get to the polls, and we are happy to provide transit for them.”

Tarrant County has multiple locations for early voting available at tinyurl.com/3x46cxna and a list of locations for Election Day available at tinyurl.com/4chzmxvd.

have a ride to vote!

Arlington’s Via Rideshare will transport local residents to and from voting locations both before and on Election Day

Photo: City of Arlington

Helping hands

The Mansfield Volunteer Program – affectionately known as the MVP – began in 2015 with the inception of the Volunteer Coordinator position within the City of Mansfield’s Code Compliance Department.

City Council formed a subcommittee whose focus was maintaining property values, as well as improving Code Compliance. Realizing that there is often a root cause for why an individual may be out of compliance, MVP administration matches individuals and organizations wishing to serve in the community with those that may need assistance.

Last month, members of Walnut Ridge Baptist Church displayed what the program is all about. The church community partnered with MVP on a variety of projects at city

schools, community organizations, and local non-profits.

The group did yard work to help elderly residents, cleaned up Mansfield Cemetery, made lunches, bagged beans and rice, and more. And, in the process, these volunteers helped make Mansfield a better community.

Mansfield has an impressive base of volunteers that has gained national and state-wide recognition.

With more than 10,000 annual volunteers, this program often produces more than 55,000 hours of sweat equity. From cleaning trash in parks and creeks to building ADA compliant ramps and rails, MVP focuses on community collaboration.

President’s Volunteer Service Award

The City of Mansfield is authorized

to issue the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA). This is a prestigious award issued by the President of the United States to recognize outstanding volunteer service in a given year.

To be eligible for the award, you or an organization with which you serve with can submit service hours to the City of Mansfield for consideration to earn a PVSA.

Even if awards are not “your thing,” you can become part of the Mansfield Volunteer Program, simply by filling out the form at mansfieldtexas.gov/FormCenter/ Mansfield-Volunteer-Program-27/ Volunteer-Interest-Form-175.

For more information about the MVP program: tinyurl.com/ yu5k8kss

The Mansfield Volunteer Program is all about community collaboration

The Walnut Ridge Baptist Church community last month teamed with the Mansfield Volunteer Program to help tidy up several portions of the city.

Photos: City of Mansfield

Who's ready to take a day trip?

ARLINGTON PARKS AND RECREATION is offering exciting day trips for adults. Hosted by and departing from various Recreation Centers, the trips take participants to fun events and attractions all around the Dallas-Fort Worth area and beyond.

Featured trips include everything from popular shopping destinations and historical museums to dinner theaters and special seasonal events.

Adult day trips are for ages 18 and up. Certain day trips are for ages 21 and up. There is no membership required to take part in a day trip, but pre-registration is required.

For more: tinyurl.com/bd6btxwx

Arlington Duplicate Bridge Club would love to have you join it

THE GAME IS CALLED Duplicate Bridge, and even if you've never passed, bid, doubled or redoubled a single time in your life, you might find that it's way past time that you made it your pastime. Melody Gann and the 130 or so members of Arlington Duplicate Bridge Club would love that. They meet routinely to play the game, and she says they welcome more players – even novices – to join them. Starting this fall, the games are being played at the Randol Mill West center (the former home of Gene Allen’s), at 1630 Randol Mill West.

Duplicate Bridge is club sanctioned by the American Contract Bridge League. In a duplicate game, pairs compete against each other and play numbered boards at a card table. The boards contain a pre-dealt deck of playing cards. Each player pulls his hand from the board and makes a call in clockwise rotation. The call may be pass, a bid of some number of tricks to take with a trump suit or without in no trump, double, or redouble.   When those pairs finish, one or both pairs move to a new table and play another set of boards. It’s called duplicate because your final result is determined by how your score on a board compares with those of the others who played that board. The ADBC usually has four to eight tables comprising eight to 16 pairs. Sometimes, Gann says, there are team events where a team is made up of two pairs, and the teams play some or all of the other teams. There have been sanctioned duplicate games in Arlington since the late 1960s, when Col. Bill Stone and his wife Ernestine held games wherever they could find space. They played at the Miss Persis Dance Studio in the Town North Shopping Center, at Oak Cliff Savings and Loan on East Abram, and at St. Bartholomew Episcopal Church on North Davis near the Road to Six Flags.

MEMBERS OF the Lucretia Council

Cochran Chapter, NSDAR's Flag Committee, Chaired by Peggy Martin, recently visited six second grade classrooms in Arlington to celebrate Constitution Week. More than 400 U.S. flag pins were given to students and related materials went to the teachers. For their efforts the women earned a proclamation by Mayor Jim Ross at a September Arlington City Council meeting.

Eventually, Sam and Joan Long approached other bridge regulars with the idea of going together and having a memberowned club. Several agreed, and the ADBC was born in the summer of 1983. It became incorporated and applied to the state for a tax-exempt non-profit status, which was granted.

Gann says the game is fun and easy to learn, but the real "hook" is that Bridge is a social game. "Most bridge players become really good friends," she says. "It’s somewhat of a paradox that the game is spent trying to win and do better than your fellow players, but you develop mutual respect and admiration for each other."

Some notable Bridge players are/were Omar Sharif, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Dwight Eisenhower. If you'd like to join elite company like that – or if you just want to have a good time meeting new friends – you can call Gann at 817-360-9970.

patriots use flags to teach history lessons

Recipe of the Month (with Dr. T)

Thanksgiving Holiday Loaf

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato – cooked

1 medium onion cut into quarters

2 ribs celery cut into chunks

1 carrot cut into chunks

2 cloves garlic minced

1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed

oz extra firm tofu drained

2 TBSP soy sauce or tamari

2 TBSP tomato paste

1 TBSP spicy brown mustard

¼ cup fresh parsley chopped

½ TBSP rubbed sage

1 TBSP thyme

½ TBSP dried rosemary

½ tsp salt (optional)

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 TBSP nutritional yeast

¾ cup quinoa flakes or 4 cups rolled oats pulsed in processor to refine a bit

Directions: Cut ends from sweet potato, wash and wrap with paper towel. Place in microwave for about 5 minutes until soft. Place onion, celery, garlic and carrot into food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

Place minced veggies into a large, heated skillet and cook until tender (6-10 minutes).

Add water or veggie broth to avoid sticking when necessary. Add drained beans and mash lightly with back of spoon.

Place the sweet potato into the food processor with tofu, tomato paste, mustard, soy sauce, parsley and all seasonings. Process until fairly smooth. Scrape tofu mixture into large mixing bowl and add the quinoa flakes/oatmeal and cooked vegetables. Mix very well.

Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare a cookie sheet or flat baking pan with parchment paper or silicone mat. Scoop out mixing bowl mixture onto the prepared surface of baking pan and, using damp hands, mold into long loaf shape about 2.5 inches high.

Bake for 25 minutes or until top is evenly browned. Loosely cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until center is firm. Remove foil for a crunchier crust.

Allow to stand for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve with mushroom gravy.

The legend of Cooper Rush is one great story

It has long been known that the most popular person in any big city in America is the backup quarterback. Of late, Cooper Rush has been the most popular person in DFW. His popularity extends beyond North Texas, too, because the Cowboys fan base is so widespread and diverse.

They love the way he came off the bench and burst onto the scene. They love the fact that two of his first five wins were against the teams that were in the Super Bowl last year. They love his poise and confidence in leading America’s Team.

Cooper has been popular for a long time. Born and raised in the Lansing, Michigan area, Cooper has been turning heads ever since he stepped on the field to play. He played football, baseball and basketball through Junior High. In fact, my nephew Robbie Caruso was his teammate on the Shamrock basketball team and reports that Cooper was one of the nicest “superstars” on the team. Robbie says, “he was a friend to everyone.”

As he moved up to Lansing Catholic High School he dropped baseball and basketball so he could concentrate on his best sport, football. There, another nephew of mine was one of his offensive lineman. That nephew, Drew Pence is not surprised that Cooper was doing what he was doing because they recognized his greatness then.

Like that time in the regional championship game against Dowagiac Union High School, when Cooper set Michigan state records with five touchdown passes in one quarter and eight for the game. He led the Cougars to undefeated regular seasons in 2010 and 2011. Flint Powers beat them in the State Championship game Cooper's senior year. There were many accolades to come that year. He was named the Associated Press Michigan Division 5-6 Player of the Year. He also won Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year honors. His career path was set; it was on to a Big Ten school and great college career. The only problem with that

plan was that Michigan and Michigan State only offered him preferred walk-on status. He got scholarship offers only from Toledo and Central Michigan.

None of my nephews were his teammates at Central Michigan University. None of my nephews were good enough to play at that level. But Cooper was. He was the scout team player of the year during his red-shirt season.

By his sophomore year he began to shine, throwing 27 touchdown passes and earning a quarterback rating of 149.4. His junior year with the Chippewas was record-setting. In 2015 he threw for 3853 yards, which was the single season record. Add 25 touchdowns and a QB rating of 144.8, and it is not surprising that the Cowboys took notice.

They did not draft him but signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He stuck with the Cowboys as a second or third string quarterback after beating out the likes of Mike White and his current offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

Until this season, the highlight of Cooper’s professional career came in week eight last year against the Vikings, his first NFL start with Dak Prescott out due to a calf injury. He passed for 325 yards in the game and two touchdowns, including the game winner in the final minute to Amari Cooper. The Cowboys won his first start 20-16.

The network showed several shots of his joyous family that night, and when they did I could not believe my eyes. There sitting with Cooper’s dad was my step brother Pat Conklin. Pat and I went to high school together, and my dad and his mom married a few years ago after both lost spouses. Turns out Pat is Cooper’s Godfather. Matthew Rush, Cooper’s dad and Pat Conklin were roommates at Notre Dame.

Since that great NFL debut Cooper has done nothing but make himself more popular in this marketplace. It is amazing what an undefeated start to your career will do for your place in the hearts and minds of a fan base.

With Dak healthy again, Cooper will go back to being the backup quarterback, the most popular person in DFW. If his popularity wanes we will just try to get him in touch with all those members of my family who are so proud to have been part of this journey.

Sports columnist John Rhadigan is an anchor for the Bally Sports Southwest television network.

John Rhadigan

By winning the first five starts of his career – including four games this year – Cooper Rush kept the Dallas Cowboys in the playoff hunt and became the most popular man in town.

Photo: thespun.com

Can those under 40 really make a difference?

As you have discovered getting this far in the current edition of this magazine, we are partnering with the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce in recognizing 40 future community leaders who are under the age of 40.

Some may wonder just what is to be expected of those who are that young. Or asked another way, is there much evidence that 20- or 30-something-year-old individuals have yet reached the age where they are making a difference in the communities where they live?

As it turns out, if you look to the origins of our country – the most successful in human history – you will discover that it was founded by men and women in that very age group.

Respected American history authority David McCullough, who has authored some of the most important books on our nation’s founders, once summed it up, “At the time of the Revolution, they were all young. It was a young man’s – young woman’s cause.”

The magnitude of what was launched on July 4, 1776, has no equal in world history.

Some 56 men gathered in a Philadelphia meeting hall and created a new nation by declaring its separation from the world’s most formidable monarchy and its vastly superior military force.

The average age of those signing the Declaration of Independence was just 44, with 18 of them under the age of 40 and another 13 less than 45. If you don’t count the eldest few among them (Benjamin Franklin, for example was 70), the average age quickly drops below 40.

A committee of five had been appointed by the assembly’s chairman, John Hancock, age 39, to draft the document.

Thomas Jefferson, 33, was assigned the task of doing most of the writing while assisted by John Adams, 40, and Robert Livingston, 29. The two more senior members, Benjamin Franklin and Roger Sherman played a supportive role.

“The American Crisis” the most influential publications at the start of the American Revolution.

The wealthiest among them is Robert Morris, 42, who donated ships from his fleet of tobacco-trading vessels to raid British convoys, and he personally signed 6,000 notes to pay off George Washington’s troops when the war ended.

Speaking of our first president, George Washington was appointed by the governor of Virginia as a major in the militia at the age of 20, which prepared him for leadership in the French and Indian War and, ultimately as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army of the United States as still a young man of 43.

Two of his most important generals were Benedict Arnold, 35, and Nathanael Greene, 33, whom he declared the most able of all to replace him in the event he was taken from the field of battle.

Others among the revolutionaries widely considered to be our principal Founding Fathers were future presidents Thomas Jefferson, 33, John Adams, 40, and James Madison, 25, (“Father of the Constitution”), future chief justice of the Supreme Court, John Jay, 31, and Alexander Hamilton, just 19 years young who would emerge as creator of the nation’s financial system.

So, focusing our attention on Arlington’s future, the rigorous selection process managed by the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce has identified 40 promising young leaders to move the city to new heights of achievement in the years ahead.

Speaking from personal experience, I was appointed to the city’s planning and zoning commission at 33, then elected to the city council at 40, and mayor three years later.

Let’s look at one more who is perhaps the city’s best example of how youthful success is achieved. I image you are ahead of me but, yes, it is former Arlington Mayor Tom Vandergriff, who had already served some 15 years from his city hall office before he was 40 years old.

The youngest of the signers were Thomas Lynch and Edward Rutledge, both of South Carolina, at the age of 26. 39-year-old Thomas Paine authored “Common Sense” and Richard Greene was Arlington’s mayor from 1987-1997 and currently teaches in UT-Arlington’s graduate program of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs.

Richard Greene

How much impact can young leaders make? Consider that most of the founding fathers of this country were under 40 years of age.