BOARD OF DIRECTORS O F FICER S P atri c ia B rown , Woodfor est N at i o n a l Ba n k C hair m a n o f th e B oard D r. R ebe c c a R iley, Lone S tar C o l l e g e - M o n t g o m e r y C hair - E l e ct Jo h n S ta c y, A dviC oach Vice Ch a ir, M embers hi p Jen n if e r M illin gton, P r im r ose S c h o o l o f Co n r o e Vice Ch a ir, Bu s i nes s D ev el opmen t E ri c Look ofs ky, N ewpar k D r illin g F l u i d s Vice Ch a ir, Gov ernmental A ffai rs / Co m m u n it y De v e lo p m e n t C o d y S pe nc e , A ll S tar C ater ing Vice Ch a ir, Sp ec i al E v ents C o d y B a rt le tt , B ar tlett Financia l Treas u r e r B ren t Wunde rlich, McK esson I mme d i a te P a s t C hai r
D I RECTOR S
T ER MS E X PIRING DEC. 2 020 R andy Ba rcu s, C ons ol i dated C om m u n ic a t io n s , I n c . ( 1 ) C ody B a r tle tt, B artl ett Fi nanc i al ( 1 ) R ick S ch i ssl e r, S i l v er Fox A dv i s e r ( 1 ) P at ricia B ro w n, Woodfores t N ati o n a l B a n k ( 1 ) G ail Ca i n , Ke l l er W i l l i ams R eal ty ( 1 ) D r. Re b e cca Ri l ey, Lone S tar C olle g e - M o n t g o m e r y ( 1 ) Mark Ste ve n s, Gul l o D eal ers hi ps ( 2 ) B rent Wu n d e rli c h, Mc K es s on (2)
T ER MS E X PIRING IN DEC . 2021 Mat t D a vi s, Conroe R egi onal Med ic a l Ce n t e r ( 2 ) E ric L o o ko fsky, N ew park D ri l l i ng F lu id s ( 1 ) R andie M o rto n , B etter B ook k eepe r s , L L C ( 2 ) H eat h M e lto n , H ow ard H ughes C o r p o r a t io n ( 1 ) Jennife r M il l i n g ton, P ri mros e S c h o o l o f Co n r o e ( 1 ) R yan M o rto n , C onroe Wel di ng S u p p ly ( 1 ) D r. Cu r tis N u ll , C onroe IS D (1) S t eve P i l g r i m , E ntergy Tex as , Inc. ( 1 )
T ER MS E X PIRING DEC. 2 022 A ndrew Ca n tu , S pi ri t of Tex as B a n k ( 1 ) Jeff De we se , The S i gnorel l i C om p a n y ( 1 ) C ody S p e n ce , A l l S tar C ateri ng (2 ) S ergio M a r tin e z , S ergi o’s Lands c a p in g ( 2 ) John Sta cy, Ad v i C oac h (1) K im L e Je u n e , Ti ny Gi ant Web S olu t io n s ( 1 ) C lint Ni ch o ls, Hous ton Methodi s t T h e Wo o d la n d s Ho s p it a l ( 1 ) Laure n Wie sn e r, W i es ner A utomo t iv e G r o u p ( 1 )
A P POIN TE D DI RE CTO R S
O N E Y E A R TERM THROUGH 2019 N ick D a vi s, Guaranty B ank & Tru s t B obby Fi n le y, F i nw ay E l ec tri c Mered ith Ju r i ca , Mak eup J unk i e Ba g s
notes
F R OM T HE PR ESI D EN T 'S DE S K
Last month we talked about getting ready for elections season. This year’s ballot will be long, and the results will have long term impacts for all of us. From city to school district and from state to federal, your vote is needed! Perhaps at no other time is being registered to vote more critical to the democratic process of selecting our next leaders…locally and nationally. If you’re reading this and you haven’t registered yet, please access elections.mctx.org, click on the REGISTER TO VOTE link and get it done! Educated voters, regardless of preferences, are crucial to the election process. The Chamber’s Governmental Affairs Committee will be hosting a candidate forum for City of Conroe races for council and mayor coming up this October 12. We’re also working on a Conroe ISD Board of Trustees candidates forum; positions 4, 5, 6, and 7 will decided in November’s election. Whether you choose early voting or waiting until election day, make your voice heard by exercising your right to vote. The last thing for any of us to say is ‘well, so-and-so is going to win, why bother voting?’ And, that is the worst possible thing that a voter can say and do. I’ve seen elections come down to one vote…and YOURS could be the difference. And finally, I also noted last month a congratulatory remark to Dr. Dana Hoyt, former president of Sam Houston State University her selection as this year’s ATHENA Leadership Award recipient, and a tip of the chamber’s hat to Dr. Hoyt and the ENTIRE TEAM at Sam Houston State University for the grand opening of their College of Osteopathic Medicine in Conroe last month. Seventy-five students make up the inaugural cohort and we’re Conroe Proud that SHSU chose our community for their new campus! We’re also excited to welcome new Sam Houston State University President, Dr. Alisa White… welcome to the Conroe/Lake Conroe area! The Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce…striving to become the premier business organization in our area. Strong leadership, fiscal responsibility, and responsive programming; three great reasons to be a member.
ABOUT THE CHAMBER FYI MAGAZINE The Chamber FYI is a publication of the Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber located at 505 W Davis, PO Box 2347, Conroe, TX 77305. Published monthly it is intended as a public service to Chamber members. No part may be reprinted without permission of the Chamber. Ads in the Chamber FYI are not endorsed by the Chamber. The Chamber reserves the right to refuse advertisements. All chamber members have the opportunity to advertise in the Chamber FYI. For pricing and deadline information contact Ashleigh Alwood, Director of Marketing, at 936.538.7116 or visit www.conroe.org and view our media kits in our Media Center under Marketing and Communications Guides. P U B L I S H E R Brian Bondy, President E D I T O R Ashleigh Alwood, Director of Marketing S A L E S Ashleigh Alwood, Director of Marketing D E S I G N & L AY O U T Ashleigh Alwood, Director of Marketing P R I N T I N G S E R V I C E S Wright's Printing & Marketing M A I L I N G S E R V I C E S Wright's Printing & Marketing
CONNECT WITH CHAMBER STAFF Membership questions? Contact Beth Shelton, Director of Membership Development, 936.538.7114. Questions about special events? Courtney Galle, Director of Special Events, 936.538.7111. Advertising and publication information? Ashleigh Alwood, Director of Marketing, 936.538.7116. Billing questions? Contact John Sellars, Director of Finance and Operations, 936.538.7108. Questions for the President? Contact Brian Bondy, President, at 936.538.7101.
september
PLATINUM INVESTORS
C AL ENDAR HI GHL I GHT S
With the constant changes in the wake of the Coronavius pandemic, please reference our calendar at Conroe.org for the latest and most accurate calendar of events. You can also contact us at 936-756-6644 or email us at info@conroe.org for any needed clarification. EMERALD INVESTORS
Sound NDT Solutions
Huntsville Orthopedic & Sports Medicine
R
Follow us on Social Media and STAY in the know!
W W W .CO N R O E .O R G
3
chamber SIGHTS
WHAT'S H A PPEN IN G IN CH A M B ER L I F E
As we continue to navigate these uncharted waters, the Chamber continues to offer a variety of resources for the community. We were able to facilitate our first in-person ribbon cutting in the last several months, touched base with our State Comptroller Glenn Hegar in our State of the State event and even made the hike to Huntsville to award Dr. Dana Hoyt, President of Sam Houston State University with her ATHENA sculpture.
Dr. Dana Hoyt flexes her leadership muscles as she shows off her ATHENA scupture, the award one takes home after winning the ATHENA International Award. Her commitment to our community and career are a testament to her leadership!
Thank you to our generous friends at Trels Home for Children for the invite to celebrate their ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of their home for children in the foster system. It was wonderful meeting their team and seeing the incredible special service they are bringing to Conroe (right).
WE MISSED YOU: Ribbon cuttings are back on the calendar starting now! Let us celebrate your grand opening, re-opening or anniversary with a sociallydistanced and/or masked ribbon cutting! Let us know your comfort level and we are happy to accomodate your needs. Days are filling up fast, so don't wait!
4 G ET CON N E C T E D. S T AY C ONNE CTE D.
Glenn Hegar made time in his busy schedule to speak with us and field questions as part of our Pulse Series: State of the State event!
W W W .CO N R O E .O R G
5
NEXT GENERATION
leadership
2020-2021 KICK OFF! On Friday, August 7 the Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce and Education for Tomorrow Alliance kicked off their sixth year of the Next Generation Leadership Program sponsored by Woodforest National Bank. Thirty-four Seniors from 11 High Schools across the county joined in for the very first virtual kickoff! The kickoff, while done via Zoom, gave the students a chance to meet and learn from inspiring community leaders, play fun icebreakers and team building games and learn about what their year would look like. The morning started off with an inspiring video from Congressman Kevin Brady who commended them for taking steps to enhance their leadership skills and encouraged the students to be leaders who help lift others into their calling. Students then heard from Gigi Woodruff, Owner of Gigi Woodruff & Associates, LLC who walked through the traditional and common leadership styles and the transformational opportunities for leaders within these uncertain times. The NGL program is also excited to welcome back Tracey Casey Arnold, owner of WIT - What It Takes Consulting, LLC to work with the students and help them see the vision and dreams that they have for their lives. This year’s class will meet once a month during the 2020-21 school year to learn about leadership work in Montgomery County and cultivate individual leadership skills through interaction with professionals in business, education, and government. The sessions during the fall semester will take place online to ensure the safety of our students and our volunteers.
W W W .CO N R O E .O R G
7
LEADERSHIP montgomery county CONGRATULATE THE 2021 CLASS!
Daniela Alldredge Manhard Consulting/Manhard Houston Mariana Almanza-Cook The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership
Christopher Foreman Foreman Business Interests, LLC- Office Pride of The Woodlands - Spring Josh Fowler Woodforest National Bank
Matt Beasley Montgomery County Justice of the Peace #3
Amanda French The Woodlands Christian Academy
Joe Belmares Montgomery Police Department
Jerrica George HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe
Matt Blakelock Conroe I.S.D.
Tami Herschmann Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center
Grant Boshart Manhard Houston Heidi Bunyan Lone Star Family Health Center Becky Conner Society of Samaritans Matt Corley San Jacinto River Authority Corinne Coulter Education for Tomorrow Alliance Summer Day Meals on Wheels Montgomery County Carolyn Donovan Interfaith of The Woodlands Dedra Ecklund Lockwood Andrews & Newman, Inc. Alisha Estay Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital Sandra Ferguson Signorelli Company
Krystal Hopton CHI St. Luke’s Health Jerry Hlozek Caldwell Companies Amy Hollie GuideU Rachel Jordan The Junior League of The Woodlands Stew Keltner Northwestern Mutual Kati Krouse Bears Etc. Bruce Kuehn Southern Cross Communications, LLC Faith Lane Montgomery County Food Bank Dr. Dan Lewis Panther Creek Village Association Josie Lewis Visit The Woodlands
Sonja McCain Trustmark National Bank Jennifer Moreland The Moreland Team - Abby Realty Brent Palermo Costello, Inc. Jamie Parker Yes to Youth- Montgomery County Youth Services Kim Phillips The Howard Hughes Corporation Dr. X. Carmen Qadir Coaching & Consulting Experience, LLC Lydia Robinson The Howard Hughes Corporation Tammie Rushing City of Conroe Andy Schonert Entergy Texas Amanda Van Dusen Vogt Engineering Theresa Wagaman Abby Realty Jennifer White Creighton Realty Partners Ketrese White Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands Lindsey Wiegand Lackey Frost Insurance Agency Kerry Wiggins Consolidated Communications Jason Willis Entergy W W W .CO N R O E .O R G
8
new members
THANK Y OU AND WELC OME! WE ARE SO GLAD Y O U A R E H E R E .
JULY 2020 SILV E R
Trels Home for Children ProTech Disinfect BU SIN ES S
Taylorized PR Jay Wright, Attorney at Law N ON PRO F IT
Hope's Bridge Resource Center Star of Hope Mission
renewals
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO C ONTI NUE OUR RELATI ONSH IP W ITH YO U!
JULY 2020 E MERA L D
B US I N E SS
NONP ROFI T
Primrose School of Conroe Wiesner Buick - GMC - Hyundai
Advocate Direct Care State Farm Insurance-Tracy Irvine Corporate Incentives, Inc. Days Inn & Suites Stewart Title A-1 Installations, Inc. Gessner Insurance Edward Jones- Raymond Rogers Questco, Inc. Wallingford Dentistry Windsor Building Services, Inc Starzyk & Associates, PC Eleet Cryogenics, Inc. Quick Quack Car Wash FM 1488 Rotary Club of Conroe The J. Beard Real Estate Company Bartlett Financial Hancock Whitney Bank Blue Epiphany Vineyards, LLC FASTSIGNS Jack Daniel's Delivery Service, L.P. Jeffrey Moon & Assoc. Inc. Russell Cellular
Grace Crossing, A Community Church of Christ Education for Tomorrow Alliance (EfTA) Max Mahaffey Covenant Christian School Merge Church Sacred Heart Catholic School
S A PP HIR E
The Geo Group, Inc. RU B Y
Gardner Denver Wright Business Technologies GO LD
BAUER Manufacturing LLC Drilling Specialties Co SILVE R
Bristol Park at Conroe CobbFendley EHRA Engineering Seasons Assisted Living & Memory Care
9 G ET CON N E C T E D. S T AY C ONNE CTE D.
10 GE T CON N E C T E D. S T AY C ONNE CTE D.
CHAMBER SURVEY
results
The Chamber’s Governmental Affairs committee surveyed the membership in July, and more than 115 responses were received from a wide variety of member businesses and organizations. The overwhelming majority of respondents had fewer than 50 employees which provided a unique perspective on their operations before, during and after mandated business closures. Thank you to everyone who took part; here are some of the highlights from the survey:
While many member businesses and organizations have seen no impact, 53% of members reported moderate to major impacts. None of the respondents indicated that they’ve had to close their business; however, a significant number have seen decreased foot traffic, decreased sales and challenges going forward.
It became evident that businesses were doing everything in their power to keep doors open, but that changing directives, and occasionally conflicting messages from governmental leaders have left many frustrated. As we move forward, the Chamber is committed to providing information, resource access and programming to help our members stay on their feet. Your success is job one for us and we’ll continue to look for ways to help promote your brands, build relationships and illustrate why we are #ConroeStrong! 11 GE T CON N E C T E D. S T AY C ONNE CTE D.
The Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber - get connected...stay connected.
WW W .CO N R O E .O R G
12
Receive up to $5,000 per employee REFUNDABLE FEDERAL TAX CREDITS AVAILABLE TO BUSINESSES THROU H CARES ACT
What is the Employee Retention Credit? Provides economic relief to employers impacted by Coronavirus (COVID-17) in the form of tax credits claimed against the employment ta-es (FICA, FUTA, Medicare) and even employee withholding each pay period. Eligible employers receive a 50% credit ( up to $5,000 ) for qualified wages up to $10,000 per employee. Any excess credit is refunded within 30 days.
What businesses are eligible?
Were your business operations fully or partially suspended? Did your business lose revenue? Did your business e-perience limited commerce, travel or group meetings?
Businesses that fully or partially suspended operations due to
orders from a governmental authority (may include work from home) OR Businesses that e-perienced at least a 50% reduction in year over year gross receipts during the quarter. *Ta- e-empt/not for profit organi/ations qualify for this credit as well.
What are qualified wages?
Then you may be eligible to receive up to $5,000 for each employee!
Less than 100 Full Time Employees: Can include all wages and
employer health care costs up to $10,000 for any employee. More than 100 Full Time Employees : Businesses can include up to $10,000 in wages paid to employee for not providing services or providing different services due to COVID-17. Employers can include wages paid between March 13, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
Why choose Synergi Partners?
Our e-perts have assisted businesses in recovering hundreds of millions of dollars from disaster relief and business incentive programs over the past 30 years.
How's my business evaluated? Synergi Partners evaluates the special circumstances affecting your business and develops an Eligibility and Impact Analysis to ma-imi/e your potential credits.
The Employee Retention Credit (ERC) provides relief to businesses who continued to pay employees during the Coronavirus (COVID-17) crisis.
“Success-based” no risk pricing! Synergi clients have no financial risk or upfront costs. Synergi charges a contingency fee after it provides an audit ready package that allows you to claim the Employee Retention Ta- Credit.
(843) 245-3703 kfreeman@synergipartners.com www.synergipartners.com/conroe
WW W .CO N R O E .O R G
13