Business Journal 134

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

Entrepreneur | Business | Education and Career | Finance | Real Estate | Technology | Insurance

October 2018

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Inspire, Inform & Educate

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134th Edition

Beto O’Rourke

Judge Ed Emmett

Harris County Judge

Candidate

US Senate

Judge Maria T. Jackson Candidate

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 1

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee

Congressman Al Green Lizzie Pannill Fletcher Congressional District 9

INSIDE

9

Candidate

US Congress, Texas 7th Congressional District

Women‘s Wellness and Fitness Day for Breast Cancer Awareness with Dr. Heather Brown

Mayor Allen Owen

16-17

US Congress, Texas 18th

Mayor, Missouri City, TX

Dedra Davis

Teana Watson

Erica Hughes

BRIAN M. MIDDLETON

270th Civil District Court

County Court at Law #5

County Criminal Court at Law #3

District Attorney

Candidate

Candidate

Candidate

(Fort Bend)

4 In the Business Community - Sowing Circle Book Club

Candidate

(Fort Bend)

22

Commissioner Grady Prestage

County Commissioner Pct. 2t

(Fort Bend)

Texas Black Women‘s Expo

October 2018 | 3

PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

MR. D-MARS CERTIFIED:

HMSDC

d-mars.com is proud to share the success stories of African American businesses and civic and community leaders. We know that success does not always come easy and it is not always measured in money. How have you helped your fellow entrepreneur? Have you supported your locally-owned African American business? Have you donated to a nonprofit that is working in our underserved communities?

Questions to think about and actions to take.

This month’s issue highlights Judge Maria Jackson and her 2018 campaign for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

Port of Houston

“One thing is clear to me: we, as human beings, must be willing to accept people who are different from ourselves.”

METRO

BEHIND THE JOURNAL

—Barbara Jordan

City of Houston

COO & MANAGING EDITOR Kimberly Floyd

04 In the Business Community…

04 Sowing Circle 06 Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Tiffany Black PHOTOGRAPHY L.C. Poullard Grady Carter ART DIRECTOR Angel Rosa GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kendra Wiseman PROJECT COORDINATORS Lindsey Ford Carly Hammack DISTRIBUTION Rockie Hayden CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Noel Pinnock Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner Rhonda Dallas Charlene Crowell (NNPA) Arnetta Tolley (NNPA) Lauren Poteat (NNPA) Edward Davis

HISD

08

10 Community 10 old folks saying 10 Did You Know?

22 Texas Black Women’s Expo 16-17 Cover Story 16-17 Judge Accordingly 18 Political 18 Your Vote Matters!

16-17

26 Education 26 Commentary: For-profit college students share sagas of debt and disillusionment 24 Health 24 Fighting Back One Punch at a Time 27 Finances 27 Financial Focus – Can You Benefit From an Annuity?

27 The Necessity of Change

HUB

VBE

DBE

OUR SERVICES

04 Business 04 “It’s Not the Size of the Sail, but the Gale”

ACCOUNTING MANAGER Eugenie Doualla

As always, thank you for your continued support of d-mars.com. When you support us, you are supporting more than just our company; you are supporting the communities in which we live and work. Working together, we can succeed in making positive things happen.

CONTENTS

PUBLISHER & CEO Keith J. Davis, Sr.

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Tiffany Brown

Presiding Judge Place 1.

Judge Jackson has built her career on the foundation of fairness and compassion. Her skills and impressive record help qualify her for this position, and she believes that her honesty and integrity make her an ideal candidate for the job.

She has big plans in store and is ready to serve the great State of Texas.

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ADVERTISING | MARKETING MEDIA | COMMUNICATION • Business Journal • Health & Wellness Journal • Community Journal • Black Pages Online Business Directory • Top 50 Black Health, Medical & Wellness Professionals • Top 50 Black Professionals & Entrepreneurs • Top 30 Influential Women of Houston • Top 25 Prime & Subcontractors for Diversity • Business Connection • Business Development • Business Consulting • Graphic Design • Photography • Printing • Web Design • Online & Email Marketing • Public Relations • Social Media • Advertising • Writing • Promotional Marketing

12 Technology 12 HCDE Recognizes Cybersecurity Safety Month with 4 Student Data Safety Tips 28 Using data to deliver better customer experience 12

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4 | October 2018 BUSINESS

“It’s Not the Size of the Sail, but the Gale”

By Noel Pinnock Contributing Writer

“Leadership begins with you and accomplishments rest in the arms of those who you lead and inspire.”

T

his is a phrase I stress in my team meetings. When I serendipitously constructed the statement, I did not truly realize its impact and cascading effects. Productivity and morale increases when people possess ownership and it is this dynamic that drives organizational, community and personal success. Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish a pre-determined objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Success can be defined in many ways.

According to the Merriam Dictionary, success is the achievement of something planned or attempted. Obtaining success is not an insurmountable task, but it is intentional; it is not an enigma, but it is predicated by leadership.

Are leaders born? Well, this is a highly debated question because so many perspectives are floating around. Which of the following statements about leadership are true?

– Leaders are born with a natural ability to lead.

– Leaders are individuals who have been assigned positions of authority.

– The terms “leader” and “manager” essentially define the same role.

If you answered ‘no’ to all the statements, then you are correct. Some believe that in order to be a leader and promote intentional success, the person must have the genetic fortitude or work in a position of authority. While others believe that individuals can be trained to function in a leadership capacity. Well, these perspectives are not totally inaccurate because it is my personal belief that great leaders have an innate desire to selflessly serve, as well as, develop themselves on an ongoing basis to keep their saw sharpened.

To that end, everyone and anyone can be a leader; however, there is a major difference between effective and ineffective leadership. US Former First Lady, Rosalyn Carter (b. 1927) once said, “A good leader takes people where they want to go. A great

leader takes people where they don’t want to go, but ought to be.” A leader possesses passion, purpose and practical skills. He or she is not the lone ranger, but rather has a paradoxical blend of humility and confidence.

Are you looking to be a leader in your community, job or home? If your response is yes, then there is not one formula to make the transition. Remember, the leader that positions him/herself too far in front of his/her troops begins to look more and more like the enemy, which means in order to be a leader you must have followers.

Followership is an elected function as people must elect to follow you and in return you must develop a bond of trust with those who share in your vision. Trust is a two-way street. A leader shows that he or she is willing to entrust part of the vision to others in order for them to carry it out (remember my coined phrase). By empowering others to do their part, a leader earns their trust and success is only inevitable.

So, how do you spell success?

Well, my response is simply, L-E-A-D-E-R-S-HI-P! Remember, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers {leaders} are

few; therefore, pray to the Lord (God) of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest (Matthew 9:3738 NIV). The harvest is ready and there is much work to do! If you are leading, inspiring, informing, and educating, then keep up the good work. But if you are not, then it is never too late to start, because to obtain true wealth, one must be a leader.

One must be prepared to take sail despite the gale.

The purpose of business leadership is to create wealth – financial and material, human and social – in the face of external developments that are never entirely foreseeable. The CEO must create a CXO team (CXOs are the chiefs of business functions and units) that can successfully carry out this wealth-creating mission.

With this in mind, we have explored the tasks that comprise purposeful contribution by members of the top executive team, the CXOs. In doing so, we have examined key business imperatives, and the work of the CXOs and the CEO. True wealth starts, ends and is measured by the many lives that you have led and inspired.

Source: www. noelpinnock.com

In the Business Community…

To View More Photos, Visit Our Website www.d-mars.com and Click on ‘Photo Gallery.’

Women and Girls Share Life’s Experiences Through Books with The Sowing Circle

(L) Carla Lane, Founder of This Woman’s Work

Dozens of women and girls gathered at The African American Library at the Gregory School for the official launch of The Sowing Circle, a new book club created by local entrepreneur and philanthropist, Carla Lane. Lane’s nonprofit organization, This Woman’s Work, formed a partnership with the Houston Public Library to create The Sowing Circle, which serves as an intimate and safe space for girls and women to express themselves. At the event, the group discussed the popular title The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer.

Lane says the club was inspired by sewing circles

that took place during slavery, where women would pass along traditions and knowledge to one another and younger generations.

“Post slavery sewing circles continued to be a place where family history, cultural beliefs and wisdom were exchanged. It is from this historical context and the unique opportunity that book clubs provide that we decided as a group of women to start a book club that we would call the Sowing Circle. Although we will not actually sew or quilt, we will ‘sow’ seeds of wisdom, hope, and love in the lives of those who participate,” says Lane.

Books allow you to go somewhere you’ve never been before,” Lane said. “So many times as adults we get so busy that we don’t pick up books anymore, but that’s what thoughts are. Every thing you want to know, usually someone has thought about it. Even if you don’t agree with a word they’ve written, it makes you think; it makes you form an opinion, and then you get to talk about it with other people and refine your opinion. That’s what this [book club] is.”

In addition to the monthly get-togethers, women and girls in other cities and take part in the discussions through virtual book clubs.

The next book The Sowing Circle will discuss is Barracoon by prolific author Zora Neal Hurston. It details the true story of Cudjo Lewis, the last living person to have been brought from African to America as a slave.

For more information about the Sowing Circle, visit www. thiswomanswork.biz.

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10 | October 2018 COMMUNITY

OLD FOLKS SAYING A PENNY SAVED IS A DOLLAR EARNED

Just one more penny, was her affirmation. Giselle is a New York native that lives at home with her mom. Giselle’s mom is originally from Trinidad and her only wish is to visit her home. Financial times were tough and sending her mom on a trip home was something they could only dream of. After a long day of work Giselle is on her way to her tiny apartment to discover a penny on the ground in front of her building. I know what you’re thinking, it’s just a penny but for Giselle it symbolized a piece of hope. It dawned on her that if she could collect every abandoned penny in the street she could save it. Her mother always told her that a penny saved is a dollar earned, and this was her chance to test the theory. Every day on her journey to and from work and her occasional weekend outings she would collect every penny she could spot and when she would

return home she would gather all of the pennies in a jar. Just one more penny, Giselle would say. After filling several jars with a countless number of pennies Giselle finally sat down and started to count out the change, to get an idea of how much she had saved just by collecting pennies. She was utterly surprised by the amount she was able to acquire by simply picking up stray pennies off of the rugged ground, worn subways, and any place that she came across. Her next move was to get to the bank and deposit all of her findings, and she did just that. When Giselle returned home from the bank, she told her mom to pack her bags because she was going home. Turns out that every penny saved was a dollar earned, enough dollars to fulfill her mom’s dream of returning home.

If you have an Old Folks Saying you’d like to submit for consideration in our d-mars.com Business Journal, please email them to editor@d-mars.com. Be sure to include your name, the Old Folks Saying and the meaning.

Did You Know?

Arthur Mitchell: Ballet Legend and Pioneer Dies at 84

By Nsenga Burton Ph.D NNPA Newswire Contributor

T

he world is mourning the loss of legendary choreographer Arthur Mitchell. Mitchell, who danced with the New York City Ballet from 1956-1968 and founded the groundbreaking and world renown Dance Theater of Harlem died recently of heart failure. Jennifer Dunning of The New York Times writes: “Mr. Mitchell, the first black ballet dancer to achieve international stardom, was one of the most popular dancers with New York City Ballet, where he danced from 1956 to 1968 and displayed a dazzling presence, superlative artistry and powerful sense of self.

That charisma served him well as the director of Dance Theater of Harlem, the nation’s first major black

classical company, as it navigated its way through severe financial problems in recent decades and complex aesthetic questions about the relationship of black contemporary dancers to an 18th-century European art form.”

Social media tributes have been pouring in for the game changer.

Mitchell attended the School of American Ballet in New York City, eventually joining the City Ballet where he would study with world famous dancer George Balanchine. Mitchell performed with acclaimed dancer Diana Adams in what would be a groundbreaking performance of Agon Pas de Deux, breaking racial barriers in ballet.

Mitchell performed with City Ballet in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” for

which he is greatly remembered. Mitchell also performed in Balanchine’s “Requiem Canticles,” which was a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Following his assassination in 1968. It was this critically-acclaimed performance that inspired him to co-found the Dance Theater of Harlem with mentor Karel Shook in 1969, proving to the world that ballet is for everyone.

Mitchell was 84.

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October 2018 | 11

POWERED people by

Beto O’Rourke

Democrat challenging Ted Cruz for U.S. Senate.

VOTE Nov. 6 | Early Vote oct. 22 - nov. 2 Beto is running to represent all 28 million Texans ● An economy that works for all Texans—one with good-paying jobs and a fair shot at economic success. ● Guaranteed, universal health care for all so that every Texan can get the care they need. ● A high-quality education for every single child by keeping public school dollars in public schools and ensuring educational equity. ● Comprehensive justice system reform that ends mass incarceration, private prisons, the federal prohibition on marijuana, mandatory minimums, and the cash bail system.

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12 | October 2018 TECHNOLOGY

HCDE Recognizes Cybersecurity Safety Month with 4 Student Data Safety Tips O

ctober is designated as Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Harris County Department of Education Digital Education Director David McGeary provides four tips to help keep students and their data safe when working online.

We’ve all done it. We create a simple, easy-toremember password for Instagram or Gmail. Then we use that password for a lot of different things. Before too long, we’re using the same password to access Steam library as we do to access our grades. The best

1. Be aware of who has access to your devices or who may be able to see your screen when you are online.

There is a saying amongst hackers: “If I can get physical access to your device, then I can own it.”

Whether you’re watching a video on YouTube or logging in to a laptop while waiting for the bus, try to stay aware of the access that others may have to your devices or the content on your screens.

2. Treat your data like you would treat your most prized possession.

You would never leave your phone or gaming system out on your porch overnight, so don’t do the same with your personal data. Before you use a new online service (whether at home or at school), be sure to read the “terms of service” or the “privacy policies,” and share them with your parents. This information can usually be found at the bottom of a site’s main page (or the settings of a phone app) and spells out what data is being used by the app and how it is handled.

3. Use strong and unique passwords for all the services that you use. Where possible, have more than one way to authenticate your accounts.

a stranger on social media, don’t respond. Show the message to your parents or a teacher. If you can’t find someone right away, screenshot the message. Don’t ever give away access to your personal information or personal photos.

For more Information: https://www.dhs.gov/ national-cyber-security-awareness-month

policy for passwords: Make them random. Include numbers, letters and special characters. Use a unique password for every major account you have.

4. If you see something, say something.

Students: If a person or online app is suspicious, it never hurts to report your suspicion to parents or another trusted adult. If you receive a message from

About Harris County Department of Education: HCDE provides special education, therapy services, early education, adult education and after-school programming. Services are funded by government grants, fees and a local property tax of less than $9 per homeowner. For every dollar in local property tax collected, HCDE provides $4.70 in services to the 25 Harris County school districts. We operate four campuses for students with profound special education needs and adjudicated or recovering youth who require a low, student-teacher ratio and highly structured environment. One-hundred percent of students served on HCDE campuses are at-risk. We are governed by an elected board of seven trustees and have 1,076 employees and 33 facilities, including 15 Head Start centers. More info at www.hcde-texas.org Source: HCDE-Texas.org

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October 2018  |  13

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14 | October 2018

MAYOR ALLEN OWEN ANNOUNCES RE-ELECTION BID Missouri City Mayor Prepares for November 6, 2018 Election Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen has announced he is filing for re-election. Owen and his wife of 51 years, Jane, have made Missouri City home for more than 40 years. Both are passionately proud of the city they love. “I’ve dedicated my life as a committed husband, father, business leader/builder and civic volunteer to make Missouri City the best city imaginable. I served two years on the City Bond Committee, five years as a Planning & Zoning Commissioner, eight years as Councilman and Mayor Pro-tem, and have served the citizens of our great City 24 years as their Mayor. I want to continue as their Mayor because we still have a lot of improvements to do and I want to help guide us through those,” says Owen.

After retiring from banking, Owen became increasingly involved in improving the quality of life in the city. “We’ve worked hard with City Council, its economic development team and local businesses to attract many hundreds of millions of dollars in new business, leading to thousands of new jobs and to Missouri City being voted as one of two Texas cities of the top 50 cities in the USA to live in. We were recently named the 43rd best city in the USA to start a business and the only Texas city to be named.”

According to Forbes Magazine, Missouri City continues to be one of America’s safest, most affordable and best quality of life cities to raise a family, build a business, live and retire. In a recent Rice University study, Missouri City is “the most ethnically diverse city in the most ethnically diverse region in America.”

“I’m particularly proud of our continuing push by City Council to improve public safety. We recently have opened fire station #5 and planning on #6 and approved pay raises for Police and Fire Forces and all city workers. We’ve hired Missouri City Motorcycle Police Officers.” In spite of struggling economic conditions in other areas, “Missouri City home values have jumped many times and are one of the best buys in the area, because of our proximity to Houston, the Texas Medical Center, Energy Corridor and the Port of Houston. In the past four years, I have worked with 32 major companies who have moved their headquarters to Missouri City, bringing over 1,500 new jobs. This also created over $500 million in new taxable value to our tax rolls. We are quickly becoming very attractive to many others who want to be near the Medical Center and the ship channel,” says Owen.

Owen recently received the “Outstanding Public Officials Award” from the University of Houston School of Public Administration and on October 4, 2018 received the “Lone Star Leadership Award” from the National Forum for Black Public Administrators at their Texas Leadership Excellence Award Gala. Owen was recognized for the work he did for his citizens during Hurricane Harvey and his many years of service to his community. These are just two of the many awards he has received as Mayor. Also, he was recently invited to speak before the Congressional Homeland Security Committee, as well as, the Senate Commerce Committee on “Lessons Learned” and “Going Forward after Harvey” about the effects such a storm has on a smaller community.

Owen serves on many boards, committees and civic organizations throughout Missouri City. “Engagement is critical to me. We’re excited about HCC at Texas Parkway adjacent to City Hall with a $35 million investment to boost redevelopment there as a striking welcome to our City. They have exceeded their own expectations with the fall semester enrollment now reaching almost 1,200 students. Our library is growing and we’re proud of our new civic center. Work continues with Congressman Green and other community leaders for METRO getting commuter rail to our City and recently we had the ribbon cutting for a new “on-demand” bus network to move our citizens to and from work and school,” he said.

Allen and his wife Jane are active at First United Methodist Church, where they raised their children including a daughter who works as a FBISD teacher. They are grateful Missouri City is still where their children and grandchildren visit.

Owen earned degrees at Stephen F. Austin State University and SMU Graduate School of Finance and Banking. For additional information, visit www.mayorallenowen.com.

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October 2018 | 15 HEALTH

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16 | October 2018

JUDGE

accordingly

By d-mars.com News Provider

I

t is nearly impossible for the passion Judge Maria Jackson pours in her work to go unnoticed.

She has successfully established a reputation as someone that displays fairness and compassion time after time.

Jackson began her professional career as the program director of a charter school where she helped guide economically disadvantaged children. This is where she learned that some people can be taken out of a negative environment and, if given the proper tools and care, can reestablish themselves and become productive citizens in the community. She maintained this belief and used it as a foundation in her law career.

After graduating from Texas A&M School of Law, Jackson began working at a private law firm as a municipal bond attorney. She was then appointed by the Mayor as a City of Houston Parking Judge, and two years later she was appointed as a full time Municipal Court Judge. Due to such a progressive track record in these two positions, Jackson was the first judge to be featured in the Mayor’s Spotlight. This honor garnered her the attention of the Democratic Party, who endorsed her for the 339th State District Court where she has now been serving for 10 years.

Jackson has presided over more than 75,000 cases, ranging from small drug offenses to capital murder. Some of her capital murder cases were even featured on the national television show “The First 48 Hours.”

“I’ve presided over many heinous cases,” Jackson said. “I presided over the mother who buried her baby face down alive, the man who spread HIV to countless middle school girls and his 24-month old niece as

well as several other high-profile cases.”

Despite judging cases that produce such polarizing outcomes, the thing that makes Jackson such a dependable judge is her ability to handle her cases solely based on the facts and evidence, not her feelings.

“That’s something that is important to me,” Jackson said. “That no matter what my personal feelings are, I’m able to push those aside and judge the case based upon the merits. The higher calling in me as a public servant is what helps me decide to take a chance on someone.”

Jackson credits her pursuit of excellence to her parents and grandmother. She was heavily influenced by her mother and grandmoth value of kindness, friendship and fairness. Her father taught her the value of hard as CEO of her life. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, who displayed intelligence an her career, served as Jackson’s role model. These characteristics, and her faith in G

maria t. jackson Experience Our World of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Communication

her who taught her the work and to keep Jesus nd strength throughout God, play a large part in

n

October 2018 | 17

how she conducts herself personally and professionally.

“If someone is violating the law, I do believe that person needs to be punished,” Jackson said. “But I also believe that some nonviolent offenders can be rehabilitated and become productive members in the community. So when I make rulings on a case by case basis, I use my wisdom and discernment.”

In addition to saving and rehabilitating thousands of lives, sending many dangerous criminals to prison and protecting the community, Jackson has also made other significant accomplishments in her career. One of these achievements is the county-wide implementation on DWI probationers. She implemented more stringent conditions for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) probationers.

DWI probationers were required to report every three months, but after noticing many gaps and loopholes in the system Jackson decided it needed to change. DWI probationers are now

required to report once a month, and not allowed to drive during their probation period and must breathe into a breathalyzer, on camera, at least three times a day. Officials were so impressed with the outcome of the new procedure that the entire Harris County Probation Department adopted it.

All these accomplishments have led Jackson to her decision to run in the 2018 election for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Place 1, where her job will be to preside over, along with eight other judges, death penalty sentencing, and criminal appeals cases.

Jackson wants to ensure that everyone has received a fair trial. Her hope is for no individual that comes through her courtroom to be wrongfully convicted or incarcerated.

“I represent fair justice and balance,” Jackson said, “And I bring with me the morals and ethics that it takes to be the

“I want to make major changes with our great State of Texas, where the laws will not be as imbalanced as they have been in the past. And I know I am the most qualified candidate to effect change within the criminal justice system.”

— Judge Maria T. Jackson

Presiding Judge for the highest criminal court for the State of Texas. I want to make sure that no one is ever wrongfully convicted, and I want to make sure that dangerous criminals stay in prison.”

Jackson has received the support and endorsement of several well-known groups and organizations in Texas including the Dallas Morning News, all major Law Enforcement Organizations across the State of Texas, many Bar Associations and the Baptist Ministers Association of Houston & Vicinity just to name a few. She says these endorsements are important because it shows that she is trusted and respected.

“Endorsements are important because the citizens, in all 254 counties, put their faith in a lot of these organizations which have endorsed me,” Jackson said.

“And they endorsed me because they know my record. I have been a judge for

15 years and I have remained the same.”

When asked why the citizens of Texas should vote for her, Jackson says that many people don’t ever think about judges until they need one, but judges play a bigger role than most people think.

“Most people say they want criminal justice reform,” she said. “Well, this court that I’m seeking, is at the very heart of criminal justice reform, and I have been working to reform the criminal justice system since the late 80s. It starts with training our youth and changing their trajectory instead of sending them to prison.”

Jackson’s skills and impressive record help qualify her for such a significant position. She believes that her honesty and integrity make her an ideal candidate for the job, and she has big plans in store for the State of Texas.

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18 | October 2018 POLITICAL

Your VOTE Matters!

By Sylvester Turner Mayor of Houston

W

hen there is no presidential election on the November ballot, many people don’t vote, even though they are eligible to vote. They don’t think that stakes are high enough for them to spend the time to cast a ballot for candidates and on referendums. They could not be more wrong.

Yet only a third of the 2 million people registered to vote in Houston and Harris County cast their ballots in the November 2014 election, when the choices included candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, lieutenant governor and many other offices.

Now, four years later, I urge all registered voters in the city of Houston to buck the trend in the Nov. 6 election, for which early voting starts Oct. 22. Again the choices include candidates for Congress, governor, lieutenant governor and dozens of other important positions. Also on the ballot are city Propositions A and B, which are the ReBuild Houston vote and the vote on the firefighters’ union salary referendum. There’s so much at stake at the voting booth!

But first you have to be a registered voter to take part.

For qualified residents who are not registered to vote, the sign-up deadline is Oct. 9. For instructions on all the ways you can register to vote, and who is qualified to register, go to https://www.hctax.net/Voter/Registration or call the Harris County Registrar’s Office at 713-274-8200.

Not sure if you are registered to vote in Harris County?

Look at https://www.hctax.net/Voter/Search Some city residents live in Fort Bend (www.

fortbendcountytx.gov/government) and Montgomery (www.mctx.org) counties.

They should contact their county officials for voting information.

Voter registration in these counties is handled by the voter registrar while the election and the counting of the votes are handled by county clerks’ offices. For information on how, where and when to vote in Harris County, look at www.harrisvotes.com or call (713) 274-9550.

At www.harrisvotes.com you can find a list of locations and hours for early voting locations and eventually a list of polling places for election day. There’s also an explanation of who can vote, and how to vote, by mail. The information is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese, as required by law.

Only residents of the city are qualified to vote on Propositions A and B, and I hope all voters will make selections on these propositions at the end of the ballot.

Voters using the straight ticket option to vote for all candidates of a single political party must make additional “yes” or “no” votes on the propositions for their selections on those items to count.

Last month in this space, I described the issues involved in both propositions. The information is now online at http://houstontx.gov/houstonvotes2018/, where there is also a list of town hall meetings I am conducting about the propositions in each City Council district. The last one is Oct. 18.

I hope every voter will study these issues and also make educated choices about the candidates for office.

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October 2018 | 19

BUILDERS

“COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE”

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20 | October 2018

ELECTION DAY IS NOV 6

LEARN MORE AT EDEMMETT.COM

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October 2018  |  21

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22 | October 2018 COMMUNITY

Texas Black Women’s Expo For Little Miss “Happy” Head Beauty Pageant registration, visit The Hair Vitamin Store; 3727 Greenbriar Dr., Stafford, TX 77477, Suite 109b or visit http://texasblackwomensexpo.com/ pageants. Email Topaz Williams tanwilliams77004@gmail.com or Ramona.tbwe@gmail.com

By d-mars.com News Provider

V

isionary and Trichologist, Dr. Leola Anifowoshe, proudly invites the general public to this year’s 2nd Annual Texas Black Women’s Expo (TBWE) and 8th Annual Nzuri Natural Hair Expo on Saturday, October 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the NRG Center. With the goal to empower entrepreneurial women, TBWE has merged with the increasingly popular Nzuri Natural Hair Festival and bids to take business experiences to the next level, while providing a blueprint for profitable businesses. TBWE will exclusively feature via the awards ceremony and or the Expo Grammy Nominated Artist Chrisette Michelle this year’s Education, Motivation, and Inspiration (EMI) awardees, a fashion presentation by 1426 Fashion Week, the annual Little Miss “Happy” Head Beauty Pageant, with guest speakers Dr Leola Anifowoshe, Founder, Business Coach Dawniel Winningham, Empowerment Mogul, Dorothy Cook and Motivational Speaker Lashanda Gary and many more!

TBWE is designed to utilize the strength of black women owning businesses and create a direct impact on black economics. With over 30 years of brand-building experience, Anifowoshe is known for evolving entrepreneurs to their greatest potential.

“The Texas Black Women’s Expo is where Black Women will be found in incredible numbers highlighting the latest trends, amazing new products and services, while we enlighten, inform and empower each other all under one roof” states Anifowoshe. “Our mission this year is the 100,000 S.I.S.T.E.R.S Outreach; Success In Sisters Through Entrepreneurial Revitalization Strategies.”

Anifowoshe expresses her deepest gratitude in having so many influential women, especially Torrei Hart involved in this movement. As the success of her Solutions Hair Restoration and Wellness Center located in Stafford and Nzuri hai rcare line continues to grow, Anifowoshe is excited to reveal her partnership with Hart as they release Heavenly Hart Products, inspired by Torrei and Kevin Hart's daughter Heaven Leigh Hart, at the event.

Not to mention, the motivation this expo will provide to all of our baby sisters present in the building. The sixth annual Little Miss “Happy” Head Beauty Pageant will take place at 3:00 p.m. Created in 2011 for princess’ ages 2-14, Anifowoshe saw where society merely tolerates natural-haired girls. Instead, she replaced the concept of “nappy” hair with “happy” hair to celebrate black beauty.

In addition, each contestant will receive a princess pack and a trophy.

Lastly, Anifowoshe believes education, motivation and inspiration are ingredients that cannot be pushed aside when building a viable business. Thus, she plans to present the EMI award to several deserving recipients to compensate for their brilliance and dedication to enhancing our communities.

Ultimately, TBWE will offer equal opportunities for brand seekers to engage with African American consumers in multiple markets. TBWE will be an event Houston will never forget!

TBWE is sponsored by Nzuri LLC, Solutions Hair Restoration and Wellness Center, HEB, Heavenly Hart Hair Care,1526 Fashion Week, RC Fitness and Ramona Parker Public Relations Agency.

For more information on tickets and vendor booths, visit http://texasblackwomensexpo. com. For information on how to become a sponsor, visit http://texasblackwomensexpo. com/Sponsor

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October 2018 | 23

ATTORNEY ERICA R. HUGHES is committed to bringing diversity and change to Harris County’s criminal justice system through Compassion, Integrity and Justice for all. Born in Dallas, Texas, Erica received her B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University and her J.D. from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University.

She joined the United States Army where she serves as a Military Captain and Attorney for the Texas National Guard, via the University of Virginia.

Erica has twelve years of experience as a solo practitioner with a specialty in Criminal and Personal Injury law. Upon earning her Texas State Bar license, she joined State Farm Insurance within the Claims Litigation Center while also working as a Fee Attorney for a Title Company in Houston. Erica has a passion for teaching the law which is evident by her eight-year tenure as an Adjunct Professor at San Jacinto College in the Paralegal Department and served as the Pre-Law Program Director at Prairie View A&M University. This program created a pipeline to increase the acceptance rate for minority students into the nine Texas ABA Law Schools Hughes is a sustaining member of the Harris County Democratic Party, and also serves as a member of the State Bar of Texas and Houston Association of Women Attorneys Foundation. Since 2010, she’s been a Legal Advisor for San Jacinto Paralegal Student Association. Erica is an active Youth Worship Director within Higher Dimension Church and a member of the Houston Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, an organization dedicated to the betterment of the community.

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24 | October 2018 HEALTH

Fighting Back One Punch at a Time that addresses the breast cancer survivorship crisis affecting African American women around the country. As a nationally recognized organization among leading medical establishments and breast cancer physicians, Sisters Network is also recognized as a critical information resource for African American women. Some other national organizations are Avon and Mary Kay – who have lead tremendous outreach and awareness campaigns in their effort to combat breast cancer.

By Rhonda Dallas Contributing Writer

O

ctober has been set aside nationally as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We see the pink colors in the mall, within organizations and even on the national football fields. As a Certified Life Coach and Certified Nutritional Counselor, this month means so much more than just awareness. It means rolling up our sleeves and getting involved.

A question we must ask ourselves is “how can I help?”

“How can I get Involved with organizations, etc.?”

Well, all we have to do is take a look at the statistics within the Afro-American Community and our questions will be answered. Let me start off by sharing some staggering statistics and a list of organizations we can partner with and lastly how we can continue the fight for ourselves by living a healthier lifestyle:

Disturbing numbers: numbers: Disturbing First, some statistics that lay out the extent of the problem. About 1 in 8 American non-Hispanic white women, and about 1 in 9 African-American women will suffer from breast cancer in their lives. While breast cancer is slightly less prevalent in African-American women, it is much more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage in them. About 37 percent of white patients and about 47 percent of black patients will have cancers that have spread from their breast to nearby lymph

Living aa Healthier Healthier Lifestyle: Living Lifestyle: nodes at diagnosis. When the disease has spread, it typically presents a greater treatment challenge. In fact, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer patients with distant metastasis, or disease that has traveled to another organ such as the liver or bone, is 26.9 percent, as compared to 98.9 percent for those with a localized disease. * (Source: The Conversation Journal)

Organizations We Organizations We Can Can Partner with to Get Partner with Get Involved: Involved: As you can see we either know someone affected by Breast Cancer. So how do we get involved? Sister’s Network which is nationally known was founded in 1994, is a leading voice and only national African American breast cancer survivorship organization in the United States. The organization’s purpose is to save lives and provide a broader scope of knowledge

Statistics have linked obesity as a rising cause of Breast Cancer especially in Afro-Americans. If we know better, we can all do better. We need to start with diet and exercise. Eating and increasing more fruit and vegetables into your diet and reducing the amount of carbs and sugars can help tremendously to living a healthier lifestyle. Also, just 30 minutes per day of cardio and muscle strengthening can add wonders to our overall health status. Take baby steps and increase daily by walking, and making good food choices.

Conclusion: InInConclusion: In closing, we can all lend a helping hand in the fight against breast cancer by things like gaining more knowledge - because knowledge is power, joining a group or organization that caters to women with breast cancer and holding ourselves accountable to a healthier diet and exercise.

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October 2018 | 25

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26 | October 2018 EDUCATION

COMMENTARY:

For-profit college students share sagas of debt and disillusionment

By Charlene Crowell NNPA

C

ollege students today come in many ages and from many backgrounds. In addition to recent high school graduates, there are laid off workers who need updated skills, and single heads of household returning to school to better provide for their families. Veterans seeking to transition to civilian life are also seeking higher education as a way out and up the financial ladder.

In a real sense, the number of people enrolling in some type of higher education is as diverse as the nation. And so are the choices.

Beyond four-year baccalaureate degrees and graduate schools, today’s educational options include varied career and technical training programs in such fields as computers, cosmetology, criminal justice, fashion design, and entertainment business.

Prominent among the institutions offering this educational medley are for-profit colleges that use business strategies to target financially vulnerable consumers, then complete enrollment as quickly as possible. These institutions even encourage debt beyond what is needed to pay tuition and fees.

A new report released by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) analyzes how for-profit students who sought educational training to improve their lives wound up in worse financial circumstances after enrollment. For-profit colleges were found to be twin traps of poor outcomes and costly debts that together often lead to loan defaults.

This finding is consistent with nationwide statistics on for-profit borrowers. Across the nation, for-profit college loan defaults occur at a rate three times that of students enrolled at either public or private institutions offering four-year and/or two-year studies.

Closely tied to this nationwide trend of more frequent for-profit loan defaults is the low number of graduates. Nationwide, fewer than 30 percent of forprofit students graduate six years following their enrollment in two or four-year curricula.

Debt and Disillusionment: Stories of Former For-Profit College Students, shares the stories of these former students as told in a nine-part focus group series. During these sessions, the former students candidly reflect upon their decisions, experiences, and ways to keep going at this thing called life.

Metro Orlando, Florida became the study locale due to both its racial and ethnic diversity, as well as its dense concentration of for-profit institutions. Compared to other states, Florida a lso has one of the

The Sunshine State is also distinguished by its welcoming for-profit college climate: highest loan default rates in the nation.

• A legislature that passed at least 15 state laws friendly to for-profit colleges; • A state Commission for Independent Education that employs multiple for-profit college executives; • An attorney general who over a five-year period did little to investigate thousands of student loan complaints against the for-profit college industry.

All study participants borrowed large loans to finance their educations at one of 25 for-profit institutions within the last 10 years. Nationally-known schools such as the University of Phoenix, Kaplan and Strayer University were represented.

Against this backdrop, several participants noted the frequent commercials that initially sparked their interest. Meet Eric, who learned of the University of Phoenix from a commercial he saw on television.

“I remember this one commercial, I would always see, there was this chief of police from Cincinnati: ‘I’m James Craig, I’m a Phoenix’, and that always stuck in my head.”

“It was like every time you watched a show the minute they do a commercial it was Everest or Florida Metropolitan University all day long,” added Karla who felt similarly.

Others shared how aggressive recruitment

tactics sought to enroll students as quickly as possible.

“They bugged the crap out of me – so persistent that there is no way I wouldn’t have started,” said Angel.

“Like I was just kind of thinking about it and then it was like signed up and you start next week. I’m like oh my god, what did I do?”

As the first person in her family to attend college, June’s story shared how alone she felt in trying to improve her life.

“It’s not like I have a family background that taught me like, don’t do this, oh look at this,” said June. “So, I kind of went in blind and most people at school, they are pushing you.”

With commercials targeting specific demographics and aggressive recruitment, most former students had little idea as to how costly instruction would be, and even noted how some were encouraged to borrow funds beyond what was needed.

“Like he was saying, for me, they gave me the max,” said Sylvia. “I didn’t think about I don’t need this much money for this semester. So, I got a refund check at the end of the semester. And I am thinking this is like free money. But at the end of the day, no – it tacks on to your loans.”

The report further states, “Participants often expressed regret about taking these refund checks in retrospect, but for the most part, they had no viable alternative means of support for themselves and dependent family members while attending school.”

Higher education has long been viewed as an enlightening experience that opens worlds of opportunity and new horizons. However, the findings of this new report suggest that debt was encouraged, not minimized, and students were preyed upon instead of being educated.

According to Robin Howarth, a CRL Senior Researcher and lead author of the report, “These institutions are exploiting the ambitions of students, pushing them into unmanageable loans, and leaving them with little but inescapable debt.”

Charlene Crowell is the Center for Responsible Lending’s Communications Deputy Director. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

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October 2018 | 27 FINANCES

Financial Focus – Can You Benefit From an Annuity?

By Arnetta Tolley NNPA

R

etirement isn’t cheap. You may have heard that you will need 70 percent to 80 percent of your pre-retirement income, but the real figure might even be higher, depending on your circumstances.

And retirement isn’t short, either – you could spend two or three decades as a retiree. Taken together, these factors highlight the need to identify as many sources of retirement income as possible – and one of these sources might be an annuity.

A fixed annuity is an insurance product that allows you to make a lump-sum investment and can provide insured payments to you for a designated number of years, or for life. A fixed annuity guarantees a rate of interest for a stated period that will be unaffected by market fluctuations. Your principal investment and the specified interest rate are guaranteed based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing company.

you might be short on savings.

• Tax deferred accumulation – The interest you earn is tax deferred and will compound annually, meaning your money may accumulate faster than it would if it were placed in a taxable investment. Earnings will be taxed at your ordinary income rate once you start taking withdrawals, and withdrawals prior to age 59-1/2 may be subject to a 10% federal tax penalty.

(You will want to consult with your tax advisor before withdrawing from your annuity.)

• Income for life – You can take your annuity payout as a lump sum or choose to receive payments for a set number of years, or for the rest of your life. Your income amount will be determined by the value in your contract and your life expectancy.

• Death benefit – If your annuity is still in the “accumulation” phase at the time of your death (meaning you haven’t yet begun collecting payments), it might provide a death benefit to the beneficiary you’ve

A fixed annuity offers some key benefits, including the following: • No contribution limit – No IRS contribution limits apply to non-qualified annuities – that is, annuities held outside a tax-advantaged retirement plan, such as a defined benefit pension plan, Section 403(b) plan (TSA) or an IRA. This can be especially valuable if you are already close to retirement age and think

The Necessity of Change

By Edward Davis Contributing Writer

M

ost of us look at change only as a necessary evil, unless the change is a new house, car, or better paying job. Change is not something that human beings typically embrace. But the simple truth is if you are not changing, you are not growing.

The only thing constant is change. So, why not control the narrative and grow deliberately instead of being a helpless bystander as life happens to you?

As an accountability and success coach, I am all too familiar with human resistance to change. I often here clients exclaim, “I know I need to be doing this or that, but how do I get myself motivated?” Maybe the problem is that we need to understand why change is good for us. Once we understand the importance of change and how it brings results, we will

named. Typically, this lump sum will be the greater of your account balance or the total of all premiums paid, although some annuities provide additional options. Be aware, though, that the death benefit may be taxable.

As is the case with all investments, a fixed annuity does have some caveats. Most important, an annuity is a long-term investment – if you pull money out within the first several years after your purchase, you likely will face some prohibitive surrender charges. These charges decline each year, typically reaching zero after seven years. Such withdrawals also may be subject to a market value adjustment.

One more thing to keep in mind: Different annuities come with different fees, and the higher the fee, the lower your “real” return will be. Consequently, you will want to compare fees before investing.

If a fixed annuity is appropriate for your situation, you may find it can join your other income pools – Social Security, 401(k), IRA, etc. – to provide you with the resources you need to enjoy the retirement lifestyle you’ve envisioned.

Edward Jones is a licensed insurance producer in all states and Washington, D.C., through Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. and in California, New Mexico and Massachusetts through Edward Jones Insurance Agency of California, L.L.C.; Edward Jones Insurance Agency of New Mexico, L.L.C.; and Edward Jones Insurance Agency of Massachusetts, L.L.C.

FINANCES

find all of the motivation we need. Here are 3 great reasons to embrace change:

Embracingchange change Embracing offers opportunities. offers opportunities.

Did you know that by altering your life and routine, even in simple and seemingly small ways, it can afford you opportunities that can have a powerful ripple effect and provide you with more blessings, growth and options than you will know what to do with? When a friend of mine decided she was tired of being afraid of public speaking, she joined Toastmasters and her life was instantly changed. This one small change in her life opened the door for her to eventually have her own business, a book deal, and a successful podcast. There are millions of examples like this reminding us that change will bring new opportunities for happiness and fulfilment.

Changegets getsus usoutside outside Change ourcomfort comfortzone. zone. our My accountability business partner, Robert Reed, loves the quote “everything you’ve ever wanted is right outside of your comfort zone,” because he knows that

comfort zones breed complacency and do not challenge you to become the best version of yourself. It takes no effort to follow a predictable routine. Comfort zones destroy ambition and encourage mediocrity. However, outside of your comfort zone everything about you will be challenged. You will discover so much more about yourself and your potential.

Personally, every time I have accomplished something that took me to the next level, e.g., starting my first business or going for my professional doctorate, it was me operating outside of my comfort zone.

These experiences taught me so much more about myself than being complacent and resistant to change ever could.

Change helps us adapt and stay relevant.

Anyone who owns a business knows the importance of embracing change. If you are afraid to change and grow, your business will die. Doing the same thing forever will cause you to lose your relevance and eventually go the way of the dinosaur.

Learn the lessons from companies like Kodak and Toys “R” Us. These companies at one point were juggernauts in their industries with little or no competition.

Their only fatal flaw is they refused to change! I can give you hundreds of stories

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of companies that made the same mistake.

The message here is simple. Whether it’s personal or business, all you need to know is that change is absolutely necessary. The really scary part about change is that it will happen with or without your permission.

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

—George Bernard Shaw

Edward Davis is an accountability coach and co-author of the new book “C4: An Explosive Way to Live a Dynamic Life.” Contact Edward at Personal M-PACT, www.personalmpact.com.

28 | October 2018 TECHNOLOGY

USING DATA

to deliver better customer experience By d-mars.com News Provider

T

oday, food delivery competition has expanded from traditional restaurants to include local grocery stores and data-driven giants like Amazon. To stand out, companies need a competitive differentiator. Domino’s, founded in 1960, cut through the increased competition’s crust and remains one of the largest pizza companies in the world because it recognizes this.

The company boasts significant business in both delivery and carryout, serving a million pizzas daily out of its more than 14,000 stores in 85 markets. They do this by integrating customer data across multiple platforms, including mobile, social and email, to increase efficiency and provide a more flexible customer ordering experience.

Relying on technology as a competitive differentiator helped the pizza giant achieve more than 50 percent of all global retail sales in 2017 from digital channels, primarily online ordering and mobile applications.

Here’s how the pizza company did it, and the tips you can take to do the same: Domino’s AnyWare creates data everywhere: AnyWare is a digital platform that allows the company’s customers to order pizza from their smartwatches, TVs, car entertainment systems and social media platforms. All of these pizza orders across the array of digital mediums create an information tsunami, or in the company’s eyes, a competitive advantage. The pizza company realized that data is a weapon in its competitive market, and it needed to be available on demand. The company defined the requirements and goals for a solution, including speed-to-market implementation, cost and the ability to streamline workflow and reduce custom development work.

Cut down on complexity and streamline the process: Previously, the pizza company used multiple tools for capturing data and multiple agencies for marketing campaigns, all while trying to manage 17 terabytes of data. To cut down

on complexity and streamline its processes, the pizza company teamed up with Talend, a cloud data integration company, to deploy Talend Big Data to integrate all of this data from everywhere - 85,000 structured and unstructured data sources in all, pouring into its system every day to create a single view of its customers and global operations. The company uses this solution to ensure it is delivering the best product it can to its customers as fast as possible, while also analyzing all segments of its business to keep up with changing needs and constantly evolving competitive pressures.

Implementing this new technology quickly transitioned the pizza company from a traditional ordering mechanism to an e-commerce platform.

Multiple touchpoints, one buying experience: Domino’s built a data infrastructure that collects information from every touchpoint, including all the company’s point of sales systems and 26 supply chain centers, and through all its channels, including text messages, Twitter, Pebble, Android and Amazon Echo. Data is then fed into the company’s Enterprise Management Framework and then combined with enrichment data from third-party sources and geocode, demographic and competitive information. Now, the pizza company has a trusted, single source of the truth that it can use to improve business performance from logistics to financial forecasting while enabling one-to-one buying experiences across multiple touchpoints.

With all of the challenges a business faces in trying to create a digital transformation, one of the main lessons to be learned from this story is that having a bird’s eye view is of the utmost importance, and that data can help any brand deliver a better customer experience. The pizza company integrated data from everywhere to create a 360-degree view of its customers, holding the pizza company’s spot at the top of the food chain. Now Domino’s isn’t only able to deliver pizza; they are delivering a tailored experience to every consumer that interacts with the brand, no matter the medium.

(BPT)

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30  |  October 2018

T H E

E X P E R T

N E TW O R K

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October 2018 | 31

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