Wilco Business Review • 2023 Issue 1

Business to Business News Impacting Central Texas

Publishers

Michael Payne • Catherine Payne

Executive Editor / Writer

Ann Marie Kennon

Executive Administrator

Camy Reynolds

Senior Writer

Charlotte Kovalchuk

Editorial Writer

Janet Civitelli

Columnists

IT • Ben Lake

Real Estate • Tyler Wolf

Finance • Will Boughton

Healthcare • Taylor Rogers

Strategic Thought • Jodee O’Brien

State of the State • Thomas Graham

Videography

Todd White

Photography

David Valdez · Rudy Ximenez

Todd White Christianna Bettis

Graphics

Sandra Evans • Ann Marie Kennon

Distribution

David Schumacher

IT/Webmaster

Jesse Payne

Consultant

W. Ben Daniel

Public Relations

Janet Hage

FROM THE PUBLISHERS

This issue includes a special section featuring a dozen elite business owners and executives taking a deep dive into a 21st century version of what President Nixon called “the silent majority.” While corporate culture continues to thrive via strengthindiversity, one special interest group has seemingly been marginalized by the standard curricula people of faith, and Christians in particular. We are proud to put a spotlight on Celebration Church’s initiative to help companies in Central Texas, with an eye to the world, embrace faith in the workplace. In doing so, they hope to inspire and provide resources that will help employers actualize a workplace in which employees do not have to check their faith at the door and, as such, can’t wait to get there.

Another of our extended stories addresses the corporate paradigm shift in business aviation. As more and more mega corporations turn their own eyes to Williamson County, local airports are seeing an uptick in the number of arrivals and departures, as well as an increase in required services and amenities.

Fortunately, the Georgetown Executive Airport at Johnny Gantt Field (KGTU) recently became a part of the Cutter Aviation legacy and we have an exclusive interview with the FBO director, Will Cutter. His sister Anna is at KGTU as well, turning the charter aviation world on its end with the kind of service that has a five-star feel but is no longer reserved for the ultra-rich.

Always in a growth mindset, we sat down with Texas Rep. Brad Buckley to discuss the symbiotic relationship between Williamson and Bell Counties. His insights on everything from water to school safety are a good indicator that our state and regional county leadership remain on the same page for provision and prosperity across Central Texas.

In between, we recommend taking a break at the new Pignetti’s location in Waco, or taking a look at the value you can add to your business landscaping via Whittlesey in Round Rock. We also have great news about the strength and service at Texell credit union, which is celebrating a new headquarters and 75 years of customer service next year.

Finally, as always, we highlight a healthy and interesting balance of people and businesses in Williamson County. It’s a new year and, most likely, another good one for one of the fastest growing regions in the nation.

Michael Payne

Catherine Payne

Clinton Harwell Enjoys the Social Life in Waco

Pignetti’s Second Location is Open

The social aspect of being a restaurateur was what kept Clinton Harwell going through the challenges of COVID, and what inspired him to open a second Pignetti’s location in Waco to complement the much loved Pignetti’s in Temple and The Barton House in Salado.

Pignetti’s has been a community fixture in Temple for the last 20 years and, since opening its doors in September, the second restaurant has been a welcome addition to the Waco food scene. Pignetti’s Waco enjoys a prime location in the former Phoenix Ballroom at 401 Third St. near Magnolia Market at the Silos. It maintains the elegance of the former ballroom, with city views and an upscale warehouse ambiance, plus a private dining room, full bar, outdoor patio, and extensive parking.

Harwell’s business partner, Donnie Johnson, will run Pignetti’s Waco. He brings a strong corporate background in the restaurant industry with decades of experience, including stints as an owner of Brick Oven and Baretto and general manager of Eddie V’s and Sullivan’s Steakhouse.

Offering the same Italian food as the original Pignetti’s, the new location has added steaks to an evolving menu that currently features everything from chicken Parmesan and lobster ravioli to Iron Table Wagyu NY Strip and Braveheart Ribeye. Diners and oenophiles will appreciate the ample wine selection, which was inspired by Harwell’s travels to wineries around the world and won Pignetti’s the Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator magazine. His destinations have included Napa, Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Slovenia, Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, and he is currently seeking sponsorship to add Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa to his boozy globe trotting list.

Clinton Harwell (center) never thought about pursuing a restaurant career until he started waiting tables and fell in love with the way eateries serve as hospitality hubs. “I remained in the restaurant business because it continues to be fun and rewarding to provide a place for local residents to visit, eat, and drink.”

by Janet Civitelli

Harwell said, “Even though the restaurant just broke even on this line of business, I consider it a success because it kept staff employed during a time when restaurants were laying off most of their employees. It also benefited our community since it helped solve the supply chain problem.”

WHEN YOU GO...

Continuing the same community focus as its original location, Pignetti’s Waco will offer special wine-themed events and pair wines with fine dining.

PUTTING THE CUSTOMER FIRST

In an industry well known for startup challenges, Harwell credited one of his first employers, TGI Fridays, with teaching him how to cultivate customer loyalty. “TGI Fridays coaches managers and staff to treat customers as if they are guests in their homes,” Harwell said. “Customers aren’t just enjoying good food, they also feel welcomed. You can feel the difference.”

His dedication to customer service was exemplified in early 2020 when he saw his community facing shortages on grocery store shelves. Harwell’s subsequent pandemic pivot made use of his ability to purchase in bulk and re-imagine his wine-to-go business to provide essential items.

His girlfriend, artist Marlene Jorge, designed a new logo and rebranded the business as Pignetti’s Grocers. They created a $100 grocery box, which included meats, milk, vegetables, beans, rice, toilet paper, and bleach, and quickly sold out.

Pignetti’s Waco’s website is under development so guests are encouraged to scan the code to make reservations through OpenTable.

photos courtesy Clinton Harwell

PIGNETTI’S IN TEMPLE OFFERS 1,500 WINES AND THE WACO LOCATION OPENED WITH 150 WINES.

by Ann Marie Kennon

FBOs Upgrading Georgetown Airport from Municipal to Executive

• NETJETS REPORTS IT WILL HAVE 1,000 JETS IN ITS FLEET BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR.

• GENERAL DYNAMICS REPORTS ITS FBO SALES HAVE RECOVERED TO NEARLY 20 PERCENT AHEAD OF PREPANDEMIC HIGHS.

• GULFSTREAM DELIVERED MORE THAN 120 PLANES IN 2022.

THE BOTTOM LINE: PRIVATE AVIATION IS STEADILY BECOMING MORE AFFORDABLE FOR BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT HAVE TO BE AMONG THE ULTRA WEALTHY.

On October 29, 2022 160 Cessna Citations were parked at the Georgetown airport more aircraft than at any one time since World War II, when the airfield was a training center.

That high volume was due to the Citation Jet Pilots Association’s decision to hold its 2022 convention in Austin. Association CEO Trent Corcia said, “After looking at all the airports in the Austin area, we chose Georgetown as much for its size and access as for the reputation of and our friendship with the Cutter Aviation family. They have supported this event at other fixed base operators (FBOs) and they know how big this is. As well, their new Georgetown FBO was the best fit for our needs.”

More than 500 pilots from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, their companions and spouses, as well as dozens of vendors and partners attended the three-day event in Austin and helped raise more than $950,000 for charity. The CJPA was pleased with the benefits Georgetown offered in terms of traffic flow, logistics, and ground transportation. Corcia added that the association always prefers to use a single airport for the sake of efficiency, and the resources available at the new Cutter FBO made it ideal.

Cutter is a family-owned business and the Georgetown location, open since April 2022, is its twelfth FBO. In addition to its fleet and services helping elevate the municipal airport to an executive-level airport, Cutter has grown and expanded the quality and standards of service.

Owners and travelers alike say the recent additions and changes reflect another evolution in the city’s growing visibility and reputation in the aviation community. (More on page 10.)

GEORGETOWN BENEFITS

Throughout the three-day convention, more than $1 billion in aircraft was parked and serviced on the tarmac, representing unknown billions in net worth, and contributing to what has become a $60 million economic development resource for the city of Georgetown.

FBO director Will Cutter said the event was historic for Georgetown, “It was the most planes ever, the most fuel pumped, and we got positive feedback from every pilot. I’ve found, since we opened, that every large local business either hangars their plane here or flies in to do business.”

Rancher, Citation owner, and pilot Jim Schwertner hangars his plane in Georgetown. As a frequent business and recreation flier, he commented, “This airport is the most user-friendly and its growth says, ‘You can bring your business here because we have everything: fuel, charter and training services, and maintenance services.’ Georgetown also has significant traffic flow benefits. Here, pilots do not have to deal with delays getting in and out as is the case at most other general aviation airports, and they love that.”

AIRPORT ECONOMICS

Georgetown Executive Airport is home to many on-airport businesses that offer services such as FBO amenities, flight instruction, avionics, and aircraft maintenance. The most frequent include flight training, recreational flying, medical transport and evacuation, as well as ranch, powerline, and pipeline patrols.

Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder explained, “Our airport, by itself, is a great revenue generator via lease payments, fuel sales, and charters. But what really makes the difference is the byproduct of attracting the people who use the airport to do business in and around Georgetown.”

Mayor Schroeder pointed to companies like Titan Development, which is building on several properties locally. The airport enables their executives

to fly in, drive just a few minutes to the work sites, and head back to headquarters quickly. “It creates a domino effect,” the mayor added. “Titan uses our airport to market their developments to companies like battery producer CelLink. They, in turn can market their plant’s proximity to our airport to customers who need their batteries, like Mercedes and BMW who also appreciate being able to fly in, inspect the factory, and fly out with ease.”

The mayor reasoned that executives typically function on the principle that time is money and none want to have to drive two hours after they land their jet. “Georgetown has everything company executives need without the hassle.” Schwertner agreed, “Georgetown Executive has all the resources of a big airport but is run like a small town airport. If you have a problem, the airport manager is right over there, and you can go talk to him.”

Mayor Schroeder added, “Although Cutter Aviation has taken us to a new level, we must give credit and gratitude to the many companies and FBOs that have made the airport what it is and have built this legacy over decades.”

WILLIAMSON COUNTY SERVES GENERAL AVIATION OWNERS CUSTOMERS FROM GEORGETOWN EXECUTIVE AIRPORT JOHNNY GANTT FIELD AND TAYLOR MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THEY ARE A KEY DRIVER OF OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, EMPLOYING NEARLY 200 PEOPLE AND SUPPORTING MORE THAN 600 JOBS TIED TO THEM.

Cheryl Hardy, CJP COO & Executive Administrator, Georgetown Major Josh Schroeder, Will Cutter, Jim Schwertner, Trent Corcia, CJP CEO

IMAGE COURTESY TRENT CORCIA, CJPA

by Ann Marie Kennon

on the Cutter-ing edge

The Cutter family has been in aviation for nearly as long as there has been aviation and is the oldest family owned and operated fixed base operator (FBO) in the world. William P. Cutter founded the company in Albuquerque in 1928 to help ranchers, farmers, and business owners get there faster. They have since expanded into sales and charters and are one of the most well-known and respected names in the business.

As the only Texas-based Cutter FBO, the Georgetown base is in good hands with fourth-generation director Will D. Cutter (facing page). His father, CEO William Cutter, chose Georgetown for the company's sixth FBO after looking at the number of corporate entities moving north in the Austin metro area and the explosive growth in Williamson County.

The Georgetown base has 18 employees currently and Will already has plans to build large corporate hangars, provide over-the-top customer service to pilots and owners, and be a strategic partner to the City of Georgetown.

FROM THE GROUND UP

Will and his siblings grew up in Arizona and discovered their love of flying during Sunday trips with their grandfather in his Beech Staggerwing. He and his sister, Anna (pictured), trained for and earned their pilot licenses as

AT GEORGETOWN EXECUTIVE AIRPORT

quickly as they could and are excited about the possibility of running the company together someday.

Anna began working for her father in fourth grade. She worked the line1 and front desk and was expert at customer service even at a young age. She attended the University of Alabama and worked for Cutter selling Piper aircraft and charter services. Now a Georgetown resident, she manages and is growing Cutter's local charter service.

She says, "Right now I am learning all sides of the business; sales and charters primarily, but it is exciting to move around and learn it all from the ground up. I think it would be fun to run the company alongside my brother someday." When not hard at work or in the pilot's seat herself, she enjoys spending time with her bloodhounds, particularly her pup, Blake, who goes to work with her dad once a week. "He is also featured in some of our promotional videos to show that we're pet friendly and that when you charter with us, it's your airplane so your pets are welcome too."

Will also worked the line every summer from a young age; "The ramps in Phoenix get up to about 150° so a lot of it was about trying to stay cool and wearing shoes that wouldn't melt."

1 A line worker coordinates ramp opera tions and aircraft movement via a number of technical and customer service tasks. E.g., fueling, towing aircraft, operating ground support equipment, checking and maintaining tire pressure levels, performing runway inspections, and more.

Private aviation is steadily becoming more affordable for businesses and individuals it is no longer solely the purview of the ultra wealthy.

After earning his economics degree, he helped build schools in Africa and went on safari. He says, "It was fulfilling but it was truly a graduation trip that lasted a long time. When I came home, I went to work for Piper Aircraft in sales and marketing. I delivered planes, and on weekends went to the paint shop to finish planes and clean acid from the metal; also learning aviation and all about our company from the ground up."

After working in maintenance and customer service in Dallas, the Georgetown opportunity came up and he says he just had to do it. "I've been in love with FBOs since I was a kid and Georgetown is my first little baby. We are glad to be part of this amazing history but we are also grateful to the city and airport for all their help getting us off the ground, so to speak. We could not have done it without them."

FUTURE PLANS

Texas rancher, Citation owner, and pilot Jim Schwertner says, “What’s really exciting for me is that we’ve not had young aggressive people to help promote aviation at this airport for a long time. The history of the Cutter name in this business and the continuity of success in their family will all but guarantee growth in Georgetown.”

Will and Anna agree the market is growing for these services. "We work closely with the city and we're here to support that large chip maker and other companies coming to the area. It is a great benefit to be able to land corporate or private planes in Georgetown and drive just a few miles to survey a local site or have meetings. They appreciate the safety and security we provide for their multi-million-dollar assets and we also promote safety and discretion for their passengers. The planes are ours when they are on the ground and we take good care of them."

AVIATION FOR ALL

What sets Cutter apart in aviation, aside from their decades of experience and institutional knowledge, is their superlative commitment to customer service and safety. While most FBOs provide maintenance, fuel, and other care services, the Georgetown FBO has added personal travel to its offerings.

This year, Cutter will take delivery of a new Honda jet that fits five people plus pilot and a Pilatus that fits nine with pilot, and Anna says chartering is as simple as a phone call. "If you're going on a trip, you just tell me where and when you need to be there. I will set up the flight, the rental car or hotel, and essentially be your travel agent for the trip. We provide concierge level service and take care of the details for you down to personalized napkins if you like. If you're flying to New York for a meeting, and want to come back later in the day, or the next morning, we will also wait and fly you back."

Anna says their charter service is designed to make air travel as convenient as possible. "Making your own schedule means you don't lose a moment of productivity—or, depending on your travel needs, time with your family driving in traffic, looking

for parking, or waiting in long lines at a commercial airport."

Will adds, "Charter flights experienced huge increases during and after COVID. While masks are no longer a thing, the air travel paradigm has shifted slightly in that no one wants to spend a day in different confined spaces with large crowds of people if they don't have to."

Cutter also represents four general aviation aircraft brands and supports them much like automobile dealers do. "We sell and provide maintenance and care for Piper, Pilatus, Honda Jet, and TBM lines. We have regional sales and service centers for those brands."

Anna adds, "If you own a plane, you can come to us and we will perform all the maintenance on those aircraft. We also have a step up program in which you can purchase a smaller plane and we will introduce the next level, and on up to the largest aircraft."

Scan the code to contact Cutter about sales or charters.

by Ann Marie Kennon images courtesy Celebration Church

Business for Such a Time as This Every Company Should be in the People Business

Between the Great Resignation and endemic of quiet quitting, employers are raising the bar on their efforts to attract, recruit, and retain top talent. Many are adapting to the generational paradigm shift that correlates employees’ sense of value and self in the workplace to production and thriving commerce. Simply put, employees work best for customers and partners when they are allowed to be wholly themselves.

Why it Matters

Traditionally, employees who were well compensated were likely to accept a job opportunity and be satisfied. In the 21st century, company purpose and culture, notably diversity and inclusion (D&I), has transitioned from a strategic HR line item, to a major driver of company culture and community. No longer a fringe concept, for many it is a business imperative.

Industry titans like Google, American Express, Target, and Dell have embraced what D&I initiatives offer with little to no funding required. Most are employee-led and driven by a sense of purpose and belonging, which further folds employees in with the companies’ cultures and missions.

Where it is Happening

While data supports faith inclusion, some companies are hesitant or opposed to faith being a diversity worth supporting.

The Endeavor Team at Celebration Church is focused on changing this perception and narrative. Marrying private and public sector experience and best practice, with a bold belief that organizations and society flourish when people are whole, Endeavor Director Markee Johnson is working to change the understanding of faith at work. “We spend 90,000 hours of our lives at work and time is the one thing we never get back. Most people want to know their work and contributions matter and this is especially true for people of faith. It isn’t only a desire for us but a responsibility to steward our time well. If we compartmentalize faith at work, that yields only a percentage of our potential output not our best. No leader is content moving any mission forward with staff at half-capacity.”

Endeavor Ministry focuses on inspiring and equipping believers to integrate faith with work. Johnson believes many share a fear that showing faith at work could result in ostracization or termination. She cites examples of cancel culture, lawsuits, and hostility toward faith, all which have increased since 9/11. While she affirms U.S. citizens working in a domestically owned company have legal protections, she encourages a more winsome approach. “We need to share our faith in ways that are seen first in how we work, wholehearted and in excellence; then we share through relationship in wise and caring conversation.”

Who is Being Served

Surveys1 indicate 81 percent of adult Americans say they believe in God and more than three-quarters of those people are Christian. However, faith inclusion has been marginalized in the workplace or shunned completely but faith/religion is a dimension of diversity that yields impressive results. Faith-friendly businesses increase2:

� employee morale 62% � employee retention 38%

� employee loyalty 37% � agency reputation 34%

“Technology has dissolved separation between work and home, personal and professional life. This cultural shift has broadened our sense of self in the workplace. When employees are able to build relationships and network as their authentic selves, they appreciate work more, which leads to greater connection and productivity.” The bottom line is how employers care for and serve their employees is critical. One business owner who testifies to this truth is Ken Schiller.

CHURCH IN GEORGETOWN HAS A VISION TO HELP BUSINESSES TRANSFORM THE WORLD... SERVING ISN’T JUST FOR SUNDAYS

Markee Johnson

Genesis of the Movement

Celebration Church: Outside the Box from the Beginning

When Pastors Joe and Lori Champion arrived in Austin in 2000 to plant a church the first thing they did was join the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce. “The chamber rep said that was the first time any church had done it in that order,” Pastor Lori says. “But we have never wanted church to be contained in four walls.” Pastor Joe adds, “We have always been the type to be in the marketplace and we want to be there for businesses so, even then, we knew we would not compartmentalize our work.”

“What we need is to get back to a place where people may not be of the same faith but they can share the same values, and are not just there to earn a paycheck. Work should also be a place with the grace and goodness of God and open conversations that lead to greater things.”

~Pastor Lori Champion

Ken Schiller is a co-founder of K&N Management, the $73 million company behind Mighty Fine Burgers and Austin’s Rudy’s Bar-B-Q. In 2021, after 27 years at the helm of his made-from-scratch franchises, Schiller was ready to retire and start a new chapter in his life, which would be about closing what he believed to be a faith gap in the workplace.

In the Beginning

When Schiller joined Celebration four years ago he was already endeavoring in his own business. K&N had a Care Team that helped employees and family members with any type of need. He says, “Their job was to meet people wherever they were including in the spiritual realm if that was what they needed and it was all confidential. The team’s success allowed me to believe that other businesses needed to be awakened to the opportunity to serve their own workforce in the same way.”

As Schiller felt called to expand on the idea beyond his own business, he felt the mission would be ideally served through a church ministry. He says, “I always believed the workplace was underserved but we have to remember Christ himself ministered in the workplace.” After talking with other business owners and non-profits, he made preparations to support the launch and took his ideas to Celebration Senior Pastors Joe and Lori Champion. They responded simply that they had been waiting for him for 20 years.

Together, Schiller, the Champions, and the church’s Directional Leadership Team asked Markee Johnson to lead the new program. Her professional background at an international technology company combined with her leadership roles in a global interfaith group and non-profits, created an anomalous mix of skills perfect for the new ministry. Schiller said, “Her engagement in business, church, and theology was the perfect solution to promoting faith at work.” Johnson adds,

Team Member Care: “Best

Beginning with a conviction that his company and workforce were given by God, Schiller views work as his primary mission field.

When he and the K&N Management Team realized their employees had the need, they sought to provide care that went beyond traditional EAP programs. Team Member Care (TMC) was designed with the whole person in mind, employing professionals to help employees and their families with needs of any kind. Differentiated amongst other EAP and chaplaincy programs, TMC is highly relational, 100 percent confidential, and inclusive of spiritual counsel, hospital visits, funerals for family members, and more.

Schiller says the response was remarkable and added, “I consider it the best decision we ever made in the whole history of the company.” He shared select

Celebration Pastors Lori and Joe Champion

Celebration Pastors Lori and Joe Champion

“We believe work was created and designed by God for good, not as curse or burden. When people are working with purpose and in service of others, they come alive. Endeavor exists to help men and women across industries and roles realize this truth and have confidence they were created with purpose for such a time as this.”

Pastor Lori adds, “Endeavor helps people find community at church and build new spiritual communities at their workplace. It’s about enabling employees to share their values and needs comfortably and safely with those whom they spend one-third of their lives.”

Pastor Joe agrees, “We want open workplace conversations that lead to greater things so employees will be eager to get to the office and spend time in that environment.”

Not Called to Endeavor Alone

still want them to gain a sense of comfort and compassion in any regard. A chaplain, then, can give practical advice or objective guidance and we are glad to make that available here at work.”

Rachel and Kevin Cummins own Sweet Lemon Kitchen, Little Lemon at the Library, and City Post in Georgetown. These restaurateurs with many “Best in Georgetown” awards and hundreds of five-star reviews believe their purpose at work is to not only prepare high-quality food and benefit their community, but ultimately to share the love of Christ.

The Cummins were also inspired by Ken Schiller’s Care Team model and are working toward a program of chaplaincy to serve their employees needs in meaningful ways. Rachel says, “I don’t have answers to everything and people aren’t always comfortable sharing or bringing their personal lives to their employer but we

Decision We Ever Made”

stories of impact, including marriages saved, suicides prevented (13), and more. Noting that he is only able to share because those employees had chosen to do the same, he remains pleased by the inference that TMC reached far beyond the hundreds of times he was included in the conversation. He says, “We operated under John Maxwell’s principle that ‘people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.’ TMC was the primary way we demonstrated and made it real for them. It effected every metric in the company and was a key driver to K&N winning the Malcom Baldridge Award in 2010.”

Schiller’s advice for business owners considering a care program is, “Don’t worry if this a good ROI or ‘is this the best use of funds?’ You do it because it’s the right thing to do. That’s reason enough. All the good things that will come from doing the right thing will take care of themselves.”

Implementing a Team Member Care/Chaplaincy model is in-process, but caring for their staff has always been a priority for the Cummins. Rachel encourages business owners, sharing, “It doesn’t have to be hard. I started with a prayer board on which I would write employee prayers as they shared them—without much detail, just a name and need. Any time an employee tells me, I write it down. I know they appreciate it because sometimes I go in there and someone else has added a card to the board.” The Cummins also extended an open invitation to employees to pray with them or ask for prayers at any time, with no pressure to do either, just an invitation.

Both Cummins agree that a key part of the Chaplaincy program’s success will be to impart upon employees that they are free to pray and free not to. “What works for us may not work for another—God has never been a one-size-fits-all proposition.” Reflecting on Endeavor and the impact of the ministry, Rachel says, “The power of testimony moving in different industries or across different career levels has been inspiring and propelled us to envision an even better business approach; it only takes a spark.”

Johnson agrees with their strategy and applauds the Cummins’ care for their staff and workplace witness. “It is truly remarkable the impact one business owner can have on so many lives as they re-imagine serving their staff and customers on a deeper level. We’re seeing the power of a ripple effect God set in-motion through Ken Schiller’s testimony and now through leaders like the Cummins. We were created to serve, and as more owners and leaders walk out their purpose, lives will be changed.”

PHOTO COURTESY: RACHEL CUMMINS

Pioneering at Work

“Endeavor is critical because it seems everything about people’s lives is celebrated except their faith.” ~Lis

Schiller

Elisabeth Schiller is the Associate Director of Trade Compliance at Saint-Gobain Corporation, one of the world’s largest building materials companies with 180,000 employees. She and fellow Endeavor pioneers spent time working through the answers to Why am I not talking about God at work?

“We went through all the words,” she says. “Fear, repercussions, job reviews. My goal was to deliver the Endeavor idea to my top executives so they would empower me to talk about God to fellow employees and awaken them.”

Now, as the corporate prayer team leader, Schiller is expanding her ministry as she would a business starting small and growing consistently. “Many of our employees work from home. That is a positive for me because teleworkers have no physical workplace boundaries. If we can touch just a few people from our base in Texas, word of mouth can spread to locations around the world at the speed of the Internet.”

Saint-Gobain recently onboarded a DEI1 director to cultivate a corporate environment that will help employees

1 Diversity Equity and Inclusion

thrive. Schiller says part of that corporate culture includes making employee resource groups (ERG) inclusive. “I am excited when someone replies, ‘I’m a Christian, too!’, but I want to grow an interfaith group as well.”

Don’t Just Leave It Up To The Pastor

Schiller’s advice to those aspiring to serve at work: “Pray about it. There will be fear in the back of your mind, but seek people who have done it and listen to their testimonies.”

Serving can happen in the simplest of ways, she says. “A remote employee called me with a 401K question because he was ill and going on disability. I asked him if I could pray for him. He said in all the calls he’d made to prepare for his leave, it was the most beautiful question anyone had asked. I may never meet him but if we had an ERG where he is, someone in that group would certainly be there with him, caring for him seeing to his needs. After Endeavor, I am always comfortable asking and I see others doing the same.”

“As testimonies are given, the seeds are being planted and watered. For me, we are in 76 countries and I’m going to start more ERGs as soon as the first one is in place.”

SERVANT LEADERSHIP • MARK JOHNSON, SENIOR VP, NORTH

Mark Johnson (facing page, left) recalls a faith conversation he had while visiting a store over the Christmas holiday. The store was short-staffed and not well prepared for seasonal sales. As he arrived to tour the location with his District Manager, she prepared him for what he might encounter. Without a servant leader mindset, the store inspection might have been less than pleasant. Instead, he said, “Let’s just go in, see what you have, and let’s solve it together.” Moving inside, he saw things were indeed not in an acceptable place and decided then they would both roll up their sleeves and visit no other stores that day so they could do whatever it took to get things in ready condition. He says, “We set stock, started pulling things off the walls, and putting things on shelves. We were there before the store opened and I realized there was

no music playing. I pulled out my phone and started playing Christmas worship music. I didn’t put in my ear buds because I felt like God was telling me to just share it out loud. One of the nearby workers asked me where I got my music.”

What followed, he says, was a great conversation about her life and her membership and service at church. Other employees gravitated toward their workstation to listen and join in. It all started because of the decision to lead by example and set an atmosphere of camaraderie in the work and joy with music. He adds, “At my level, I have to always be careful and aware that some may be offended or feel pressured to engage, but I’m not embarrassed by my faith in the workplace. That day it turned into a really fun experience a God wink and an affirmation that what we are doing is right.”

Lt. Colonel USMC (RET) Mark Johnson knows leadership. As senior vice president for a North American retailer, he leads 600 stores with more than 14,000 employees. He is also the executive co-sponsor over the company’s interfaith program and lives by a core tenet: “Mission first, people always.”

Johnson believes dialoguing and equipping people to share faith is a necessary step to retain top talent. “High level leaders must realize we can’t accomplish anything without our team doing the work. Making sure employees are taken care of in ways that are truly meaningful to them is what helps leaders stay grounded and galvanizes teams to accomplishing the mission.”

What Senior Leadership Needs to Know

Servant Leadership

Having expanded the Employee Resource Group (ERG) since the pandemic began, Johnson sees the company consistently reaping benefits from an increase in open conversations, which, in turn, has led to barriers being broken down. “We now have a This is Faith ERG with members of all faiths,” he says. “Members celebrate different religions and holidays, and people come to the table not to discuss religion but more to focus on the fact that another’s faith is not an intrusion on their own. We respect everyone for what they believe and celebrating that diversity of thought is making the company stronger.”

Johnson believes executives’ conversations about faith give subordinates tacit permission to do the same. “Leaders must simply challenge themselves and ask: If I’m a Christian, why don’t I act that way in the workplace? This is Faith has given me the opportunity to speak about my faith rather than feeling like it is almost an obstacle to my work.”

Internal and Beneficial

In the big picture, he says, inclusion is about retaining talent and driving value. To be effective leaders, executives must appreciate and leverage the diversity of their team members. While individual groups may focus on a single point of view, Johnson takes a

broader view, exclusive of appearance or other external factors. “I want to know a person’s background how or where they were raised, or whether they come from the private or public sector because diversity of thought is what drives the value in a business. I appreciate D&I and I love where we are going with it, but I also recognize that the point of embracing diversity is not celebrating what people look like but how they think.”

Overcoming Challenges

For owners and executives who wish to replicate these programs, Johnson’s advice is focus on servant leadership. “If someone asks why they should do this, you don’t answer. You ask, ‘Why wouldn’t you?’ Ask them to weigh what they consider to be a potential downside against the benefits to be gained by giving people purpose in life.”

The “Why?” is allowing people to bring their whole self to work and not just clocking in and out. I want their whole being to be there, so I will provide a rewarding environment for them to work in.

To take first, or next steps, Johnson recommends meeting with the Endeavor Team, who can provide a template to start the process and Endeavor will follow alongside. He explains, “We want other businesses and churches to join us in this movement. Servant leadership is good business for everyone.”

AMERICAN RETAILER

Endeavor + t-factor Summit 2023

Thursday, February 9 • 10am-4pm • 601 Westinghouse Dr. Georgetown

WORK IS CREATED BY GOD FOR GOOD, AND WE ARE PLACED FOR PURPOSE. ATTENDEES WILL BE CHALLENGED TO ACT WHERE THEY ARE PLANTED.

MARK WHITACRE

In an earlier chapter of his life he became a whistleblower for the FBI and was responsible for uncovering the ADM price-fixing scandal in the early 1990s. His story inspired the major motion picture “The Informant” starring Matt Damon as Mark. He publicly shares his story of redemption and second chances.

The t-factor Summit was born out of the desire of the leadership of Coca-Cola Consolidated to share their approach to building a God-honoring and purpose-driven corporate culture. As a large faithbased public company, Coca-Cola Consolidated is able to leverage partnerships with many companies whose leaders share that goal, and be a model of support for others. The vision is a collective movement of companies committed to stewarding the resources God has given them to grow His kingdom.

Endeavor’s Ken Schiller says a company as large as Coca-Cola Consolidated helped him overcome his skepticism that faith-based culture could work at a high level even a public company with 1,700 employees nationally. “Coca-Cola Consolidated proved you can bring faith into the workplace and the t-factor initiative helps us envision what our whole playing field should be.”

WHAT TO EXPECT

Participants will hear best practices from the Executive Team at Coca-Cola Consolidated who will convey testimonies in person and virtually. Chairman and CEO Frank Harrison will share his story of transformation and how Coca-Cola Consolidated became a company that honors God, serves others, pursues excellence, and is driven to grow profitably. The agenda includes a line-up of experienced speakers like Mark Whitacre (left) on topics that range from the legalities of faithbased programs to corporate chaplaincy, charitable giving, and critical steps to transform the workplace.

Whitacre shared, “We are very excited to partner with Endeavor February 9th to share our experiences about cultural transformation, and the impact it has had on Coca-Cola Consolidated. The passion of the Endeavor Team is contagious! And we can’t wait to partner with them at this event. Their vision to assist organizations to become purpose-driven is very exciting to us at t-factor.”

The t-factor Summit is held quarterly but this event is exclusively for Endeavor. Schiller adds that the summit is ideal for everyone from middle management to CEOs and owners. “Everyone will leave with a wealth of inspiration, knowledge, and tangible, actionable things they can share and put into play the next day.”

There is no charge to attend the summit (or any Endeavor event) and the schedule allows time for networking. Celebration Church will provide lunch and set aside a lounge space for calls and work as needed. Schiller adds, “This is not a means for either group to sell a service or raise revenue of any kind. No one will ask you for money. This event is 100 percent to awaken and equip people to bring faith to work at all levels.”

Scan the code to register. Participation is open to the public but registration is capped at 400 and every t-factor event sells out. Schiller says, “Anyone who has attended says it couldn’t be a better use of your time. Mark Whitacre is a unique man in the best of ways in many areas.”

Mark Whitacre is the executive director of the t-factor initiative at Coca-Cola Consolidated.

Did you know that a cer tain mul ti-billion dollar coffee chain spends more money on heal thcare than they do on coffee beans?

When purchasing benefits, employers have far more power than they realize.

We design employer-built health plans, which eliminate middlemen and reduce wasteful spending. By kicking bureaucrats out of the exam room, and collaborating with the local healthcare community, our clients can dramatically reduce spending and restore the relationship between the patient and the physician.

“We didn’t even know.”

We prayed over the one-year anniversary of the Oxford High School shooting in Michigan. A person on the line was actually a family member of a journalist who reported at the incident and was still feeling the pain of trying to understand it.

Kennan Rooney has been with his employer for 22 years. He fills a national role for a company with 4,300 consultants at 75 health care offices across the country and works within a team of 400 inside sales reps. As such, he was well positioned to initiate a program to the company and, like many attending their first Endeavor information meeting, said, “I could totally do this.”

Real World Impact

Rooney and Markee Johnson met with his company’s Chief People Officer about “Faith at Work” and the CPO said they could create an interim, informal prayer group until a DEI director was hired.

On September 6, Rooney opened his Teams app, anxiously awaiting the results of his word of mouth invitations to his first Every Wednesday 11am National Prayer Group He says, “I wasn’t sure whom to invite because I didn’t know if the people I emailed were Christian. But then there was a tone, then another, and ‘ding, ding, ding...’ it was as shocking as it was compelling to hear the sounds of people getting online to pray.” Now more than five months in, he reports the group still invites newcomers via word of mouth and he typically has between 15 and 50 people onscreen.

The Wednesday Prayer Group Rooney opens meetings with a book prayer and, following, participants typically share what is on their heart. “Prayers move from praise reports to tragic needs like a potentially stillborn child,” he says. “People are touched to know they are being prayed for by some who don’t know them but care that someone in the world is hurting. They are also pleased and amazed to hear it is employee-driven.” He adds that many express appreciation for their employer allowing them to do so during work hours.

After every meeting, he summarizes the meeting content so those who regularly participate can see what the prayer requests are. He often receives texts from people who say, “I had no idea I needed something like this.” He adds that the growing sense of understanding and empathy among colleagues has created a new sense of excitement in their work.

Prayer for Everyone

Rooney says he was inspired by the Endeavor speaker who spoke about Intel’s inclusion programs. The tech giant has ERGs for Christians, Hindus, and even atheists. He says, “When we get our DEI person, I will be able to drive this faith at work program because when those who pray read about needs, religion doesn’t matter. We pray to Jesus, but everyone prays for those who are hurting and lifts people up based on personal connection and degrees of separation.”

Rooney says much of the positive feedback comes from those who appreciate being able to be their authentic selves on the screen, in full view of people they work with. “Having that encouragement from the group is a new source of uplift because they realize a co-worker has been struggling and 'we didn’t even know,’ ” he says.

“Sometimes we are engaged in conversation about a person or a need and we will stop in mid-sentence to pray on it. It is an open forum so we are able to address things with urgency because the person in need is present.”

Bottom Line

Rooney is not a singular pioneer launching a prayer group for fellow employees. Endeavor Ministry has seen dozens of team take simple, courageous steps to integrating their faith in their place of work. By and large the sentiment shared from team members leading in this area is the receptivity and positive impact on work relationships and overall connection to their employer has increased.

IT HAPPENED ON FULTON STREET • While Endeavor’s format is unique, it is not the first time God has commissioned those with means and creativity to empower faith-based activity in the workplace. In 1857, Jeremiah Lanphier was moved to host a daily prayer meeting and provide a space for businessmen in need of spiritual uplift in a Manhattan suburb. Six people attended his first “Businessman Prayer Meeting” and within two weeks participation began to grow exponentially. His meetings were from 12-1pm to allow businessmen to come and go on their lunch break and prayers were not allowed to include “controverted points.” Over time he moved to larger buildings to accommodate as many as 3,000 faithful. It was estimated that more than one million people were saved in his first year. History remembers it as the Prayer Meeting Revival of 1857-59.

Regular meetings take place at Celebration Church in Georgetown. Attendance is free and open to everyone in the marketplace*, whether you are in your first job or the CEO of the company.

eorgetown Health Foundation CEO Scott Alarcón says the idea of being able to live out his faith at work drew him immediately to Endeavor; “For me, the idea of leaning into the workplace and helping Christians be more bold in sharing their faith sounded interesting.” He wanted to be a part of it and asked to be put to work in service. As a result, his is the first face many people see at an Endeavor meeting.

At his day job, Alarcón helps provide nearly $1 million in annual grants to the community, but says he enjoys rolling up his sleeves at Endeavor as a parking lot greeter. “For some, their first impression may be that seeing a few hundred cars is intimidating. I’m glad to have the opportunity to put them at ease, set the tone, and get their hearts in the right place to be inspired.”

What To Expect

Meetings take place after standard work hours and upcoming dates are posted on Celebration’s website and social media when speakers become available. Attendance is free to all and typically tops 250 people from at least 30 industry groups, including aerospace, entrepreneurs and owners,

DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Invitation to Endeavor

Ggovernment, military, education, retail, healthcare, first responders, and more. Attendees are welcome from outside of Celebration Church. Endeavor’s goal is to spur on believers across the world to integrate and share their faith at work, starting here in the greater Austin area.

As well, Endeavor prayer team leader Elizabeth Campbell retired last June after 37 years in the public sector with the U.S. Department of Justice. She is pleased to be part of a ministry that is creating an atmosphere in which prayer is not only accepted but sought. “This is especially important in a time when prayer is taboo in some public places. Many people at group nights are not Christian but we’re building a network of faith. People are now willing to say they need someone to pray or partner with them at any stage of their careers because our general meetings and ERGs are a safe place to open up.”

Campbell believes the strength of Endeavor gatherings is giving space to hear what has worked and allow others the courage to do the same, particularly in basic outreach like a sign on a person’s desk for a lunch time prayer meeting. “People are ready and willing to lean in but just need the extra mettle to do it,” she says.

Inspire

Endeavor’s speakers are from among the corporate and cultural elite, sharing testimony on how God has moved in their work and lives. The first meeting featured Auntie Anne’s pretzel company founder Anne Beiler and the event was standing room only. Subsequent meetings included Mark ‘The Informant’ Whitacre and country singer Granger Smith.

Connect

Participants break into industry groups to reflect on and discuss the impact of the testimony shared. Alarcón says, “Groups enable us to dive deeper into the speaker’s topic or on our work, and have discussions relevant in our industry so we can equip each other via strategies and lingo we all share.”

Equip

Workshops focus on practical training to allow the topic to be internalized and actionable—moving beyond basic knowledge transfer. Each breakout features one or more experts on the meeting topic with a variable format and frequency.

A lot of people in the pandemic era are hurting they are in highstress or remote work environments. It is a unique opportunity to get into a room with fellow believers to re-ignite those connections and transfer that concept for work. ~Scott Alarcón

*Membership at Celebration Church is not required.

Is Your Recession Business Proof?

There are literally billions of dollars changing hands across the United States and, yet, the economy is slowing and we are headed for recession.

This simple fact is beginning to weigh heavily on business owners’ minds. True, the current economic climate may be trickier than it was six months ago, but are you content to let the natural cycle of our economic system dictate how you run YOUR business by blaming government spending, high inflation, or the increase in consumer debts? Making excuses or denying there is nothing you can do?

OR...

Are you going to take full ownership, accountability, AND responsibility for the success of your business by changing with the times? To plan and prepare TODAY to handle anything that comes your way?

Change is everywhere and is a constant. It is a renewal process, yet often, the human habit is to avoid it at all costs. The current financial climate may well be the inevitable result of uncontrolled

JODEE O’BRIEN

growth, but ultimately, as business owners, it is a change that forces us to react. And react to it we can.

Here are three tips to help you prepare for the coming recession:

� CASH UP Do as much as possible to ensure profits and cash flow are as healthy as possible. The stronger your focus on the fundamental practice of having cash available, the more choices your business has to adapt and shift. Annual planning, budgeting, and forecasting cashflow are crucial in business to build a healthy cash position.

� PIVOT AND/OR LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITY Be open-minded to options to adapt your business or pivot to a sector that has historically flourished in economic downturns. Additionally, be on the lookout for opportunities. In a time of struggle and tighter cash positions, not every business will survive. With a strong cash position see point 1 you may be able to take advantage of an opportunity to buy out a competitor or buy a customer database for pennies on the dollar.

� MINDSET Remain optimistic. I know this one may sound a bit less concrete than the previous two, but how you think and your mental approach to an economic slowdown or recession play a big role in your ability to keep a clear focus on what is important and keep the business moving forward. In this time of change, have you fully analyzed your business’ strengths and are you ready to exploit them fully to increase your share in a potentially shrinking market?

WHERE TO BEGIN

If you are not, or are unsure where to start, connect with us here at ActionCOACH. Our team is ready to help you uncover the hidden profit in your business and, together, recession proof your business.

Scan the code and leave your contact information. Our team will reach out to set up a complementary 30-minute strategy call with one of our certified coaches. Prepare for a resilient 2023!

JODENE O’BRIEN, SR. PARTNER, ACTIONCOACH CENTRAL TEXAS Prior to joining ActionCOACH, Jodee was CEO of United Way of Williamson County. Her executive level leadership and turnaround expertise in business bring another level of knowledge to her client’s businesses. Her passion to help families thrive ties into ActionCOACH’s mission of guiding businesses to conquer the challenges in this changing environment.

Experience Stunning Hill Country Views

Situated on some of the most scenic land in Williamson County, The Canyons rests atop rolling hills looking out over the vast landscape. Offering an abundance of natural beauty and lush vistas, The Canyons has been carefully planned to integrate seamlessly into the natural environment. The development of The Canyons pays homage to the rich heritage of the land and encourages the continuation of this existing beauty to create a timeless natural environment. The homes in The Canyons are considered part of a cohesive element that melds the natural beauty with a place to call home.

by Janet Civitelli

NEW HEADQUARTERSCORPORATE TEXELL CREDIT UNION is building

Next year Texell Credit Union will celebrate its 75th anniversary. Founded to serve federal and government employees living in Central Texas, Texell is now a membership-based organization open to anyone in Texas. They have nine branches from Waco to Cedar Park, and the credit union offers all services virtually.

PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS CAN OPEN AN ACCOUNT WITHOUT VISITING A TEXELL CREDIT UNION LOCATION, AND MEMBERS CAN COMPLETE ALL FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS ONLINE.

Anew Texell Credit Union corporate headquarters is coming to Temple, Texas. The state-of-the-art, 46,000-square-foot building located near Texell’s West Adams location will provide office space for Texell’s 2022 headcount of 185 employees and include room to accommodate planned future hires.

The building project is a collaboration between American Constructors commercial builders and Haddon + Cowan architects. The facility will include 176 offices and workstations, six conference rooms, two training rooms, a staff dining area, and a fitness center. Construction broke ground last September and is expected to be completed in March 2024.

BANKING GOODWILL

Texell, a not-for-profit credit union, serves more than 48,000 members personal and business customers and offers a complete line of products and services including mortgages, auto loans, SBA loans, checking accounts, savings accounts, and insurance. Vice President of Marketing Mary Ann Nickolai said, “An advantage of a notfor-profit credit union is that members own it. Texell doesn’t issue stock or have shareholders, so we can make business decisions that benefit the entire membership base.”

Those benefits are evident and have been recognized by various agencies and publications. Among them are a

five-star rating, the highest possible, from BauerFinancial, which provides independent evaluations of the stability of financial institutions. The Credit Union Journal also named Texell one of the best credit unions to work for, and CUNA Mutual Group honored Texell with a consumer lending award for fulfilling its mission of extending affordable loans to its members. Nickolai said anyone in Texas needing a loan should check Texell’s loan rates because they are often the most affordable option.

In addition to financial industry awards, community members also rate Texell an excellent place to do business. The readers of the Temple Daily Telegram chose Texell as the best bank/ credit union and the readers of the Killeen Daily Herald and Belton Journal also voted Texell the best credit union.

CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP

Texell offers in-person and virtual seminars for employers, civic organizations, and business groups. Nickolai said, “We believe it is part of our mission as a credit union to improve the financial lives of our members and help them thrive. Financial education is part of that.” Topics include personal budgeting, building a strong credit history, paying off debt, avoiding scams, getting the best deals and loans for autos and homes, and preventing identity theft. Readers can also find financial tips on Texell’s social media.

Nickolai said Texell is especially interested in partnering with employers whose workers may be experiencing financial stress. She said financial stress can be a significant drain on productivity and well-being, so helping employees to gain financial peace of mind is beneficial for employers and employees. The Texas Credit Union League recognized Texell’s commitment to financial education with the Desjardins Adult Financial Literacy Award.

In addition to benefiting its members, Texell gives back to the local community through service initiatives. Nickolai said, “One of the benefits of working at Texell is helping the community where our members live, work, and bank.” Through their Texell Serves program, employees volunteer at blood drives, food pantries, and other service-based programs. Texell sets an annual goal of 85 percent employee participation, and Nickolai said they are proud to have achieved this goal in 2022.

Scan the code to learn more about Texell Credit Union.

Whittlesey Landscape Supplies

Making the Community More Beautiful and Sustainable

Clayton Whittlesey founded Whittlesey Landscape Supplies with his two brothers, Pat and Ralph. Initially, they sold railroad ties but in just their first 10 years, they expanded into materials supply, created a manufacturing line, and opened retail and bulk sales yards. In 1985, sole ownership passed to Clayton and, under his leadership, the company grew to its present size and reputation as a landscape powerhouse, with seven locations throughout Round Rock, Austin, Liberty Hill, and Granite Shoals.

WHITTLESEY IS NOW ALSO VERTICALLY INTEGRATED TO MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTE ITS OWN PRODUCTS.

~DAKOTA SMITH, VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES

Vice President of Operations Blake Whittlesey says the company focus is on having all landscape essentials under one roof, which gives them a competitive edge over big box stores that must cater to myriad other home needs. He referenced their locations throughout Central Texas; “You can go to one of our yards and get everything you need specific to your project.” Whittlesey also provides house accounts so clients can purchase at any location then pick up materials at one of their yards or arrange delivery.

CONSUMER BASE

Whittlesey services clients across the greater Austin and San Antonio metro areas and as far as Dallas and Houston. Their standard products include mulch, soil, gravel, compost, aggregate, and stone, all of which are sold in bags or bulk and marketed to a full continuum of customers homeowners, professional landscapers, and general contractors.

While not recession proof, landscapers and other businesses tailored to homeownership thrived during the pandemic. Whittlesey’s retail business experienced a growth spike in 2020 as gardening became

a coping mechanism, while lockdowns inspired many to give their homes a facelift. As for the future, VP of Sales Dakota Smith says, “Our goal is to do the best we can for our customers and provide one-stop shopping for landscaping needs.”

Delivery sizes range in size and weight, including single bags perfect for homeowners to super sacks weighing one ton for professional landscapers and general contractors. In addition to supplying for distinctive home and business landscapes, they also manufacture and supply largescale products for athletic facilities.

Sports-focused products include dirt, conditioners, chalks, and Nolan Ryan-branded mound clay. Whittlesey contracts with Q2 Stadium, Waterloo Park, Moody Center, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, Driftwood Ranch and Golf Club, St. David’s Performance Center, and several corporate campuses.

CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP

Not content to simply be a keystone business in and around Williamson County, Whittlesey Landscape Supplies substantially contributes to many local communities. They donate landscape and gardening supplies to schools and churches for vegetable and flower gardens and to sports programs for community athletic fields.

Outside of their business lane, and as a single company with distributed locations, Whittlesey easily facilitates and manages a drop-off program for summer fan drives sponsored by KXAN and Family Eldercare. Last year’s fan box donations topped $200,000 in value, and approximately

FAMILY OWNED & RUN

Clayton’s son Blake has been working in the family business since he was in high school. He started out in the mulch and sales yards before moving to the manufacturing side in soil blend and composting. Blake says the best and most challenging thing about working with family is that you must preserve the relationship while meeting business goals. The goal is to maintain a win-win scenario for the interests of the business as well as the family members.

Blake says his mother, Beverly, supports everyone in the family and is instrumental in the company’s success, and his wife, Kimberly, helps the business with marketing and event management. Clayton’s daughter, Brooke Whittlesey Smith, also enjoys being involved in business operations and is proud to support her dad.

10,000 people without air conditioning were gifted a new fan. Whittlesey also offers free Christmas tree recycling, and their people and equipment are regular fixtures at many popular community events Christmas and Independence Day parades and Touch-a-Truck events.

As well, company leadership is happy to boast about their environmentally friendly product processes. As work product, they use brush and yard trimmings to make mulch, which protects soil from erosion, regulates its temperature, and helps it retain water. They also compost to turn waste into valuable fertilizer for soil and plants.

Whittlesey Landscape Supplies has been Recycling Mother Nature Since 1975.

Ann Marie Kennon

WILCO & BELL CO. Successful Partners in Regional Economic Development

Located in the heart of Texas’ fastest growing technology hub, Williamson and Bell Counties are involved in various investment attraction activities while state leaders collaborate on several fronts to provide seamless engagement for potential investors.

Representative Brad Buckley (TX-54) was elected in 2018 and serves Salado, Holland, Troy, Fort Hood, parts of Killeen and Temple, and other rural areas throughout Bell County. He is vice chair of the Defense and Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and is a member of the Public Education Committee and Local and Consent Calendars Committee.

His legislative mission is threefold: supporting veterans, ensuring a fair property tax system, and improving public education through increased funding and school safety for the “future workforce of Texas. We have to make sure we have an education system that challenges students and gives them the opportunities to achieve skills needed to be successful. We have to make sure our schools have the resources they need to be a safe place for kids to learn.”

His wider focus, however, is on government collaboration in Central Texas to take on the challenges ahead. He explained, “From Troy to Round Rock, we have tremendous potential for growth and prosperity. It’s important we all work together and understand the type of coordination and resources needed to capitalize on the opportunities we have before us.”

WATER & POWER

While not on scale with Samsung, the Meta data center is coming online in Temple, and Rep. Buckley affirmed the combined water needs are another tie in the two counties’ future together. “It is time for real collaboration. We share a border, and these two major businesses will benefit us both as we will be the residential hubs for employees in either or both.” He added that Killeen has three similar deals pending for large regional suppliers, and is committed to productive water discussions. “There will be needs on both sides but I don’t see a

path forward without linkage. Every man for himself, while somewhat traditional in Texas, will not work for our collective growth.”

He also believes the state needs to double down on grid reliability. “We must have the proper mix of energy generating capabilities. Right now, all the development is tilted toward renewables and Texas needs to do everything it can to make sure that our dispatchable energy producers (coal, natural gas, nuclear) can create an environment for themselves in which they can invest in more renewables.” He referenced a plant in Fairfield that is currently dark due to the expensive retrofitting required to produce electricity from renewable sources. “Renewables are fine, but when we are in an energy crunch and I recognize technology is in development to improve the reliability of renewables we must have and be able to use thermal energy capabilities safely and in a way that increases grid reliability.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

In 2021, the House passed HB5, the Texas Broadband Plan, which created an official office for broadband in the comptrollers office and set the stage for improving Internet access and reliability across Texas. Rep. Buckley explained, “We are mapping the state and finding out where the service is good and where standards are not being met.” He and Senator Dawn Buckingham (SD24) also passed the Middle Mile Broadband bill, which allows ISPs, municipalities, businesses, and schools to catch a ride on the LCRA broadband network. “The LCRA leases bandwidth to other entities and provides reliable Internet at low cost, while providing revenue for LCRA to improve parks and other services. It’s a win-win as an economic development tool, and it is setting the stage for more. If we want rural Texas to prosper, we must ensure they have the tools to compete schools need it and businesses need to move information in a timely manner. And let’s not confuse underserved with rural when we’re just talking about places that don’t have broadband. It would be much easier to redevelop a neighborhood in decline if Internet is up to standards. People won’t build a business and put taxable property on the ground if it’s not. ”

SHARING A BORDER

“The tremendous growth and prosperity we are experiencing up and down the I35 corridor between Bell and Williamson counties should energize a spirit of collaboration on issues important to our communities and our continued success. I look forward to celebrating our victories together, solving our shared problems together, and leading our great state as true regional partners.” ~Rep. Buckley

EDUCATION

Rep. Buckley said the state is building a relationship and a brick-andmortar research center that will link soldiers at Fort Hood, the University of Texas, Texas A&M Central Texas, and the Army Futures Command. Their proximity will put new technology in the hands of soldiers “to try to break it and put it back on the drawing board quickly to make it work. There are big ideas being dreamed up in Austin, built across several municipalities, then tested in Central Texas.”

He is eager to see forward progress on the research park; “We will be taking big ideas, making them reality, and it won’t take 15 years to do it because there will also be private partners to push through the development.” He specified that among other projects the TAMU Central Texas campus now has the ninth largest R&D funding for cybersecurity development. “We got there much faster than the system thought we would thanks to Congressman John Carter who facilitated and supported the linkage between Futures Command and Texas A&M CTX, and we will continue to be a major player.”

SCHOOL SAFETY

In 2019, the House passed a bill that created school safety committees. These committees facilitate annual board meetings with members of the ISD communities to discuss where each might be vulnerable, and how they can be on the ball at all times.

Even with the progress to date, Rep. Buckley said there is still more to be done. “I think we need to create a funding stream that will allow ISDs to respond to their own unique needs what Round Rock needs is not what Killeen needs, and both are totally different than Bartlett. Everyone recognizes that hardening is expensive but there are new technologies that can come into play, plus additional mental health counseling to help identify the kids in crisis.” He added that the state needs to address the needs in per-pupil funding that reflects the diversity of the school districts across the state, and recommended constituents read the public report by the Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary shooting (QR code) to prepare for their respective meetings. “The committee did not exonerate anyone in the report but it addressed things like keeping building schematics current with 9-1-1, communicating with and preventing parents from swarming the schools. We have to anticipate that outside agencies will block the roads.”

Subjectively, Rep. Buckley believes it comes down to creating a culture of doing the right thing every time. “There can be no compromise, which is why we need to be deliberate and use common sense. I voted for a bill that, among other things, simply required that police officers have and know how to use a tourniquet. We have to think of the unthinkable.”

Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell, Jr. says, “It’s incredibly important that Williamson County work collaboratively with its neighboring counties. Not just for our success but for theirs as well. It’s easy to work with Bell County because of good leadership that is currently in place, from the county courthouse to the state house. We work together as often as we need, including and particularly under unfortunate circumstances. We have worked together in the past after tornadoes for instance. That collaborative relationship will continue.”

He adds, “I have found State Representative Buckley to be a humble and earnest man who is passionate about his community and his work. He’s easy to work with because he cares about others.”

While not able to divulge details, Judge Gravell affirmed that Williamson County and Bell County are currently collaborating on at least one megaproject in the pipeline.

by Ben Lake

IS YOUR TECH EQUIPMENT THE WALKING DEAD?

In 1994, The Lion King [Allers & Minkoff] taught a generation including me about the circle of life. I can still hear the voice of James Earl Jones saying, “When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.” Technology, too, has a cycle of life. Manufacturers still have a long way to go before recycling hardware is efficient and widespread so the antelope analogy is a bit of a stretch, but it’s clear to all that there is a beginning and an end to every tech device and software package. The question, then, is do you know when the end has come? And could some of the equipment in your home and office already be the walking dead?

THE TIME TO UPGRADE

One important concept to be aware of is the time at which a piece of technology is no longer supported by the manufacturer or developer. This is usually referred to as end-of-life or endof-support. Some companies segment out the stages of death into multiple ends as support is clipped over time.

End-of-support means just what it sounds like: the manufacturer will no longer provide any support for that particular product and will also not provide patches for security vulnerabilities discovered after that date. In nearly all cases, end-of-support occurs years after the product was last sold or widely marketed and the bulk of

BEN LAKE

the user base has moved on to the latest and greatest version.

roughly every six months, and you need to be on an update that was released in the last 18 months to receive support and patches.

To see your current release version, go to Start > Settings > System > About. Then do an online search for “Windows 10 lifecycle policy” and compare your version against that chart of end-of-support dates.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE

CLOSING WINDOWS

A well-known example was the 2020 end-of-support for Windows 7. Microsoft even put up full-screen warnings after the date passed to make sure everyone knew they were behind. With Windows 11 quickly supplanting Windows 10 on new computers, the user base will have a repeat in October 2025 when Windows 10 reaches end-of-support.

That date, though, comes with an important caveat. You are only supported to that point as long as you are regularly installing the semi-annual “feature updates”. Microsoft releases a major update to Windows 10 (and now 11)

Software apps are not alone in having a shelf life. Networking hardware is also part of the same circle of life. Routers in particular should be checked regularly as these devices are literally the gateway to the Internet and act as the security guard to your internal network. In addition to regularly installing the latest router firmware, you should periodically check the manufacturer’s website to see when the end-of-support date is announced. The router will still function after that, but you are leaving yourself vulnerable to newly discovered attacks if you keep it in service.

It is important to be aware of technology in your environment that is reaching (or has already passed) its end-of-support date. Having devices and software that are no longer receiving security fixes may put your whole system at risk. Replacing old equipment and software should become part of your own circle of (tech) life.

Ben is the owner of Open Road Network Services, a Georgetown-based business providing honest, reliable, and affordable technology support to individuals and small businesses. He is particularly passionate about educating and empowering his clients to become more comfortable with technology. • 512-942-7623 • OpenRoad.network

QUESTIONS

2

TEN QUESTIONS

CEDAR PARK CITY COUNCIL MEMBER

HEATHER JEFTS

TEAMS

INFLUENCERS 1

I DEFINE A GREAT ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AS ONE THAT supports creativity in problem solving, allows all team members the opportunity to contribute, and provides growth opportunities for new and younger team members. A chain of command, expectations, and goals need to be clear, but everyone must still see their job as important and impactful to the whole.

ONE THING I TRY TO DO EVERY DAY is meditate. It helps me to be mindful of the world around me and focus on the issues immediately in front of me, rather than being distracted by extraneous or vague issues.

I FEEL MOST ALIVE WHEN I’m collaborating with others to solve a problem or discuss policy. Being on such a hard-working board is a privilege, as I get to work with a group of intelligent professionals who all care about ending child abuse and neglect. Working together collaboratively to figure it out keeps me going when the realities are hard.

I HANDLE NEGATIVITY BY...

This one is hard. There is a lot of negativity in politics, and even more in the Children’s Advocacy Center sphere, and they are two very different types of negativity. In politics, I try to block it out by going on date nights with my husband, hanging out with the people I love, and keeping my personal life as private as possible. With the Advocacy Center, our organization is one of love and hope, but the stories are just gut-wrenching. So I focus on what we can do today, how I can help the organization today, and what our professional staff need today, so they can go out and change those stories for the better.

ONE THING THAT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME BUT I

ENJOY IS being a student again.

I’m currently an undergrad at UT, and it is a humbling challenge being around 20-somethings all day, every day. I certainly get a firsthand view of how young adults see and move through the world. I love to learn, so as challenging as the courses are, it is such a privilege to be in college and learn from some of the best professionals and experts in their fields.

6 7 5

BY giving clear

and

3 4

INFLUENCERS

MY BEST ADVICE FOR HANDLING CHANGE IS

to roll with it, because change is inevitable. Pause and reflect if it is uncomfortable. Sit with it before reacting, and be an outsider viewing your feelings; that allows you to see where any discomfort is coming from and address it at the root.

IN 10 YEARS I HOPE TO

have finished my Masters of Public Affairs and be leading in the environmental policy sphere here in the Austin metro area. I hope to have made a positive impact on our shared environment. I hope the Children’s Advocacy Center has been set up for a financially stable future and is expanding education and outreach in our county, with abuse becoming increasingly rare.

8 9 10

AS making a positive impact in the lives of others, whether I get to see it or not. We never know how our actions will ripple out into the world, but intentionally working for the good of others has the best chance of making someone else’s life better. To me, that is more important than any accolade or monetary gain.

I DEFINE SUCCESS

CLEAN AND ORGANIZED, AND LISTEN TO MUSIC. CLASSICAL BACKGROUND MUSIC. I LIKE TO KNOW WHERE ALL MY KEEPS ME FOCUSED ON ONLY WHAT IS IN FRONT OF ME.

JEFTS IS PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER. A COLLEGIATE SWIMMER AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, SHE STARTED HER OWN SMALL BUSINESS, TEMPO SWIMMING, TEACHING RECREATIONAL AND COMPETITIVE SWIM CLASSES TO GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS. SHE PREVIOUSLY WORKED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN THE GENOMIC SEQUENCING AND ANALYSIS FACILITY AND AS VETERINARY SURGICAL TECHNICIAN. SHE IS CURRENTLY A SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES AND ECONOMICS STUDENT AT UT.

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.

~Heather Jefts

PROFILES

I N 2020, WILLIAMSON COUNTY WAS THE 14 TH LARGEST COUNTY IN THE UNITED STATES FOR POPULATION GROWTH. AS OF JULY 2022, GEORGETOWN WAS THE FASTEST GROWING CITY WITH A POPULATION OF OVER 50,000 IN THE UNITED STATES 1 .

In October 2022, the Williamson County Economic Development Partnership (EDP) hired its first executive director, Dave Porter, to take full advantage of Williamson County’s explosive growth in an effort to attract more businesses. Porter says his main mission is to market Williamson County to businesses of all sizes to encourage them to relocate or expand here. The strength of his message is that “we are trying to improve people’s lives through better-paying jobs.”

Williamson County EDP is a collaboration between Williamson County and the cities of Cedar Park, Leander, Liberty Hill, Jarrell, Georgetown, Hutto, and Taylor, as well as the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce. The County

planned initially to fund the program with $30,000, but after assessing the work to be done, commissioners voted unanimously 5-0 to increase the budget to $500,000.

BASAL BENEFITS

Porter enumerated the benefits Williamson County has to offer, including an abundance of land, an educated workforce in residence, and proximity to the surfeit of tech industry companies in north Austin. He added that Williamson County has an extremely pro-business culture with a welcoming atmosphere and elected officials who want to make it as easy as possible for businesses to come to Williamson County.

by Janet Civitelli

Williamson Economic Development Partnership Steers

PHOTO COURTESY DAVE PORTER

Williamson County Development Steers High Growth

In 2015, 80 percent of all the projects in the Austin metro were office-based. In 2023, 80 percent are in manufacturing. Porter expects future growth will continue to focus on manufacturing, plus technology and software, and he is committed to creating well-paying jobs for everyone with at least a high school diploma. “A rising tide does not necessarily lift all boats,” he said. “We need to be attentive to the people behind the trends and ensure there are sufficient opportunities for everyone.”

2022

ROUND ROCK

WILLIAMSON

• Knowmadics cybersecurity

• KoMiCo semiconductor equipment parts cleaning, coating, and repair

GEORGETOWN

• Costco

• GAF Energy, a leading provider of solar roofing in North America

• CelLink electronic technology is building a new 294,297 sq/ft facility

Porter said he appreciates the typical can-do attitude Texans demonstrate. Another one of his goals is to help manage the challenges that come with growth, and among them is the need to tackle housing affordability and sufficient infrastructure. He hopes technology can continue to provide solutions for smart infrastructure.

Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell agreed Wilco EDP is an important part of Williamson County’s growth; “Williamson County EDP will enable the County to play on the national and international stages for years to come. As companies contact us every day to discuss relocation, the EDP will

COUNTY WINS

TAYLOR

• Samsung Austin Semiconductor committed to $17B to build 10 fabs at its semiconductor facility.

CEDAR PARK

• Firefly Aerospace will provide launch services for the U.S. Space Force’s VICTUS NOX mission.

manage the process to bring the very best opportunities to Williamson County.”

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Prior to an interim position in Florida, Porter was senior vice president for economic development for the Austin Chamber of Commerce. His decade of successful service there was integral to continued growth in Austin and across Travis County. As for his future in Williamson County, he said, “I believe we are ready to take next steps and spearhead growth on our own, not simply relying on the success of our neighbor to the south.”

Porter and his wife, Nancy, said they are pleased to be back near the Hill Country and that he loves the available wide-open spaces, parks, friendly people, and high quality of life in Williamson County. He said, “We didn’t realize how much we missed Texas until we returned.”

by Tyler Wolf

Williamson County Real Estate Cools Off

The national and countywide real estate surge is cooling down due to the increase in mortgage rates in 2022. Many economists are predicting a significant housing price correction throughout 2023.

Looking back at Williamson County’s 2019-2022 real estate boom, it appears the unprecedented demand for home ownership was created by record low mortgage rates combined with many businesses implementing workfrom-home orders during the pandemic. That combination drove home prices to unseen-before levels and had many new home buyers paying tens of thousands of dollars above asking price rather than miss out on the opportunity to purchase.

Economists warn that first-time home buyers who took advantage of these low interest rates may face struggles similar to those who bought during the 20052007 home buying surge, which eventually stalled in a related way. Many buyers in that earlier period found themselves significantly under water on their home value after prices decreased.

Of course not all buyers during the pandemic were first-timers. Many used the opportunity to upgrade their living situation or make a move to a more desirable community. However, struggles in purchasing power emerged as demand continued to increase, driving prices higher and higher. While sellers

TYLER WOLF

reaped the rewards of high home prices, as buyers, they found their options limited by the high prices of other desirable homes.

TODAY’S MARKET

As mortgage rates continue to rise from around 3 percent in January 2022 to the current 7 percent many buyers are being priced out of the market as housing prices continue to increase in parallel. In just the past decade home prices have increased nationally by about 60 percent. Looking at a smaller sample size from 2019 to 2022 the median income required to buy a typical home has increased to nearly $90,000 a $40,000 increase from pre-pandemic requirements. The Austin Metro area that includes Williamson County saw a slight decrease in median home price from August to October this year but looking at the Texas Triangle, which includes the markets in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio, median home prices throughout Texas are still on the rise.

YOUR INVESTMENT

Retirement communities throughout Williamson County are also facing a corollary decrease in the real estate surge that occurred at the end of 2022. With fewer buyers in a position to afford the increasing home prices, potential sellers are left with the difficult decision to hold onto to their homes and wait until the market is more balanced for buyers and sellers or take the risk of entering an

unstable, unpredictable market that is emerging nationwide.

Many seniors view their homes as a pseudo-savings account to be used to offset unexpected medical expenses or changing lifestyle needs as home equity represents the majority of net worth for many who are 75 years and older. With the volatility of the current market, many are choosing not to take the risk of entering into the real estate market entirely. This has led to an increase in supply in retirement communities that is not being met with an equal demand.

Overall, many economists predict home sales will continue to decrease next year as more and more people are priced out of the market. The price correction may be delayed though due to low inventory of homes for sale as a result of the pandemic, and the buyer/ investor rush to purchase available properties at low interest rates.

Williamson County Realtors are likely to be walking a very fine line in 2023 in order to maintain the county’s high growth rate and new challenges may lie ahead.

KEY TAKEAWAY

Williamson County real estate is experiencing a cooling off period from the pandemic-era surge and may face a sharp house price correction in the coming year, enabling buyers who have lately been priced out to become players in the market again.

Tyler Wolf is the owner/founder of Wolf Real Estate. He is a third-generation Georgetown Real Estate businessman and Texas A&M graduate (Class of 2008). He is a devoted husband to Genny and proud parent of Addie and Olivia Wolf.

by Thomas Graham

ending Southwest’s Not-in-the-Air Disaster

On Christmas morning many Americans found their luggage stowed by airline baggage carousels with care. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines, its employees, fans, and investors were filled with hope that St. Kelleher soon would be there.

Or at least the spirit of the airline’s past charismatic leader, Herb Kelleher, and his can-do attitude to overcome the fiasco its out-of-date technology and out-oftouch labor relations strategy had foisted upon Christmas-time travelers.

If Texas had a national airline, it would be Southwest.

Headquartered in Dallas, the historically can-do, inyour-face, and joyous attitude of most who work there has always been recognizably Texan. That’s why many of us were surprised and betrayed by the disastrous week endured by thousands of our in-flight friends. Traditionally, it’s the Grinch who steals Christmas.

This year, it was Southwest Airlines.

All About Texas

Our agency’s clients are mostly reputational, Texas-based brands with major operations outside Texas. Whether they are headquartered in Manhattan or Berlin

or Tokyo, they look to us to establish their brands across the state and the Southwest, or to repair brand damage.

Frankly, until now, there was no need for much reputation work at Southwest. We all loved them so and the infectious good humor of the staff made traveling in their inexpensive, sometimes too-tiny seats a minor distraction.

Everyone on board, from the pilots to the staff in blue putting water bottles in the back hatch looked like your cousin Calvin or sister Sue and they acted pretty much that way as we boarded. And we liked that the flight attendants didn’t take a lot of guff from the drunks among us and told outrageous jokes on the intercom almost all the way to Los Angeles, or Seattle, or Buffalo.

Sill, there is no getting around the level of the December disaster this year, nor the responsibility of the airline to make up to so many for stealing Christmas, and I guess New Year’s, from so many travelers.

Just over one year ago, Southwest announced Bob Jordan would replace Gary Kelley as CEO. As the former controller and chief financial officer for Southwest, Kelly had been described by his detractors as an accountant flying an airline. Jordan, a Texas A&M grad with degrees in computer science and experience in financial analysis stepped in just when the turbulence was getting stronger and the headwinds were pushing against the airline industry

THOMAS GRAHAM is the founder of Crosswind Media & Public Relations. Thomas has been privileged to develop strategies for some of the world’s most familiar brands, to direct communications during highest-profile crises and reorganization, and to prepare high-profile senior executives at Fortune 500 companies for media interviews, investor and analyst round table discussions, and presentations before major external and internal meetings.

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY INITIATE CHANGE COMMUNICATE

Following a pandemic the airline faced dramatic decline in revenues, aging technology infrastructure and uncertainty from a traveling public, all of which came to a disastrous head in a scheduling crisis around Christmas time. So I appreciate Jordan’s forthrightness he has faced the press and his customers daily and seems to be quite open about what precisely went wrong … and which parts are completely the airline’s fault. He will bring, in my opinion, a data-driven, results-oriented solution to Southwest’s problems. He will also look back to the airline’s roots and to Kelleher’s people-first and can-do spirit.

He, and what I saw of the beleaguered counter staff in the airports I traveled this week are owning their mistakes and, no doubt, will foot an enormous bill to compensate those who were waylaid on the most important holiday weekends of the year. Southwest will surely face political and regulatory scrutiny in the recounting of the cause some well deserved, some opportunistic overreach.

They’ll Be Back

Their clumsy, “stupid” software will be improved and will be more resilient and reliable; their failed logistics systems from customer service to flight crew coordination will work.

And I guarantee this: The uncensored comedy from the flight attendants on the intercom will have travelers in 2023 in stitches and we will, again, be reluctant to step off the plane when we get where we are going.

THIS IS WHAT EFFECTIVE CRISIS COMMUNICATION LOOKS LIKE:

BROADLY AND DIRECTLY

“Here’s my prediction: Southwest will be back in the air, soaring higher than ever — and almost right away.”

~Thomas Graham

by Will Boughton

Mutual Funds are Like Friends Choose Wisely

Mutual funds cover a variety of investment styles and strategies.

Mutual Funds are arguably the most commonly used vehicle for the investing public to access stock and bond markets. While used by millions of investors in 401K plans, IRAs, brokerage accounts, trusts, and so on, relatively few users understand them well. Here we will take a quick look at what mutual funds are and some things to look out for when investing in them.

Put simply, mutual funds are pooled investment vehicles that facilitate a group of investors putting their money together to access markets in a diversified manner with professional management. This provides a great advantage for smaller investors who otherwise would have limited access to diversified strategies and professional investment management.

They may be composed entirely of stocks, bonds, or a blend of both. They may specialize in small companies, international investments, real estate, or alternative strategies. A qualified advisor can help you create and implement a strategy to assure you are invested appropriately for your life stage and long-term needs.

Invest only in funds of high quality, with disciplined management and high tax and expense efficiency. Many funds generate sub-par returns when compared to the indexes they are measured against and are costly to their investors. I see this often in funds that attempt to ‘beat the market’ by trading in investments the managers perceive as ‘winners.’ These funds often under-perform, and their high-frequency trading often leads to high costs and low tax-efficiency, which take money from your pocket. It is important to ask your advisor questions about the types of funds.

� What is the fund’s track record?

� What is the management strategy?

� What are the internal fees and how tax efficient is the fund?

A fund’s long-term benefit to investors is determined more by tax and cost efficiency than a high headline return. If a fund with high internal fees is recommended, there should be a clear and apparent value-add to justify it. A good advisor should always be happy to discuss these issues with you and help you understand how your money is being invested.

While areas of concern exist for any product, mutual funds play a valuable role in providing market access to investors and have helped generate and protect wealth for generations. A portfolio of high-quality, tax and fee efficient funds may create myriad advantages for investors. Risk management through diversification is an excellent example.

Also, investors may access many markets that would be otherwise difficult to enter. Quality management teams adhering to solid principles also generate solid value for their investors.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Mutual funds are like many other products we purchase. Quality matters, and we should always strive to be wise consumers. A little homework and asking good questions can help ensure your portfolio is tailored to your needs and provides value for your money.

Securities provided by VeraBank Wealth Management are not deposits of VeraBank, are not FDIC insured, have no financial institution guarantee, and may lose value.

William joined VeraBank in 2019, bringing with him more than 15 years of experience as a trusted advisor to domestic and international clients and investment entities. He received his Master of Science in Finance and Economics from West Texas A&M University. He also earned his Graduate Certificate in Wealth Management and Estate Planning from the Cannon Financial Institute. William has also attained the Certified Trust & Financial Advisor designation.

Not all mutual funds are created equal.

INTRODUCING! THE BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

We know better than anyone that running a business is hard, and sometimes it can feel like you're on your own. ActionCOACH works with Business Owners like YOU to succeed.

One of the ways we do this is through sharing real stories with real people, an extensive network of like-minded entrepreneurs.

Visit the Series Homepage to learn about what local business are doing and hear their stories. If you think they could help you, reach out. Let's build our community!

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by Charlotte Kovalchuk

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BUSINESS BRIEFS

Lennar

The largest community of 3D-printed homes is coming to Georgetown. Lennar, one of the nation’s leading home builders, and ICON, a construction technologies company pioneering large-scale 3D printing, will team up to bring 100 contemporary Texas ranch-style homes to the master-planned community of Wolf Ranch by Hillwood Communities. “For the first time in the history of the world, what we’re witnessing here is a fleet of robots building an entire community of homes,” ICON co-founder and CEO Jason Ballard says. “In the future, I believe robots and drones will build entire neighborhoods, towns, and cities, and we’ll look back at Lennar’s Wolf Ranch community as the place where robotic construction at scale began.”

Co-designed by architectural firm BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, each Lennar home in Wolf Ranch will offer three to four bedrooms, with prices expected to start from the mid-$400,000s.

KoMiCo

KoMiCo Technology plans to expand its Round Rock location with a minimum of $30 million in new investment as well as at least 70 new jobs. Operating in Round Rock since 2007, KoMiCo is a semiconductor equipment parts cleaning, coating, and repair company that provides services to semiconductor companies around the world. KoMiCo plans to invest at least $30 million in property improvements and business personal property at its existing location, with $15 million completed by the end of 2023 and the remaining $15 million by the end of 2024. The company expects to add 40,000 square feet to its existing 62,000-square-foot facility along with 70 employees to its 180-person workforce.

MOVE PEOPLE ON THE

ANNIKA DINOVI

Annika DiNovi is The Hacienda at Georgetown’s new executive director. She will oversee the opening of the new luxury senior living community near Sun City as well as the community’s five upscale dining options. DiNovi joins The Hacienda with nearly 15 years of experience in the luxury senior living housing and healthcare industries, most recently serving as regional director of operations at Transforming Age in Washington state.

NATALIE NICHOLS, PH.D.

Natalie Nichols has been named Round Rock ISD’s new senior chief of schools and innovation. She oversees the district’s area superintendents as well as the health services, fine arts, and athletics departments. With more than 20 years of experience in education, Nichols spent a decade serving Round Rock ISD as area superintendent of the Stony Point Learning Community and principal of Round Rock High School. Following her high school graduation, she served in the Army where she learned to repair and maintain HVAC systems. She earned her bachelor’s degree while on active duty, finishing her last classes while deployed in a war zone. Today, she continues to share lessons of perseverance and resilience with students.

Google Fiber

Google Fiber will provide residents with another internet service option when the company expands to Round Rock next year. The city will be the third in Texas to receive the high-speed, high-bandwidth internet service, and Google Fiber expects to begin construction by late 2023.

Hacienda at Georgetown

The Hacienda at Georgetown, a new independent living, assisted living, and memory care community, will open in early 2023 near the south entrance to Sun City. The Hacienda features 231 residences with upscale amenities including a spa, fitness center, salon, and gourmet restaurants. The luxury senior community will offer a culinary experience by Stephan Pyles, an award-winning chef, cookbook author, and PBS television series host known as the founding father of modern Texas cuisine.

Hutto Co-op District

Three restaurants are set to open at the Hutto Co-Op District – Top Notch Burgers and Cocina Jalisco at the beginning of 2023 and Jack Allen’s Kitchen in 2024. A hippo splash pad and amphitheater are in the works as well. A mixeduse development, the Hutto Co-Op District is currently home to Southside Market BBQ and Hutto City Hall and Library. It also includes historic structures such as The Gin building and original silos hearkening back to Hutto’s agricultural roots.

TAYLOR RATCLIFF

Dr. Taylor Ratcliff has come on board as Williamson County EMS’s new medical director, the county’s third medical director since founding EMS service in 1975. Dr. Ratcliff is replacing Dr. Jeff Jarvis, who has accepted the position as chief medical officer and system medical director at MedStar in Fort Worth. Dr. Ratcliff began his career in medicine as a paramedic in Lubbock, and has served as an emergency medicine physician at Baylor Scott and White Medical Center – Temple as well as medical director for other local agencies.

CAMERON GOODMAN

Cameron Goodman joined the City of Georgetown’s team as the new economic director. He comes to Georgetown with experience running economic development departments in two fast-growing communities in Texas. Most recently, he served as economic development director in Leander, which, during his time there, was listed alongside Georgetown as one of the five fastest growing cities in the country. He previously served as economic development director in Richmond, a suburb of Houston, as well as in economic development roles for League City and Waco.

JENNIFER GUIDRY

Jennifer Guidry has taken the helm as Tippit Middle School’s new principal. She has 17 years of experience in education, previously serving in a variety of roles including middle school assistant principal, special education lead, elementary school teacher, and aim intervention teacher. A GISD alumna, Guidry grew up in Georgetown and was in the first eighth grade class at Tippit.

JANESSA STEPHENS

Janessa Stephens has taken the helm as director of the county’s new Public Safety Technology Division, which was created by Wilco EMS and the Sheriff’s Office to prioritize and improve technology support for first responders. Stephens brings 12 years of experience in supporting public safety technology systems to her new role. She started with Williamson County in 2010 and was instrumental in implementing a new law enforcement records management system and computer-aided dispatch system. Since 2018, Stephens has been the manager of the applications that are critical to the operations of more than 35 public safety agencies.