THOUGHTS AND WISHES

Thoughts and Wishes as We Welcome

By Tanya Sterling

Happy 2022 to each one of you! As a longtime Fort Bend resident who is out and about in our community volunteering, and yes, socializing, I have gotten the opportunity to interact with so many people in our diverse county. A few commonalities amongst everyone I have encountered are their joi de vivre — enjoyment of life, their selflessness, philanthropy efforts and just their plain enthusiasm for their families, friends, neighbors, and of course, our overall community. The ongoing pandemic only increased empathy and compassion for each other sprinkled with a healthy dose of respect for our fellow residents.

I talked with a few business leaders about their thoughts and most importantly, their wishes for the New Year to get their perspective on what we all pray are better days to come.

“T he past two years have been so challenging for everyone. Our family of employees and physicians have experienced something that they never imagined they would encounter during their careers. I have seen our team demonstrate incredible grit and grace under pressure. My hope is that the new year will bring us all many more opportunities to be together, to heal, and to embrace everything we have learned while we continue to serve our patients and community.” ~ Chris Siebenaler, Regional Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital

As the pandemic raged on, most families drew closer together and reaffirmed their faith. One of those families was longtime residents and business owners, the Duffy family.

“If we’ve learned anything in the past two years, it’s that life is fragile. We each have one life that was given to us as a precious gift from God. We can waste it or use it for some good purpose. This world is an amazing place. There is love and beauty all around us, so stop beating yourself up every year when you rewrite the same list of resolutions.

Life happens. You are always going to be a work in progress. So happy 2022 and many blessings to you and those you love.” ~ The Duffy Family, Cindy, son Dallas, daughter Meagan Duffy Burgin and Tim of Jericho Foundation Repair

Meagan Duffy Burgin, Dallas and Cindy Duffy.

Of course, no matter how dire the situation, Fort Bend residents remain positive and ready to enthusiastically enter 2022.

“T here’s no doubt that the pandemic infiltrated every fabric of our Fort Bend community, and yet I am left impressed and heartened by our collective compassion and willingness to help our neighbors as needed. My family and I look forward to a blessed, healthy and happy new year.” ~ Jevaughn Sterling, Executive Vice President, Regional Commercial Lending Manager, Amegy Bank

Most families huddled together during the pandemic and, as a result, are even closer and look forward to spending even more time together in the new year. “T he experiences of the past 18 months have focused our family on enjoying the little moments together more, on being more accepting and understanding of ourselves and others, on committing to personal wellness and on expanding our curiosity. Our focus in 2022 is to continue further along this path together and do it in an even more fun and meaningful way.”

~ David Fletcher, General Manager, Lone Star Sports & Entertainment

The time we had at home allowed us to be still and reflect on our very existence. Now a lot of our residents and business owners are ready to execute their plans and succeed even more in 2022.

“If there is anything the last year has thought me is to dream big, don’t limit myself. My wish for 2022 is to continue to build a legacy for myself and family. I intentionally want to deepen relationships with family and friends and pray for success ~ within our community. It’s a new world we live in. I hope everyone can cast a wide net to be sure to catch their share of happiness.” ~ Jemila Winsey, CEO/Co-Founder, ERA Legacy Living

There is no doubt that stellar residents and businesses have and will continue to make an impact in our community. Don’t we just enjoy living around The Bend? Neighbors helping neighbors, local businesses opening as soon as they can, volunteer organizations cohesively helping out on the front lines and churches throwing open their doors in critical times of need. I can picture us all confidently striding in 2022 like it’s nobody’s business, ready

“As the year comes to an end, I am grateful for the privilege to serve our business community. As we moved back to in-person meetings and away from Zoom, it reminded me the importance of human contact and relationships. Connecting people is one of the most important roles that we play. Chambers are made for these moments.

This year would not have been successful without the outstanding leaders I had an opportunity to work with over this last year including our Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Division Chairs and Chamber Partners. Thank you to Juliette, Paige, Ryan, Rebekah, Sade and Jordan, the hardest working, most dedicated and talented team ever!

Wishing you all the best for this holiday season.”

~ Keri Schmidt, CCE, IOM President & CEO, Fort Bend Chamber

to encounter our blessings and to be a blessing. Happy New Year!

Fort Bend Christian Academy Student-Athletes Sign National Letters of Intent to Play at Division I Universities

Fort Bend Christian Academy students and families gathered on campus on November 10th, to celebrate three outstanding athletes as they signed National Letters of Intent to play sports at the collegiate level. Two FBCA athletes signed to play softball and one athlete signed to play volleyball.

Avery Hodge has signed to play Division I Softball in the Big XII Conference for the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. Her current select team is Texas Bombers Gold. Hodge has been playing softball for the last 14 years and has played at FBCA for the last two years. Her favorite memories include being able to represent the USA U-17 National Team and winning Gold in Baranavilla, Colombia, and hitting a home run in the TAPPS State Semifinal game as an FBCA Eagle last year. Hodge’s accolades include 1st Team All State, 1st Team All District, District MVP, and Rank #6 in the nation in Extra Innings.

Reagan Heflin has signed to play Division I Softball in the Southland Conference for Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Heflin has been playing softball for the last 12 years, and has played at FBCA for the last two years. Her current select team is Blaze United. Her favorite memories include hitting her first home run, which was also a grand slam, and going to the TAPPS State Semifinals as an FBCA Eagle last year. Heflin’s accolades include 1st team All State, 1st team All District, All State Academic, and the FBCA Athletics Joshua 1:9 Award.

Bailey Hanner has signed to play Division I Volleyball in the Sun Belt Conference for Texas State University in San

Marcos, Texas. Hanner has been playing volleyball for the last eight years, and has played Varsity Volleyball at FBCA for the last four years. Her current club team is Houston Skyline. Her favorite volleyball moment was winning the National Championship in the Open Division 15s, and her favorite moment in FBCA Volleyball was beating Second Baptist in five sets during this 2021 fall season. Hanner’s accolades include two-time 1st team All-District, 1st Team Avery Hodge, Bailey Hanner and Reagan Heflin. All-State, Greater Houston Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year, 2021 VYPE Private-School Player of the Year Finalist, USA Volleyball A1 High Performance Training Program, and 3x member of the AVCA Phenom All-American Watchlist. “I am very proud of all three of these athletes. All three are extremely talented, and make the FBCA community proud. These ladies have worked hard and sacrificed to achieve this honor today,” said Kelly Carroll, FBCA Director of Athletics. “In the Bible, Hebrews 12:1-3 reminds us to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. That is exactly what these athletes have done here. We are very excited to see what lies ahead for Bailey, Reagan and Avery - on and off the field.” Fort Bend Christian Academy is a private, Christian college-preparatory school located in the heart of Sugar Land, Texas. More than 140 FBCA athletes have signed national letters of intent to play at the collegiate level. For more information about FBCA’s top athletes and athletic program, visit www.fortbendchristian.org or follow us @fbeagles on social media.

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Kitee Valentz