Chamber Mission To serve our members and enhance economic and community development Chamber Vision To be recognized as a vital resource, providing relevant, innovative and impactful programming that produces a healthy business climate and an enhanced quality of life. Inside Welcome new board members ..........................................................................................................................................................2 Banquet news ...........................................................................................................................................................................................4 Chamber Open House ...........................................................................................................................................................................6 La Marque Christmas Parade ..............................................................................................................................................................7 Travel with the chamber .......................................................................................................................................................................9 2020 Leadership Mainland.................................................................................................................................................................10 New members ........................................................................................................................................................................................11 Vol. 25 | Issue 1 January 2020 Chamber Open House >> Page 6 D ear Chamber Members, Thank you so much for your membership in the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce and thereby to your community and the other businesses that help our communities thrive. Your service and membership are deeply appreciated. The Chamber membership has grown to more than 861 businesses, further strengthening our business community. The Texas City - La Marque Chamber of Commerce’s membership has a key leadership position in influencing the economic growth, prosperity and overall well-being of our cities. By participating and serving as an active member, you and your business can be exposed to innumerable opportunities for growth. From marketing and networking opportunities to exclusive mem- bership benefits, there are a multitude of ways to get the most out of your membership. I encourage you to get involved and take advantage of these opportunities to grow your business. Together, we can accomplish goals that we may have never thought were possible. I look forward to this year and leading together for our future. Best regards, Rusty Plackemeier 2020 Chairman of the Board Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce2 | The Daily News | Chamber Express | January 2020 WELCOME NEW DIRECTORS Alan Hutchins, A&A Machine and Fabrication President and CEO Alan Hutchins was born and raised in La Marque and graduated from La Marque High School in 1980. He earned a B.S. in Engineering and Manufacturing Technology at Texas A&M University in 1987. He joined A&A in 1990 and worked six years as plant coordinator, nine years in the fabrication department as a project and department manager, five years as vice president and general manager and nine years, now, as president and CEO. He has previously served on the chamber’s executive board and the regular board for five terms and was the chairman for 2009. Hutchins also serves on the Texas City Independent School District Education and the College of the Mainland Education Foundations. He has been married to the former Jan Chamberlain of La Marque for more than 35 years. They have three daughters, two son-in-laws and two grandchildren. Residing in League City, they are active members at Bay Area Church. Ramiro Barba, Port of Texas City President and Executive Director Ramiro Barba is responsible for the efficient use of port facili- ties and resources with specific responsibilities for health, safety and security. He oversees all operations, functions and activities both on the port and rail side of the business. He gives proper strategic direction and implements processes with a high-qual- ity vision toward growth. Barba was key in making the Union Pacific Railroad the safest railroad in North America for three years in a row as general manager of safety and executive on two major service units. Barba was an executive superintendent for UPRR from January 1999 to November 2017. His role at UPRR included six moves; he began as director of transportation services in Idaho and eventaully became the executive port director for the Port of Texas City. Barba graduated from the University of Phoenix with a Bach- elor of Science, and he holds an associate degree in criminal justice from Rio Hondo Junior College. Shane Day, Kodiak Metals Recycling Buyer at Kodiak Metals Recycling, Inc. Shane Day is a 1987 graduate of La Marque High School. He studied at Texas State University; Bachelor of Science, Major: Resource and Environmental Studies Minor: Economics He has a son, Dylan Day who is a senior in high school. Shane enjoys hunting and fishing and is a United States Coast Guard licensed Captain (OUPV 50 Ton Master) and State of Texas licensed fishing guide. Nick Finan, City of Texas City Executive Director of Management Services Nick Finan grew up in the Midwest, where he attended Augustana College and majored in political science, geography (planning) and public administration. He attended Texas A&M University, where he received his master’s degree in public administration. He has been with the city of Texas City as its executive director of administrative services since November 2008. He has been a member of the Texas City Management Association since 1983, having joined as a student at Texas A&M and intern in Missouri City. He is the former president of the Texas City Management Association and chair of the Ethics Committee. He has served on that committee for more than 20 years (more than half of those years as chair). He is the former president of the League City Ro- tary Club and former president of the La Marque Kiwanis Club. Finan is involved in several civic organizations, church boards and community activities. Finan ran the Boston Marathon in 2013. Jay Carnes, Carnes Funeral Home Owner Jay Carnes was born and raised in Galveston. He received a BBA in Management and Marketing from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Funeral Director’s Certificate from Com- monwealth College of Funeral Service. Carnes, along with his wife, is the owner of Carnes Funeral Home in Texas City and South Houston, Bay Area Funeral Parlor in Texas City and Cremate Texas Crematory in South Houston. He is also the Worship Leader for First Baptist Church in Galves- ton. Carnes is married to Lori Carnes and they have a daughter, Elizabeth. Richard DeVries, Standard Steel Supply President, Managing Partner Richard DeVries joined Standard Steel Supply in 1983 as a sales representative and then worked in various positions until becoming vice president/general manager in 1993. This gives him 37 years experience in the industrial supply sector. In 2002, DeVries and his son Chris purchased Standard Steel Supply and now act as president/managing partner for the company. DeVries has been involved in many community organizations but most notable is his one-and-a-half-year tenure as chairman of the chamber in 2005-2006, the time when the new chamber building was purchased and remolded.January 2020 | Chamber Express | The Daily News | 3 Caitlin Kim, Domac, Inc. Office Manager Catilin Kim graduated from Texas City High School in 2006. She received a B.S. in Hotel and Restaurant management from the University of Houston. Kim began working for Domac Inc., the family-owned and operated small business, in September 2010. She is the office manager, running the day-to-day business including billing, payroll, insurance, drug policy compliance and training. She attended Leadership Mainland in 2011, volunteered with the LEADs program for many years and joined the Board of Directors for the Foundation for the Future in 2017. She participates in the allocation committee for United Way Galveston County-Main- land. Kim and her husband Jonathan live in League City, and she has 3 amazing step-children. April Jones, Queen’s Attic Boutique Owner April Jones is an entrepreneur, thriving in the city of La Marque. She is the owner of Ebony & Ivory Salon and Queen’s Attic Boutique, located in Gulfway Plaza at 15029 Delany Road. Charles “Tink” Jackson, City of La Marque City Manager Charles Jackson was the former city manager at the City of Pearsall, former county manager at Luna County and former manager at New Mexico Office of the State Engineer. He went to Cobre High School and studied public administra- tion at New Mexico State University. He is from Hurley, New Mexico and currently lives in La Marque. Cathie Woitina, Associated Credit Union of Texas Community Marketing Specialist Cathie Woitina began working for ACU of Texas in 2017 after partnering with them on the Tour De Braz in her role at the Thelma Ley Anderson Family YMCA, where she worked as the membership services director for nine years. Prior to her work with the YMCA, she was a small business owner as a franchisee for Smoothie King in Corpus Christi. She hopes her entrepreneurial spirit and experience in business develop- ment and nonprofit leadership will bring a unique perspec- tive to the board that represents all sides of the chamber membership. Candice Towles, Texas First Bank Banking Center Manager Candice Towles attended College of the Mainland in 2006. She was selected in 2016 to be a part of the LEADS Program for the chamber of commerce. Towles is a leader in the com- munities in which she serves and is committed to her com- munity and civic activities. She has served on many advisory boards. Towles resides in Texas City with her two sons, Jasen and Christien, and two daughters, Jailen and Caren. Sonny Tholcken, Trey Industries President Sonny Tholcken received his B.S. from Lamar University in 1975. He was a founding member of the Contractors Safety Council of Texas City and served on the board for 25 years. He is the past president of the Construction Employers Associ- ation of Texas and is currently serving on the board of direc- tors for the Rotary Club of Texas City. He lives in Dickinson with his wife Dawn. Together they have five children and six grandchildren. This will be his fourth term of service on the chamber board. Jaimin Modi, HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland Associate Administrator Jaimin Modi is the former director of project management at HCA Inc. and former project manager at Regional West Medical Center. He worked at University of Houston-Clear Lake and Studied Healthcare Administration at University of Houston–Clear Lake. He lives in Houston and is formerly from Ahmedabad, India. Mike Meyer, Ashland Operations Manager Mike Meyer has 20 years of experience in specialty chemicals with roles in operations, engineering and continuous improve- ment as a Six Sigma Black Belt. Meyer earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1999. This will be his first time serving on the Texas City-La Marque Chamber Board of Directors. WELCOME NEW DIRECTORS4 | The Daily News | Chamber Express | January 2020 RENT • SALES • REPAIR 2830 TEXAS AVE., TEXAS CITY • 409-948-4497 MAINLAND TOOL Store Hours: Mon-Fri: 7am-6pm, 24 Hour Call Out Service Available MAINLANDTOOL.COM WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! 20 Volt Cordless Drill $ 79 95 T he board of directors and staff of the Texas City – La Marque Chamber of Commerce requests you join us for a night in Ha- vana to dine in tropical style as we cel- ebrate with entertainment and awards at the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce 51st Annual Membership Banquet and Reception. The event will be held Jan. 30 start- ing at 7 p.m. During the event, the 2019 Chairman Sergio Matute, East- man-Texas City Chemical, will pass the gavel to the 2020 Chairman Rusty Plackemeier, Lyons and Plackemeier Attorneys. The banquet program will include the presentation and installa- tion of the 2020 Chamber officers and directors, as well as awarding busi- nesses and individuals for their service to the community. Thank you for your continued support of the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce. We look forward to sharing the atmo- sphere of thanks and recognition as we celebrate with the “Havana Nights.” Your input is needed to nominate citizens to be considered for these prestigious awards: Outstanding Citizen Award This award is based on accomplish- ments and community involvement for the year 2019. Jimmy Hayley Community Service Award A citizen who has continually demonstrated an unselfish commit- ment to our community over the past several years. Small Business of the Year A locally owned business with less than 100 employees, which has experienced outstanding growth, demonstrated involvement in commu- nity service and accomplishments or awards during 2019. Large Business of the Year A locally owned business with more than 100 employees, which has experienced outstanding growth, demonstrated involvement in commu- nity service and accomplishments or awards during 2019. Send your nominations to the Cham- ber of Commerce office: P.O. Box 1717 Texas City, TX 77592. For more infor- mation contact the chamber office at 409-935-1408. JOIN THE CHAMBER FOR ‘HAVANA NIGHTS’ The chamber invites you to the 51st annual Membership Banquet and Awards CeremonyJanuary 2020 | Chamber Express | The Daily News | 5 Mandie McMillan has been serving the local community, as a Real Estate professional for 20 years. You may know Mandie as “The Real Estate Chick”. She and co owner, husband Lee Crowder, are lifelong residents of Galveston County, both growing up in La Marque. Mandie has built her career on integrity, professionalism, and dedication to her clients. She is a designated Sellers Representative Specialist, has served as President of Women’s Council of Realtors Bay Area Houston and as District Vice President of Women’s Council of Realtors Texas, and has achieved RE/MAX Hall of Fame, and recognized Texas Top 500 PLATINUM SPONSOR Corporate tables for 24 people at $3,000 per table includes preferred seating for three tables of eight people each, centerpiece, wine at your table and 24 tickets to the private VIP sponsor reception. GOLD SPONSOR Tables for 16 people at $2,500 per table includes preferred seating for two tables of eight people each, centerpiece, wine at your table and 16 tickets to the private VIP sponsor reception. SILVER SPONSOR Corporate table for eight people at $1,500 per table includes preferred seating for eight peo- ple, centerpiece, wine at your table and eight tickets to the private VIP sponsor reception. SINGLE TICKETS $85 A wine reception will be held at 6:30 p.m. for banquet sponsors inside the banquet room of the Doyle Convention Center. Sponsorship packages6 | The Daily News | Chamber Express | January 2020January 2020 | Chamber Express | The Daily News | 78 | The Daily News | Chamber Express | January 2020 ‘Lightning Rob’ Balderas - Roofing Specialist 409-945-6920 SERVICING YOU IS A PLEASURE 409-948-4589 My clients say I am their “Favorite Realtor”. Over forty-three (43) years servicing Galveston County Wanda Ables Realtor ® /Broker Associate wmables@aol.com 822 6th Street North Texas City, TX 77590 409-771-4775 Cell 409-948-4589 Direct 409-948-2321 Fax Bacliff | Bayou Vista | Clear Lake Shores | Dickinson | Friendswood | Hitchcock | Kemah | La Marque | League City | San Leon | Santa Fe | Texas City | Tiki Island www.uwgcm.org | (409) 948-4211 | 922 14th St. N. | PO Box 3098 | Texas City, TX 77592 LIVE UNITED UNITED WAY FIGHTS FOR THE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND FINANCIAL STABILITY OF EVERY PERSON IN EVERY COMMUNITY www.uwgcm.org | (409) 948-4211 | 2800 Texas Avenue | PO Box 3098 | Texas City, TX 77592 Chamber Express Newsletter The publication of the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce is published monthly (second Sunday of the month). Some content and photos provided as a courtesy by The Galveston County Daily News. Editorials & Photos: Lorrie Koster, Texas City- La Marque Chamber of Commerce 409-935-1408 Advertising: The Galveston County Daily News 409-683-5224 advertising@galvnews.com Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce 9702 E.F. Lowry Expressway Texas City, Texas 77590 409-935-1408 www.tclmchamber.com Ron Assad Gallant Builders Ramiro Barba Port of Texas City Kevin Bogard Marathon Petroleum Sally Briggs Gulf Greyhound Park Kirk Broiles Scribbles Embroidery Mike Meyer Ashland Jay Carnes Carnes Funeral Home Joshua Chapman Chapman Front End & Brakes Craig Colelli Faust Distributing Kedge Cook Cook Ford Shane Day Kodiak Metals Recycling Richard Devries Standard Steel Supply Shannon Doyle South Land Title Nick Finan City of Texas City Gail Figueroa Amoco Federal Credit Union Felix Herrera Awesome Auto Accessories Brook Hrach The Dow Chemical Company Alan Hutchins A&A Machine & Fabrication Charles “Tink” Jackson City of La Marque April Jones Queens Attic Boutique Caitlin Kim Domac, Inc. Manny Lopez El Cubano Cigar Factory Jim Macpherson Valero Refining Sergio Matute Eastman Chemical – Texas City Inc. Genevieve McGarvey Mcleod, Alexander, Powel & Apffel Georgia Meyer Barzilay Karat Creations Jewelry Mike Meyer Ashland Jaimin Modi HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland Sam Navarro Apache Industrial Services Ray Nunez Taylor & Hill Philip Orange Team Mancuso Power Sports Rusty Plackemeier Lyons & Plackemeier Jenny Senter TCLM Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Sonny Tholcken Trey Industries Candice Towles Texas First Bank Terrance Trevino BP Texas City Chemicals Becky Trout Unbehagen UTMB Health Diana Vasquez TNMP Cathie Woitina Associated Credit Union of TexasJanuary 2020 | Chamber Express | The Daily News | 9 GROUP TRAVEL OPPORTUNITY The chamber is partnering with Aventura World for a group travel experience. Travelers will depart on Nov. 12 and return Nov. 20. The trip will consist of nine days and seven nights, including hotels, meals, day trips, and airfare from Houston at the rate of $2,999. There is an option for an additional extension of Mi- lan, Italy. This group experience is a great opportunity to get to know your fellow travelers, experi- ence cultural knowledge and take advantage of a valuable cost savings. Contact Lauren Perez at lauren@texascitychamber.com or call 409-935-1408 for more information. Travel with the chamber to Provence and the French RivieraNext >