DECEMBER 2020 INSIDE THIS ISSUE New members �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������2 Member profile �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������3 Business of the month ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������4 Member spotlight ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5 2021 Board of Directors �������������������������������������������������������������������������������7 Small Business Saturday ������������������������������������������������������������������������������8 Ribbon cuttings ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������9 2021 annual banquet ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������10 Board members��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������11 The official publication of the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce VIDEO POWER PACKAGE: SHRINER’S HOSPITAL MEMBER PROFILE: COLINA HOMES BUSINESS OF THE MONTH: COASTAL COMMUNITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Our final edition of the Chamber Express for 2020! I began this year announc- ing that I would be retiring at the end of 2020. Boy, did I have great plans for this year! It was going to be the year to pull out all the stops and end with a bang! Another life lesson was soon to be learned. Making plans and having the future mapped out is always great, but I learned that, even more importantly, adapting when things get turned upside down is mandatory. And 2020 was certainly an upside-down kind of year. Soon I discovered that I was surrounded by leaders, staff and members at our Chamber that have great common sense, true value for the Chamber’s mission and a sense of what’s really important in life. Every- thing fell into place with this team, and soon we were doing business in new ways and learning along the way that we had opportunities that we had never explored. I’m proud of 2020’s ac- President Jenny Senter celebrates 2020 retirement complishments, but more than anything, I’m proud to have been a part of this Chamber’s opportunity to pivot and change. Thank you all for your adapt- ability this year and for 30 wonderful years of my Chamber life. My Chamber family, Board, Chairmen and Chamber friends are the gifts I leave with. Thank you all! So, here I go again, mak- ing plans for 2021! Not sure how these plans will work out, but one thing I know for sure, there’s always Plan B, Plan C …... I’ll see you next year!2 | Chamber Express | December 2020 409-945-6920 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Sphaerus Inspections 617 8th Ave. N. Texas City, Texas 77590 832-396-9870 Representative: Nicole Baxley, Owner info@sphaerusinspections.com www.sphaerusinspections.com Real Estate Dike Dogs 718 6th St. N. Texas City, Texas 77590 409-209-1770 Representative: Nicole Baxley, Owner info@dikedogs.com www.dikedogs.com Restaurant Envirogyn 617 8th Ave. N. Texas City, Texas 77590 281-694-5742 Representative: Nicole Baxley, Owner www.envirogyn.com info@envirogyn.com Environmental Consultants La Quinta Inn 2900 Interstate 45 South Texas City, Texas 77591 409-927-5639 Representatives: Raza Naqvi, General Manager Safitri Thornton, Global Sales Task Force raza.naqvi@levelhospitality.com Hotels/Motels THANK YOU 2020 SPONSORSDecember 2020 | Chamber Express | 3 MEMBER PROFILE MEMBER PROFILE Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce members have amazing talents and stories to tell. With this series, we want to introduce you to some members and spotlight their businesses. If you would like to be spotlighted in this Member Profile, contact lorrie@texascitychamber.com. Tell us a little about your company’s background. Founded in 2007 by Ken Williams and Michael Lucas, the duo believed that building your dream home does not have to be unattainable — or unafford- able. This belief has formed the foundation of Colina Homes, allowing the business to stand out among Houston’s elite home builders as an affordable yet pre- mium choice. Ken Williams holds a Bachelor of Science in indus- trial engineering and a master’s degree in business. He uses his education and business expertise to manage a tightly controlled and efficient operation. Michael Lucas is a second-generation home builder and a graduate of University of Texas. Michael takes pride in personally overseeing the daily construction process at Colina Homes. With more than 25 years of experience, Ken and Michael have assembled a team of brilliant engineers, architects, interior designers, and craftsmen. Since its start in 2007, the company has helped 4,500 families discover their dream homes. What are you working on now? We understand how important a new home is for your family. That is why we are committed to offering the best experience possible when you partner with Colina. Along with premium homes, we’ll provide you with personalized assistance at every step of the jour- ney — from the day you sign your contract to the day we hand you the keys, we’re here to help your dreams come to life. Our energy-efficient homes are made with quality building materials, well-designed floor plans and customizable features. We also offer down payment assistance, credit repair and credit building programs and special lending options for first-time homebuyers, teachers, policemen, firefighters, nurses and veterans. We would be honored to build a home for you and support you on your homebuying journey. How would you summarize what you do? We started 13 years ago in one community, and now we have communities from Texas City all the way to Conroe. Our experienced team of professionals are ready to support you on your homebuying journey. From first glance to move-in, we will assist in helping your dream come true. How has your business evolved over time? We have closed on 330 homes in 2019 as a com- pany. We continually are adding new and exciting communities to our portfolio. Visit us online or follow us on social media to learn more about our new de- velopments. What are some of your proudest accomplishments? Opening five new communities this year, includ- ing Marlow Lake in Texas City within the Dickinson school district. We will have around 200 homes here once completed. Colina Homes | Marlow Lake 3421 Central Park Blvd. Texas City, TX 77591 713-955-4808 www.colinahomes.com Tammy Mendoza, New Homes Sales Professional tmendoza@colinahomes.com4 | Chamber Express | December 2020 BUSINESS OF THE MONTH Who is Coastal Community FCU? Coastal Community Federal Credit Union roots date back to 1957. What began as a $5 investment for 13 fire- fighters in 1957 out of the back of trunk of a car has grown to a thriving, full-ser- vice financial institution with assets of more than $73 million, three locations and a membership of more than 10,000 members today. In 1957, employees of the Galveston Fire Department decided to form Galveston Firemen’s Federal Credit Union. In 1973, the name was changed to City of Galveston Federal Credit Union to allow all city employees of Galveston to join. Then in 1991, the credit union purchased the bank build- ing located at 2302 Church St., which enabled it to offer more services to its growing client base. On Aug. 28, 2000, the credit union changed to a community charter to allow people who live, work, worship and attend school in Galveston Coun- ty to join. This charter change led to changing the name to Coastal Commu- nity FCU. La Marque Connection Coastal opened its second branch on the West End of Galveston Island in 2002. With the intention of expanding operations to the mainland, Coastal opened the La Marque branch in De- cember 2006. By July 2017, Coastal had built its La Marque facility at 6708 Gulf Freeway (in front of Sam’s Club) . Continuing to Gro w Over the past few years, the Coastal team has changed drastically. Coastal welcomed its new president and CEO, Kay Carmon, in February 2020. She comes with more than 30 years of credit union experience. In such a short pe- riod of time, she has changed the look and feel of Coastal Community FCU. The new management team includes Executive Vice President, Toni Leyva; Marketing and HR Director, JoAnna Al- varado; Main Branch Manager, Abbi Lit- tljohn; Stewart Branch Manager, Renell Bloom; La Marque Branch Manager, Jozette Green; Collections Manager, Yes- senia Fuentes; and Accounting Manager, Rebecca Cantu. Motivated to live up to its name, Coastal Community Federal Credit Union is committed to giving back to the community as often as possible. Examples of community events include the Back 2 School Bash where Coastal gives away new school supplies to the entire community and the Wave Good- bye to Hunger event, where members bring groceries and toiletries to the branches for the Galveston County Food Bank and Our Daily Bread. Plans continue to grow by adding products and services to support the growing membership. Coastal’s mis- sion today is the same as its founding firemen: “We are proud to uphold our ‘people helping people’ motto while providing affordable financial services.” Coastal Community Federal Credit Union 6708 Gulf Freeway La Marque, TX 77568 409-765-6067 Representatives Kay Carmon, President/CEO JoAnna Alvarado, Marketing and HR DirectorDecember 2020 | Chamber Express | 5 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 When you’re buying or selling real estate, whether it be residential or commercial, experience matters and you certainly want experienced professionals on your side when you head to the closing table. South Land Title Company has been serving Texas City-La Marque for over 25 years. We are here to assist lenders, realtors, builders, investors and residents with every type of Real Estate transaction. When you close on your next property, go with the experts at South Land Title Company. Protecting the property rights of Texas City-La Marque! Experience Matters! www.SouthLandTitle.net 409.986.5801 - 10806 32nd Ave N, Texas City, TX 77591 For more information about the Video Power Package, contact Jessica Spangle at 409-935-1408 or jessica@texascitychamber.com. DECEMBER VIDEO POWER PACKAGE Visit the Video Library online online at www.TCLMchamber.com Contact information For this valuable members-only opportunity, the price of the Video Power Package will increase in 2021. Confirm your spot on next year’s schedule by the end of this month and lock in 2020 pricing! Shriners Hospitals for Children - Galveston 815 Market St. Galveston, TX 77550 409-770-6600. 888-215-31096 | Chamber Express | December 2020December 2020 | Chamber Express | 78 | Chamber Express | December 2020 www.crowderfuneralhome.com Traditional Funeral Services • Cremation Specialists • Pre-Need Arrangements • Monuments • Headstones Celebrating 60 Years of Service MainlandMainland 409-935-2496409-935-2496 MetroMetro 281-337-5634281-337-5634 IslandIsland 409-765-5883409-765-5883 www.alexsair.com TACLA 15714Cwww.alexsair.com TACLA 15714C Small Business Sat- urday is recognized annually the day after Black Friday (historically the peak of the holiday shopping season) to en- courage people to “shop small” and patronize local small businesses. Neighborhood busi- nesses are the heart of the community, and we count on them to pro- vide jobs and goods and services. While this year’s Small Business Saturday will be different from previous years due to COVID-19 and the health precautions in place, there are still many ways to support local busi- nesses throughout the holiday season. Here’s what you can do right now to support local businesses, safely: Shop online If you’re running low on your favorite product, try to reorder it online from a local shop instead of a big box store. Plenty of small businesses are offering products online. See if your favorite shop carries the product you need on its website. Or just give them a call. You can practice social dis- tancing while supporting your community. Shop in-person The Texas City-La Marque area has many small businesses that are open and operating with safe procedures. Be sure to wear a mask, wash or sanitize your hands often, and follow other COVID-19 safety precau- tions. Buy gift cards Many of your favorite shops and restaurants sell gift cards on-prem- ises, over the phone and online. Buy a gift card to use later. The business will get needed support now, and you get to look forward to the shopping experience in the future. Purchase gift cards for family, friends or your- self to spread cheer throughout the year! Another tip: consider donating gift cards to others. For example, buy an office supplies gift card for a teacher or a grocery store gift card for non-profits that help people in need. Dine outdoors Area restaurants not only help to drive the local economy, but also they give our area its unique character. They are also big supporters of our local clubs and charities. Many have taken extra effort to offer outdoor dining areas. Make sure to follow safe- ty procedures when visiting. Order food to-go Most restaurants now offer delivery, curbside pick-up and takeout op- tions. Forget about cook- ing tonight and check in with your favorite restaurant instead! You can purchase a gift certif- icate to use when you’re hungry again later. Tip restaurant staff and deliv- ery people generously this time of year. Share favorite busi- nesses online with your friends These are financially stressful times for many. If you’re not able to purchase anything from your favorite places right now, another helpful approach is to like and share their social media posts. Encourage your friends and family to support them. Give them an online boost! Small businesses in the area need your support more than ever. The holi- day season is the perfect time to support them however you can. SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY How to shop safely and support local businesses!December 2020 | Chamber Express | 9 RIBBON CUTTINGS COLLEGE OF THE MAINLAND League City Campus 1411 West Main St. League City, Texas The League City campus will open in Janu- ary with distancing and safety guidelines being followed. The 27,570-square-foot campus is the first college in League City and will provide stu- dents in northern Galveston County with conve- nient opportunities to further their education. SALVATION ARMY RED KETTLE KICK-OFF CAMPAIGN Volunteers are crucial to the success of the Red Kettle campaign throughout November and December. It’s easier than ever for individu- als, families, groups and businesses to sign up this year! Go to www.RegisterToRing.com and select the location, day and time you would like to ring. To give without going to a kettle, secure donations can be made online at www. SalvationArmyGalvestonCounty.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY. For more information on the local Salvation Army, visit the website above or call 409-763-1691.Next >