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2024 Partnership Board Members Discuss Top Priorities, Impact Work

Published Feb 15, 2024 by Hailea Schultz

Steve and Eric

Partnership Week, a multi-day networking and impact-driven experience for Greater Houston Partnership members, concluded with an exclusive event introducing several of the Partnership’s 2024 board members.  

In panel discussions, board members delved into their top priorities and revealed what drove them to further their involvement in the Greater Houston Partnership.  

Dr. Melanie Johnson, President and CEO of Collaborative for Children, shared that she devotes her time to the Partnership due to its commitment to community betterment and driving economic prosperity in the region. She specifically highlights the organization’s Upskill Houston and One Houston Together initiatives, emphasizing their alignment with her work in ensuring that all children have access to the learning skills necessary for success. 

Furthermore, Mario Castillo, Chancellor of Lone Star College, expressed his commitment to advancing Upskill Houston's initiatives. As a first-generation high school and college graduate, he aims to contribute valuable perspective to the Partnership and is dedicated to creating programs tailored to address the specific needs of the region's workforce. 

Centered on the theme of providing opportunity for all, Melinda Yee, Houston Managing Partner of Deloitte, highlighted the significant value she sees in the Partnership's ongoing initiatives to strengthen racial equity within the region. Yee expressed that it all comes down to making Houston a great place to live and work for everyone already here.  

While education, workforce development and racial equity stand as integral pillars of the Partnership’s mission, the organization also actively works to cultivate an opportunistic landscape, convening local business leaders to foster collaboration and catalyze transformative change within the region.  

This was one of the many reasons why Solugen CEO and Co-Founder Gaurab Chakrabarti chose to deepen his engagement in the Partnership. During the organization’s Annual Meeting held last week, Chakrabarti shared that he was able to meet with many business professionals, forging impactful connections that ultimately led to a new partnership for Solugen.  

Additionally, Partnership President and CEO Steve Kean and 2024 Partnership Chair Eric Mullins engaged in a fireside chat, summarizing key highlights from their addresses at Annual Meeting

Kean and Mullins reaffirmed that the driving force behind the Partnership’s impact work in 2024 is expanding opportunity for all Houstonians. This overarching goal encompasses three specific areas of focus including public education, workforce development and mental health. 

“There is no better place to be than the Partnership, said Judson Robinson, President and CEO of the Houston Area Urban League. The organization has “some of the brightest people working on the city’s biggest issues.” 

The Partnership is pleased to welcome our 2024 class of board members:

  • Mario Castillo, Chancellor​, Lone Star College
  • Denise DeLaune​, VP of Operations USGC & Site Director of Texas  Operations​, Dow, Inc.
  • Randy Fowler​, Director, Co-CEO and CFO​, Enterprise Products Partners LP​
  • Robert Hilliard Jr.​, CEO​, Legacy Community Health Services
  • Tom Jorden Chairman, Chief Executive Officer & President​, Coterra Energy
  • Andy Krieger Senior Vice President Gulf of Mexico and Canada​, bp America
  • Tomikia LeGrande, Ed.D​, President​, Prairie View A&M University
  • Brad Little​, Vice President, Global Head of Professional Services, Google Cloud​ Google
  • Pat Mann Phillips​, Chairman of the Board​, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
  • Nancy Meyer​, Publisher and President​, Houston Chronicle
  • Chad Michael​, President​, TPH&Co.
  • Stephen Morse​, Managing Director & Co-Head of Strategy and Excellence​, Russell Reynolds Associates
  • Kennedy Oates​, Vice President Global Procurement​, Amazon
  • Marty Phillips​, Managing Partner & Founder​, EnCap Investments L.P.
  • Melinda Yee​, Houston Managing Partner​, Deloitte

Learn more about the Partnership’s 2024 Board Members

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New Partnership Members in April

5/5/25
The Greater Houston Partnership welcomed 18 new member companies in the month of April. The Partnership works to connect companies with resources, information and networking opportunities to help increase business while also providing a platform to influence the direction of the region.  New members who joined in the month of April include: 512 Financial: Headquartered in Austin, 512 Financial is a business and consulting service with experts in accounting, finance, HR, and marketing, offering sophisticated fractional services to propel businesses forward. Website. 7th Echelon: 7th Echelon is a cybersecurity company based in Houston, specializing in providing tailored security solutions and services to help organizations protect their digital assets and infrastructure from evolving cyber threats. Website. Allstar Pizza & More: Allstar Pizza & More is a pizza company with locations in Clute and Lake Jackson, Texas, known for serving up a variety of pizzas, along with other menu items. They aim to provide delicious food and a welcoming atmosphere for the community in the Brazosport area. Website. Avatar Innovations: Avatar Innovations is a Canadian-based venture studio focused on driving energy transition by partnering with the oil and gas sector to develop and implement innovative CarbonTech solutions. Website. Bot Auto: Bot Auto is an L4 autonomous trucking company based in Houston, Texas that operates an autonomous truck fleet and offers Transportation as a Service (TaaS) to freight customers. Website. BrightMind Consulting Group: Based in Houston, BrightMind Consulting Group is a business management consulting firm that partners with organizations to drive strategic growth and operational excellence through tailored solutions in areas like business transformation, technology adoption, and organizational development. Website. Charles River Laboratories: Charles River Laboratories provides essential products and services to help accelerate the discovery, early-stage development, and safe manufacturing of novel drugs and therapeutics. They offer a comprehensive portfolio that supports pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide in their efforts to improve human health. Website. Dayforce: Dayforce is a global human capital management (HCM) software company that offers a unified platform for payroll, benefits, workforce management, talent management, and HR service delivery, empowering organizations to manage their entire employee lifecycle from recruitment to retirement. Website. Galaxy Technology Hires: Galaxy Technology Hires is an engineering and technology recruitment firm, headquartered in Houston, Texas providing custom solutions to name generation and sourcing, to research and organizational mapping, to full cycle recruiting. Galaxy Technology Hires also offers retained search, contingent search, executive search, and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) services. Website. K & K Data Service Inc.: K & K Data Service Inc. is a company based in the United States specializing in comprehensive data center construction, operational maintenance, and related integrated solutions. Website. League of Women Voters of Houston: League of Women Voters of Houston is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Website. Libyan National Oil Corporation: The Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) Houston Branch serves as a crucial hub for managing and executing turnkey procurement on behalf of all Libyan oil subsidiaries. This branch is tasked with selecting professional suppliers, establishing key framework agreements, and supporting vital training programs to enhance the industry's capabilities. Website. Logica Corp: Logica Corp delivers innovative technology solutions and consulting services, specializing in areas like data analytics, cloud computing, and custom software development to help businesses optimize their operations and achieve their strategic goals. Website. Maintenance Warriors: Maintenance Warriors provides comprehensive commercial and residential property maintenance services, offering solutions for everything from handyman repairs and cleaning to landscaping and preventative maintenance. Website. Markovich Grover PLLC: Markovich Grover is a Houston-based law firm specializing in complex commercial litigation, bankruptcy and restructuring, and energy litigation, representing clients across various industries with a focus on achieving favorable outcomes through strategic and effective legal advocacy. Website. MetroNational: MetroNational is a prominent Houston-based real estate development and investment firm known for its diverse portfolio of commercial, residential, and mixed-use properties that have significantly shaped the city's landscape. Website. Shell Federal Credit Union: Shell Federal Credit Union is a member-owned financial institution serving the Houston, Texas area, offering a range of financial products and services such as checking and savings accounts, loans, and investment options, with a focus on providing personalized service and supporting the financial well-being of its members. Website. Weltrio: WelTrio is a Houston-based company specializing in providing comprehensive language solutions, including translation, interpretation, and localization services, to help businesses and individuals communicate effectively across diverse linguistic and cultural landscapes. Website. Click here to see the Partnership's Membership Directory. To learn more about membership with the Greater Houston Partnership click here, or contact membership@houston.org.
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Partnership Members Making News - April

4/21/25
The Greater Houston Partnership celebrates our members making important announcements and sharing news about their operations and impact in our region. Learn more about some of those announcements over the last month below.  Business Moves Eight Houston companies have been named to Fortune’s third annual list of America’s Most Innovative Companies, including Houston Methodist, ExxonMobil, NRG Energy, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, Texas Children’s Hospital, Sysco, and Chevron. MD Anderson breaks ground on a new five-story, 470,000-square-foot ambulatory surgery center in Sugar Land. Fervo Energy ranks in the top 10 on Time magazine and Statista’s new list of America’s Top GreenTech Companies of 2025, recognizing sustainability-focused companies based on factors such as impact, financial strength, and innovation. Houston-based private equity firm EnCap Investment LP has committed $2.5 billion to launch two new portfolio companies in Fort Worth, Double Eagle Energy Holdings V LLC and Tumbleweed Royalty V LLC. Houston Christian University breaks ground on a $60 million engineering, science and nursing building that will include administrative space and multidisciplinary learning spaces. The University of Houston has started construction of the new William P. Hobby School of Public Affairs academic building, a 42,000-square-foot building to be located in the north side of campus. Fervo Energy expands its flagship geothermal project in Utah through a new power offtake agreement with London-based Shell PLC (NYSE: SHEL). League City City Council has discussed its Westside Master Plan, a strategic initiative to guide the development of the city's remaining undeveloped land. Education Houston Community College has been awarded a $282,000 grant from the Texas Workforce Commission to expand its apprenticeship programs in plumbing, sheet metal work and electrical technology. Rice University and the University of Houston collaborate to improve an emerging carbon capture technique with a product that can be used as fuel, chemicals or as starting materials to produce other compounds. Houston Community College-Katy has held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the campus’ new greenhouse, preparing students for careers in modern agriculture and environmental science. Five student-founded startups have been named finalists for Rice University's prestigious pitch competition, H. Albert Napier Rice Launch Challenge, hosted by Rice University’s Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Energy Transition  Dow aims to use next-generation nuclear reactors for clean power and steam at a Texas manufacturing complex in collaboration with X-energy. Rice and Exxon aim to develop “systematic and comprehensive solutions” to support the global energy transition with materials science, polymers and catalysts, high-performance computing and applied mathematics from the university. Health Care St. Luke’s Health has awarded $1.5 million in grants to nonprofit agencies for projects relating to the health and well-being of those in underserved communities, including access to health care and health services, mental health, food insecurity, safe shelter and housing, violence prevention and human trafficking. HCA Houston Healthcare and Houston Methodist Hospital have received Premier's Everest Award, which recognizes hospitals that have both the highest current performance and the fastest long-term improvement in the five years of trend data analyzed by the researchers.  Innovation  Greentown Labs announces newest startups to join Houston climatetech incubator, specializing in various "green" applications, from converting plastic waste into sustainable materials to developing energy-storage solutions. The new Rice Nexus located at Rice University is partnering with Google Public Sector and Non Sibi Ventures to support high-potential AI-focused startups. Axiom Space progresses an orbital data center push in partnership with international telecommunications company Kepler Communications. Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Houston have developed a new blood-filtering machine that poses fewer risks to pediatric patients with hyperleukocytosis. Houston Grand Opera is recognized for its thriving state under the leadership of General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor, emphasizing the company's bold artistic choices, Dastoor's vision for growth and community engagement, and the generous support from donors, positioning Houston Grand Opera as a model for the field. Transportation  The Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority has opened a new, direct line bus route called 500 IAH Downtown Direct, picking up travelers from the George R. Brown Convention Center and taking them directly to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and vice versa. United Airlines plans to start construction of its new 50,000-square-foot Terminal B club this summer, the largest in the United system. The Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority is listed to start construction on 56 Airline/Montrose this summer as the next phase of its 20-mile project.    If you are a member and want us to help communicate news about your organization, please send a press release or information about the announcement to member.engagement@houston.org and we will share it with our content team for possible inclusion in an upcoming roundup. Learn more about Partnership membership. 
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