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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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Brooksource: Brooksource is a business management consultant based in Houston, Texas that specializes in delivering Engineering and IT solutions and initiatives for Fortune 500 organizations. Website. Capital IDEA Houston, LLC: Capital IDEA Houston is a non-profit that fully funds education and training for adults who are unemployed or have lower-paying jobs, providing educational pathways to attain thriving careers and financial self-sufficiency. Website. Cell Therapy Manufacturing Center (CTMC): CTMC is a joint venture between National Resilience and MD Anderson Cancer Center located in the Texas Medical Center. CTMC unites robust biopharmaceutical manufacturing with access to MD Anderson Cancer Center’s leading research capabilities into groundbreaking medicines to cure cancer. Website. Complete Shipping Solutions Corp.: Complete Shipping Solutions is a global 3PL solutions provider, offering industry-leading technology through a SMARTT Shipping platform. Website. Corporate Catering Concierge: Corporate Catering Concierge is a catering company offering a wide selection of food options and personalized menu planning. Website. Definity First: Definity First is an IT consulting firm of advanced enterprise-grade solutions with expertise in Custom Development, Staffing, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM, and Microsoft Copilot, as well as tailored additional services for on-premises Microsoft products. Website. Greenback Cost Recovery: Greenback Cost Recovery, LLC is a Houston-based company that specializes in delivering bottom line improvements to businesses by recovering overpayments and reducing ongoing costs associated with property tax, telecommunications, and real estate leases. Website. H-Town Dream Center: H-Town Dream Center is a community center in Splendora, Texas with a mission to give the hope, healing and freedom of Christ to the most vulnerable by feeding the hungry, rescuing women and children in crisis, and educating at-risk youth. Website. Magnum Staffing Services, Inc.: Magnum Staffing Services is a recruiting and staffing solutions firm based in Houston, Texas, specializing in workforce strategy, talent management, and providing staffing solutions for various industries, including warehouse distribution, logistics, manufacturing, and professional services. Website. Metro Houston Charter Bus: Metro Houston Charter Bus is a charter bus rental company providing flexible scheduling, trained drivers, and transparent pricing to make budgeting simple. Website. Minaret Foundation: Minaret Foundation is a multi-faith organization based in Houston, Texas focused on bringing faith communities together by tackling on issues related to child welfare and food insecurity. Website. Moelis & Co.: Moelis & Company is a global independent investment bank that provides financial advisory services to corporations, governments, and financial sponsors. Website. Mo'Kai'Ana Luxury Transport: Mo'Kai'Ana is a luxury chauffeur service for special events in Cypress, TX and the surrounding Houston Area, offering a variety of van services fully licensed by the city of Houston with background checked chauffeurs. Website. One Digital: OneDigital Impact Studio is an insurance brokerage, financial services, and HR consulting firm that provides a centralized platform that equips companies with real-time visibility and heightened control over their organization's total spending. Website. Palletized Trucking, Inc.: Palletized Trucking provides freight transportation services for domestic and international markets shipping through the Port of Houston to sectors including the petrochemical, construction, fabrication, energy, oilfield, and manufacturing industries. Website. Plug and Play Tech Center: Plug and Play Tech Center is an American venture capital firm headquartered in Sunnyvale, California focusing on deploying capital to early-stage technology companies. Website. Rigid Global Buildings: Rigid Global Buildings is metal buildings manufacturer based in Houston, Texas, offering custom and pre-engineered metal building solutions. Website. Tricon Energy: Tricon Energy is a logistics service in Houston, Texas that offers chemical and plastics trading and distribution services in general and liquid chemical, aromatic, methanol, solvent, chlor alkali, and more. Website. Trinity River Authority: The Trinity River Authority of Texas is a conservation and reclamation district that provides water and wastewater treatment, along with recreation and reservoir facilities, within the nearly 18,000-square-mile Trinity River basin. Website. Venice: The Bridge Church is a nondenominational Christian church serving the Venice, FL, community with a mission to help people find and follow Jesus Christ here and around the world. Website.  Zoho: Zoho is an Indian multinational technology company that makes computer software and web-based business tools designed to help break down silos between departments and increase organizational efficiency. 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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