40 Under 40 - 2009

advertising
Sponsors 2009 Honorees

Mark Assaad 4 Teresa Nelson 30
John Bilbow 5 Amanda Neill 31
Matt Browning 7 David Nolan 32
Luis Caballero 9 David Parker 33
Misti Callicott 10
Elaina Perez 34
Kathryn Cardarelli 11
Ken Shetter 35
Kim Catalano 12
Greg Cook 13 Adam Smith 37
advertising Andrew de la Torre 14 Jason Smith III 38
Mark Drennan 15 Brent Sorrells 39
Jamie Fulton 17 Dana Stayton 41
J. R. Holland 19 Frank Taylor 42
Lyndsay Hoover 20 Mike Thomas Jr. 43
David Kramer 21 John Thompson III 45
Craig Lloyd 23
Michael Tothe 46
Brant Martin 24
Ginger Webber 47
Daniel McCarthy 25
Todd Miller 26 Brook Whitworth 49
Nelson Mitchell 27 Charles Williams 50
Randi Mitchell 28 Richard Williams 51
Drew Myers 29 Jennifer Yoder 52
Publisher
Banks Dishmon
Editor
Robert Francis
Leading the way
Associate Editor When it was suggested to ask the 40 As we’ve said year after year, the 40
Michael H. Price Under 40 recipients the strangest thing Under 40 classes represnt Tarrant
Managing Editor they’ve expensed my first thought was County’s best leaders in work and the
Crystal Forester that no one would answer. Imagine my community. The Class of 2009 is heavily
Contributors surprise when I see how honest this involved in the community. In addition to
Aleshia Howe, Betty Dillard, class is. Did you know in the right pro- the long hours at the office, the honorees
Elizabeth Bassett, John-Laurent Tronche, fession you can expense a 150-pound spend countless hours on the boards of
Leslie Wimmer, Laurie Barker James
pig, the “finer Belgian-style blond ales,” many nonprofit organizations, neighbor-
Production the passenger side of a wrecked 1957 hood boards or just volunteering their
Brent Latimer, Clayton Gardner
Chevy Bel Air and Hans and Frans cos- time.
Photography tumes from Saturday Night Live. One honoree quit his day job to start
Glen E. Ellman
Just from some of the expense items a company that focuses on giving to
Advertising Executives you can see that we have a lively Class nonprofits, e-Partners in Giving.
Ann Alexander, Andrea Benford,
Bob Collins, Elizabeth Northern
of 2009. So lively, in fact, there is an ex- With young professional groups pop-
Mary Schlegel, Annie Warren professional wrestler, The Blue Hawaiian, ping up left and right, this is the class
on the list. making these groups happened. Several
Business Manager/
Director of Events
While the fun, creative juices are flow- honorees have found the time to be
Shiela West ing, this group is dedicated to the com- founding member of young professional
munity and being workplace leaders. groups.
Reception
Maggie Franklin They go above and beyond before they Ready to know who did what? Flip
are asked and exceed expectations. through the pages of the Fort Worth
Members of this class include profes- Business Press’ 40 Under 40 Class of
sionals in law, real estate, finance, hospi- 2009 to see who you know and who you
3509 Hulen, No. 201 • Fort Worth, TX 76107 tality, sports, health care, marketing should know.
817-336-8300 • Fax: 817-332-3038
www.fwbusinesspress.com and more. Oh yeah, need a gift basket – Crystal Forester
Fort Worth Business Press. © 2008 or a Harley-Davidson? We’ve got that Managing editor
MEMBER
2006
covered as well.
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
AWARD WINNER
May 28, 2009 3

Mark Assaad
38 A.N.A. Consultants LLC
When Mark Assaad was a child, he often used his it’s a chance to help show them a different path in life.”
blocks to build things. These days, he makes his living Donnie Siratt, Assaad’s nominator for the 40 Under
in a similar fashion, but his blocks are significantly 40 distinction, described Assaad as a successful engi-
bigger. neer and business owner, but more importantly, as “a
Assaad is vice president of A.N.A. Consultants LLC, person that truly has his priorities in order,” Siratt says.
a Fort Worth-based consulting and civil engineering “He is deeply rooted in faith, a family man in every
firm – and a company that represents several genera- sense of the word, a great friend and
tions of engineers. Assaad says he knew from the time one of the nicest people you’ll ever
he was a child playing with blocks he wanted to follow meet.”
in his father’s and grandfathers’ footsteps and become Assaad and his wife, Kimberly,
an engineer. When Assaad graduated from Texas A&M who also is a civil engineer by
University in 1994, he teamed up with his father and degree, have been married for
founded A.N.A. Consultants. Since then, Assaad has 10 years and have two children: a
been honored as Young Engineer of the Year by both 7-year-old son named Sam
the American Society of Civil Engineers as well as the and a 6-year-old
Texas Society of Professional Engineers. And though daughter named
Assaad lists both as accomplishments he is proud of, Lina Grace.
he is most proud of a different kind of accomplishment: – Aleshia Howe
his family.
“My wife and my children; I am so proud of my fami-
ly,” he says. “They are great and I love them dearly.”
In addition to his involvement with several profession-
al organizations, Assaad also is heavily involved with
his church because, as he says, it’s a place he can
give back.
“It’s important to go out and be active in different
organizations – professional or not – as a way to give
back,” he says. “There is always a younger generation
of kids who can learn from what you can offer. And
they may not have the same opportunities you had, so
About the prop:

They are the two things most important to me.
What is the strangest thing you’ve expensed?

A night at the Delano hotel in South Beach, Fla.
Where did your first paycheck come from?

Winn Dixie on Alta Mesa Boulevard in Fort Worth
What was the first luxury item you bought yourself?

An Alpine radio and six-disc CD changer
Do you prefer phone or e-mail for work?

Phone
Another profession you would like to try?

Ambassador to New Zealand or a chef
Where is the best place to have a business lunch?

Café Aspen
4 Fort Worth Business Press

John Bilbow
38 Fort Worth Cats Baseball
After graduating from Oklahoma State University in 1995, was coaching. They married in 2000 and now have three chil-
John Bilbow spent about a year and a half selling induction dren: Jylian, who is 7, Mikey, who is 3, and Ivy, who is just
motors for oil pumps and deep wells. It was a national and younger than 2.
international selling job, based out of Oklahoma. When his Bilbow’s oldest daughter, Jylian, also has chronic, severe
grandmother died and left him $3,000, though, he packed his medical issues, and Bilbow said that has taught him to adapt
bags and moved to Texas. to situations and stay focused on outcomes. Bilbow and his
Today, Bilbow is the executive vice president and general wife are involved with many organizations, and they’ve also
manager of the Fort Worth Cats, a highly successful inde- raised almost a quarter of a million dollars for children with
pendent baseball team. He admits that it’s a dream job, but it rare birth anomalies through work with organizations like
came after working in the commercial real estate realm, the World Craniofacial Foundation.
computer industry, and finally after holding many positions in While Bilbow does love his job, it’s not all just about the
the Cats organization, which he joined as an account execu- love of the game. Just like any manager, there
tive in February 2002. are challenges, but he said most people –
“I credit my steady rise to my ability to sell,” Bilbow says of including himself – are quick to recognize
his ascent through the organization. that he’s got a good thing going.
The ability to promote the team while simultaneously push- “I think the most common phrase is,
ing himself is what Bilbow also thinks will help his future in ‘That’s a cool job,’ and my response
baseball. At 38, he’s already spent three years in the general is, ‘On most days it is,’” he says.
manager role, the first as a sort of apprentice as leadership – Elizabeth Bassett
changed. There are only about 200 GMs in baseball at all of
its levels, Bilbow said, and he said he wouldn’t rule out mov-
ing up in the organization.
While Bilbow has had several sales-based jobs, he says he
always knew he wanted to be involved in sports. He played
various sports growing up – from soccer to baseball to tennis
and college cheerleading – and still enjoys golf and skeet
shooting when he gets the chance today. He met his wife,
Kendall, when she was a cheerleader at the University of
North Texas and taking lessons at a gym where Bilbow
About the prop:

Part of the reason why I’ve received this recognition is
because of the uniqueness of this baseball team.

A 150-pound pig

A bridal and tuxedo rental shop in Oklahoma

My first car when I was in college, a Mitsubishi Eclipse

Phone

Medical sales

Joe T. Garcia’s
May 28, 2009 5

Congratulations
to the 40 Under 40
Class of 2009
From your friends at
Coors Distributing
Matt Browning
39 American National Bank of Texas
Matt Browning believes faith and family are No. 1. He ed to his faith or have a special meaning.
says whenever he’s put those things first in his life, “As president of a community bank, I believe it is
everything has gone right. important to be visible in the community we serve and
And a lot has gone right. give back,” he says.
Browning worked his way through college starting as Browning and his wife, Jeanette, have been married
a part-time bank teller. Eventually, he went full-time and for eight years and have three girls ages 4, 2 and 1.
was promoted to a supervisor. Now nearly 20 years Browning has a son who is 12 years old.
later, Browning is president of American National Bank And Browning says one of the best personal deci-
of Texas and he has done it all with a smile. sions he and his wife ever made hap-
“I like to have fun and laugh and find the humor in pened a few years ago when they
everything,” he says. adopted a little girl from China – an
Browning spent most of his career working his way experience Browning calls ‘incred-
up the ladder at Chase Bank/Bank One. But 18 months ible’ and something he and his
ago, he made a big change when he accepted his wife were simply meant to do.
position at American National Bank. – Aleshia Howe
“I always thought I was more suited for a smaller,
community style bank,” he says. “I took that leap of
faith and came to my current employer [and] I couldn’t
be happier.”
Throughout his career, Browning has been a devout
supporter of dozens of charity organizations including
Sounds of Spring for North Richland Hills, the Best
Buddies Program, the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth,
the American Heart Association, Alliance for Lupus
Research, March of Dimes, Kids Wish Network,
Paralyzed Veterans of America and The Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society to name a few.
Browning says several of the organizations are relat-
About the prop:

I love to hunt. Duck hunting is my favorite. Hunting is
important to me because it is the one thing that my dad
and I do together. I am hoping to pass that tradition down
to my son.

Hans and Frans costume (Saturday Night Live)

I was a sacker at Skaggs Alpha Beta.

I shot a Sika Deer and had it mounted.

E-mail for most basic communication

Professional golfer

Anywhere that serves good sushi or Thai
May 28, 2009 7

A Special Thank You
to our 40 Under 40 Gift Providers

Luis Caballero
38 Matador Marketing Group
Hispanic consumers account for an annual buying power in Clients have included Anheuser-Busch, Pepsi Co., Nissan
the billions of dollars in the Dallas-Fort Worth area – Luis North America, AT&T, the Fort Worth Transit Authority and even
Caballero wants to help you attract some of that. Yum! Brands – notable because the Taco Bell-parent company
Caballero is president of Matador Marketing Group, a local refined its marketing message after an initial stumble in Mexico
advertising and marketing company that aims to connect busi- and now is boasting sales that rival those in the United States.
nesses across the nation with the growing Hispanic population. Rene Smith is senior public relations specialist at Concussion
“It’s an education to both the businesses and the Hispanic LLP, a Fort Worth advertising and marketing company that
culture,” Caballero says of his approach. “I view myself as an recently joined forces with Matador to take
intermediary bridging that culture gap.” advantage of the large and still-growing North
Often, businesses fall to stereotypes when Texas Hispanic population.
approaching the Hispanic market, which no “Luis Caballero adds value to everything he
doubt is a costly mistake. Other times touches,” Smith says. “Whether coaching his
those same businesses approach the two young girls’ soccer team, volunteering at
Hispanic consumers as a large group, local not-for-profit organizations or conducting
instead of a collection of many different business, Luis’ actions command both
individuals, including English-speaking respect and admiration from his
Hispanics, Spanish speakers, first-genera- peers.”
tion Mexican-Americans, South Americans and Caballero’s volunteer efforts also
more. are important; he has donated his
There was a time when a logo could be time to Musicarte de Fort Worth,
presented at an event aimed at Artes de la Rosa, the American
Hispanics and the company could get a Cancer Society the Fort Worth
good response. Those times have Youth Soccer Association and
changed, Caballero says. Southern Methodist University’s
“It’s about education,” he says, “that’s my Young Alumni organization.
main goal: for businesses to realize they can – John-Laurent Tronche
grow their sales or their profits by not necessari-
ly expanding from a physical standpoint but
expanding from a customer-base standpoint.”
To expand: “It’s easier to diversify your customer
base than to diversify your product line,” he says.
About the prop:

It’s a reflection of my life with my family.

A tattoo

TCU Florist back in 1985 or ’86

I’m still waiting to buy that luxury item.

Phone

I hopefully will retire into being a professor.

The Fort Worth Club
May 28, 2009 9

Misti Callicott
29 Reata Restaurant
Misti Callicott began her career with Downtown’s Reata “For nonprofit organizations, community leaders and corpo-
Restaurant in early 2002 just after the eatery relocated to rate functions, the name ‘Misti Callicott’ is practically synony-
Sundance Square. The restaurant known far and wide for its mous with Reata,” says Julie Hatch who works at Creative
cowboy cuisine didn’t even have a catering division until Communications.
Callicott came galloping to the rescue. Always “positive, upbeat and packed full of energy,” Hatch
Since riding into town, Callicott – who hails from Crandall says, Callicott is “truly an unsung hero to Reata Restaurant
just east of Dallas – has helped establish Reata’s reputation and the Fort Worth area. Because the nature of her position
for top-notch catered affairs while cultivating relationships keeps her behind the scenes, she rarely gets
with hundreds of meeting and event planners across the recognized or takes credit for the relation-
Lone Star State. ships – and revenue – that she personally
Her passion for giving back to the community has generates.”
endeared her to charities and those less fortunate. Callicott One of the things she enjoys most
and her team have provided Reata’s legendary Western fare about Reata, Callicott says, is being a
to charity events including the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame part of the family-owned business.
Luncheon, Habitat for Humanity’s Tool Box Bash, the YWCA’s “It is truly a pleasure to come to
Tribute to Women in Business Luncheon as well as large- work every day. I am surrounded
scale community events such as MAIN Street Arts Festival. by talented and creative indi-
She also is an avid supporter of Big Brothers & Sisters’ viduals, and sincerely enjoy
Big Taste, Lena Pope Home’s Sweetheart Dessert our large and varied base of
Fantasy and the Tarrant Area Food Bank’s Empty Bowls. clientele,” Callicott says.
Callicott, 29, has played a key role in Reata’s expan- “Al Micallef, the owner of
sion at the annual Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, Reata, has taught me so
which includes two full-service restaurants, Reata at the much about setting goals,
Rodeo and Reata at the Backstage. being creative and doing
Under her leadership, Reata’s catering component, what it takes to get the job
Reata on the Road, surpassed $1.4 million in sales in done,” she says. “I am hon-
2008. ored to be given this presti-
gious award, and am
extremely thankful that my
About the prop: colleagues and clients have
It's pictures of my daughter Kelby and she's my inspira- created such a positive work
tion. environment, and for my family
for giving me the time and the
Raw chicken freedom to commit to my job.”
Callicott and her husband,
Where did your first paycheck come from? Steven, have a 3-year-old
Snowy Ice, a snow cone stand when I was 15 daughter named Kelby – “and
both of them mean the world to
What was the first luxury item you bought yourself? me,” she says.
I love bags and purses.
– Betty Dillard
Phone

Business owner of my own café/bakery

Reata, of course!

Kathryn Cardarelli
33 Center for Community Health, Department of Family Medicine at
Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Epidemiology
at the School of Public Health at the UNT Health Science Center
It always seems that public health topics come up in crisis chronic disease and pregnancy outcomes and research on
moments – when swine flu is being put forward as the next policy and methods related to population health and health
virus to panic about, for example. disparities. She joined the UNT Health Science Center in
“It’s unfortunate you have to have some disaster occur for 2004, where she’s a researcher, a leader and a teacher,
people to understand what’s going on,” says Kathryn exposing students to epidemiology. While being with students
Cardarelli, a professor at the UNT Health Science Center and is always exciting and challenging, she says, working in a
director for the Center for Community Health. field that always produces new research and insights is part
Cardarelli, an epidemiologist, initially focused on infectious of what keeps her intrigued.
disease. When she was an undergraduate at the University of “I feel blessed to have a job that changes
Texas at Austin, she had an internship at the state public every day because that’s the nature of sci-
health department, which solidified her interest in studying ence,” she says.
the factors affecting health and illness in populations. While Cardarelli will be teaching some
Later on, her research focus shifted, but she went on to summer classes at the UNT Health Science
get a master’s degree in public health and then a doctor- Center, she will be taking a brief hiatus this
al degree in epidemiology. fall when she and her husband welcome
Before earning her doctorate, though, Cardarelli their second son in October. Cardarelli
spent two year’s completing a fellowship with the and her husband, Dr. Roberto
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cardarelli, already have one child,
which focused on health policies and pro- Cristiano, who is 3 years old.
grams for vulnerable populations. She Cardarelli herself grew up with two
spent time in Washington, D.C., and at parents in the medical field, and
the Centers for Disease Control and says she always knew she wanted
Prevention in Atlanta, but most of her to go into the sciences, but right
time was in regional Dallas offices, now her son’s favorite thing is to ask
where she could better study the popula- “Why?” to everything.
tions along the Mexico/Texas border. That constant questioning is simi-
Today, Cardarelli’s interests include the lar to what keeps the field of epi-
influence of social and psychosocial factors on demiology moving forward. The
public may not think much about
the field, but that doesn’t mean
About the prop: there’s not plenty to learn.
I had planned to use a different prop, but the “When everything is good and
photographer liked my pregnant belly better. everything appears normal, no one
thinks about it,” she says.
What is the strangest thing you’ve expensed? –Elizabeth Bassett
Working for the state, there is little that I can expense.

My father’s office, age 13

A handbag – this is my big vice (just ask my husband).

Definitely e-mail...can respond whenever you have a moment.

Meteorology; I have always been fascinated with weather.
Where is the best place to have a business or work lunch?

Michael’s on Seventh – it’s a short walk from my office.
May 28, 2009 11

Kim Catalano
39 Fort Worth Municipal Court Judge Pro Tem
Kim Catalano juggles it all: her family, her jobs and her Catalano also works at First United Methodist’s pre-school
community service. once a week, and works with the Tarrant County Young
After about six years of working as a director and a non- Lawyer’s Association, the Tanglewood Elementary School PTA
equity partner at Bracket & Ellis, Catalano decided it was board, the Fort Worth Junior Women’s Club and the University
time to spend more time with her three children who are now Little League.
8, 7 and 3 years old. At Tanglewood Elementary, Catalano is involved in the
“I just can’t imagine somebody else taking care of my chil- school’s Reading is Fundamental program, where she and
dren, and being gone from them,” Catalano says. “It was a others encourage children to read by giving children free
very hard decision to [leave the firm]. But, people always ask books and hosting reading events.
me ‘Kim, how do you do it all?’ and I say I don’t, you have to Catalano says she finds working with Tanglewood
give up things for yourself and do what you need to do for Elementary rewarding because she’s working to help educate
your family.” children, including her own.
Soon after leaving the firm, Catalano found herself with new “Anything you can do for a child that enhances their edu-
career opportunities, and took on a job as a Fort Worth cation and makes them want to learn more is so rewarding,”
Municipal Court Judge Pro Tem on nights and weekends. she says. “I tell my husband all the time that I’m not getting
As a Pro Tem Judge, Catalano serves in the Fort Worth the self-satisfaction you get from winning a trial or settling a
Municipal Court and in the Fort Worth Jail as needed. She case, but I see my children’s faces smiling all the time, and
deals mostly in traffic citations, class-c misdemeanor tickets that’s what I’m getting.”
and arraignments. – Leslie Wimmer
She also works as Tarrant County’s Tax Ad Litem
attorney, where she serves two roles: representing chil-
dren or incompetent adults who are injured, and in
locating people who have been sued but can’t be found.
About the prop:

I juggled a gavel, which represents my legal career as a
lawyer and a judge. And I juggled a microphone, which repre-
sents my personal interest and hobby with my vocal perform-
ance degree. And then I juggled the baseball, and that repre-
sents my husband and three boys who just love baseball.

Fake handcuffs for a “Book ‘Em” themed reading event at
my kids’ elementary school.

I was a pizza delivery girl.

My used “Mommy” Volvo. It wasn’t brand new, but it was Volvo
and I considered a Volvo a luxury item.

Phone

Broadway singer

Anywhere. I am just happy if I have the time to eat.

Greg Cook
38 Integra Realty Resources
Greg Cook’s motto in life is ‘don’t dwell on the past. Learn dent. But Cook hasn’t stopped with professional organiza-
from it and move forward.’ tions. He also has served as chair of the Steve Baggett
And that’s just what he has done. Memorial Golf Tournament, a volunteer at Westaid, providing
Cook has taken lessons he learned outside of the class- assistance for West Fort Worth citizens in need and has
room while playing football at Texas A&M University (a center) served on the Ridglea Hills Neighborhood Association.
and coupled those with earning his bachelor’s degree in agri- Cook says his community involvement is important to him
cultural economics and subsequently his master’s degree in because it’s “important to help those that are less fortunate.
land economics and real estate in back-to-back years to pro- It’s just that simple.”
pel him to becoming senior analyst at Integra Realty Cook and his wife, Shannon, have been married for almost
Resources in Fort Worth. 14 years and don’t have any children, but “don’t tell our 14-
Cook got his start with Integra through an internship with year-old chocolate lab that,” he says.
Donald Sherwood during the summer of 1994. Sherwood – Aleshia Howe
eventually would merge offices with Ben Loughry in 1996 to
form Appraisal Data Services and hire Cook. Appraisal Data
Services later merged with Dallas-based LamBis Consulting
to form Integra Realty Resources DFW.
Loughry, who nominated Cook for the 40 Under 40 award,
says Cook is one of his company’s top producers.
“Greg is a very valuable asset to our company both in and
out of the office,” Loughry says. “He is not only one of our top
producers year in and year out, but he also represents us in
various industry groups.” These groups include being a
member of the International Right of Way Association since
2002 and serving as its secretary, treasurer and vice presi-
About the prop:

It’s my helmet that I played in at Texas A&M!

Shotgun ammunition

City of Amarillo as a life guard

A watch, which to this day I still wear.

Either is fine. They both have their advantages.

Hunting guide or golf pro but my golf game disqualifies
me from the latter.

Lucile’s Stateside Bistro on Camp Bowie Boulevard
May 28, 2009 13

Andrew de la Torre
29 Embargo
At 29 Andrew de la Torre has developed a substantial con- “Whether serving as a board member, providing a venue
tribution to the economy of Fort Worth’s thriving Central for events or providing monetary support,” a colleague notes,
Business District. His entertainment venue, Embargo, has “Andrew de la Torre has made an impressive showing of
helped to trigger a lively scene within a once-neglected community involvement.” His volunteer-service efforts extend
southern end of the Downtown area, in the 900 block of to such organizations as Texas Ballet Theatre’s Board of
Houston Street. Patrons, United Way, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce,
Embargo has emerged as a fitting complement to the the AIDS Outreach Center, Leadership Fort Worth and affiliat-
entertaining, pedestrian-welcoming atmosphere that has ed programs, Centro Cultural de
developed since the 1980s within the northern stretches of las Americas, the Latino Peace
the Downtown area. Officers Association,
de la Torre counts among his mentors some of the most Professionals Supporting the
capable leaders the city has seen – including his father, polit- Arts, Artes de la Rosa and the
ical and economic leader Carlos de la Torre, and former Rose Marine Theatre, the Fort
Mayor Bob Bolen. Worth Library Foundation and
Bolstering an advertising and public relations degree from the city of Fort Worth
Texas Christian University with backup studies in art and Hispanic Leadership
Spanish, de la Torre found his professional leanings in prop- Organization.
erty development ventures – declining job offers elsewhere in – Michael H. Price
order to indulge a love for his hometown. An early collabora-
tive effort, Gryphon Acquisitions, found him doubling as a
project manager and construction worker, restoring deterio-
rated properties on the city’s historic south side.
In times more recent, de la Torre has established Embargo
as a preferred location for business gatherings, professional
networking events and entertainment for entertainment’s
sake.
About the prop:

I have three skateboards and use them all to commute to work
and run errands around Downtown.

The passenger side of a wrecked 1957 Chevy Bel Air. It’s hang-
ing above the front door at Embargo.

Louis Heinze Construction

A Romeo y Julieta Anniversary cigar humidor, stocked with
Cubans

Neither, face to face is the way to go. The eyes never lie.

City planner or developer

Nowhere. How can you talk business while you are stuffing your
face? Logistically, it just doesn’t make sense. Cocktails, anyone?

Mark W. Drennan
36 Bank of Texas NA
Born and raised in Fort Worth, Mark W. Drennan returned “He’s been a great mentor, really he has been ever since I
six years ago and has been working to provide a positive met him,” Drennan says.
impact ever since. Since returning to his hometown, Drennan and his wife,
He earns high praise from those who work with him. Heather, have stayed busy. Drennan is a member of the Fort
“Mark meets the challenges of today’s banking environment Worth Chamber’s Vision Fort Worth group, on the Young
with integrity, intelligence and ingenuity,” says Charlie Powell, Leaders council of the Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council
Tarrant County Market President for Bank of Texas N.A. “Mark and a member of the Society of Commercial Realtors. He has
is also committed to making his community a better place to also been in the class of Leadership Fort Worth, which he
work and live.” touts as “great program.” He also is attending the Stonier
As senior vice president market manager for commercial Graduate School of Banking at the University of Pennslyvania.
real estate for Bank of Texas, Drennan currently is dealing When not working, Drennan and his wife like to travel, but
with difficult market conditions. But he has an upbeat attitude that has been hampered somewhat by the birth of two twin
about the current environment. boys, Beckett and Finn, now 2 years old.
“I’ve done this for 11 years and I haven’t seen a market like “They’re my future travel buddies,” he says.
this before – and neither has anyone else. It’s a unique time, – Robert Francis
but it’s a good learning experience,” he says. “I truly believe
when we come out of this, we’ll have learned a lot.”
Drennan left his native city to attend college at Texas Tech
University in Lubbock, where he received his bachelor’s
degree and an MBA. From there, he spent some time in
Denver before joining Bank of Oklahoma. With Bank of
Oklahoma, he worked in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Okla., then
moved to Dallas with Bank of Texas, before landing back
home in Fort Worth.
He has known Powell for about nine years, though he has
only worked directly with him for the past six years.
About the prop:

A family heirloom, a globe purchased by my grandparents in 1955,
represents my enjoyment of traveling and a photo of
my 2-year-old twin boys, Beckett and Finn, my
future travel buddies.

Cheesecakes for customer Christmas gifts

A job where I packaged and shipped shoe trees.
What was the first luxury item you bought

yourself?
New golf clubs

E-mail

Host of the Travel Channel

Fort Worth Club
May 28, 2009 15

Jamie Fulton
27 The Covey Restaurant & Brewery
An upbringing in a family of physicians and fine-food tional recognition for his skill.”
aficionados prepared Jamie Fulton for a self-assured career Fulton also has implemented an organization known as The
in the scientific precision of brewing. Fulton’s development of Covey CREW, whose membership of beer connoisseurs par-
a distinctive Vienna Lager earned him a World Beer Cup take of such monthly events as beer-pairing dinners,
Gold Medal for 2008, in addition to a 2007 regional champi- designed to compare dynamics of flavor in a festive setting.
onship. Other Fulton-developed brews have scored in prominent
Fulton, 27, opened The Covey Restaurant & Brewery in Fort championship events, as well, including the Jack’s Reserve
Worth in April 2006 as a culmination of interests that date Barleywine and the Cowboy Lager. The Covey itself has land-
back to childhood. ed a number of food-journalist accolades.
“I absorbed the interest from my parents, the drive and Fulton and his wife, Kelly, have a son, Jackson. Fulton’s
spirit,” Fulton says, “along with the passion for fine foods – community-service activities
cooking is a family tradition – and all that goes with them. I involve such agencies as
started brewing while in college, even though my major field the Lena Pope Home,
of study [at Trinity University] was far removed from business the Tarrant Area Food
or cooking – in art history. But then, brewing is an art in Bank, Big Brothers/Big
itself.” Sisters and the Jewel
The Covey has logged steady growth in three years, with a Charity Ball.
50 percent surge in profitability since 2007. Fulton has proven – Michael H. Price
himself as a shirtsleeves manager, taking part in the workday
routine in both the restaurant and brewery operations while
radiating leadership abilities and long-term vision. His cus-
tomary presence at the restaurant assures visibility among
the customers; a Covey mailing list serves 1,400 patrons with
frequently updated information.
“Jamie is not only a successful entrepreneur who cares
deeply about the community,” writes a colleague, “but he also
has perfected the art of micro-brewing and has created a
niche for himself in Fort Worth … and has received interna-
About the prop:

It’s the World Beer Cup medal.

Some of the finer Belgian-style blond ales – research, for my line of
work

An architectural firm in Dallas

Fine coffees, chocolates, cheeses – I value the finer such selec-
tions.

Phone

Cheese-making, perhaps

The Covey
May 28, 2009 17

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J.R. Holland
30 Colonial Savings
Not many people would leave behind a job playing golf to commercial loans, commercial checking and savings
pursue a career at a financial services company, but that’s accounts, business credit and debit cards and more.
exactly what J.R. Holland did last year. Before joining Colonial Savings in March 2008, Holland
Holland currently is product manager at Colonial Savings, a spent seven years as a golf professional in South Carolina,
longtime Fort Worth-based financial services company, after Washington D.C., and finally Fort Worth. He still retains his
having previously worked as a golf professional for seven membership to the Professional Golf Association.
years, two of which he spent at Fort Worth’s Colonial Country And while he doesn’t get to golf as much as he once did,
Club. But the Tulsa native insists there are similarities he continues to enjoy the company-to-client rela-
between his previous job and current responsibilities. tionships his current employer provides.
As product manager, Holland works with clients to ensure “As a golf professional, I was able to teach
they’ve got all the tools necessary to efficiently and effectively people how to improve their golf game,
manage their business needs – from credit and debit card wardrobe and appreciation for the game,”
processing to check scanning and more. he says in his nomination form for the 40
Much like a golf professional teaches an individual about Under 40. “I realize now that what excited
swings, and perhaps sells them a better club, Holland edu- me in golf was the excitement and joy these
cates and sells with his current employer. He educates clients simple things gave my members.
about how a Colonial Savings product can work with a As a banker, I’m using the
business and what it will cost. same principles to help our
“The main goal for our existing clients is providing for clients take the small pieces
their needs. Whatever needs they have we strive to not of their life to create a larg-
only provide them excellent service but find the prod- er, more complete
uct that fills their needs,” he says. “We’re not going to whole.”
put them in a shoe that doesn’t fit just for the fact – John-Laurent
of selling one. Tronche
“We do a little bit of everything,” Holland adds,
“we go from restaurants to lawn care all the way to
white-collar businesses.”
In addition to what Holland provides,
Colonial Savings also offers a range of other
banking and finance solutions, including
About the prop:

First a husband, second a PGA golf
professional and third a banker.

Cookie cakes for almost every south Fort Worth business

A fishing lure company in Oklahoma

A flat-panel TV when they first came out

Phone

Director of a nonprofit organization

Joe T. Garcia’s
May 28, 2009 19

Lyndsay Hoover
32 Presbyterian Night Shelter
Lyndsay Hoover started volunteering at the Presbyterian Fort Worth Public Relations Society of America, and is commu-
Night Shelter in 2004. By November 2007, she left her eight- nity vice president as well as vice president of fund develop-
year role as public relations and development director at the ment for the Fort Worth Junior League. Hoover also serves as a
Fort Worth Zoo to join the team at PNS in the same capacity. board member and secretary of MayFest Inc. and serves on
She recently took over the reins as interim executive director the Amon Carter Gallery Steering Committee.
until a permanent one is hired. But it is her work with the homeless, she says, that inspires
Although the Weatherford native enjoyed the challenges of her more than anything.
fund-raising and increasing awareness of the zoo’s programs “Working at Presbyterian Night Shelter is so challenging but
and still loves animals – she grew up riding horses and show- it’s really rewarding, too. It’s sad to see people broken down
ing longhorns – she’s found her life’s work helping eliminate and disheartened but seeing them tackle those enormous
homelessness. problems, seeing hope light up in their eyes, is one of the most
“When I started working with homeless women and chil- rewarding things possible,” she
dren,” Hoover says, “my heart just grew and it became my says. “For every ounce of suffer-
passion to help the cause.” ing there’s that much more in
Hoover has put her whole heart into stimulating community the joy expressed when they
awareness about homeless issues. She initiated the shelter’s overcome their obstacles.
first public relations and proactive media placement campaign Helping them see there’s
and created the organization’s first fund-raising strategy. In her another life out there and see-
time at PNS, she has tripled the volunteer base and has ing that joy keeps me moti-
recruited almost 500 new donors. She helped raise $1.78 mil- vated in the midst of all the
lion in her first year, exceeding the prior year’s annual giving by suffering.”
20 percent. She also increased foundation support by 120 per- Lyndsay and her hus-
cent, raising $525,000. band, Justin, are expect-
“Lyndsay is a remarkable person with tremendous skills, ing their first baby in
insight and dedication,” says former PNS Executive Director August.
Carol Klocek. “The homeless community has benefited from – Betty Dillard
her ability to raise awareness, generate compassion and bring
positive good will toward those who live on the margins in Fort
Worth.”
A graduate of Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s
degree in journalism, Hoover has won numerous awards for
her marketing acumen. She is a board member of Greater
About the prop:

The faces of homelessness are much more diverse than
most people suspect.

I work in nonprofit; we don’t expense much.

Either mucking out horse stalls or at Dairy Queen in
Weatherford (I can't remember which was first).

E-mail

Thankfully, I picked right the first time (PR and fund-
raising for nonprofits).

Park Hill Deli – it’s causal, light and isn’t noisy.

David Kramer
38 Republic Title of Texas
David Kramer, senior vice president of Republic Title of parameters are met, and your goals are met. Profit margins, all
Texas, was genetically predisposed to being in the title busi- that.” Kramer says. “And from an outside perspective, I think
ness, he says. that your reputation is key. You can’t violate some of the core
“This career path was aligned genetically, because my father tenets of business. And I don’t distinguish between business
is in the title business, and he’s the chairman of this company,” ethics and maybe family ethics. You have to hold true to core
Kramer says. principles if you’re going to build a reputation, and people
Republic Title offers title and escrow related services for resi- have to know you’re going to do what you say and that you
dential and commercial real estate transactions. Kramer joined stand up for things.”
Republic Title in 2005, when he sold a company he had equity – Leslie Wimmer
in Republic. He now manages the residential operations for the
company on the western half of the Metroplex, and does some
limited work in the commercial side of the business.
Among the reasons Michael Flynn, with Southland Property
Tax Consultants, cited in nominating Kramer was Kramer’s
business spirit, which Flynn says exemplifies a Fort Worth busi-
ness person.
“I believe strongly in the management style of servant lead-
ership, the role of management is not to really delegate down,
but to support up,” Kramer says. “It’s to
provide all the tools and resources for
employees so they can be successful
and the company becomes successful
because of that.
“The other thing I think is you can man-
age a business based on all kinds of metrics
and systems, but the reality is if you just base
your whole culture around customer service, just do
excellent customer service, the other metrics and
About the prop:

I enjoy hunting and fishing and bow hunting. I love animals,
and I think they’re delicious.

A Santa suit, a bottle of scotch and a pack of camel lights.
It was my first Christmas party in business work.

Bennigan’s, I was a bus boy.

A 19th century armoire for hanging smoked meats.

Phone

I’d have to be matador or a caboose man or a stand-up
comedian.

The City Club
May 28, 2009 21

Craig Lloyd
37 Glint Advertising & Design
While some advertising agencies work to land big clients for smaller companies and nonprofits, “The budgets aren’t
with even bigger wallets, entrepreneur Craig Lloyd said it was huge – there’s good money but they’re trying to figure out
the little guys that led him to open his own firm, Glint how to make that top-10 spot.”
Advertising & Design, in Hurst. Lloyd credits several facts to his firm’s success, including
The North Texas businessman founded Glint in 2000, fol- hiring the right people for the right job.
lowing a stint working in Dallas for a number of years special- “Our creative director used to be my boss when I started
izing in the retail industry. But after focusing on large clients, out,” he says. “He’s very good at what he
Lloyd set out to cater to the companies that resembled him – does and we’re a great complement to
companies that wanted to be different, grow and blaze new each other.”
paths. He adds, “It’s about finding the right
“They’re hungry, they want to move forward and they person, the right fit. Skill set is impor-
believe in the process,” says Lloyd, principal of the seven- tant when it’s a designer but a lot of
employee company. “That’s what I saw working in the that stuff can be taught. It’s about tap-
industry.” ping into what we do and providing for
Currently, the company works with 30 different indus- that client.”
tries and about 80 different types of clients; nonprofit Lloyd says he reminds compa-
organizations, senior services firms and retail represent nies that it’s less about them,
most of Lloyd’s clients, while others have included and more about the consumers,
Mensa International, Ameriprise Financial Inc. and fit- who ultimately decide whether
ness firm Larry North through a partnership with a advertising and marketing
separate company. efforts are a success or a
“A big part for me is I didn’t want the clients run- failure.
ning the agency, I wanted the agency to run the “You’ve got so many differ-
client,” he says, adding sometimes large clients ent areas of marketing, the
are set in their ways and difficult to maneuver. As bottom line is looking at their
budget – big or small – and
About the prop: applying that message
It reminded me of the choice I made to go into effectively,” he says.
advertising rather than become an illustrator. “Sometimes it’s a pam-
phlet, sometimes it’s a tel-
What is the strangest thing you’ve evision ad.”
expensed?
– John-Laurent Tronche
A wooden statue of a marlin
Where did your first paycheck come

from?
Armed Forces European Broadcasting
Squadron

yourself?
A burnt orange Chevrolet Avalanche

Phone

Animator for movies
Where is the best place to have a business

lunch?
Sabor Cigar & Wine Lounge in Keller
May 28, 2009 23

Brant Martin
38 Wick Phillips LLP
On face value, Brant Martin’s academic degrees have little he’s learned come together with the thrill of being in front of a
relevancy to each other. judge and jury and finding creative solutions. He started his
There’s the undergraduate work in Spanish and English at career as a corporate lawyer, but missed the dispute side of
Washington & Lee University, where he graduated in 1992, fol- law. He’s worked in various positions, including being in-house
lowed by a master’s of arts in religion at Yale University Divinity counsel for a start-up in New York, but says he wanted to get
School in 1994, where Martin had an emphasis in religion and back to Fort Worth, where he was born and raised, to start a
literature. Top all that off with a J.D. degree from Southern family.
Methodist University’s law school in 1997, where Martin was He married his wife, Natalie, in November 2003, and today
valedictorian and editor of the SMU Law Review. has two sons: Campbell, who is almost four, and Davis, who is
When Martin explains his degrees, though, it suddenly two.
makes sense. Law is a noble profession, Martin says, and he’s happy to be
“It’s about interpreting texts and helping people at crisis a part of it. He was the Democratic nominee for Tarrant County
points in their lives,” says Martin, 38. “I do get asked that ques- Judge in 2002, and he says that gave him an opportunity to
tion quite a bit.” meet people on both sides of the aisle who were passionate
Martin, who is now a partner at Wick Phillips LLP, says being about local government and the positive impact it can have on
a lawyer has always been something he’s thought of pursuing. citizens.
In school, his studies focused around interpreting “ancient “It’s important for everyone
texts” – whether it’s the law or religious texts – to make it appli- to get engaged,” he says.
cable for the modern world, as well as learning to deal with a – Elizabeth Bassett
system with which most people are broadly familiar (again,
such as the law or the dogma of a religion) but most don’t
know the nuances. The law and religion are also each focused
on helping people in a crisis point.
Martin is a commercial trial lawyer, and says all of the skills
About the prop:

One prop is a picture of his children, and the other is a small movie poster
from To Kill a Mockingbird, the scene in which Atticus Finch is in front of
the jail talking down a mob. “To me, I’m not there yet . . . but that would
be an ideal I would strive toward, which is not only
to be a good lawyer but to be a good father.”

A coal miner’s pick that I bought on eBay for one of
my partners as a “trophy” when he resolved a big
case that had to do with a coal mining company.

The Back Porch ice cream parlor on Camp Bowie
Boulevard.
What was the first luxury item you bought your-

self?
A nice watch

Both, it depends on the situation.

Writing or teaching

Reata or the Fort Worth Club

Daniel McCarthy
39 The Blum Firm PC
For Daniel McCarthy, coming to Texas several years back focuses on family businesses and closely-held business enti-
has given the young man a chance to make his mark on his ties, providing them with tax and estate planning services. He
adopted home – and make it he has. works with clients to develop and implement structures to form,
McCarthy, 39, a tax and estate planning attorney and CPA manage, protect and transfer business and investment assets
with The Blum Firm PC, has found success, not just in his in a tax efficient manner.
chosen profession, but also though his involvement in the He has received numerous accolades for his work with The
community. Blum Firm as well, being named a “Texas Rising Star” by Texas
The current board president of Imagination Celebration said Monthly magazine. McCarthy also has been past president of
he was initially impressed when he began to see what the the Tarrant County Tax and Estate Planning Section of the
organization, which combines appreciation of the arts with Tarrant County Bar Association and a vice chairman of the
education, was accomplishing in the community. Estate and Gift Tax Committee of the State Bar of Texas Tax
“We provide a wonderful opportunity to the school children Section.
of this area,” he says. McCarthy also receives
As a leader in the organization, McCarthy says he stays accolades from his wife,
involved by giving his time and supporting others in the work Erica, for being a
there. devoted father to his
“I think it’s important for me to be a strong voice of support son, Jack and
for the organization,” he says. daughter, Shea.
For Ginger Head-Gearheart, executive director and founder – Robert Francis
of Imagination Celebration, McCarthy’s integrity is a key attrib-
ute he brings as a leader to the organization.
“He is someone that is a very strong, bright and quiet, but
he’s absolutely a leader,” she says. “I’m very impressed and
the longer I know him, the more impressed I am.”
For instance, though he is busy in his professional life, he
never seems pressed for time, she says.
“That’s one key component to being a good leader, not let-
ting anyone feel like you don’t have time for them,” she says.
In his profession, the Chicago-born McCarthy primarily
About the prop:

I picked the program from 2005 World Series. I’m a lifelong
Chicago White Sox fan and I was able to get tickets to go see
one of the games with my father.

As a caddy at Inverness County Club near Chicago

I remember in high school and installing cable and we got paid
in cash, so I went out and bought – and I know this really dates
me – Guess Jeans. They were just “in” then.

E-mail

Oil and gas exploration

Fort Worth Club
May 28, 2009 25

Todd Miller
33 Worth Benefits & Consultants Inc.
Todd Miller has made a career of out-of-the-box ideas. “Worth Benefits offers something that is not in this demo-
“If it sounds like a bad idea I’ll give it a shot,” he says. graphic,” Miller says. “It is overlooked by many people out
Miller’s business ventures began while still in college at Texas there. It’s really exciting to do something that has not been done
Wesleyan University working on a bachelor’s degree in advertis- before. I just love building long-term relationships.”
ing and public relations. With several friends, Miller owned a In addition to his business venture, Miller has an extensive list
movie production company making short films and full-length of community involvement. He is a founding member of the
features. After Miller graduated in 2000, they sold the company. Young at Heart Board, a young professional American Heart
One of the films Miller’s group shot required wrestling knowl- Association group, founder and chairman of the Samaritan
edge, so Miller stepped up to the plate. This led to a four-year House young professionals committee, founder of the Samaritan
stint as a professional wrestler, The Blue Hawaiian. In addition to House Youth Initiative, chairman of Bluebonnet Place
wrestling, he also announced. Neighborhood Association, Berry Street Initiative executive com-
“My mom never understood how I could go from a debutante mittee and Presidents Council for Texas Wesleyan University.
ball one weekend to wrestling in a hole-in-the-wall bar the next,” “Todd is passionate about being an influence for good across
Miller says. all platforms in our city,” says Susan Nix, director of marketing
More recently, however, Miller opened his own insurance and community relations at Casa Mañana. “He is building busi-
company, Worth Benefits & Consultants Inc., in March. An inter- ness relationships and a network of professionals to accomplish
est in insurance was fueled by Miller’s stint as a test driver for these goals.”
motorcycles. Miller and his wife, Michele,
“It was one of the most fun jobs in the whole world. I was have two children, Aggie
young and newly married, having a good time,” he says. “I had and Pate.
a couple of accidents and insurance didn’t cover it.” – Crystal Forester
Curious about other people in similar situations, he investigat-
ed the industry. He worked at Johnston and Matthews Benefits
and Technology Consultants for more than a year working with
companies with more than 100 employees.
“My parents were excited to say I had a real job,” Miller says.
Now, in his own firm, he works with companies with less than
150 employees in the small- to mid-market business.
About the prop:

I love to grill, you can give me a whole weekend and leave me in the
kitchen and I’m happy. That’s how I relax.

Never had the opportunity to expense anything – I’ve owned
my own business most of the time.

University Car Wash, it’s Cityview Car Wash now.

Custom made one-off motorcycle

Phone

Is there anything else I haven’t tried?

Piranha Sushi, especially if someone else is buying.

Nelson Mitchell
38 History Maker Homes
Nelson Mitchell never intended to go into his family’s the Young President’s Organization.
business. In addition to building homes for primarily first-time home-
The fourth generation in a line of men who founded, then ran buyers, Mitchell says History Maker Homes also is a faith-
History Maker Homes, Mitchell earned money in junior high based organization.
and high school by working on home construction job sites “It is sometimes difficult because we get called to a higher
doing the dirty work, like picking up trash, scrubbing tubs and standard by our customers and partners. We set very high
mowing model lawns. expectations for ourselves on how we treat our internal and
It wasn’t until his college years at Texas A&M University, external customers,” he says.
where he framed houses during his summers, that he fell in “[But] mostly, it is not hard
love with building homes. at all because it is consis-
“I also worked with some of our superintendents the summer tent with my beliefs, con-
- before I graduated college and experienced first hand the victions and values.”
rewarding feeling of taking a piece of dirt with nothing on it Mitchell and his wife,
then building a home and experiencing the joy of handing over Liz, have three sons: Jake,
the keys to an excited family who is owning their first home,” he Miles and Luke.
says. – Aleshia Howe
In 2000, Mitchell became the fourth-generation president of
History Maker Homes and he described the experience as
“humbling.”
“After running our company for almost 10 years, I have so
much of a better appreciation for the effort it took from the past
three generations,” he says. “… [My grandfather and great-
grandfather] had great vision and drive to start a company
from scratch.”
In his home life, Mitchell is a member of the World Bible
Translation Center in Fort Worth as well as board member of
Fort Worth Christian School in North Richland Hills. And he is
just as active in the home building industry, with distinction as
a progressive and innovative member of the National
Association of Home Builders, and Builder’s 20. He is also a
member of the Greater Fort Worth Builders’ Association and
About the prop:

It was the coolest thing in my office.

Cleaning dog and cat kennels from my father’s veterinarian clinic

A Porsche 911

E-mail

Own and manage a ski resort

Reata
May 28, 2009 27

Randi Mitchell
31 OmniAmerican Bank
A large part of Randi Mitchell’s work is teaching young “For children it’s important just to make sure, because our
people and adults about financial literacy and how to save children are our future, to make sure they understand the
money. value of saving money and understand what money is and
Mitchell, the vice president of marketing at OmniAmerican how they need to save for the future,” Mitchell says. “And on
Bank, works in several capacities to further financial educa- the adult side, it’s important, especially in this economy, to
tion for students and others in Texas. make sure people understand how best to save their money
She serves on the Texas Bankers Association’s Foundation and really prepare for the unexpected.”
Board, which focuses on financial literacy and programs such A good portion of Mitchell’s community service work is her
as Teach Children to Save, Junior Achievement and works to involvement with OmniAmerican’s efforts with Junior
award scholarships to students. Achievement, which includes setting up and organizing
“We go out to schools every year and teach programs on schools and volunteers for various programs, and participat-
financial literacy,” Mitchell says. “Last year, we had three ing in a bowl-a-thon every year,
schools, and it was a big year for us. We had over 1,500 kids she says. Also, Mitchell works
that we were able to teach these programs to.” with Catholic Charities,
The programs are broken into two parts: A program geared United Way, and the
toward kindergarten to second grade focusing on money and American Lung
the value of money, and a program for third through fifth Association.
grades focused on the difference in needs and wants. – Leslie Wimmer
About the prop:

A photo of my family, my husband Matthew and our two girls:
Maitlynn, 5-years-old, and Mayden, 9 weeks. My family is so
very important to me. A scrapbook, turned to the page with my
mother and grandmother on it. And my camera. I love to take
pictures, especially of my girls.

Many years ago my team and I were up working late - until
4 a.m. - preparing for a launch of a new campaign. We
were assembling displays for our branches. To keep
everyone’s spirits up and keep them motivated I
made a Wal-Mart run and bought all kinds of
crazy things for them. It made everyone laugh
and kept us going.

I worked at the concession stand at the
Benbrook Ballpark for several summers. After
that it was as a carhop at Sonic.

yourself?
A Tahoe. It was absolutely beautiful.

E-mail

Probably photography. I love taking pictures and capturing the
cutest expressions.

Any of the Pappa’s restaurants. My boss loves Pappa’s burgers
so I’ll go with that.

Drew Myers
33 e-Partners in Giving
Two years ago while on a spring break camping trip, Drew running to Back on My Feet, a nonprofit in Philadelphia that
Myers, then the director of communications at Texas Christian attacks homelessness through running.
University’s athletics department, decided to hang up his uni- “Drew Myers inspires people to ‘never stop giving back,’ not
form and create e-Partners in Giving, a Web site designed to only through his company but also by being a great example in
make online charitable donations quick and easy. the community,” says e-Partners in Giving colleague Carrie
“The idea came out of the blue,” Myers says. “I literally woke Bigbie. “I cannot wait to hear (or read through his blog,
up in the middle of the night thinking about it. I thought there Facebook or Twitter) what Drew is doing for his community and
should be an easier way to do online giving.” the support he gives to organizations around Fort Worth and
The former Frogs football coach – he served three years as elsewhere.”
assistant director of football operations at TCU and as the pro Myers helped host the kick-off rally for the 2009 Tarrant
scout liaison to high schools and junior colleges – launched e- County Homeless Count, the first Christmas Extravaganza at
Partners in Giving in December 2008. Presbyterian Night Shelter and the North Richland Hills Trash
Previously, Myers was the director of football operations and Bash 2008. He recently began e-Partners in Giving’s first non-
the defensive passing game coordinator at Blinn College, where profit partnership with Nuru International, an organization that
he also coached the wide receivers. He earned a master’s fights poverty in Africa.
degree in education from Prairie View A&M University and has a “We need to start thinking about
bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Midwestern others, about giving back to
State University. In 2000, he was a training camp analyst for the help others,” Myers says.
Dallas Cowboy Insider. “We’re making it easy for you
Myers says he doesn’t regret giving up sports writing and to do that.”
coaching football to facilitate online donations. “I’ve found my – Betty Dillard
true passion with e-Partners in Giving,” he says. “I really believe
in giving back and want to help others give back.”
Myers is all about giving back. An avid marathon runner, he
ran in the Cowtown Half Marathon in February and on April 25,
he ran in the Country Music Marathon in Nashville. He made it
to mile 24 before succumbing to dehydration and a trip to the
emergency room. He donates all the money he collects from
About the prop:

I want ‘Never Stop Giving Back’ to
become Cowtown’s mantra.

Twenty-four bags of ice (don’t ask)

Little Caesar’s Pizza

yourself?
Still waiting to afford something luxurious

E-mail
Another profession you’d like to try?

Country music star

Chimi’s
May 28, 2009 29

Teresa Nelson
38 Teresa’s Treasures
When called upon to testify before Congress about the the board of directors for the Sister Cities program, is on the
impact of the current recession on her business, Teresa Nelson Carter BloodCare donor council and is a speaker and coun-
knew she could not afford the airfare to Washington, D.C., but selor at the Business Assistance Center. In addition, she
she was determined to tell her story, a story familiar to many donates many of the proceeds from her business to the
small businesses around the country. Humane Society and Safe Haven.
She was able to testify thanks to friends in the community – “I continue to search for new ways to give back while also
particularly at TECH Fort Worth and the University of North teaching young women and business owners how to thrive, not
Texas Health Science Center – who helped Nelson deliver her just survive, in the face of adversity,” she says.
message via videoconference. – Robert Francis and Betty Dillard
“Teresa is a well-respected small business owner in Fort
Worth. Her business has been dramatically affected by the
economic downturn and she has had to lay off employees as a
result,” says Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, who had asked
Nelson to speak. “Her story is an example of the kind of issues
small business owners across the country face.”
Nelson sets quite an example. The owner of a Fort Worth-
based gourmet gifts business, Teresa’s Treasures, also teaches
a high school success skills class to seniors, is a member of
About the prop:

My family completes me and the gift design shows I love my
city and allows my creativity to flourish.

Chocolate elephants to market “Don’t forget about us.”

Wal-Mart Pharmacy
What was the first luxury item you bought your-

self?
An expensive leather briefcase out of college

E-mail for convenience

Professional Pastry Chef.

lunch?
Fort Worth Club
Fort Worth Business Press

30
Amanda Neill
37 Botanical Research Institute of Texas
At 37, Amanda Neill has pursued enough scientific immer- mands a more immediate attention: “The field research gener-
sion for any number of lifetimes – facing the occasional death- ates immense volumes of online content,” Neill says, “that take
defying task in the service of botany. BRIT ever further into the digital realm – where all that data can
The science of plant life became Neill’s calling during a be made available worldwide via the Internet.”
childhood spent at College Station, where parents engaged in Already renowned for its extensive book-form publications,
the scholarship of fish-and-game biology and zoology in gen- the institute launched a massive campaign to develop Web-
eral encouraged her to commune at close range with the out- based virtual herbariums at www.brit.com. These include an
of-doors world. encyclopedic survey of Texas’ native plants, due for comple-
“I was learning about wildflowers – and how to identify them, tion by summer’s end. In the geographical realm, meanwhile,
in our garden – when I was 5 years old,” Neill says. Neill is preparing for the relocation of more than 1 million plant
It comes scarcely a surprise, then, that Neill should have specimens to a new Cultural District headquarters in develop-
applied her college degrees – two from Texas A&M University, ment for BRIT.
where her father teaches, and a doctorate-in-progress – to a The work dovetails throughout, Neill believes, with BRIT’s for-
career path that led her six years ago to the Fort Worth-based mal mission statement: “… to conserve our natural heritage by
Botanical Research Institute of Texas. deepening our knowledge of the plant world and achieving
As director of the Herbarium at BRIT, Neill has covered the public understanding of the value plants bring to life.”
home-front scene thoroughly, leading frequent tours for local – Michael H. Price
organizations and schools and serving as a mentor to stu-
dents at Texas Christian University. Neill also has ranged
far afield on behalf of BRIT, helping to conceive the Andes
to Amazon research project in Peru, a year and a half
ago, and to land a Moore Foundation grant of about $3
million to support the venture.
Her hitch in Southeastern Peru proved unexpectedly
perilous when Neill contracted a native parasitic disease
that required cathartic intravenous treatment. Fully recov-
ered now, she looks forward to further such fieldwork in
New Guinea.
Her work in the computer-based realm, however, com-
About the prop:

The image of a Herbarium specimen, the memory-cards
and the computer-mouse signify our efforts to take BRIT
further into the digital realm.

BRIT, of course, covered my entire treatment for that expe-
rience with the tropical disease, cutaneous leishmaniasis,
… contracted while I was working in Peru.

Brazos Valley Museum – a day-camp job

Biologists cannot afford luxuries.

E-mail

Travel writer

The Flying Saucer
May 28, 2009 31

David T. Nolan
38 Texas Christian University
David T. Nolan is in charge of raising $250 million for Texas “I just explain to them that both religion and literature all
Christian University’s Campaign for TCU. The goal of the deal with values and relationships and that is a lot of what we
campaign, which ends in 2012, is nothing less than fulfilling do in philanthropy,” he says. “So I see them very directly
the university’s vision of providing students a world-class, val- relating in a very meaningful way.”
ues-centered university experience. Nolan’s responsibilities at TCU come with ample outside
“What we’re doing, as the campaign enters its public help, he says.
phase, is to engage people to the university and expose “In our profession, you really have to have a strong group
them to the impact we’re having on students, the university of volunteer leaders and we’re very blessed to have Matt
and the community,” says Nolan, associate vice chancellor Rose from Burlington Northern as our campaign chair,” he
for university development. says. “He’s been a very strong advo-
The public phase got a pretty strong kickoff too, with CBS’ cate as have a lot of the other
Face The Nation host and 1959 TCU graduate Bob Schieffer volunteers. It’s very much
performing with his band, Honky Tonk Confidential, in early a group effort.”
April. Nolan has plenty of
Pretty heady stuff for a 38-year-old, but Nolan’s work has other experience as well,
won him plenty of praise both inside and outside the halls of working in the Peace
the university. Corps where he
“His ability to lead by example combined with integrity and worked helping devel-
a sense of fairness has enabled him to earn the respect of all op the nonprofit sector
with whom he works and interacts,” says Victor J. Boschini in Moldova.
Jr., TCU chancellor. Nolan’s wife, Jana,
Despite such acclaim, Nolan would rather stay in the back- also is a TCU graduate.
ground. A 1992 TCU graduate who earned a bachelor’s They have two sons,
degree in English literature and religion, as well as a master’s Connor and John.
degree in philanthropy from Indiana University, Nolan says – Robert Francis
some are people often are surprised at his TCU degrees.
About the prop:

I was trying to promote both TCU and to achieving [the $250
million] campaign goal [by 2012]. Also, as a hobby I roast coffee
beans, so the coffee mug fit that, too.

My first money was mowing grass, but first professional pay-
check was TCU, with a lot of odd jobs in-between.

I’m not sure I have one.

E-mail

Fly-fishing guide.

Colonial Country Club

David Parker
31 AT&T
When David Parker was growing up, he wanted to be a resources, decision making and much more. Parker went on
counselor. He saw it as a way to make a definite impact, one to complete a master’s in applied economics at Southern
person at a time. Methodist University, and he said his current role out in the
Parker, now the regional vice president, external affairs, for community lets him address economics in all forms but most
AT&T, did not become a counselor. Instead, he found a importantly in helping people find solutions.
career path that would still let him make connections with Parker, who was married in September 2008 to his wife
people in his community but on a larger scale. Mattie, grew up in Crowley and said he was glad his job
“You can help nonprofit organizations, you can help individ- brought him back to the Tarrant County area. Mattie is chief of
uals, you can help businesses that are trying to be more effi- staff for State Rep. Phil King of Weatherford. When he has
cient, put them in contact with the right people,” says Parker, down time, he loves being with family as well as reading,
31. studying and playing music – “loud music especially.”
Parker spends what he estimates to be about half his time Growing his career is limitless at the moment, Parker says,
outside his office. He has risen quickly through AT&T during although he admits it was hard to fill the shoes of his prede-
his almost nine years with the company – he joined when he cessor, who also was successful. Part of the challenge has
graduated from Texas A&M University in 1999 after being been coming into the role so young, he says, but he’s had the
recruited to their leadership development program, a three- opportunity to prove himself and hopes to continue doing so.
year rotational program he joined when the company was still “Fort Worth, North Texas and the Tarrant County group
SBC. In college, he majored in economics and business and have been so receptive to me, it
was also a part of the Corps Cadets on campus, and he said would have been so hard to
the two – as well as his parents – give him a good foundation have situated and stepped
to build on as he started his career. into this role in another
“I think economics is the root of everything; it’s what makes environment,” he says.
the world turn,” Parker says. “It’s not just money.” – Elizabeth Bassett
Instead, economics is about benefit analysis, maximizing
About the prop:

The pictures of former Fort Worth Mayor Bob Bolen, musician
Merle Haggard, former Utah Jazz point guard John Stockton,
and former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan,
all represent the overall theme of principle before politics, sub-
stance over style and achievement over action.

I once hired a starving musician to perform at an
employee/retiree appreciation event . . . Let's just say he didn't
accept American Express and couldn't break large bills.

The Bank of Crowley; I was responsible for changing the
sign.

A nice Taylor acoustic guitar.

Phone

Professor at a small college and teach economics or economic
development

No doubt - the Fort Worth Club.
May 28, 2009 33

Elaina Perez
39 Elite Staffing Services
Elaina Perez, 39, discovered the rewards of self- industrial settings. We’re still growing, and in addition
employment during her mid-20s and has developed to the staffing services we’re also handling a
that interest from a knack into a multimillion-dollar cor- considerable volume of payrolling services.”
porate enterprise. Perez’s community-service activities include projects
“She is super ambitious,” writes a colleague, “and of the Hispanic Women’s Network. She characterizes
not only a superb businesswoman … but also a wife her husband of 10 years, Martin, as having “con-
and a mother of three children under 10 years of age.” tributed greatly to my success.” The family also oper-
Perez launched her signature company, Haltom City- ates a ranch at Jacksboro as a
based Elite Staffing Services, 11 years ago. favorite haven.
“I had worked for a local temporary employment – Michael H. Price
service,” says Perez, a native of Corpus Christi and
a resident of Fort Worth since her high-school years.
While learning the ropes as a staffing-service
employee, she adds, “I observed the procedures and
developed my abilities to a point where I knew I could
establish a business of my own.”
Her success involves a combination of natural ability
and a formal degree in communications from the
University of Texas at Arlington.
Perez’s original strategy involved diversification,
including a venture known as Elite Resale Boutique.
The success of Elite Staffing Services, however,
proved to command increasing time and effort on
Perez’s part. She recently sold Elite Boutique in order
to concentrate more intently upon the office-and-indus-
trial staffing marketplace.
Elite Staffing generated some 1,800 W-2 forms dur-
ing 2008 – a fiscal year that also saw a 30 percent
growth rate, well beyond the owner’s expectations.
“Staffing represents a tremendous need,” Perez
says, “both in the office-work sector and in the
About the prop:

A Perez family heirloom of recent years’
vintage, the globe signifies an interest in travel.

A movie theater

yourself?
Travel

E-mail

The culinary arts

Mi Cocina, Downtown

Ken Shetter
37 Burleson Mayor, Safe City Commission of Tarrant County
Burleson Mayor Ken Shetter’s career description includes intervene in those processes.”
keeping Tarrant County safe, helping younger residents of During his time as mayor, Shetter says he’s learned that
Burleson go to college and working on transportation issues in patience is key in both working on problems in the city and in
Tarrant County. communicating with residents about their concerns. Also, he
Along with his work as mayor, Shetter also serves as execu- has learned the importance of government at the city level and
tive director of the Safe City Commission of Tarrant County, how that government affects residents’ lives.
where he runs the organization’s day-to-day operations and “The thing that has impacted me the most is coming to the
works on strategic planning for the future. realization that while everybody thinks about and talks about
The commission operates the Crime Stoppers program, which state and federal government, and when there’s a federal elec-
has been successful in getting dangerous criminals off the tion everybody goes and votes, nobody really pays attention to
streets, Shetter said. The commission also offers training pro- what’s going on at the local level,” Shetter says. “Its local gov-
grams for law enforcement officials and provides mentoring pro- ernment that provides all the services that impact your life on a
grams for at-risk middle school students. day-to-day basis. Government at the local level is really where
“Everything we do is different or innovative, or an experimen- it’s happening in terms of the things that impact your life day to
tal approach to doing something, we don’t want to do anything day. And while everybody kind of knows that, in my five years
somebody else can do,” Shetter says. as mayor, I really have come to understand that in a very per-
One program Shetter is excited about is a violence witness sonal way.”
intervention project. – Leslie Wimmer
“It provides intervention services to children and youth who
witness violence, it’s our newest program and I think it’s impor-
tant because what we’re trying to do is approach violence as a
public health problem,” Shetter says. “That means we want to
have an epidemiological approach, so we try to look at things
that can cause violence to happen and spread, and then
About the prop:

I brought a banner that was for the Burleson Opportunity Fund, and it’s
the one thing I’m most proud of. We started a program that provides
scholarships to high school graduates to go to community college in
Burleson. And I brought a book, it’s a dictionary my great grandfather
gave me when I was 9 years old.

When you’re an elected official, or working for a semi-public, nonprofit,
you’re not very smart if you expense something that’s strange.

Burleson Mini Golf was my first official paycheck, before that it was from
my grandfather doing work for him.

I did some traveling. Nothing exotic, but it was the first thing I gave
myself. I went on a long hiking trip to Colorado after about a year at work.

It depends, but I really prefer the phone. I prefer to speak to a live person
if it’s something really important.

Teaching, government, politics or law.

Reata. The food is good, and the service is great. They’re not overbearing,
so if you’ve got an important conversation going on they don’t interrupt
you, and you can hear each other talk in there.
May 28, 2009 35

Adam Smith
35 Texoma Harley–Davidson
Motorcycles have figured in Adam Smith’s orbit since at Arlington, Smith’s previous association with such deal-
childhood. erships as Longhorn Harley–Davidson and Waco
“I learned to ride a motorized cycle before I learned to Harley–Davidson served early on to establish him as an
ride a bicycle,” he says. authoritative figure in the industry. His expertise has been
Smith’s father and an uncle, too, were involved in called upon by the likes of Public Broadcasting Service,
Honda and Yamaha cycle sales during the late 1960s – a Harley–Davidson University and assorted alumni and
practical background for Smith’s signature venture today entrepreneurial organizations.
with Texoma Harley–Davidson. Smith recently joined American Bank of Waco as a
A colleague characterizes Smith, 35, as “a successful member of the board of directors.
entrepreneur who has mastered the skill of knowing how On the community-service
to rev up businesses and corner a niche,” adding “his front, Smith devotes
unique approach to finance, management and customer volunteer-effort
service has earned his dealerships industry recognition.” involvement to such
Smith also is a prolific investor in commercial real benevolent organiza-
estate, with various ownerships and part-ownerships in a tions as Brighter
range of properties including the historic Sinclair Tomorrows, a shelter
Building. for women and chil-
“This is an excellent time to be acquiring commercial dren, and the Grayson
properties,” says Smith, of Westlake. County Crisis Center in
The fondness for motorcycles extends to some savvy addition to service on
collecting, as well, in addition to the dealership. Smith behalf of UT–Arlington.
owns the celebrated movie cycle that serves as a – Michael H. Price
metaphor for solitude and freedom in the 1973 film
Electra Glide in Blue.
A marketing-degree graduate of the University of Texas
About the prop:

It’s a book, such as some people might use for a diary, that I use to
write down various thoughts and sayings – some words of my own,
some learned and collected from others.

A bet with a friend, that he couldn’t ride a 50CC scooter, in costume,
from Los Angeles to Texas. I lost. But it was a legitimate business
expense, having to do with my profession.

A bicycle shop in Bedford.

Probably a pickup truck – back when a pickup would have seemed
like a luxury to me.

Neither. Face-to-face communications work best. E-mail makes it way
too easy to say, ‘No.’

I don’t believe so.

Bodacious Barbecue in Arlington.
May 28, 2009 37

Jason Smith III
28 Arcos Interactive Marketing
Jason Smith III’s business, Arcos Interactive Marketing, is “As a pitcher you learn how to be a leader without being
heavily involved in cutting-edge technology, but that doesn’t demonstrative about it,” he says. “You find ways to lead by
mean he puts technology before people. example and to encourage others to do better.”
“I believe in focusing on the relationships we have with the Smith’s friends and colleagues call on him as a motivation-
people we work with,” he says. “What makes us different is al speaker and to intelligently discuss topics related to
that, even though we’re in a very technology-driven business Internet marketing.
dealing with Internet marketing and social media, we act Says friend Todd Miller: “Jason has determination and will
more as a guide for our customers. When they come to us, unlike anyone I have ever met. He looks at life and sees a
they’re getting more than just a business transaction.” playing field that is his to own.”
Smith’s philosophy has paid off. Arcos this year won the Smith and his wife, Anne-Marie, have two daughters; 21-
Small Business of the Year Award in the emerging business month-old Glorianne and 6-month-old Gabrielle.
category from the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. – Robert Francis
Smith also is a big believer in giving back to the communi-
ty. His various community projects include work with the Lena
Pope Home and the Ronald McDonald House.
He also gives back through his Web site:
http://arcosit.com/lifeonehanded, where he shares stories on
how he has handled many tasks in his life resulting from
being born with just one hand.
Smith says he learned early on he was going to have to
grow up quickly. When he was 5, he went to sign up to play
baseball, but the organizers did not want to let him sign up.
Smith did, excelling at his beloved sport to the extent he even-
tually made the Texas Christian University baseball team roster.
About the prop:

I chose my baseball glove because of the many life experiences
and lessons connected to my time playing. From overcoming
challenges and learning to harness determination to team build-
ing and leadership, the baseball field was my training ground
for much more than pitching.

Drill bits bought from a pawn shop.

My first paycheck, at the age of 8, came from a compa-
ny that solicited kids to sell greeting cards.I sold to fami-
ly, friends and door-to-door.

50-inch Plasma TV

E-mail

Baseball coaching

Fort Worth Club. Great atmosphere and never have to worry
about the quality of food or service.

Brent Sorrells
33 TECH Fort Worth, UNT Health Science Center
When Brent Sorrells starts talking about incubators, people ogy and an MBA in strategic management.
often think he’s a chicken breeder. A thought he laughs about. Prior to joining TECH Fort Worth three years ago, Sorrells was
He does breed and nurture though – people, not poultry. in the banking industry.
Passionate about entrepreneurialism, Sorrells is committed to When not playing or watching sports – pastimes include soc-
helping individuals turn their dreams into viable business enter- cer, softball, basketball and racquetball – Sorrells gives back to
prises and seek success on their own terms. He is operations the community. He is active with the Entrepreneurs Foundation
manager of TECH Fort Worth and associate director of entrepre- of North Texas and was co-chair of last year’s Freedom Day
neurship at UNT Health Science Center. Personally dedicat- event Sept. 11. He’s a member of BioDFW, The Rotary
ed to improving the quality life around him, Sorrells is help- Club of Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Chamber of
ing others enhance their communities. Commerce and the Fort Worth Life Science
“I love my job. It’s all about making an impact but not Coalition. He also volunteers with the North Texas
so much an economic impact,” Sorrells says. “The way I Regional Center for Innovation and
view it, that’s a result of what we do, not the reason to do Commercialization, serving on the steering commit-
it. For me, the passion comes from the desire to make tee for its Tech Success event.
the world a better place, helping technology Ask anyone who knows him, and they
startups get their innovations to market where all describe Sorrells the same way –
they can improve our environment, our com- passionate, dedicated, creative,
munities and our health.” organized, selfless, a born leader, the
Sorrells is the first incubator manager in unsung hero behind the curtain mak-
North Texas to be certified by the National ing it happen – whether it’s helping
Business Incubator Association. He is a stimulate the formation of new busi-
double graduate of the University of North nesses or helping upgrade the
Texas, earning a bachelor’s degree in biol- community.
“Brent cares deeply about this
community and he works tirelessly
About the prop:
Often when I tell someone I run an incu- to make improvements in our city.
bator they think I’m in the poultry busi- When he does something, he does
ness…thought I’d embrace it. it with everything he’s got, leading
others around him to get involved and
What is the strangest thing you’ve making sure the job gets done,” says
expensed? Darlene Ryan, TECH Fort Worth’s execu-
Right now I’m trying to expense an ostrich egg.
tive director.
Where did your first paycheck come from? “His unqualified commitment to the
A horse stable…earned it shoveling manure. success of Fort Worth is evident in every
task Brent undertakes. His enthusiasm,
What was the first luxury item you bought organization and ‘never die’ attitude is
yourself? contagious and effective. He is sure to be
Does leasing a Lexus count? a top player in making Tarrant County a
great place to live and work,” says attorney
Because they don’t have spam filters for phone Kathleen Knight.
I’ll go with e-mail. “It’s the societal issues I want to help
solve,” Sorrells says. “What can we do to
Another profession you would like to try? improve our quality of life, both locally and
One day I’d like to start my own globally?”
company…still waiting for that ‘aha!’ moment. – Betty Dillard
Where is the best place to have a busi-
ness lunch?
Blue Mesa, I love the salsa.
May 28, 2009 39

Dana Stayton
34 Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP
Dana Stayton has two philosophies on work ethic: Don’t put United Methodist Church.
off until tomorrow what you can do today, and her work product Stayton’s area of practice at Kelly Hart & Hallman also sets
has to be the best. her up to work with a number of community organizations, as
Those who nominated Stayton, a partner at Kelly Hart & she primarily represents nonprofit organizations.
Hallman LLP, for her 40 Under 40 award cited her hard work “I have focused my law practice almost exclusively on repre-
ethic and dedication to helping others as reasons that she senting nonprofit organizations,” Stayton says. “Thus, my legal
stands out among Fort Worth’s young professionals. counsel and guidance to those organizations ultimately benefits
“These have been my philosophies from a very early age,” a multitude of youth and adults located primarily in the city of
Stayton said via e-mail. “I was the kid in school who finished Fort Worth but also throughout the State of Texas. I also provide
assignments well before the deadline, and then asked for extra legal counsel and guidance to various wildlife conservation
credit projects… My philosophies guided me all through school organizations operating in the United States and other countries
and are still applicable in my professional career. I aim for my which ultimately benefits thousands of individuals throughout
response time and deliverables to be prompt and outstanding. the world.”
The standards I set for myself are higher than anyone could – Leslie Wimmer
place on me.”
Along with her career, Stayton also is involved in community
service work in Fort Worth. She is a member of the 2008 – 2009
class of Leadership Fort Worth; a member of the Junior League
of Fort Worth, where she has served on the board of directors; a
member of Partners Together for Health with the JPS Health
Network, where she is a member on both the Planned Giving
Committee and the Comprehensive Campaign Steering
Committee. Along with this work, Stayton is a past member of
the Junior Woman’s Club of Fort Worth, and she, her hus-
band and 2-year-old son are members of Fort Worth’s First
About the prop:

A picture of my 2-year-old son, Riley; an art law treatise
and a treatise on tax-exempt organizations indicating my
areas of practice; and a pair of Cowboy Boots with “Kelly
Hart & Hallman” embroidered on them. I worked with
Justin Boots to design these boots.

A pedicure. It wasn’t a common business expense nine
years ago when I first sought reimbursement for it.

A law office in Cleburne, Texas.

A silver BMW 325ci.

E-mail

Travel book writing, event planning or interior design.

Reata. They have separate rooms available for groups.
May 28, 2009 41

Frank Taylor
39 Jones Lang LaSalle
Frank Taylor hasn’t been in every office in Tarrant County, but And what a busy world that is. From making the trek to his
he’s certainly been in a lot. children’s school to help them bake muffins for Mother’s Day
For the past 17 years, Taylor has worked at major brokerage presents to spending much of his free time at the Westside Little
companies handling office project leasing. And he loves it. After League field – where Taylor coaches and all three children play
all, he says, “it’s the only job I’ve ever had.” baseball – Taylor says it’s hectic, but he loves it.
A Fort Worth native, Taylor began as an intern at Huff, “I just love to be involved. My wife and I both love it,” he says.
Browse, McDowell, Montesi – a firm that has since spawned Taylor also has served on several commit-
several successful brokerage houses in Fort Worth – in 1992. tees locally including committees at All
Today, Taylor is senior vice president at Jones Lang LaSalle and Saints Episcopal School, The WARM
says he has a favorite saying when it comes to real estate: ‘fair Place and the YMCA.
is fair.’ Taylor and his wife, Moira, have been
“You may not like what I have to say, but I’m going to be hon- married since 1995.
est,” Taylor says. “Ethics are No. 1 and everybody knows that’s – Aleshia Howe
where I’m coming from.”
Todd Burnette, managing director at Jones Lang LaSalle and
Taylor’s nominator, had nothing but accolades for Taylor.
“Frank has been a very successful office broker in Tarrant
County for many years,” Burnette says. “He has consistently
been a top producer and has been recognized as
one of the leading office leasing brokers in Fort
Worth.”
Though he has had a successful career, Taylor
says the thing he’s most proud of in his life is his
wife and three children.
“They’re my world,” he simply says.
About the prop:

I seem to have a baseball bat in my hands more than
anything else lately.

Pat McDowell

Professional golfer

Carshon’s Deli

Mike Thomas Jr.
38 Southwest Bank
It’s no surprise that Mike Thomas says his favorite place for a to pay out-of-pocket because the helmets were not covered by
business lunch is the Colonial Country Club. For more than 20 their insurance. Seeing the families struggle financially while
years, since he was in middle school, he’s had a variety of vol- simultaneously dealing with the medical needs of their children
unteer jobs, including work with what’s now called the Crowne frustrated Thomas.
Plaza Invitational at Colonial. “The way I was raised, if you don’t like something, you get
“I practically grew up at Colonial,” he says. involved,” he says.
Currently, he serves on the Title Sponsor Liaison committee, So he and Kerri started a fund to help families struggling to
helping Crowne Plaza guests with local logistics and hospitality. meet the costs associated with treating neurological conditions
Margaret Ritsch of the Balcom Agency, who nominated Thomas, at Cook Children’s.
says, “his commitment to community service is one reason he’s Lesley Atkinson, director of development
thriving at Southwest Bank.” As a community banker, he says he for Cook Children’s Health Foundation,
does a little of everything. commends Thomas for his involvement.
e “The majority of what I do is real estate-related, but I also han- “Even though his family was facing
dle everything from individual checking to big business adversity, Mike saw other families in need
accounts,” Thomas says. and decided he could make a
Thomas and his wife Kerri also have made a dramatic impact difference,” Atkinson says.
in the health and well-being of children being treated for neu- With the backing of the
rological disorders at Cook Children’s Medical Center. Their Jewel Charity Ball, the
daughter Katie Beth was born in 2006 with a condition called Neuroscience
craniosynostosis, a premature fusing of the infant’s delicate Emergency Assistance
skull. She required surgery when she was eight weeks old, Fund has grown to
and had to wear a protective helmet for about a year while $100,000 in a little
her skull healed. The Thomas’ insurance covered the cost more than a year.
of both the surgery and the medical equip- “People come to
ment, but they met many families who had Cook Children’s hos-
pital from all over the
country for treatment,”
About the prop: Thomas says. “We’re
My golf clubs – third choice. I couldn’t bring my
so fortunate to have
daughter or wife and didn’t want to haul around
a gun all day. this resource in our
community. I’m glad we
What is the strangest thing you’ve expensed? could be a part of helping
Lunch? I’ve never expensed anything I would con- the hospital do the work
sider strange. they do.”
– Laurie Barker James
Where did your first pay check come from?
The Deleon Peach and Melon Festival. I was 12 and
worked for two weeks on the clean-up crew. I was
paid $199.50 and I thought I was rich.

yourself?
A very nice bicycle – in middle school.

E-mail

Professional hunter or hunting guide

lunch?
The Colonial Country Club
May 28, 2009 43

John R. Thompson III
34 Cantey Hanger LLP
Cantey Hanger LLP’s John R. Thompson III has done Barnett thought they got a good deal at $5,000 obviously isn’t happy
Shale-related litigation since the early days of the natural gas when a nearby lessor waited and received a $20,000 bonus.
play, and yet the Fort Worth-native still is one of the respected “I think we’re going to continue having those disputes with
firm’s youngest partners. royalty owners,” Thompson says. “The leases are still out there,
Thompson specializes in commercial litigation and oil and gas there are still going to be issues of post-production costs, or
law. His clients include Oncor Electric Delivery Co., Worth other royalty disputes they can come with.”
National Bank, Finley Resources Inc. and Devon Energy Corp., Cantey Hanger Managing Partner Pollard
itself a Barnett Shale pioneer and the largest gas producer in Rogers nominated Thompson
the shale play. for the 40 Under 40 designa-
Since those early days about six or seven years ago, before tion, and speaks highly of
the boom, Thompson says the environment has changed much, his career so far; Thompson
but his work remains the same. made partner in January
“Overnight there have been a lot more lawyers getting into 2008.
this area and there is a lot more legal work being done in Fort “John is a young partner
Worth,” says Thompson, who graduated from Fort Worth who has earned the respect
Country Day School before earning a bachelor’s degree and of the Cantey Hanger part-
juris doctor at Vanderbilt University and the University of ners and Tarrant County
Texas School of Law, respectively. judges,” Rogers says.
“The reality is it became difficult for oil gas compa- “He is bright and engag-
nies as the lease terms kept skyrocketing – royalty ing, and his involvement
and bonuses going up over the years – there in the community is quite
were lots of people trying to get better deals,” laudable.”
he says. “That in and of itself created more In his spare time,
legal work, but obviously that’s fallen off Thompson keeps busy
since the energy prices have decreased with his 16-month-old
over the last six to eight months.” boy and traveling with
Despite the drop, Thompson says his wife to San
the amount of legal work will continue Francisco, Hawaii and
as lessors continue to take issue with elsewhere.
deals signed over the years. For example, one lessor who – John-Laurent Tronche
About the prop:

I’m just a huge golfer.

I can’t think of anything.

The Cloister hotel at Sea Island

yourself?
A car

Probably phone, but depends on what you’re doing.

Being a doctor, that’d be fun.

The Mercury Chophouse
May 28, 2009 45

Michael Tothe
37 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
Hockey is Michael Tothe’s true passion. The sport is a given as a platform to growing their business.”
for the Ontario, Canada, native. An unfulfilled dream of playing Tothe, also an avid skier and mountain biker, is a member of
in the NHL, however, didn’t deter him from seeking a career in the Downtown Rotary Club, a board member of Recovery
sports. Resources and sits on the steering committee of Vision Fort
Tothe graduated from Shorter College in Rome, Ga., with a Worth.
Bachelor of Science degree and competed on the varsity golf “In just one year being a Fort Worth resident he has fully
team from 1991-1995. His first job after graduation was with the immersed himself into the business community,” says Peter
American Junior Golf Association conducting national champi- Ripa, tournament director of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at
onships for the elite junior golfer. Colonial. “His vast global experience and personality is endear-
“Golf is a game of sportsmanship unlike any other,” Tothe ing to anyone. Michael has a gift in that in minutes you
says. “Playing junior golf in Canada is a very short season so feel you have known him since you were kids.”
it was always five or six guys packed in a car going to an Tothe says his involvement in area
event to beat each other…a character builder for sure.” organizations has allowed him
From 1999 to 2002, Tothe was the director of amateur to meet people in the
competitions for the Royal Canadian Golf Association. In community he might
2002, Tothe and his wife, Holly, moved to Singapore, not have met.
where he worked with the golf division of IMG. He became “Fort Worth has
part of the team at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial been great to me,”
as director of sales and sponsor relations in early 2008. he says. “Having
“My current position is actually a 365-day, 52-week- grown up in Canada,
year position,” Tothe says. “I get people always ask- the people of Fort
ing me, ‘so what do you do the rest of the year?’ The Worth remind me a lot of
fun part for me is to educate folks about the efforts Canadians. They are
that go into a PGA Tour event and selling an experi- proud of what they
ence and opportunity for businesses to use our event have. In the short time
in Fort Worth I have
been treated as if I
About the prop: have lived here for
Just letting the Stars know that if they need a quick
backup, I am ready. years.
“There are not many cities in
What is the strangest thing you’ve expensed? North America (if any) where you can
Ten packages of Pringle chips on my first trip to China. walk Downtown, from one end to the
Pringles were a life saver with turtle soup that included other, without having to look over your
the head and shell. shoulder,” Tothe says. “ Not to mention I
have met Mayor Mike and Rosie many
Bellamy’s Restaurant, where I worked my way up form times to the point where I always get a
dishwasher to line cook. hug…that tells you what Fort Worth is all
about.”
What was the first luxury item you bought yourself? – Betty Dillard
Armani Jeans. Don’t ask me why, but I still have them.

I used to be phone, now I’m e-mail but I’m reconditioning
myself to use the phone more. E-mail is just so easy.

Chiropractor

Buffalo Bro’s is tough to beat. The best wings in Fort Worth
with lots of TVs. Being in the sports industry, that is important.

Ginger M. Webber
36 Jackson Walker LLP
Ginger Webber manages quite an intricate balancing act. The top local attorney, being named a “Rising Star” by Texas
working mother of first-grader Rachel and toddler Claire is also Monthly magazine.
senior counsel at Jackson Walker LLP, where she’s a commer- Webber says she’d been working for Jackson Walker for
cial real estate attorney. Webber has also found time to provide about six years when she had an epiphany, shortly after the
pro bono legal services for real estate projects for the North birth of her first daughter.
Texas Women’s Business Council, and has served on the Make “Rachel’s first year just flew by, and I realized I was missing
Hope Happen Lunch committee for Cancer Care Services, as part of her childhood,” Webber says. “I didn’t want her to grow
well as that organization’s marketing committee. up thinking that work is more important to me than she is.”
Jaymie Bell of Jackson Walker nominated Webber, saying Fortunately, Jackson Walker fos-
Webber serves as “an exemplary role model for other attorneys, ters retention among employees
working mothers and for volunteers.” Her 11-year career at like Webber by allowing a
Jackson Walker has helped build the company’s real estate selective reduction in
m practice in Fort Worth. Jackson Walker Fort Worth partner Susan hours. In Webber’s case,
Halsey speaks to Webber’s professionalism. she no longer works the
“Ginger handles every transaction with intelligence, grace fabled lawyer “60-hour
and humor, and has earned the reputation as an excellent nego- week,” but a more sus-
tiator and dealmaker,” Halsey wrote. Other nominators tainable 30 hours. She
described her as “brilliant,” “poised” and “adroit.” calls the arrangement a
Webber says she knew for a long time that she wanted to be win-win situation.
a lawyer. “I get all of my work
“In high school I joined the debate team, and enjoyed making done, my clients are
arguments for both sides,” she says. happy, and I have the
The Austin native did both her undergraduate work at and opportunity to be a better
obtained her J.D. from Texas Tech University. As a lawyer, mom as well,”
Webber has been repeatedly recognized by her peers as a Webber says.
– Laurie
Barker James
About the prop:
A picture of my daughters; a passport because I love
to travel; chocolate because it makes me happy.

Whirlyball. We entertained clients there a few years ago
and everyone’s stilling talking about how much fun it
was.

Scarborough’s Department Store in Austin.

d A watch.

Phone. E-mail is efficient, but it’s hard to read the tone of
an e-mail, you never know if the e-mail is received or in a
spam filter and it can be forwarded to unintended recipi-
ents.

Interior designer or children’s clothing designer.

Vidalias - the food’s great, it’s quiet and not pretentious. But for
out-of-town clients, Reata - it exemplifies Fort Worth culture.
May 28, 2009 47

Congratulations!
Frost Financial Management Group
proudly recognizes
Brook Whitworth
for the distinguished honor
of 40 Under 40.
Frost Bank
4200 S. Hulen, Suite 230 • Fort Worth, TX 76109
(817) 420-5222
Brook Whitworth
35 Frost Financial Management Group
Brook Whitworth’s roots in Fort Worth go deep. Susan Medina of SKM Communication Strategies, who nomi-
“My daughter goes to Tanglewood, the same elementary nated Whitworth, singled out Whitworth’s commitment to many
school I went to, and we live in the same neighborhood in which Fort Worth organizations. Whitworth is a board member for Safe
I grew up,” she says. Haven, on the board of the Fort Worth Junior League and works
Whitworth also attended McLean Middle School and Paschal with numerous other nonprofit organizations ranging from the
High School, and met husband, Whistle, when they were high arts to the Tarrant County Food Bank.
school students. The two attended separate colleges – he went “Volunteering is easy because I enjoy it, and my job supports
to Southwest Texas State, while she went “up the road” to the community service,” Whitworth says. “The Frost Bank culture
University of Texas. expects employees to be involved on community boards.”
Whitworth studied finance at UT, and loved it, but she says Whitworth counts herself lucky that her family helps her bal-
she didn’t only want work with numbers and charts. ance all her personal, professional and community commit-
“I knew I wanted to work with people,” she says. An internship ments. At the end of the day, she says, it’s spending time with
at Frost Bank here in Fort Worth the summer before her senior her family that is most rewarding.
year of college put all the pieces of the puzzle together. She “My parents have a house in Port Aransas, and we go as
went to work for Frost Bank right out of college, and has been often as we can,” she says. “In fact, I wanted to use something
there for 14 years. from the beach as a prop, but I just couldn’t make it work.”
At Frost’s Financial Management Group, Whitworth manages – Laurie Barker James
trust accounts and estate administration. The job provides vari-
ety and challenge for Whitworth.
“Some of the clients need investment advice, and sometimes
the client is a child who has inherited a trust, which Frost Bank
manages,” Whitworth says.
Her job at Frost Bank also encourages her ability to do the
two other things about which she’s passionate – raise her family
and volunteer in the community.
About the prop:

Family photos - I value the time I get to spend with my family.

A gingerbread football stadium, sent to a client who builds stadium
bleachers.

Harold's Clothing Store. I started working there when I was
16.

yourself?
When I first started working at the bank I saved up to
buy a used Lexus. And two suits that I thought were
very expensive.

It depends. I think the tone of an e-mail can be
misinterpreted.

Film or restaurant critic.

Ruffino’s Italian Restaurant or Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine
May 28, 2009 49

Charles Williams
36 JPS Health Network
Despite the fact he’s in an administrative role, Charles to show other administrators how their decisions would impact
Williams still keeps his occupational therapist license updated. patient care on the floors and also share his business knowl-
He also keeps up with his certification as a personal trainer. edge with clinicians.
And although he’s not working with patients directly much at “One thing I think is missing in medical education is the finan-
the moment, Williams says his experience as a health care pro- cial,” Williams says. “If there is no money, there is no mission. . .
fessional – and not just as a manager – are indispensible to his So often I hear clinicians say, ‘Well, we’d do it, but administra-
work as a leader for the JPS Health Network, where he is the tion won’t allow us.’”
vice president of support services. Williams’ wife, Demetra, is a registered nurse, and he has a 6-
“I really do miss that touch,” Williams says of his work as a year-old son named Chase and a 3-year-old daughter named
therapist. Lauryn. He said his son often asks questions about the medical
Williams, 33, didn’t always know he wanted to go into health textbooks in the Williams household. Although he is focused on
care. When he was a junior in high school, though, he attended spending down time with his family, Williams is
a health professions outreach program at Texas Woman’s involved with several organizations. He says
University, where he stayed on campus and was immersed in he would like to complete a doctoral
the world of various health care professionals. He decided degree by the time he’s 45 and also
being a therapist would be the right fit for him, and he went on become a CEO. He hasn’t forgotten his
to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at TWU. first love, though; he said he’d really
Williams joined LifeCare Hospitals in 1999, a system of long- like to see patients on a home health
term acute care hospitals. He was asked to help open a new basis again someday.
hospital, and when his fellow therapist, a physical therapist, left “I’m trying very hard to do the best I
the organization, he was asked by the administration to become can for the patients,” he said.
a manager. – Elizabeth Bassett
In his managerial role, Williams got experience creating
standards and procedures, hiring staff and also was
prompted to get an MBA. He was recruited to JPS and
joined in March 2007, where he used his background
About the prop:

The picture of my children because they are and
always have been the driving force for all I do; the
calculator because I plan everything and with plan-
ning things must be calculated; the ruler because
things I pursue must have a goal attached to it and
must be measureable.

I haven’t had a strange one.

Winn-Dixie grocery store at Town Center Mall

yourself?
Custom-made golf clubs in 2007.

Phone – I believe it is more personal.

Football coach

Old Neighborhood Grill

Richard Williams
39 GSBS Architects
Architect Richard Williams remembers very clearly when he leave the world a little better for generations to come,” he says.
discovered the vocation about which he’s so passionate. When “I’ve been lucky to be a part of a company that’s been at the
Williams was 6, his father showed him how to use some old forefront of energy efficient, sustainable design,” Williams says.
drafting tools they’d found in the attic. “Architects will play a huge part in energy conservation and
“I looked out the window and drew the house across the reducing the effects of global warming. Good buildings allow
street,” Williams says. “I remember my dad saying, ‘I think you people to work more productively and live better, healthier lives.
might be an architect.’ That was it for me.” We’ve got a tremendous challenge before us, but we’ve got
Williams was singled out for his “creativity and dedication,” some good ideas too, and that has me excited.”
according to his coworker Marty Wieder, who nominated Interestingly, if given the opportunity Williams might like to try
Williams for 40 Under 40. Williams managed the development of on another creative hat – specifically a chef’s cap.
the Great Wolf Lodge, the largest indoor water park resort in “I think there are some similari-
Texas and one of the area’s most popular new attractions. He is ties between designing build-
also one of the youngest partners at GSBS Architects. ings and cooking creative-
“At age 39, I may be one of the oldest in the group of win- ly,” he says.
ners,” Williams says. “But I’m still a relatively young man in what – Laurie Barker James
has been referred to as an older man’s profession.”
Williams attributes his success to the group of talented peo-
ple with whom he works.
“I had a college professor who told us every day, ‘Surround
yourselves with excellence,’” he says. “Each of us has a particu-
lar skill, and I truly enjoy coming to work every day to see how
t those talents will come together through collaboration.”
Williams says his wife Ashley inspires him “every day to be a
better person.” In addition, his three daughters Sydney,
Madison and Elizabeth provide inspiration of a different sort.
“They motivate me to create places that will somehow
About the prop:

A roll of drawings because it represents a vision that
will become something special.

Does a pair of pants torn on the job site count?

Six Flags Over Texas

yourself?
A LaserDisc player. Remember those things with the
giant discs?

I suppose it depends on who I’m talking to.

A chef.

Chef Pointe Café in Watauga. It’s great to see the look on a
client’s face when we pull up to the gas station for lunch.
May 28, 2009 51

Jennifer C. Yoder
36 Baird, Hampton & Brown Inc.
Jennifer C. Yoder spoke to the Business Press just hours school,” she says. “I went back to school full time, two kids,
before she was to board a plane en route to Madrid, where she husband out to sea, and at the same time my father was dying
and a friend had booked no hotel, had only a vague itinerary and I was taking care of him. But the company at the time was
but had secured a rented a car in advance – all in the name of very supportive of me.”
good air fare and a penchant for living life to the fullest. Years later she’s still as busy as ever.
Carpe diem is a phrase she knows all too well, and one which In addition to her job and philanthropic endeavors with the
she aspires to follow daily. Fort Worth Union Gospel Mission, Main Street Arts Festival, Fort
“It’s a phrase I try to live my life by daily and one which I hope Worth Ryan Family YMCA, Yoder also is an integral part of the
will inspire other people, too,” says Yoder, an Orlando, Fla.- Society of Marketing Professional Services, which launched May
native who moved to the Metroplex several years ago after living 7 in Fort Worth. She also is interim director
and working on the East Coast. She describes Fort Worth as of programs for the Dallas chapter.
one of the first places she truly felt at home. “Every program we have, a por-
Yoder is marketing director of Baird, Hampton & Brown Inc., a tion of the ticket sales along with
Fort Worth-based engineering and surveying company with a portion of the sponsorship will
other offices in Grapevine and Granbury. Her responsibilities go to one of four charities,” she
include recruitment, branding and name recognition and culti- says, including the YMCA, The
vating business-to-business and business-to-client relationships. WARM Place, Big Brothers Big
“I found my niche, something I think I’m good at and I don’t Sisters and Meals on Wheels.
just love what I do, I’m in love what I do,” Yoder says. “I get a – John-Laurent Tronche
great satisfaction out of it and meet interesting people all the
time.”
She admits, however, that this job wasn’t her first consid-
eration.
“I completely fell into it. I actually went to school in tel-
evision production,” she says. “I ended up working for
an industrial contractor … and just found out that I liked
the whole architecture-engineering-construction business.
It kind of started from there.
“That [first company] encouraged me to go back to
About the prop:

It’s a phrase I try to live my life by daily and one which I
hope will inspire other people, too.

Rabbit

Sbarro Pizza

My obnoxiously bright yellow Street Series PT Cruiser

E-mail – I am an addict!

Talk show host

Hot dog at a Texas Rangers game

Our emcee:
Nerissa Knight
Nerissa Knight began her career in television news 15 ties including Tom
years ago, as an associate producer at KATV-TV and later Cruise, Kelsey
as a reporter at KTHV-TV, both in Little Rock, Ark., while still Grammer, Nicole
in college at the University of Memphis. Kidman, Jennifer
Knight previously worked as an anchor and reporter for Lopez, Will Smith,
four years in Los Angeles at KNBC-TV, in Milwaukee at Halle Berry and
WDJT-TV, in Mobile at WALA-TV and in Beaumont at KBTV- Robin Williams.
TV. When Knight
She is currently a weekend anchor at CBS 11 and TXA 21. was only 6 years
While in Los Angeles, Knight hosted the top-rated Today old, she lost her
In L.A. Weekend for four years, and covered events of mother to cancer.
national interest, including the Phil Spector, Robert Blake Her motto for living
and Scott Peterson murder trials, as well as the Michael is, “It’s not what
l Jackson child molestation trial. She also covered cata- you’ve been dealt,
strophic natural disasters such as mudslides, wildfires and but how you deal with it.”
hurricanes. Knight is dedicated to community service and has often
Knight has interviewed many newsmakers in her career, been recognized for her work, with honors including the
from Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, to Oscar California Governor's Mentoring Award, the AIDS Project
e De La Hoya and Kobe Bryant. In addition, she has covered Los Angeles Award and the Brookings Center Community
numerous Hollywood red carpet events, such as The Involvement Award.
Oscars, The Emmys, The Golden Globe Awards and The Knight is married to her junior high school sweetheart and
Grammys, among others. She also has interviewed celebri- they have three children.
S AV E T H E DAT E Join us at the First 40 Under 40 Reunion

Recognizing brilliance past and present
PLATINUM SPONSOR
SILVER SPONSORS
R E U N I O N
Friday, June 19th • 6-9 p.m.
Casa Mañana
53
Pre-Party
The Fort Worth Business Press
hosted a pre-party celebrating
the 40 Under 40 recipients at
Neiman Marcus.
David Kramer, Ginger Webber and Scott Mitchell
Lyndsay Hoover, Dana Stayton and Marjon Zabihi
Brant Martin and Natalie Martin
Mark Assaad and Kim Assaad
Photos by Glenn Killman

Amy Kramer and
Kelly Imig
Chef Tim Love tackles
American eating habits
Kids are notoriously picky eaters. But
what if it was their parents who made them
that way?
Chef Tim Love is not a picky eater. He’ll
admit he thinks a McDonald’s hamburger is
pretty good, but at the same time he’s
known for using unusual ingredients, like
kangaroo, in his dishes. He embraces food
of all sorts, and one of his goals is to make
sure children do the same.
Love, who founded Lonesome Dove
Western Bistro, owns the White Elephant
Saloon and will be opening a second Love
Shack burger joint in the So7 development
this June, is planting a garden at All Saints’
Episcopal School for kids to learn about
vegetables and incorporate fresh foods into
their lunches. He’s teaching students about
math and nutrition with the organization
Spoons Across America, a national non-
profit dedicated to promoting healthy eating
for children during family meals. He’s also
buying oysters and beef tongue for his own
kids to enjoy.
“Perception’s everything,” Love said of
children and their food habits.
Children take cues about what they
should like or shouldn’t like from their par-
ents. The problem, Love said, is often par-
ents give a negative connotation to foods
accidentally – by saying a child “has” to eat
half of his vegetables, for example, he will
think something’s wrong with the food. If it were good, his science classes before eating them.
parents wouldn’t have said that, right? With Spoons Across America, Love has been facilitating
Families often don’t share meals with each other anymore, an annual dinner party project. For the past few years, Love
and food may come from a fast-food joint or from a frozen has been leading a six-week course with a group of stu-
box that’s been highly processed. When Love’s son started dents who plan and execute a four-course meal for their
school at All Saints’, Love sat in on meetings about chang- parents, making everything from scratch. The children learn
ing the school’s food offerings. He found himself helping nutrition, menu planning, etiquette, measuring and cooking,
completely revamp the menu, leaning to a variety of foods among other things, and it encourages sitting down for fami-
that were healthier and not processed. ly meals, Love said.
“Most of the changes are the stuff kids don’t even notice,” By introducing children to foods like parsnips or broccoli
Love said, like nixing high-fructose corn syrup or using as something cool and unusual, they learn healthy eating
whole wheat bread products. The garden, which Love is without knowing it.
working on now, will soon offer a variety of fresh vegetables “It’s the Jedi mind trick,” he said.
and fruits the students can tend to and learn about in – Elizabeth Bassett
May 28, 2009 55

40 Under 40 - 2009

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Sponsors 2009 Honorees

May 28, 2009 3

About the prop:

What is the strangest thing you’ve expensed?

Where did your first paycheck come from?

What was the first luxury item you bought yourself?

Do you prefer phone or e-mail for work?

Another profession you would like to try?

Where is the best place to have a business lunch?

4 Fort Worth Business Press

About the prop:

What is the strangest thing you’ve expensed?

Where did your first paycheck come from?

What was the first luxury item you bought yourself?

Do you prefer phone or e-mail for work?

Another profession you would like to try?

Where is the best place to have a business lunch?

May 28, 2009 5

About the prop:

What is the strangest thing you’ve expensed?

Where did your first paycheck come from?

What was the first luxury item you bought yourself?

Do you prefer phone or e-mail for work?

Another profession you would like to try?

Where is the best place to have a business lunch?

May 28, 2009 7

8 Fort Worth Business Press

About the prop:

What is the strangest thing you’ve expensed?

Where did your first paycheck come from?

What was the first luxury item you bought yourself?

Do you prefer phone or e-mail for work?

Another profession you would like to try?

Where is the best place to have a business lunch?

May 28, 2009 9

Another profession you would like to try?

Where is the best place to have a business lunch?

10 Fort Worth Business Press

Where did your first paycheck come from?

What was the first luxury item you bought yourself?

Do you prefer phone or e-mail for work?

Another profession you would like to try?

Where is the best place to have a business or work lunch?

May 28, 2009 11

About the prop:

What is the strangest thing you’ve expensed?

Where did your first paycheck come from?

What was the first luxury item you bought yourself?

Do you prefer phone or e-mail for work?

Another profession you would like to try?

Where is the best place to have a business lunch?

12 Fort Worth Business Press

About the prop:

What is the strangest thing you’ve expensed?

Where did your first paycheck come from?

What was the first luxury item you bought yourself?

Do you prefer phone or e-mail for work?

Another profession you would like to try?

Where is the best place to have a business lunch?

May 28, 2009 13

About the prop:

What is the strangest thing you’ve expensed?