GREENSPOINT At an Awards Banquet and Installation Ceremony last Thursday, new officers and board of directors of the North Houston Greenspoint Chamber of Commerce were sworn to office for 2008. The event was underwritten by the Caldwell Companies.
Outgoing board chairman Bill Ginder relinquished the gavel to new chairwoman Jill Boullion, as the new committee chairs were introduced as well as the board.
The luncheon was also an awards presentation, to chamber members that have contributed to the welfare of the chamber or the community in 2007.
As part of the transition, President Reggie Gray gave a state of the chamber address, outgoing chairman Bill Ginder gave an overview of his term of office, and incoming chair Jill Boullion outlined her plans for the coming year 2008.
President Reggie Gray said that membership had increased from about 300 the previous year, to about 400 plus at the end of 2007. This is important, he explained, because active growing membership drives the success of all the other activities of the chamber.
Gray introduced the new office staff, and reviewed improvements to the office procedures and computer equipment.
He thanked the members for helping him make the Chamber the most important thing in his personal life. He then described the Chamber as a Community Table to which everyone is invited, but to which only a proper feast occurs when each brings a dish to share with others.
Gray described his goals for 2008 as retention, stability and growth.
Chairman Ginder talked about the year as a Roller Coaster event for him, with many successes, and a few personal low points as he visited the hospital twice. High points he described included the Young Professionals Network, the Economic Forum, lunch and learn events, and emerging leaders in the community and Chamber.
Awards were presented as follows:
Company of the Year, to Bill Townsend of North Houston Bank;
Citizen of the Year, Jerry Lowry of Greenspoint District;
Volunteer of the Year, Dana Posednick;
Humanitarian Award, named this year in memory of John Zizelmann, and presented by his widow, to Ralph Wheeler of the YMCA;
Pinnacle Award, for continued support of the Chamber, to several individuals, Seth Sarr, Henry Vogel, Ray Bejarano, and Brian Dooley;
Shining Star Award, Khristene Walker, Primeway FCU, and Rosemary Buske, Contact Promotions;
Small Business Award, Margaret Eyster, Magoos PrintShop.
Jill Boullion was sworn in as the new board Chairperson by Susan Hill. It was noted that Boullion is the second woman to hold this post, and that Hill was the first.
In her remarks, Boullion thanks the Chamber, ABWA and Leadership North Houston for preparing her for this role.
She said that her goals for 2008 were 500 members, through growth and retention; promoting the Chamber to a greater extent in the community, with member benefits; and development of the commettees to better serve the members of the Chamber.
She admonished that WE are the Chamber, and to make the Chamber your Road to Growth.