Posts Tagged ‘Career News’

Lary Barton (’80)

HEARTGIFT WELCOMES LARY BARTON
TO HOUSTON CHAPTER’S COMMUNITY IMPACT BOARD

AUSTIN, TX – HeartGift is excited to welcome Lary Barton as a new member of the Community Impact Board for the organization’s Houston chapter. Since its inception in 2000, the nonprofit organization has provided more than 1,000 free, life-saving heart surgeries to patients with congenital heart defects who live in countries where specialized pediatric cardiac care is either scarce or non-existent. The announcement was made by Christy Casey-Moore, HeartGift CEO, which is head-quartered out of Austin.

Barton has a proven record of over 40 years of exceptional customer service and sales in IT Outsourcing, hardware sales, integration, and support services for one company and retiring in May of 2021. Lary is currently enjoying “Chapter 2” as a Realtor with Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty. Lary has also served on the Boards of numerous other nonprofits in the Greater Houston metro area focused on homelessness and the arts including Healthcare for the Homeless Houston, Bering Omega Foundation, Bering Church, Avenue 360, Open Gate Homeless Ministries. Lary is also a supporter of the Houston Grand Opera, The Houston Ballet, as well as the Alley Theater and 4th Wall Theater.

Barton holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Business and Organizational Behavioral Management from The University of Houston.

“I first learned about HeartGift from my dear friend Jan Larsen. Her enthusiasm is contagious no matter what she is involved with, but her love for HeartGift and its mission to save the lives of children got my attention. In 2022, I attend my first fundraiser – Songs for the Heart – and I was hooked. In 2023, I was honored to be asked to join the board and attend this year’s event as a proud board member. I am looking forward to doing all I can to save the lives of more children,” says Barton.
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About HeartGift (www.heartgift.org)
Since its inception in 2000, HeartGift has provided nearly 800 life-saving heart surgery to children worldwide with congenital heart defects (CHD). Over one million children around the globe are born each year with CHD, and most do not have access to the specialized care they need. HeartGift’s vision is a world where children born with CHD have access to the surgical repair they need, regardless of where they live. Each year, HeartGift provides hundreds of surgeries in the United States, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Pediatric hospitals, talented surgeons and medical staff dedicate their time and talents, as well as a diverse network of donors and volunteers, help make HeartGift’s procedures free and create a hopeful future possible for children around the world.

Tony Nguyen (’23)

A Graduation Journey

Published on May 11, 2023

Photo: A Graduation Journey – Tony Nguyen

Bauer grad Tony Nguyen is a self-described “coffee-holic,” and he has no lack of energy when it comes to sharing about his time as a student.

An accounting and management information systems major, as well as a first-generation college student and immigrant born in Vietnam and raised in Houston, Nguyen added to the classroom experience through several special programs and activities, including the Ted Bauer Undergraduate Business Scholars program, the Management Information Systems Student Organization (MISSO), Beta Alpha Psi (BAP), Bauer Ambassadors and the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA). He also has a photography business, Nguyentography, that he started while in high school.

“I owe a lot of my college experience and accomplishments to these organizations, as they helped me make lifelong friendships, develop professional skills, and motivated me to strive for more,” Nguyen said. “Through my involvement with these groups, I gained valuable experience that has been instrumental in shaping my personal and professional growth.”

When it came to choosing where to pursue his academic journey, the answer was simple.

“Choosing Bauer and the University of Houston, in general, was easily one of the best decisions I have ever made. While many of us could have selected another college or university, some of us may have opted for Bauer because it was the only institution that offered us an opportunity,” he said. “I knew that attending Bauer would enable me to become a well-rounded individual and provide ample opportunities to further my personal development. The people, diversity and world-class education that Bauer embodies were the fundamental reasons for my selection.”

Nguyen joins CBIZ, Inc. as an intern in the Risk & Advisory service line. Once the internship concludes, he begins his career as an analyst at Deloitte, joining the Cyber & Strategic Risk team.

Brenna Fraser (M.Ed. ’15)

Principal shows up as herself, purple glasses and all
Meet Your Administrator: Brenna Fraser

Erin Albanese
By
Erin Albanese
October 9, 2023

Wyoming — Brenna Fraser is the new principal at Parkview Elementary School. SNN gets to know her in this edition of Meet Your Administrators.

Brenna Fraser’s Converse sneakers, blazer and big glasses are all shades of purple, matching the decor in her office and the Wyoming Wolves school colors seen on the walls.

It’s her Friday look, she said, describing her personal style and how it helps her connect with students. She has seven pairs of glasses and likes to wear the purple ones to finish off the school week. She sports her red frames when she needs a “fun pop of color.”

“To me, this really comes back to being able to live in a way that you can show up as yourself,” Fraser said, explaining how she wants every student to feel like they belong.

“No matter the personality, we want our scholars to feel like they can be themselves.”

— Parkview Elementary Principal Brenna Fraser
“I’m someone who loves vibrant and colorful. It’s important as leaders that we are also modeling showing up as our true selves, so I try to do that all the way down to the glasses I choose for the day. … Without belonging, we are not going to get very far.”

Here are some other facts about Fraser:

Previous jobs in education:

first- and fourth-grade teacher and instructional coach in Houston, Texas
Instructional coach in all Wyoming Public Schools elementary buildings
Kent ISD early literacy coach
Education:

Northview High School graduate
Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Grand Valley State University
Master’s degree in administration from University of Houston

Parkview Principal Brenna Fraser brings her own personal style to school
What would you like to share about your family? “I am a wife and a mom. I’ve been married for five years to Matt, and we have two girls, Bella (1) and Ava (3).”

Describe your leadership style in seven words or less. “Everything is better with a team.”

What do you like about being a principal at an elementary school? “Joy. There is so much joy in being around students and it’s contagious.”

What were you like as a student? “I was shy! It’s definitely been a long journey for me to become a little bit more outgoing.

But another thing that is so amazing (about Wyoming Public Schools) is that no matter the personality, we want our scholars to feel like they can be themselves.”

What are your interests and hobbies? “I love to read, especially now as a mom it’s a staple in our house. I love to play with my kids. I love food!

Your perfect sandwich: “A good, solid BLT is always a good decision, with some thick-cut bacon.”

What else would you like people to know about you? “I know, because I’ve worked here before, that Parkview is an amazing building. It was such a gift to come back and collaborate and lead all of us together. Not everybody has that awareness when they step into an administrative role. I have a lot of gratitude for working with such amazing people. Our hearts are all around our scholars here.”

Raymond Charles Winter (J.D. ’91)

Governor Greg Abbott announced the appointment of Raymond Charles Winter (J.D. ’91) as Inspector General for Texas Health and Human Services. The announcement was issued September 26, 2023.

Winter joined the Office of Inspector General in June 2023 as Assistant Deputy Inspector General for Complex Litigation. He previously served at the Office of the Attorney General of Texas for more than 24 years, including 15 as Chief of the Civil Medicaid Fraud Division. Prior to joining the Office of Attorney General, Winter was a staff attorney at the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, now the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and a U.S. Army infantry officer and paratrooper. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and a law degree from the University of Houston.

Winter will succeed Sylvia Hernandez Kauffman, who was appointed in 2018 and announced her planned departure in August 2023. Although Kauffman has decided to embark on a new phase of her career, she has had an indelible impact on the state of Texas. In her six years leading the Office of Inspector General, she implemented transformative methods in combating fraud, waste and abuse that resulted in $2.4 billion in recoveries for Texas taxpayers.

October 2, 2023, will be Kauffman’s final day as Inspector General as she returns to the private sector. Winter officially takes office on the same day for a term set to expire on February 1, 2024.

Karissa Tran (’10)

Karissa Tran, Clarity Consulting USA Inc board member, was recently named to the National Small Business Association (NSBA) Leadership Council. NSBA is the nation’s oldest small-business advocacy organization, and operates on a staunchly nonpartisan basis. Tran, a recognized leader in the small-business community, joins the NSBA Leadership Council alongside other small-business advocates from across the country as they work to promote the interests of small business to policymakers in Washington, D.C.
“As a small-business owner, I see daily the importance of being involved and active when it comes to laws and regulation,” stated Tran. “Joining NSBA’s Leadership Council will enable me to take our collective small-business message to the people that need to hear it most: Congress.”
Karissa is a native Houstonian with experience as a leader and technologist across multiple industries and consultancies. Throughout her professional and small business tenure, she has managed combined capital expenditures and revenue of over $35M. In addition to her role at Clarity, she serves as the Technology Director as a board member of the Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce, Southwest Chapter.
Tran joined the NSBA Leadership Council as part of her efforts to tackle the many critical issues facing small business, including tax reform, regulatory restraint, and how access to capital will impact small business. The NSBA Leadership Council is focused on providing valuable networking between small-business advocates from across the country while ensuring small business a seat at the table as Congress and regulators take up key small-business proposals.
“I am proud to have Karissa Tran as part of our Leadership Council,” stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “She came to us highly recommended and I look forward our coordinated efforts for years to come.”
Please click here to learn more about Clarity Consulting.
For more on the NSBA Leadership Council, please visit www.nsba.biz
Established in 2015, Clarity Consulting is a global cloud business technology consultancy, headquartered in Oslo, Norway – with additional offices in the United States and India. Clarity delivers project management and implementation solutions related to Business Intelligence and Cloud ERP and HCM applications.

Rachel Van Nieuwenhuise (’10, MBA ’22)

RACHEL VAN NIEUWENHUISE (’10, M.B.A. ‘22) started riding horses at six years old and has been making history ever since.
In 2020, she was appointed as the first female wagon outrider for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 Rodeo was cut short but Rachel was able to fulfill that appointment and see the opportunity come to life in 2022.
For 28 years, each Houston Rodeo daily performance has begun with a parade of the Grand Entry Committee featuring dignitaries, on horseback, in wagons or on firetrucks, that circle the arena to call attention to the start of events. Outriders have the job of keeping all the riders safe.
Preceding the 2022 event, Rachel was the first female head scout of the Valley Lodge Trail Ride, a 70-to-80- mile caravan of horses and wagons into Houston to promote the Rodeo coming to town.
When she’s not spending time with her horses or preparing for the Rodeo, Rachel works as a Marketing Manager for Wood Partners, one of the nation’s largest multifamily real estate developers and managers. In 2022, she received an executive MBA in global business from the University of Houston.

Rachel’s interest in horses began when her dad was transferred to Norway for work. To keep the move exciting and provide an incentive for the girls, her sister was promised violin lessons and Rachel was promised horseback riding lessons.
“The sorority gave me a place as a home. I was able to have an experience that I wouldn’t have had if not for Phi Mu — just like a trail ride.”
“I don’t think they ever planned on following through with their promise,” Rachel said. “I’m the type of person that won’t let things go. Once my mind is made up, it is happening.” In Norway, she went to riding school and trained a few days a week. When her family moved back to Houston, she continued lessons and was connected with the Houston Rodeo and the Valley Lodge Trail Ride by her trainer and mentor, Barbara Arlington. Rachel has now been a part of the Trail Ride for 26 years.
When trail rides began, marketing wasn’t what it is today. Horses and wagons would come together for the 70-to-80-mile trail ride into Houston with the intention of getting the communities along the way excited for the Rodeo. Now there are 10 to 12 trail rides associated with the Houston Rodeo, and when they all reach Houston, they become part of a parade and celebration.
“The Valley Lodge Trail Ride became a strong community for me, basically a family. Kind of like Phi Mu,” said Rachel.
Initially, Rachel wanted to join a sorority so she could have an excuse to take her own car to and from campus. Her father was a professor at the university, so she struggled with independence in college while living at home and catching rides with her dad to class. After recruitment, she moved into the Phi Mu house as quickly as she could and loved every second of her time as a collegian. “Being able to join Phi Mu gave me a true college experience.”
As an alumna she continued her involvement with the Houston Alumnae Chapter as Secretary, Membership Director and Philanthropy Chairwoman. Rachel enjoys the philanthropic aspect of membership and loves fundraising and volunteering with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. “Being a part of something bigger than just you is so special. That also ties into the Rodeo — they both give you an opportunity to give back to your community.”
From Phi Mu national magazine, The Aglaia- Summer 2023

Didi Anofienem (’14)

DIDI ANOFIENEM (’14) Originally from Houston TX, the hometown of Beyoncé and Meg the Stallion, Didi is a novelist and educator residing in Los Angeles, CA. She earned her MFA from University of San Francisco in 2017, a BS from UT-Austin in 2010, and a BA from University of Houston in 2014. Passionate about words, Didi wrote her first story at the age of 8. She grew up reading Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Ntozake Shange. As an adult, her favorite authors are Octavia Butler and Laurell K. Hamilton. In the past, Didi has written romance novels, a poetry collection, several short stories, plays, and personal essays. When she’s not teaching English and creative writing, she spends her time traveling back and forth to Houston, re-reading her favorite books, dancing to Beyoncé, and playing The Sims. Author Instagram: @didi_iah_lax Author Twitter: @didianofienem
DEBUT WRITER LAUNCHES AFROCENTRIC, ALT HISTORY FANTASY SERIES Los Angeles, CA — What would the world be like if Africa had never been colonized—and if the transatlantic slave trade had never happened? The only daughter among five brothers, Essien was raised in a village where women are bred to tend to their husbands and bear children. One night, after she is led by akukoifo—mythical beings of Alkebulan folklore—to a fabled river, Essien emerges from the waters with superhuman abilities: hands that burn with the flames they contain, and the strength to overpower any of the men around her. Unsure of what this newfound power means, Essien returns to an unfamiliar world a changed woman. And when militant rebels destroy her father’s fields, leaving him crippled for life, Essien is left with no choice but to defy the social conventions of her upbringing and become the first woman to enlist in Alkebulan’s formidable military. Without the presence of her family and friends, surrounded by fellow soldiers who want her dead and powerful forces that seek to manipulate Essien’s inner magic for evil, Essien must learn to control and harness her new powers, even as she fights her destiny to become her country’s long-awaited goddess. But not everything is as it seems. Will Essien step into her destiny as Goddess of Alkebulan, or will she make a decision that will alter the course of Alkebulan history forever? Fueled by ancestral magic and the power of gods on earth, Descendants of Fire & Water is the thrilling first book in the powerful new Essien of Alkebulan series.

David Thomas (’09)

DAVID THOMAS NAMED BRENHAM HERITAGE MUSEUM’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

David Thomas will take over the position and be in charge of the day-to-day operations and primary responsibilities of the museum.

Thomas recently served as executive director of the Lake Jackson Historical Association, and before that was the collections manager and registrar at the Bryan Museum in Galveston.

Thomas is a graduate of the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History/Architecture and a Master’s in Public Administration.

Board President Tiffany Morisak said the board feels confident that Thomas will be a great fit for the Brenham Heritage Museum and will serve it and the community well as the organization continues to fundraise and implement additional phases of exhibits to its newly renovated facility.

The Brenham museum’s former executive director, Mike Vance, told KWHI he plans to continue working with Core Design Studio of Houston to research and create the history content for the additional permanent exhibits for the second and third phases of the museum’s master plan.

The museum will host a meet and greet with Thomas on Wednesday, June 7th from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The meet and greet will coincide with the museum’s opening of its Juneteenth exhibit in the Blue Bell Gallery.

Anyone who wants to learn more about the museum or donate can go to www.brenhamheritagemuseum.org.

Andrew Hoggatt (’00)

I am pleased to announce that Hoggatt LP has been recognized as a leading family-owned business by the Houston Business Journal. The 68 companies that were chosen by the HBJ staff demonstrated both financial success and commitment to the Houston community. All nominees were required to meet three criteria: Be at least 51% owned by the family, have multiple generations involved in the operations of the company and/or have established longevity in business, and be located in one of the 10 area counties.

I am very proud of this honor. But it is not just mine. All of the employees here at Hoggatt LP are like family to me. Most have been with the company for multiple years. I look forward to leading this company in the coming years and achieving great success with them.

Find out more information here: https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2023/06/15/family-owned-business-awards-2023-profiles.html

Carl Lewis (’82)

Carl Lewis Hopes to Lead ‘Speed City’ to a National Title

 

Lewis, the American track and field legend, is now head coach of the sport at the University of Houston. He expects excellence, and an N.C.A.A. Division I team title.

 

Carl Lewis, the Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter and long jumper, is in his first season as head coach of the University of Houston track and field team.

 

When Carl Lewis left the University of Houston over 40 years ago, he was 19, the indoor world-record holder in the long jump and one of the best sprinters on earth.

 

Lewis would go on to become a colossal sports figure, his famous face gracing the top of the Olympic medal stand nine times, and appearing on the cover of Gentleman’s Quarterly Magazine plus a few Hollywood movies and television shows.

 

Lewis, now 61 with prickly grays on his balding head, is back at the school he left four decades ago, coaching on a track at a complex bearing his name.

 

He hopes to fill what is seemingly the only void in his storied track career: a collegiate team national title.

 

“I’ve always just felt like if I just stayed one more year, then it could have changed the whole trajectory of the program,” Lewis, who was named head coach in July after spending several years an assistant, said in a recent interview.

 

Lewis won the 100 meters in the 1984 Olympics for one of his nine career Olympic gold medals.

 

The N.C.A.A. Division I outdoor track and field championships are set to begin in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday.

 

Houston’s best chance at winning a title appears to be with its men, with junior Shaun Maswanganyi leading the group as one of the top sprinters in the country. The women’s team is a “few years away” from having a shot at the title, Lewis said. Sydni Townsend, a 400-meter hurdler, is the lone woman for Houston on the start list for the meet. She has the fifth-fastest time in Division I.

 

“I still think we have a shot,” Lewis said, acknowledging that his team was far from favored, “but the guys have to come through.”

 

In 2013, Lewis returned to Houston as a volunteer coach, largely to help his former teammate and then-Houston head coach, Leroy Burrell, with his son Cameron, who was a first-year sprinter on the team. Lewis joined the full-time staff a season later to work with sprinters and jumpers.

 

As an assistant, Lewis helped develop Houston into one of college’s premier sprint groups. Cameron Burrell became one of the nation’s best 100-meter runners, winning an individual title in 2018. The sprint group earned the moniker “Speed City,” which is written on the outdoor track’s fences and team apparel.

 

But a team title has evaded Houston. The Cougars appeared to have their best chance four years ago, when the men finished second at the indoor championships, behind Florida. Milesplit, the track and field website, created a weekly video series that followed the team throughout the 2019 outdoor season. But the men finished third, after first-place Texas Tech, and Florida.

 

“They should have won it,” Lewis said. “They just choked. I mean, they choked straight up. And, you know, we were frustrated because we had the TV show and everything going on.”

 

Lewis, left, talked to Shaun Maswanganyi, middle, and Aaron Davis II during practice. Maswanganyi is one of the top sprinters in the country.Credit…Michael Starghill Jr. for The New York Times

 

The following year, the N.C.A.A. canceled the national indoor championships and subsequent outdoor season because of the coronavirus pandemic, and in 2021, the men finished tied for 18th at the outdoor meet. Two months after that championship, the team was mourning the loss of Cameron Burrell. The 26-year-old died by suicide.

 

It was a painful time for the team, Maswanganyi said. Burrell was a role model for him, he said, and coming to practice wasn’t the same.

 

In 2022, Leroy Burrell left Houston for the head coach position at Auburn University. Lewis became head coach in July.

 

In August, he made his expectations for the Cougars clear. They were going for a national championship or they should “find something else to do.” A sense of urgency was instilled in the team.

 

When the teams walked into their locker rooms after their first indoor meet, national rankings for all events were posted on one wall to greet them. Lewis printed the sheets for the top 16 athletes in each event group because that marks who is likely to qualify for nationals. He updated the wall after each meet throughout the season.

 

“Every day in training, I’m thinking about how I’m behind whichever girl on the list and how I need to work on improving my time,” said Kelly-Ann Beckford, who finished the indoor season with the 10th-fastest 800 time in Division I.

 

Houston has historically dominated the American Athletic Conference. The program has run out of space to hang its conference championship banners from the ceiling of the indoor track facility. But in its final indoor meet in the conference, in February, the men lost to Cincinnati, which won its first men’s title, indoor or outdoor, since 2004. Both schools are headed to the Big 12 Conference next month.

 

“I’m happy to do it if you’re serious,” Lewis said of coaching. “But if you’re not serious, you’re wasting my time.”Credit…Michael Starghill Jr.

 

The win was a disappointing beginning to Lewis’s tenure. After that meet, Lewis posted pictures of Cincinnati’s celebrations and a social media post from a trainer who said that “they would do it again outdoors” in the bathroom stalls, the refrigerator, the front doors, and just about every other place in the team’s locker room.

 

“It got me fired up,” Maswanganyi said. “That’s someone disrespecting you at something we’ve been winning for years.”

At the outdoor conference meet, the men were runner-up again, while the women improved from their third-place indoor showing to finish second. Wichita State’s men outscored Houston by just 2 points.

 

Still, Lewis seems undeterred. The team has some of the best athletes in Division I in multiple event groups, so wining a national championship is still attainable. Lewis made that evident on a scorching Monday practice earlier this year.

 

He yelled at the freshman long jumper Aaron Davis II about his form. He shouted directives at Davis and tried to demonstrate movements with his body and hands.

 

Davis wasn’t adjusting the way Lewis wanted, so Lewis walked over, ran down the long jump runway, and did the jump himself as sand bounced into his pant leg.

 

“It took me a while to realize,” Lewis said, pausing briefly to collect his thoughts. “Look, I never came out here saying they could do what I do because — come on — that’s never going to happen again.”

 

He added: “But look, I lose money every day I come out here. I mean, I’m giving up my, you know, vacation time, so I’m serious about it. So I’m happy to do it if you’re serious. But if you’re not serious, you’re wasting my time. So this is the year to get everything back on track.”