(Continue on page 3)

It’s hard for even the great-

est fans of Uptown and The

Galleria to say nice things

about the area’s traffic and

parking. With a recent an-

nouncement from the Up-

town Houston Management

District, plans are under way

to change that.

Those plans include a wid-

ening of Post Oak Boulevard

and construction of a Bus

Rapid Transit (BRT) system.

That piece of the Houston

urban transit puzzle would

help move people through

the Uptown area and better

link it to the metro transit sys-

tem and other districts includ-

ing Greenway Plaza, the Tex-

as Medical Center and Down-

town.

According to the Houston

Chronicle, Uptown has 15

percent of Houston's Class A

office space, but only three

percent of Metro's daily

park-and-ride buses. With

Mass Transit on Post Oak?

Special Events

Vintner Dinner May 20, 2013 Del Frisco’s 5061 Westheimer 6pm Reception 7pm Dinner

Women’s Excellence in Business (WEB) Lunch May 21, 2013 Tony’s 11:30am-1:00pm

Business After-Hours with Houston Rockets May 30, 2013 Hotel Derek 2525 W Loop S Freeway 5:30pm-7:30pm

May 2013 | Volume 1, Issue 3

MassTransitonPost

Oak?

1

VintnerDinner 2

MemberHighlight 3

HoustonAirport

SystemCorner

4

TravelWorkoutTips 4

SpringCleaningfor

YourOnlineSpaces

5

WEBLuncheonat

Tony’s-AndreaYoung

7

FoodForThought 7

CalendarofEvents 8

MayAsWell 6

InsidethisIssue:

PublishedbytheGalleriaChamberofCommerce

Galleria GazetteGalleria GazetteGalleria Gazette

additional current and future

real estate development atten-

tion to mobility is needed and

welcomed.

The $177.5 million project

would create a bus lane run-

ning from a future Westpark

Transit Center to the North-

west Transit Center at Inter-

state 10. Along Post Oak, the

exclusive bus lanes would be

accommodated by acquiring

eight feet of additional right-of-

way on either side of the

boulevard. A twenty six foot

transit corridor would be con-

structed in an expanded medi-

an. Busses moving along their

exclusive route would obey

traffic signals. Specific fea-

tures of the initial project

design include:

* preserving six existing auto

traffic lanes on Post Oak as

well as all signalized left turn

lanes

* enhancing pedestrian traffic

* preserving or relocating Post

Page 2

her education and major in

Psychology at the University

of Texas in Dallas. Her wish

is to “help treat children in

lower income areas where

they may not get the help

they need.”

Chasity McFarland, from La-

mar High School, used her

scholarship fund to attend

Sam Houston State Universi-

ty and major in Physical Ther-

apy/Kinesiology, with a minor

in English. “My favorite sub-

jects in school were Science

and Social Studies and I real-

ly enjoy learning new con-

cepts and implementing them

within the school setting.”

Lee High School graduate,

Genesis Bernabel, used her

scholarship fund to attend

Prairie View A & M Universi-

ty, majoring in Political Sci-

ence. As a first generation

college bound, she was able

to succeed due to her resili-

ence and determination. “I

am a strong minded individu-

al and won’t take no for an

answer.” (Cont’d on page 3)

On Monday, May 20th, The

Galleria Chamber of Com-

merce will honor one gradu-

ating student each from Lee,

Lamar and Memorial High

School at our 11th Annual

Vintner Dinner & PathMaker

Scholarship Award Ceremo-

ny. The evening’s event in-

cludes a cocktail reception,

silent auction, dinner and

recognition of each worthy

recipient. All Proceeds from

the event will benefit the

Galleria Chamber of Com-

merce Scholarship Fund.

Each year the Education

Committee selects three

deserving college bound

students who have exhibited

leadership in school activi-

ties, been involved in their

communities and achieved

academic success through-

out their High School ca-

reers.

Last year’s winner recipient

Maria Santibanez from Me-

morial High School used her

scholarship fund to further

ADVERTISING SPACE AVAILABLE!

CONTACT SOPHIE MARTIN AT 713-629-5555 FOR MORE INFORMATION

cocktails. Oh yes, and

there’s also the Grille’s sleek

“wine wall” with a wide varie-

ty of choices that appeal to

every palate and pocket-

book.

The Grille open for lunch,

cocktails, dinner and week-

end brunch – just about any

time you’re hungry, thirsty or

just in the mood for an invit-

ing, modern atmosphere. Drop by the new Del Frisco’s

Grille at 2800 Kirby in West

Ave. For more information,

visit Del Frisco’s Grille online

at www.delfriscosgrille.com

or, call 832.623.6168 By Arthur Mooradian, Del

Frisco’s

volunteer efforts in the se-

lection process of three tal-

ented and gifted students.

We express our appreciation

to Arthur Mooradian, for

hosting the Vintner Dinner at

Del Frisco’s as well as all

the sponsors and silent auc-

tion donors.

For more information about

this event, to donate or to

This year, each student will

be presented with a $2,000

cash scholarship plus a cus-

tomized “college chest”

worth $1,800. The items in

the college chest are chosen

by the winning student and

are based upon their needs

for the first year of school.

The Galleria Chamber of

Commerce thanks the Edu-

cation Committee for their

purchase tickets to The Vint-

ner Dinner please call 713-

629-5555 or email Lucy

Gonzalez at:

lgozalez@galleriachamber.com.

Mass Transit on Post Oak? (Continued from Page 1)

Member Highlight There’s a New Del Frisco’s Grille in Houston!

Vintner Dinner & PathMaker Scholarship Award Ceremony (Continued from Page 2)

Area Council and TexDot.

Prominent Houston citizens

have gone on record as

doubting the wisdom of the

project. But, such are the

nature of the time and place

we live. One way or another,

decisions about Houston

mobility have an impact on

our businesses and life-

styles.

For more information on this

topic, contact the Galleria

Chamber of Commerce.

Oak Boulevard’s oak trees

Of course, like any great

public project, this one is not

without its controversy, fans

and opponents. Parties ac-

tive in the decision process

include the Uptown Houston

Management District, Metro,

the City of Houston. Harris

County, Houston Galveston

Page 3 Page 3

If you don’t love Del Frisco’s

you’ve never been there.

Now there’s a new place to

enjoy Del Frisco’s fine food

and hospitality - located

amid the bustling Upper Kir-

by District in West Ave.

Dishing up creative twists on

American comfort classics,

the menu at Del Frisco’s

Grille takes the traditional

bar and grill to new heights,

mixing bold flavors, regional

ingredients and local flair.

Executive Chef Jeff Taylor’s

menu features classics in-

cluding Cheesesteak Egg

Rolls, Pimento Cheese Frit-

ters, Ahi Tacos and wood-

oven-baked flatbreads. The

menu is rounded out with a

selection of Del Frisco’s

signature prime steaks,

“Two Fisted Sandwiches”, a

wide selection of salads and

specialties such as Stone

Ground Grits with Cajun

Lobster Sauce, Chipotle

Mac & Cheese, and Sea

Salt Parmesan Frites.

Grille brunch includes Red

Velvet Belgian Waffle, The

Grille Benedict and Chicken

Fried Steak & Eggs with

jumbo biscuit and chorizo

gravy. Sip or share by the

glass or carafe the Build-

Your-Own Bloody Mary and

Brunch Punch or select one

of the Grille’s hand- crafted

Page 4

Global Entry is a CBP pro-

gram that allows expedited

clearance for pre-approved,

low-risk travelers upon their

arrival in the United States.

The non-refundable applica-

tion fee is only $100 and if

approved, provides a five-

year membership. The

membership is intended for

frequent international travel-

ers, but the U.S. govern-

ment does not set a mini-

mum number of trips neces-

sary to qualify for the trusted

traveler program.

For information about Global Entry, visit: www.globalentry.gov To learn more about the satellite office, visit: www.fly2houston.com/

GEdowntown. ABOUT CBP U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified bor-der agency within the Depart-ment of Homeland Security charged with the manage-ment, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry.

ABOUT HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEM The Houston Airport System served 50 million passengers in 2012. Houston's three

airports, George Bush Inter-continental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby (HOU) and Ellington Airport (EFD) con-tribute over $27 billion to the regional economy. Visit fly2houston.com and follow us @HobbyAirport & @IAH.

By Member: Rhonda Arnold Houston Airport System

Global Entry for Houston Airport System Corner

long hours at a desk. Pick a body-weight exercise that is a weakness for you and commit to completing a set number of practice reps dur-ing commercials. For exam-ple, if you’d like to see your pushups improve, aim for 15 during each commercial break! Here’s an idea of a great CrossFit-style workout that you can easily complete in your room with no equip-ment: 30 sit-ups 20 squats 10 pushups Complete 5 rounds as quick-ly as possible.

It’s often challenging to maintain good fitness and nutrition habits when travel-ing. However, with a little planning, you can make it a little easier to squeeze in a workout during a relaxing family vacation or whirlwind business trip. Utilize tools that are light-weight and easy to pack like a jump rope. Don’t forget appropriate footwear – it’s always nice to get in a little jog and see the sights in a new city. When stuck in a hotel room, dedicate time to flexibility. Stretch tight mus-cles and joints often associ-ated with traveling or sitting

“We exist to connect people,

businesses, cultures and

economies of the world to

Houston and this new tool

is our gift to the traveling

public...” said Mario C.

Diaz, Houston Airport

System director of aviation.

Be your own support system when you travel and hold yourself accountable for get-ting in a little sweat session! Don’t forget to make healthy eating decisions while travel-ing as well. As we always say at Cannon CrossFit, you can’t out-exercise a bad diet! Good luck and cheers to your health! For more information please visit: www.cannoncrossfitcannoncrossfitcannoncrossfitcannoncrossfit.com

By Member: Jeff Smith Owner, Cannon CrossFit

CompTSS Corporation Information Technology Alan Jimenez 7100 Regency Square Blvd. Houston, TX 77036 www.comptss.com

NEW MEMBERS

Dr. Perricone M.D. Medical Care Ms. Mary McDaniel 5192 Hidalgo Street Houston, TX 77056 www.periconemd.com

Martha Turner Properties Real Estate Martha Turner 50 Briar Hollow Lane, Suite 700W Houston, TX 77027 www.marthaturner.com

Morton Auctioneers & Appraisers Fine Art & Antiques Auction Mr. Dwight B. Jimenez 4901 Richmond Avenue Houston, TX 77027 www.mortonhouston.com

Travel Workout Tips

Page 5

Somerset Association Management Home Owner Assoc. Management Lauren Van Valkenburg 1980 Post oak Blvd., Ste. 1500 Houston, TX 77056 www.somersetassociations.com

NEW MEMBERS

The Halter Strategy Group Inc. Business Consulting Firm Jim Halter 5100 Westheimer, Suite 200 Houston, TX 77056 www.halterstrategy.com

TW Telecom Telecommunications Syndy Gold 7060 Empire Central Dr. Houston, TX 77040 www.twtelecom.com

Virtuoso Graphics Advertising & Promotions Thomas Wink 4703-C Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77027 www.virtuoso-graphics.com

Spring Cleaning for your Online Spaces

task of representing you.

Review your website. Give your

website a good once-over, page

by page. Is there any outdated

information? Old event notices?

Do people need to be added to

or removed from your “Meet Our

Staff” page? Have you changed

your product or service since the

last update? Also, remember to

check all the links on each page

and fix any that are broken.

Check your social media pro-

files. Even the most avid Face-

book and LinkedIn users have

been known to neglect their

profiles from time to time. Take a

look at yours and make sure all

With spring finally here-per the

thermometer as well as the cal-

endar-it’s a great time to start

cleaning out our homes and our

offices and making a fresh new

start. But when’s the last time

you did a little spring cleaning on

your online spaces?

When it comes to our website

and our social media outposts,

it’s very tempting to “set it and

forget it.” But these spaces need

just as much care and mainte-

nance as your physical office or

storefront. So in between purg-

ing your old files and cleaning

out your junk drawers, spend a

little time and effort making sure

your online presence is up to the

that information is up to date. Is

your contact information current?

How about the links to your web-

site and other social sites? Also,

when’s the last time you updated

your profile picture? If it’s been

more than two years, this might

be a perfect time to have a new

one taken.

Time to re-engage? No man is an

island, and in today’s hyper-

connected business environment,

isolation is not an option. When

was the last time you added a

new contact in LinkedIn? Have

you “liked” the Facebook Pages

and followed the Twitter accounts

of your peers and clients? And

when’s the last time you shared a

valuable piece of content? En-

gaging in social media doesn’t

have take a bunch of time, but it’s

an investment that will pay off. If

it’s slipped of your radar, adding it

to your daily to-do-list will keep it

in the front of your mind.

Just like cleaning out that closet

that no one wants to open, brush-

ing up your online presence takes

some time and discipline. But

when you consider that any one

website page or social profile

could be a prospect’s first impres-

sion of you, you’re likely to see

that it’s well worth the effort.

By Member : Rachel Parker

Resonance

Page 6

In their musical, Camelot,

Lerner and Loewe referred

to the "lusty month of May".

Well, we're not going to go

quite so far as that. But,

there's a lot going on in the

month.

May The 4th Be With You!

Who can pass up a chance

to celebrate "Star Wars"?

According to the authorita-

tive source, Wikipedia, "The

modern holiday of Mother's

Day was first celebrated in

1908, when Anna Jarvis

held a memorial for her

mother in Grafton, West

Virginia. She then began a

campaign to make "Mother's

Day" a recognized holiday in

the United States. Although

she was successful in 1914,

she was already disappoint-

ed with its commercialization

by the 1920s." Since this is

a Chamber of Commerce

we can't be upset by a little

commercialization. Besides

it's the thought that counts.

Not surprisingly, Americans

aren't the only ones who

love and honor their moth-

ers. Although the largest

group of nations celebrates

at the same time as the US,

the second Sunday in May,

a scattering of other dates

have been adopted as well.

Don't forget your mom. Buy

her flowers and take her out

to one of our Chamber

member establishments.

Also this month, the Dyna-

mo (5-2-2 so far) have two

home games, May 12 and

18th. If you haven't yet been

out to the new BBVA Com-

pass stadium (and even if

you have), Go!. It's conven-

ient, affordable and fun.

Great seats all around. Also

coming up May 17th, The

Dave Mathews Band lights

up Mitchell Pavilion. (Check

for ticket availability.)

May as Well

Araya Clean Cleaning Service Mr. Jack Warkenthien 5090 Richmond Avenue Suite 400 Houston, TX 77056 www.arayaclean.com

NEW MEMBERS

Cameo Caregivers Home Health Care Ms. Candice Wilkinson 7026 Old Katy Road, Suite 305 Houston, TX 77024 www.cameocaregivers.com

Chateaux Dijon Luxury Apartments Ms. Gloria Elias 5331 Beverly Hill Houston, TX 77056 www.chateauxdijon.com

Houston Chronicle / Hearst Corp. Press/Publication/Media Ms. Patricia O’Brien 10550 Richmond Ave, Suite 160 Houston, TX 77042 www.chron.com

Are your customers hiding?

Sales, marketing and

business development

Planning and execution

www.impactmarketinghou.com 713-417-5461

Page 7

Manor’s Gourmet Chef/Catering Mr. Link Livingston 1640 E. TC Jester Blvd., #512 Houston, TX 77008 www.manorsgourmet.com

NEW MEMBERS

Stellar Productions Event Producer Mr. Lance Livingston 35 River Hollow Lane Houston, TX www.rodeoproductions.com

Once again, the Galleria Chamber of Commerce is proud to host the Women’s Excellence in Business Series held at award winning Tony’s Restaurant. The Spring Series honors “A Real Renaissance Woman,” who has changed careers and made a success out of doing something differ-ent with her life. The lunch-eons are inspired by the Chamber’s Women’s Excel-lence in Business Council. On Wednesday, May 21st at 11:30am, the next luncheon in this series will feature Andrea Young, President and CEO of Sam Houston Race Park. Young was first hired in 2007 and has seen considerable success since joining the Hou-ston horse track. “Our prima-ry goal has been to establish ourselves as a one of the premier destinations for horse racing in the state of Texas,” said Young. “And with the addition of our newest venue, The Showgrounds, we have

also positioned our company as a leader in Houston enter-tainment. I am pleased with our progress and excited about the opportunity to reach all of our goals in the years to come.”

Prior to joining Sam Houston Race Park, Young served as President and CEO of The Houston Comets (WNBA) from 2005-2007. As graduate of Vanderbilt University, Young moved to Houston in 2000 to join the Houston Rockets organization where she was a key member of the team responsible for the de-velopment, design, construc-tion and the opening of the Toyota Center. While with the Rockets, she served as Direc-tor of Event Marketing and

Booking where she was re-sponsible for attracting and marketing events at the new facility including concerts, family shows and other spe-cial events including the 2006 NBA All Star Game. In addition to her responsibili-ties at Sam Houston Race Park, Young serves on the Board of Directors of Girls Incorporated of Houston and the Executive Women’s Part-nership. For more information on the WEB series or to purchase tickets go to: www.galleriachamber.com.

Women’s Excellence in Business Series at Tony’s

Food for Thought: Fedelini coi Funghi Recipe (Serves 4) 1 lb fedelini or capellini

1 lb fresh cepes, chanterelles, crimini, shiitake or any other mushroom (or a combination of mushrooms) cleaned and sliced, marsala soaked dried porcini should make up ¼ of this mixture

2 oz 1-2

large

dry marsala very ripe tomato, chopped, with juic-es reserved

5 tsp olive oil

4-5 large

garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp 1 c

fresh or dried marjoram beef broth

freshly ground black pepper

3 tsp fresh parsley, chopped

freshly grated parmigianino reggiano

Of course Tony's is known for a wonderful dining experience. Here, Chamber Board member Donna Vallone shares one of her favorite Italian recipes by Tony. Bon Appetite! Heat oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add the garlic, the tomatoes with their juice, and the sliced mushrooms; while cooking for 3 minutes stir well to coat the mushrooms. Add the broth, a generous amount of black pepper and 2 tablespoons of the parsley and marjoram. Mix well let reduce a little and spoon the sauce over al dente pasta and toss lightly. Portion into bowls, top with mushrooms and more sauce, sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serve at once with parmigianino available at table. Variation: A cup of steamed broccoli or asparagus may be add-ed to this dish. Also sauce can be finished by stirring 1 table-spoon butter at very last moment for a richer sauce.

Submitted by: Tony Vallone

Welcome Welcome Welcome Welcome New Chamber New Chamber New Chamber New Chamber Members!Members!Members!Members!

“Our primary goal has

been to establish

ourselves as a one of the

premier destinations for

horse racing in the state

of Texas.”

4801 Woodway, Suite 300 East Houston, TX 77056

May

Phone: 713-629-5555 Fax: 713-629-6403 E-mail: info@galleriachamber.com Website: www.GalleriaChamber.com For Membership Information Contact: Lucy Gonzalez at lgonzalez@galleriachamber.com To submit an Article or Advertising Opportunities Contact: Sophie Martin at smartin@galleriachamber.com

Scan this QR Code with your smart phone to join our mailing list and receive chamber updates!

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

1

Young Professionals

5:30-7:30pm

Café Adobe

2 3

6 7

Urban Harvest Breakfast

7:00-9:00am

Hotel Indigo

8 9

Education Committee

11:30-1:30pm

HCC Room C-138

10

13

Ambassador Committee

11:30-1:00pm

Willie G’s

14

Health & Wellness

11:30-1:00pm

First Baptist Church

15 16 17

20

Governmental Affairs

Committee

11:30-1:00pm

Smith & Wollensky’s

~~~~~

Vintner Scholarship Dinner

VIP Reception: 6:00-7:00pm

Dinner: 7:00-9:00pm

Del Frisco’s Steakhouse

21

WEB Luncheon with

Andrea Young

11:30-1:00pm

Tony’s Restaurant

~~~~~

Executive Committee

1:00-2:30pm

Tony’s Restaurant

22

Development Committee

11:30-1:00pm

Post Oak Grill

23 24

27 28

Board of Directors Meet

11:30-1:00pm

Brio Tuscan Grille

29 30

Business After Hours with

the Houston Rockets

5:30-7:30pm

Hotel Derek

31

Galleria Gazette MANAGING EDITOR PeterCook

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