“Over the past six years, I have had the opportunity to be an active member, board member and most recently chairman of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce. The mission of the Chamber is to be an advocate for business excellence in Fort Bend County, which aligns with my personal commitment – and that of Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital – to serve our community and strive for excellence in all that we do. The Chamber has been an excellent partner, providing me with insight on legislation, education, health care and other key topics, and has impacted me both personally and professionally. Since joining Memorial Hermann Sugar Land 11 years ago, I have been a proud member of the Fort Bend community. Fort Bend is full of passion, diversity and camaraderie, and is a role model for communities across the country.” — Malisha Patel, Senior Vice President and CEO, Memorial Hermann Sugar Land & Southwest

“I have been a resident of Fort Bend County and living in Richmond Texas for over 10 years.  Fort Bend County has been very rewarding over that time to my wife Felecia and I and we have been blessed by outstanding schools for our children, an amazing growth development plan across the various cities that provides top-notch amenities for miles, and a prosperous lifestyle that will be cherished by friends and family for years to come.  The overabundance of the positive rankings for the well-diverse community speaks for itself.  We could have chosen anywhere in the Greater Houston area to live, work and play, but we chose Fort Bend County and encourage others to do the same.”— Juan Alexander, Director of Customer Care, SiEnvironmental, LLC“As a software company, the engine of HCSS’ growth is its people. Fort Bend County has been a tremendous location to find the right kind of person to become an employee that delights our customer. The combination of a highly educated population with tremendous diversity and a friendly, helpful attitude has been the right mix for our business. Additionally, a focus for our business is to be a significant part of the community. The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce has been instrumental in putting us in the right place to succeed. Whether it was partnering with us during our Harvey cleanup initiative or helping to bring high-tech focus to local programs, the Chamber is a key strategic partner for HCSS.” — Tom Webb, Vice-President of Strategic Initiatives and Customer Solutions, HCSS

“Active membership with the FBCC has been a tremendous help for my company and for me.  For my company, the ability to get exposure on relevant programming and have an influential voice on large-scale issues has been invaluable for our business overall.  Before my association with the chamber, my life was focused only on family and work.  Membership has expanded my reach, relevancy and relationships.  As a resident of Fort Bend, it is great to see firsthand what the chamber if doing to reflect the diversity of our great community through their programming and membership recruitment efforts.” — Nona Austin-King, Vice President of Marketing, The Himalaya Drug Company

Pursuing excellence in education and teaching a curriculum that ensures a highly qualified workforce, the Fort Bend Independent School District is making strong investments in students and bright paths to future careers. In the fall of 2019, the district will open the James Reese Career and Technical Center, enrolling students in fields and specialties that are in high demand.

“In developing this center, we have been intentional in partnering with our local business and industry leaders to ensure we are providing students with opportunities, access to equipment and experiences that will equip them to join the workforce,” said Dr. Charles Dupre, the Fort Bend Independent School District superintendent of schools.

The center will offer a broad range of advanced training for juniors and seniors who can explore more than 15 areas of study, including medical sciences, HVAC, diesel mechanics, arts and video communications, cosmetology, culinary arts, education and training, information technology and manufacturing.

“Fort Bend Independent School District is excited about the opportunities that will be provided to students at the James Reese Career and Technical Center, including the five student-operated learning labs that will operate as businesses, open to serve the public while providing our students real-world experiences,” Dupre said.

The campus will serve students from all 11 Fort Bend Independent School District-comprehensive campuses. Labs will serve businesses too, building partnerships and community awareness of career opportunities and the career center’s important role in talent development and training. Hands-on experiences will provide deep insights into the processes of business, and real-time scenarios of a typical workplace. The five labs include a cosmetology studio, automotive shop, restaurant, credit union and early education center. Industry certifications and dual-credit courses will also be available.

The state-of-art facility is funded through the 2014 bond program, overwhelmingly approved by a supportive community of voters to improve the district’s growth, safety and security, and technology infrastructure. The bond included $59 million earmarked for career and technical education improvements. The 200,000-square-foot facility expands the space and resources available to the Fort Bend Independent School District and will serve as many as 2,000 high school students each day.

“The new career and technical center will serve as a place to teach students real life work skills that we believe will expose them to possible career choices and ultimately lead to them being successful in life,” said Jim Rice Fort Bend Independent School District board member.

The center was named in honor of James Reese, a former Fort Bend Independent School District math teacher who later served as the district’s first vocational director, as well as the district’s first distributive education teacher. Reese’s career in education spanned more than three decades, with 33 in Fort Bend Independent School District. He passed away in 2009.

The Fort Bend Independent School District serves nearly 76,000 students at 78 campuses. The student population is expected to grow to approximately 80,000 students by 2022 and 85,000 students by 2027. Throughout the district, improvements are underway to develop distinguished programs, address continuing growth and enhance learning for all students. n

Fort Bend County’s grip on the health care industry centers on its innovative high tech advances; from biotech and life sciences to revolutionary progress in orthopedics and sports medicine.

Fort Bend: A Hub for Biotech and Life Sciences

Biotech and life sciences companies are discovering what local residents have long known: Fort Bend County has a lot to offer. For people who call the area home, there’s a high quality of life, outstanding schools, shopping and natural beauty. For life sciences and biotech firms there’s the people who live here.

Local Success Shows the Way

Residents of Fort Bend County have an overall higher-level of educational attainment than many other areas, making them ideal candidates for companies such as OCuSOFT, a local biotech success story. OCuSOFT is one of the largest employers in the area, and has been named a Top Workplace by the Houston Chronicle for seven years in a row.

CEO Cynthia Barratt co-founded OCuSOFT, which has become the brand-of-choice for doctor recommended eyelid cleansers. The story of how OCuSOFT has grown into a multimillion dollar company serves to illustrate how well-suited Fort Bend County is for biotech companies.

Barratt is a “leader in biotech innovation in the country, and a prime example of how well biotech works in Fort Bend County. [The success of OCuSOFT] shows how other companies can follow suit,” said Janice Suchyta, an attorney specializing in healthcare law at Seyfarth Shaw LLP.

Education, Medical Facilities, and Room to Grow

In addition to having a highly educated workforce, there are several major hospitals in or near Fort Bend County, including Oak Bend Medical Center,CHI-St. Luke’s Hospital-Sugar Land, Methodist Hospital-Sugar Land, Memorial Hermann Hospital-Sugar Land M.D. Anderson Regional Center-Sugar Land (located within the CHI-St. Luke’s Hospital-Sugar Land campus).

Having so many health care and medical facilities nearby means life sciences companies have access to experts, research and a population of prospective employees. Jobs associated with the healthcare industry have been on the rise recently, according to Suchyta.

There’s also room to grow in Fort Bend County for companies looking to build brick and mortar facilities. The area is fourth in the U.S. for incoming investment, second in Texas, and first in the greater Houston area. It’s appealing to businesses developing, relocating or expanding.

In addition to the existing workforce, the University of Houston at Sugar Land is expanding, and construction is underway on a 100,000-square-foot building that will house the college of technology. The school will offers several degrees in the biotech and life sciences sector, which will create more highly educated people seeking employment.

“It’s really kind of a perfect storm, with all these different, important pieces coming together at the same time,” Suchyta said, adding that in the years she’s lived in the area it has grown from being a bit of a bedroom community to one with great shopping, outstanding schools, and expanding businesses.

Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital

Residents of Fort Bend and the surrounding counties need look no further than Memorial Hermann Sugar Land for convenient, specialized care in orthopedics and sports medicine. Through its state-of-the-art facilities, conveniently located in Sugar Land, Richmond and Missouri City, affiliated physicians develop individualized and comprehensive treatment programs for patients of all ages, to prevent, diagnose and treat conditions of the ankle, elbow, foot, hip, hand, head, knee and spine.

Expert Joint Care

The Memorial Hermann Joint Center at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital offers surgical and nonsurgical treatment for joint pain. Options include medications, injections, physical therapy and total hip and knee replacement. If surgery is required, its experienced team of board-certified orthopedic surgeons utilize the latest surgical techniques to perform both open and minimally invasive procedures. They work as part of a multidisciplinary team that also includes specially-trained nurses, physical and occupational therapists and other care givers. The team’s top priority is to eliminate the patient’s pain and restore their mobility, as quickly as possible.

Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation

The highly-trained sports medicine specialists at Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation help athletes of all ages and abilities prevent injury, recover from injury and improve performance. Services include physical and occupational therapy, sport-specific rehabilitation, nutritional counseling, aquatic therapy and more.

Sports Medicine Outreach Services

Reach a representative of the Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital Sports Medicine team 24-hours a day via our Sports Medicine Hotline at (281) 725-5333. Sports medicine services include expedited appointments, a Saturday morning sports injury clinic, sports concussion management, school and sports physicals and physician presentations and education for coaches and leagues.

Robotics Surgery Services

Looking for a new treatment that will provide a wide range of robotics surgeries? Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital’s innovative technology offerings include robotic surgery, which integrates computer technology and surgical skill to simplify a number of existing surgeries, transforming traditionally invasive surgeries into minimally invasive procedures.

Surgeons affiliated with Memorial Hermann Sugar Land provide patients with a robotic option for a range of specialty surgeries, including gynecology, general surgery, bariatrics, urology, pediatric urology and surgical oncology.

Studies of minimally invasive robotic surgery have shown the following benefits in comparison to open surgery: a faster recovery, shorter hospital stay, fewer complications, smaller incisions associated with minimal scarring, less blood loss and less need for narcotic pain medicine.

In addition to patients benefitting from robotic services, there are many benefits for surgeons. Surgeon control and ergonomic comfort helps with patient safety and operating room efficiency. Integrated technology and data continue to transform robotic surgery.

Depending on your medical needs, robotic surgery services may enhance your experience and assist with a faster recovery.

For more information on specialty surgery at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land, visit us at Memorialhermann.org/SLrobotics.

The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce Diversity Action Team (DAT) is a group of individuals who work to educate, lead and influence businesses on creating diverse and inclusive workforce cultures. The team works year-round to create programming and educational opportunities to help businesses enhance their competitive advantage.

“When our leadership reflects diversity and inclusion, we create a welcoming environment where we are viewed as an open and accepting organization,” said Keri Curtis Schmidt, president and CEO of the chamber. “Our efforts start with self-reflection, giving consideration and populating all levels of leadership and staff within the Fort Bend Chamber. This includes chamber partners, board of directors, division chair and officers.”

Program Cornerstones

The Diversity Action Team accomplishes its goals through several methods. One example is key community partnerships. The team has reached out to other organizations that support diversity in the community, including the Asian Chamber of Commerce, American Turkish Chamber of Commerce and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The DAT has also hosted its education series. These are interactive learning seminars that incorporate diversity-related topics including “The Power of Leveraging Diversity and Inclusion for Business Outcomes,” “Diversity in the Workplace: Parallels & Distinctions” and “Generational Differences in the Workplace.” New education series opportunities are frequently posted on the chamber’s website.

Looking to 2019

A new initiative for 2019 is a “Diversity & Inclusion Boot Camp.” Currently in the planning stages, this interactive workshop is intended for business and community leaders. The program will present information on how to build organizational awareness of diversity to quantify and measure self-assessments of their current diversity and inclusion efforts.

Some of the boot camp’s “curriculum” will include strategic planning and developing and executing diversity and inclusion programs. Participants will receive a “tool kit” with strategic planning templates, communication samples and ROI measures. This will allow participants to have easy-to-use methods to incorporate the strategies learned at the boot camp.

In 2019 the DAT will grant community awards to businesses that have made strides in diversity and inclusion in the community. The Fort Bend County community has a rich history of diversity, and the new awards will recognize deserving businesses that make efforts to celebrate and honor cultural differences.

All of the efforts of the Diversity Action Team reflect the chamber’s commitment to helping businesses succeed. Through participation in these key programs, businesses can attract employees and customers.

“Our approach to diversity and inclusion aligns with our mission as the advocate for business excellence in Fort Bend County,” said Michael Dobert, member of the chamber board of directors and owner/principal of HR in Alignment, LLC. “Embracing diversity in thought, background and opinion fosters innovation and competition and has been shown to increase business performance and employee satisfaction over time. We encourage all of our members to establish diversity and inclusion systems and practices.”