Pictured: NHA board members, committee chairmen and staff members ( and John Wayne! ) set the tone for 2002 at NHA’s annual Board Retreat in October.
The new year will bring with it a new look and a revised mission, thanks to the efforts of NHA’s Board of Directors and staff at the Association’s annual retreat in October. “The North Houston Association has al ways been about advocacy. The issues vary from time to time, but our role in the community re mains the same,” said Senator Jon Lindsay, NHA president. “This is where our strength lies, and what sets us apart from any other organization in the area.” In addition to adopting a new mission statement, James Curry unveiled the Association’ s new logo, created by The Albrecht Agency.
Michael Strickland, designer, described the elements of the logo at the retreat. “We kept the green that represents the beauty of north Houston as well as the recognizable ‘H’. We added movement in the center of the design to reflect the Association’s on going work as the voice for north Houston,” said Strickland. Committee chairmen were at the retreat to present the committees’ proposed 2002 goals to the Board. Environment Committee Chairman Rafael Ortega, Lockwood , Andrews & Newnam, Inc., discussed a number of environmental issues, then pared the list to a manageable number for the Association to address. He listed the top regional environmental issues as surface water, flood control and development issues.
The Surface Water Work Group plans to review source and distribution issues, establish an information data bank, and sponsor a surface water forum
Ortega reported that the Flood Control Work Group would monitor the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) restudy process, revie w and comment on these findings, identify additional funding sources and advocate for an increase in funding. The Development Issues Work Group planning commission revisions. Transportation Committee Chairman Chris Cotter, Brown & Gay, presented his committee’s goals. These include assisting the city of Houston, METRO , Harris County and Montgomery County in achieving their
objectives regarding project funding, publishing a revise d Mobility Update, advocating for airport mobility, tracking the progress of the Grand Park way, monitoring, high capacity transit, and working on legislative and regulatory issues.
The Business Issues Committee Chair man, Joe Zimmerman, Eco Resources, Inc., stated that the committee was in essence a “watchdog” for the Association, keeping an eye on issues that either improve or impede quality of life for the north Houston region.
He said the committee’s goals include identifying regional issues, serving as the legislative point of contact for NHA members, and meeting with city, county and federal elected officials and agencies to examine and understand regional issues from all aspects. The committee will work toward educating and informing members and developing ex pert forums on key issues.
Committee chairmen, board member s and staff received an update during lunch on the pending Compaq/Hewlett Packard merger by Chase Untermeyer, of Compaq. In his comments, Untermeyer recognized the importance of a diverse economy, and speculated that at least a portion of Compaq’s current campus in northwest Houston will continue to be utilized following the merger.
During the year-end wrap-up, it was re ported that the Association accomplished a number of goals, including increasing the number of events. NHA hosted six luncheons, four breakfasts and two receptions with an average attendance of l 50 individuals. Other accomplishments include increased media coverage and improvements in both the ac counting and computer systems
