On November 17th, the West Houston Association held its newly revamped Annual Awards Celebration at the Hyatt Regency West. This year, we welcomed local troubadour Darian Hernandez and his smooth guitar to entertain guests during cocktail hour followed with a spectacular line-up of award recipients and Rising Leaders graduates, culminating in the announcement of the incoming 2022 board.
In addition to a handful of Compass Awards and recognizing our second project to receive all five Sustainability Stars, we also incorporated our new Star of Excellence Award into the event. Compass Awards were presented for two major achievements.
Lona Shipp and Noe Escobar received Compass Awards for their leadership of WHA’s first Rising Leaders Topgolf fundraiser. Jim Boone, Tricia Brasseaux, & Deborah January-Bevers received Compass Awards for their leadership and the combined efforts of their teams’ work on HB 1410.
Bridgeland’s Parkland Square was the newest Sustainability Stars awardee, serving as regional model for best practices by incorporating sustainable features for low-impact development while maximizing benefits to ecology and residents’ well-being. It features 11 rain gardens, permeable hardscape, sustainable building materials, reclaimed water for irrigation purposes, low flow drip irrigation, adaptive landscaping, synthetic turf, fruit trees, alley system, dark sky compliant lights and interpretive signage for educating about these features
The Star of Excellence acknowledges a non-member whose contributions to the west Houston community complement our own work to achieve a shared vision. We honor them as shining examples of the leadership and determination that is required for everyone to find great experiences and opportunities in Greater West Houston. This year, we honored Russ Poppe for his 15 years of exceptional service at the Harris County Flood Control District.
In addition to awards, the event included announcements about the 2022 Board of Directors as well as additions to the WHA Advisory Board and Emeritus Board.
This year, we are excited to add Tim Early of Texas A&M University to our advisory board. Tim Early is an industry expert in land development and now serves as an Associate Professor of the Practice and Coordinator of the Masters in Land and Property Development program at Texas A&M University. Tim has already been actively contributing to our Sustainable Infrastructure committee, and we look forward to adding his expertise to more of our advocacy areas.
In 2020, we rolled our most storied and historic leaders onto our newly formed Emeritus Board. This year, we are honored to add ABHR’s managing partner Jim Boone to the ranks of WHA’s Emeritus Directors. Jim has been serving on the WHA Board for almost a decade, including serving on the executive committee and as Board Treasurer.
Finally, thank you to our sponsors for your support in hosting this star-studded event! Without your support and creativity, this event would not have been possible: Howard Hughes, ABHR, QuadVest, Nash Industries, and EHRA Engineering.