EFWBA was created to give business owners a place to meet, to have a voice for the advancement, development and improvement of the infra-structure in East Fort Worth, to provide an atmosphere for businesses to interact and develop relationships for friendship, community and business.
Dr. Shirley Byrdsong Knox-Benton says she is a retired High School Principal, but she is not really "retired" — she is actively pursuing additional education and receiving national recognition for all her work in the field of Education. In 2022, Shirley received another PhD, Doctor of Philosophy, from the Trinity International University of Ambassadors Corp School of Business.Shirley was nominated and received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award and Medal, signed by President Joe Biden. Her self-authored book "In Class, With Class, It CAN be Done" about her experiences as Principal at Dunbar High School, is going into its Second Edition printing, and books will be available early next year.
In addition to her educational works, she remains active in her church, Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, where she serves as Church Historian, and is currently planning Shiloh's 120th Anniversary celebration.
Shirley exemplifies our motto "Education is Good Business."
EFWBA celebrated our Annual Community Awards and Scholarship Banquet on Thursday, November 9, 2023.
We presented seven students with $1,5000 Scholarships, for a total of $10,500!
We awarded five Outstanding Awards to five individuals in East Fort Worth that help make our community thrive.
EFWBA donated over $5,000 for library books for the elementary schools in the Eastern Hill HS pyramid.
Most of our member businesses are owned by native Fort Worth eastsiders who actively promote this area.
EFWBA helps bring new businesses and new construction development to East Fort Worth.
For 49 years, EFWBA has actively advocated for East Fort Worth.
We invite every business owner, professional person, firm, corporation or non-profit organization, to join us for our monthly meetings where you will meet other business owners, individuals and city officials that influence our lives.
The mission is still the same today for this long-lived organization. It was founded in 1974 as a 501(c)4 so that it could be involved in non-partisan political issues. Working with the neighborhoods and Fort Worth City Government offices for the betterment of East Fort Worth sometimes leads to involvement in the political arena.
I hope you join us at our next meeting.
Mike Shedd, President, 2022
President@efwba.orgOur Annual Community Awards & Scholarship Banquet was held Thursday, November 9, 2023.
Our Awards Banquet honors outstanding businesses, organizations, citizens, and – most importantly – educators and students in East Fort Worth.
We named our new seventh scholarship in honor of Malcolm Wentworth and we will dedicate that Scholarship to the outstanding graduate from Texas CAN Academy, where Malcolm worked.
Malcolm Wentworth served on our Board and was instrumental to the success of our annual banquets, and we want to honor his memory with this scholarship.
Banquet 2023!The Nominating Committee proposed a slate of candidates for Office.
Elections were held in October. The December meeting is our Officer Installation and our year-end open discussion.
President: Don Boren
Vice-President: Angela Baker
Secretary: Wanda Conlin
Treasurer: Charles Ivory
Returning Directors: David Salgado, Bill Schwennsen, Charles Hodges, Mike Chaves, Alan Liebrecht, Gary Cumbie and Mike Whisenand.
New Directors for 2024
Amanda Hollins, Paul Kerpoe, Toby Owen.
Mike Shedd becomes the Immediate Past President, a non voting position on the Board.
Our tradition of having the Mayor start the new year continues!
Reelected in 2023 with 70% of the vote, Mattie Parker has served as the 45th Mayor of Fort Worth, Texas since 2021. Parker is focused on building a safer and stronger Fort Worth, nurturing thriving families, and fostering the highest quality of life in every ZIP code of the nation’s 13th largest city.
Launching her vision to build Fort Worth into a world-class city, Mayor Parker’s next-generation leadership includes key efforts and community partnerships to bolster Fort Worth’s development to compete in a global economy, improve public safety, expand access to education and workforce opportunities, and preserve the city’s rich heritage with a pioneering spirit and determination to leave things better than she found them.
Mayor Parker’s commitment to supporting strong police and fire services while making Fort Worth cleaner and safer has resulted in additional sworn officers and firefighters, dedicated support to Neighborhood Patrol and Crisis Intervention teams, as well as additional street sweepers, litter abatement crews, and historic investments to create housing for the homeless.
Dr. Emily Messer, an accomplished educational leader, has been named the 21st president of Texas Wesleyan University. With close to 20 years of higher educational experience, Messer will bring her expertise in enrollment, university development and student life to Texas Wesleyan.
Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Vickie Stevens stated, “As the new president, Dr. Messer will bring her knowledge of enrollment and retention management, student success, advancement and development of new undergraduate and graduate programs to meet the needs of the ever-changing economic markets. Dr. Messer has the skills to build upon the success of President Slabach with her talent and vision, and we look forward to the future of Texas Wesleyan University under her leadership.”
Messer comes to Texas Wesleyan from Jacksonville State University in Alabama where she served as vice president for advancement and enrollment management. She joined JSU’s staff in 2018 as the associate vice president for enrollment management and led JSU to record enrollment and a record year in philanthropic support.
March: Robert Allen, CEO FW Economic Development
April: Dean Robert Ahdieh, TX A&M
We meet at
Meadowbrook-Poly United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall
3900 Meadowbrook Drive, Fort Worth, 76103
Building on North side of church, closest to Meadowbrook. Overflow Parking on West side of street. Church is North of Reby Cary Library on Lancaster.
Doors Open 11:30 Lunch 11:45 – 1:00 pm
Meals $15.00 Members • $20.00 Non-Members
You can prepay lunch on the
RSVP page.
No July newsletter
Videos of the meeting are on our YOUTUBE page.
