EFWBA Friends and Members,
Friends and Members of the East Fort Worth Business Association,
If you were unable to attend our March meeting, you missed a casual conversation with Judge Tim O’Hare. There were no political bombshells, dust ups or arguments to be had. It was a simple, unrehearsed, honest conversation with our newly elected county official. We look forward to seeing the new direction he brings to the County Commissioners Court as he moves forward with his term of office and hope to have him back in the future.
For those of you who have students or are otherwise aware of the happenings in our schools, you know that Spring Break has come and gone for Fort Worth ISD and our local colleges. Personally, I was able to get away to South Carolina for the week for some relaxation. It was too cold, and there were far too many alligators, but the getaway was nice nonetheless.
As you know, we are just over a month away from election season. Most of us will have several choices to make for Fort Worth City Council and Fort Worth ISD. As promised, we will be bringing as many candidates to you as possible for our April meeting. As of this writing, Gary Cumbie has 12 candidates confirmed. For Council District 5, we have Mayor Pro Tem Gyna Bivens, William McKinley Jackson, and Bob Willoughby.
For Council District 11 we have Christopher Johnson, Jeannette Martinez, Ricardo Avita, Rick Herring and Tara Maldonado-Wilson. In FWISD Place 2 we have Tobi Jackson and in Place 3 we have Quinton Phillips, Mar’Tayshia James and Valeria Nevarez.
As you can imagine, that’s going to make for a tight agenda, and we very well may spill over on our time.
Although it may seem like a lot to fit into one meeting, we felt it was important to give the candidates for the council and ISD equal time in front of our members.
The entire meeting will be devoted to our candidates, and facilitated by the East Fort Worth Business Association Political Action Committee. This will be a coming out party for the PAC in a manner of speaking, as they will be making endorsements following the forum, and after review by the PAC board members. If you want to be part of the PAC, please speak with our PAC President, Bill Schwennsen. He would be happy to have more input from the community and a little more help as needed. Bill will be delivering the questions at our April meeting, and it will consist of about 3 structured questions and timed responses.
Unfortunately, we won’t have time for a lengthy question and answer period, but the majority of the candidates will be available for a bit after the meeting for further discussion.
Looking beyond our April meeting, for May we will be saying good bye to our friend President Fred Slabach from Texas Wesleyan University. He will be finishing up the semester here and then heading to his new adventure as the Dean of the School of Law at the University of Mississippi. I hope you’ll join us to hear his parting message to our members, and to wish him and his family well.
In June, we will have Chris Cassidy back on the agenda, from the canceled meeting in February.
As always, we hope you will join us in April. However, if you aren’t able to make it, keep an eye out for the endorsements from the EFWBA PAC. They will try to guide you towards the candidate they feel best exemplifies the values of our joint organizations. See you all soon.
Plan to join us on the first Thursday of the month, at the Poly Meadowbrook United Methodist Church, located at 3900 Meadowbrook Drive, and mark your calendar for the months ahead.
Mike Shedd, President, 2023
Frederick G. Slabach is the 20th president of Texas Wesleyan University,serving since 2011. During his tenure, the university has reached new heights in all areas, including academic excellence, the student experience, and the revitalization of the campus and its historic neighborhood.
Under President Slabach’s leadership, Texas Wesleyan has made more than $50 million in capital improvements to the campus and the surrounding neighborhood, and the University endowment has doubled. Freshman applications have increased 282 percent, and overall freshman enrollment has increased more than 80 percent since 2011. The increase in the number of residential students has exceeded strategic plan goals.
In fall 2017, football returned to Texas Wesleyan for the first time in more than 75 years to an overwhelmingly positive response from the local community and football fans across the nation.
Freshman applications have increased 282 percent, and overall freshman enrollment has increased more than 80 percent since 2011.
In 2013, Texas Wesleyan broke ground on the Rosedale Renaissance, a $6.7 million project designed to revitalize the campus and Fort Worth's historic Polytechnic Heights neighborhood, which Texas Wesleyan has called home since its founding in 1890. In 2020, Texas Wesleyan maintained its newest level of national acclaim when, for the second consecutive year, U.S. News and World Report named the University to its annual list of nationally-recognized universities.
President Slabach is chair of the Independent College & Universities of Texas Board of Directors and serves on the board of directors of the North American Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities. He also serves as the treasurer of the board of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation and is the immediate past chair of the board of the Texas United Methodist College Association. Additionally, Slabach is the immediate past chair of the board of the Development Corporation of Tarrant County, immediate past chair of the community development organization Renaissance Heights United, and serves on the boards of the Mary I. Gourley Scholarship Foundation and Southeast Fort Worth, Inc.
President Slabach received his LL.M from Columbia University School of Law, his J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law and his B.S. from Mississippi College.He is married to the Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Melany Neilson. They have twin sons and a daughter.
