On November 2, 2021, the Central Fort Bend Chamber held their Annual Gala and Awards Celebration at Safari Texas Infinity Ballroom with over 240 guests in attendance. Following dinner and the awards celebration, the guests were treated to the tunes of the Royal Dukes Band.

For more than 111 years, the Central Fort Bend Chamber has been a leading catalyst for the businesses in our community. During the Gala, we celebrated those who have made a positive impact in our community throughout the year. This year’s award recipients include: Board Member of the Year – Heather Hernandez-Sedillo, Reining Strength Therapeutic Horsemanship; Business Partner of the Year – Peyton Martin, Dry Creek Social Club; Raymond Saage Volunteer of the Year – Kyle Atchison, Frost Bank; Committee Member of the Year – Matt Breazeale, Jones|Carter; Business Person of the Year – Craig Cryer, Cryer Physical Therapy; Achievement in Economic Development – HCSS.

In addition, the Chamber thanked and recognized the following individuals as they retired from the Board of Directors: John Kennedy, Texas State Technical College; Josh Merritt – Merritt Media; Trey Reichert – Johnson Development Corp.; Patrick Sexton – Legacy Ford and Wes Wittig – Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office.  The gavel was also passed from 2021 Chairwoman Beth Johnson of the University of Houston to Courtney Diepraam, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, who will serve as the 2022 Chairwoman of the Board.

This year’s Havana Nights themed annual gala was made possible by the following sponsors: Event Venue Host: Safari Texas Ranch; Silver Sponsors: HCSS, NRG Energy, Paradigm Consultants and Kinetic by Windstream; our Band Sponsor: Gillen Pest Control; our Cocktail Hour Sponsors: Costello Inc. and Raba Kistner Consultants; our Bar Sponsors: Odyssey Engineering Group and Republic Services, and our Corporate Table Sponsors: CenterPoint Energy, Cryer Therapy Services, Development Corporation of Richmond, EHRA Engineering, Frost Bank, Historic Richmond Association, Jones | Carter, Tanches Global Management and the University of Houston. And, last, but certainly not least, our Photo Booth Sponsor: GFL Environmental, Inc.; our Décor Sponsors: AccessHealth, Carrus Care Emergency Room, Clark Condon, Jordan Ranch by Johnson Development Corp., and Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP; our Cork & Barrel Sponsor: McDonald & Wessendorff Insurance; and our Dessert Sponsors: Commissioner Vincent Morales, Fort Bend County, Pct 1 and Stancil Property Tax LLC.

We would also like to thank our Chamber Champions: Chamber Champions: Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, Johnson Development Corporation, Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital and OakBend Medical Center.