Tag Archives: Awards

Weaver named to INSIDE Public Accounting’s ‘Best of the Best Firms for 2014’

By North SA Chamber Editor
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180x150-WeaverWeaver, the largest independent accounting firm in the Southwest, announces that the firm received INSIDE Public Accounting (IPA) magazine’s 2014 Best of the Best firms recognition.

“We are very proud to be among those named an IPA Best of the Best firm,” said Tommy D. Lawler, Weaver’s managing partner and CEO. “Our employees work very hard, and this is truly a firm-wide success.”

This recognition honors 50 firms that demonstrate long-term consistency and exceptional performance, as well as operational excellence. More than 540 firms from all over
the country participated in the 24th IPA Annual Survey and Analysis of Firms. The IPA 2014 Best of the Best firms stand out as well-managed and well-executed examples of how to succeed. Firms receiving this recognition range in size from 20 people to more than 2,000 people.

best of the best firms“The IPA Best of the Best firms represent the pinnacle of high-performing firms in the United States. Each firm demonstrates the right combination of vision, planning, training and execution to deliver superior performance,” said Michael Platt, principal of the Platt Group and publisher of the accounting trade publication, INSIDE Public Accounting. “We congratulate this year’s Best of the Best and welcome them to this exclusive group of high-performing firms.”

“The success of the Best of the Best firms is a tribute to their leadership and staff,” said Kelly Platt, publisher of INSIDE Public Accounting. “These firms’ enviable performance provides a model to others to better understand and implement winning strategies to run a more successful firm. We salute all Best of the Best firms and are proud to bestow this honor upon them from INSIDE Public Accounting.”

The special section titled, “The 2014 IPA Best of the Best Firms” that lists the top 50 firms in alphabetical order, published in the September 2014 issue of INSIDE Public Accounting.

About Weaver
Originally founded in 1950, Weaver currently has approximately 500 employees and Texas offices in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Midland, Odessa and San Antonio. The firm also operates in Denver, Colo., and Stamford, Conn. Weaver is ranked the largest independent accounting firm in the Southwest by Accounting Today magazine. The firm is also ranked the 38th largest firm in the United States by INSIDE Public Accounting.

Weaver serves a broad range of clients including public and private national and international companies, nonprofit organizations and governmental entities. In addition to traditional assurance and tax services, Weaver also provides numerous advisory services, including energy compliance and consulting; risk advisory; transaction advisory; IT advisory; forensic and litigation support; international tax; property tax; state and local tax; and wealth strategies services. Learn more at www.weaver.com.

 

Prism Technologies Group earns regional Microsoft® award

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Prism Technologies GroupPrism Technologies Group earned a prestigious regional award for the second consecutive year at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference this month. The company, which is an official Microsoft partner, was also honored with two nominations in predominant categories.

In all, Prism Technologies Group earned the distinction of:

  • Award winner – 2014 Microsoft Community Connections Partner of the Year for the U.S. SMB Central Region
  • Nominee – 2014 Microsoft Cloud Partner of the Year for the U.S. SMB Central Region
  • Nominee – 2014 Microsoft Partner of the Year for the U.S. SMB Central Region

Regional Award
For the second consecutive year, Prism Technologies Group received the Microsoft Community Connections Partner of the Year award for the U.S. SMB Central Region at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Washington, D.C. on July 14.  Out of five nominees for the Community Connections category, Bryan Guinn, president and Patrick Felty, vice president of Prism Technologies Group graciously accepted the engraved Tiffany & Co. crystal plate which was awarded in the presence of the top tier Microsoft partners from the central U.S. region.  The Central Region encompasses 19 states and thousands of Microsoft partners.

PTG Microsoft Award 2014Merits for this award were based upon the company’s commitment to educating the community about technology, not just Microsoft products.  “Giving back to the community is a key focus,” Guinn said.  “San Antonio is becoming a technology mecca in Texas and we are committed to contributing to that growth, whether it is educating the business community about the latest Microsoft technology, hiring IT interns from local colleges, to providing low cost services to nonprofit organizations.”

Within the last 12 months, Prism Technologies Group has hosted more than 40 lectures and classes, and they have participated in several conferences and symposiums to educate business owners, IT professionals and the nonprofit sector. They partnered with multiple chambers of commerce, professional organizations, the San Antonio Area Foundation and the Microsoft Store to demonstrate how the Cloud, Office 365, Windows 8 and Windows Phone enable collaboration, even across multiple platforms.

The company also participates in St. Philip’s College’s internship program by hiring students as help desk specialists. Interns gain valuable experience working with cloud computing, a technology that businesses are just beginning to utilize. In addition, some students are veterans, so Prism Technologies Group is honored to help them develop skills in a new vocation.

Regional Nominations
As a Microsoft partner, Prism Technologies Group is certified to sell, deploy and manage Microsoft products and solutions. The company was nominated for the Microsoft Cloud Partner award and the Microsoft Partner of the Year, both in the U.S. SMB Central Region because of their ability to surpass all three tiers and maintain their Tier 1 status in the SMB Champions Club over the past 12 months while simultaneously maintaining superior customer service. Although the company earned second place in these categories, the executive team is very pleased about the nominations, and the amount and quality of work their team has accomplished within a short period of time.

Credentials
Prism Technologies Group is an expert in the IT industry and has a solid performance record. Its staff is highly regarded and the company touts these credentials:

  • Microsoft Azure Circle Partner
  • Microsoft SMB Champions Club Tier 1
  • Microsoft Silver Competency Midmarket Solution Provider
  • Microsoft Silver Competency Server Platform Provider
  • Microsoft Small Business Specialist
  • Apple Consultant Network member
  • Cisco Channel Partner

About Prism Technologies Group
Prism Technologies Group has been helping businesses improve their IT operations since 2003, and it’s their mission to contribute to their clients’ success. The company, which has earned the highest certifications from notable stalwart companies such as Microsoft, Cisco and Apple, provides expert IT services to businesses, government agencies and nonprofit organizations across the United States. Prism Technologies Group has a solid performance record, and they guarantee reliable, responsive and efficient solution delivery. The company was founded by Bryan Guinn, who is an active North Chamber member. Guinn is a 2014 Small Business Leaders Award nominee.

Broadway Bank Human Resource Director receives Multicultural Leadership Award

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Broadway Bank logoCarlos Torres, executive vice president and human resources director at Broadway Bank received the 2014 Multicultural Leadership Award during the Texas Diversity & Leadership Conference awards luncheon on Wednesday, April 30, at the Westin Riverwalk. The National Diversity Council seeks to uphold and promote the principles of diversity and leadership and to recognize those individuals who personify those principles.

“Broadway Bank has offered me a great opportunity as human resources director to amplify the message of how diversity and inclusion are the bedrock of a successful organization,” said Torres. “I am grateful to live in a dynamic community that celebrates each one of us for the individuality that we share, giving us a unique role in making San Antonio the great city that it is,” he added.

Carlos_BroadwayBankTorres was promoted to human resources director following five years as senior vice president and human resources manager at Broadway Bank. Torres has worked in the human resources arena for 23 years in various capacities, including talent acquisition, employee relations, compensation and benefits design, strategic management, and employee and leadership development.

At Broadway Bank, Torres has focused on programs to educate and develop leaders. He spearheaded the development of the “Managing Employee Performance within the Broadway Culture” class and is leading the bank’s succession planning initiative. He also is credited with crafting the nicotine-free hiring policy, a critical part of maintaining a healthy work environment. His Wellness@Broadway Bank initiative gained the bank recognition as a local Fit-Friendly Company from the American Heart Association and from the Mayor’s Fitness Council as a healthy workplace, along with accolades from several other organizations.

A San Antonio native, Torres graduated from Central Catholic High School. He has a bachelor’s degree from St. Edward’s University in Austin. He is the 2014-2015 chairman of the American Diabetes Association Leadership Board, co-chairman for the 2014 KLRN Wine Festival and the 2013-2014 chairman of the “My Heart. My Life” committee for the American Heart Association, among others.

About Broadway Bank
Headquartered in San Antonio, Broadway Bank was founded in 1941. It has evolved from a small neighborhood bank into one of the largest independently owned banks in Texas. Today, Broadway Bank continues to function as a family-owned and operated financial institution. Broadway Bank offers a full-range of sophisticated financial services, including personal banking, private banking, military banking, business banking and wealth management. With more than $2.9 billion in total assets, the highly rated Bank operates 38 locations in San Antonio, Austin and the surrounding areas. Visit the Broadway Bank website at broadwaybank.com for more information.

 

SWBC takes bronze in District Advertising Award Competition

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180x150-SWBCSWBC is proud to announce that its marketing department took home a Bronze American Advertising Award (formerly known as an Addy®) in the District 10 competition. Its “Operation: Shaken, Not Stirred” invitation advanced after taking Silver in the ‘Special Event Material’ category during the local contest.

“It’s such awesome accomplishment for SWBC to be recognized along with other large, well-known agencies and in-house departments,” said Kristy Moore, Vice President of SWBC Marketing. “Winning a district Bronze is very special to us because we’re going up against entries from agencies and corporate teams from all over Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas.”

The American Advertising Awards represent the largest creative competition in the world with more than 40,000 entries from top agencies and in-house departments from 200 markets coast-to-coast.

About SWBC
Headquartered in San Antonio, SWBC is a diversified financial services company providing a wide range of insurance, mortgage, and investment services to financial institutions, businesses, and individuals. With offices across the country, SWBC is committed to providing quality products, outstanding service, and customized solutions in all 50 states. For more information, visit SWBC’s web site at www.swbc.com.

Congratulations Legal Leaders of Luttrell | Zucker Law Group

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ZUCKER_Color-300x62

 

Irwin Zucker and Leslie Luttrell of Luttrell | Zucker Law Group have been recognized in The American Lawyer’s publication of Texas’ Top Rated Lawyer’s. The two were honored as Legal Leaders featuring legal talent from across the state.

IrwinZuckerIrwin Zucker
Trusts & Estates, Taxation

Irwin Zucker is a shareholder and member of the Firm’s Estate Planning and Probate and Business Sections, with his current activities selectively focused on Estate Planning and Probate, Tax Planning and Tax Controversies.  His 40-year career includes ten years as senior estate tax attorney with the Internal Revenue Service and he is licensed to practice law before the U.S. Tax Court and the U.S. District Courts for the Western District of Texas and the District of Nevada.

Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Estate Planning and Probate and Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Tax Law, Zucker has received an AV Preeminent® peer rating by Martindale-Hubbell and continues to lecture on tax law in various venues.

LeslieLutrellLeslie Luttrell
Bankruptcy, Commercial Litigation, Collections, Law

As a shareholder and member of her Firm’s Bankruptcy and Commercial Litigation Section, Leslie Luttrell is renowned for her work in the areas of commercial litigation, creditors’ rights and bankruptcy law.  Her extensive career spans over 30 years.  She practices in the Bankruptcy, Federal District and State Courts  throughout Texas, as well as the United States Court of Appeals — Fifth Circuit.  Leslie has authored numerous articles and spoken on behalf of the State Bar of Texas CLE on the topics of bankruptcy, creditors’ rights and collection.  Ms. Luttrell is a graduate of St. Mary’s University Law School, a member of the State Bar College, and a life member of the Texas Bar Foundation. She holds an AV Preeminent® peer rating by Martindale-Hubbell and is active in many local charitable events.

Featured in The American Lawyer
Texas’ Top Rated Lawyers, a Publication
legalleaders@alm.com

 

Express-News wins community service prize

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SA Express News logoThe San Antonio Express-News has built a reputation for solid journalism and community involvement since their first edition in 1865.  That mission continues today, almost 150 years later.

The Texas Associated Press Managing Editors awarded the Express-News first place in community service at the organization’s convention April 5-6 at South Padre Island for the newspaper’s in-depth coverage of sexual assaults in the military.

In the same contest, the Headliners Foundation of Texas also awarded investigative reporter Karisa King a Star Reporter of the Year Award for her work in “Twice Betrayed,” a seven-month project that revealed pervasive and long-standing problems of sex assaults in the military in which offenders are rarely punished or let go from duty. It focused on victims who reported the incidents but often faced retaliation and discharges on questionable claims that they had mental disorders.

Express-News art director Adrian Alvarez also won a Star Designer of the Year Award for his page designs of “Twice Betrayed” and other news stories.

“Series like ‘Twice Betrayed’ exemplify our commitment to public interest journalism,” Express-News Editor Mike Leary said. “We’re proud of receiving recognition for the fine work our staff does.”

The series let many victims tell their stories publicly for the first time and sparked a national debate about the military’s handling of sexual assault cases.

King, who won the Star Reporter Award in 2007 while at the Express-News, now works for the Chicago Tribune.

The newspaper’s community service prize was for its broad coverage of sexual assault cases at Lackland AFB, where training instructors were accused of victimizing trainees.  The winners were King, military writer Sig Christenson, projects editor David Sheppard, photographer Lisa Krantz and director of photography Luis Rios.

The Express-News also won third place in the Team Effort Award for “Twice Betrayed” and an honorable mention for online newspaper of the year.

In addition, Jason Buch, who covers border security issues, won first place in specialty reporting for his writing on money laundering in Mexican drug cartels.

Express-News staff writers Michelle Casady, David Rauf and John Tedesco shared in the first-place award for Class AAAA breaking news report of the year, which was awarded to the Houston Chronicle. Casady and Tedesco also took third place in deadline writing.

Additional Express-News staffers also winning awards in the contest are:

  • John MacCormack won third place and Jennifer Hiller took honorable mention in feature series.
  • O. Ricardo Pimentel won second place in editorial writing.
  • Buck Harvey won second place, and Mike Finger took third place in sports column writing.
  • Patrick Danner and Valentino Lucio combined for a second-place finish in business reporting.
  • Kin Man Hui won second place in sports photography.
  • Lisa Krantz and staff won third place, and Bob Owen won honorable mention in photojournalism. Owen also won honorable mention in the Star Photojournalist of the Year category.
  • The Express-News photo staff won third place and honorable mention in best photo gallery.

Each year, the Express-News competes against other newspapers across the state with Sunday circulations of 125,000 or more, a list that includes the Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle and the Austin-American Statesman.

Also at the convention, Diana R. Fuentes, Express-News editor of community publications, took office as the new president of the Texas APME organization.

The Express-News award-winning journalists tell the stories that matter to San Antonio, from in-depth local and enterprise reports to investigative articles.

Plans for the Express-News’ 150th anniversary celebration next year will be announced as the date draws closer.

St. Mary’s School of Law team wins Federal Bar Association National Championship

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StMarys_LAW_logoThe St. Mary’s University School of Law Moot Court Team traveled to Washington, D.C., in late March and came home with its fourth national championship in the past 12 years.

The External Advocacy Program (EAP) Moot Court Team of second-year law students Hannah Cottrill and Stephen Bachran defeated 45 teams at the 17th annual Federal Bar Association Thurgood A. Marshall Memorial Moot Court Tournament. It was the duo’s first national title and the EAP moot court team’s second in three years at this event.

SONY DSC

Second-year law students Hannah Cottrill (center) and Stephen Bachran (right) receive the championship trophies.

Cottrill was named Best Final Round Oralist, and Bachran was named the Second Place Oralist. They were matched up against teams from law schools such as Baylor, Georgetown and the University of Florida in the largest field ever assembled for this event.

The prestigious competition addresses emerging issues of federal statutory and constitutional law. Judges included distinguished members of the federal bench and bar who were in Washington for the Federal Bar Association’s mid-year meeting.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to work with such gifted advocates, and I am extremely proud of the hard work and dedication of these fine students,” said St. Mary’s adjunct law professor Ricky Poole (J.D. ’90), who coaches the law school’s moot court teams. “They deserve both praise and gratitude for their outstanding achievement.”

The St. Mary’s EAP Moot Court Team now has won two championships at the FBA Thurgood A. Marshall Moot Court Competition, in addition to the Emory University Civil Rights and Liberties National Moot Court Competition and the American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition.

St. Mary’s University repeatedly has been nationally recognized for its commitment to service and community engagement. The Carnegie Foundation has given St. Mary’s its prestigious Community Engagement Classification, and St. Mary’s has received the Presidential Award from the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition for service in higher education. St. Mary’s University is a Catholic and Marianist university with a tradition of academic excellence.

 

Methodist is first health care system in South Texas to achieve quality award

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methodist hcs logoMethodist Healthcare has been selected to receive the Texas Award for Performance Excellence (TAPE) from the Quality Texas Foundation, representing the highest level of quality an organization can achieve in the state of Texas. Methodist Healthcare is the first health care system in South Texas and the third organization in San Antonio to receive the TAPE award since the inception of the award in 1994.

Utilizing the same criteria and process as the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the Texas Award for Performance Excellence is an annual recognition of Texas organizations that have achieved performance excellence and have applied outstanding quality principles in their day-to-day operations. TAPE winners are role model organizations demonstrating exceptional performance in all areas of organizational management – leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, measurement, analysis and knowledge management, workforce focus, operations focus and results.

“This award is a validation of the hard work our employees, physicians, volunteers and board members have accomplished over the past years in Methodist Healthcare’s journey to excellence,” stated Jaime Wesolowski, President and CEO, Methodist Healthcare. “Our commitment to quality and process improvement enables us to provide better service and outcomes to our patients and that is what drives us to be nothing less than excellent,” continued Wesolowski.

There are many milestones the health system has achieved in its journey; a few quality indicators the system excels in are:

  • Evidenced Based Care Measures (Composite Core Measures) are in the top 10% of the nation, for those care interventions known to improve patient mortality and complications.
  • The Methodist Healthcare in-hospital mortality is only 50% of what is expected given the severity of illness levels of System patients.  For Methodist this translates into 530 fewer patients dying each year than should be expected.
  • The Patient Safety Indicator (PSI) 90 is a composite score of several in-hospital patient complications.  Methodist Healthcare scores significantly lower (better) at 0.46 than the national average of 0.6, indicating a much lower hospital complication rate than most hospitals.

State examiners from the TAPE Baldrige-based program visited Methodist Healthcare hospitals in January to evaluate how well employees, physicians, volunteers and board members demonstrate and standardize excellence across the system. Methodist will receiveTexas Award for Performance Excellence Logo.wmz a detailed report from Quality Texas Foundation on the health system’s strengths and opportunities for improvement. Methodist staff will use the report to prepare for the national Baldrige process as part of the System’s continuing pursuit of excellence

Methodist Healthcare will receive the award at the Texas Quest for Excellence Conference on June 23, in Addison, Texas.

About TAPE

Administered by the Quality Texas Foundation, the Texas Award for Performance Excellence was established in 1993. The award is open to government, education, health care, non-profit and other businesses. These organizations go through a rigorous application process where quality and performance excellence must be demonstrated on a variety of measures including: organizational leadership; strategic planning; focus on customers; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results.

Methodist Healthcare System – Journey to Excellence

Methodist Healthcare System of San Antonio (MHS) began as Methodist Hospital, chartered in 1955 by the United Methodist Church.  Since that time, MHS has grown to what is now the largest health care provider in South and Central Texas with 27 facilities, including nine acute care hospitals serving over 90,000 inpatients and 390,000 outpatients annually, expanding its vision of world class health care to San Antonio and 26 surrounding counties.

The System’s ownership structure is a 50/50 co-ownership between not-for-profit Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM) and for-profit Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), a truly unique business model for health systems in the country. With equal partnership control, MHS assures a dynamic balance in its mission: serving humanity to honor God by providing exceptional and cost-effective healthcare accessible to all.  Methodist Healthcare Ministries broadens MHS’ community outreach through its services to the underserved and dollars to community organizations and to its own clinics; MHM has provided over $500 million to community since its inception in 1995.

Led by a culture of Methodist Excellence, the over 8,000 staff and volunteers combined with a medical staff of over 2,500, dedicate themselves to continuous quality improvement by committing to live by Methodist Excellence mission, vision and values.  Six pillars of excellence are embedded in Methodist Excellence (people, service, quality, growth, finance and community); department, hospital and system strategic goals are developed under each pillar and provide a framework for achieving sustained organizational success.

At the heart of Methodist Excellence is the System’s core competency, “building partnerships to serve our community.” This guiding principle defines the essence of MHS partnerships:  (1) community centered, (2) patient focused, and (3) physician driven.

Methodist Excellence is the foundation of all aspects of the health care system; from the hiring process to the strategic planning process.

The journey to excellence has led MHS to achieve many awards for clinical excellence and quality outcomes as well innovation and people’s choice awards. Receiving the Texas Award for Performance Excellence is a testament to Methodist Healthcare being selected as the most preferred and trusted health care system each and every year.

September 2013 Word from the Chairman

By North SA Chamber Editor
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Rollins_Brad-ChairmanIn August, the North SA Chamber offered our members the opportunity to hear first-hand from Mayor Julián Castro, recognized USAA CEO Maj. Gen. Joe Robles with the Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. Salute to Excellence Award and partnered with the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber to inform our members of important economic trends at the Mid-Year Economic Report.

As both of our Chambers endeavor to advance business and economic development in San Antonio, it has truly been a pleasure to work with the Hispanic Chamber CEO, Ramiro Cavasos, and their board toward our common goal to serve business. A big part of that, of course, is to serve as an advocate for business and provide our members a collective voice before their elected officials. We came together at the joint chamber City Council Meet & Greet, hosted by Frost, and our boards visited with the newest and returning Council members, as well as Mayor Castro.

I want to thank Frost for their demonstrated support of business and downtown redevelopment, as well as Government Affairs Council Chair and 2015 Chair-elect, Rob Killen, for his volunteer leadership and help in coordinating this event, and for his efforts to keep our members informed of the important issues that face our community and their businesses. Additionally, on behalf of our board of directors and membership, we thank our elected officials for their public service and the work they do on behalf of our citizens and businesses.

MPO Public Meetings
The North SA Chamber has a demonstrated commitment to keeping San Antonio moving. As you may know, according to the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), “By 2040, the San Antonio metro area will have nearly 1.5 million new residents raising the region’s population to over 3.4 million people.” That’s approximately one million or more cars added to our roadways in the next 25 years. The MPO conducts careful deliberation to ensure that major transportation projects are planned with public feedback. To address future transportation needs, we currently have a 25-year metropolitan transportation plan (MTP) that programs approximately $12 billion in transportation funding through year 2035. The MPO is now working on “Mobility 2040” which must be approved by December 2014. Area residents are invited to review plans and provide input on Mobility 2040’s vision and goals at a series of public meetings. Click here for the schedule.

Calendar of Events
We have a number of events coming up and hope you’ll join us.

The Business Technology Series features UTSA’s Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security, Ray Simms, and is scheduled for Wednesday, September 25, starting at 7:15 a.m. at the Petroleum Club. Learn how to Maximize Security and Control Costs with cyber hygiene, wireless security and online commerce.

The Enterprising Women’s Conference will be Tuesday, October 1, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the Omni Hotel Colonnade. Featured speaker will be author and trainer Jennifer Webb, Magic Communications, and the luncheon program from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. will feature the ATHENA Leadership Awards® presentation. Congratulations to the finalists and we’re excited to reveal the award recipients at the luncheon.

Additionally, learn about the latest digital trends at On the Horizon on Wednesday, October 23, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Oak Hills Country Club. Hear from IT and cyber security specialists about digital fraud and how to avoid cyber break-ins.

You can register for these and all of the North SA Chamber events here.

Thank you for all you do to keep Bexar County strong and I hope to see you soon.

SACU and KENS TV recognize 19 teachers with the 14th annual ExCEL Awards program

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SACU logoSACU and KENS5 recognized 19 teachers for excellence in the public school classroom during the 14th year of ExCEL Awards program for the 2012-2013 school year. Winners selected by their districts represent the best teachers in our schools and, through this program, share their best practices with other educators.

SACU and KENS leaders hosted the winners, their principals and superintendents and their guests at an end-of-year banquet to celebrate the teachers’ successes. Paul Garro, CEO of City Year San Antonio, was the keynote speaker.

“SACU and KENS5 know that a great teacher can impact and inspire students to achieve much more than they dreamed possible,” Laura Johnston, SACU Chief Marketing Officer, said. “We can’t imagine a better way to impact education than to recognize great teachers and help them share the ways they are being highly effective in their classrooms.”

You can see the winners together on KENS5’s Great Day SA in August 2013, to announce the 15th year of ExCEL which resumes in September. Each winner also has an individual web page at sacu.com/ExCEL. On KENS5.com, view the winners’ videos or recognize your favorite teacher with a story and a photo.

Since 1999, the ExCEL program has recognized 266 teachers with awards totaling $269,800. ExCEL celebrates dedicated teachers with a trophy, a check for $1,000 and featured airtime on Eyewitness News at 6. By recognizing exceptional teachers, these educators can share their innovative techniques and others will be able to learn from their examples. Teachers win through collaboration, students win through quality education, and society wins as education improves.

SACU is a $2.9 billion credit union, with 16 locations in San Antonio and one in Houston. As a member-owned financial institution, SACU provides a wide array of convenient services to members through GOTM, the mobile app from SACU, and numerous online services. Members benefit through competitive savings and loan rates and reasonably priced financial services. There are hundreds of ways to qualify for membership at SACU. Visit sacu.com, or call 210-258-1234 or 1-800-688-SACU (7228) for information.