2023 East End Means Business

Connecting and Growing Business Through Knowledge
and Procurement

Breakfast Procurement Panel

Derek Holmes
Administrative Director
Harris Health System

Derek Holmes

Derek Holmes, administrative director, Contractor Diversity, Harris Health System is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing Harris Health’s Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprise Program. Using quantitative and qualitative data, he focuses on inclusion and outreach efforts, creates and administers programs and initiatives to increase economic opportunities for M/WBEs.

Prior to this role, Holmes served as the assistant director of Vendor Diversity for the Department of Economic Equity & Opportunity. In this role, he created the M/WBE program for Harris County. He also held multiple contract compliance roles at the City of Houston’s Office of Business Opportunity, where he notably helped author the 2021 OBO Policies and Procedures and created on-demand training videos for City departments and contractors.

Holmes received his Bachelor of Science in Public Management from Florida A&M University and his MBA from Texas Southern University. He has also earned multiple certifications at the Wharton School of Business and Morgan State University. He enjoys mentoring, volunteering in the community, and he has served on several boards and nonprofit committees.

Breakfast Procurement Panel

Yvette Camel-Smith
Director Procurement Services
Port Houston Authority

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Yvette Camel-Smith

Yvette Camel-Smith is Director of Procurement Services at the Port of Houston Authority. She is responsible for all procurement and contract management strategies and activities for the Port Authority. Camel-Smith directs the solicitation process for competitive bids and proposals, following applicable state, local and federal laws and regulations. She also ensures contracts meet all regulatory requirements and are clearly documented for audits/review.

Before joining the Port Authority in February 2013, she served as Deputy Executive Director for the Memphis Housing Authority and Consultant for Project & Vendor Management Advisors. Mrs. Camel-Smith has more than 25 years’ experience in contracts & procurement, regulatory compliance, housing & development and business development. She is also licensed to practice law in Texas and Tennessee.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Xavier University, New Orleans, and a Juris Doctorate from Texas Southern University

Breakfast Procurement Panel

Miguel Arguelles
Vice President of Operations for the Marine and Industrial Business Unit,
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.

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Miguel Arguelles

Miguel Arguelles is Vice President of Operations for the Marine and Industrial business unit of McCarthy Building Companies, the oldest privately held construction company in the U.S. In his role, Miguel is responsible for integrating McCarthy’s various departments, including estimating, scheduling, accounting, safety, quality control, management information systems and contracts into a project as they become necessary.

Miguel joined McCarthy in 2006 as an intern while studying Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso and was later hired full-time. Since starting with McCarthy, Miguel has built his career on important public infrastructure projects and private and public port work covering the Texas Gulf Coast. Some of Miguel’s most notable projects include the City of Houston’s Northeast Water Purification Plant (NEWPP) Intake Pump Station (IPS), Port Freeport Velasco Terminal Berth 7, and the Port of Houston Bayport Terminal Wharves 2 and 6. While working with the Marine and Industrial unit, Miguel has seen the business triple in size, annual revenue, and overall manpower in just the past ten years.

Aside from his career, Miguel has been involved in many projects through McCarthy’s Heart Hats program- a national outreach program focused on giving back to the communities where employees live and work. He is also passionate about giving back to our youth and is a volunteer coach for the Texas Heatwave Soccer Club for U10-U8 leagues. Miguel currently resides in the Houston, TX area with his wife and two sons.

Breakfast Procurement Panel

Alexander Sandoval
Business Development Officer Procurement & Materials Office of Economic Business Opportunity
METRO

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Alexander Sandoval

Alexander Sandoval serves as Business Development Officer for Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Procurement & Materials - Office of Economic Business Opportunity. He has over twenty-five years of financial, procurement, and accounting experience. He has helped many small and large businesses in Texas learn how to manage their organizational, procurement, and financial challenges efficiently. During his watch, he has provided general business and supplier diversity assistance to agencies like the U.S. Department of Commerce, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Texas Department of Transportation, and currently METRO. Alexander currently assists contractors and suppliers as it applies to government procurement for established businesses and professionals as they seek business opportunities.

Alexander has been interested in assisting small and women-owned businesses throughout his career and has been involved in many advocacy and outreach efforts for these traditionally underrepresented groups. The history of Alexander’s professional career is a testament to the reality that he genuinely enjoys helping people find the most efficient and productive ways to grow their businesses.

Awards and Recognitions:

2021 Merit Award – The Greater Houston Business Procurement Forum
2019 Strategic Partner of the Year Award
2019 NAMC’s Lifetime Champion Award
2019 National Association of Minority Contractors Gold Helmet Award
2018 Merit Award – The Greater Houston Business Procurement Forum
2017 Merit Award – The Greater Houston Business Procurement Forum
2016 Advocate of the Year – Houston Minority Supplier Development Council
2016 Minority Business Advocate of the Year Award – The Greater Houston Business Procurement Forum
2015 B2B Connector of the Year – Government Procurement Connections
2014 Outstanding Contributor - Minority Enterprise Development Wee

Breakfast Procurement Panel

Maya Thornton
Harris County Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity
Moderator

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Maya Thornton

Maya P. Thornton currently serves as the Director of Inclusive Procurements with Harris County’s Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity (DEEO). She is responsible for expanding County contracting opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses and ensuring that employment and other economic opportunities generated by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assistance or HUD-assisted developments covered by Section 3 are implemented and monitored for compliance.

Prior to joining DEEO she served as the Director of Materials Management for Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD). As the Director of Materials Management, she was responsible for the leading the strategic plan and vision of purchasing, contracts, and warehouse departments for the District.

Maya has an excellent record for service. In her roles as Vice President of Business Opportunity with Texas Central Railway and the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Operations Department Director at the University of Houston she identified new areas of opportunity for small businesses, developed transparent and accountable process’, built tools to capture and track program success and changed departmental standards that ensured inclusion of diverse businesses at the onset.

Mrs. Thornton is dedicated to the mission of expanding business opportunities to minority, women owned and disabled veteran businesses, to have a positive impact on improving our local economy and to give back to the community. She is committed to the development of meaningful and mutually beneficial business relationships with diverse suppliers and recognizes the value these relationships add to any business. She believes companies that decide they will not let supplier relationships fail will be in a good position to maximize business relationships. Her mantra is “if you have failed, then so have I”.

Maya who holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Xavier University of Louisiana and a Juris Doctorate (JD) from Southern University Law Center.

When she is not working, she enjoys traveling with her husband Brian and two sons Caleb and Caden. Her favorite quote is “they that will not be counselled cannot be helped” this quote resonates in both her professional and personal life, it reminds her to always stay grounded and be receptive to new ideas and innovative thinkers.

SESSION A: Why Outsourcing is the Future of Business

Mary Drake Melhorn
Regional Sales Director - Houston
G&A Partners

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Mary Drake Melhorn

Mary Drake Melhorn is the Regional Sales Director at G&A Partners. Founded in Houston, G&A Partners is a trusted PEO serving small to mid-sized businesses with HR solutions including payroll, benefits, recruiting and more. Mary Drake is a graduate of Texas A&M University and has over 10 years of experience in the human capital management field.

SESSION A: Why Outsourcing is the Future of Business

Stephanie McGraw
Partner
Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.

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Alexander Sandoval

Awards and Recognitions:

2021 Merit Award – The Greater Houston Business Procurement Forum
2019 Strategic Partner of the Year Award
2019 NAMC’s Lifetime Champion Award
2019 National Association of Minority Contractors Gold Helmet Award
2018 Merit Award – The Greater Houston Business Procurement Forum
2017 Merit Award – The Greater Houston Business Procurement Forum
2016 Advocate of the Year – Houston Minority Supplier Development Council
2016 Minority Business Advocate of the Year Award – The Greater Houston Business Procurement Forum
2015 B2B Connector of the Year – Government Procurement Connections
2014 Outstanding Contributor - Minority Enterprise Development Wee

SESSION A: Why Outsourcing is the Future of Business

Michael Veuleman
Shareholder and Audit Practice Leader
PKF Texas

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Michael Veuleman

Michael Veuleman is a shareholder and the audit practice leader of PKF Texas, a full-service accounting and advisory firm located in Houston, Texas. He is a 1993 graduate of Lamar University, and has 30 years of experience in the public accounting industry. Michael is a native Texan, making Houston his home in 1998, where he and his wife have raised their two daughters. Michael serves as the treasurer for the East End Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Houston Manufacturers Association and serves on the University of Houston Department of Accounting & Taxation Advisory Board.

SESSION A: Why Outsourcing is the Future of Business

Jevon Wooden
CEO
BrightMind Consulting Group

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Jevon Wooden

Jevon Wooden is a dynamic business growth strategist, coach, speaker, author, podcast host, and Bronze Star Recipient passionate about leadership, business strategy, effective communication, marketing, technology, and helping motivated individuals and businesses achieve their goals. Wooden's remarkable business growth and personal development ideas have been featured in top publications such as Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Foundr, Forbes, and Verizon. Whether you are looking to scale your business, build your brand, or navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, Wooden is here to provide the support, insight, and expertise you need to achieve your dreams.

SESSION A: Why Outsourcing is the Future of Business

Maurice Nassar
Managing Partner & Founder
Emergent Partners
Moderator

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Maurice Nassar

Maurice Nassar is the Managing Partner and founder of Emergent Partners. He has served in a variety of positions for companies both large and small in management and as a business consultant. These positions include Chief Financial Officer and FP&A management positions for privately-held and publicly-traded companies. Throughout his career, he has served as a key member of several startups, responsible for building processes and infrastructure which led to exceptional growth. He spends most of his time advising small and mid-sized companies on organizational and growth strategies and improving business communities by facilitating conversations between business owners through roundtables and other presentations in markets both large and small. Throughout his career, he has developed the business model and methodologies that Emergent Partners uses to help businesses improve their operations and succeed in their respective markets.

SESSION B: The Impact of Chat GPT & AI in the Workplace

Bo Bothe
President & CEO
BrandExtract

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Bo Bothe

For Bo Bothe, imagination and perseverance play an equal part in inspiring belief. Imagination allows companies to shed perceptions, blocking the path to seeing its true purpose. Perseverance is the grit to share that vision and get others to join. With more than three decades as a veteran designer and entrepreneur, he channels his experience building BrandExtract and its brand into helping the firm’s clients identify transformation opportunities and when to seize them.

A Houston native, Bo grew up in the carpet business with his dad. He graduated from Strake Jesuit, Texas Tech University (Design Communications) and Rice University (MBA). His awards and accolades include HBJ’s 2022 “Most Admired CEO,” and is a member of the HBJ’s inaugural 2009 “40 Under 40,” Rice Jones School Alumni Service Award, Jones Citizenship Award, and Strake Jesuit Ignatian Award.

Bo regularly volunteers for organizations that share his passion. He’s a former President of AIGA Houston, President of the Jones School Alumni Board, City Councilman for the City of Spring Valley Village and currently sits on the board of The San Jacinto Battlefield and Museum and Family Houston.

CEO ROUNDTABLE

Nancy Almodovar
CEO
Nan and Co.

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Nancy Almodovar

Nancy Almodovar, President and CEO of Nan and Company Properties, defines her success by helping others find their happy. Named the #2 Luxury Agent in Houston in 2023, she thrives in the world of luxury real estate, teaching and mentoring others and breaking old stereotypes. Nancy is a loyal supporter and promoter of Houston, its culture and fellow community businesses and she is an ambitious entrepreneur with a data-driven process for business growth. She has been recognized as Houston Agent Magazine’s Managing Broker of the Year in 2020; was named one of Houston’s Most Influential Women by Houston Women Magazine in 2022; elected Houston Area Women’s Center Leadership Campaign Chair in 2021; and was a 40 Under 40 Class of 2022 Honoree by Houston Business Journal. This past year and in years prior, Houston Business Journal has named Nan and Company Properties as one of the best places to work in Houston, a distinction that she views as more important than any personal recognition.

With more than fourteen years of experience, Almodovar has soared to the top of the industry with a company driven by customer service and client satisfaction, making her the trusted agent for multimillion dollar properties, such as this River Oaks home previously owned by royals, the second most expensive home sold in Houston this year, and a socialite's estate which houses a world-famous closet. Almodovar launched Nan and Company Properties in 2014 from her kitchen table and has since filled a gap in the Houston marketplace for premier luxury real estate services including leasing, sales, and buying. She has grown the company over 40 percent each year since its inception and continues to foster an environment in which Nan and Co. agents grow their businesses as well.

Almodovar is an alumnus of the University of Houston Bauer College of Business and continued her personal development and business education with the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program.

Purpose is central to how Nan & Co. operates. Their mission is to help everyone find their happy, and they interpret that with their commitments to their employees, clients, developers, the community, and the real estate industry at large. Nancy personally volunteers and gives back to several organizations such as the Houston Ballet and St. Anne Catholic School. She launched the Nan Cares Toy Drive in 2016, an annual campaign to collect toy donations for students at Brookline Elementary, and is the Chair for the HAR Communications Advisory Board. In addition to being a CEO, she is a loving wife and mother of two, and a mentor to young men and women coming up in entrepreneurship, business and real estate.

CEO ROUNDTABLE

Kelley Taylor
Founding Partner & CEO
Taylor Construction Management

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Kelley Taylor

Kelley Taylor is a Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Taylor Construction Management (TCM), a Houston-based, project management firm, with offices in Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth, Texas. Kelley has a strong commitment to civic engagement and modeling community involvement. For the 2018 – 2019 board year, she served as the VP of Programs for Leadership Houston and has been recognized by various organizations for her contribution to the Houston small business community as she is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions including, most recently, HBJ Women Who Mean Business, Top 50 Women of Influence (Houston Woman Magazine), Top 30 Influential Women in Houston (DMARS), WBE Who Rocks (MBE Magazine), Contractor of the Year (Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce), Pinnacle Award Recipient (Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce), and the Gerald Hines Award (Houston Area Urban League).

CEO ROUNDTABLE

Massey Villarreal
CEO & President,
Precision Task Group

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Massey Villarreal

Massey Villarreal has an exceptional record for service in both the public and private sectors. He is most known for his work in economic development, serving on numerous advisory boards, and has held leadership positions across local, state, and national chambers of commerce.

For more than 20 years, he has served three Texas governors as an appointee to the Economic Incentive Oversight Board, the governing board of the Texas Economic Development Corporation, and the Board of Regents of the Texas State University System.

Mr. Villarreal has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the U.S. by Hispanic Business Magazine and one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanic Republicans by Newsweek. He is currently CEO and President of Precision Task Group, Inc., (PTG), a Hispanic-owned and managed technical system’s integration firm providing business solutions to public and private sector firms.

The first person to ever be Chairman of a local, state, and national Hispanic chamber, Mr. Villarreal served as chairman of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC), and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC). He sits on the Board of the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) as well as GHP’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force. Mr. Villarreal served for three years as Chairman of the Texas Association of Business (TAB) Foundation and currently serves as Chairman of the TAB Board.

Mr. Villarreal is currently serving Governor Greg Abbott as an appointee to the Economic Incentive Oversight Board. Mr. Villarreal also served several years under Governor Rick Perry, through his appointment to the Texas Economic Development Corporation as well as the Texas Public Finance Authority, prior to which, Governor Perry appointed Mr. Villarreal as presiding officer (Chairman) of the governing board of the Texas Department of Economic Development (TxEd). Mr. Villarreal led a successful transition of the agency to the Governor’s office, effective September 1, 2003. In September 2001, Mr. Villarreal completed a six-year appointment to the Board of Regents of the Texas State University System, which is composed of nine university components throughout Texas, by Governor George W. Bush.

He also serves National Council member American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Texas Association of Community College Business Advisory board, Excelencia in Education, and the Memorial Hermann Hospital System Board. Mr. Villarreal served two terms as Chairman of the Houston Golf Association (HGA) and First Tee of Greater Houston. Massey recently joined the board of the World War II museum in New Orleans Louisiana.

Mr. Villarreal is a native of Corpus Christi, Texas and resides in Sugar Land, Texas. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Texas A&M -Corpus Christi, formerly Corpus Christi State University

CEO ROUNDTABLE

Captain Clint Winegar
Presiding Officer
Houston Pilots

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Captain Clint Winegar

Captain Clint Winegar, Presiding Officer of the Houston Pilots, is a graduate of Texas A&M at Galveston with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation. Previously he held the position of Second Officer of the Houston Pilots (2014-2015 and 2022). In addition, he serves as Vice President of the American Pilots Association representing the Gulf States of Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi.

Prior to becoming a Pilot, he sailed on Product and Chemical Tankers moving cargo around the world for nearly 10 years. Since 2005, he has been licensed as a State Pilot on the Houston Ship Channel, logging over 2700 jobs and 12,000 bridge hours.