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The Chamber has released a study of the economic impact of eleven Irving-based businesses within the DFW Airport Corridor.  The analysis compiled by consulting firm, Angelou Economics, comes as part of an international marketing program initiative led by D/FW International Airport.

The marketing campaign aims to boost the visibility and reputation of North Texas throughout the world and to add and retain international air service to the world's third busiest airport.  To support this goal, the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber, the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau, along with chamber and convention and visitors bureau representatives from Dallas, Fort Worth, Grapevine and Arlington are working in partnership on the project.

The Chamber helped guide Angelou Economics in compiling data regarding the economic impact of the following Irving-based businesses located in close proximity to D/FW Airport: Aviall, ExxonMobil, Fluor, Flowserve, NEC, Nokia, NCH Corp, Microsoft, RIM, Citi and Allstate.

Key findings of the Economic Impact of Key Businesses near DFW study indicate that the economic impact from these eleven corporations on the DFW area is more than $8.7 billion annually.  These businesses also indirectly support 20,768 jobs and create $231.8 million in additional retail sales for the area.

Facilities were built for all of these major businesses with an investment of over $1 billion.  The initial construction for these businesses created an additional $1.75 billion in economic activity, more than 10,600 one-time jobs, and $606.6 million in employee income. 

Tax revenues from these Irving-based businesses average nearly $900 million annually for Dallas County, the State of Texas and the United States.  Along with this finding, the one-time construction of facilities for these businesses drew nearly $150 million additional tax dollars. 

"Irving's strategic location adjacent to D/FW Airport is clearly a major factor in the success of the businesses examined in the study, and it is a primary draw for relocating businesses as well," said Chamber President / CEO, Chris Wallace. "As a leading pro-business city with easy access to both coasts and to points all over the world, Irving is well-positioned for continued growth and economic success."

HMS, Clorox, TWG Insurance and Shared Technologies are among the companies who have chosen to relocate operations to Irving in recent weeks.  The Chamber-managed Irving Economic Development Partnership has initiated 78 new relocation or expansion projects this fiscal year.

 Angelou Study

Keep Irving Beauiful and Mayor Herbert Gears hosted the annual "Mayor and KIB Proud Partners Awards" reception on Monday, August 02, at the First Baptist Church in Irving. Many from the Irving business community were honored. Several of these worthy recipients are pictured below:

 R.M. Hudson Business and Industry Award: Frito-Lay Irving Facility (co-winner)

R.M. Hudson Business and Industry Award: VHA, Inc. (co-winner) 

Iron Eyes Cody Media Award and Governor's Community Achievement from Keep Texas Beautiful: The Irving Rambler

Gregg Mays Green Government Award: City of Irving Solid Waste Services

Keep Texas Beautiful First Place in the Government Category: City of Irving Code Enforcement

Ben Carpenter Vision Award: TXU Energy

Keep Irving Beautiful Governor's Achievement Award: Las Colinas Association

We are very often learning new things from our Chamber members, and today we learned the term "Gastroenterology." It is a branch of medicine whereby the digestive system and its disorders are studied.  We also learned that never before has Irving had a female gastroenterologist.... But we do now as Dr. Mabel Zevallos has joined the team of doctors at the Medical & Surgical Clinic of Irving!  Here's the scoop courtesy of Amanda O'Neal with the Brummitt Group:

The Medical & Surgical Clinic of Irving Welcomes the City's First Female Gastroenterologist

The Medical & Surgical Clinic of Irving (M&SCI) today announced that Mabel Zevallos, MD is joining the staff as the first female Gastroenterologist in Irving.  A New York-trained Gastroenterologist, she brings experience in all aspects of general gastroenterology and hepatology and performs several gastroenterological procedures.

Dr. Zevallos finished medical school in the top 10% at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Lima, Peru.  She then completed Internal Medicine residency in the top 5% and was elected Chief Resident at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in New York, an affiliate of Albert Einstein College of Medicine. During her chief residency, she enjoyed teaching activities and was an academic role model to the students and junior residents.   Dr. Zevallos was honored to be offered fellowships in multiple specialties at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, but ultimately decided on Gastroenterology because she felt it was the most challenging. 

She's been a Gastroenterology attending physician at Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center for the last five years. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology and is a member of the American Medical Association, American Gastroenterological Association, American College of Gastroenterology and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

"We think there is great demand in Irving for a Spanish speaking, female Gastroenterologist," says Jeffry Duke, CPA and Executive Director of M&SCI. "We are proud that Dr. Zevallos decided to join M&SCI, as we know she had many choices.  She's a huge asset to our practice and the community."

At a press conference in downtown Manhattan on Tuesday, August 3, executives from AT&T and Research In Motion, makers of the BlackBerry line of smartphones, introduced the BlackBerry Torch, RIM's first phone with both a touch screen and a slide-out keyboard. Read more about this exciting launch from this company with a U.S. headquarters in Irving, as detailed by The New York Times here.

Kathy Dress, co-founder emeritus of the Annual DFW Dragon Boat, Kite and Lantern Festival held each year in Las Colinas, reports a significant achievement for her company, PDI Green Technology and its founder Henry Yiu. Yiu earned the Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce's (GDAACC) Entrepreneur of the Year award. Other Irving-related notes from the GDAACC's 2010 Gala include Corporate Diversity Award honors for D/FW International Airport and honors for Neha Kunte of Irving-based MNK Infotech Inc, a full service information technology development firm. Kunte received the Asian Women-Owned Business of the Year Award. Chamber Investor, Atmos Energy, also was recognized with senior analyst, Kevin Yu, earning the GDAACC Chairman's Award. The Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber is a strong partner of the GDAACC.

Henry Yiu accepts the GDAACC Entrepreneur Award with Gov. Perry

UPDATE: WFAA did a great story on this! Read it here. See it below:

A benefits plan was formally launched on Wednesday, July 14, at the Chamber Information Center in Irving's Heritage Crossing by an Irving-based nonprofit group.

"We continue to partner on new initiatives to help small business," said Shawn Callaway, Vice President of Marketing & Communications. "We are extremely pleased we could help this great organization spread their message of affordable health care for small business."   

The North Texas 3-Share Plan will give uninsured people who are employed by small businesses a new health care alternative. It calls for monthly health care premiums to be split between the employee, employer and a subsidy fund.

"The North Texas 3-Share Plan will be a major step in providing low-cost healthcare plans to low-wage employees of small employers who are excluded from the mandates of Healthcare Reform," said Don Spies, President of the North Texas 3-Share Plan. "The 3-Share plan offers the best opportunity to provide a medical home for a large number of low-wage working individuals for the least cost of public funds since contributions are also required from the employer and employee in order to participate in the program."

The plan is available through small employers -- defined as those with between two and 50 employees -- that have not offered group health insurance in the past 12 months. Landscapers, construction firms, auto repair shops and painting companies are among the small businesses expected to take advantage of the plan.

"We are starting in Irving," said Jessica Hernandez, Parkland's vice president of community-oriented primary care, "but we foresee that patients will be able to be seen at any of our eight clinics."

North Texas 3-Share Plan patients can be seen in Irving at Parkland COPC's Irving Health Center located at 1800 N. Britain Road.

"This is a program that is long overdue," stated Brenda Sauls speaking on behalf of Commissioner Mayfield who was travelling and unavailable to attend. "This is a great way for people to gain access to the great medical services offered by the Parkland system."  

Commissioner Maurine Dickey who also spoke Friday, July 16 at the Chamber's State of Dallas County event with Dr. Ron Anderson, President & CEO of Parkland Hospital, was in attendance and offered her congratulations as well.

The press conference was followed by a ribbon cutting, an official proclamation from the Mayor's office and also a proclamation from State Representative Harper-Brown's office - all honoring the North Texas 3-Share Plan for providing much needed access to health care for small business and for choosing Irving, home to more than 8,000 small businesses, as the place to launch.

To learn more, visit www.northtexas3share.org.   Photos from the press conference follow:

 From left to right: Jessica Hernandez, Don Spies, Shawn Callaway and Brenda Sauls

.

 Shawn Callaway presents a proclamation on behalf of the Mayor to Don Spies and the North Texas 3-Share organization

Don Spies cuts the ribbon signifying the North Texas 3-share Plan's Official Launch.

 A standing room only crowd gathered in the Chamber's Information Center at Heritage Crossing to hear the announcement.

Don Spies displays the proclamation

 Glory House provided a delicious spread for attendees

Michelle Attah Begins Journey at Irving Ad Agency, REACH 

Irving resident, Michelle Attah, can't hold a job for longer than a week. If she did, she'd be in trouble. Attah is part of a summer-long program for young workers called One Week Job in which college students or recent graduates try out one job per week all summer. One of three workers chosen from hundreds of applicants nationwide, Attah began her summer odyssey at an Irving advertising agency called REACH. In a few short days, she has already helped design a logo, helped negotiate a $50,000 marketing plan, hobnobbed over swanky lunch fare, written content for client web pages, and given away more than $500 worth of prizes via an online marketing sweepstakes.

"It has been exciting and eye-opening to see how ad agencies work," Attah said. "If the next seven weeks are this exciting, I'll be very tired when the summer is over."

The One Week Job Project was founded by Canadian Sean Aiken in 2007. Taking the advice of mentors and teachers to find his passion, Aiken arranged to work one new job per week for an entire year. His quest drew media attention from the likes of CNN, 20/20, Good Morning America, and The New York Times. He has recently released a book about his experiences that year and a documentary film is in the making.

As an extension of his experience, Aiken started a program by which other young people can "try out" careers. For her part, Attah says she is eager to "see what's out there" to help her decide on a career path. A graduate of Texas A&M University, she holds a degree in psychology and a wide range of interests that make it difficult to choose a career.

"I know where she's coming from," REACH President Ryan Sanders said. "When I heard about the program, I immediately thought of the day during my sophomore year at A&M when my academic advisor told me I couldn't stall any longer. I had to choose a major. I resonated with the need to help young people find their passion. I hope we've helped Michelle get a little more clarity."

Attah was selected for the program based on a written application, a 60-second video, and her campaign to get others to vote for her on the One Week Job website. REACH is her first stop this summer. For the next seven weeks she will try jobs like radio deejay, river guide, concert roadie, and coffee bean roaster. She says she was grateful to start close to home.

"It's really cool to have found such an interesting company right here in my back yard," she said. "REACH does some really amazing things for its clients and I'm grateful for the 'behind the scenes' look at how a real ad agency operates."

To follow Attah's summer journey, visit her blog at www.oneweekjob.com/author/michelle

For more about REACH, visit www.reach-agency.com

And for more about One Week Jobs, go to www.oneweekjob.com

Michelle Attah  

In honor of National Small Business Week, May 23 through May 29, we would like to alert your attention to a fantastic story that MSNBC ran on Irving over the weekend. Producers and a film crew were here last month trying to understand how Irving came to have more national Blue Ribbon Small Business Winners than any other city in America for the past three years!  Irving now has 11 total Blue Ribbon Winners!

MSNBC did a very good job of capturing many of the elements which make Irving a special place for small business such as the close relationship between City and Chamber. While the Chamber advocates for the business community, it's the businesses themselves that are the real champions in our community. We're ecstatic to see the International publicity for not only the two Blue Ribbon businesses most prominently featured in the story, Big State Drug and Rick's Independent Car Kare, but also several other Irving businesses. These include other Blue Ribbon winners, past and present: TeoTios, Cooksey Communications, Joe's Coffee Shop and Glory House. Also getting some time are Branjey Beauty Salon, Fabulously Frugale, Villa's Grill, ExxonMobil, Citi, the Cowboys and Microsoft.

What a great story!  Watch it yourself here.

HP BYRON NELSON PROVES TO BE A SHOWCASE EVENT FOR THE IRVING BUSINESS COMMUNITY. Jason Day, a transplanted Australian who resides in Fort Worth, earned his first PGA tour victory at the age of 22 at Irving's HP Byron Nelson Championship at the TPC Four Seasons Resort. Youth was among the topics of conversation all weekend long as 16-year-old, Jordan Spieth, who finished tied for16th, awed some of the largest crowds the tournament has ever seen with his shot-making ability. Attendance figures were very good with an increase of 3,000 over the third round last year on Saturday (78,000 turned out). The Chamber hosted investors, commercial real estate brokers and site selectors in Villas featuring information about the amenities, access and quality of life which makes Irving a leading, pro-business city.  
 
PRINCE EDWARD ANNOUNCES COLLABORATION WITH BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA IN THEIR 100th YEAR.  Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, paid a visit last week to the National Scouting Museum and the Boy Scouts of America's national headquarters in Irving. The British royal and Boy Scouts chief executive, Bob Mazzuca, announced during a special ceremony a new collaboration between the Duke of Edinburgh's Award program and the Scouts. The collaboration is part of the Young Americans' Challenge and aims to involve youth with community service programs, adventurous journeys and physical recreation activities in order to help scouts achieve a balanced development of life skills. To learn more about the Boy Scouts of America, an organization celebrating its 100-year anniversary, make plans to join the Chamber in celebrating a century of scouting at the Boy Scouts of America-Western Star District Friends of Scouting Social, June 8 at La Cima Club. Registration and information are available via the calendar page at www.irvingchamber.com.
 
KIMBERLY-CLARK CONTRIBUTES $1.3 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS.  Irving-headquartered Kimberly-Clark Corporation has announced it has provided a total of $1.3 million to students in 11 U.S. states and one Canadian province through its 2010 Bright Futures college scholarship program. 
 
OPTIMISM AND CONFIDENCE RISING AMONG U.S. CEOS.  The Irving-headquartered Young President's Organization (YPO), a global network of 17,000 chief executive officers, has announced the results of a CEO economic sentiment survey. More than 1,000 CEOs including those from Fortune 500 corporations responded to the survey, expressing rising optimism about the outlook for their businesses, driving a 4.1-point increase in the survey's U.S. CEO Confidence Index to 61.0, up from a 56.9 rating in January 2010. The surveyed CEOs also reported improved actual results for the first quarter of 2010 as compared with both the same period in 2009 and the trailing fourth quarter of 2009. More than two-thirds of the U.S. survey respondents (69 percent) expect sales to increase by more than 10 percent over the next 12 months, while 36 percent expect a corresponding increase in employee counts.
 
AEGIS PURCHASES SALLIE MAE'S CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER IN KILLEEN. Aegis Limited, a leading global business process outsourcing (BPO) provider based in Irving, has announced that it has signed an agreement with education finance service provider Sallie Mae to acquire its customer service center in Killeen, Texas, and to transition 350 Sallie Mae employees to Aegis' global delivery platform consisting of approximately 40,000 professionals located in 43 locations worldwide. This agreement will be effective beginning June 4, 2010.
 
VERIZON CONNECTS IRVING WITH TWO NEW CONTRACTS.  Verizon, a company with approximately 7,000 employees in Irving, has announced two new contracts which will significantly impact Irving. First, Verizon has announced a $5 million, five-year agreement with the Irving Independent School District. Verizon will help the school district move to an Internet protocol voice and data platform that will set the stage for advanced unified communications applications. Verizon will also provide wireless-enabled netbooks to middle school children who do not have Internet access at home so that students can access school assignments online, and so that parents will be able to access school progress reports. Secondly, Verizon has reached a new three-year $11 million agreement with Irving-based LQ Management L.L.C., owner and operator of La Quinta Inns & Suites. Verizon will provide a secure and reliable underlying infrastructure for connecting La Quinta's widespread operations which continue to grow. La Quinta added 80 properties in 2008 and 90 properties in 2009 to accommodate its expanding base of leisure and business travelers. 
 
CARIS NAMES CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER.  Caris Life Sciences, a leading biosciences company headquartered in Irving, has announced that Jonathan Knowles, Ph.D., will assume the role of Chief Scientific Officer for the company.
 
OMNI HOTELS NAMES NEW DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS TRAVEL SALES.  Irving headquartered Omni Hotels and Resorts has announced the appointment of Tracie Houston-Amend as Director of Business Travel Sales.
 
AARC RECOGNIZES RESPIRATORY THERAPISTS.  The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), headquartered in Irving, has partnered with the American Association of Critical Care Nurses in honoring the professionals who make a difference in the lives of critically ill patients and their families. In honor of them, the organizations have designated the month of May as National Critical Care Awareness and Recognition Month. It is a fitting time to recognize respiratory therapists for their work as employment in the field is expected to jump 22 percent by 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition to being honored in May, respiratory therapists were noted by U.S. News and World Report in a recent list of the "Top 10 Jobs with Great Return on Investment." Sam Giordano, chief executive officer for the AARC believes earnings are high because the healthcare systems places great value on respirators therapists' decision-making ability and skill in treating patients.

MACH B TECHNOLOGIES PRESIDENT ELECTED TO FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT BOARD. Mazhar Islamraja, president of Mach B Technologies, an information technology solution provider based in Irving, has been elected to the board of directors of Irving Flood Control District Section III (IFCD 3) to serve a two-year term. IFCD 3 is responsible for providing flood control facilities and operations and for preserving the high quality of life provided in Valley Ranch. 
 
IRVING HOME TO HEALTH CARE HEROES.  The Dallas Business Journal has recognized John R. Thomas, president and CEO of Irving-based MedSynergies Inc. and Dr. Michael Rimlawi, co-founder of Irving's Minimally Invasive Spine Institute (MISI), as 2010 Health Care Hero honorees. Thomas is a founding member of MedSynergies, a provider of hospital-physician alignment solutions, and is nominated in the "Executive Manager Award" category. Fellowship-trained and board-certified spine surgeon, Dr. Michael Rimlawi who co-founded MISI, one of the most advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities for back and neck pain as well as spinal disorders in the U.S., is nominated in the Physician category. Mr. Thomas and Dr. Rimlawi were selected out of more than 110 nominations, and are featured in the May 21 edition of the DBJ.  

FELLOWSHIP TECHNOLOGIES CEO NAMED ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR FINALIST.  Fellowship Technologies, the Irving-based provider of church management software, has announced that CEO Jeff Hook is a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2010 Award in the Southwest Area - North.  The awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate extraordinary success in the areas of innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Hook was selected as a finalist from nearly 65 nominations by a panel of independent judges. In just six years, Fellowship Technologies has grown from a handful of developers to 90 employees serving nearly 1,500 churches and non-profit organizations across the globe
 
DBJ WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED.  The Dallas Business Journal has announced the winners of its 2010 Women in Business Awards. Tom Falk, CEO of Irving-based Kimberly-Clark, has been named the 2010 winner of the Ally Award, given to a male CEO who has a proven track record of supporting the corporate advancement of women. Several others were honored from companies which maintain a significant Irving presence and/or invest in the Chamber. They include: Lucille Cavanaugh, Exxon Mobil Corp; Kathleen Gibson, Citibank Texas; Cecily Gooch, TXU Energy; Beverley "Bev" Goulet, American Airlines Inc.; Jo Heinz, Staffelbach Design Associates; Virginia Guthrie, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group; and Sharron Morrison, Transwestern.  
 
UNEMPLOYMENT DECLINES IN IRVING.  The unemployment rate in Irving for the month of April has declined to 7.9 percent from 8.1 percent in March. This decline was achieved even while the labor force of Irving grew. Irving's unemployment rate compares favorably to the Texas rate of 8.3 percent and the national unemployment rate of 9.9 percent, both of which increased in April.
 
FIRST CHOICE POWER ANNOUNCES NEW GREEN INITIATIVES. From encouraging employees to be eco-friendly to using energy-efficient lighting, Irving-based First Choice Power has announced it is a greener company due to recent initiatives. These initiatives include the elimination of incandescent lighting at the company's corporate offices, the installation of occupancy sensors in all offices and the addition of extra pull-down shades which effectively reduce heat from the sun. On Earth Day, 55 First Choice Power employees responded to a company challenge, submitting photographs of their efforts to be more eco-friendly. 
 
BRAD'S FACTORY DIRECT BEDDING SIGNS LEASE IN IRVING.  Brad's Factory Direct Bedding has signed a 35,000 square-foot lease in Irving at 250 W. Airport Freeway. Transwestern's Greg Cannon and Curtis Parker represented the landlord. 
 
CENTRIC CAPITAL PARTNERS PURCHASES EBBY HALLIDAY BULDING.  Centric Capital Partners has purchased the Ebby Halliday Realtors Building, 7520 MacArthur Blvd. in Irving from Reef Properties, Inc. The 10,000 square-foot net-leased building sits on an acre of land. The property was purchased for long term investment purposes. Marcus & Millichap's Jason Vitorino brokered the transaction. 

TS SPORTS LEASES IN IRVING. TS Sports, an electronic video board supplier that provides light-emitting diode (LED) technology at venues such as the American Airlines Center in Dallas and Grand Prairie's QuickTrip Park (home of the Grand Prairie AirHogs), has leased 32,835 square feet of industrial space in DFW Trade Center III at 2580 Esters Road in Irving. Steve Trese of CB Richard Ellis negotiated the lease with Patrick Hunter of Hunter Commercial.

MARISOL INTERNATIONAL LEASES IN URBAN TOWERS. Marisol International, a global supply chains solution provider, has leased 3,219 square feet of office space in the CBRE-managed Urban Towers at 222 W Las Colinas Boulevard.  

IRVING BREAKS GROUND ON LARGEST NET ZERO MIDDLE SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY.  During an official groundbreaking ceremony May 11, Irving ISD Board of Trustees and senior administration began construction on what will become the largest net zero middle school in the United States.  Through efficiency technologies and on-site power generation, the use of renewable energies allows the building to produce as much energy as it consumes from the electric grid.  In the event of excess production, energy could be sold back to the electric provider, creating a revenue source for the district. The net zero school will reinforce teaching and learning as it becomes an extended classroom.
 
CHIEF EXECUTIVE MAGAZINE RANKS TEXAS TOP STATE FOR BUSINESS FOR SIXTH YEAR IN A ROW.  Texas has been ranked the top state for job growth and business development for the sixth year in a row in a survey of CEOs by Chief Executive Magazine.  The survey asked 651 CEOs to rank each state based on three general categories: taxation and regulation, quality of workforce and living environment.
 
ONCOR EARNS TEXAS' HIGHEST ENVIRONMENTAL HONOR.  Oncor, the electric delivery company which serves Irving, has received a Texas Environmental Excellence Award, the state's highest environmental honor, for its Parkdale (Dallas) Static Var Compensator installation.  Oncor won the award in the "Large Business Technical and Innovative Technology" category for the SVC project.
 
FLUOR WINS MINING CONTRACT IN SOUTH AMERICA.  Irving-based Fluor Corporation, a Fortune 200 company has announced today that it has won an engineering and limited procurement contract for Newmont Mining's Minas Conga project in Peru.
 
WAVETWO LAUNCHES HEALTH IT 2015.  WaveTwo, LLC, an Irving-based technology solutions provider, has announced the launch of "Health IT 2015," their new healthcare IT consulting division. The in-depth consulting division was based on a steady eight-year success of WaveTwo in providing technology solutions for hospitals, physician groups and dental groups.
 
GTIS AND HINES PARTNER ON VILLAS AT EMERALD PARK PROJECT. GoldenTree InSite Partners (GTIS Partners) and Hines Interests have announced the acquisition of a 24-acre, fully entitled, 92-lot residential parcel to be named Villas at Emerald Park, the third phase of the Emerald Valley subdivision in Las Colinas. The lots have been pre-sold to Meritage Homes Corporation under a contractual delivery schedule that commences in January. GTIS Partners ventured with the Hines southwest region in purchasing the land, and the two companies plan to explore other land investments with Hines as operating partner. GTIS Partners and Hines plan to finalize engineering plans, complete lot infrastructure improvements and deliver finished lots to Meritage over a 30-month period.
 
MEDSYNERGIES HIRES TOP HUMANA EXECUTIVE.  Irving-based MedSynergies Inc., an Irving-headquartered provider of hospital-physician alignment solutions, has announced the addition of Celina Burns, former president of commercial operations at Humana, Inc.  Burns will serve as managing director of business development.

21ST CENTURY DENTAL RECEIVES CONSUMER'S CHOICE AWARD.  21st Century Dental in Irving has announced they have received a Consumers' Choice Award. The award which recognizes customer satisfaction is an honor reserved only for the very top performers as identified by Survey Sampling International, one of the world's largest polling companies. 
 
RESEARCH IN MOTION RANKS NUMBER ONE IN U.S. MARKET SHARE.  Research In Motion, the makers of BlackBerry Smartphones, is for the first time among the top five cell phone makers in the world, displacing Motorola, according to a report by research firm, IDC. Another top research firm, NPD Group, reports that in the U.S., Research in Motion is now the top Smartphone maker. During the first quarter, RIM, which maintains its U.S. headquarters in Irving, added 4.9 million new BlackBerry subscriber accounts for a total of 41 million subscribers. The company's device shipments were up 40 percent to 37 million compared with the same quarter a year ago. 
 
EXXONMOBIL FOUNDATION PRESIDENT NAMED.  Irving-headquartered Exxon Mobil Corporation has announced that Suzanne M. McCarron, general manager of public and government affairs, has been named president of the ExxonMobil Foundation.  She replaces Gerald W. McElvy, who has been the foundation's president since 2005, and who is retiring after 33 years of distinguished service to ExxonMobil.
 
CLEARESULT LEASES IN IRVING.  CLEAResult Consulting, Inc., an energy efficiency consulting firm, has leased 6,000 sf of office space in Premier Center at 6500 N. Belt Line Road from Bro-Co, LLC. Grubb & Ellis' Heather Densmore Shover and Chris Wright represented Bro-Co in the transaction. JLL's Campbell Henry represented CLEAResult. 
 
PIONEER NATURAL RESOURCES ANNOUNCES FIFTH WELL IN EAGLE FORD SHALE.  Irving-based oil and gas exploration company, Pioneer Natural Resources, has announced its fifth successful well in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas.  The Chesnutt Gas Unit #1 well is located in Karnes County, Texas, approximately 60 miles southeast of San Antonio.
 
TABS DIRECT DOWNSIZES.  Tabs Direct, a direct-mail services company headquartered in Irving, has announced it will lay off 30 workers from its Irving location in June.  The company is also closing facilities in Houston and cites economic conditions as reason for downsizing its operations.    
 
CITY CONTINUES TO RECEIVE INTEREST IN REDEVELOPMENT OF FORMER TEXAS STADIUM SITE.  Citing a difficult economy, the North Carolina-based Tanger Factory Outlets has cancelled plans to build a shopping center at the corner of State Highway 114 and Loop 12, one of the busiest intersections in the nation. The outlet mall was expected to be the first development to revitalize the area around the old Texas Stadium, but the city continues to receive proposals, inquiries and leads for redevelopment.  Redevelopment plans are expected to take shape over the next eight to ten years. 
 
IRVING RECOGNIZED AS TREE CITY USA.  Measures implemented by the Irving Parks and Recreation Department have earned the City of Irving recognition as a Tree City USA from the National Arbor Day Foundation.  The Tree City USA designation recognizes Irving's commitment to urban forestry and confirms that the city is a national leader in tree care practices.
 
TIO CARLOS ANNOUNCES IT IS RELOCATING.  Tio Carlos Restaurant & Bar has announced it is relocating from the southeast corner of Walnut Hill and Beltline Road to Towne North Shopping Center, 3601 Beltline Road (the intersection of Northgate Drive).  Tio Carlos will occupy 5,922 square feet at Towne North and will continue to serve their Latin-inspired cuisine, including dishes from Argentina and El Salvador.  Construction is underway for a June 1opening. 
 
VOLLMER PUBLIC RELATIONS NAMES PARTNER.  Denisha Stephens has been named a partner in Vollmer Public Relations, a Chamber member public relations firm located at 1505 LBJ Freeway, Suite 340. 
 
MAKE-A-WISH NORTH TEXAS NAMES NEW PRESIDENT/CEO.  Scott Landry has been named President/CEO of Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas, an organization which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
 
USSERY PRINTING RECOGNIZED.  Irving-based Ussery Printing has been recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as one of the largest commercial printers in the Metroplex.
 
CHAMBER HIRES NEW VP OF OPERATIONS.  The Chamber announces the addition of Trudy Hester, Vice President of Operations. Trudy brings a wealth of experience to the Chamber from consulting firm, Dean International, where she was a senior public policy consultant. 
 
LAS COLINAS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION NAMES YOUTH SAVINGS WEEK WINNER.  The Las Colinas Federal Credit Union branch in Valley Ranch recognized Valley Ranch Elementary School for having the highest level of participation in its "Youth Savings Week" contest.  The Credit Union which was formed in 1955 by a group of Zale Corporation employees encouraged students in area schools to color a savings week picture and return it to the credit union each time they made a deposit to a youth savings account. Valley Ranch students returned 80 coloring sheets.
 
AQUIRE LAUNCHES INSIGHT.  Aquire, a workforce planning and analytics solutions provider based in Irving, has announced the launch of Aquire InSight, the company's 100 percent hierarchy-driven workforce analytics solution.  The product allows business leaders to understand which business decisions are making a positive impact on their bottom line and brings to light areas which need improvement.