Tyler: A Natural Beauty

TYLER
A Natural Beauty
Photography by Donna Cummings
Narrative by William Knous
A publication of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce

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TYLER
A Natural Beauty
Photography by Donna Cummings
Narrative by William Knous
A publication of the
Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce
HPNbooks
A division of Lammert Incorporated
San Antonio, Texas

The University of Texas at Tyler.
First Edition
Copyright © 2016 HPNbooks
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from
the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to HPNbooks, 11535 Galm Road, Suite 101, San Antonio, Texas, 78254, (800) 749-9790, www.hpnbooks.com.
ISBN: 978-1-944891-17-6
Library of Congress Card Catalog Number: 2016951393
Tyler: A Natural Beauty
photographer: Donna Cummings
author: William Knous
designer: Glenda Tarazon Krouse
contributing writers for Tyler partners: William Knous, Becca Nelson Sankey
HPNbooks
president: Ron Lammert
project manager: Joe Bowman
administration: Donna M. Mata, Melissa G. Quinn
book sales: Joe Neely
production: Colin Hart, Evelyn Hart, Tim Lippard, Chris Sturdevant
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2

4 Introduction by Earl Campbell
5 Introduction by William Knous
6 Chapter 1 Building Blocks of the Past
16 Chapter 2 Fueling A Dynamic Economy
30 Chapter 3 Diverse and Fascinating Places
50 Chapter 4 A Style All Its Own
60 Chapter 5 Tyler People
73 Tyler Partners
126 About the Photographer
127 About the Author
128 About the Sponsors
CONTENTS
3

Introduction by Earl Campbell
Earl Campbell.
When I was growing up in Tyler, I spent many long, hot summer days on the practice field at
John Tyler High School, putting in the work that would help take me to the top of Texas High
School Football, to the Heisman Trophy and to the MVP of the National Football League.
In Tyler, that kind of work is just what we do. It might be in the rose fields, on the football
field or in the boardroom—that spirit of enterprise is part of who we are, and it carried me
through my football career and into my life in business after the stadium lights were turned out.
Football is very different today than when I played the game. There were simply not as many
opportunities for players once their careers on the field were done. There is a question that every
NFL player asks themselves when they finish: what is next? By combining my upbringing here,
the lessons taught to me by my mother, the hard work I put in over the years and my passions,
I was able to take a strong step into the future by starting my own successful business.
There was an entrepreneurial spirit here in Tyler when I was growing up. It was there when
I started my business, and it still persists today. Tyler continues to grow at an amazing rate,
with the population expanding with folks who want to plant the flag here for their business.
Tyler draws in talented and motivational professionals from across the state and around the
country, people motivated to grow their business in a place that can offer an educated and active
population, a thriving economy and a business-friendly climate.
People are also making Tyler their home at an amazing rate. The award-winning schools,
the institutions of higher education, the rich arts and entertainment culture, and the low cost
of living—all centered in one of the most historic and beautiful parts of the country—has made
Tyler the center of East Texas.
All these things that make Tyler so appealing are the very same things that brought me and
my family back here. Tyler is my hometown, and I have been blessed to see and be a part of why
Tyler is such an incredible place—and it is why I still call it home today.
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4

Introduction byWilliam Knous
The city of Tyler holds a unique place on the map of East Texas—and in the hearts of the
people who call it home. It does not cover quite the spread of a big city and it is certainly larger
than a small town, while proudly boasting the features of both. Across the skyline you can truly
see the pillars of industry alongside the whitewashed columns adorning the facades of homes
built more than a century ago, some with the original last name stenciled neatly above the door.
And behind those doors, there is really no telling what you might find. There are oil and gas
outposts who have been in East Texas since they first staked their claim a century ago. Behind
others are some of the brightest minds in the country pushing the boundaries of technology,
art and education.
Simply put, Tyler, Texas is a beautiful and wonderful place to call home, to raise a family, to
do business. Pastoral and progressive, down home and down to business, the people and the
community they have built are a joyous mix of the traditional and modern. There are legacies and
stories behind every door and around every corner. Young people are moving in to build
their dreams from the ground up. Those who are established hold memories of life and commerce
in East Texas that inform the choices made today. Tyler is a roiling mix of the past and the future,
coming together and pushing one another further toward success and growth, day after day.
Businesses that have been based here for more than a century are doubling down, opening
new storefronts and offices. There are also fresh ventures that boast an array of technology on
the cutting edge of sophistication and automation. There are educational institutions who, year
after year, produce young men and women ready for the workforce with sharpened minds and
qualified skill sets—for any of a host of industries to be found here. The people of Tyler are
vibrant and committed to their communities, both small and large. You can see a play, attend a
world-class exhibition at a museum, enjoy exquisite food and drink that is both local and wildly
exotic—all while taking in the wonderfully breathtaking display that has been bestowed on Tyler
by Mother Nature.
Generations of East Texans have called Tyler home, leaving for school or service and then
returning to plant their roots, establish their business and raise their family. And Tyler welcomes
them all, new transplants, visitors and prodigal sons and daughters, alike. Because Tyler is a place
for everyone, has a place for everyone—and it will for many generations to come. Tyler sits at an
intersection of cultures and commerce, of progress and history, and that intersection happens to
be a made of antebellum brick streets.
INTRODUCTION
5

Building Blocks of the Past
If there was every any doubt about Tyler’s commitment to preserving its heritage
and history as a focal point of life in Texas for more than a century, one must only
open their front door and take a look around. Antebellum homes and farms dating
back to the mid-nineteenth century dot the rolling hills around Tyler. Its historic
downtown offers a glimpse back in time to the turn of the twentieth century.
Organizations like Historic Tyler Inc., the East Texas Heritage Museum Association,
the Smith County Historical Society and many others have made it their mission
to preserve the culture and tradition of Tyler and its people. Monuments to the
men and women who have given so much to Tyler’s proud legacy can be found
spread across the city’s neighborhoods and businesses and school campuses. There
are museums and exhibits dedicated to detailing the passage of time and what it
has brought to the people of this historic city from a commercial, social and artistic
perspective. Smith County was one of the first counties established by the very first
Texas Legislature in 1846. In the center of the county, on a hilltop, an area of land
named for president John Tyler was established as the county seat. Tyler has been
home to a wide array of industries in its history; commerce serving as the lifeblood
of the area. Beginning with a diverse agriculture industry that continues to this day
in the form of farming and visitor-centered attractions like the Texas Rose Festival
and the Azalea and Spring Flower Trail, Tyler has also been home to booming
manufacturing facilities turning out everything from automobiles to ice, brick, and
tile. Manpower was also a part of Tyler’s business history, as Camp Fannin trained
thousands of troops for service in the Armed Forces. The 1930s brought a huge
economic boom with the discovery of the East Texas oil fields, and the oil and gas
industry is still a massive part of Tyler’s ongoing success.
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CHAPTER
The city of Tyler is the county seat of Smith County; above is the Smith County Courthouse.
The legal profession draws big business to Tyler and its courthouses.
CHAPTER 1
7

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Camp Ford was the largest Civil War prison
camp west of the Mississippi River.
CHAPTER 1
9

Above and opposite: The old Cotton Belt
Train Depot has been restored for visitors.
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CHAPTER 1
11

Top: Visitors come to Tyler every fall to enjoy the fine weather and foliage.
Above: The Chilton-Lipstate-Taylor House historical marker.
Opposite, top: The Tyler Woman’s Building in the historic Azalea District.
Opposite, bottom: The Chilton-Lipstate-Taylor House in Tyler’s historic
Azalea District.
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CHAPTER 1
13

Above: Downtown Tyler is home to businesses new and old, the
former Tyler Candle Company building is part of an apartment complex.
Opposite: First Presbyterian Church of Tyler, in the Azalea District.
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CHAPTER 1
15

Fueling A Dynamic Economy
One constant throughout Tyler’s history has been its dedication to development
and commerce. The city was founded in the middle of Smith County and centrally
to the region as a whole, and that position has taken on a symbolic meaning for
the business and cultural leaders here. From its earliest days, the founding fathers
of Tyler have pushed for growth and expansion, industrially and commercially.
Their foresight has been passed down to each successive generation of leadership
in Tyler, resulting in a climate of entrepreneurship and excitement. People seek out
and develop great ideas; they build companies from a dream and make them into
reality. Tyler acts as a shining light to the surrounding region, drawing in bright
minds and those who wish to make something more, to build something better.
Locally, there is a spirit of adventure and enterprise, and a workforce to make it
happen. International companies are drawn to Tyler to plant outposts and supply
jobs. The city’s largest employers continually build and flourish, reinvesting in the
community that supports them both spiritually and commercially. New construction
of businesses and commercial properties is seemingly endless, with new ventures
sprouting throughout the city. Older buildings are repurposed. New ones apply
for a permit and reach up to the sky weekly. Tyler is growing as it has always
done—sometimes gradually and sometimes rapidly—but always steadily. Tyler is
the center of business for East Texas and a welcoming home to those share its spirit
of improvement, advancement and progress
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CHAPTER
The Tyler Rose Garden is a marvel of modern horticulture.
The garden is one of Tyler's oldest and grandest locales.
CHAPTER 2
17

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The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce building at the corner
of North Broadway Avenue and East Line Street.

CHAPTER 2
19

The sun sets over the west side of
the square in downtown Tyler.
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CHAPTER 2
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CHAPTER 2
23

Above and opposite, top: Texas Spine & Joint Hospital attracts patients with top notch medical care.
Below: Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics, based in Tyler, has been named among
the country’s finest healthcare systems.
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CHAPTER 2
25

East Texas Medical Center is one of Tyler’s largest employers.
The medical community is bustling in Tyler.
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CHAPTER 2
27

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Above: Developments like The Market at the Crossing are popping up all over Tyler.
New commercial endeavors incorporate Tyler’s natural beauty.
Left: FRESH by Brookshires is where East Texans can shop, eat and enjoy the freshest and highest quality of everyday products.
FRESH is also a leader in clean energy in Tyler.
CHAPTER 2
29

Diverse and Fascinating Places
Popular restaurants like Mercado’s have lit up the Tyler sky for decades.
One area that sets Tyler apart from many other cities
across the United States is its bustling and historic
downtown. Downtown Tyler is marked by distinctive red
brick streets and original architecture dating back more
than a century. There is food and drink, live music,
international business, banking, cosmopolitan living
spaces, and so much more to be found. Each building
offers a unique snapshot to an era gone by, framed by new
tenants who seek to preserve the integrity of the original
creators while offering something new and fresh.
Restaurants sit in meticulously preserved art-deco settings.
The original wooden beams and wooden plank floors of
beloved local hangouts remain steady and unchanged,
despite the generations of Tylerites who have walked
between them. There are businesses who first opened their
doors in downtown Tyler and who still call it home.
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CHAPTER
Anchors of the commercial community like banking, the
county and federal courthouses, and oil and gas entities
established downtown Tyler as a crossroads of commerce
for East Texas, and have set a foundation for the new voices
and dreams that will come. Downtown Tyler is also
growing, with newly renovated spaces opening up almost
weekly. New businesses are lured by the proximity to law,
finance and, and oil and gas outposts of some of the major
corporations in the country. With organizations like the
Chamber of Commerce and the Heart of Tyler, who both
call downtown home, more than $100 million has been
reinvested in downtown Tyler—and the vision for the future
remains unflinchingly bright. Tyler’s downtown inspires
loyalty among its residents, and both the city and its citizens
work diligently to ensure it remains an example of what an
“old downtown” can still be, and what it yet might become.
DOWNTOWN
CHAPTER 3
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Right: Stanley's Famous Pit Bar B-Q
brings in musicians from across the
country to perform for Tylerites.
Below: Traffic blurs the brick streets
of downtown Tyler at night.
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CHAPTER 3
33

Downtown Tyler plays host
to businesses of all kinds.
Liberty Hall Theatre has been restored to its former glory in downtown Tyler.
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Tyler's historic Liberty Hall hosts annual
film and comedy festivals, along with
movies and musicians.
CHAPTER 3
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CHAPTER 3
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The Tyler Civic Theater Center hosts plays
in the grandeur of the Tyler Rose Garden.
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The Bergfeld Shopping Center is one of the oldest destinations for shopping in the state.
The center is home to some of the longest operating businesses in East Texas.
CHAPTER 3
39

EDUCATION
Above: Faculty and staff at Tyler’s institutions of higher
learning take part in their annual Homecoming
activities to welcome students.
Right: The new Ben and Maytee Fisch College
of Pharmacy at The University of Texas
at Tyler supplies the booming
medical field of Tyler.
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Left: Students and their families take hot air balloon rides.
Above: The University of Texas at Tyler opens their campus to alumni
and their families every year during the fall semester.
In Texas, Tyler is known as a regional hub for
distinguished education at all levels. From pre-school
and educational childcare to the highest levels of
post-doctoral work, the opportunities for learning are
among the finest in the state. The Tyler Independent
School District, as well as the surrounding communities,
offer a well-rounded curriculum focused on establishing
the youth of today as Tyler’s future. Each year, TISD
sends hundreds of young people on to some of the
most prestigious colleges and fruitful careers across
the nation. Tyler also has a substantial number of
private and charter schools—more than seventy
options for students of preschool age all the way to
college preparation. At the collegiate level, Tyler boasts
three nationally-recognized institutions of higher
learning in Texas College, Tyler Junior College and
the University of Texas at Tyler. At these bastions of
higher education, enrollees develop as students and
professionals, growing in knowledge and experience,
and adding to the workforce of the Tyler area.
Thanks to these institutions, Tyler has a source for
young professionals with exceptional training in a
host of fields, from healthcare to business, fine arts
to the social sciences. Students also enjoy a rich
extracurricular life, with an active Greek community,
intramural sports and educational competitions, and
internship opportunities to be found across Tyler.
CHAPTER 3
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NATURE/OUTDOORS
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Tyler’s most breathtaking feature might be its most accessible. All you have to do is walk
outside and there you are, enjoying one of the most beautiful scenes on God’s green earth.
Lakes and rivers, forests and hills, you can find it all in Tyler, Texas. In neighborhoods
throughout the city, it is common to see a hundred-year-old oak tree towering above a
family’s backyard. A view from on top of one downtown’s high-rises will bring you more
shades of green than you might expect from a city of more than 100,000 people. Tylerites
love it; they revel in it. During the week or on the weekends, you will find them in droves,
out in nature, enjoying the outdoors, walking the trails of Rose Rudman Park, fishing at
Lake Tyler, riding the famous mountain bike trails at Tyler State Park, or strolling through
the Rose Garden. If golf is your pastime of choice, Tyler boasts multiple championship
courses open year round. Tyler’s flora and fauna are some of the most diverse in the
state, and in the country, leading to round-the-year hunting and fishing, gardening
and horticultural competition. Outdoor enthusiasts are in heaven, and the scenery is
captivating enough to make believers out of those who would not even consider
themselves the type. The weather here allows the people of Tyler to enjoy Mother Nature’s
gifts throughout most of the year. There are multiple parks located throughout the city
to enjoy fitness activities and sports, as well as playgrounds and picnic areas for families.

Above: With the wonderful weather almost
year round, Tylerites enjoy food and friends
outdoors. Outdoor dining is one of the perks
of warm Tyler weather.
Opposite, bottom: A crane searches for fish
along the bank at Lake Bellwood.
Left: Enjoying the wildlife beside a pond.
CHAPTER 3
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Above: The Children’s Park memorial statue.
Right: Giant teddy bears at play in front of
Franklin Falls in the Children’s Park.
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The Children’s Park of Tyler.
CHAPTER 3
45

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The annual Azalea trail brings gardeners and
photographers from across the country every year.
CHAPTER 3
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TYLER: A Natural Beauty
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Families enjoy a swim on a hot day.
Tyler has a magnificent selection of parks
open throughout the year.

On the banks of the lake
at Tyler State Park.
Canoes for rent
at Tyler State Park.
CHAPTER 3
49

A Style All Its Own
In Tyler, as in almost any area of this
great country, the love of the sports and athletics brings
together people from all walks of life. Fall or summer, spring and
even—begrudgingly—in winter, fans of games of all kinds can be found
in one of Tyler’s beautiful parks or stadiums as cheers ring out alongside
shouts of encouragement and instructions from the sidelines. From the weekend
warriors of the recreational city-league softball teams to the national champions
of Tyler Junior College or the University of Texas at Tyler, Tylerites love to play
the game—and it could be any game. East Texas is known as a high school
football hotbed, but Tyler has produced some incredible athletes
in many sports. Whether it is golf, tennis, soccer or just people out
on a Sunday afternoon enjoying a pickup game at the local
park, sports is an integral part of life in Tyler.
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CHAPTER
SPORTS/ATHLETICS
CHAPTER 4
51

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CHAPTER 4
53

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
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Hit the lights…turn up the music…roll the cameras…because if you are looking
for entertainment, Tyler is the place to be. Visitors come from all around to enjoy
the incredible talent on display almost every night of the week here, and the
variety of festivities in which you can partake is almost endless. Patrons at the
Tyler Museum Art can marvel at the work of whichever internationally acclaimed
artist’s show may be filling its curated spaces—and sometimes that artist may even
call Tyler home. Historic venues like downtown’s Liberty Theater host everything
from platinum recording artists to homegrown film festivals and hilarious
standup comedians. The local music scene in Tyler is vibrant. If you are looking
for rhythm and blues, classic rock, acoustic alternative, country and western,
dance, electronic, Americana or a hundred variations in between, there are clubs
and restaurants and dance halls that open their doors and welcome the public to
experience the virtuosos onstage. Tyler is also home to the East Texas Symphony
Orchestra, who seek to engage the Tyler and East Texas communities through
inspiring performances of classical and modern music—and do not miss their
annual Piano Festival, welcoming internationally heralded performers from around
the globe. There are local-source theaters offering professionals and amateurs the
chance to take to the stage and perform for the people of Tyler. UT Tyler and Tyler
Junior College also provide a wonderful resource to those seeking something new
and fresh, from Nobel Prize winning writers to touring companies of smash
Broadway hits, there truly is something for every lover of the arts to enjoy in Tyler.

Opposite, top: A young girl
enjoys the pool on a hot summer day.
Opposite, bottom: A future tennis champ
practices her swing at Hollytree Country Club.
This page: The square in downtown Tyler is home
to art galleries, restaurants and more.
CHAPTER 4
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CHAPTER 4
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Opposite, top: Many historic landmarks hold a religious affiliation.
Below: House of worship in the Azalea Historic District.
CHAPTER 4
59

Tyler People
Nowhere is the giving spirit of the people Tyler more evident than in the highly
active philanthropic community. Tyler is well known throughout the region, and
indeed throughout the state of Texas, as a city that gives so much to so many
worthy causes. The charity of Tylerites takes many forms. There are cowboy-themed
soirees at thousand-acre ranches that raise millions for cancer research. There
are candlelit get-togethers in historical homes that are vital to the preservation of
the heritage of Tyler and its beautiful architecture. The Junior League of Tyler, Inc.
donates hundreds of thousands of hours of personal time to help augment the never
ending staffing needs of the dozens of charitable organizations who are always in
need of a helping hand. There are food banks, endowments for fine art, coat drives,
theater and symphony, scholarship funds and golf tournaments. We have crawfish
boils and rummage sales, and more live and silent auctions than one might believe.
But the amount of events and opportunities to give exist in Tyler only because
the people here are up to the challenge. They delight in giving, in supporting
those who need a hand, in bringing awareness to deserving and important causes.
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CHAPTER
CHAPTER 5
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Aaron Ross and Earle Campbell,
Tyler natives and University of Texas
alumni on the social scene.
CHAPTER 5
63

Mayor Martin Heines
and his family enjoy the
Tyler nightlife.
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CHAPTER 5
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Each year the East Texas State Fair draws tens of thousands
of people from across the state to Tyler. The East Texas State Fair
has been a part of every Tyler summer for more than 100 years.
Rides and slides entertain kids of all ages.
CHAPTER 5
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CHAPTER 5
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Though Tyler is usually
warm, every now and then
the weather turns frosty.
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CHAPTER 5
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TYLER PARTNERS
Profiles of businesses, organizations, and families that have
contributed to the development and economic base of Tyler
East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System ......74
The Pamela Walters Group ............................................78
Tyler Home Mortgage....................................................81
Jose Feliciano, Jr.
Feliciano Financial Group ........................................82
UT Health Northeast ....................................................86
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC.............................................88
Junior League of Tyler, Inc.............................................90
Turtle Island Stand Up Paddleboarding............................92
Vasso & Associates .......................................................94
Camp Ford Historical Association, Inc.
East Texas Heritage Museum Association ....................96
Camp Fannin Association, Inc. .......................................98
Tyler Junior College .....................................................99
FirstChoice Cooperative ..............................................100
East Texas Brick Company ...........................................101
Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce .................................102
Austin Bank ..............................................................103
Henry & Peters, P.C. ..................................................104
The University of Texas at Tyler ...................................105
Texas College ............................................................106
Prothro, Wilhelmi & Company, PLLC.............................107
Better Business Bureau ................................................108
Camp Tyler Outdoor School..........................................109
Gold Leaf Gallery ......................................................110
Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics..................111
Smith County Champions for Children ...........................112
Historic Tyler, Inc. .....................................................113
Office Pride of East Texas ...........................................114
Hamm’s Oilfield Goods and Services, LLC ......................115
Express Employment Professionals.................................116
Youth With A Mission..................................................117
Regions Bank .............................................................118
All Natural Stone & Glass ...........................................119
Marvin United Methodist Church ..................................120
Allegiance Specialty Hospital .......................................121
Tyler Independent School District Foundation .................122
Tyler Independent School District .................................123
Cavender’s ................................................................124
Donna Cummings Photography......................................125
TYLER PARTNERS
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Above: Medical Center Hospital
(building on far right) opened in 1951,
when Beckham Avenue was still a dirt road
from the hospital going south.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE
SMITH COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
Below: ETMC team members extend a
patient-centered focus through the simple
compassion of people helping people.
EAST TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER
REGIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
America in the late 1940s was a nation
with a sense of accomplishment, having
triumphed in World War II with a spirit of
national unity. As the county seat of Smith
County, Tyler, Texas, was benefiting from
the postwar boom along with the rest of
the nation. The economy was growing,
unemployment was low and educational
enrollment was high. This boom in Tyler—
and the resulting population growth—contributed
to a critical shortage of hospital beds.
By the late 1940s, a group of local civic
leaders formed the East Texas Hospital
Foundation (ETHF), with the mission of
advancing health services. These far-sighted
leaders saw the benefit of creating a new
medical center complex to provide for the
healthcare needs of not just Tyler and Smith
County, but the entire East Texas region.
“In 1951, we were a small
group of East Texans with a
big dream: to build a hospital
that would rival any hospital,
anywhere,” noted a historic
edition of the Tyler Morning
Telegraph of this effort.
A thirty-five acre tract of
land in the Douglas Estate,
adjacent to Mother Frances
Hospital, was deemed the ideal
location for the new hospital
and was acquired by the
ETHF in 1948. Medical Center
Hospital (now known as
ETMC Tyler) officially opened
for patients on Wednesday,
September 19, 1951, to great
fanfare by the Tyler community.
The main entrance to the hospital was located
on the facility’s original first floor and opened
into the lobby. The new hospital was one of the
first in the nation to be designed and built with
central air conditioning, central oxygen supply
for all care areas and a nurse call system.
The Medical Center Hospital volunteers,
employees, medical staff and hospital board
were very proud of their new, state-of-the-art
facility, and rightfully so. To build and equip
the hospital had required the community of
Tyler, led by members of its own “greatest generation,”
to come together, pass a bond issue
and conduct a large fundraising effort. With
the visionary spirit of postwar America, Tyler
recognized Medical Center Hospital as the
foundation for an advanced, regional medical
system. This, in turn, prompted the corporate
name change to the East Texas Medical Center
Regional Healthcare System, with a host of
regional facilities bearing the ETMC brand.
The 1970s and 1980s were historic decades
as the not-for-profit ETMC Regional Healthcare
System began to take shape as a model in
regional medical care. Leading this evolution
was President and CEO Elmer G. Ellis, who
provided the direction needed for others to
envision the power of shared resources in East
Texas healthcare. Small hospitals throughout
the region were struggling—and seeking new
directions and partnerships.
“Once we realized that our organization
was in large part ministering to people who
lived outside of Tyler and Smith County, we
began to have a reverence for how special our
relationships are with the referral communities,”
Ellis noted. At that time nationally, the
idea of moving into a multi-organizational
structure was seen as challenging. However,
East Texas was well-positioned geographically
to support a regional system of medicine
based on a flagship facility in Tyler and smaller
hospitals that could benefit from its
resources and expertise.
The obligation to do the right thing for the
rural East Texas hospitals began with a mandate
that continues today: healthcare should
be advanced to the highest level that can be sustained
in home communities. Instead of shoring
up the smaller facilities so that they could act as
way-stations into Tyler, ETMC began taking
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
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old steps to modernize the hospitals that are
affiliated with the health system, bringing in
new medical and information technologies,
as well as upgrades in the physical facilities.
The chain reaction of better hospital facilities
and technology made it easier to recruit
physicians to the rural communities, and
when necessary, those doctors had a solid
path of referring patients to Tyler for more
specialized care. Today ETMC provides
community, inpatient hospitals in Athens,
Carthage, Fairfield, Henderson, Jacksonville,
Pittsburg, Quitman and Trinity. ETMC Tyler
remains the system’s flagship facility, with the
ETMC Rehabilitation Center, ETMC Specialty
Hospital and ETMC Behavioral Health Center
also in Tyler.
Since its early years, emergency services
have been central to the mission of care of
the ETMC Regional Healthcare System. Its
network of advanced emergency services
provides Air 1 helicopters and a fleet of
ambulances covering many East Texas and
additional Texas communities.
In 1998, ETMC Tyler was accredited as a
Level I trauma center by the American College
of Surgeons and the Texas Department of
State Health Services—the first hospital in East
Texas to receive this prestigious accreditation,
and one of a few Level I trauma centers
without an academic medical center affiliation.
According to the American College of
Surgeons (the accrediting organization), a Level I
facility is a regional tertiary resource that is
central to the trauma care system. Trauma
refers to a serious or critical, often multisystem,
injury to the body. A Level I trauma center
must be capable of providing leadership and
total care for every aspect of injury, from prevention
through rehabilitation. In addition to
acute care responsibilities, Level I trauma centers
Above: Lights from Beckham Avenue at
night highlight ETMC Tyler’s landmark arch
and skywalk that connect the main hospital
with the Olympic Plaza Tower and ETMC
Rehabilitation Center.
have the major role of providing leadership
in education, research and system planning.
“Achieving and maintaining Level I certification
drives the quality of care throughout the
Left: Inside a trauma room of ETMC’s
Level I center, the trauma team stabilizes a
patient and evaluates the extent of injuries.
hospital,” noted Ellis. “It advances all of our services—from
EMS and Air 1, to imaging and trauma
surgery, to intensive care and rehabilitation.”
Although it seems unimaginable today,
prior to 1968, residents of Tyler and Smith
Below: ETMC’s Air 1 emergency helicopter
program extends lifesaving care throughout
the East Texas region as part of ETMC’s
commitment to trauma services.
County—like most areas—received ambulance
service through their local funeral
homes. When the need surfaced for a professional
ambulance provider, ETMC stepped
forward. ETMC EMS quickly grew to become
the largest not-for-profit EMS system in East
Texas, and one of the largest in the nation.
Most lives have been touched by cancer—
whether through the diagnosis of a friend
or loved one—a personal journey with the
disease; or unfortunately, because of the loss
of life of someone close. The good news is that
miraculous advances are happening every day
in the battle against cancer, and ETMC has
been at the forefront of this fight in East Texas
for the past thirty years.
The opening of the East
Texas Cancer Center—now
ETMC health and medical services include:
known as the ETMC Cancer Bariatric Surgery Center Rehabilitation Center
Institute—in 1982 brought Behavioral Health Center Radiology and Imaging
radiation therapy to the Cancer Institute Plastic Surgery
people of East Texas. Instead Cardiovascular Institute Sleep Disorders Center
of traveling to a metropolitan
area, patients could
Digestive Disease Center Emergency/Trauma Services
Specialty Hospital Transplant Center
receive this therapy in Tyler,
Fitness/Wellness Home Health
with the goal of longer,
Women’s Health Neurological Institute
healthier lives when a cancer
Wound Healing Center Orthopedic Institute
diagnosis was received.
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Top: LaNell Fomby, who had just completed
six months of cancer treatment, was the first
patient to ring Robyn’s Bell at the ETMC
Cancer Institute.
Above: Neurologist Dr. George Plotkin
heads ETMC’s Movement Disorders Center,
providing hope for patients with Parkinson’s
and essential tremor disorders.
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
76
In 1991, ETMC Cancer Institute was the first
facility in East Texas to receive accreditation
from the American College of Surgeons
Commission on Cancer (ACoS COC), placing it
among the elite cancer centers across the nation.
The ETMC Cancer Institute is the only
radiation treatment center in East Texas offering
Cyberknife, a non-invasive alternative to
surgery for the treatment of both cancerous
and non-cancerous tumors anywhere in the
body, including prostate, lung, brain, spine,
liver, pancreas and kidney. The treatment
delivers beams of high dose radiation to
tumors with extreme accuracy, offering new
hope to cancer patients.
The cancer institute continues to
practice a multidisciplinary approach
to treating cancer, where a host of
physicians meet as a team each week
to discuss each patient’s individual
care and treatment plan. Central to
the program are the medical oncologists
of Tyler Hematology-Oncology
and the Tyler Blood and Cancer Center,
along with the radiation oncologists,
surgeons, radiologists, pathologists
and additional physicians.
Cancer care then extends throughout
the region through services at
ETMC hospitals, including specialty
clinics with visiting oncologists from
Tyler, the ETMC mobile mammography
unit and the ETMC Cancer
Institute at Athens. In addition to
clinical care, support services for
patients are woven into the fabric of
the ETMC Cancer Institute. These
include a host of support groups as
well as annual retreats for cancer survivors.
A symbol of the care provided to patients is
Robyn’s Bell, which is displayed prominently
in the cancer institute’s lobby. The beautiful
Scottish Cast Brass Bell (c. 1881) carries the
motto of the University of Dundee in Dundee,
Scotland: Magnificat Anima Mea Dominum—My
Soul Does Magnify the Lord. Its plaque honors
cancer survivorship, and encourages cancer
patients: “Ring out the bell loud and true as
you celebrate completion of your treatment!”
The story of the ETMC Neurological
Institute begins with one man: Neurosurgeon
Ron Donaldson, MD, who came to Tyler in
1972 from Oklahoma City with the goal of
bringing neurosurgery to the people of East
Texas. His practice grew rapidly into Tyler
Neurosurgical Associates, one of the most
productive neurosurgery groups in Texas,
with ETMC Tyler advancing as a regional
center for neurological care.
In 1997 the ETMC Neurological Institute
was formalized as a comprehensive resource to
serve patients. Today, it is a remarkable team of
more than twenty-five physicians, many of
them fellowship-trained in the nation’s most
prestigious medical centers. They specialize in
brain and spine disorders through specialties
in neurology, neurosurgery, neuro-oncology,
neuro-trauma, ear, nose and throat and
maxillofacial surgery, sleep disorders, pain
management, stroke, Parkinson’s disease and
other movement disorders.
One of the dramatic clinical advancements
at the ETMC Neurological Institute is deep
brain stimulation (DBS). “DBS changes lives.”
That is the mantra of George Plotkin, MD,
who has seen firsthand how DBS does change
the lives of individuals suffering from
Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.
The founder and medical director of the
Movement Disorders Center at the ETMC
Neurological Institute, Dr. Plotkin came
to Tyler in 2000 looking for the ability to
establish such a program.
Today, Dr. Plotkin heads a fully-operational
neuro-movement center, receiving DBS
referrals from other states and countries. It is
the second largest center in Texas for DBS
implants and one of the largest centers in
the United States for Parkinson’s care. Other
conditions treated at the movement disorders
center include essential tremor, restless leg
syndrome, spasticity, Tourette’s syndrome,
dystonia and Huntington’s disease.
The ETMC Cardiovascular Institute provides
advanced cardiac care for the region as
the first facility in East Texas to pioneer a variety
of new treatment options for heart patients.
In the early 1990s, ETMC Tyler saw the wonderful
opportunity to build a state-of-the-art
cardiac hospital from the ground up. With
input from ETMC Tyler’s cardiovascular physicians,
the institute was designed as a 27,000-

square-foot addition on the eastern side of the
hospital. The patient-focused center contains
cardiac catheterization labs, designated cardiac
operating rooms, the cardiac ICU and other
clinical, patient and family areas.
“The layout of the program allows for excellent
technology and safety, since a patient can
be brought into the cath lab on an emergency
basis and then proceed directly to surgery,
if surgery is indicated,” said Bob Evans, ETMC
Tyler administrator. “Post-surgery, the cardiac
ICU is in a semi-circular pattern that allows
comprehensive monitoring. Even the expansive
windows along the outside wall are part of
the recovery process, since the sunlight helps
patients re-orient to the world and promotes
a healing environment.”
Today, the ETMC Cardiovascular Institute
reaches beyond Tyler through clinics at
our hospitals across the region. “The referral
network is very complex,” said Evans. “More
than half of all of our patients for cardiac
come from outside Smith County, showing
our regional approach to cardiac care.”
Equally important are the outpatient
programs region-wide that provide early
assessment of cardiac problems. Following
procedures, cardiac rehabilitation is offered
throughout the ETMC system, enabling
patients to complete their recovery in their
hometown area, under the supervision of
ETMC rehabilitation specialists.
The ETMC Cardiovascular Institute has
achieved national recognition for its programs,
including designations as a National Chest
Pain Center and a certified stroke center.
The Tylerites of the 1940s who first envisioned
the East Texas Medical Center Regional
Healthcare System set into motion a legacy of
healthcare that began with community support.
The original East Texas Hospital Foundation
was all about big dreams: the dream of a major
medical center to serve East Texans, along
with other needed healthcare services.
More than sixty years later, the East Texas
Medical Center Foundation is still about big
dreams. Charitable giving allows individuals
and organizations to be a part of ETMC’s mission
of care as the health system continually
works to advance services and improve the
quality of life for East Texans.
“Gifts from individuals and organizations
to not-for-profit healthcare institutions have
been a cornerstone for our country’s hospitals,
and that support is needed today more than
ever,” added Ellis. “We thank our donors—
past, present and future—for their continued
support of our mission throughout the region.
It’s all about people caring for people.”
At the heart of the ETMC organization is its
mission, the fundamental guiding principle
which forms the core foundation upon which
all of its endeavors are based: “We continuously
strive to bring an unmatched spirit of
excellence to the art and science of healthcare.
We measure our success by how our efforts
improve the quality of life for people and
communities in East Texas.”
Ellis readily notes that this guiding philosophy
is based on what patients need and
deserve in their care. “I was once wisely
told that if you put the patient first in your
decisions, then everything else will fall into
place. That patient-centered philosophy has
been—and will continue to be—the driving
force for us at ETMC.”
Above: ETMC Tyler is a not-for-profit
regional referral center, bringing world-class
care to people in our part of the world.
Left: ETMC’s heart hospital groups all the
facilities needed for cardiac patients, from
the catheterization lab (shown here) to
operating rooms, recovery and cardiac ICU.
TYLER PARTNERS
77

THE PAMELA
WALTERS GROUP
Left to right, Pamela Walters, Jamie Brown,
Julia Coody, Joyce Warrington and
Tia Spotted Tail. Back row: Jason Jones,
Katie Heimer, Tina Lindsay, Bobby Carter,
David Kurtz, and Bart Brown.
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
78
People want to live in Tyler. It is a simple
statement, surely, but the decision to call one
place home over another is an enormously
important matter for anyone. Where you
choose to plant your roots or raise your
family says as much about your values,
priorities and what you care about as
anything contained inside the home itself.
Pamela Walters, and every single member of
the team at The Pamela Walters Group
knows exactly what it means to choose
where to live, and they are uniquely suited
to helping you make those vital choices.
“We are dedicated to creating exceptional
real estate experiences for our customers and
our community through the passionate
delivery of truly remarkable service,” said
Pamela. “We pledge to promote a fun, fulfilling
and respectful environment; one that
is open to change and innovation.”
In 1980, when the price of oil was nonexistent,
Pamela was working for an oil
and gas company that went bankrupt. Times
were tough, and she was going to have
to sell her house, so she called a REALTOR ®
friend for advice. The friend sent her Broker

TYLER PARTNERS
79

out to measure Pamela’s house and discuss
selling her home. During their conversation,
the Broker learned Pamela had a real estate
license and encouraged her to come sell
for him!
“The next morning, I went to see him
and was hired right away at Wayne Jones
Real Estate. I sold six houses in the first
10 days by staying late, answering the
phone and by just working hard and
caring more.”
Pamela spent time after that at ERA,
then RE/MAX before going out on her own
to start The Pamela Walters Group ten
years ago. Through it all, Pamela has seen
growth and success. She still has clients she
served during the first years at Wayne Jones.
Real Estate transactions are complex, but
the overall premise is the same regardless
of whether you are buying or selling a home.
It takes something truly remarkable to set
one group apart from another. The number
one goal for The Pamela Walters Group is
helping clients accomplish their goals.
Number two is holding their hands and
taking care of their emotional needs. “Buying
or selling a home can be traumatic—that’s
where you will raise your children, or maybe
it’s where your parents raised you,” said
Pamela. “People are very passionate, so the
one thing I always want a client to know
is that I care. We just want to give you
exceptional service and negotiate the best
price we can in the shortest amount of time.”
The Pamela Walters Group uses a true
team approach—two people handle the
listings, one takes the listing photos, another
handles the transactions from offer to closing.
They even have one person to put up signs
and lockboxes. It’s a group working together
for the clients, and TPWG is there for
“anything they need”. Each client is given
a VIP card enabling them to use office
computers, copier, fax, and other office
equipment, for life. They also provide a
moving van to their clients, not just for the
move but for any other need the client
has, for life. The main office line is forwarded
to a buyers agent after hours so clients
can always reach a member of the team. That
team approach carries over to how they
serve their clients. “Typical real estate agents
handle listings and work with buyers,
whereas here we have 8 agents that work
only with buyers,” said Pamela. “And we back
one another up. The buyer or seller is never
put-off ‘until we can get to them tomorrow.’
We show interest because it’s how we feel—
we want to help! We’ve built a team here
that meets regularly, works cooperatively
and is educated, informed and constantly
learning and training.”
As the business grew, so did the team—
Pamela never intended to open a stand-alone
office, but she was just too busy to handle
everything herself. As TPWG grew, she added
team members. Today The Pamela Walters
Group has a listing agent, eight buyers
agents, three lending officers, a marketing
manager/photographer, a bookkeeper and
listing assistant, a leasing agent/property
manager, and a transaction coordinator. In
2015, The Pamela Walters Group opened a
mortgage company, Tyler Home Mortgage,
that provides low-cost mortgage services and
convenience to clients.
Pamela Walters’ commitment also extends
throughout her community. She is on the board
for Tyler Type One Diabetes Foundation, is
a member of the Tyler Area Chamber of
Commerce, Tyler Rotary Club, a Lifetime
member of the Salvation Army Women’s
Auxiliary, and gives generously to support
the SPCA of East Texas, the Pegasus Project
for Horse Rehabilitation, TheraPet, P.A.T.H.,
the Cancer Society, Heart Association, Pets Fur
People, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure,
Habitat for Humanity and many more.
“Since we started, we’ve worked diligently
and with purpose,” Pamela said. “There have
been ups and downs in the market—and I’ll
tell you that the learning curve for being a
leader and business owner is straight up. But
the mission has remained intact, and the goal
of providing exceptional, compassionate
service for our clients has remained at the
forefront. It keeps us coming back and loving
our job every day…. And I still have the
polaroid Wayne Jones gave me that he took
when he came to measure my house all those
years ago—it’s a picture of the house I chose
not to sell.”
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
80

In 2015, Pamela Walters and Teri
Killingsworth launched Tyler Home Mortgage
(THM), a residential lending office servicing
East Texas that has helped dozens of people
finance new homes.
“It’s a young company, but we are growing
and have had remarkable success,” said
Killingsworth. “That success is built on a few
vitally important concepts. We are here to
help our clients however and whenever they
may need it. We are highly skilled at what we
do. I started as a personal assistant in this
business in college, finished my education
and have worked in the field for decades.
I’ve processed, closed and worked on every
section of lending in between. We can explain
every item and answer every question in
detail, from A-to-Z. We don’t just fill out
forms—we understand the entire process
from underwriting all the way to closing, and
that’s just not common in mortgage lending.”
Killingsworth said the knowledge and the
willingness to share and use it for the benefit
of THM clients is fundamental to what has
helped them build Tyler Home Mortgage
so quickly. Communication is key, she says.
“There are a lot of preconceived notions about
lending, and we are here, always available, to
answer those questions and provide expertise
and comfort for our clients.”
THM was started because they were
tired of the lending process as a whole.
“Getting a mortgage can be a horrible,
stressful, time-consuming experience with
the wrong company,” Killingsworth said.
“In that 30-day period, your mortgage is
the most important thing in your world.
When the process goes poorly, it can be
damaging both emotionally and financially.
We’ve had clients who have had terrible
experiences, and we wanted to build a
company that provided the total opposite.
We absorb all the “junk” fees, and we help
educate, guide, and inform. Though it might
not always be sunshine and rainbows, by
the end of the process, you will know what
is happening and why, and you’ll be in the
best possible position as a homebuyer.”
For Killingsworth and Walters, the success
of THM is an affirmation that a company can
be successful doing good work. Killingsworth
describes the staff of THM as puzzle solvers:
“A mortgage is like a puzzle with hundreds
of pieces, and every person, every puzzle is
different. My job is making everything fit.
We don’t make things work to benefit us,
we make things work for the client and
what they need. We are masters at solving
the home buying puzzle because there are
no problems, only opportunities for solutions.”
TYLER HOME
MORTGAGE
Left: Teri Killingsworth.
Below: Left to right, Kathleen Wallace and
Teri Killingsworth.
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81

Supporting the FRESH 15K Fundraiser with
brother Jeff, and nephew, Jacob.
JOSE FELICIANO, JR.
FELICIANO FINANCIAL GROUP
Ask anyone who works there and you will
be told that the guiding principle behind
the success of the Feliciano Financial Group
is “helping other people build their lives,
legacy and business—with a purpose.” The
principle must work because FFG is now one
of the premiere financial services firms within
the Woodbury Financial Services network.
“When I started in the business, I was collecting
weekly premiums for policies sold mostly
to low-income East Texans. In the beginning,
it was just a job, a way to make a living for
me and my family. Before the year was out, the
owner of a health insurance agency offered
me a new opportunity calling on companies
interested in providing health coverage to their
employees,” Jose Feliciano, Jr., remembers.
“I suppose I was a natural in the insurance
business. As I continued growing my account
list, I realized what I was doing could actually
make a real impact on the lives of the people
whose families were covered by the policies I
wrote. After two years, I decided I wanted to
be an independent agent. I don’t think I knew
it then, but that decision was the basis for
what became my passion to help other people
realize their dreams and aspirations!”
A sense of belonging, of being family, and
living as an integral part of a community are
important attributes to some people. That
certainly holds true for Jose and his family.
He met Wanda Morriss, a Tyler native who
graduated from John Tyler High School.
Her father, Jack, was a constable in Tyler.
Jose and Wanda had their first date on
May 30, 1981, during Greek Night at the
Lite Lab Club. “I had a ‘Rocky’ moment with
Wanda…hey, Adrian, whatta ya doin’ for the
next fifty years?” Jose remembers. However,
Jose’s responsibilities as legal guardian to his
younger siblings led to an eleven-year
courtship. They were finally married on
May 30, 1992, eleven years to the day from
their first date. “I think falling in love with
Wanda is one of the reasons I became so
connected to Tyler,” Jose says.
Throughout his career, Jose and Wanda
have been involved with the community.
Wanda participated in the first Leadership
Tyler class. Jose led numerous fundraising
efforts for various charities in Tyler, graduated
from Leadership Tyler 5, and served
for three years on the TISD School Board.
“We moved around a lot when I was growing
up,” Jose remembers, “It was difficult leaving
friends, changing schools, and finding the
way around a new city.” It was all made more
difficult because the task of communicating
with new people in strange, new surroundings
often fell to Jose. Jose was the firstborn
child of parents who were both deaf mutes.
“If there is one thing that took hold of me
as I was growing up; one thing that shaped
my outlook more than anything, it was that
family is the most important thing,” says Jose.
“When I think about it, the place one calls
home became important to me, probably
because of moving around so much as a kid.
I don’t know exactly when or why, but
sometime after my family came to East Texas,
I developed a feeling for this area. When
I started attending Tyler Junior College, I
began feeling at home here. I studied in
San Marcos for a while. Coming home to Tyler
just seemed to be the right place for me.”
To understand how the importance of family
became so ingrained, it helps to step back and
understand the background from which Jose
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
82

came and the circumstances that created the
conditions in which he was born. His father
was the only child of Gao Feliciano and
his wife, Carmen. Jose Anselmo Feliciano, Sr.,
was born on March 9, 1939, in the small
town of Aquidilla, located on the west coast of
Puerto Rico. As the infant grew into a toddler,
his parents realized something was wrong.
The couple poured love and affection on their
young son, but slowly became concerned that
he was not developing as quickly as other
children. A local doctor gave them a diagnosis
when the youngster was about a year and a
half old. Their son was deaf. It was difficult
for the young parents to understand, because
they could think of no reason for the deafness.
There was no history of deafness on either
side of their families and Carmen’s pregnancy
had been normal. After he was born, Jose
had never been ill, never had an abnormally
high fever. Why he could not hear remained
a mystery. When he was old enough, Jose
was enrolled in a school for deaf children in
San Juan, three hours away. When he was
five years old, Gao and Carmen divorced.
Carmen moved from their island home to
New York, joining other Puerto Ricans there.
For a time, his mother’s departure was
hard for young Jose to accept. He was determined
that he would one day do whatever
was necessary to find her. In the meantime,
he continued at school, frequently getting
into fights. His unhappiness increased and he
became restless. By the time he was in the
sixth grade, he decided to quit school and
went to work at his father’s auto paint and
body shop. Gao taught his son the trade,
and was confident it was an occupation that
would serve him for a lifetime. But, young
Jose continued growing restless and told his
father he wanted to go to New York and
find his mother. Reluctantly, Gao agreed,
and placing a placard declaring his disability
on the nineteen-year-old, he helped Jose
emigrate from Puerto Rico to New York.
The Puerto Rican community in 1958
New York was a tightly knit community. Gao
had contacted friends in New York, who met
Jose at the airport. In no time at all, Jose was
able to reunite with his mother. She welcomed
him into her home and he soon found
a job at a local paint and body shop. Through
a friend he knew from the deaf school in
San Juan, who had also
moved to New York,
Jose was introduced to
students attending the
deaf school in New
York. Meeting these
others, who shared his
disability, helped Jose
develop self-confidence
and gave him hope that
the new life he had
embarked upon would
bring him happiness.
Top, left: Jose hosted a ’50s-style Sock Hop
fundraiser. Pictured here is Jose with singer
Vince Vance.
Top, right: Jose sharing the stage with
Coach Mike Ditka.
Below: From 1984 to 2004, Jose has
sponsored New Year’s Eve Parties as
charitable fundraisers. Pictured here are the
sponsors at the 2002 New Year’s Eve Party.
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83

Top: John and Jose Feliciano in
New York, 1967.
Above: The Feliciano Family in 2004.
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
84
His dreams seemed to come true one day in
1961 when he met a pretty girl on the subway
on his way to a bowling tournament for
the deaf. Edie Georgetta Napier was born in
New York on September 20, 1946. She was of
French-Irish descent. She, too, was inexplicably
born deaf. Edie was attending the school for
the deaf, and learning to adjust to living in a
hearing world, when she met Jose. The two
began dating, and once her parents, Edith
and Tim Napier, were convinced that Jose
would be able to provide for their daughter,
they allowed the young couple to marry.
Edie adapted to her role as a
homemaker quickly, and Jose’s salary
continued to rise at his job at the
paint and body shop. Soon, the couple
moved from Queens to the Hell’s
Kitchen neighborhood in Manhattan.
It was in this medium to low income
neighborhood that Edie gave birth
to the couple’s first child, Jose, Jr.,
on November 13, 1962. Edie was
happy that when she clapped her
hands, her baby reacted. She knew
having a hearing child would be
difficult, but she and Jose, Sr., had
already proven they could handle most things
themselves. She quickly learned to interpret
her baby’s needs using her other senses. She
kept the baby close to her in the bed when he
slept, knowing that when babies cry, they
kick. Whenever he started kicking, she would
wake up and feed him or change his diaper.
As Jose, Jr., was taking his first steps, he was
also learning sign language from his parents.
Edie wanted her child to be able to speak
properly, so she asked her parents to spend
as much time with her baby as they could.
Jose, Jr., learned to speak from his maternal
grandparents. His grandfather, Tim, was the
superintendent of the building the family lived
in, so Jose, Jr., was able to spend a great deal
of time with both of his grandparents. Despite
the handicap of living in a silent world, Jose,
Jr.’s parents never allowed that disadvantage
to affect the way they lived their lives. They
were determined to have a family of their
own, and to be as independent as they could.
Within a year and a half, another son was
born into the Feliciano family. John arrived on
March 22, 1964. The family continued living
in Hell’s Kitchen, with both boys beginning
elementary school at PS 51. “The school was
only a couple of blocks from our apartment.
“John and I walked to school every day,”
Jose, Jr., recalls. “I remember in early 1970,
my father was getting concerned about how
the neighborhood was changing, and since he
had friends who lived in Tucker, Georgia, he
decided we would move there.” Jose Jr., was
nine years old when the family moved to the
South. This was his first experience handling
financial matters for his parents. “Because I
could interpret for them, I helped negotiate
the rent for the apartment we rented. I think
it was $50 a month. I had to deal with
getting the utilities turned on and the other
services connected.” After a couple of years in
Tucker, Jose, Sr., decided Fayetteville, North
Carolina, offered a better opportunity. Once
again, the family moved. “John and I were
both in school and dad was at work the day
mom went into labor with Jeff. She caught
the bus by herself and went to the hospital,”
Jose, Jr., remembers. “Later that day, there was
an announcement over the loud speaker at
school informing everyone that John and I had
a new little brother. That was November 5,
1974.” Once again, Jose, Sr., sensed opportunity
was just over the horizon, and moved
the family to Orlando, Florida. Once again,
Edie got pregnant, and this time the brothers
welcomed a little sister, Juanita on August 25,
1976. Shortly after Juanita’s birth, the
family moved back to New York to spend time
with Edie’s parents, who were getting older.
They spent several months in New York
before Jose, Sr., decided it was time to seek
another opportunity.
This time, Jacksonville, Texas, was the destination.
Jose, Jr., liked this move. He was just
starting high school and had the opportunity
to play baseball and football at Jacksonville
High School, where he graduated in 1980. It
was in Jacksonville that Jose received one of
the most important lessons of his life. “I am
almost ashamed to admit it now, but there
were times when signing for my parents
embarrassed me. People in public places
would often stare when I was interpreting for
my parents. Sometimes, I was self-conscious

when I was signing for them.
My father would nudge me, and I
would sign back to him that I
would tell him later. That upset
my father, who signed back at
me with a flourish, ‘Son, don’t
worry about what other people
think. Just be!’ It was not until
an incident happened at a high
school sports banquet that I
understood what he really meant.”
During the banquet, as the coach was making
a speech, Jose’s father asked what the coach
was saying. Jose, Jr., pretended not to notice,
and ignored his father. Out of the corner
of his eye, Jose, Jr., saw his father signing,
“Don’t worry about other people. Just be!”
“That was a pivotal moment. I realized how
much I had hurt my father because I was
self-conscious, for no good reason. I never
again allowed myself to be embarrassed
about anything concerning my parents and
their handicap,” Jose, Jr., says, “It was then
that I realized that life is made up of many
elements, some good, some bad; some important,
some mundane. It is everything that
touches one that creates our individual
lives. There is a wholeness that comes from
realizing that all of those elements exist,
and the only thing that matters is how we
react to them.”
This realization eventually became a foundational
aspect of Jose’s business. It is the
reason Jose is passionate about holistic planning—integrating
tax planning, insurance
planning, investment planning, retirement
planning, business planning, cash flow,
budgeting, and estate planning services all
under one roof. “We work just like a general
contractor working together with architects,
electricians, plumbers, carpenters, painters,
roofers for the benefit of their client’s vision,”
Jose explains, “My whole life has been an
evolutionary process. To communicate with
my parents, it was necessary to learn to sign.
Because of the situation I was in, it was necessary
for me to take on adult duties when I
was child. As I was growing up and we moved
from place to place, I learned to adapt to new
surroundings and to change as was necessary.
In my business, my main goal was to help
people.” With that goal as the driving force,
the company had to change as its customer’s
needs changed. That was the reason Jose’s
practice evolved from insurance planning to
wealth management. That is the reason it
took on healthcare coverage. Today, FFG is
developing GeriatricCare Solutions, because
the customers need help navigating through
the Medicare system and its complex rules
and regulations. “It is not one thing, but it
is many things that comprise our lives. We
have to think in terms of the whole, not just a
single item,” says Jose.
“I love Tyler. I love that I can work in community
where I can make a contribution,
large or small, to the people who are my
neighbors. I can make a difference. That’s
important to me. It’s important to my company.
It’s important to my family.” An example
of the connection the Feliciano family made
with Tyler occurred when a statue of Jackson
Feliciano was erected at The Children’s Park
on Broadway. Jackson was two years old
when he succumbed to a seizure caused by
the brain degenerative disease Alpers in
2007. “Nothing is so tragic to parent than
losing a child. Our entire family was devastated
when Jeff and Marci lost Jackson,” says
Jose. “Friends throughout Tyler participated
when a bronze statue of Jackson was placed
at The Children’s Park. It is such a wonderful
tribute to his memory, and for other children
who have been lost too soon. Tyler is the
kind of community where people show
their compassion toward one another. It is
a community of caring people who rally
together for good causes, whether it is
raising money to support charities or merely
to sit quietly giving comfort to a neighbor
in crisis. I am proud to call Tyler my home.”
Left: The Feliciano Family in 2014.
Left to right, Jeff’s wife Marci;
Jose, Jr.’s wife Wanda; mother Edie; Jose, Jr.;
father Jose, Sr.; stepmother Aurea;
brother Jeff; Jose’s daughter April;
brother John; and sister, Juanita Feliciano.
Right: Jose vacationing with wife, Wanda
and daughter, April.
Below: Statue of Jackson Feliciano, placed in
his memory at The Children’s Park in Tyler.
Jose Feliciano offers securities and
investment advisory services through
Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., member
FINRA/SIPC. Insurance services offered
through Feliciano Financial Group,
1828 E. Southeast Loop 323, Suite 200,
Tyler, Texas 75701, 903-533-8585.
Entities referenced are not affiliated.
TYLER PARTNERS
85

UT HEALTH
NORTHEAST
Above: During the height of the war, troop
capacity at Camp Fannin was just over
18,000 soldiers with an army hospital that
treated troops injured in the fight to liberate
Europe from Nazi control.
Below: The University of Texas Health
Center at Tyler became the state referral
hospital for cardiopulmonary disease
because of its advanced specialization in the
treatment and prevention of lung disease.
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
86
Someone once said that dreams come a
size too big so we can grow into them. In
the fall of 2002, the Board of Regents of
The University of Texas System appointed
Kirk A. Calhoun, M.D. president of what
was then The University of Texas Health
Center at Tyler. Dr. Calhoun came with a
wealth of healthcare experience; a visionary
with dreams of what this small, rural university
medical center could become. He would
be only the fourth individual to lead this
organization whose rich heritage began in
1943 as Camp Fannin, a U.S. World War II
Army Infantry Training Center that included
a 1,074-bed army hospital.
When the war ended in 1945, Camp Fannin
was decommissioned. However, another battle—the
fight against tuberculosis—was one
of the leading killers in the U.S. in the 1940s.
The Camp Fannin hospital barracks and the
614 acres around it were given to the State
of Texas by the federal government to treat
patients with TB. In 1957, a new six-story, 325-
bed facility named the East Texas Tuberculosis
Hospital was completed.
In 1970, George A. Hurst, M.D. was named
director of the hospital. One year later in
1971, the 62nd Texas Legislature changed
the institution’s name to the East Texas Chest
Hospital to recognize the treatment of lung
diseases other than TB.
On September 1, 1977, the hospital was
transferred from the Texas Department of
Health to the world-renowned University
of Texas System officially becoming The
University of Texas Health Center at Tyler.
Tyler leaders such as Texas Senator Peyton
McKnight, who sponsored the transfer bill
and others including Royce Wisenbaker, Sr.,
and Isadore Roosth provided key support.
In September 1980, UT Health Center
opened another six-story hospital tower, and
on June 3, 1981, UT physicians performed
the region’s first heart catheterization. That
same year, Dr. Allen Cohen, a prominent
pulmonologist and scientist from Temple
University in Philadelphia, was recruited
to lead UT Health’s fledgling biomedical
research program. In 1985, construction of
a $9-million, 71,000-square-foot Center
for Biomedical Research began and was
completed in 1987.
In the area of education, the newly-created
Family Practice Residency Program accepted
its first physician residents in 1985. In 1994
another residency program in occupational
medicine was added.
After twenty-seven years, Dr. Hurst retired
from the Health Center in January 1998, and
that same month, Dr. Ronald F. Garvey was
named to lead the institution. He retired in
August 2002.
Dr. Kirk Calhoun began his tenure as
president in September 2002 and is credited
with leading an ongoing evolution into the
twenty-first century.

In 2005 the four-story outpatient Riter
Center for Advanced Medicine was dedicated in
honor of the late A. W. “Dub” Riter, Jr., a longtime
supporter of UT Health. In 2008 the institution’s
name was changed to The University
of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler.
Patient care at UT Health Northeast has
expanded from the original hospital to
also include over 30 specialties in 25
clinics on the main campus and in Overton,
North Tyler, Lindale, and on the campus
of sister institution UT Tyler, as well as a
Level IV Emergency Room.
Under Dr. Calhoun’s leadership, a new
three-story, $67-million Academic Center was
built in 2009. Located on the first floor is
the Cancer Treatment and Prevention Center;
it is home to some of the most advanced
technology available today combined with
a team of experienced and highly trained
medical professionals.
An ultramodern Breast Center and a Surgery
Clinic are located on the second floor and the
Watson W. Wise Medical Research Library is
on the third floor along with the Louise and
Joseph Z. Ornelas Academic Amphitheater
and additional classrooms.
The education mission of UT Health took
a giant leap forward when in early 2012,
the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board officially approved the establishment
of the School of Medical Biological Sciences. A
first ever degree-granting program, a master’s
in biotechnology, welcomed its first class
in August 2012. The Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools Commission on
Colleges (SACSCOC) conferred accreditation
on UT Health Northeast in December 2015.
The faculty and staff of UT Health’s Center
for Biomedical Research have also made
great strides and are advancing healthcare
one discovery at a time in scientific areas
including lung injury and repair, infectious
lung diseases, and cancer, to name just a few
ongoing research projects. The biomedical
research conducted at UT Health is nationally
recognized and competitively funded by
private foundations, nonprofit organizations,
the Centers for Disease Control, and the gold
standard of research support—the National
Institutions of Health.
In February 2013, UT Health Science Center
received approval from the Board of Regents
to use of the name UT Health Northeast to
better reflect its regional service.
As UT Health continues to build on making
its dreams a reality, the tradition of excellence
and public service that began with a barracks
hospital more than seventy years ago remains
a core commitment. With exceptional patient
care, comprehensive education, and innovative
research, UT Health Northeast truly is
the university medical center for northeast
Texas and beyond.
Above: The Varian TrueBeam TM 2.5 linear
accelerator treats cancer so precisely it can
target tumors the size of a small green pea
in six dimensions without damaging the
surrounding healthy tissue.
Below: Dr. Kirk Calhoun, a nephrologist
by training, is recognized from Austin to
Washington D.C., as a leader in healthcare
focused on population health and on serving
the needs of all citizens.
TYLER PARTNERS
87

WELLS FARGO
ADVISORS, LLC
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
88
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC is the third
largest brokerage firm in the country. The
company provides investment advice and
financial guidance to its clients. Operating in
all fifty states and the District of Columbia,
the company helps people to understand their
life goals and assisting them in developing
individual financial plans designed to ensure
a secure financial future.
However, there is a more personal role
played by Wells Fargo Advisors in Tyler; some
would say a more important role. That is the
role of concerned citizens taking an active
part in the welfare of their community. Wells
Fargo Advisors supports several philanthropic
organizations in Tyler. Greg Strnadel is the
A.R.E.T.X. Complex Manager and a senior
vice president with Wells Fargo Advisors
headquartered in Tyler. He explains the reason
behind his company’s commitment to the
community this way, “Our company’s success
is directly related to the success of our
customers. We also understand that we have
a responsibility to take part in community
activities that impact our neighbors.” Local
management picks the organizations it
chooses to support. That is one of Greg’s
duties with WFA, “Our success comes from a
time-tested formula: local people making
local decisions because they know best what
their communities need,” Greg elaborates.
“We give both financial support, and more
importantly, we encourage our employees to
volunteer with these groups.”
The company is known throughout the
United States for its corporate commitment to
the community. In 2013, Wells Fargo invested
$275.5 million in 18,500 nonprofits nationwide,
surpassing $200 million for the seventh
consecutive year. Wells Fargo will match
employee contributions, dollar-for-dollar,
from $25 up to $5,000 per team member, per
year, all donations made to eligible 501(c)(3)
nonprofit accredited educational institutions
and foundations. Each year, during the month
of September, Wells Fargo team members
donate financially to the nonprofits of their
choice during the Community Support and
United Way Campaign. In 2014, our team
members set a company record by pledging
$97.7 million to nonprofits and schools,
including $70.5 million pledged during our
annual workplace giving campaign. For the
sixth year in a row, we were named United
Way Worldwide No. 1 workplace giving
campaign in the U.S.
Dollars and cents is not the only measure
of our community support. The communities
in which we serve benefit from the labor our
team members donate as well. In 2014,
64,350 team members nationwide volunteered
a record 1.74 million hours, a three
percent increase from 2013. These volunteer
hours represent an estimated $40.1 million in
volunteer time (Source: Independent Sector’s
2014 Dollar Value of a Volunteer Hour, stated
as $23.07 per volunteer hour).
A prime example is Operation American
Pride, which Greg conceived as a way for
giving needed essentials to the men and
women of the United States Armed Forces
stationed around the world. For the past five
years, Wells Fargo Advisors in East Texas
and Arkansas collected thousands of care
packages for those American heroes. “Team
members brought their families and we all
worked together putting those packages
together,” says Greg with pride. “This is an
idea that has legs. Now we are extending
the program by providing pre-paid calling
cards so our sentinels on the watchtowers of
freedom can stay in touch with their loved
ones. Money makes things possible, but it is
people working who get the job done. That
is the lesson I want my children to embrace.”

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is another
recipient of Wells Fargo Advisors’ generosity.
The Tyler branch provided thousands in
support over the past five years. Cystic
Fibrosis is a disease affecting the lungs and
digestive system. A generation ago, the life
expectancy of children with CF was eighteen
years. Advancements made through research
changed that prognosis in the last thirty
years. Today, CF patients are living well
into their thirties and forties. Even greater
prospects are on the horizon as advancements
continue to be made.
A project that exemplifies the diversity of
charitable projects embraced by Wells Fargo
Advisors is the Texas Ramp Project. In a
few hours on a Saturday morning, volunteers
gather at the home of a person who is wheelchair
bound, and they build a ramp. “The
Texas Ramp Project gives these folks the
freedom to leave their home again—instead
of being imprisoned,” says Greg. “We at
Wells Fargo Advisors have been fortunate to
be part of the Texas Ramp Project. In just
the past year, they built more than seventysix
ramps.”
Christian Women’s Job Corp is an organization
that prepares women to take their
place in the workplace by providing comprehensive
life skills and job training. Within
a Christian context, the organization helps
women move from dependency to selfsufficiency.
Wells Fargo Advisors decided to
help their cause by giving them thousands in
financial assistance.
The Salvation Army has been a recipient
of not only money, but also the blood of
employees who participated in the Carter
BloodCare drive. “The life blood of our
employees is equally as important as the
monetary donations we give,” says Senior
Vice President of Wells Fargo Advisors,
Brandon Johnston.
While the corporate commitment is
important, Greg strongly believes the role of
the individual makes a difference. “There are
two ways to grow your business. One is just
advertise and blitz, the other is do what’s
right and the business will come,” Greg
explains his philosophy on giving, “And the
giving back to the community comes under
that category. So, we have an obligation to
Wells Fargo clients and the Wells Fargo
shareholders, and the way to serve both,
shareholders and clients, is to give to the
community. The clients win, we get more
clients—Wells Fargo wins. I am lucky to
work for a company that shares my values,”
says Greg.
To learn more about Wells Fargo Advisors,
please visit www.wellsfargoadvisors.com.
TYLER PARTNERS
89

JUNIOR LEAGUE
OF TYLER, INC.
Right: The Tyler Service League.
Below: League members show off their
uniforms in March 1951.
Throughout the year, money is raised,
food is donated and volunteers are directed
across Tyler by the dozens of charitable
organizations. The people of Tyler and East
Texas depend on these organizations; and
many of these organizations depend on the
Junior League of Tyler, Inc.
The Junior League of Tyler, Inc., is an
organization of women committed to promoting
voluntarism, developing the potential
of women and improving communities
through the effective action and leadership of
trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively
educational and charitable.
Recognizing a need for organized volunteer
service in a rapidly growing city with ever
changing needs, thirteen civic-minded women
met in February of 1950 to make preliminary
plans for the organization of the Tyler Service
League. In May 1950, the Tyler Service League
gathered for an organizational meeting with its
thirteen sponsors and thirty-two charter members
in attendance. The immediate goals of the
organization were to serve and strengthen the
Tyler community and to become a member of
the national organization of the Junior League.
On February 1, 1960, the Tyler Service League
was admitted to the Association of Junior
Leagues of America.
Today, the Junior League of Tyler, Inc., with
its 215 active and provisional members and
475 sustaining members, continues to be an
organization of women committed to promoting
voluntarism and improving the community
through the effective action and leadership
of trained volunteers. To date, the Junior League
of Tyler, Inc., has given back more than
$7.5 million, and hundreds of thousands of
volunteer hours, to better the community. In
2016 alone, the League will contribute over
20,000 volunteer hours and over $290,000 to
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
90

worthy community projects and endeavors.
The League fundraising activities include a
biennial Rummage Sale “Spring Sweep,” three
cookbooks: And Roses for the Table, Cooking
Through Rose-Colored Glasses; Ring Around the
Rosie; a children’s book Goodnight Rose City,
and the annual Mistletoe & Magic holiday
shopping market.
diligently for years and has been instrumental
in the founding of the Hospice of East Texas,
Stewart Regional Blood Center, Discovery
Science Place, Tyler Teen Court and Tyler
Museum of Art.
In more than sixty-five years of service,
members of the League have donated literally
millions of hours and raised important
dollars that have directly contributed to the
wellbeing of our community.
Top: The Stewart Regional Blood Center.
Above: Contract signing with agencies in
our community.
Left: The children’s book cover of
Goodnight Rose City.
Below: Working in the community with
some of our partnering agencies.
This work is done by over 300 volunteers
working as a nonprofit organization with
almost 700 members who currently serve
seventeen agencies benefiting Smith County.
The Junior League of Tyler, Inc., has worked
TYLER PARTNERS
91

TURTLE ISLAND
STAND UP PADDLEBOARDING
Sometimes, there is a time and a place that
is perfect for a venture to arise and to take
the shapes of the dreams of its founders.
Turtle Island Stand Up Paddleboarding is
one of these, emerging in 2014
from a place of passion, joy
and celebration of life lived to
the fullest.
In 1990, Debbie Cunningham
married her husband Joe, an
athlete and outdoor enthusiast.
About a year after they were
married, they welcomed a
family into their fun and active
lifestyle with new son, Joseph—
who everyone calls JoJo, and
who was also diagnosed with
Autism Spectrum Disorder at a
young age, contributing to his seemingly
boundless energy. His father would regularly
tell JoJo that he believed God had made
him with a purpose and continually searched
for a way to funnel JoJo’s energy into a productive
objective. A naturally athletic family
with a love for the outdoors, they gravitated
toward shared activities like cycling and
competitive fitness training. Before coming
to East Texas, Joe had lived in Hawaii for
several years and developed an affinity for
stand up paddleboarding, a hybrid of surfing
and kayaking, which involves standing upright
on an oversized surfboard and paddling with
a single bladed paddle.
Joe always wished for the chance to go
back to Hawaii with his family and introduce
them to the sport he had loved. When JoJo
graduated from high school in 2010, the
family traveled to Hawaii and discovered paddleboarding
together. When the Cunninghams
returned to Tyler, they purchased boards of
their own and took to the waters of Lake Tyler
with frequency.
As they got better and better, they began
to feel a desire to spread this sport to the people
of Tyler and beyond. Mirroring his father’s
love for the sport, JoJo dove headfirst in paddleboarding.
For JoJo’s twenty-first birthday
in 2012, his parents reached out to friends in
the SUP community and procured JoJo’s first
stand up paddleboard. With his own board in
hand, JoJo’s love for the sport grew stronger.
Joe began to form an idea in his mind, a
potential course for his son that could join
his love of athletics and paddleboarding to
create the potential for a future and a career.
After graduating from high school, JoJo
held several positions without much longterm
luck. He desired independence and to
be a productive member of the workforce,
but had not been able to find the right fit.
Joe began to put together a plan for a SUP
business that would introduce, instruct and
guide new paddleboarders in the Tyler area.
He saw the joy and physical fitness it
brought, and believed, given the chance,
the people of Tyler would fall in love too.
He even came up with a name for his new
venture: he called it Turtle Island, after a
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
92

poem by one of his favorite authors, Gary
Snyder. As fate would have it, Joe would
not get the chance to see Turtle Island come
to fruition. In 2012, Joe was involved in
an accident that took his life. Debbie and
JoJo were devastated, and when their family
needed healing they turned to the sport they
spent many hours delighting in together.
Just a few months after his father’s passing,
JoJo decided to participate in his first competitive
standup paddleboard competition,
the Waterman’s Paddle For Humanity in
Austin. He said that he wanted to race “in
honor of his father and for the glory of God.”
With limited experience and no formal
training, JoJo shocked the field to finish third
in his division. Her son’s achievement, his
drive and example of perseverance that day
was a catalyst for Debbie: she resolved to
see Joe’s visions for Turtle Island Stand Up
Paddleboarding become a reality.
Over the next year, Debbie and her son
worked to make Turtle Island happen. They
formed the LLC, bought boards and a trailer
to store and transport them. She and JoJo
pursued further expert training to become
certified instructors. Perhaps most poignantly,
they attended the “Danny Ching Race Clinic”
in Austin where they were able to train in
person with the paddleboard world champion
Joe had spent so much time studying to help
teach his family the sport that still bound
them together. On March 29, 2014, less than
two years after the sudden loss of Joe, Debbie
and JoJo held a ribbon cutting ceremony
and demonstration day to officially launch
Turtle Island.
Today the formerly mobile unit
is firmly planted on Lake Tyler off
McElroy and offers paddleboard
rentals and lessons, along with SUP
fitness classes, group classes and
tours, yoga and even party rentals.
Turtle Island Stand Up Paddleboarding
is a member of the Tyler Chamber of
Commerce and the Better Business
Bureau. JoJo provides most demonstrations,
supported by advanced
knowledge and skill in the sport. The
Cunningham’s vision for Turtle Island
is to provide a unifying and strengthening
family-oriented activity, and
they hope to bring a competitive race
to Lake Tyler soon. But more than
those goals, Debbie wants Turtle Island to
provide JoJo with a long-term opportunity
for a career where he can meld his strengths
and passion, and to be truly valued for what
he brings to work and to clients every day.
She says this is a venture in honor of JoJo’s
father, and of her beloved husband and of
faith in Christ Jesus with our confidence set
firmly in Him.
Turtle Island Stand Up Paddleboarding is
located at 16538 McElroy Road in Whitehouse.
Call 903-805-8415 or visit the Internet at
www.turtleislandsup.com.
TYLER PARTNERS
93

VASSO &
ASSOCIATES
Above: Left to right, Tom Healey,
Derek Meller CRPC ® , Paige Hudson,
Neal Vasso CFP ® APMA ® , Pamela Wing
and Brian Hinton.
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
94
Helping someone determine their financial
future is something of a calling. Planning and
understanding an individual’s financial goals
demands the highest levels of skill, preparation
and consideration. When Neal Vasso CFP ® ,
APMA ® , founded Vasso & Associates in 1996,
at the age of twenty-eight, providing that
service was exactly the kind of mission he
wished to undertake. “I had worked for
other companies but knew that I wanted to
start my own,” said Vasso. “After careful
planning and saving, I took that leap almost
twenty years ago. I knew I wanted to work
with individuals and help them achieve their
financial goals.”
Vasso chose Ameriprise Financial for its
singular and historically tested vision: to help
ordinary Americans achieve their financial
dreams and to feel confident about their
futures. “Throughout their long history,
Ameriprise has remained steadfast to this
vision of putting the clients’ needs first,
always,” said Vasso. “Over the years, we’ve
helped millions of people invest billions of
dollars for what’s important to them. Today,
Ameriprise is America’s largest financial planning
company and a leading global financial
institution, with more than $800 billion in
assets under management and administration.”
Like most entrepreneurs looking to start
a business—and with the work ethic to
turn that dream into reality—in the beginning
Vasso was working 100-plus hours a week
and doing almost everything on his own.
Today that same work ethic and drive for
success is still evident at Vasso & Associates.
The achievements and awards on the shelves
demonstrate their dedication and commitment.
The success of Vasso & Associates happened
quickly after Vasso founded the organization
in 1996. Just two years after the business
began, Vasso & Associates was recognized by
Ameriprise in the Circle of Success, and that
was only the beginning. Since 2000, Vasso &
Associates has been in the top ten percent of
Ameriprise Financial Services groups. In 2005,
Vasso & Associates climbed up to the top
two percent and now has been in the top one
percent since 2012. Vasso and his team at
Vasso & Associates have not only been recognized
within Ameriprise Financial Services but
also by D Magazine and the five-star Wealth
Management Award every year since 2009.

“I believe a major key to success is gaining
more knowledge and being innovative,”
Vasso said. “That’s why everyone on our
team is always striving to learn more, taking
additional education certifications and
trainings to keep up-to-date in the everchanging
world.”
Vasso & Associates employs 3 advisors,
5 full-time and 4 part-time employees who
work together to manage a client base of individual
families and small businesses. In 2001,
Vasso moved the branch headquarters to
Tyler, Texas, a community where he and his
wife, Stephanie, wanted to raise their family.
In 2007, Vasso purchased and renovated his
current location on Broadway, near downtown
Tyler. Vasso & Associates helps clients get
a clear road map for their future with the
Confident Retirement ® approach by covering
essentials, ensuring your lifestyle, preparing
for the unexpected and leaving a legacy. Vasso
and his team will listen to your goals and
dreams, create a personalized financial plan
and track your progress over time, helping
you to change and grow along the way. They
will give you access to numerous investment
options and brokerage account types, so you
can build a portfolio expertly designed to help
you achieve your financial goals. With over
sixty years of combined experience, the advisors
of Vasso & Associates possess the tools
and knowledge to help navigate clients to
their goals through whatever events lay ahead.
“It’s rewarding to work with clients developing
a financial plan for their future and
then to see their kids go to college and our
clients enter into retirement,” Vasso said.
“At Vasso & Associates, we believe that clients
come first. My team and I are also there to
help when life events happen and can guide
them through the finances. Whether you
are retired, near retirement, or accumulating
assets for your financial goals, we are here to
help. Our attention to detail and desire to
have best in class service will guide you
toward financial independence. We take pride
in listening to your goals and dreams, and
in developing a customized plan to help
you achieve them. With thoughtful and open
communication, we have had great success
in getting clients to their desired destination.”
Vasso & Associates sees their clients as
friends and neighbors. They are helping
them build their financial success and wealth
transfer. The team at Vasso & Associates take
great pride in their involvement in numerous
civic and charity organizations. They give of
themselves and the company’s resources to
better the community they call home through
their work with Hiway 80 Rescue Mission,
Bishop Gorman Regional Catholic School,
Marvin United Methodist Church, Chi Alpha
Campus Ministries, Boy Scouts of America–
Troop 369, Historic Tyler, Heart of Tyler,
SKAD Inc., Feeding America and the East
Texas Food Bank.
Vasso & Associates are located at 320
South Broadway, Suite 400 and on the
Internet at www.VassoAndAssociates.com.
Vasso & Associates, a private wealth
advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial
Services, Inc.
Above: National Day of Volunteering at the
East Texas Food Bank.
Below: Neal and Stephanie Vasso
and family.
TYLER PARTNERS
95

CAMP FORD
HISTORICAL
ASSOCIATION,
INC.
EAST TEXAS
HERITAGE
MUSEUM
ASSOCIATION
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
96
Among the many unknown or more
specifically untold stories in Tyler, Texas,
history is that of Camp Ford, the largest
Civil War Prisoner of War Camp located west
of the Mississippi. In order to tell that story
to generations to come, and to preserve its
history for today and beyond, the group
charged with that mission, the Camp Ford
Historical Association, also known as the
East Texas Heritage Museum Association,
was founded in the spring of 1998.
The roots go back to when the Texas
State Historical Commission was founded
as the Texas State Historical Survey in 1954
by F. Lee Lawrence and others,” explained
Association Board President D. M. Edwards.
“In 1963, Mr. Lawrence and Dr. Robert
W. Glover wrote a book called Camp Ford
CSA, which is the definitive history of Camp
Ford. That book began the increased interest
in Camp Ford locally. Lee led the efforts
to obtain acreage where Camp Ford Park is
today and preserve it for future generations.”
When he established the current modern
historical markers in the state we all recognize
(the cast aluminum roadside signs),
the first one was done here at Camp Ford.
The association initially operated under
the umbrella of the Smith County Historical
Society, before appearing in its current
independent form and founded in memory
of Lee Lawrence, who passed away in
1996. “The purpose of this is two-fold,”
said Edwards. “That is to say educational
and historic preservation and also historic
interpretation. We work to preserve the
history of Camp Ford and develop a museum
and information center pertaining to Camp
Ford. We want to cooperate with schools,
educational institutions and museums to
help create and augment historic education
programs to expand the view and understanding
of Tyler and Texas History.”
The Association has an educational videotape
series, which is available for purchase by
the public, and may be ordered at
www.campford.us. They also offer presentations—quarterly
educational forums—at the
Tyler Chamber of Commerce Genecov Room.
There is also a published newsletter for
members. In recent years, the Association
has been raising funds to establish an historical
museum for the East Texas region.
“Currently, the Association boasts more than
300 members, and we hold on to some
incredible, interesting stories from history,”
said Edwards. “The first baseball game in
Texas was played there in the stockades,
by a relative of Abner Doubleday who was
being held as a prisoner. Prisoners had
to build their own shelters within the
compound, and they even laid out streets
within the compound and published their
own newspaper.”
Currently, the Association is in the process
of raising funds and evaluating potential
locations for the East Texas Heritage
Museum—a large facility to house permanent
exhibits, a research library, and with exhibits
rotating throughout the year, with sufficient
parking for museum guests. “The museum
will allow us to cover the history of
East Texas, not just Smith County,” said
Edwards. “We are working with other cities’
historical societies, looking to establish a
regional hub.”
Through the work of the Association
Board, the East Texas Heritage Museum is
on its way to being realized, and the work
of Edwards and every member is unceasing.

The Camp Ford Historical Association is a
longtime sustaining member of the East Texas
Historical Association, which is operated
out of Stephen F. Austin State University in
Nacogdoches. They are also a member of the
Texas Association of Museums, and a longstanding
member of the Tyler Area Chamber.
“We have embarked on this most ambitious
effort to secure financial support for
the Camp Ford Historical Center and the
East Texas Heritage Museum,” said Edwards.
“The history of Camp Ford is fascinating
and deserves to be told through a worthy
medium, and through an avenue that
serves to educate people for all of East Texas.
This site, and others like it, and the East
Texas Heritage Museum, will help Tyler to
continue to grow as a destination and
point of interest to educators, historians and
tourists from across the nation.”
TYLER PARTNERS
97

CAMP FANNIN
ASSOCIATION,
INC.
Camp Fannin Veterans Memorial.
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
98
Tyler’s past is alive in the present. Tyler’s
Camp Fannin is one such find that deserves
our attention. “Camp Fannin was an Army
infantry training center used to instruct
military recruits before they were shipped off
to fight in World War II,” said D. M. Edwards,
chairman of the Camp Fannin Association.
“Camp Fannin was operational from May
of 1943 until the spring of 1946 when it
transformed into a separation center for
the soldiers and veterans returning home.
During its time, Camp Fannin trained
212,000 infantry soldiers. While operational,
the encampment covered 16,000 acres and
included between 20,000 and 30,000 people
working, training and living. At its peak,
the size and population of Camp Fannin
outstripped the population of Tyler.
Camp Fannin may have only been fully
functional for a handful of years, but its
economic influence and historical legacy is
tremendous for East Texas. Its descendants
are the East Texas Tuberculosis Sanitarium
and Chest Hospital, known today as
UT Health Northeast—the only university
medical center in our region.
Today, Camp Fannin is remembered and
celebrated by the men and women who can
claim it as a piece of their history. In August
of 1990 the surviving soldiers and family
members sought an organization for Camp
Fannin veterans, and held the first of many
annual reunions. This marked the founding of
the Camp Fannin Association, an organization
enacted with the purpose of telling the
story of Camp Fannin and interpreting its
history to future generations. Its commitment
includes an association of veterans and
descendants, the annual reunion, the
publication of an informative history book
and the building and maintenance of the
Camp Fannin Memorial. Also, the Smith
County Commissioners Court designated
part of U.S. Highway 271 as the Camp Fannin
Memorial Highway.
The Association has provided funding
for the Memorial Plaza, benches and Camp
Fannin statue. This also includes a $30,000
endowment with University of Texas System
Board of Regents for maintenance. The
Association has large collections of artifacts,
training equipment, photos and more, and
wishes to display them in a future museum.
Currently, the Association has roughly 300
members, down from 900 at the fiftieth
anniversary reunion. As the association
numbers dwindle, its purpose grows more
vital—preserving history. “If there wasn’t an
effort made, all that history would be lost,”
said Edwards. “It is essential that we carry
on this story, because Camp Fannin had a
tremendous impact on the East Texas area,
and we are still seeing effects of it three
quarters of a century later.”

In 1926 the Tyler Public School System
established Tyler Junior College to give
residents of Smith and Van Zandt Counties
access to higher education. During its first
ten years and in the midst of the Great
Depression, TJC offered courses in liberal
arts, music and home economics to an
average of 200 students per year.
Today, the TJC District includes Chapel
Hill, Grand Saline, Lindale, Tyler, Van and
Winona Independent School Districts. In
addition, the college provides access to eleven
other school districts located in its service
area. TJC offers approximately 100 associate
degrees and certificate programs in the
following schools: Professional and Technical
Programs; Nursing and Health Sciences;
Engineering, Mathematics and Sciences; and
Humanities, Communications and Fine Arts.
More than 11,500 credit students and approximately
20,000 continuing education students
are enrolled at TJC each year.
Due to a growing demand for
highly trained healthcare professionals
in East Texas, Tyler Junior College
emphasized increased enrollment
and graduates of its nursing and
health sciences programs through
expansion to other regional locations
including TJC-Jacksonville,
TJC-Lindale and TJC-Rusk, all of
which offer some type of nursing or
health sciences program and have
expanded access to the college by
adding as many as 750 new enrollments
per year (as of fall 2010).
Just in time for the spring 2015 semester, the
doors opened on the Robert M. Rogers Nursing
& Health Sciences Center, Tyler Junior College’s
most ambitious construction project to date.
At approximately 150,000 square feet, the
Rogers Nursing & Health Sciences Center
allows for the gradual expansion of the associate
degree nursing program by fifty percent
and the dental hygiene program by twentyfive
percent.
The new space has allowed the addition of
new programs, including occupational therapy
assistant, wellness and exercise specialist,
physical therapist assistant, dental assisting,
community health worker and polysomnography
(sleep study).
Features include the latest in simulation
laboratories, as well as technology-enhanced
classrooms that allow students to receive
training on new, advanced equipment and
have access to universal, digital medical
records and information.
The $50-million center was funded with
a $25-million bond issue that voters
approved in May 2012, plus student fees and
private contributions.
“Students who pass through this facility
will have the very best medical training by our
top-notch faculty using the latest technology,”
TJC President Dr. Mike Metke said.
“This is a great fit for Tyler. Tyler is a
medical destination, and now we’re going to
be a medical training destination. People will
come to TJC to get the very best in medical
training, and many of them will stay and
work in Tyler and take care of us.”
TYLER JUNIOR
COLLEGE
Above: TJC’s new Robert M. Rogers Nursing
& Health Sciences Center houses the latest
in medical training technology and students
learn on the exact equipment that they will
use after they graduate and get jobs in their
chosen medical fields.
Below: Jenkins Hall is Tyler Junior College’s
oldest and most recognizable building.
Dotted with stately, eighty year old oak
trees, Jenkins Hall lawn is undoubtedly one
of the most picturesque places on campus.
TYLER PARTNERS
99

FIRSTCHOICE
COOPERATIVE
Tyler’s medical community certainly stands
out in East Texas. While there are many talented
individuals, there is simply a strength in the
numbers of a community that cannot be overstated.
It is with a sense of commercial community
in mind that FirstChoice Cooperative
was founded in 1996 by ETMCRHS President
and CEO Elmer Ellis and ETMCRHS Corporate
Vice President Freddie Sanchez.
FirstChoice Cooperative is a nonprofit corporation
created to establish an association of
healthcare providers, city and county, businesses,
school districts and universities as a
cooperative with emphasis on the administrative
function of group purchasing for all the
members of the corporation. “We exist to provide
a process for all providers, regardless of
size, to reduce supply cost in our communities
where we live and work while maintaining the
highest level of quality,” said Chief Operating
Officer of FCC, Ron Kethan.
After thirty-five sole-source manufacturer
agreements in its first year and increasing
membership to fifteen in first eighteen
months of operation, FCC expanded its reach
across the nation. Members now include
hospitals, healthcare facilities, clinics, home
health, reference labs, EMS, community businesses,
municipalities and educational institutions.
In 1998, FirstChoice Management
Services formed to manage FirstChoice
Cooperative with national GPO relationship
terminated. In 1998, FCC received exclusive
endorsement by the Texas Organization for
Rural and Community Hospitals with over
150 member hospitals.
As the commercial marketplace industry
rapidly developed, FCC evolved. In 2000,
electricity was deregulated in Texas and
FCC aggregated many customers in Tyler,
extending our portfolio outside healthcare.
In 2003, along with the GPO Industry,
FCC implemented its own code of conduct to
address conflicts of interest, industry and fair
business practices.
Over the years, FirstChoice has helped its
members reduce supply expense as much as
twenty-five percent with 450 contracts under
its portfolio. In addition to the savings the
contracts provide FCC has generated a source
of revenue with the return of patronage
dividends. Since 1998, FCC has returned
$80 million back to its members.
“FirstChoice continues to add members,
while increasing member compliance and
addressing member contract needs,” Kethan
said. “What began as a regional GPO for a
handful of hospitals has grown exponentially
over the years into a national GPO based in
Tyler. However, we seek to uphold the same
values and goals that brought us to this place.
We exist to serve our membership and our
community.” Those values are represented by
FCC’s commitment to the Tyler community,
and each year, they host a membership
golf event in which all proceeds are donated
to the pediatric operations of East Texas
Medical Center.
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
100

EAST TEXAS
BRICK COMPANY
Morris Cates, president of East Texas Brick
Company and Patio and Outdoor Center,
began his foray in the brick business in
1965, processing orders in the office of an
Athens brick firm. As he learned more about
the business, Cates made the move into sales,
eventually becoming one of the business’
top salesmen.
In 1987, colleague Steve Zagst approached
him with the idea of opening their own
company in Tyler. With Cates as president
and Zagst serving as vice president, the
two created East Texas Brick Company in
December 1987. The company specializes
in brick and stone sales; fireplace and
accessories, installation and servicing; patio
furniture and accessories; and gas and
charcoal grills, accessories and servicing.
The business started in a small office on
155 South with just a receptionist, and
Cates, Zagst and another employee working
as salesmen. Despite starting a business
during difficult economic times, in just five
months the company had outgrown its space
and required more staff. It relocated to a
bigger office with a yard, and Cates and Zagst
hired additional employees.
By 1989 the economy still had not experienced
an upswing, and one of East Texas
Brick’s five employees resigned and began
working for another brick company because
he believed East Texas Brick would not
make it through the winter. That spring,
he returned and asked for his job back.
He stayed with the company until his
retirement in 2010.
The business continued to grow in the
early 1990s, warranting a move to its current
location at 3901 South Southwest Loop 323.
The company also earned the opportunity to
be the major dealer for one of the largest
brick companies in the nation. East Texas
Brick now represents more than thirty of the
finest brick, natural and manmade stone companies
in the U.S. and has more than forty
employees who serve Tyler, East Texas and
parts of Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.
The company credits its success to its
hardworking employees and loyal customer
base. Employees have started out working
in the yard and climbed their way up to
management and outsides sales positions.
Customers have stood by the business as
well, even when the economy was deteriorating,
many continued to buy East Texas
Brick’s products. Each year the company
shows its appreciation to those customers
with Brickfest, a large celebration complete
with hors d’oeuvres, crawfish and barbecue.
As Cates approaches retirement, his daughter,
Suzanne Kunzman is assuming more of
his duties. She and General Manager Buddy
Gresham will take over the company’s reins
and continue East Texas Brick’s tradition of
bringing Tyler the very best products and
services around.
For more information about East Texas
Brick Company, please visit their website at
www.etbrick.com or call 903-581-0002.
Above: Morris Cates and Suzanne Kunzman.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF KELSEY LEA.
TYLER PARTNERS
101

TYLER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Tyler is the economic hub of east Texas.
With 100,000 residents and a daytime
population that reaches 250,000, Tyler has
a vibrant business community that is supported
by the work of the Tyler Area
Chamber of Commerce.
Since 1900 the mission of the chamber has
been to enhance the business environment,
the economic well-being and quality
of life for the Tyler area. With more than
2,100 members, which include businesses,
organizations and individuals, the chamber’s
activities are focused on the interests of the
business community.
The work of the chamber is accomplished
primarily through the commitment of the
elected board of directors and members’
work on committees, with support from the
chamber’s professional staff.
Committees that promote the goals of the
area development council include the aviation
committee, which promotes the improvement,
maintenance and expansion of air
transportation. The energy committee promotes
growth of the oil and gas sector.
Working closely with officials at the local,
state and national levels, members of the
governmental affairs committee represent the
mission, goals and objectives of the chamber.
Ground transportation is promoted through
the members of the surface transportation
committee and the veterans committee work
to promote benefits for local veterans.
The business development council includes
six committees: Education/human resources
supports the development of quality education
and training opportunities. Hispanic
business alliance committee members assist
new and growing Hispanic businesses with
planning and growth strategies. The medical
committee promotes all aspects of the
medical industry. Members of the senior
resource development committee have
developed a plan to attract retirees and
involve this group in the chamber activities.
The growth of technology, telecommunications
and biotechnology are the focus of
the work of the technology committee. The
young professionals networking committee
supports emerging leaders with opportunities
to connect and grow. The business education
council is a liaison between the education
and business community and seeks to
improve education outcomes to support
business and economic development.
Included under the Tyler Convention and
Visitors Bureau umbrella are the SPORTyler
Committee whose members focus on attracting
sporting events to Tyler as well as the
tourism committee, which sponsors and
promotes local events to attract tourists.
Membership in the chamber provides
many benefits and includes opportunities to
network with other area business leaders and
to promote a member’s business at events and
special activities that take place throughout
the year.
The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce in
partnership with other local organizations,
and supported by the work of its members,
is committed to promoting the business
environment for the Tyler/Smith County area.
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
102

Tyler is lucky to be home to a number
of businesses who have contributed to the
culture of East Texas at various points
throughout the last century. Austin Bank is
one of those players serving the financial
needs of Tylerites and all of East Texas.
Operating under an original charter from
1900, Austin Bank’s mission remains consummately
straightforward: community bankers
providing exceptional service.
Already possessing a prominent presence
throughout East Texas, Austin Bank entered
the Tyler market in 1986 as an Investment
Center operating out of First National Bank
of Whitehouse. The location became a
full-service bank in 1987 and due to rapid
deposit and loan growth outgrew their original
location and moved to 611 South
Beckham. Following this success, additional
offices were opened on Old Bullard Road in
1996, on West Loop 323 in 2004, and in
Downtown Tyler in 2005. Tyler’s newest office
was opened in 2007 in Cumberland Park on
South Broadway, primed to meet the needs of
the growing South Tyler area.
The bank’s history in Tyler is undergirded
by longstanding tradition. Austin Bank is
locally owned and operated by the Austin
family who celebrates over 107 years of service
to the Texas banking industry. For four
generations, the Austin family has realized
the need to maintain a bank that would
provide the financial stability and trust to
contribute to the growth and prosperity of
the communities they serve. Through war, the
Great Depression and the turbulence of an oil
boom, the Austins brought honor to the banking
profession with strong leadership, active
involvement in the community and enduring
relationships with customers and employees.
The Austin Bank legacy has been the result of
many years of hard work, adherence to the
founding principles of honor and integrity,
prudent decision making and dedication to
East Texas. The bank’s actions have always
been in the best long-term interests of their
customers, employees and shareholders.
The Austin family has personified banking
in East Texas since 1909 when John F. Austin,
Sr., became a founder and president of First
State Bank of Frankston. Family involvement
continued through John and Sallie Austin’s
son, Jeff Austin, Sr., and today through his
children, Jeff Austin, Jr., and Jane A. Chapman.
(Jeff Austin, Jr., currently serves as chairman
of the board for the bank and Jane A. Chapman
serves on the board.) Jeff Austin III, vice chairman
of the board, brings a fourth generation
of leadership.
The bank’s allegiance to the communities
it serves continues to manifest itself through
contributions in direct support of local education,
the arts, literacy, health and housing
needs as well as countless hours of volunteer
service given by Austin Bank employees.
Employee participation is encouraged in civic
organizations throughout their communities,
and many serve as board members of nonprofit
entities sharing their knowledge and
leadership skills.
Austin Bank’s loyalty to the
community begins first with their
dedication to their employees. “The
people of Austin Bank have always
been, and will always be, our greatest
strength,” shares Jeff Austin III.
“We appreciate their commitment
to the bank’s success and to providing
the best possible service to our
customers. We are humbled by the
time and financial resources they
give in partnership with the bank to support
the East Texas communities we serve.” The
bank is privileged to have been named one of
the Best Companies to Work for in Texas for
eight consecutive years—2009 to 2016—and
hopes to continue this tradition as honorees
are comprised of 100 companies, which
benefit the state’s economy, its workforce,
and businesses.
AUSTIN BANK
Above: Three generations of Texas
bankers—Jeff Austin, Jr., Jeff Austin, Sr.,
and Jeff Austin III.
Below: Tyler Cumberland Park location.
TYLER PARTNERS
103

Above: Back row, left to right, Jim
Gomillion, Rusty Bundy, Darin Newhouse,
Rodney Overman and Darin Cowart.
Middle row, Rick Allen, Gary Penkilo,
Jeff Moore, Rick Jett and Jeff Geese.
Front row, Kristy Everitt, Ginny Ragland,
Adrienne Deason, Jana Broussard and
Kay Latta.
Below: Left to right, Robert Peters and
Lester Henry.
Founded in 1929 on
TRUST and INTEGRITY.
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
104
HENRY & PETERS, P.C.
Since its founding nearly ninety years
ago, Henry & Peters, P.C. has provided
quality tax, audit, and advisory services in
East Texas and beyond. The firm’s mission
is to provide the highest level of professionalism
in every service it offers, and to be a
trusted advisor respected for its contribution
to the long-term success of its clients,
employees, and community.
In 1929, Lester Henry founded the
accounting firm that would later become
Henry & Peters, P.C. Approximately four
years later, East Texas was in the midst of an
oil boom with the discovery of the Daisy
Bradford Well. Faced with a surplus of work,
Henry’s brother-in-law, Robert K. Peters,
joined the firm around 1936.
Henry & Peters was first located in downtown
Tyler in the Citizen’s Bank Building,
one of three major banks in town at the time.
Later, Citizen’s Bank was imploded and a
new bank building was constructed in its
place. While awaiting completion of the
new building, the firm temporarily relocated
just down the hall from the Tyler Petroleum
Club, a major center for lunch and afterwork
dinner parties. With continued growth,
the firm moved to its current location on
South Broadway in 1983.
In the 1950s, Henry & Peters was primarily
an oil and gas accounting firm.
Since many of its clients were moving to the
Midland area, Henry & Peters briefly operated
a satellite office there, and closed it when
the oil boom settled. Today, the firm has
offices in Tyler and Longview, and serves
more than 7,000 clients in a highly diverse
mix of industries throughout East Texas and
surrounding regions, including the Dallas/
Fort Worth Metroplex area. It has expanded
its service offerings to encompass related
needs such as estate planning, business
valuation, and fraud investigation.
Henry & Peters has more than 100
employees and fourteen partners with more
than 300 years of professional accounting
experience. Its certified public accountants
have varied backgrounds and experience
with international and local firms, and
diverse industries. They are a passionate,
highly active group who devote countless
hours to the community.
The firm has a history of charitable
involvement with more than 100 local and
national organizations, including United
Way, American Cancer Society/Cattle Baron’s,
Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Boy Scouts
of America, Alzheimer’s Alliance of Tyler,
Children’s Miracle Network, Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation, Hospice of East Texas, East
Texas Food Bank, East Texas Crisis Center,
and many more. Its biggest commitments
involve organizations that promote education,
a passion of the firm since its early days.
Henry & Peters has achieved a longevity
and level of respect few others can rival.
For nearly ninety years, the business has
met its clients’ needs and exceeded their
expectations without compromising the
viability of the firm or its people. Such
accomplishments can be attributed to the
benevolent, unselfish nature of the company’s
owners, from its earliest days to present,
who look toward the success of the firm
as a whole instead of their own.
Please visit the company’s website at
www.henrypeters.com for more information
about Henry & Peters, P.C.

Tyler State College, now The University of
Texas at Tyler, was founded in 1971, after State
Representative Billy Williamson and attorney
Harry Loftis, among others, campaigned for
a senior college in East Texas that would
prepare junior college students for additional
educational and career opportunities.
The college’s first location was at the
Oran Roberts Junior High School on East
Berta and faculty offices were added in a
house across the street and in the old Safeway
building on West Locust. A new campus
was constructed at its current location
3900 University Boulevard.
The college was renamed Texas Eastern
University in 1975. The university became
The University of Texas at Tyler in 1979 by
joining the renowned UT System. The institution
has grown to a current enrollment of
8,785 students and 929 full-time employees.
UT Tyler’s vision is to be nationally recognized
for its quality education in the professions
and in the humanities, arts and sciences,
and for its distinctive core curriculum. The
university offers more than ninety degree
programs, with the top ten being nursing,
education, management, psychology, accounting,
marketing, finance, biology, history,
and health and kinesiology. Guided by an
outstanding and supportive faculty, its graduates
will understand and appreciate human
diversity and the global nature of the new
millennium. They will think critically, act
with honesty and integrity, and demonstrate
proficiency in leadership, communication
skills, and the use of technology.
UT Tyler is committed to providing a setting
for free inquiry and expects excellence in
the teaching, research, artistic performances,
and professional public service provided by
its faculty, staff, and students. As a community
of scholars, the university develops the
individual’s critical thinking skills, appreciation
of the arts, humanities and sciences,
international understanding for participation
in the global society, professional knowledge
and skills to enhance economic productivity,
and commitment to lifelong learning.
Within an environment of academic freedom,
students learn from faculty scholars
who have nationally recognized expertise in
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT TYLER
the arts and sciences, and in such professions
as engineering, public administration, education,
business, health sciences, and technology.
The faculty engages in research and creative
activity, both to develop and maintain their
own scholarly expertise and to extend human
knowledge. The results of that research and
other creative efforts are made available to
students in the classroom and to the general
public through publication, technology transfer,
and public service activities. The institution
also seeks to serve individuals who desire to
enhance their professional development, broaden
their perspectives, or enrich their lives.
In addition to its Tyler campus, UT Tyler has
campuses in Palestine, Longview, and Houston.
For more information, visit www.uttyler.edu.
Top: UT Tyler Riter Millennium Carillon
Tower and Plaza.
Above: The University of Texas at Tyler.
TYLER PARTNERS
105

TEXAS COLLEGE
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
106
Texas College is a historically black college
founded on January 9, 1894, by a group
of Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
ministers. The college’s mission, which
continues to embody the principles of the
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, is
to ensure that the student body experiences
balanced intellectual, psychological, social
and spiritual development, aimed at enabling
them to become active productive members
of society where they live and work.
Texas College was created out of a desire
by the CME Church to establish a college in
Texas. The college received its original charter
in the spring of 1894. It began in a four-room
frame house on the property where it exists
today at 2404 North Grand Avenue and had
just six students. By the end of the year,
enrollment increased to thirty-six students.
Initial educational offerings began with theology,
music, training of teachers, commercial
and industrial training and agricultural and
mechanical sciences. The first principal of the
college was Professor Samuel Allen Coffin,
who was assisted by his wife, Bessie Coffin,
and the Reverend I. S. Person.
On June 12, 1909, the name of the college
was changed from Texas College to Phillips
University, in honor of Bishop Henry Phillips.
The name change was short lived, and in
May 1910, the college officially returned to
its original name.
Today, Texas College’s name has come to
represent a 122-year tradition of academic
excellence, community service, tolerance,
social responsibility, perseverance and
integrity. The coeducational, four-year liberal
arts institution of higher education is open
to all individuals without discrimination on
the grounds of national origin, race, religion
or gender.
Texas College offers fourteen majors in
the areas of arts and sciences, humanities,
natural sciences and social sciences, as well
as associate of arts and baccalaureate degrees.
The college also has a teacher education program
that leads to certification and licensure,
as well as an alternative certification option
for students who have already earned a
bachelor’s degree. Additionally, its SUCCESS
Program is designed for working students
who want to enhance their professional
growth and development with a bachelor’s of
science degree in business administration.
Texas College is a member of the National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA),
Division II, the Red River Athletic Conference
(RRAC) and the Central State Football League
(CSFL). Its students have the option of
competing in baseball, basketball (men’s and
women’s), football, soccer (men’s and women’s),
softball, track and field, cross country (men’s
and women’s) and volleyball.
Financial assistance is available (for those
who qualify) in the form of various scholarships,
Pell Grants, Supplemental Education
Opportunity Grants, Tuition Equalization
Grants, college work-study and federal loans.
Texas College is accredited by the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools Commission
on Colleges (SACSCOC). For more information
on Texas College, visit their website at
www.texascollege.edu.

PROTHRO,
WILHELMI &
COMPANY,
PLLC
Prothro, Wilhelmi & Company, PLLC (PW)
is a leading certified public accounting firm
based in Tyler, Texas. The firm was founded
in 1992 by Thomas G. Prothro, CPA who
with faith, family and a vision dedicated to
serving his clients, grew the firm from a sole
entrepreneur to an experienced, professional
team. Today the firm employs twenty-five
professional staff who provide outstanding
personalized service to individuals and
businesses in the East Texas area.
The firm’s partners, Managing Partner
Thomas G. Prothro, CPA; Walter K. Wilhelmi,
CPA; Robert A. Roseman, CPA; and Kristi A.
Moore, CPA, each bring unique and diverse
experiences in an ever-changing tax and
accounting environment. They believe that
client relationships based on respect and
trust, implemented with the utmost confidentiality,
set the standard for service and
represent the core values of the firm. The
dedication of the partners to their talented
staff empowers the firm to provide extraordinary
service and expertise in practice areas
ranging from income tax planning, and
preparation, to accounting and reporting
services, to other services such as audits of
financial statements, internal audit and forensic
consulting, strategic business planning,
and estate income tax planning.
PW’s partners and staff support various
charities and nonprofit organizations in the
community. These activities range from
participation in the Literacy Council of Tyler’s
Annual Spelling Bee to serving on boards
and committees, to counting funds at the
East Texas Crisis Center’s Annual Auto and
Cycle Show. The firm has been honored as
an Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation
by the East Texas Chapter of the Association
of Fundraising Professionals.
PW is a faith-based company to which
the partners and staff are fully committed.
Emblazoned on the wall outside the front
door of the office building, and marking the
bottom of every page on the website you
will find the scripture verse Matthew 6:33:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things will be
added to you.” By actively pursuing these
values each day, PW has been able to
serve their clients in a manner that has
contributed to the firm’s rapid growth in size
and influence.
Prothro, Wilhelmi & Company, PLLC is
located at 6855 Oak Hill Boulevard in Tyler
and on the Internet at www.pw-tx.com.
“We believe that by possessing ethical and
eternal values, a business has infinite potential
to succeed.”
Above: The firm’s partners left to right,
back row, Robert A. Roseman, CPA
and Thomas G. Prothro, CPA.
Front row, Kristi A. Moore, CPA and
Walter K. Wilhelmi, CPA.
TYLER PARTNERS
107

BETTER
BUSINESS
BUREAU
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
108
For over 100 years, Better Business Bureau
has helped consumers find and recommend
businesses, brands, and charities they can
trust in communities across North America.
The East Texas Better Business Bureau goes
beyond simply monitoring the records of local
merchants and companies. They have spent
years partnering with local businesses, not
only making the BBB logo a trustworthy
symbol, but also connecting the
brand with a friendly face who
cares about the community.
By its mission, BBB provides a
foundation for ethical standards
within the business and
nonprofit community achieved
by accrediting only those
organizations who meet the
highest ethical standards. They
seek to set the standard for
marketplace trust, by being the
voice people turn to confidently
for assessment. They encourage
and support best practices by
engaging with and educating
consumers and businesses and
celebrating marketplace role
models, while also calling out
and addressing substandard
workplace behavior. BBB
undertakes this mission to
foster a community of
trustworthy businesses and
charities, and they have worked
tirelessly toward this mission
for more than 100 years.
Originally, BBB was formed
by concerned business owners
who were seeking to stop
fraudulent advertising by literal
snake oil salesmen. They
challenged these unethical
companies and made their
findings public. BBB officially
opened its Tyler offices in
1985 after years of organizing
by community leaders. The
Tyler-based BBB was formed
with support from the Tyler
Area Chamber of Commerce
and 200 East Texas businesses.
BBB still challenges misleading advertising
today, but the main focus is to work toward
consumer confidence in businesses and
charities through self-regulation. Their hope
is to create a healthy business climate where
buyers and sellers can trust each other.
BBB has grown rapidly over these thirty
years, expanding from its small Tyler base
to include a satellite office in Longview,
providing service to nineteen counties
through the support of local businesses and
charities who have met BBB Accreditation
Standards. With the participation of nearly
2,700 organizations, BBB Serving Central
East Texas is the seventh most saturated
region in the BBB system.
BBB is a 501c (6) nonprofit organization
which is supported by BBB Accredited
Businesses. Their services are free to the public.
Better Business Bureau Serving Central East
Texas—Parent organization: Council of Better
Business Bureaus, headquartered in Arlington,
Virginia. The Council of Better Business Bureaus
is the umbrella organization for the local,
independent BBBs in the United States, Canada
and Mexico, as well as home to its national
programs on dispute resolution, advertising
review, and industry self-regulation.

Camp Tyler Outdoor School (CTOS) started
as a wonderful dream that has become a 385
acre treasure on the shores of picturesque Lake
Tyler. Conceived by the Tyler Kiwanis, with
help from D. K. and Lottie Caldwell, the idea
began as a simple project to create a location
for the Camp Fire Boys and Girls to have summer
camp. As word grew, other civic organizations
joined with an eye to include additional
participation in youth summer camps. The
passion to develop a community camp grew
from seeing youth lose their roots to the land,
nature, and soil as Tyler was becoming a more
urban area. Soon the effort involved almost
the entire Smith County community.
Chartered in 1945 as the Smith County Youth
Foundation (SCYF), Camp Tyler was designed to
serve all youth organizations and schools. When
the father of outdoor education, L. B. Sharp
of New York, was brought to Smith County to
advise the SCYF, he said it was the first camp
in the U.S. that was “specifically planned and
built for year-round, community-school camp
purposes.” Construction of the facilities was
done cooperatively by and for the whole
community. In the late 1940s the community
raised $250,000 for the project. Much of the
actual work was done by skilled craftsmen
who worked at their jobs during the week and
then built the camp on weekends and in the
evenings. In 1948 the first youth groups began
coming to Camp Tyler.
During 1949 the first classes from the Tyler
Schools started attending day programs. By
1951, Dr. Mortimer Brown, then superintendent
of Tyler Public Schools, wanted to make sure
that every fifth and sixth grader in the Tyler
schools could have an outdoor learning experience.
He requested a contract with SCYF for
exclusive use of the facilities during the school
year. In return Tyler Schools would be responsible
for all maintenance and utilities. This
agreement provided not only a wonderful
opportunity for school children, but also a
great gift to the community as Camp Tyler was
able to offer services for free to other organizations
when Tyler Schools were not in session.
A true gift to the community!
In 1995, SCYF officially changed its name
to the Camp Tyler Foundation (CTF) to more
closely reflect its connection to the facility.
The mission remained the same, though some
of the populations had changed. In 2000, at
the request of Tyler ISD, CTF began offering
programs to other school districts with the goal
of providing extra income to offset costs. By
2008, TISD relinquished exclusivity, and Camp
Tyler staff took over instructional programs.
They began referring to Camp Tyler as Camp
Tyler Outdoor School (CTOS) to distinguish
themselves from local recreational camps.
Today, CTOS continues to provide outdoor
education in “the classroom without walls.”
CTOS serves private and
public schools through outdoor
education programs aligned with
recognized educational standards,
such as Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
These school groups range in
age from preschool through the
college and university level. In
addition, many different special
needs, faith-based, and youth
organizations utilize the facility
throughout the year.
Camp facilities are available
to rent for clients who may be
looking for a smaller location to
host their camp. CTOS is also
available to rent for a variety of
activities including picnics, weddings,
retreats, small or large
events, and family reunions.
CTOS has a strong community
heritage since the late
1940s. The memories and lessons
are priceless and lasting.
In the spring of 2013, the headmaster
from Westlake Charter
School said “You have it right!
At the previous camp we
attended, the thing the students remembered
best was their time in the candy store. Here,
what our students remember are aquatic
studies, shelter building, team building, playing
in the mud, and cooking on an open fire.
This is how it should be done.”
It is a place where everyone can learn
through the process of discovery. Experience
the Magic—Visit Camp Tyler! For more information
visit www.camptyler.org.
CAMP TYLER
OUTDOOR
SCHOOL
TYLER PARTNERS
109

GOLD LEAF
GALLERY
Above: Left to right, Debbie Shores and
Traci Brevard.
Tyler is a beautiful place to live. It only
makes sense then, that the interiors of our
homes and businesses be just as beautiful…and
that is where Gold Leaf Gallery excels. Gold
Leaf Gallery is a haven for the finest in custom
framing, original paintings (local, national
and international), limited edition prints,
sculpture and works by
Western Masters. They offer
in-home or business design
and consulting for art and
framing. Gold Leaf Gallery
is known for their custom
television frames, with
concealment options like
mirrors or motorized art.
At Gold Leaf Gallery, owners
Debbie Shores and Traci
Brevard, who also are sisters,
care for every piece of
art as if it were their own.
Shores has been a custom framer since
1988. She attended Arts Magnet High School
and Art Institute of Dallas where she realized
her love and talent in framing pictures.
After getting a job at MJ Designs Corporate
Headquarters, Michael James Dupey, of
Michaels, saw Shores’ skill and trained her
for more difficult specialty
projects. Shores
never stopped framing.
In 2007, Shores walked
into the Gold Leaf
Gallery where Buster
Barlow, who founded
the gallery in 1974,
hired her on the spot. Barlow was so
impressed with her integrity and passion for
framing, he told her he would one day like to
sell her the shop. Two years later, Barlow sold
the gallery to the sisters.
Brevard, also a respected artist, was awarded
the Nordan Fine Arts Scholarship to TCU
in 1985, after graduating from Arts Magnet
High School in Dallas. She has been in sales
and management since graduating with a BBA
from the University of North Texas. At Gold
Leaf Gallery, Brevard enjoys combining her
love for art and design with her love of sales.
“As artists ourselves, we take the time to
explore framing designs to create the BEST
framing ensemble for each piece while sensitive
to each customer’s budget. As picture framers,
we look at art through our customer’s eyes,
in order to interpret, extend and enhance
their treasured art forms,” said Brevard. When
Brevard and Shores bought the gallery in 2009,
they decided to attribute their mission statement
to their grandmother’s favorite saying,
‘Do unto others as you would have them do
unto you.’ Our customers become our friends.
“Debbie and I come from a family of artists.
Our mother, Barbara Holmes, greatly influenced
us in design as an interior decorator
in Dallas for many years before moving to
Tyler. Our father, Worth Holmes, enjoys his
retirement creating beautiful woodturnings
and musical instruments. It runs in our
blood,” says Brevard. “We thank God for our
wonderful life here in Tyler. People bring us
cherished pieces of art and we get to make
them even more beautiful!”
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
110

TRINITY
MOTHER FRANCES
HOSPITALS AND
CLINICS
Trinity Mother Frances is the region’s preferred
healthcare provider with a proud tradition
of over seventy-five years of dedicated
service. As a national leader in patient satisfaction,
advanced technology and quality initiatives,
Trinity Mother Frances is a faith-based,
not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating
healthy lives for people and communities.
Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics
includes the Louis and Peaches Owen Heart
Hospital; Mother Frances Hospitals Tyler,
Jacksonville and Winnsboro; Trinity Mother
Frances Rehabilitation Hospital, affiliated
with HEALTHSOUTH; Tyler ContinueCARE
Hospital, a long-term acute care facility; and
Trinity Clinic.
Trinity Mother Frances has a long and
storied history that begins overseas. A Polish
noblewoman, Frances Siedliska, who became
the namesake of the hospital, founded the
Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth
in 1875. Known in religious life as Blessed
Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd, Mother
Frances gathered together other young
women to found an order, which spread
quickly throughout the world. In 1885,
Mother Frances traveled with eleven other
Polish Sisters to Chicago, founding a hospital
and schools in the Polish community there.
The Sisters came to Texas in 1927 to teach in
schools and care for the sick.
In 1937, as America was struggling through
the Great Depression, the Catholic order of
the Sisters of The Holy Family of Nazareth
were committed to bringing a modern hospital
to Tyler. Mother Frances Hospital was
scheduled to open on March 19, 1937, but
was called on to open one day early to care for
victims of the New London school disaster.
Nearby, the staff of the Bryant Clinic, which
later became Trinity Clinic, also responded to
treat the injured. Almost 300 children, teachers
and townspeople were killed by the blast
and hundreds of the wounded were brought
to Mother Frances Hospital Tyler for treatment.
Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and
Clinics was founded on the desire to provide
the healthcare that the community around it
needed, and that desire continues in every
caregiver, clinic, and team member of Trinity
Mother Frances today.
Numerous expansions and additions have
turned the once modest hospital and small
clinic into Smith County’s largest employer
and one of the highest rated integrated health
systems in the United States. Trinity Mother
Frances Hospitals and Clinics (TMFHC)
employs over 4,000 and includes 6 hospitals
and 36 clinics with over 330 physicians and
mid-level providers located throughout the
region. However, its mission has also stayed
true to the founders, as a faith-based organization,
it is the mission of Trinity Mother
Frances to enhance community health
through service with compassion, excellence,
and efficiency.
TYLER PARTNERS
111

SMITH COUNTY
CHAMPIONS FOR
CHILDREN
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
112
Smith County Champions for Children is
an organization dedicated to the uncomplicated
idea that in order to succeed,
through education, we must prepare our
children to achieve their full potential.
“In Smith County alone, approximately
8,000 children spend an average of thirtysix
hours a week in some type of childcare
arrangement,” said Jackie Cannon, B.S.Ed.,
M.Ed., Executive Director of Smith County
Champions for Children. “Studies have
repeatedly shown that high quality childcare
helps children enter school ready to
learn. In 2015 we had 8,764 people attend
trainings and provided specialized services
to 448 kids. Through all programs, we
affected 38,969 children.”
Almost twenty years ago, a need was
identified for quality childcare in Tyler—to
provide the things that kids need when
entering school, with the goal of moving
daycare (currently seventy-six in Smith
County) from babysitting to education. This
is achieved through three distinct strategies.
First, SCCC provides teachers and parents
with the training they need, mentoring and
coaching parents and teachers. The second
part of SCCC’s approach is providing
specialized services for children who need
them through trained observation and the
application of three national programs. The
third portion is the supplying of dedicated
resources for daycare teachers and involves a
large lending library, dye-cuts, laminating,
lesson plans and more.
In 2012, Champions for Children moved
into their current home, a 6,000-square-foot
facility built for training teachers and serving
children. There are two state-of-the-art training
rooms equipped with projectors, sound
system and tables/chairs. There is a resource
room that houses all of the teaching supplies,
a room devoted to children’s intervention
and office space. SCCC has six full-time staff
and several part-time employees to fulfill
grants, and is governed by a board of eleven
members. Two Child Development Specialists
are adjunct Tyler Junior College instructors,
and SCCC offers two CDA classes per year.
SFCC are members of the Chamber of
Commerce, the Association of Fundraising
Professionals and consistently speak to
organizations across East Texas. They are
also helping to launch the Tyler Area
Partnership for Education (TAP4E) through
the business education department of the
chamber. “We support Cradle to Career
education,” said Cannon. “And we look for
success there, by having an impact on a
child. Before we see kids, the teacher does
a checklist that identifies the behaviors we
are looking to address. Success is where we
have a significant positive impact on that
behavior—as understood through evaluation
and observations. Success is also what the
teachers write on their follow-up surveys,
and we have great reviews.”

HISTORIC
TYLER, INC.
So many of these remarkable structures
found throughout Tyler’s historic districts
would not be left standing without the
crucial assistance of Historic Tyler, Inc., Since
its founding in 1977, Historic Tyler, Inc., has
promoted the preservation and appreciation
of Tyler’s architectural and cultural historic
resources through education, advocacy and
committed action. Historic Tyler is dedicated
to the preservation, revitalization and continued
use of Tyler’s historic resources.
The membership of Historic Tyler helps
ensure that historic preservation has a voice in
Tyler’s future economic and cultural development.
Their mission is to promote the preservation
and protection of historic structures
and sites through education, involvement and
public and private investment.
Tyler’s heritage is disappearing. Landmarks
such as the 1909 Smith County Courthouse,
the Blackstone Hotel, the Fire Station have
fallen to a wrecking ball or decayed from
neglect. Preserving Tyler’s past for future
generations is vital.
The concerns that Historic Tyler addresses
are shared by all Tylerites, not just those
who live in older neighborhoods or who own
historic properties. Urban revitalization and
economic diversification, defense of neighborhood
integrity and authenticity of place,
preservation of green space and protection of
historic resources are among the most critical
issues Historic Tyler faces every year.
After the Bicentennial, Americans became
more aware of our history and began a surge
of preservation. Through Historic Tyler, Inc.,
Tyler followed suit and sought to involve
the public. Each year, Historic Tyler on Tour
is a large fundraiser and hugely important
event. During the Azalea Trail, several
historic homes are open for public tours,
offering a fascinating view into Tyler history.
In addition to the annual Tour, Historic
Tyler has undertaken a multiyear project to
designate six distinct historical districts in
Tyler, save several historically significant
structures, including the 1880 Jail, the
modern masterpiece of the PATH headquarters
and have helped to add multiple homes and
buildings to the National Registry of Historic
Places. Current projects include the
preservation and restoration of the Mayfair
Building and the Oakwood Cemetery and the
current survey of the Pollard Farm Area.
Many notable Tylerites were key to the
founding of Historic Tyler, Inc. Currently,
they have a board of 26 and a membership
just above 400. Historic Tyler, Inc. is
incredibly important to not only the
history of Tyler, but to its future. Tyler’s
past is in its future’s hands. Their donations
and support of Historic Tyler, Inc., allow
them to pass long this wonderful heritage
to future generations, and with their help
Historic Tyler, Inc., can lay a cornerstone
for tomorrow.
Historic Tyler, Inc., welcomes you to stop
by the office at 110 East Charnwood, Tyler;
call 903-595-1960 or visit on the Internet at
www.historictyler.org.
TYLER PARTNERS
113

OFFICE PRIDE
OF EAST TEXAS
David Stein.
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
114
Office Pride was opened in East Texas in
2008, and lead to an additional Tyler franchise
in May 2010. After years in corporate
sales, owner David Stein was looking for
something that kept him home a bit more,
and something that matched his values and
business sense. In the classic sense, Office
Pride is an office cleaning company providing
day and evening services but it offers a bit
more. First, it is a faith-based organization.
It is evident in the website, materials, mission
statement and in their core values. The
second piece is the strength of the business
model; it is well-built, simple to understand
and productive, and based on Biblical values.
The official purpose of Office Pride is to
provide quality commercial cleaning services
that equip people to build profitable businesses
that glorify God. The mission of Office Pride
Commercial Cleaning Services is to honor and
glorify God by building mutually beneficial
relationships with customers, employees,
vendors and franchisees and fulfilling our
promise of providing top quality janitorial
services through men and women committed
to honesty, integrity and hard work.
Stein believes that along with the values of
Office Pride, they are able to set themselves
apart from competitors with a specific process
and way of serving customers—by executing
well. Stein said that all the good intentions
in the world do not matter unless you
follow through by hiring correctly, training
employees well and not quickly, setting clear
expectations and following through with
clients and individuals. Simply put, they look,
act, and perform professionally. The growth
of the organization bears that out. From just
Stein in the beginning, Office Pride of East
Texas now boasts 161 total employees, 10 in
the office and about 150 who maintain the
offices. There are more than 175 different customers
based in Tyler and the surrounding
areas. The smallest office they clean are just
a few rooms, and the largest is fifteen floors
and around 50,000 square feet. Office Pride of
East Texas ranks at the very top of the area
development standings across all Office Pride
offices in the country, and at number two on
the nationwide growth report.
Members of the Office Pride team are
involved throughout their communities, and
that is embodied by Stein himself, who is a
member of Rose Heights Church, has served
on the board at United Way of Smith County
for nine years, has been chair of the East Texas
Center for Nonprofits, and much more—all
in line with the company’s core values.
The future of Office Pride looks wonderful!
For information on Office Pride Commercial
Cleaning Services, please visit their company
website at www.commercialcleaningtyler.com.

Hamm’s Oilfield Goods and Services, LLC
goes the extra mile to assist all types of clients
in the oil and gas industry with one objective
in mind. Improve their profitability. This
objective is achieved by reducing customer
costs, saving customers time and providing
sterling customer service at all times. Hamm’s
is committed to providing solutions across
the globe while representing Christian values.
Hamm’s Oilfield Goods continually works
diligently to efficiently respond to customer’s
ever changing needs. These goals are met by
streamlining production processes, continuing
to advance technologies in manufacturing
and design, enhancement of productivity,
optimizing supply chain solutions and
offering quality products at competitive
prices. Our goal is to offer the highest
quality products at competitive prices with
exceptional customer service. Our philosophy
is simple—we view our customer relationships
as a partnership. The better service
and prices we can deliver, the better positioned
our customers are to be profitable,
efficient, and safe. At Hamm’s we believe it
is the sum of our contributions that make
us both successful.
Hamm’s Oil Field Goods is an oilfield supply
company specializing in high-pressure
flow control products. Through an integrated
capability, including our own manufacturing,
private labeling, and superior sourcing abilities
we are able to meet most purchasing
needs. This affords our clientele a dependable
vendor source for a large percentage of
their purchasing requirements thus reducing
their sourcing time, creation of purchase
orders, etc., thereby saving them time and
capital. This enables our customers to save
money and time so they can focus on their
core business.
Hamm’s Oil Field Goods and Services is
veteran owned and operated. We offer a
wide range of products including but not
limited to, figure 1502 flow iron, plug valves,
rebuild kits, figure 1502 hammer union
seals, pressure gauges, autoclave fittings,
needle valves, gate valves, plug valves, choke
stems and seats and much more.
Our Pressure Up Iron Works division offers
complete non-destructive testing services
HAMM’S OILFIELD GOODS AND
SERVICES, LLC
(NDT). We have permanent testing facilities
in Tyler and Madisonville, Texas. In addition,
we offer mobile testing trailers for our
customers’ convenience. Our Pressure Up
Iron Works team is fully certified in visual
testing, Ultrasonic testing, and magnetic
particle testing. We also offer custom fabrication
services including valve manifolds,
separators, sand traps, monorails and more.
In addition to NDT services and fabrication
we also provide rebuild, refurbish and
sandblast/paint services. Throughout we
never forget that our contribution to safety
management is literally a life and death reality
in the field. We take this responsibility
very seriously.
Our company team includes President
Derek Hamm; CEO Greg Conine; COO Jody
O’Brien; Superintendent Dave Campbell;
and Office Manager Liz Matthei. Our NDT
specialists include Joel Green, field superintendent,
Chris Bolton, field manager and
Todd Livingston, warehouse manager.
Hamm’s Oil Field Goods is a proud
member of the Texas Oil & Gas Association,
Louisiana Oil & Gas Association; Colorado
Oil & Gas Association; the Veteran owned
small business program and Energy Nation.
Our headquarters is located in Tyler,
Texas, at 13017 Kallan Avenue. Additional
information is available on our website at
www.hammsoilfieldgoodsonline.com or by
calling 903-707-2199.
TYLER PARTNERS
115

EXPRESS EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS
In a thriving business climate like Tyler,
there is always a need for additions to a
qualified, skilled, and experienced workforce.
Express Employment Professionals
exists to connect companies with the employees
they need to meet production needs and
help build careers.
Express Employment Professionals is the
leading staffing company in East Texas.
The Tyler Express office is part of an internationally
franchised company that employs
more than 500,000 people through its
network of more than 760 franchise locations
in the U.S., Canada and South Africa. EEP’s
vision is to help as many people as possible
find good jobs by helping as many clients
as possible find good people. Its long-term
goal is to put a million people to work
annually. The Tyler Express office opened in
1995 and during its first twenty years, the
company has worked with more than 1,500
local companies to meet their staffing needs.
The Tyler office has been among the
best performing and highest rated in the
Express franchise system for two decades,
having been honored as an Express Circle
of Excellence office every year since 1998
for outstanding sales. Additionally, the office
has been included in the prestigious Express
Chairman’s Club, recognizing the top ten
franchisees out of more than 760 offices for
many consecutive years.
“Express helps companies recruit, screen
and select employees. Our areas of expertise
include administrative, light industrial, skilled
trades, accounting, medical office, information
technology, engineering and finance,”
said Rocky Gill, Tyler franchisee. “We are
here to help people find jobs. By providing
hope through a job, we view our work with
Express with a servant heart.”
Owned by Rocky and Carrie Gill, the
company currently has more than twenty
employees to serve the Tyler business community.
The Gills have served on the boards
of various organizations in Tyler including
East Texas Medical Center Foundation, East
Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare
System, Junior Achievement, Children’s Village,
Rose City Kiwanis, Tyler Area Chamber of
Commerce, Tyler Economic Development
Council, Tyler YMCA, Better Business Bureau,
Workforce Solutions East Texas, and United
Way of Tyler/Smith County. Most recently, their
charitable focus has included orphaned
children through their service with Hope For
100, a program the Gills initiated in their
church, Green Acres Baptist Church, in which
more than 200 children have been placed
into Christian homes.
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
116

Youth With A Mission is an international and
interdenominational volunteer movement of
Christians dedicated to serving Jesus Christ in
the U.S. and throughout the world. YWAM (pronounced
“WHY-wham”) missionaries work in
more than 1,100 locations in over 180 countries,
with a full-time staff exceeding 18,000. YWAM
missionaries unite with the common purpose:
“to know God and to make Him known.”
Loren and Darlene Cunningham founded
YWAM in 1960 when they began taking college
students on short mission trips to Mexico and
the Caribbean. Pastors Leland and Fran Paris
have been involved with YWAM since 1968.
YWAM Tyler purchased the 365-acre Twin
Oaks Ranch in Lindale, Texas, in 1980 from
David Wilkerson for a very low cost, which
was like a gift compared to its value. Twin
Oaks Ranch in East Texas formed the headquarters
for YWAM Tyler training and mission
programs. For more than thirty-five years,
thousands of people have received their
mission training at the ranch and engaged in
global missions. Originating from right here
in East Texas over 200 ministry locations have
been started throughout the world. YWAM
Tyler offers Christian training and educational
courses designed to equip believers for a
lifetime of effective service in everything from
evangelism to medical missions; agriculture
to linguistics and cross-cultural ministry.
YWAM Tyler has five other local sites that
include Living Alternatives in Lindale, which
operates FatherHeart maternity home; Christian
Heritage School in Tyler; Building Blocks, an
earn-while-you-learn training program for new
parents in Tyler; Pregnancy Center; and School
of New Beginnings in Van. The organization
also operates Loving Alternative, an adoption
ministry; Forthe1, a foster care program; a
charter school for girls wanting to continue their
education while pregnant; Keeps Boutique, a
ministry to teen girls in the foster care system;
and The Journey Coffee House in Lindale.
MercyWorks, YWAM Tyler’s medical and
relief arm regularly organizes and sends teams
comprised of missionary staff and volunteers,
including those from the healthcare industry
to provide basic healthcare, surgeries, medicine
and dentistry for refugees and people in impoverished
countries like Bangladesh and Sudan.
The Agricultural Technologies ministry
(Ag Tech) prepares short-term and long-term
missionaries in agricultural development and
animal husbandry to offer assistance to those
living in the developing world.
Training courses are credited with many
universities around the nation. Students are
trained in evangelism, Bible training, missions
applications such as agriculture, medical
missions, worship, teaching, and preparation
for majority-world missions. YWAM Tyler
also has a K-12 Christian school, Christian
Heritage School, along with a teacher’s
training program in Tyler, Texas. Trained
teachers have been sent to more than
forty-five nations and K-12 Christian schools
have been started in many nations as well.
Along with the more than 200 ministry
locations that were started internationally,
YWAM Tyler has pioneered the following U.S.
satellite locations: New Orleans, Louisiana;
Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Alamogordo, New
Mexico; West Palm Beach, Florida; and Keyser,
West Virginia. These locations minister to
unwed mothers, prostitutes, individuals suffering
from addictions, high school students,
refugees, and more.
For more information about YWAM Tyler,
visit the Internet at www.ywamtyler.org.
YWAM Tyler is a 501(c)3 nonprofit accredited
by the ECFA, Evangelical Council for Financial
Accountability. All contributions are used to
fund the local YWAM Tyler endeavors.
YOUTH WITH
A MISSION
Above: YWAM Tyler trains hundreds of
students each year.
Below: Students in Bolivia.
Bottom: YWAM Tyler at Lindale property.
TYLER PARTNERS
117

REGIONS BANK
Regions Financial Corporation traces its
roots to the nineteenth century and three
Alabama-based banks—First National Bank
of Huntsville, First National Bank of
Montgomery and the Exchange Security Bank
of Birmingham. The banks remained in businesses
through the Great Depression. First
National Bank of Montgomery did not miss a
single dividend during this time—a distinction
only a few banks in the country earned.
In 1970 the banks merged with First
Alabama Bancshares Inc. to form the first
multibank holding company in Alabama. The
next year, the holding company began operations
with forty locations in Birmingham,
Huntsville and Montgomery. In 1985, First
Alabama Bancshares’ Birmingham, Montgomery
and Huntsville banks merged to form First
Alabama Bank. In 1987 the first out-of-state
bank was established in Milton, Florida, and
Regions expanded to Georgia, Tennessee,
Louisiana, South Carolina, Arkansas and
Texas shortly thereafter.
In 1987, Regions became the first Alabama
bank to offer customers direct access to their
account information via a computerized telephone
inquiry service, and telephone banking
continues to be a convenience to customers
to this day. In 1994, First Alabama became
Regions Financial Corp. First National Bank
of Gainesville, Georgia, joined in 1996 and,
two years later, Regions acquired First
Commercial in Little Rock. In 2000, Regions
acquired Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc. and in
2004 created Regions Insurance Group Inc.,
the corporate structure for all the company’s
insurance-related subsidies. That same year,
Regions became a regional force in the financial
services industry when it merged with
Memphis-based Union Planters, allowing
Regions to expand its footprint to sixteen
states in the South, Midwest and Texas and
becoming one of the top fifteen banks in
the nation.
In 2006, Regions merged with AmSouth,
another significant Birmingham-based bank.
In April 2012, Regions completed the sale of
Morgan Keegan to Raymond James Financial,
resulting in proceeds of $1.2 billion for Regions.
Today, President and CEO Grayson Hall
heads Regions as one the nation’s leading
banks. Regions 23,000-plus associates are
committed to making life better for their
customers and communities and creating
shared value in helping them meet their
financial goals and aspirations. This is
accomplished through offering competitive
financial products, superior service and trusted
financial advice.
Regions aims to be the premiere regional
financial institution in America by being
deeply embedded in its communities, operating
as a team with the highest integrity,
providing unique and extraordinary service
to its customers, and offering its associates
unparalleled opportunities for professional
growth. It operates according to five core
values: Putting people first, doing what is
right, focusing on the customer, reaching
higher and enjoying life.
For more information on Regions Bank,
visit its website at www.regionsbank.com.
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
118

All Natural Stone & Grass is a family owned
and operated business that is the leading
supplier of quality landscape materials and
the largest sod retailer in East Texas. With
more than fifty years of experience, the
company has the knowledge, skills, and
products necessary to assist every customer,
from the average homeowner maintaining
one yard to professional landscapers and
homebuilders managing multiple projects.
Any products that are not readily available
can be ordered; if the company does not carry
it, they will ensure the customer gets it.
ALL NATURAL
STONE &GRASS
As its name implies, All Natural Stone &
Grass stocks a variety of sod and a plethora
of natural stone and manmade materials.
The company has the freshest grass in
Texas. Varieties available include Centipede;
Zoysia including Cavalier, El Torro, Emerald,
Empire, Crown, Cutless, and Palisades;
Celebration and Tiff Bermuda; Palmetto and
Raleigh St. Augustine.
All Natural Stone & Grass carries building
stone of every size, shape, and color for
retaining walls, houses, and fireplaces.
Flagstone, including Arizona classic oak, is
available for patios, floors, pool decks, and
walkways. Boulders in a variety of sizes
and shapes also are available for use as
accents in landscaping or for building walls,
waterfalls, ponds, and streams. Whether
the stone variety sought is Oklahoma mini
boulders, Colorado creek, or thin veneer
natural stone products that eliminate weight
and space limitations, All Natural Stone &
Grass can help each and every customer find
the material or materials best suited for the
job at hand—no matter how big or small.
In addition to stone and grass, the company
offers products such as pine bark, topsoil,
firewood, sand, gravel, and an assortment of
accessories. All Natural Stone & Grass is also
an authorized dealer of Pavestone products.
All Natural Stone & Grass can supply
customers with a qualified contractor to
perform installation and/or maintenance of
its products. For the do-it-yourselfer or
customer who prefers to browse online
before making any purchases, the company’s
website, www.wesellgrass.com, offers links to
manuals and installation instructions pertaining
to several products it sells, a materials
calculator, as well as a comprehensive list
and photos of all products offered. All
Natural Stone & Grass hopes to provide
all the information and tools each customer
needs to prepare and get the job done right,
and at an affordable price.
All Natural Stone & Grass is a member of
the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, Tyler
Area Builders Association (TABA), and Texas
Nursery & Landscape Association (TNLA).
For more information on All Natural
Stone & Grass, call 903-581-8868 or stop
by their convenient Tyler location at
12670 Highway 155 South. The company
can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AllNaturalStoneGrass,
or Houzz at
www.houzz.com/pro/sodfather67/all-naturalstone-grass-inc.
TYLER PARTNERS
119

MARVIN UNITED
METHODIST
CHURCH
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
120
Marvin United Methodist Church was
founded in Tyler in 1848, when all Christian
denominations convened at the courthouse in
the city’s square. The Methodists, later known
as Marvin United Methodist Church, began
meeting in a blacksmith’s shop and became the
first organized denomination in Smith County.
In 1890 a need for a new meeting place
coincided with a city-wide revival led by
Evangelist Sam P. Jones. From that spiritual
renewal came the building of the magnificent
sanctuary that continues to serve Marvin
United Methodist to this day. For
more than a century, its spires
have dominated the Tyler skyline.
Marvin Church offers an
unparalleled music program, varied
and numerous opportunities
for spiritual growth and superb
children’s and youth programming.
Each week, the church
gathers in the historic sanctuary
for two traditional worship services
rich in liturgy and complemented
with the music of the beautiful pipe
organ. Two contemporary services are also
held each week in the newly-renovated Herd
Worship Center. These services embrace worship
trends with powerful music, relevant
media, authentic teaching, and heartfelt
praise and worship. A casual acoustic service
is also offered each Sunday wherein worshipers
gather in the sanctuary for intimate,
interactive worship.
The church has a fascinating history. In the
1890s, banks failed and many church members
were financially strapped. In 1897 the
church could not even pay the interest on its
$8,000 loan on the sanctuary, which was in
danger of being sold for nonpayment. Pastor
Greathouse appointed a committee to find
another place for Marvin’s members to worship.
At the committee’s suggestion, prayer
and fasting began in the sanctuary at 8 a.m.
and continued for two days, at which point
the committee felt those prayers were
answered and the church would be saved. On
January 4, 1898, Kettie L. Douglas, who was
not a Methodist, bought the finest Methodist
sanctuary in Texas for $9,500. She rented the
sanctuary to the congregation on easy terms
until they paid her back and regained legal
ownership in 1901.
Marvin’s mission is to “call, equip, and
send.” The church calls people to an active
relationship with Christ, equips them to be
passionate disciples, and sends them to share
the gospel through word and deed. Marvin’s
members support missionaries throughout
the world, while also actively serving through
the church’s outreach ministries and forty-two
mission partners. Every year during Mission
Week, members spend a week working on
repairs and remodeling projects in East Texas.
A recent project entailed adding a bedroom
and bathroom to a tiny home where nine people
lived in one bedroom and one bathroom.
Marvin United Methodist, once known as
the Cathedral of the West, celebrated 125 years
in its historic sanctuary in 2015. The church
is vital and healthy today, working to advance
the Kingdom of Christ in Tyler and East Texas.
The church is located at 300 West Erwin in
Tyler. For more information, visit Marvin’s
website at www.marvinumc.com.

Allegiance Specialty Hospital is a licensed
sixty bed hospital in Kilgore that specializes
in medical acute care and behavioral
healthcare. In addition to providing ongoing
community education about mental health,
Allegiance Hospital is nationally recognized
and accredited by DNV for meeting high
standards in healthcare.
Allegiance offers inpatient and outpatient
psychiatric care for older adults. Inspirations
is a physician-supervised program that
provides counseling services during the
day and a warm, delicious lunch, allowing
patients to return home that afternoon.
Allegiance’s inpatient psychiatric program
is for patients who need twenty-four hour
hospitalization. This treatment program
offers crisis intervention, psychiatric and
medication stabilization, grief work, coping
skills, anxiety and depression education,
cognitive therapy, spiritual care, stress
management, problem-solving and communication
techniques, assistance with
life transitions, health education, and
early dementia work. Personalized treatment
is available for depression, anxiety,
bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other
mental health issues, an acute care unit
addresses the needs of patients who
require a high level of nursing care or
crisis intervention.
Inpatient care includes one call to access
services twenty-four hours a day, seven days
a week; free onsite pre-assessments with
appropriate referrals to community resources;
twenty-four hour nursing service; rapid
stabilization and effective transitions to
home and community; a timely and efficient
intake and admission process; medication
management and education; a psychiatrist
and a master level clinician assigned to each
patient; weekly treatment team meetings
with patient, family, physician, and healthcare
team; group and family therapy; patient
psychoeducation groups; recreational, exercise,
and music therapy; a multidisciplinary
team treatment approach; nutritional consultations
and counseling/education; and case
management and discharge planning that
actively engages the patient and his or
her family.
ALLEGIANCE SPECIALTY HOSPITAL
Allegiance has provided behavioral health
services in the area since 2002 and in 2007
purchased the hospital, formerly known as Laird
Memorial, and began focusing on providing
medical and behavioral health services for older
adults. Allegiance Specialty hospital is also home
to an adult crisis stabilization unit as well as an
emergency department open twenty-four hours
a day, seven days a week.
Allegiance has 118 employees with a
financial impact to the city of Kilgore of
millions in annual payroll. Allegiance Hospital
has partnered with the nursing programs of
Kilgore College, UT Tyler, Panola Junior
College, and UT Arlington, whose nursing
students rotate through Allegiance Hospital as
part of their training. Kilgore College Health
Sciences Center, faculty offices and clinical
training areas are based at the hospital as well.
The hospital receives thousands of referrals
from the entire state of Texas and surrounding
states and has treated more than 100 patients
daily in its outpatient programs in Tyler,
Marshall, and Kilgore. More than fifty percent
of Allegiance’s patients live outside Gregg
County, and their families utilized Kilgore’s
hotels, restaurants, and stores.
Allegiance Specialty Hospital is located at
1612 South Henderson Boulevard. For more
information, please visit the hospital’s
website at www.ashkilgore.com.
TYLER PARTNERS
121

TYLER
INDEPENDENT
SCHOOL DISTRICT
FOUNDATION
The Tyler Independent School District
Foundation was founded to support and
encourage the district’s public schools, including
its teachers, students, staff, administrators,
and family members. Its work is simple: to
seek funds and grant them to others. Through
its efforts and exemplary programs, the foundation
serves as a catalyst for uniting schools
and the community, and provides resources to
inspire learning, enrich teaching, and enhance
opportunities for the district’s students.
Tyler ISD Foundation was incorporated
in 1990 as a response to the local need for
increased community involvement in and
support for public education. The foundation
is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that
works closely with the school district but
serves as an independent entity. No tax
dollars are utilized in fulfilling the mission
of the Tyler ISD Foundation.
The foundation seeks funds through general
donations and fundraising events. These
activities include an annual campaign wherein
funds are solicited from area businesses,
philanthropists, alumni, parents, faculty, and
staff who believe in assisting the public school
system; grant writing; and appeals to a broad
spectrum of the community, including area
organizations, foundations, businesses, professionals
in both corporate and civic sectors,
Tyler ISD alumni, parents, and personnel
who are in support of the teachers, staff, and
others who work within the school district.
The foundation also annually hosts A Night
of Shining Stars, an academic recognition event
that honors the top twenty graduates and
National Merit Scholars from John Tyler
and Robert E. Lee High Schools, as well as
the teachers who positively influenced their
academic journeys. A Night of Shining Stars has
become a yearly social highlight for Tyler ISD’s
schools and community. Tyler ISD Foundation
then grants the funds it collects through competitive
grants to teachers, teams of teachers,
campuses, or the district to help the foundation
meet its mission; the district to meet objectives;
the campus to meet its campus plan; and the
student to achieve optimal learning.
Tyler ISD Foundation is guided by a
board of directors and staff members. The
board includes: Debbie Matteucci, president;
Dr. Gary Gross, president elect; Tab Beall, vice
president of finance and governance; Suzette
Farr, co-vice president of marketing and
events; Lynette Birdsong, co-chairperson of
marketing and events; Brenda Stratton, vice
president of development; Adam Morrow, vice
president of volunteer management; Eleno
Licea, director at large; Daniel Montgomery,
CPA; Darlene Marshall, Leslie Strader, Randy
Grooms, Rebecca Ballard, Sherri Canton,
Kim Farrell; Dawn Parnell, ex-officio; Angela
Duitch, ex-officio; Dr. Marty Crawford, superintendent
and ex-officio.
Tyler ISD Foundation is located at 807
West Glenwood Boulevard in Tyler. For more
information, visit the foundation’s website at
www.foundation.tylerisd.org.
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
122

TYLER
INDEPENDENT
SCHOOL
DISTRICT
In 1876, the people of Tyler, realizing their
educational needs, formed a stock company
and constructed a building on the present
John Tyler High School site. Here the East
Texas University was organized as a military
school and was conducted by Professor
G. W. Norwood of Mississippi for three years.
In 1879, Honorable Cone Johnson, a lawyer
in Tyler, and two other gentlemen, took charge
of the school. The military feature was soon
discontinued and in early 1882, an election
was held to determine whether or not a tax
for public school purposes should be levied.
The election passed, and the board of trustees
and the Tyler Public School system was
inaugurated. Percy V. Pennybaker was the first
superintendent elected. By the early 1900s
several elementary schools and a high school
were built. In 1924 a building to house all
junior high school students was erected on the
high school campus. This building, to a great
extent, housed students attending Tyler Junior
College from its organization in 1926 until
it was moved to the new location in 1948.
Tyler ISD currently educates over 18,000
students. As the largest school district in
Northeast Texas, Tyler ISD encompasses 193
square miles and maintains a total of thirtyone
campus and auxiliary facilities. Tyler ISD
continues to focus on bringing twentyfirst
century learning to all of its 18,000
students through the addition of new
facilities and programs. During the 2015-16
school year, the District opened two new
buildings, the Career and Technology Center
and Three Lakes Middle School, as well as
new campuses for Boulter Middle School and
Moore MST Magnet School.
Tyler ISD believes each student should
learn in a safe, secure, and positive learning
environment that strives for citizenship,
career, college and life-readiness. Tyler ISD
possesses expanding and innovative educational
opportunities that support a variety
of learning preferences and is committed to
continue working for each student to have
access to a unique educational experience.
Community partnerships are a primary
focus for Tyler ISD. Through these partnerships,
Tyler ISD students benefit in countless
ways, both inside and outside of the
classroom. The district participates and/or
collaborates with city events such as Turn
Tyler Pink, #SchoolisCool and more! Over
seventy community and business partnerships
throughout Tyler help our students succeed in
reaching their educational and career goals,
and instruct the students of the Tyler area in
the values of philanthropy and benevolent
commerce in order to develop the students of
today into East Texas’ leaders of tomorrow.
TYLER PARTNERS
123

CAVENDER’S
The Cavender family.
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
124
Based in Tyler, Texas, Cavender’s is a family-owned
and operated specialty retailer of
western and work wear, apparel, accessories
and boots. Cavender’s is more than just the
name of a store; however, it is the name of
a family that, for more than fifty years,
has earned a reputation for creating quality
men and women’s apparel with an authentic,
“ranch-tested” style. Since 1965 the brand
has steadily mushroomed throughout the
United States with more than seventy-two
locations in eight states.
In 1957, Oklahoma native James R.
Cavender opened a burger joint in Texas.
When he grew tired of dipping ice cream
and flipping hamburgers, he opened a
clothing store, Cavender & Smith’s, and
bought out his partner a year later. Cavender
& Smith’s was renamed Cavender’s. By the
mid-1970s, there were five Cavender’s stores,
and by 1981, when the store became the
hot spot for cowboy boots in East Texas,
the name was changed to Cavender’s Boot
City. Today, retailers located outside Texas
are known as Cavender’s Western Outfitter.
In 1983, Cavender’s began its trek across
the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and in
1986 it opened the first of eleven Houston
stores. Forty-eight of its stores are scattered
throughout Texas, with additional locations
in Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri,
Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico.
The Cavender family lives the western
lifestyle, operating five working ranches
throughout Texas. James’ eldest son, Joe,
serves as president of the company. His
brothers, Mike and Clay, are also involved
with Mike in charge of site selection, and
Clay overseeing store design and merchandising.
James remains active and involved in
the company and is often heard offering
advice at the Cavender’s headquarters in
Tyler. James’ wife, Pat, still decorates all new
and remodeled stores, ensuring that customers
experience the signature
western style at each location.
The Cavenders credit their company’s
success to the dedication
and loyalty of their associates,
who are like family.
Cavender’s values each and
every one of its customers. James
himself said it best: “Take care of
the customer, and everything else
will take care of itself.” Customers
have reciprocated with decades of
loyalty, which has allowed the
company to support worthwhile
charities and events. Cavender’s
Community Involvement Program
helps the communities that are
home to our stores. With this
program, Cavender’s is able to
give to rodeos, organizations that support
the western lifestyle, and ranching and
agriculture education; support organizations
and events working to eradicate cancer and
assisting those fighting the disease; provide
support for charities that help abused
children; and donate to events and organizations
for individuals struggling with tragedy
and loss.
Cavender’s is located in Tyler, Texas. The
merchandising, marketing and web departments
are located inside the Cavender’s loop
retail store. The finance and accounting
departments are located on South Broadway.
The distribution center is located on Hays
Street in Tyler, and the IT/POS department
and operations department are located in
Whitehouse. For more information about
Cavender’s or its locations, please visit the
company’s website at www.cavenders.com.

DONNA CUMMINGS PHOTOGRAPHY
Donna started photographing children,
brides and weddings in 2003 after graduating
from the University of Texas at Tyler, where she
has received the honor of distinguished alumni.
As her bridal clients began growing their
families, her photography business evolved
into a full service portrait studio in south Tyler.
As a certified PPA professional photographer,
Donna leads her team of five photographers in
providing East Texas with a variety of photography
services. Donna Cummings Photography
captures the memories and moments of Tyler’s
babies, families, weddings, as well as corporate
head shots, commercial projects and events.
“Our studio strives to capture the beautiful
moments of our clients and then showcase
their memories with products that decorate
their homes and become treasured heirlooms
for their families.” says Cummings.
Our studio is located in Tyler, Texas.
Please contact us today at 903-266-9000 or
visit www.donnacummings.com.
Top, right: Left to right, Amanda Ratliff,
Donna Cummings, Amanda Bray and
Kaylyn Bergfeld.
TYLER PARTNERS
125

About the Photographer
D ONNA C UMMINGS
Donna started photographing children, brides and weddings
in 2003 after graduating from the University of Texas at Tyler,
where she has received the honor of distinguished alumni.
As her bridal clients began growing their families, her
photography business evolved into a full service portrait studio
in south Tyler.
As a certified PPA professional photographer, Donna leads
her team of five photographers in providing East Texas with a
variety of photography services. Donna Cummings Photography
captures the memories and moments of Tyler’s babies, families,
weddings, as well as corporate head shots, commercial projects and events.
“Our studio strives to capture the beautiful moments of our clients and then showcase their
memories with products that decorate their homes and become treasured heirlooms for their
families.” says Cummings.
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
126

About the Author
W ILLIAM K NOUS
William Knous was born in Tyler and raised in East Texas.
He has a degree in journalism from Texas A&M University
in 2004. From 2005 until 2013, Knous served as a writer,
photographer and editor for BSCENE Magazine and H3 Media.
Knous left publishing to form wk press, a editorial/design/
public relations firm serving individuals, businesses and
philanthropic clients across Texas. While still operating
wk press, Knous is now employed full-time by CHRISTUS
Trinity Mother Frances Health System as public information
officer and manager of internal communication. Knous is a
passionate reader, writer and follower of Liverpool Football Club. He lives in Tyler with his wife,
Whitney, and their three dogs, Maddie, Lucy and Bo.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
127

Sponsors
TYLER: A Natural Beauty
128
All Natural Stone & Glass.......................................................................119
Allegiance Specialty Hospital ..................................................................121
Austin Bank ............................................................................................103
Better Business Bureau ............................................................................108
Camp Fannin Association, Inc. .................................................................98
Camp Ford Historical Association, Inc.
East Texas Heritage Museum Association ............................................96
Camp Tyler Outdoor School ...................................................................109
Cavender’s...............................................................................................124
Donna Cummings Photography..............................................................125
East Texas Brick Company......................................................................101
East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System ............................74
Express Employment Professionals .........................................................116
FirstChoice Cooperative..........................................................................100
Gold Leaf Gallery....................................................................................110
Hamm’s Oilfield Goods and Services, LLC..............................................115
Henry & Peters, P.C. ...............................................................................104
Historic Tyler, Inc....................................................................................113
Jose Feliciano, Jr.
Feliciano Financial Group ...................................................................82
Junior League of Tyler, Inc. .......................................................................90
Marvin United Methodist Church ...........................................................120
Office Pride of East Texas........................................................................114
Prothro, Wilhelmi & Company, PLLC.....................................................107
Regions Bank ..........................................................................................118
Smith County Champions for Children ..................................................112
Texas College ..........................................................................................106
The Pamela Walters Group .......................................................................78
The University of Texas at Tyler ..............................................................105
Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics .........................................111
Turtle Island Stand Up Paddleboarding.....................................................92
Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce ..........................................................102
Tyler Home Mortgage................................................................................81
Tyler Independent School District...........................................................123
Tyler Independent School District Foundation........................................122
Tyler Junior College ..................................................................................99
UT Health Northeast.................................................................................86
Vasso & Associates....................................................................................94
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC........................................................................88
Youth With A Mission.............................................................................117

LEADERSHIP SPONSORS
ISBN: 978-1-944891-17-6